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Prehistoric shell mounds can be useful for the quantification of the radiocarbon marine reservoir effect (MRE) and, at the same time, knowledge about the MRE allows for the establishment of robust chronologies for these sites. This creates a loop in which the archaeological setting has a dual role: it is part of both the method and the application. Therefore, it is paramount to address these sites from both archaeological and environmental perspectives, investigating their origin and diagenesis in order to overcome biases caused by post-depositional alterations. In this study, samples of bone, charcoal and shell from a Late Holocene shell mound in Southern Brazil, the Sambaqui de Cabeçuda, were analyzed following a multidisciplinary approach to disentangle the complex relationships between archaeology and the environment. We performed X-ray diffraction, radiocarbon dating, stable isotopes (δ13C, δ18O, δ15N) and anthracology analyses as well as Bayesian Chronological Models and Isotope Mixing Models to assess the local MRE and to reconstruct the diet of Cabeçuda builders. Our results reveal a negative local correction for the MRE (ΔR = –263 ± 46 14C yr), expected for the lagoon next to the site, and diets with considerable intakes of marine proteins. We examine the implications of these results for the chronology of the site and discuss a series of complications when performing MRE studies using shell mound sites.

Drilling of the eastern Brazilian continental shelf in the 1980’s identified several main factors controlling Holocene reef growth in the South Atlantic. However, this model is limited by few fossil reef cores, sparse uncalibrated dates (

In hot environments, collagen, which is normally targeted when radiocarbon (14C) dating bone, rapidly degrades. With little other skeletal material suitable for 14C dating, it can be impossible to obtain dates directly on skeletal materials. A small amount of carbonate occurs in hydroxyapatite, the mineral phase of bone and tooth enamel, and has been used as an alternative to collagen. Unfortunately, the mineral phase is often heavily contaminated with exogenous carbonate causing 14C dates to underestimate the true age of a sample. Although tooth enamel, with its larger, more stable crystals and lower porosity, is likely to be more robust to diagenesis than bone, little work has been undertaken to investigate how exogenous carbonate can be effectively removed prior to 14C dating. Typically, acid is used to dissolve calcite and etch the surface of the enamel, but it is unclear which acid is most effective. This study repeats and extends earlier work using a wider range of samples and acids and chelating agents (hydrochloric, lactic, acetic and propionic acids, and EDTA). We find that weaker acids remove carbonate contaminants more effectively than stronger acids, and acetic acid is the most effective. However, accurate dates cannot always be obtained.

Several scientific expeditions surveyed the ocean during the 19th century, gathering a wealth of interdisciplinary data as well as samples of different kinds. The latter are currently held by museums worldwide, and are the subject of study in different sciences, offering a unique opportunity to access information which is not readily available elsewhere. This is the case for research involving the offset in 14C (or radiocarbon) activity between the ocean and the atmosphere, termed the Marine Reservoir Effect (MRE), which is responsible for apparent 14C ages in marine material. The quantification of this discrepancy is crucial for the 14C dating tool since corrections must be applied for the accurate calibration of marine 14C ages. Nevertheless, the difficulty of finding suitable material for assessing the MRE contributes to the current scenario of scarce and patchy data. Here we propose the use of samples collected during well-documented 19th-century scientific expeditions in order to overcome the lack of information that prevents the use of many museum specimens in MRE studies. Approximately 60 mollusk shells and a sea urchin, collected from the coast of Brazil, were analysed for their radiocarbon age, δ13C and δ18O. The MRE is variable, with considerably high values occurring at specific spots along the shoreline. The data indicate a rather large area of upwelling influence on the southeastern coast of Brazil and possible dissolution of 14C-free limestone in the northeast. The results shed light on processes affecting the 14C concentration of Brazilian coastal waters, bearing implications for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological studies performed in the region. Moreover, the data generated in this study will be useful for the validation of 14C simulations in numerical models. Finally, this paper offers a discussion of the importance of natural history collections which looks beyond the preservation of our biodiversity.

We present a high-resolution seawater radiocarbon (Δ14C) record from a Porites coral collected from Masthead Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) covering the years 1945–2017. The Δ14C values from 1945–1953 (pre-bomb era) averaged –49‰. As a result of bomb-produced 14C in the atmosphere, Δ14C values started to rise rapidly from 1959, levelled off at ∼131‰ in the late 1970s and gradually decreased to ∼40.3‰ by 2017 due to the decrease in the air-sea 14C gradient and the overturning of the 14C ocean reservoir (i.e., surface ocean to subsurface ocean; atmosphere to surface ocean). The Masthead Island record is in agreement with previous 14C coral records from the southern GBR. A comparison between surface ocean and atmospheric Δ14C suggests that, since 2010, the main reservoir of bomb-derived 14C has shifted from the atmosphere to the surface ocean, potentially resulting in reversed 14C flux in regions where the CO2 gradient is favorable. The high-resolution Masthead coral Δ14C sheds light on long-term variability in air-sea exchange and GBR regional ocean dynamics associated with climate change and in conjunction with the previous records provides a robust seawater 14C reference series to date other carbonate samples.

The Murray Darling Basin contains 40% of Australia’s farms and is subject to multi-year droughts that put severe pressure on southeast Australia’s freshwater resources. Yet the long-term frequency, timing and potential severity of these droughts is unknown, as there are few high-resolution paleoclimate records from the basin that extend past the instrumental era. In this study, we investigate the potential of stalagmites from Careys Cave, Wee Jasper, in the Murray-Darling Basin to record past droughts. We use a multiproxy approach of stalagmite stable isotopes, trace element data, and climate reanalysis. We show that (a) stalagmite δ18O at this site likely records either local or regional precipitation amount and (b) stalagmite δ18O shows reasonable coherence with decadal-scale wet and dry changes in regional rainfall over the last 150 years, including the Federation Drought (1895–1902). Therefore, stalagmites from Wee Jasper can be used to draw regional inferences about past rainfall and have potential to extend the record of past droughts in the Murray Darling Basin beyond the limits of historical data. Extracting such a record will enable a better understanding of the causes of multi-year droughts in the region and consequently better planning, mitigation, and resilience in the basin.

International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 341 in the Gulf of Alaska recovered a 112-meter-long sedimentary record from the continental slope at Site U1419. At this site, an exceptionally expanded late Pleistocene sequence (sedimentation rates >100 cm/kyr) combined with a high-resolution radiocarbon chronology (Walczak et al., 2020), provide an opportunity to study Paleomagnetic Secular Variations (PSV) on centennial to millennial timescales over the past ~43,000 years.Natural and laboratory-induced magnetic remanence were measured on u-channels using the stepwise AF demagnetization procedure. In addition to continuous magnetic susceptibility measurements, hysteresis parameters were obtained on 95 discrete samples, and IRM acquisition curves on 9 discrete samples to obtain additional information on the magnetic mineralogy of the sediment. Due to the influence of lithology, magnetic mineralogy, depositional and post-depositional processes, Site U1419 is not suitable for paleointensity studies. However, with removal of intervals influenced by the environmental signal and/or coring deformation, the high sedimentation rates at this site have helped to preserve a reliable record of inclination. Because of signal to noise issues, inclination as measured after the 20 mT AF demagnetization step provides the most accurate estimate. This is demonstrated by comparing the U1419 inclination to a stack of the shipboard inclination at Site U1418 on a new age model developed from 19 radiocarbon dates on U1418 and 18 magnetic susceptibility-based tie-points to site survey core EW0408-87JC (Praetorius et al., 2015). This independently replicated inclination record verifies centennial to millennial scale variations in the Gulf of Alaska that can now be compared with other northeast Pacific and western North American records to begin deciphering geomagnetic variability and provide a new stratigraphic correlation tool for 15 and 30 cal kyr BP interval in this region.

This paper introduces primary data on site contents, chronology and stratigraphy for four subsurface middens, which formed through the late Holocene on the Dampier Peninsula. Data from one surface ...

The Lake Kutubu Project was funded by the Department of Archaeology and Natural History at the ANU and the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) grants AINGRA08028 and AINGRA10113 obtained by S.G.H.

The uncertain response of marine terminating outlet glaciers to climate change at time scales beyond short-term observation limits models of future sea level rise. At temperate tidewater margins, abundant subglacial meltwater forms morainal banks (marine shoals) or ice-contact deltas that reduce water depth, stabilizing grounding lines and slowing or reversing glacial retreat. Here we present a radiocarbon-dated record from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1421 that tracks the terminus of the largest Alaskan Cordilleran Ice Sheet outlet glacier during Last Glacial Maximum climate transitions. Sedimentation rates, ice-rafted debris, and microfossil and biogeochemical proxies, show repeated abrupt collapses and slow advances typical of the tidewater glacier cycle observed in modern systems. When global sea level rise exceeded the local rate of bank building, the cycle of readvances stopped leading to irreversible retreat. These results support theory that suggests sediment dynamics can control tidewater terminus position on an open shelf under temperate conditions delaying climate-driven retreat., Tidewater glaciers in fjords can advance/retreat independent of climate due to stabilization by sediments at their termini. We show that an Alaskan paleo-ice stream behaved similarly on an open shelf, suggesting that increased sediment flux may delay catastrophic retreat of outlet glaciers in a warming world.

Fish otoliths from the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area (south-western New South Wales, Australia) have been analysed for oxygen isotopes and trace elements using in situ techniques, and dated by radiocarbon. The study focused on the lunettes of Lake Mungo, an overflow lake that only filled during flooding events and emptied by evaporation, and Lake Mulurulu, which was part of the running Willandra Creek system. Samples were collected from two different contexts: from hearths directly associated with human activity, and isolated surface finds. AMS radiocarbon dating constrains the human activity documented by five different hearths to a time span of less than 240 years around 19,350 cal. BP. These hearths were constructed in aeolian sediments with alternating clay and sand layers, indicative of fluctuating lake levels and occasional drying out. The geochemistry of the otoliths confirms this scenario, with shifts in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca marking the entry of the fish into Lake Mungo several years before their death, and a subsequent increase in the δ18O by ∼4‰ indicating increasing evaporation of the lake. During sustained lake-full conditions there are considerably fewer traces of human presence. It seems that the evaporating Lake Mungo attracted people to harvest fish that might have become sluggish through oxygen starvation in an increasingly saline water body (easy prey hypothesis). In contrast, surface finds have a much wider range in radiocarbon age as a result of reworking, and do not necessarily indicate evaporative conditions, as shown by comparison with otoliths from upstream Lake Mulurulu.

The burial mound of Le Tumulus des Sables, southwest France, contains archaeological artefacts spanning from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Human remains have been found throughout the burial mound, however their highly fragmented state complicates the association between the burial mound structure and the archaeological material. Radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses of human teeth have been used to investigate the chronology, diet and mobility of the occupants. Radiocarbon dating shows that the site was used for burials from the Neolithic to Iron Age, consistent with the range of archaeological artefacts recovered. δ13C and δ15N values (from dentine collagen) suggest a predominately terrestrial diet for the population, unchanging through time. 87Sr/86Sr (on enamel and dentine) and δ18O (on enamel) values are consistent with occupation of the surrounding region, with one individual having a δ18O value consistent with a childhood spent elsewhere, in a colder climate region. These results showcase the complex reuse of this burial mound by a mostly local population over a period of about 2000 years.

In November 2015, the collapse of the Fundao dam (Minas Gerais, Brazil) carried over 40 × 106 m3 of iron ore tailings into the Doce river and caused massive environmental and socioeconomic impacts across the watershed. The downstream mudslide scavenged contaminants deposited in the riverbed, and several potentially toxic elements were further released through reduction and solubilization of Fe oxy-hydroxides under estuarine conditions. A turbidity plume was formed off the river mouth, but the detection of contaminants’ dispersion in the ocean remains poorly assessed. This situation is specially concerning because Southwestern Atlantic's largest and richest reefs are located 70-250 km to the north of the Doce river mouth, and the legal dispute over the extent of monitoring, compensation and restoration measures are based either on indirect evidence from modeling or on direct evidence from remote sensing and contaminated organisms. Coral skeletons can incorporate trace elements and are considered good monitors of marine pollution, including inputs from open cut mining. Here, we studied a Montastraea cavernosa (Linnaeus 1767) coral colony collected 220 km northward to the river mouth, using X-rays for assessing growth bands and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to recover trace elements incorporated in growth bands formed between 2014 and 2018. A threefold positive Fe anomaly was identified in early 2016, associated with negative anomalies in several elements. Variation in Ba and Y was coherent with the region's sedimentation dynamics, but also increased after 2016, akin to Pb, V and Zn. Coral growth rates decreased after the disaster. Besides validating M. cavernosa as a reliable archive of ocean chemistry, our results evidence wide-reaching sub-lethal coral contamination in the Abrolhos reefs, as well as different incorporation mechanisms into corals’ skeletons.

The Holocene epoch offers a potential analogue for understanding future sea-level variability as both SST's and Global Mean Sea Levels (GMSL) were at times higher than observed today. However, GMSL can differ significantly from Relative Sea Level (RSL), even at far-field sites remote from margins of former ice sheets. Much of this spatial variability has been shown to be consistent with the predictions of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models. Whilst it is generally accepted that RSL at far-field sites reached its maximum during the mid-Holocene, there have been many interpretations of sea level fall following the highstand from ∼6 ka. Here, we present a RSL history from several tectonically stable, far-field sites in eastern Brazil, derived from 17 microatoll and 45 fossil reef flat ages. Our results show evidence for two periods of RSL instability during the Holocene which differ from GIA predictions, including a hiatus in reef growth ∼3.7–2.5 ka. These results are broadly synchronous with several other locations in the Southern Hemisphere suggesting global rather than regional climatic forcing mechanisms are responsible. Variations in SST and southern hemisphere ice sheet dynamics are proposed as possible controlling mechanisms for the observed RSL oscillations beginning at ∼3.7 ka and 2 ka respectively. We suggest that these global processes combined with increased precipitation (and higher sediment flux) from several regional climatic forces created inhospitable conditions for reef growth, contributing to the observed hiatus and reduced reef flat accretion during the late Holocene (∼2 ka to present).

Significance Fossil evidence shows that Polynesians introduced the tropical crop taro (Colocasia esculenta) during initial colonization of the subtropical South Pacific islands and temperate New Zealand after 1200 CE, establishing garden ecosystems with similar commensal plants and invertebrates. Sedimentary charcoal and fossil remains indicate how frequent burning and perennial cultivation overcame the ecological constraints for taro production, particularly the temperate forest cover of New Zealand. An increase in short-lived plants, indicating a transition toward higher-intensity production, followed rapid woody forest decline and species extinctions on all islands. The relatively recent fossil records from the subtropical and temperate islands of Polynesia provide unique insights into the ecological processes behind the spread of Neolithic crops into areas marginal for production., Polynesians introduced the tropical crop taro (Colocasia esculenta) to temperate New Zealand after 1280 CE, but evidence for its cultivation is limited. This contrasts with the abundant evidence for big game hunting, raising longstanding questions of the initial economic and ecological importance of crop production. Here we compare fossil data from wetland sedimentary deposits indicative of taro and leaf vegetable (including Sonchus and Rorippa spp.) cultivation from Ahuahu, a northern New Zealand offshore island, with Raivavae and Rapa, both subtropical islands in French Polynesia. Preservation of taro pollen on all islands between 1300 CE and 1550 CE indicates perennial cultivation over multiple growing seasons, as plants rarely flower when frequently harvested. The pollen cooccurs with previously undetected fossil remains of extinct trees, as well as many weeds and commensal invertebrates common to tropical Polynesian gardens. Sedimentary charcoal and charred plant remains show that fire use rapidly reduced forest cover, particularly on Ahuahu. Fires were less frequent by 1500 CE on all islands as forest cover diminished, and short-lived plants increased, indicating higher-intensity production. The northern offshore islands of New Zealand were likely preferred sites for early gardens where taro production was briefly attempted, before being supplanted by sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), a more temperate climate-adapted crop, which was later established in large-scale cultivation systems on the mainland after 1500 CE.

International audience; The burial mound of Le Tumulus des Sables, southwest France, contains archaeological artefacts spanning from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Human remains have been found throughout the burial mound, however their highly fragmented state complicates the association between the burial mound structure and the archaeological material. Radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses of human teeth have been used to investigate the chronology, diet and mobility of the occupants. Radiocarbon dating shows that the site was used for burials from the Neolithic to Iron Age, consistent with the range of archaeological artefacts recovered. δ 13 C and δ 15 N values (from dentine collagen) suggest a predominately terrestrial diet for the population, unchanging through time. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (on enamel and dentine) and δ 18 O (on enamel) values are consistent with occupation of the surrounding region, with one individual having a δ 18 O value consistent with a childhood spent elsewhere, in a colder climate region. These results showcase the complex reuse of this burial mound by a mostly local population over a period of about 2000 years.

We investigated the possibility of increasing the 14C AMS efficiency and maximizing C− beam currents by modifying sample cathode geometry and material. Previously, we reported results which showed an increase in C− beam current and improved ionization efficiency when reducing the cathode sample well diameter from 1 mm to 0.75 mm and using zinc inserts, pressed into the aluminum cathode holder [4]. In this study we expand that effort by using cathodes with inserts made of Fe, Mo, Ni, Ti, Cu, and Zn. We pressed cathodes with 100 μg of Oxalic Acid I (OX-I) and ran them to exhaustion. 12C beam currents, 14C counts, and graphite weight were used to determine ion source efficiency.

Carbon mineralisation of ultramafic mine tailings can reduce net emissions of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by reacting Mg-silicate and hydroxide minerals with atmospheric CO2 to produce carbonate minerals. We investigate the controls on carbonate mineral formation at the derelict Woodsreef chrysotile mine (New South Wales, Australia). Quantitative XRD was used to understand how mineralogy changes with depth into the tailings pile, and shows that hydromagnesite [Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O], is present in shallow tailings material ( 0.8) atmospheric CO2 source. Laboratory-based anion exchange experiments, conducted to explore stable C isotope fractionation in pyroaurite, shows that pyroaurite δ13C values change with carbon availability, and 13C-depleted signatures are typical of hydrotalcites in C-limited environments, such as the deep tailings at Woodsreef. Quantitative XRD and elemental C data estimates that Woodsreef absorbs between of 229.0–405.1 g CO2 m−2 y−1.

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Geophysical Journal International following peer review. The version of record Velle, J.H., Walczak, M.H., Reilly, B.T., St-Onge, G., Stoner, J.S., Fallon, S.J., Mix, A.C., Belanger, C.L. & Forwick, M. (2022). High resolution inclination records from the Gulf of Alaska, IODP Expedition 341 Sites U1418 and U1419. Geophysical Journal International, 229(1), 345-358 is available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab479. International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 341 recovered sediments from the south Alaska continental slope that preserves a well resolved and dated inclination record over most of the past ∼43 000 yr. The Site U1419 chronology is among the highest resolution in the world, constrained by 173 radiocarbon dates, providing the ability to study Palaeomagnetic Secular Variation (PSV) on centennial to millennial timescales. This record has an exceptionally expanded late Pleistocene sedimentary record with sedimentation rates commonly exceeding 100 cm kyr–1, while also preserving a lower resolution Holocene PSV record at the top. Natural and laboratory-induced magnetic remanences of U1419 u-channels from the 112-m-long spliced record were studied using stepwise AF demagnetization. Hysteresis loops were obtained on 95 and IRM acquisition curves on 9 discrete samples to facilitate magnetic domain state, coercivity and magnetic mineralogical determinations. Due to complexities related to lithology, magnetic mineralogy, and depositional and post-depositional processes, Site U1419 sediments are not suitable for palaeointensity studies and declination could not be robustly reconstructed. Progressive (titano-)magnetite dissolution with depth results in decreasing NRM intensity and signal-to-noise that is exacerbated at higher demagnetization steps. As a result, inclination measured after the 20 mT AF demagnetization step provides the most reliable directional record. Inclination appears to be well resolved with removal of just a few intervals influenced by depositional and/or sampling and coring deformation. The shipboard inclination stack from nearby IODP Site U1418, on a new age model developed from 19 radiocarbon dates on U1418 and 18 magnetic susceptibility-based tie-points to site survey core EW0408-87JC, verifies centennial to millennial scale variations in inclination observed in U1419. Comparisons with other independently dated records from the NE Pacific and western North America suggest that these sites likely capture regional geomagnetic variability. As such, this new high-resolution and well-dated inclination record, especially robust between 15 and 30 cal kyr BP, offers new geomagnetic insights and a regional correlation tool to explore this generally understudied part of the world

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is an internationally recognized and widely studied ecosystem, yet little is known about its sea surface temperature evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (~20 kyr BP). Here, we present the first paleo‐application of Isopora coral‐derived SST calibrations to a suite of 25 previously published fossil Isopora from the central GBR spanning ~25‐11 kyr BP. The resultant multi‐coral Sr/Ca‐ and δ18O‐derived sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) histories are placed within the context of published relative sea level, reef sequence and coralgal reef assemblage evolution. Our new calculations indicate SSTs were cooler on average by ~5‐5.5°C at Noggin Pass (~17°S) and ~7‐8°C at Hydrographer's Passage (~20°S) (Sr/Ca‐derived) during the LGM, in line with previous estimates (Felis et al., 2014). We focus on contextualizing the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC, ~12.9‐11.7 kyr BP), whose southern hemisphere expression, in particular in Australia, is elusive and poorly constrained. Our record does not indicate cooling during the YDC with near modern temperatures reached during this interval on the GBR, supporting an asymmetric hemispheric presentation of this climate event. Building on a previous study (Felis et al., 2014), these fossil Isopora SSTA data from the GBR provide new insights into the deglacial reef response, with near‐modern warming during the YDC, since the LGM.

Deep-sea corals are a highly diverse group of marine organisms, several of which are characterised by slow growth and extreme longevity up to thousands of years. Due to their fragile forms, skeletal composition, and location, they are vulnerable to various anthropogenic threats, with some groups expected to have little to no ability to recover. Within the New Zealand region an understanding of age and growth parameters and recovery potential for some deep-sea coral fauna is being developed, but a limited understanding remains for some of the key Antipatharian black coral fauna. Ten individual colonies of the black coral species Bathypathes patula were sourced from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Invertebrate Collection for the purposes of this age estimation study. Corals were selected based on their size, completeness of the colony (whole colony from base to tip), and the regional water mass within which they grew. Coral samples from the Chatham Rise, east of New Zealand, and the Bay of Plenty, north-eastern New Zealand, were selected as the water masses for these two regions are reasonably well understood. Thin section preparations of the main stem of the 10 specimens of B. patula were observed with compound microscopes. Two interpretation protocols were used to describe the zone structures observed, both the coarse wide zones and the thin fine zones, and counts were then made of these structures. Four of the specimens were also sampled for radiocarbon assay. The radiocarbon isotope (14C) age data results were used to independently verify if either of the developed zone counting protocols reflected annual periodicity. Neither method was verified, indicating zone counting protocols could not be used to generate reliable age estimates for B. patula. Twenty radiocarbon assays from four specimens were used to derive the age and growth rate estimates presented here. The radiocarbon results from this work show B. patula to be a long-lived species, attaining ages in excess of 385 years, with linear growth rates of 5.2-9.6 mm/yr, and radial growth rates ranging from 11.1 to 35.7 mm/yr. The delicate nature of these organisms along with their longevity and slow growth rates means a low resilience and low recoverability from anthropogenic activities such as fishing and mining.

Meeting the conservation challenges of long‐lived animal species necessitate long‐term assessments of trophic ecology. The use of dietary proxies, such as ratios of naturally occurring stable isotopes in animal tissues demonstrating progressive growth, has shown considerable promise to reconstruct trophic histories of long‐lived organisms experiencing environmental change. Here, we combine innovative radiocarbon scale‐ageing techniques with stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen from cross sections of scale to reconstruct the trophic ecology of Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) across its remaining global distribution. Over a 65‐year period, we found pronounced temporal shifts in the δ13C and δ15N isotopic ratios of lungfish that coincided with a period of hydrological modification by dams and land‐use intensification associated with agriculture and livestock grazing. In the Brisbane and Burnett Rivers, whose hydrology is substantially regulated by large dams, lungfish showed consistent trends of δ13C depletion and δ15N enrichment over time. This may indicate anthropogenic changes in background isotopic levels of basal energy sources and/or that additional seston exported downstream from impoundments represent a carbon source that was previously unavailable, thus shifting lungfish diet from benthic‐dominated primary production typical of unmodified river systems, to pelagic carbon sources. By contrast, δ13C ratios of lungfish in the unregulated Mary River were more stable through time, whereas δ15N ratios increased during a period of dairy industry expansion and increased application of nitrogen fertilization and then subsequently decreased at the same time that rates of pasture development declined and nutrient inputs presumably decreased. In conclusion, we provide evidence for human‐caused alterations in background isotopic levels and potential changes in availability of benthic versus pelagic energy resources supporting Australian lungfish and demonstrate how detectable trophic signals in long‐lived fish scales can reveal long‐term anthropogenic changes in riverine ecosystems.

Native fish populations have been strongly impacted by fishing, habitat alteration and the introduction of invasive species. Understanding the dynamics of native fish populations prior to commercial fishing can be problematic, but provides critical baseline data for fish conservation, rehabilitation and management. We combined fish size, age and growth data, as well as month of catch data, from archaeological fish otoliths (1670–1308 cal BP to 409–1 cal BP), historical anecdotes (CE 1871–1999), and contemporary data sources (CE 1984–2014) to examine changes to mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus, populations in the waters of eastern South Australia. We found that the data from the three different sources – archaeological, historical and contemporary – corroborate each other in many aspects. The time of catch for all three datasets was seasonal, with increases evident during the summer months. No significant changes in fish length over time were evident over the time span of the three data sources. Given the impact that fishing in the region is regarded to have had, this may imply that while the maximum recorded sizes of the species have remained stable, the abundance of these large specimens may have declined.

Calving cousins Walczak et al. report that increases in Pacific Ocean ventilation and periods of rapid production of icebergs from the Cordilleran Ice Sheet during the last glacial period preceded episodic iceberg discharges into the Atlantic Ocean (see the Perspective by Jaeger and Shevenell). Marine sediments from the Gulf of Alaska show that increases in vertical mixing of the ocean there correspond with intense iceberg calving from the ice sheet that covered much of high-latitude western North America and that these changes occurred before the analogous Heinrich events in the North Atlantic. Thus, these Pacific climate system reorganizations may have been an early part of a cascade of dynamic climate events with global repercussions. Science , this issue p. 716 ; see also p. 662

We investigate the ability of coralline red algae to record historical nickel mining activity that occurred between the early 1960s and 1981 in the Coulee River watershed, southwest New Caledonia. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) was used to determine high-resolution (sub-annual) variations of trace metal ratios (Mn/Ca, Fe/Ca, Ni/Ca and Co/Ca) in three similar to 45 years old, free-living forms of the rhodolith coralline red alga Sporolithon durum from Ricaudy Reef in the inner lagoon of New Caledonia, 15 km from the Coulee River mouth. We find increased Mn/Ca and Fe/Ca ratio values track the intensity of mining in the Coulee River catchment whereas Ni/Ca ratio values appear more sensitive to the ore type (saprolite versus laterite) that were targeted during two separate stages of mining activity. Mn/Ca, Fe/Ca and Ni/Ca decrease following the cessation of mining in 1981, but did not reach current values until > 10 years after that date. Surprisingly, Co/Ca variations do not correlate with mining activity but rather increase steadily through the record period. We argue this relates to nickel refining and smelting activity over the past half century. Our results further suggest that the local, inter-annual rainfall variability may influence the metal concentrations recorded in the rhodoliths during the period of intense mining activity, but the link between metal uptake and rainfall is not entirely clear for the entire growth period of the rhodoliths.

We examined the radiocarbon (14C) reservoir effect in Lake Kutubu using tephrochronology and terrestrial plant material to deliver a precise age-depth profile and sedimentation rates for this lake. Based on the presence of two tephra horizons (Tibito and Olgaboli), we found a reservoir age offset in sediments of between 1490 and 228014C yr using the sediment ages derived from the lead-210 (210Pb) dating method. The live submerged biological samples collected exhibited a higher reservoir age offset than the sediment. This is most likely a result of delayed transport of “bomb”14C from the atmosphere to aquatic and sedimentary system. The14C reservoir effect increased with distance from the lake inlet and also decreased with depth. Dissolution of14C-depleted carbon from surrounding limestone and direct in-wash of old soil or vegetation remnants from the catchment are the most likely causes of the14C reservoir effect. Based on limestone areas mapped in Papua New Guinea, we indicate lakes which may be subject to a significant14C reservoir effect. The results of this study demonstrate the magnitude of the14C reservoir effect in lakes and provide insights to the correct interpretation of past environmental and archaeological events in PNG.

International audience; Previous drilling through submerged fossil coral reefs has greatly improved our understanding of the general pattern of sea-level change since the Last Glacial Maximum, however, how reefs responded to these changes remains uncertain. Here we document the evolution of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world’s largest reef system, to major, abrupt environmental changes over the past 30 thousand years based on comprehensive sedimentological, biological and geochronological records from fossil reef cores. We show that reefs migrated seaward as sea level fell to its lowest level during the most recent glaciation (~20.5–20.7 thousand years ago (ka)), then landward as the shelf flooded and ocean temperatures increased during the subsequent deglacial period (~20–10 ka). Growth was interrupted by five reef-death events caused by subaerial exposure or sea-level rise outpacing reef growth. Around 10 ka, the reef drowned as the sea level continued to rise, flooding more of the shelf and causing a higher sediment flux. The GBR’s capacity for rapid lateral migration at rates of 0.2–1.5 m yr$^{−1}$ (and the ability to recruit locally) suggest that, as an ecosystem, the GBR has been more resilient to past sea-level and temperature fluctuations than previously thought, but it has been highly sensitive to increased sediment input over centennial–millennial timescales.

Tibito Tephra was first recorded in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 1971. By the late 1970s, the tephra had been mapped across tens of thousands of square kilometres, traced to i...

A slice from a Porites Lutea coral core collected inside the Enewetak Atoll lagoon, within 15 km of all major nuclear tests conducted at the atoll, was analysed for 236U, 239Pu and 240Pu over the time interval 1952-1964 using a higher time resolution than previously reported for a parallel slice from the same core. In addition two sediment samples from the Koa and Oak craters were analysed. The strong peaks in the concentrations of 236U and 239Pu in the testing years are confirmed to be considerably wider than the flushing time of the lagoon. This is likely due to the growth mechanism of the coral. Following the last test in 1958 atom concentrations of both 236U and 239Pu decreased from their peak values by more than 95% and showed a seasonal signal thereafter. Between 1959 and 1964 the weighted average of the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio is 0.124 ± 0.008 which is similar to that in the lagoon sediments (0.129 ± 0.006) but quite distinct from the global fallout value of ∼0.18. This, and the high 239,240Pu and 236U concentrations in the sediments, provides clear evidence that the post-testing signal in the coral is dominated by remobilisation of the isotopes from the lagoon sediments rather than from global fallout.

Due to the increasing concerns of global warming and short instrumental records of sea surface temperature (SST), coral-based proxies, such as δ18O, Sr/Ca, U/Ca, and Li/Mg have been developed and applied to reconstruct SST in paleoclimate studies. However, these proxies are not universally applicable in different environments, because they are affected by coral physiology and various environmental factors. In this study, seven long-lived Porites corals were collected from the southern sector of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) off the coast of Gladstone and the central sector of the GBR within the Whitsunday Islands in 2017 and 2018. Coral sites were selected to cover a wide latitudinal range with different annual temperature ranges. Century-long geochemical records (Li/Ca, B/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and U/Ca) were generated using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) at weekly resolution. This study has tested the robustness of two traditional temperature proxies (Sr/Ca and U/Ca), a recently developed temperature proxy (Li/Mg), and an additional potential temperature proxy (B/Mg). U/Ca was found to be the most robust and stable temperature proxy for corals from the GBR over long-term timescales. Sr/Ca is a close second, however due to the lower response of Sr fractionation per 1 °C, it is more sensitive to analytical methods and less sensitive to annual SST changes than U/Ca. Li/Mg and B/Mg have clearer periodicity compared to Li/Ca and B/Ca. Both Li/Mg and B/Mg are strongly correlated with SST, which is due to the cancellation of temperature-independent commonality. Empirical calibrations established from this multi-proxy approach increase the certainty of temperature reconstruction when a single proxy does not perform well. These site- and colony-specific SST calibrations also provide an opportunity to revisit the universal multi-trace element calibration of sea surface temperatures (UMTECS) model, which does not require the knowledge of local SST for calibration.

Unambiguous identification of biosignatures on Mars requires access to well-characterized, long-lasting geochemical standards at the planet's surface that can be modified by theoretical martian life. Ordinary chondrites, which are ancient meteorites that commonly fall to the surface of Mars and Earth, have well-characterized, narrow ranges in trace element and isotope geochemistry compared to martian rocks. Given that their mineralogy is more attractive to known chemolithotrophic life than the basaltic rocks that dominate the martian surface, exogenic rocks (e.g., chondritic meteorites) may be good places to look for signs of prior life endemic to Mars. In this study, we show that ordinary chondrites, collected from the arid Australian Nullarbor Plain, are commonly colonized and inhabited by terrestrial microorganisms that are endemic to this Mars analogue site. These terrestrial endolithic and chasmolithic microbial contaminants are commonly found in close association with hygroscopic veins of gypsum and Mg-calcite, which have formed within cracks penetrating deep into the meteorites. Terrestrial bacteria are observed within corrosion cavities, where troilite (FeS) oxidation has produced jarosite [KFe(SO)(OH)]. Where terrestrial microorganisms have colonized primary silicate minerals and secondary calcite, these mineral surfaces are heavily etched. Our results show that inhabitation of meteorites by terrestrial microorganisms in arid environments relies upon humidity and pH regulation by minerals. Furthermore, microbial colonization affects the weathering of meteorites and production of sulfate, carbonate, Fe-oxide and smectite minerals that can preserve chemical and isotopic biosignatures for thousands to millions of years on Earth. Meteorites are thus habitable by terrestrial microorganisms, even under highly desiccating environmental conditions of relevance to Mars. They may therefore be useful as chemical and isotopic “standards” that preserve evidence of life, thereby providing the possibility of universal context for recognition of microbial biosignatures on Earth, Mars and throughout the solar system.

Sediment cores were retrieved from Lake Kutubu, the largest upland lake in Papua New Guinea, to assess palaeoenvironmental baselines. Two prominent tephra layers were encountered within the cores. Using a combination of core stratigraphy, sediment properties and geochemical characterization (electron microprobe and laser ablation inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry techniques) we were able to correlate these tephras with Tibito and Olgaboli tephras, both previously described at adjacent distal localities. Glass shard compositional data of Tibito tephra from Lake Kutubu, Kuk swamp and from proximal volcaniclastic successions from Long Island are indistinguishable and this similarity strongly supports Long Island as the eruptive source. For Olgaboli tephra, the location of its eruptive source is less certain but the glass shard compositional data indicate a Karkar Island source. The occurrence of Tibito and Olgaboli tephras in Lake Kubutu sediments extends their known distributions further south-west into the southern Highlands region and affirms their importance as inter-regional stratigraphic markers, of late Holocene age, that have considerable potential for use in future palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and volcanic hazard and/or impact studies.

We welcome Barber’s (1) comments and are grateful for the opportunity to respond. Our study of wetland taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) gardens during the initial colonization period (ICP) (1200 to 1500 CE) in New Zealand did not overlook the evidence from the Aupouri Peninsula (2⇓–4). We agree that gardens were probably established on mainland New Zealand, within the climate envelope shown in figure 1 of our paper (4), but in areas that lacked large-statured forests at Polynesian arrival. However, the fossil evidence from Motutangi does not meet the 3 criteria for defining ICP taro gardens met in our study of Ahuahu and subtropical French Polynesia: [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: matthew.prebble{at}anu.edu.au. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

A comprehensive series of nuclear tests were carried out by the United States at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, especially between 1952 and 1958. A Porites Lutea coral that was growing in the Enewetak lagoon within a few km of all of the high-yield tests contains a continuous record of isotopes, which are of interest (e.g. 14C, 236U, 239,240Pu) through the testing period. Prior to the present work, 14C measurements at ∼2-month resolution had shown pronounced peaks in the Δ14C data that coincided with the times at which tests were conducted. Here we report measurements of 236U and 239,240Pu on the same coral using accelerator mass spectrometry, and again find prominent peaks in the concentrations of these isotopes that closely follow those in 14C. Consistent with the 14C data, the magnitudes of these peaks do not, however, correlate well with the explosive yields of the corresponding tests, indicating that smaller tests probably contributed disproportionately to the debris that fell in the lagoon. Additional information about the different tests can also be obtained from the 236U/239Pu and 240Pu/239Pu ratios, which are found to vary dramatically over the testing period. In particular, the first thermonuclear test, Ivy-Mike, has characteristic 236U/239Pu and 240Pu/239Pu signatures which are diagnostic of the first arrival of nuclear test material in various archives.

We test for trace element proxies in the high-magnesium calcite fraction of bamboo coral internodes by comparing environmental conditions and growth rates to the specimen-mean compositions of 73 corals that were live-caught at depths ranging from 3 to 3950 m and collected from habitats ranging from tropical coral reefs to the Antarctic slope. Comparisons were done at a large geographic scale (LGS) and for a well sampled area south of Australia, across depths at a single site, in order to help separate the effects of environmental variables that co-vary at one spatial scale, but not the other. Thirty-seven trace elements were measured using solution-based Sector Field ICP-MS, of which seventeen were significantly detected in more than a third of the specimens. Only eight element/calcium ratios correlated significantly with any environmental variable at the large geographic scale, and only four did so at the local level. At the LGS, the highest correlation was between ambient temperature and Mg/Ca, which accounted for 89% of the variance across specimens, spanned all four Isidid sub-families and was independently significant in the two best sampled sub-families. The predictive (geometric mean) relationship is T ( ° C ) = - 23.9 ( ± 2.46 ) + 0.34 ( ± 0.25 ) Mg / Ca ( mmol / mol ) spanning a temperature range of −1.9 to 26.8 °C, Mg/Ca ratios from 58.6 to 155.1 mmol/mol, and an uncertainty (RMS) of 2.78 °C. The numbers in parentheses are 95% CIs. The slope of the regression does not differ significantly from that of abiotic high-Mg calcites, which suggests that the temperature-dependent incorporation of Mg into the carbonate results from kinetic reactions at the crystal surface. Analysis at the SH scale for the sub-set of specimens for which we had data suggests is also affected by growth rates. There were no obvious trace element correlates at either spatial scale of salinity or oxygen levels that could not be accounted for by covariance between these environmental parameters and, in most cases, temperature. Single and multiple correlation analyses also confirm previous suggestions that Ba/Ca in bamboo coral calcite is a proxy for seawater barium and hence refractory nutrients, suggest that Sr/Ca is influenced by specimen-mean Mg/Ca ratios and water temperature as well as possibly seawater Sr/Ca, and falsify for bamboo corals P/Ca (as well as P/Cd and Cd/Ca) as a proxy for seawater phosphate levels. The predictive relationship between Isidid skeletal-mean Ba/Ca and seawater silicate concentrations appears to be linear, and is given by silicate ( μ mol kg - 1 ) = - 56.7 ( ± 20.8 ) + 9217 ( ± 1632 ) Ba / Ca ( mmol / mol ) spanning a silicate range of 0.5 to 120 μmol kg−1, a Ba/Ca range of 0.0042 to 0.0195 mmol/mol, and with an uncertainty (RMS) of 33.1 μmol kg−1. Mn/Ca differences among specimens and sites are highly significant and appear to reflect seawater Mn, suggesting a proxy for this micronutrient. The compilation of growth rate data across 34 specimens indicates a wide range of growth rates even among con-familial specimens from within a single habitat, and suggests both ambient temperature and food availability underlie at least part of this variability.

Over the last decade, two major calving events of the Petermann Ice Tongue in Northwest Greenland have led to speculation on its future stability and contribution to further Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss. However, it has been unclear if these events are anomalous or typical within the context of limited historical observations. We extend the historical record of the floating ice tongue using the stratigraphy of Petermann Fjord sediments to provide a longer-term perspective. Computed tomography (CT) scans, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) scans, Ice-Rafted Debris (IRD) counts, and the magnetic properties of specific particle size fractions constrain changes in depositional processes and sediment sources at our core sites, allowing for reconstructions of past behavior of the Petermann Ice Tongue. Radiocarbon dating of foraminifera, 210Pb, and paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) provide age control and help to address uncertainties in radiocarbon reservoir ages. A floating ice tongue in Petermann Fjord formed in late glacial time as Petermann Glacier retreated from an advanced grounded position. This paleo-ice tongue broke-up during the early Holocene when high northern latitude summer insolation was higher than present. After gradual regrowth of the ice tongue associated with regional cooling, the ice tongue reached its historical extent only within the last millennium. Little or no ice tongue was present for nearly 5000 years during the middle Holocene, when decadal mean regional temperatures are estimated to be 0.8–2.9 °C higher than preindustrial (1750 CE) and seasonal sea-ice in the Lincoln Sea was reduced. This pre-historical behavior shows that recent anthropogenic warming may already be in the range of ice tongue instability and future projected warming increases the risk of ice tongue break-up by the mid-21st Century.

The Australian lungfish has been studied for more than a century without any knowledge of the longevity of the species. Traditional methods for ageing fish, such as analysis of otolith (ear stone) rings is complicated in that lungfish otoliths differ from teleost fish in composition. As otolith sampling is also lethal, this is not appropriate for a protected species listed under Australian legislation. Lungfish scales were removed from 500 fish from the Brisbane, Burnett and Mary rivers. A sub–sample of scales (85) were aged using bomb radiocarbon techniques and validated using scales marked previously with oxytetracycline. Lungfish ages ranged from 2.5–77 years of age. Estimated population age structures derived using an Age Length Key revealed different recruitment patterns between river systems. There were statistically significant von Bertalanffy growth model parameters estimated for each of the three rivers based on limited sample sizes. In addition, length frequency distributions between river systems were also significantly different. Further studies will be conducted to review drivers that may explain these inter-river differences.

The hydromagnesite-magnesite playas near Atlin, British Columba, Canada are unique Mg-carbonate depositional environments that have formed at Earth’s surface since the end of the last deglaciation. This study elucidates the mechanisms, pathways, and rates of magnesite (MgCO3) formation in these near-surface environments, which are challenging to study in short-duration laboratory experiments because magnesite precipitation is extremely slow at low temperature. The Atlin playas, having formed over millennia, contain abundant magnesite as well as a suite of other Mg- and Ca-carbonate minerals. Mineralogical and textural evidence demonstrate that hydromagnesite [Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O] forms at least in part through transformation of more hydrated phases, e.g., lansfordite (MgCO3·5H2O). Deposition of these hydrated Mg-carbonate minerals is limited by the evaporative flux, and thus, is effectively transport-controlled at the scale of the playas. Magnesite is a spatially distinct phase from hydromagnesite and its crystal morphology varies with depth indicating variable crystal growth mechanisms and precipitation rates. Particle size distributions and mineral abundance data indicate that magnesite formation is nucleation-limited. Furthermore, mineralogical data as well as stable and radiogenic isotope data support magnesite formation starting after the majority of hydromagnesite had been deposited likely resulting from long induction times and slow precipitation rates. Hydrated Mg-carbonate minerals precipitate relatively rapidly and control pore water chemistry while magnesite remains highly supersaturated, and thus, is reaction-controlled. This difference in controlling regime allows for magnesite abundance to increase over time without the loss of hydromagnesite such as through its transformation, which the data also does not support. We estimate rates of magnesite formation (nucleation + crystal growth) in the range of 10-17 to 10-16 mol/cm2/s over approximately 8000 years. This study helps to elucidate the geochemical conditions needed to form Mg-carbonate minerals in ancient and modern sedimentary environments and provides insights into facilitating long-term storage of anthropogenic CO2 within Mg-carbonate minerals.

The study of the paleoenvironment depends upon proxies of palaeovegetation associated with chronological records. Carbon stable isotopes in soil samples provide information on the past vegetation type due to differences in mass fractionation during photosynthesis. Radiocarbon measurements on soil organic matter may also have different behaviors, given the complexity of soils as mixtures of multiple sources. With the aim of investigating how different soils, under different vegetation coverages, may affect paleoenvironmental reconstructions, we have analyzed four soil profiles collected at the Itatiaia National Park, between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states in Brazil, in the context of the Atlantic Forest biome, at altitudes between 1898m and 2457m. Different chemical fractions of the bulk soil were separately 14C dated for each sample depth. For the total soil and the non-hydrolyzable carbon, discrepancies in pMC values were mostly within 5% from the humin fraction values. Two Histosol profiles collected under forest vegetation on a hillside presented very different morphologies and chronologies, possibly related to colluvium effect, indicated by the deposition of originally older material. The results for a Histosol profile under grassland indicates that C3 plants were the dominant vegetation over most of the last 8000 years at the most distant location while a Cambisol profile under transitional vegetation shows variations, with C3 plants at ca. 2 kyr BP, switching to C4 before ca. 700 yr BP, suggesting anthropic influence.

Carbonation of ultramafic mine tailings has the potential to offset greenhouse gas emissions from mining by trapping CO2 within the crystal structures of Mg-carbonate minerals and hydrotalcite supergroup minerals, which form as weathering products in tailings storage facilities. Here, we present a detailed geochemical and mineralogical assessment of tailings from the Woodsreef Chrysotile Mine, New South Wales, Australia, demonstrating that coupling mineralogical and elemental datasets improves the accuracy of carbon accounting in mined landscapes. Detailed analysis of tailings mineralogy using quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and total carbon analyses reveals that previous assessments of passive mineral carbonation at Woodsreef have been underestimated. Maximum values for the abundance of total carbon (up to 0.4 wt%), as well as the abundances of secondary carbonate minerals (i.e., up to 1.9 wt% hydromagnesite and up to 2.6 wt% pyroaurite, measured with XRD) are observed between approximately 2 cm and 30 cm depth in profiles collected within experimental plots. However, an amorphous Mg-carbonate phase, that cannot be detected using XRD, is also present at comparably high abundances to depths of at least 1 m. This phase is readily observed using scanning electron microscopy, it contributes a measured carbon content of approximately 0.2 wt% at up to 1 m depth, and it has a predominantly atmospheric carbon isotopic signature (F14C > 0.80). We find that using only XRD data results in the sequestered CO2 being underestimated by nearly four times compared to estimates incorporating total carbon measurements, highlighting the important role of amorphous Mg-carbonates in the carbon cycles of mines. Combining XRD and total carbon data, we provide an estimate for passive carbon sequestration by both crystalline and amorphous carbonates in the Woodsreef tailings (11.7 kg CO2/m2, considering the upper 1 m3) and suggest that future studies should employ both XRD and total carbon measurements for carbon accounting. The Woodsreef Chrysotile Mine was also the test site for a field-based geochemical treatment system designed to promote mineral carbonation. A solar powered, independently operating geochemical treatment system is designed and deployed to deliver controlled acid (0.08 M H2SO4) or water leaching treatments, and maintain soil pore saturation within optimal levels (approximately 18–36%) to enhance the weathering rate of mine tailings. While the applied treatment did not accelerate capture and mineralisation of CO2 from air, it could be coupled to technologies that enhance the supply of CO2 for mineral carbonation. We apply our new strategy for carbon accounting to this experimental site in order to assess changes in mineralogy and the spatial scale on which carbon accounting must be done to accurately measure carbon sequestered during weathering of ultramafic rock. Our work provides important lessons and context for future trials of accelerated tailings dissolution and mineral carbonation, which will benefit the next stage of development in the scale-up of this technology.

Variability in the southwest (SW) Pacific Ocean circulation is influenced by the changes in the South Pacific subtropical gyre and its western boundary current, the East Australian Current (EAC). The EAC plays a significant role in transporting warm, well-ventilated, nutrient-poor waters to more temperate higher latitudes. Recent climate changes associated with EAC intensification have led to anomalous warming in the South Tasman, with implications for marine ecosystems and environment. A clear understanding of the significance of these changes requires knowledge of past natural variability. Here we have reconstructed a 4500 year record of regional sea surface radiocarbon reservoir ages (R) and local reservoir effects (ΔR). Our results reveal the centennial-scale variability over the last 4500 years, with R ranges as large as 390 14C yr. Older R (~410 14C yr) between 1610 to 1860 A.D. in our record, corresponding to the “Little Ice Age,” suggests a weaker influence of the EAC in the South Tasman. Between 4000 and 1900 cal years B.P., R and ΔR were significantly younger than the modern, with values of ~170 and −130 14C yr, respectively, indicating increased EAC transport of tropical waters into the South Tasman. We propose that the large R variability was influenced by strong and abrupt El Nino events which punctuated the muted El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) period in the mid-late Holocene and enabled increased westward flow of gyre waters into the SW Pacific. The strengthening of the EAC extension appears to have been a response to the precession-modulated ENSO-Southern Annular Mode interactions.