eEarth Discussions www.electronic-earth-discuss.net 1815-3836 1815-3844 3 1 2008 10.5194/eed-3-11-2008 http://www.electronic-earth-discuss.net/3/11/2008/ http://www.electronic-earth-discuss.net/3/11/2008/eed-3-11-2008.html http://www.electronic-earth-discuss.net/3/11/2008/eed-3-11-2008.pdf 11 40 2008-03-17 Late Pleistocene paleoproductivity patterns during the last climatic cycle in the Guyana Basin as revealed by calcareous nannoplankton G.-E. López-Otálvaro gatsbyemperatriz@usal.es J. A. Flores F. J. Sierro I. Cacho J.-O. Grimalt E. Michel E. Cortijo L. Labeyrie Department of Geology, University of Salamanca, Plaza de la Merced, 37008 Salamanca, Spain Department of Stratigraphy, Paleontology and Marine Geosciences, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, Barcelona, 08028 Spain Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemical and Environmental Research (IIQAB-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, Laboratoire Mixte, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Parc du CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France Variations in the assemblages and abundances of calcareous nannoplankton have allowed us to interpret changes in oceanic and atmospheric dynamics in the Guyana Basin, mainly linked to the southeast trades over the last climatic cycle. Records of the paleoproductivity index of coccolithophores (N ratio) allowed us to monitor the nutri-thermocline fluctuations. Additionally, nannofossil accumulation rates vary closely with the N ratio, indicating a strong correlation between these two paleoproductivity proxies. The dominance of upper (small Noelaerhabdaceae, Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica), over lower photic zone dwellers (Florisphaera profunda) during Termination II and interglacial substages 5.1 and 5.3 is related to eutrophic conditions due to a shoaling of the nutri-thermocline as a consequence of enhanced southeast Trade Winds. This activated an upwelling at the continental margin of the Guyana Basin. Low N ratio values and the dominance of F. profunda over the glacial substages of MIS 5 and glacial MIS 2-4 are linked to a deep nutri-thermocline (deep stratification of the mixed layer), at times of low influence of the southeast Trade Winds, and a weak upwelling. However, the N ratio during MIS 2-4 was slightly higher than those seen for the MIS 4/5 boundary and glacial substages 5.2 and 5.4. 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