Glacial-Interglacial data from the marine sediment cores in the Solander Trough, New Zealand

Paleo-sea surface temperatures (SST) were estimated from planktic foraminiferal census counts from cores straddling the modern S-STF in the Solander Trough, south of New Zealand. The estimated SST were compared for 6 time slices; glacial period (25-21 ka), Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21-18 ka), early deglaciation (18-16 ka), late deglacial/early Holocene period (14-8 ka), mid-Holocene period (8-4 ka), and late Holocene period (4-0 ka).

The position of the S-STF was determined by two methods: (1) the location of the 10°C isotherm and (2) the location of the highest SST gradients. These new results suggest that the S-STF was not continuous between east and west of New Zealand during the glacial period. Steep SST gradients indicate that a strong S-STF rapidly shifted south during the LGM and early deglaciation.