A late Quaternary pollen record from marine core P69, southeastern North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Marine core P69 (115 km off the southeastern North Island) has already yielded a 26 000 yr record of carbonate and silica influx, δO¹⁸ stratigraphy, foraminifera, and sea‐surface temperatures. A pollen analysis of the core is presented here. The full‐glacial (25 000–15 000 yr BP) pollen assemblages reflect a southern North Island landscape largely covered with scrub and grassland, but only limited areas of cool‐temperate forest. Abundant reworked Tertiary pollen types indicate increased erosion at this time. Rapid spread of podocarp‐dominant forest occurred between 15 000 and 11 500 yr BP, an event that relates only in a general way to increasing sea‐surface temperatures, but coincides exactly with a sharp reduction of wind‐induced upwelling and terrestrially sourced quartz. The abrupt movement southwards of the glacially expanded zone of strong westerlies at c. 15 000 yr BP, rather than warming, appears to be the main factor controlling postglacial reafforestation.

Keywords:

• Last Glaciation
• postglacial
• late Quaternary
• palynology
• paleoceanography
• vegetation history
• climate change
• Hawke's Bay
• North Island
• New Zealand