(Supporting Information) 14Cage plateau tuning of local Atlantic sediment cores

Modeling studies predict that changes in radiocarbon (14C) reservoir ages of surface waters during the last deglacial episode will reflect changes in both atmospheric 14C concentration and ocean circulation including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Tests of these models require the availability of accurate 14C reservoir ages in well-dated late Quaternary time series. We here test two models using plateau-tuned 14C time series in multiple well-placed sediment core age-depth sequences throughout the lower latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean. 14C age plateau tuning in glacial and deglacial sequences provides accurate calendar year ages that differ by as much as 500-2500 years from those based on assumed global reservoir ages around 400 years. This study demonstrates increases in local Atlantic surface reservoir ages of up to 1000 years during the Last Glacial Maximum, ages that reflect stronger trades off Benguela and summer winds off southern Brazil. By contrast, surface water reservoir ages remained close to zero in the Cariaco Basin in the southern Caribbean due to lagoon-style isolation and persistently strong atmospheric CO2 exchange. Later, during the early deglacial (16 ka) reservoir ages decreased to a minimum of 170-420 14C years throughout the South Atlantic, likely in response to the rapid rise in atmospheric pCO2 and Antarctic temperatures occurring then. Changes in magnitude and geographic distribution of 14C reservoir ages of peak glacial and deglacial surface waters deviate from the results of Franke et al. (2008) but are generally consistent with those of the more advanced ocean circulation model of Butzin et al. (2012).

Raw X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scannings and radiocarbon age of sediment cores GeoB8331-4, and GeoB8322-2

Variations in the sediment input to the Namaqualand mudbelt during the Holocene are assessed using an integrative terrestrial to marine, source to sink approach. Geochemical and Sr and Nd isotopic signatures are used to distinguish fluvial sediment source areas. Relative to the sediments of the Olifants River, craton outcrops in the northern Orange River catchment have a more radiogenic Sr and a more unradiogenic Nd isotopic signature. Furthermore, upper Orange River sediments are rich in heavier elements such as Ti and Fe derived from the chemical weathering of Drakensberg flood basalt. Suspension load signatures change along the Orange River's westward transit as northern catchments contribute physical weathering products from the Fish and Molopo River catchment area. Marine cores offshore of the Olifants (GeoB8323-2) and Orange (GeoB8331-4) River mouths show pulses of increased contribution of Olifants River and upper Orange River input, respectively. These pulses coincide with intervals of increased terrestrial organic matter flux and increased paleo-production at the respective core sites. We attribute this to an increase in fluvial activity and vegetation cover in the adjacent catchments during more humid climate conditions. The contrast in the timing of these wet phases in the catchment areas reflects the bipolar behavior of the South African summer and winter rainfall zones. While rainfall in the Orange River catchment is related to southward shifts in the ICTZ, rainfall in the Olifants catchment is linked to northward shifts in Southern Hemisphere Westerly storm tracks. The later may also have increased southern Benguela upwelling in the past by reducing the shedding of Agulhas eddies into the Atlantic. The high-resolution records of latitudinal shifts in these atmospheric circulation systems correspond to late Holocene centennial-millennial scale climate variability evident in Antarctic ice core records. The mudbelt cores indicate that phases of high summer rainfall zone and low winter rainfall zone humidity (at ca. 2.8 and 1 ka BP) may be synchronous with Antarctic warming events. On the other hand, dry conditions in the summer rainfall zone along with wet conditions in the winter rainfall zone (at ca 3.3, 2 and 0.5 ka BP) may be associated with Antarctic cooling events.

Isotopes content, mineralogical composition, Uranium and Thorium contents and determined activity ratios from METEOR cruise M74/3 in 2007

Authigenic carbonate deposits have been sampled with the remotely operated vehicle 'MARUM-QUEST 4000 m' from five methane seeps between 731 and 1823 m water depth along the convergent Makran continental margin, offshore Pakistan (northern Arabian Sea). Two seeps on the upper slope are located within the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ; ca. 100 to 1100 m water depth), the other sites are situated in oxygenated water below the OMZ (below 1100 m water depth). The carbonate deposits vary with regard to their spatial extent, sedimentary fabrics, and associated seep fauna: Within the OMZ, carbonates are spatially restricted and associated with microbial mats, whereas in the oxygenated zone below the OMZ extensive carbonate crusts are exposed on the seafloor with abundant metazoans (bathymodiolin mussels, tube worms, galatheid crabs). Aragonite and Mg-calcite are the dominant carbonate minerals, forming common early diagenetic microcrystalline cement and clotted to radial-fibrous cement. The delta18O carbonate values range from 1.3 to 4.2 per mil V-PDB, indicating carbonate precipitation at ambient bottom-water temperature in shallow sediment depth. Extremely low delta13Ccarbonate values (as low - 54.6per mil V-PDB) point to anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) as trigger for carbonate precipitation, with biogenic methane as dominant carbon source. Prevalence of biogenic methane in the seepage gas is corroborated by delta13C methane values ranging from - 70.3 to - 66.7per mil V-PDB, and also by back-calculations considering delta 13C methane values of carbonate and incorporated lipid biomarkers.