(Fig 1, page 350) A manganese nodule in the top part of the CHUBASCO station 17 core taken in the Pacific Ocean

The vast extent of pelagic deposits, covering about 70 per cent of the ocean floor, thus about half of the earth, makes them of obvious importance to all Earth Science. All the pelagic (eupelagic) sediments, whether largely of plankton remains or fine inorganic particles, have certain distinctive characteristics to reflect their environment of accumulation. The great segregation of manganese in pelagic sediments presents many problems. It is hypothesized that in the formation of present day nodules a relatively slow accumulation in order to permit deposition of more of the manganese as large nodules, rather than as the disseminated micronodules that are in larger proportion in the Tertiary.

Marine palynomorph abundance estimates of sediment core CRP-2A (Fig. 2)

A diverse assemblage of marine palynomorphs was recovered from the Oligocene - Miocene section of CRP-2/2A. Most of the assemblage is composed of previously unrecognised species. Three distinct groups of marine palynomorph were recognised: (1) prasinophytes, mainly Cymatiosphaera, (2) acritarchs, mainly Leiosphaeridia and Sigmopollis although Leiofusa is an important component of the bottom half of the hole, and (3) dinoflagellate cysts. About 27 species of in situ dinoflagellate cysts were recorded, of which seven apparently undescribed species of Lejeunecysta form a prominent component. Reworked specimens of several species of the Paleogene Transantarctic Flora occur in CRP-2/2A sediments. Several abundance peaks of reworked taxa from the Transantarctic Flora are recorded. Three marine palynomorph zones were recognised (MP3, MP2, MP1), considered to be early Oligocene, late Oligocene, and late Oligocene/early Miocene in age respectively. Samples from the Quaternary and Pliocene part of CRP-2/2A were also examined. These proved either barren or yielded very sparse low diversity floras.

(Fig. 1) Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of foraminifera of ODP Hole 113-690B

A remarkable oxygen and carbon isotope excursion occurred in Antarctic waters near the end of the Palaeocene (~57.33 Myr ago), indicating rapid global warming and oceanographic changes that caused one of the largest deep-sea benthic extinctions of the past 90 million years. In contrast, the oceanic plankton were largely unaffected, implying a decoupling of the deep and shallow ecosystems. The data suggest that for a few thousand years, ocean circulation underwent fundamental changes producing a transient state that, although brief, had long-term effects on environmental and biotic evolution.

Datasets for the graphs of the paper (Fig. 2 to Fig. 7)

Investigating the relationship between factors (climate change, atmospheric CO2 concentrations enrichment, and vegetation structure) and hydrological processes is important for understanding and predicting the interaction between the hydrosphere and biosphere. The Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) was used to evaluate the effects of climate change, rising CO2, and vegetation structure on hydrological processes in China at the end of the 21st century. Seven simulations were implemented using the assemblage of the IPCC climate and CO2 concentration scenarios, SRES A2 and SRES B1. Analysis results suggest that (1) climate change will have increasing effects on runoff evapotranspiration (ET), transpiration (T), and transpiration ratio (transpiration/evapotranspiration, T/E) in most hydrological regions of China except in the southernmost regions; (2) elevated CO2 concentrations will have increasing effects on runoff at the national scale, but at the hydrological region scale, the physiology effects induced by elevated CO2 concentration will depend on the vegetation types, climate conditions, and geographical background information with noticeable decreasing effects shown in the arid Inland region of China; (3) leaf area index (LAI) compensation effect and stomatal closure effect are the dominant factors on runoff in the arid Inland region and southern moist hydrological regions, respectively; (4) the magnitudes of climate change (especially the changing precipitation pattern) effects on the water cycle are much larger than those of the elevated CO2 concentration effects; however, increasing CO2 concentration will be one of the most important modifiers to the water cycle; (5) the water resource condition will be improved in northern China but depressed in southernmost China under the IPCC climate change scenarios, SRES A2 and SRES B1.

(Fig. 9) Pollen analysis of sediment core GIK16017-2

The improved understanding of the pollen signal in the marine sediments offshore of northwest Africa is applied to deep-sea core M 16017-2 at 21°N. Downcore fluctuations in the percentage, concentration and influx diagrams record latitudinal shifts of the main northwest African vegetation zones and characteristics of the trade winds and the African Easterly Jet. Time control is provided by 14C ages and 180 records. During the period 19,000-14,000 yr B.P. a compressed savanna belt extended between about 12 ° and 14-15°N. The Sahara had maximally expanded northward and southward under hyperarid climatic conditions. The belt with trade winds and dominant African Easterly Jet transport had not shifted latitudinally. The trade winds were strong as compared to the modern situation but around 13,000 yr B.P. the trade winds weakened. After 14,000 yr B.P. the climate became less arid south of the Sahara and a first spike of fluvial runoff is registered around 13,000 yr B.P. Fluvial runoff increased strongly around 11,000 yr B.P. and maximum runoff is recorded from about 9000-7800 yr B.P. Around 12,500 yr B.P. the savanna belt started to shift northward and became richer in woody species: it shifted about 6° of latitude, reached its northernmost position during the period of 9200-7800 yr B.P. and extended between about 16° and 24°N at that time. Tropical forest had reached its maximum expansion and the Guinea zone reached as far north as about 15°N, reflecting very humid climatic conditions south of the Sahara. North of the Sahara the climate also became more humid and Mediterranean vegetation developed rapidly. The Sahara had maximally contracted and the trade winds were weak and comparable with the present day intensity. After about 7800 yr B.P. the southern fringe of the Sahara and accordingly the savanna belt, shifted rapidly southward again.