The percentage breakdown of carbonate/non-carbonate fractions in core GC04, located off the coast of New Caledonia

Core GC04, was collected from the southeastern side of the New Caledonian Basin (22.99965 S, 166.150716 E). Carbonate percent in the curve has an average value of ~79% and varies between 51.4% and 88.8%. Carbonate pecent does show small variations in scale and repeating patterns, however data tends to stay between 70-80%. It is interesting to note that the carbonate percent minimum of 51.4% occurs at the beginning of isotope stage 4 (~73Ka BP). This anomaly is relatively simultaneous to a decrease in 18O and slight increase in sedimentation rate. Significant non-carbonate sediments include glass shards, sub-rounded quartz, radiolarians, sponge spicules, manganese nodules and 'red opaque' material. Trends of glass shard and quartz percentages can be seen in the results. Radiolaria and sponge spicles tend not to show any definite trend, however both tend to increase subsequent to a broader non-carbonate sedimentation increase.

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Published (Metadata Record) 04/03/2026
Last updated 05/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
License cc-by-2.5
Update Frequency Unknown