VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 1 | JULY 2016 AUSTRALASIA

VIII Southern Connection Congress

Janet Wilmshurst, FRSNZ

SHAPE update

33 | 1 1 AQUA BIANNUAL MEETING: Quaternary perspectives from the City of Sails AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND 5-9 DECEMBER 2016

OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

AQUA 2016 includes: • Four exciting days of conference sessions • Mid-conference field trip to Auckland Volcanic Field sites and Waitakere Ranges • Conference dinner at Villa Maria Estate inside the Ihumatao volcanic maar • Post-conference field trips, 10-15 December 2016

Two post conference field trip TRIP 1: options are currently being planned, Kauri and the Quaternary (a loop around the sub-tropical Northland/Far and will be run according to level of North region starting and ending in Auckland; three nights in Bay of Islands, interest. two nights at Kai Iwi Lakes). The trip will focus on ancient kauri, changes in For further information, please ecology as seen in pollen records over interglacial-glacial scales, and coastal contact Andrew Lorrey barrier evolution from OIS5-present. ([email protected]). TRIP 2: Quaternary volcanism and environmental change (excursion south from Auckland through the Waikato, the central North Island and ending in Wellington; three nights in Taupo, two nights in Palmerston North). There will be a focus on Quaternary volcanism, tectonism, sedimentation, and climate. Stops will include the Taupo and Rotorua volcanic centres, glaciation in the Tongariro National Park, Napier/Hawkes Bay and the Kapiti-Horowhenua/ Wanganui Basin sequences. VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 1 | JULY 2016 AUSTRALASIA

ISSN 0811-0433

CONTENTS 4 Caption competition 5 Editorial 6 President’s Pen 6 Meet a member of the AQUA executive committee: Sanja van Huet 7 News 8 A tribute to Herb Wright by Esmée Webb 9 Janet Wilmshurst – Fellow Royal Society of New Zealand by Jamie Wood and Carol Smith

NOTES FROM THE FIELD 12 Lake Ohau Scientific Drilling: A 17,000 year-long annually resolved paleoclimate record from Southern New Zealand by Gavin Dunbar, Marcus Vandergoes, Richard Levy and the LOCH project members 13 Drilling high resolution Pliocene continental shelf and slope deposits, Whanganui Basin, New Zealand by Tim Naish, Front cover photo: Georgia Grant, Gavin Dunbar, Claudio Tapia, and the Whanganui The visual and wind-blown magnificence drilling project members. of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. This 15 A new core from Lake George by Éva Papp and the park extends over 242,000 ha and lies in the transition area between the Magallanes Lake George team sub-polar forests and Patagonian Steppe. Much of the geology consists of Cretaceous- REPORTS aged marine sedimentary rock that has been 16 VIII Southern Connection Congress Punta Arenas, Chile intruded by a Miocene-age granitic laccolith. Rapid uplift and successive glaciations by Brent Alloway have dramatically sculptured the Cordillera 20 International Symposium on Aeolian Deposits in Earth History, del Paine which forms the centre-piece of the INQUA Loess Focus Group meeting, Beijing, China by Kathryn E. park. (Photo credit: Brent Alloway) Fitzsimmons 23 4th Aus2k workshop report – Australasian palaeoclimate of the last 2000 years: Inter-comparison of climate field reconstruction methodologies, modeling, and data synthesis approaches by Joelle Gergis, Steven J. Phipps, Andrew M. Lorrey, Nerilie J. Abram, Benjamin J. Henley, Krystyna M. Saunders and Aus2k Workshop Participants 26 C-Peat October 2015, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York by Len Martin and Geoff Hope 28 Southern Hemisphere Assessment of PalaeoEnvironments (SHAPE): An International Focus Group supported by PALCOM by Andrew Lorrey 29 Aquatic Transitions – A PAGES Working Group by Peter Gell 29 Heading South to Find a Better Way Forward by Jess Reeves Model Diprotodontid constructed by the local ‘Mens Shed’ for the Lancefield Megafauna 31 The Lancefield Megafauna Festival by Sanja van Huet Festival. (photo credit: Sanja van Huet)

33 | 1 3 BOOK REVIEWS 34 Climate Change in Deserts: Past, Present and Future by Martin Williams. Review by John Magee 36 A continent on the move: New Zealand geoscience revealed (2nd edition) Editor Ian Graham. Review by Carol Smith

THESIS ABSTRACTS 38 Thesis Abstracts: Jie Chang, Deirdre Ryan, Haimish Prodan and Martin Ankor 41 RECENT PUBLICATIONS 45 UPCOMING MEETINGS

Caption competition Bill Bull at Charwell, Marlborough, New Zealand, circa late 1980’s. Deciphering the loess story with the aid of hand drilled augers, often to a depth of 6 m, was a significant contribution to our understanding of how Quaternary tectonic uplift, loess deposition and river incision have all shaped this part of the landscape. Please help your editors with an appropriate caption for the photo. Bonus prize for correctly identifying the two torso-less bodies in the background. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. The winning entry will appear in the next issue of Quaternary Australasia.

WINNER The winner of the December 2015 caption competition is Len Martin with “we don’t need to measure THAT in microns…”.

4 33 | 1 | EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

Dear Fellow Quaternarists, This year will see a full transition of the Quaternary Australasia editorship to Carol Smith and Sanja van Huet, with Pia Atahan retiring mid-year. Carol and Sanja represent the twelfth and thirteenth editors in the line that began when Jeannette Hope and Bruce Thom began editing QA’s predecessor: the Australian Quaternary Newsletter. A strong focus of QA over its lifetime has been on publishing meeting reports and updates related to formal group projects, making QA a valuable asset for the Quaternary community. This strong focus is evident in the current issue of QA, with groups working within the framework of INQUA and PAGES represented. Kathryn Fitzsimmons describes the INQUA Loess Focus Group meeting, the International Symposium on Aeolian Deposits in Earth History, held near Beijing in China. Joelle Gergis and others update us on the 4th Aus2k Workshop (Auckland, NZ), where progress made by the PAGES Aus2k working group was reviewed. Peter Gell reports on progress in the PAGES Aquatic Transitions working group. In this issue of QA, we travel to Tierra del Fuego. Firstly to Punto Arenas (in Chile) where the VIII Southern Connection Congress was held. Brent Alloway describes the important work of this meeting to bring together scientists working across the Southern Hemisphere. Following this, Jess Reeves takes us across the border to Ushuaia in Argentina, where she will embark on a three week long journey to Antarctica with 77 other female scientists later this year. Jess outlines this ambitious mission, which aims to build leadership capabilities in women. We look forward to hearing about the trip after she returns! QA editor, Sanja van Huet reports on the Lancefield Megafauna Festival. She includes a fascinating account of the history of fossil discovery in the region and of one town’s remarkable embrace of its fossil record. The ‘Fossil Road Show’ session sounds unmissable. Also in this issue John Magee reflects on the book ‘Climate Change in Deserts: Past, Present and Future’ by Martin Williams, and Carol Smith reviews “A Continent on the Move” edited by Ian Graham. We also pay tribute to the achievements of great Quaternarists. Regents’ Professor Herbert Wright sadly passed away recently, and Esmée Webb provides us with a summary of his career highlights. And finally, with the wonderful awarding of a Fellowship of the Royal Society of New Zealand to Janet Wilmshurst; Jaime Wood and Carol Smith summarises her career to date. We also introduce a new section “Notes from the Field” where we report on Yours Quaternarily, current fieldwork projects in the field. We welcome reports (and photos) on Pia Atahan, Carol Smith and your fieldwork, both in Australasia and overseas. We start in this issue with Sanja van Huet reports on drilling projects from both sides of the Tasman: The LOCH project Editors from Lake Ohau in the South Island; the Whanganui Drilling Project from the North Island and the Lake George drilling project, NSW. The next AQUA conference, Quaternary in the city of sails, is being held in Auckland from the 5th to 9th of December, 2016. We look forward to seeing you there!

33 | 1 5 PRESIDENT’S PEN |

PRESIDENT’S PEN Summer is a busy time for field Quaternarists as it is the main opportunity to undertake field work. Australasian Quaternarists work in a vast range of different climates from the tropics to Antarctica, undertaking a wide range of different types of field work. We would love to hear your field work stories. Over the last year (or so) there has been several large field good way to advertise your latest journal article, and any work projects involving drilling of Quaternary sediments upcoming events or jobs. We now have 230 followers on to understand changes in the local environment, human our facebook page… a few more than we have members. influence, climate change and natural hazards. Back in So please remember to renew your membership if you February 2014 drilling was undertaken on the offshore haven’t already done so and encourage your Quaternary volcano, Rangitoto, to understand the eruption risk to colleagues to join. Auckland. Then in August, drilling was undertaken at AQUA is now gearing up for the upcoming biennial Siberia Station into the Wanganui basin sediments, AQUA conference in City of Sails – Auckland, New central North Island of New Zealand. In December 2015 Zealand in December 2016. The conference will be held there was drilling of the dry (but green) Lake George, at the University of Auckland from the 5-9th of December close to Canberra, Australia. Then in February/March with some very interesting mid-and post-conference 2016, there was the Lake Ohau drilling project (LOCH) field trips in the North Island of New Zealand. We hope in the South Island of New Zealand. All of these major that you will be able to attend and present your latest projects will, I’m sure, produce many thousands of science. It is a great chance to catch up with colleagues analyses and provide some interesting results that we (and friends) and meet new ones, and it is also a friendly can look forward to hearing about in the future at AQUA forum for students to present their work. conferences or AQUA themed sessions. It has been an interesting 2 years keeping the AQUA As well as field work in Antarctica, AQUA secretary “ship” afloat, both professionally and personally (with Duanne White found time to attend the annual Science a new baby to wrangle). I will remain on the AQUA meets Parliament meeting in Canberra, in March committee as the past president, but I am delighted to 2016. There are also two new, similar, events – Science hand over to our new President Scott Mooney (UNSW), meets Policy and Science meets Business. If you have who will keep the AQUA “fire” burning for the next 2 been to either of these and have some feedback for the years. We welcome the new members of the committee. Quaternary community we would love to hear from you. Finally, congratulations to Stephanie Kermode (previously It is great to see regular emails on AQUAlist and posts our shadow secretary on the AQUA committee) and her on facebook. And it is nice to see that lots of science partner Florian for the birth of their baby boy Oliver. communication is going on with regular links to blogs, videos of talks and radio interviews. Facebook is also a Helen Bostock AQUA President

MEET A MEMBER OF THE AQUA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SANJA VAN HUET: EDITOR, QUATERNARY AUSTRALASIA Sanja splits her time between two jobs; as the exploration manager for a junior mining company in Victoria and as a lecturer at Deakin University. With a MSc and PhD, both from Monash University, Sanja’s main interests are in Quaternary palaeoenvironments, taphonomy and sedimentology. Her current research areas revolve around the coasts of the Nepean Peninsula and King Island and further inland, the swamp at Lancefield in Victoria; one of the first discovered Australian Quaternary fossil sites. She has also developed an interest in extant and extinct emus and their response to isolation through sea level and vegetation changes during the Quaternary. Sanja has an adult daughter and a needy rescue greyhound. She spends most of her free time practicing her surfing, watching live music, walking on the beach and nailing together her beach shack – which she hopes to, one day, retire to.

6 33 | 1 Meet a member of the AQUA executive committee: Sanja van Huet

| NEWS

NEWS AQUA BIENNIAL SHAPE THE QA EDITORIAL TEAM CONFERENCE: Southern Hemisphere Assessment IS CHANGING “QUATERNARY IN THE CITY of Palaeo-environments SHAPE Quaternary Australasia editor, OF SAILS” AUCKLAND NZ fully supported by INQUA as an Pia Atahan, is retiring. She has been 5-9 DECEMBER 2016 international focus group! See report involved in QA since taking over The next AQUA biennial conference in this issue and keep up to date by from Jasmyn Lynch in 2013. She will be held at the Old Government joining the Shape email list. To get leaves QA in the capable hands of House in Auckland, from the involved please contact Drew Lorrey: Carol Smith and Sanja Van Huet 5-9 December 2016. The conference ([email protected]) or who joined the editing team last will include conference sessions Steven Phipps: (s.phipps@unsw. year. Please continue to send QA on the 5-6 and 8-9 December, a edu.au). contributions to [email protected]. mid-conference field trip and a AQUA T-SHIRTS conference dinner at Villa Maria A limited number of AQUA T-shirts Estate in the Ihumatao maar! More are still available to buy. If you would details in this issue and further like to get your hands on one, please information will be published on the contact President Scott Mooney AQUA website and Facebook page as ([email protected]). it becomes available. INTAV INQUA support has been given for the International Focus Group on Tephra and Volcanism (INTAV)

and EXTRAS project. Contact David       Lowe for details about how you can 

 
participate: ([email protected]) 
or check out the website: http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/intav/ INQUA-INTAV.html T-shirt design Emily Field Pia Atahan the retiring editor AQUA members modelling the AQUA t-shirt at INQUA, 2015 (Photo credit: Len Martin)

33 | 1 7 A tribute to Herb Wright by Esmée Webb

TRIBUTE | HERBERT E. WRIGHT JR

A TRIBUTE TO HERBERT E. WRIGHT JR (1917 – 2015)

Regents’ Professor of Geology, Ecology and Botany, University of Minnesota (UMN), Minneapolis Esmée Webb Perth, Western Australia

When Herb Wright died on Herb held Guggenheim and 12 November 2015 Quaternary Wenner-Gren Fellowships in Studies lost one of its founding the 1950s and later received fathers; whose passing merits prestigious awards from the National recognition by AQUA because he Academy of Science, International conducted palynological fieldwork Palaeolimnological Association, not just in ‘expectable’ places such as American Quaternary Association Alaska, Yukon, Labrador, Greenland, (AMQUA), both the Archaeological Iceland, Sweden, Ireland, Catalonia, and the Quaternary Geology and Altai Mountains, Outer Mongolia, Geomorphology Divisions of the Greece, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and Geological Society of America, New Mexico, but also in Swaziland, Archaeological Institute of Patagonia, Peru, Tasmania and America and Society for American New Zealand. His research students Archaeology. Few palynologists apparently ‘complained’ that he had receive archaeological awards, already been to all the places whose Herb was given three; proof of Quaternary record they wanted his eclecticism. He was Honorary to study! President of XVI INQUA and given doctorates by Trinity College, Dublin, Born in Massachusetts on and Lund University, Sweden. 13 September 1917, Herb studied geology at Harvard: BA (1939), MA Herb published over 180 scientific (1941) and PhD (1943); also serving papers that usually synthesised as a bomber pilot during WWII. multi-disciplinary data, even Understandably, that experience archaeology. The last publication Herb Wright in Wyoming in 2010, listening attentively to the leader of an AMQUA left him ‘unflappable’ in the field, I know of is Wright et al. (2004). feldtrip. (Photo credit: Esmée Webb) no matter what went wrong. He Herb also edited 14 books, joined the Geology Department including Pleistocene extinctions, at UMN in 1947 and never left; Quaternary Soils and Quaternary although he earlier taught at of the United States. His research Brown and conducted research for projects always included diverse students’ work. Many of his students the Oriental Institute in Chicago Quaternary collaborators and topics. now occupy prestigious positions. and the US Geological Survey. He co-founded COHMAP (the Co- Herb taught his students to record He founded and directed (1963- operative Holocene Mapping Project) field data scrupulously and share 1990) the Limnological Research that documented climatic and their ideas; principles that should Centre at UMN. He unravelled environmental change since 18 ka. be more widely instilled. He will Minnesota’s glacial history based I first met Herb when I attended the be missed. on over 50 pollen diagrams that AMQUA biennial meeting at UMN documented climatic change, fire in 1994 and last saw him at another REFERENCES history and human activity since Wright, H.E. Jr, Stefanova, I., Tian, J., AMQUA meeting in 2010 (Figure 20 ka; meticulous research that has Brown, T.A. and Hu, F.S., 2004. 1); still interested in other people’s stood the test of time and underpins A chronological framework for the research at 93. Respected by all who Holocene vegetational history of regional predictions of future met or worked with him, Herb was central Minnesota: the Steel Lake climato-environmental change. a gentle man, an unpretentious pollen record. Quaternary Science scholar, dedicated to his own and his Reviews, 23: 611-26.

8 33 | 1 Janet Wilmshurst – Fellow Royal Society of New Zealand by Jamie Wood and Carol Smith

JANET WILMSHURST – FELLOW ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND | ARTICLE

JANET WILMSHURST – FELLOW ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND Jamie Wood1 and Carol Smith2 1Landcare Research, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand 2Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand

Janet Wilmshurst is an bird bone, dung-fungi and testate vegetation communities on strongly internationally eminent amoebae. When relevant, they also modified landscapes (Lyver et al., palaeoecologist whose impressive utilise the historical record; for 2015) has also been a strong focus research centres on reconstructing example in research for assigning since joining Landcare Research over past ecologies of New Zealand and dates to human settlement in the 20 years ago. She has collaborated the Pacific. She has dramatically Pacific (Wilmshurst et al, 2011). widely with other international expanded our knowledge of pre- The fields of research Janet has researchers, as reflected by her human ecosystems and the impacts explored are diverse and include involvement in many overseas of natural and human-induced forest disturbance caused by funded research projects as a named environmental change. Based at volcanic eruptions (Wilmshurst investigator. Landcare Research in Canterbury &McGlone1996); climate change A distinct aspect of Janet’s work she is the Director of the Long-Term in southern New Zealand and the is that she innovates constantly, Ecology Laboratory (LTEL) where sub Antarctic islands (Alloway et pioneering and applying new she works with Jamie Wood, Matt al., 2007; McGlone et al., 2010; techniques to new and long- McGlone, post graduate students Newnham et al. 2013; Turney et standing problems, such as the Tess Cole and Alex Boast and al, 2006); past pollinator-plant use of rat-gnawed seeds preserved research technicians Nic Bolstridge associations and fire history (Perry in sediment to resolve the long and Karen Boot. Current visiting et al., 2014a). Determining the diet standing question around the timing researchers include Francisca Diaz of moa and other extinct and extant of human settlement of Aotearoa. from Chile. Janet is responsible birds in unmodified ecosystems This particular line of evidence for several significant research from analysis of fossilized dung concurred with other scientific and programmes and in 2013 she was (Figure 1) (Wood et al., 2012) and cultural evidence (the seed cases appointed to a 0.2 FTE Associate the reconstruction of previous Professorship at Auckland University (Harvie, 2015). But what was Janet’s path to Lincoln and paleoecological research? Janet grew up in Britain and graduated from Plymouth University in 1988 with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science; receiving the award for the best undergraduate thesis in that degree. An opportunity to study for a PhD at Canterbury University followed and led to working at Landcare Research in the mid 1990’s with Matt McGlone. In her current role as Director of the LTEL at Landcare Research’s Lincoln offices, Janet and the team work at reconstructing past ecologies by combining ancient DNA techniques with analysis of diverse Figure 1: Surveying a new cave at Mt Nicholas Station near Queenstown. This study demonstrated fossils such as pollen, charcoal, the first coprolite evidence for the diet of the extinct forest dwelling Moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) in New Zealand (Wood et al., 2012). (Photo credit: Jamie Wood)

33 | 1 9 ARTICLE | JANET WILMSHURST – FELLOW ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND

were constrained by dated tephra layers): humans arrived in 1280AD, plus or minus 30 years (Wilmshurst and Higham, 2004; Wilmshurst et al., 2008). Indeed, applying this research further to encompass human arrival and settlement in the Eastern Pacific, Janet and her team concluded that human settlement was much more rapid than previously thought (Wilmshurst et al, 2011). Using these techniques, Janet has also been involved with research dating the extinction of moa: using radiocarbon dating of moa bones plus rat gnaws and excreta, the team dated effective extinction to about 1430AD and total extinction to about 1480 (Perry et al., 2014b). Paleoecology is not just about deciphering past ecologies – it is also equally applicable to the management of the contemporary landscape as well as issues such as pest eradication and ecosystem restoration. In 2015, Janet led research that investigated the invasion of the tree daisy Olearia lyallii on the sub Antarctic Auckland Islands. There were several unanswered questions. Was the tree daisy native to the islands or introduced? If so, was it a threat Figure 2: Coring a lake on New Zealand’s North Island (Photo credit: Janet Wilmshurst). to the islands unique ecosystem? Could it have been introduced by Polynesians to the Auckland Islands spray. However, its spread had been Islands, 24km off the NE coast of the (360kms south of Stewart Island)? slow across the rest of the island North Island of New Zealand were Certainly, Polynesian settlers were over 200+ years. The current land cored to extract soil samples. These briefly on Stewart Island during management implication of this soil cores represented a 2000 year the 13th or 14th centuries– but did research is that on-going monitoring, span of vegetation change than they venture further south? Using with no control, is an appropriate began >1200 years before human a combination of paleoecology and action since O. lyallii appears to settlement and spanned 550 years historical records, Janet and her pose minimal risk to the ecological of settlement and 180 years of colleagues demonstrated that the integrity of the Auckland Islands forest succession since human tree daisy was introduced around (Wilmshurst et al, 2015). occupation ceased. Analysis of the pollen and DNA in the soil cores 1807-10; the most likely importers Knowing the past vegetational revealed that the pre-human island being sealers. A survey of tree composition and successional forests were dominated by palm daisy coverage across the Auckland dynamics of off shore islands can trees and podocarps. In contrast, Islands showed that it had been help to provide baseline ecological the current forests are largely competitive against the marine data which can be used to inform composed of native but novel communities it had replaced in ecosystem restoration or “rewilding” angiosperm species, dissimilar to the these highly disturbed sites which of degraded islands. Soil samples pre-human ecosystem. were nutrient enriched from from swamps on the Poor Knights nesting sea birds, seals and sea These pre-human vegetation records

10 33 | 1 JANET WILMSHURST – FELLOW ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND | ARTICLE help to inform future restoration of REFERENCES Wilmshurst J.M. and McGlone, M.S. degraded offshore islands in several Alloway, B.V., Lowe, D.J., Barrell, D.J.A., 1996. Forest disturbance in the ways: by providing an inventory of Newnham, R.M., Almond, P.C., central North Island, New Zealand following the 1850 BP Taupo past species if restoration planting Augustinus, P.C., Bertler, N.A.N., Carter, L., Litchfield, N.J., McGlone, eruption. The Holocene, 6 (4):399-411. is required; indicating the rate M.S., Shulmeister, J., Vandergoes, Wilmshurst J.M & Higham T.F.G. and likely direction of ecosystem M.J., Williams, P.W. and members, 2004. Using rat gnawed seeds to successional change; and helping N.-I. 2007. Towards a climate event independently date the arrival of to determine if natural rates of stratigraphy for New Zealand over the Pacific rats and humans to New succession are preferable to costly past 30 000 years (NZ-INTIMATE Zealand. The Holocene, 14 (6):801– project).Journal of Quaternary replanting programs (Wilmshurst et 806. Science,22:9-35. al., 2014). Wilmshurst J.M, Anderson A.J, Higham Harvie, W. 2015. Inside New Zealand’s T.F.G, Worthy T.H. 2008. Dating Janet’s research excellence is shown ancient DNA lab. Online at http:// the late prehistoric dispersal of by her seven Marsden Fund grants www.stuff.co.nz/science/79558738/ Polynesians to New Zealand using the inside-nzs-ancient-dna-lab. since 1999, four as Principal commensal Pacific rat .Proceedings (Accessed24 May 2016). of the National Academy of Sciences Investigator and 3 as Associate Lyver, P.O.B’, Wilmshurst J.M, Wood USA,105 (22):7676–7680. www.pnas. Investigator. She has an impressive J.R, Bellingham P.J, Jones C.J, Towns org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0801507105 record of c. 75 refereed publications D.R, Stone C, Moller H. 2015. Looking Wilmshurst, J.M, Hunt, T, Lipo, C, and an H-index of 27 (Google). In back for the future: local knowledge Anderson, A. 2011. High precision 2013 she gained the New Zealand and palaeoecology inform biocultural radiocarbon dating shows recent Ecological Society’s premier award restoration of coastal ecosystems in and rapid initial human colonization New Zealand. Human Ecology, 43:681- for Ecological Excellence. In 2011, of East Polynesia. Proceedings of the 695.DOI 10.1007/s10745-015-9784-7 National Academy of Sciences USA, as a recognised leader in her field, McGlone M.S, Turney C.S.M, 108 (5):1815-1820.www.pnas.org/cgi/ she became a nominated member Wilmshurst J.M, Renwick R, Pahnke, doi/10.1073/pnas.1015876108 of the international scientific K. 2010. Divergent trends in land and Wilmshurst J.M, Moar N.T, Wood, steering committee of PAGES ocean temperature in the Southern J.R, Bellingham, P.J, Findlater, (past climates and environments) Ocean over the past 18,000 years. A.M, Robinson, J.J, Stone, C. 2014. of the International Geosphere- Nature Geoscience, 3(9):622-626. Use of pollen and ancient DNA as Biosphere Programme. She also Newnham R, McGlone M, Moar N, conservation baselines for offshore islands in New Zealand. Conservation played a key role in the New Zealand Wilmshurst J.M, Vandergoes M. 2013. The vegetation cover of New Biology, 28 (1):202-212. DOI: 10.1111/ Ecological Society as councillor, Zealand at the last glacial maximum. cobi.12150. Vice-President and President. The Quaternary Science Reviews, 74:202- Wilmshurst, J.M, McGlone, M.S, Turney, practical application of her research 214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. C.S.M, 2015. Long-term ecology is highlighted by her work with quascirev.2012.08.022 resolves the timing, region of origin, the New Zealand Department of Perry, G, Wilmshurst, J.M., McGlone, and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree. Annals of Botany Conservation and a number of M.S. 2014a. A review of the ecology Plants. AoB Plants, 7: plv104. iwi, providing critical guidance for and long-term history of fire in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Wood, J.R., Wilmshurst, J.M., Worthy, restoration through understanding Ecology, 38 (2):157-176. T.H., Cooper, A. 2012. First coprolite past ecosystems and the impact Perry GLW, Wheeler A, Wood JR, evidence for the diet of Anomalopteryx of settlement. Janet is a tireless Wilmshurst JM. 2014b. A high didiformis, an extinct forest ratite from populariser of research, writing precision chronology for the rapid New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of popular articles, webpages, a lab extinction of New Zealand moa (Aves, Ecology, 36 (2):164-170. Twitter account, press releases Dinornithiformes).Quaternary Science Reviews,105:126-135. and appearing on TV and radio documentaries. She has supervised/ Turney, C.S.M. Kershaw, A.P. Lowe, J.J. van der Kaars, S., Johnston, R., mentored over 18 postgraduate Rule, S. Moss, P.,Radke, L.,Tibby, students and 6 post-doctoral J.,McGlone, M.S. Wilmshurst, fellows, many of whom have gone J.M., Vandergoes, M.J, Fitzsimons, to successful research careers of S.J, Bryant, C., James, S., Branch, their own. She is an inspirational N.P.,Cowley, J.,Kalin, R.M., Ogle, N., Jacobsen, G., Fifield, L.K. 2006. Quaternary scientist (Figure 2). Climatic variability in the southwest Pacific during the Last Termination (20-10kaBP). Quaternary Science Reviews 25:886-903.

33 | 1 11 Lake Ohau Scientific Drilling: A 17,000 year-long annually NOTES FROM resolved paleoclimate record from Southern New Zealand THE FIELD by Gavin Dunbar, Marcus Vandergoes, Richard Levy and the LOCH project members

NOTES FROM THE FIELD | LAKE OHAU SCIENTIFIC DRILLING

Lake Ohau Scientific Drilling: A 17,000 year-long annually resolved paleoclimate record from Southern New Zealand Gavin Dunbar1, Marcus Vandergoes2, Richard Levy2 and the LOCH project members 1Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. 2GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Our knowledge of the potential Top to Bottom impact of climate change is in Figure 1: Location of LOCH project core sites. part limited by the short duration (Photo credit: LOCH Project) of instrumental records. Highly Figure 2: LOCH project drill rig and barge resolved climate records that span (on right) and the support vessel ‘Beryl Brewin’ with tender on left. (Photo credit: Chris Moy) millennia are essential to place current climate change into a longer- Figure 3: X-radiographs from Site 2 core sections 2A-1H3 (left) from 4 mblf and term perspective. Records of this ~ 2B-13H2 (right) from ~39 mblf. X-ray type from the southern hemisphere equipment loaned by Radiographic Supplies are particularly scarce. New Zealand Ltd. (Photo credit: LOCH Project) lies in the southern hemisphere mid-latitudes and its climate and weather patterns are influenced by teleconnections to Antarctica (via the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and the tropics (ENSO)). Lake Ohau (44o17’S, 169 o55’E; Fig. 1), in the lee of the New Zealand Southern Alps, potentially contains a detailed record of climate change since the end of the last glaciation. Cosmogenic dating of moraines around Lake Ohau basin suggests it was occupied The lake is 105 m deep at Site 1 and 3.5kHz seismic profiles suggested by a glacier until ~17,900 years ago. 80m of postglacial sediment had However, within ~500 years the ~ glacier had retreated out of the basin accumulated there. The shallower leaving behind a lake dominated (68m water depth) Site 2 overlies by seasonally variable lithogenic ~40 m of postglacial sediment. sedimentation. Seismic records Coring was carried out using a confirm a significant thickness of Hydraulic Piston Corer (HPC) built mud has accumulated on the lake by QDTech in Salt Lake City. This bed since then. Analysis of short drilling/coring system is a shorter (6m-long) sediment cores that cover and simplified version of that used the past 1,300 years show that layers by the Ocean Drilling Program. in the mud capture inter-annual It was deployed from a purpose- changes in rainfall and large flood built modular barge designed in events. Over the past six years a team collaboration with Webster’s Drilling of researchers led by GNS Science, and Exploration Ltd and the VUW Victoria University of Wellington Science Drilling Office (Figure. 2). whilst the drill hole continued down (VUW) and The University of Otago HPC coring proceeded in 3 m runs to Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)-age gravels 80 m below lake floor. have been working towards coring from ~1 m below lake floor to refusal. this thick sediment sequence. The At the shallower of our two sites we Our initial assessment of LOCH (Lake Ohau Climate History) were able to offset-core the complete core x-radiographs and pollen drilling project was completed in 42 m thick sequence whilst at the biostratigraphy is that the entire February-March this year at two sites more exposed deeper site we were late glacial and Holocene sequence at the south eastern end of the lake. able to offset core the upper 60 m, has been recovered at both sites

12 33 | 1 Drilling high resolution Pliocene continental shelf and slope deposits, Whanganui Basin, New Zealand by Tim Naish, Georgia Grant, Gavin Dunbar, Claudio Tapia, and the Whanganui drilling project members.

DRILLING HIGH RESOLUTION PLIOCENE CONTINENTAL SHELF AND SLOPE DEPOSITS | NOTES FROM THE FIELD and comprises mm-scale laminated Drilling high resolution Pliocene continental sediments, with drop stones occurring in the oldest part of the shelf and slope deposits, Whanganui Basin, record immediately above LGM New Zealand angular gravels (Figure. 3). The 1 1 1 2 cores will be analysed at high (mm- Tim Naish , Georgia Grant , Gavin Dunbar , Claudio Tapia , and the scale) resolution by computer-aided Whanganui drilling project members tomography (i.e. CT scan), x-ray 1Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New fluorescence, density, compressional- Zealand. 2University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand wave velocity, visual light reflectance and sediment magnetic properties. Lower resolution sampling will The warm climate of the Pliocene warmer than present? What are the be undertaken for grain size, represents the most recent period consequences for global sea levels? palynomorphs, charcoal, diatoms, of our geological past that can The mid-Pliocene (3-3.6 Ma) is also organic biomarkers (e.g. GDGTs) provide insights into how Earth a time when the relative influence and organic matter isotopes in will respond to projected future of orbital obliquity and precession addition to visual core description. warming. In particular, how do on global insolation patterns Layer counts on annual sedimentary polar ice sheets respond to global changed markedly. This provides an couplets combined with radiometric average temperatures 3-4oC opportunity to test how the different dating will be used to develop a robust chronology. New information gleaned from this unique record will contribute to a multi-proxy investigation of past temperature, precipitation, and environmental change on annual to millennial timescales. These observations will be integrated with numerical climate and hydrological model simulations to help investigate the causes of climate variability in the southern hemisphere mid-latitudes. The primary focus of this research is to investigate the changing influence of SAM and ENSO in this region and produce a detailed storm history record for the past 17,000 years. Sedimentological analysis of the cores will also be used to identify mass flow deposits (e.g. turbidites) in the record that may signify large-scale catchment disturbance associated with earthquakes in the region.

33 | 1 13 NOTES FROM THE FIELD | DRILLING HIGH RESOLUTION PLIOCENE CONTINENTAL SHELF AND SLOPE DEPOSITS

Opposite page Figure 1: PQ/HQ coring in the Whanganui Basin by Webster’s Drilling and Exploration Ltd in conjunction with the Victoria University of Wellington Scientific Drilling Office. (Photo credit: Antarctic Research Centre, VUW). Left Figure 2: Drilling progressed through late winter, 2015: Siberia sheep station, Whanganui. (Photo credit: Antarctic Research Centre, VUW). Below Figure 3: Part of the 350m long drill core (Photo credit: Antarctic Research Centre, VUW).

orbital components that were driving accumulation is continuous and Professors Brent Alloway and insolation contributed to ice sheet throughout the glacial-interglacial Diane Seward are assisting with growth and decay. Two ~350 m-long cycles, but shallow enough to reflect tephrochronology and stratigraphy. scientific drill cores were collected changes in seabed shear stress The initial age model suggests from sites on the aptly named generated by waves – and thus sedimentation rates of 1-2 m/ky, Siberia (39°41.6’S; 175°31.5’E), and water depth. but further analysis is needed of Tiriraukawa 39°45.8’S; 175°40.2’E) the complex paleomagnetic signal Both sites were downhole logged for sheep stations in Whanganui Basin recorded in Whangnui sediments density, natural gamma radiation in late winter 2015 (Figures 1 and 2). before finalising the chronology. and resistivity. Subsequently core The foraminifera and textural Cores were collected using industry magnetic susceptibility and density analysis shows marked changes in standard PQ/HQ coring by were measured on a Geotek Multi- composition, consistent with relative Webster’s Drilling and Exploration sensor core logger provided by the sea level changes and these will Ltd and the Victoria University Alfred-Wegener-Institute. Georgia be compared against forthcoming of Wellington Scientific Drilling Grant has conducted detailed d18O measurements on benthic Office. These cores targeted measurements of foraminiferal foraminifera. These data will be coeval continental shelf and slope abundance, particle size and oxygen combined and utilized using a sediments deposited between 3.6 isotopic analyses of foraminifera to sediment ‘backstripping’ approach to to 3.0 Ma that capture changes in constrain paleobathymetry and ice remove the local effects of tectonism lithology and faunal composition volume changes as part of her PhD and loading to yield new estimates of associated with relative sea level thesis. Dr Claudio Tapia Orellana Pliocene sea level change. change. Importantly, these deposits is compiling the paleomagnetism were in deep enough water that and magnetic reversal stratigraphy

14 33 | 1 A new core from Lake George by Éva Papp and the Lake George team

A NEW CORE FROM LAKE GEORGE | NOTES FROM THE FIELD

A new core from Lake George Éva Papp and the Lake George team Australian National University, Research School of Earth Sciences

On the 27 November 2015, our The site was carefully chosen: on Canada to measure the stable isotope ARC-funded Lake George Project* a geophysical line that Dan Clark signatures of chloride and bromide arrived at a milestone: the first core (Geoscience Australia) had surveyed to understand the importance of appeared from the direction of the using seismic methods and Éva chemical diffusion of salt in the Lake high-tech sonic drill rig perched Papp (ANU) using the direct- George sediments and groundwater. above a surveying mark on the bed current electrical method. These Our new core will provide an of mysterious Lake George, or, to surveys had shown the existence of a excellent comparison for a similar use its traditional name, Weereewa. bedrock ledge or wave-cut platform, study in the near future. A team of drillers, surpassed in extending about 100 metres out The new core is currently being number by a team of scientists, from the lake shore, and beyond that sampled and analysed by several excitedly started to package the a more-or-less horizontal sequence ANU researchers including fresh core to keep it from sunlight of Quaternary sediment, about 140 Mike Macphail and Janelle in anticipation of OSL dating, some metres deep, consistent with existing Stevenson (pollen), Brad Opdyke months away. understanding derived from earlier (chemical composition and results of BMR and ANU researchers We, a team of researchers and sedimentology), Brad Pillans including Gurdip Singh, Bob Abell students from the Australian (paleomagnetism), Éva Papp and others. The electrical survey National University, felt lucky that (pore space), Iain McCulloch has indicated the presence of fresh the drilling was finally happening (OSL dating) and Bear McPhail water near the Lake George Fault, after almost a year of preparation, (pore water composition). Tony and also shown that the subsurface planning, permit writing and Dosseto (University of Wollongong) is progressively becoming extremely negotiations on multiple fronts. The will be doing U-series measurements conductive towards the lake’s centre. drillers felt lucky mostly because on the core. they arrived from interstate just in One of our PhD students, Michael The 77 meters of new core, time, and managed to move into Short, has been studying the combined with information gained position without getting bogged. groundwater, surface water and from previous coring at Lake About the same time, another rainwater composition of the area, in George, will provide a record of 4WD vehicle rolled in with various order to understand the movement environmental change that extends antennas, attachments and signage. of groundwater and dissolved salts. back 2.5 million years. Judging from Not leaving much room for guess- Michael has undertaken an extensive the dark laminations we recovered work – our downhole geophysical sampling program over two years, deep in the core, it is clear that Lake logging contractor had arrived. collecting water samples, including George has spent long periods of around Bungendore, a small The rest of the day and the next time full to the brim! town at the south-eastern corner were full of new experiences for of the lake. Using archived cores *LP140100911 – From ancient to all of us, as the drilling progressed extracted by Geoscience Australia’s modern environments in south deeper, into 50 m of the Bungendore precursor (the Bureau of Mineral eastern Australia: evidence from Formation lacustrine clays and Resources), Michael travelled to the unique natural archives of silts, then into the sandier fluvio- Lake George. ARC Linkage Project. lacustrine sediments of the Ondyong Formation. Drilling stopped late afternoon next day, at 77m depth, with 86% overall core recovery.

Figure 1: The Lake George drilling team (Photo credit: Éva Papp).

33 | 1 15 REPORTS VIII Southern Connection Congress Punta Arenas, Chile by Brent Alloway

REPORTS | VIII SOUTHERN CONNECTION CONGRESS PUNTA ARENAS CHILE

VIII Southern Connection Congress Punta Arenas, Chile (18 -23 January 2016) Brent Alloway School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

At 18.45 UTC on June 4th, 2011, as discuss and highlight research Figure 1: The June 4th 2011 eruption of Puyehue- an explosive eruption (VEI ≤ 5) of approaches of common interest. Cordón Caulle, Chile. Ash from this column circum-navigated the Southern Hemisphere in rhyolitic magma began at Puyehue- An important objective of Southern less than 14 days and successively and severely Cordón Caulle volcanic complex Connection is also to engage in disrupted aviation in Argentina, Uruguay, (PCCVC), southern Chile and close comparative studies with equatorial Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas, South Africa, to the frontier with Argentina. and northern hemispheric regions. Australia, New Zealand and FINALLY – in Chile The eruption commenced with To date Southern Connection itself. What better reminder is there – of just the development of a sustained how inter-connected we are in the Southern Hemisphere. (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway) eruption column that ascended to >15 km above the newly formed vent (Figure 1). Ash from this column circum-navigated the Southern Hemisphere in less than 14 days and successively and severely disrupted aviation in Argentina, Uruguay, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and FINALLY – in Chile itself. What an appropriate reminder of just how inter-connected we are in the Southern Hemisphere. Indeed, there are many other notable examples of ‘Southern Connection’ that effectively link and influence our widely dispersed and variably-sized southern landmasses and oceans – such as the Southern Westerly Wind (SWW) Belt, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and the extraordinary array of floral/ faunal similarities and ancient Gondwana affinities that can be recognized throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Southern Connection was originally conceived to link scientists interested in the natural sciences across the Southern Hemisphere, with emphasis on temperate ecosystems. Indeed, Southern Connection aims to highlight research on shared yet divergent biotas and cultures, and their histories in different lands and oceans, in order to devise strategies for sustaining species and ecosystems as well

16 33 | 1 VIII SOUTHERN CONNECTION CONGRESS PUNTA ARENAS CHILE | REPORTS

Top - Figure 2: Memorial to Hernando De Magallanes in the central plaza of Punta Arenas (Plaza Muñoz Gamero). Legend has it – that if you rub or kiss the foot of the bronze statue portraying the indigenous gentleman (Patagonian) then you are destined to have good luck and one day, return to Punta Arenas. However, judging by how many times the foot is actually kissed by tourists during the course of the day (see close-up of ‘kiss-polished’ foot) – I’d be fairly certain that the only thing you end up getting if you went ahead and kissed that foot – would be a cold or maybe something a little worse. (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway) Figure 3: Estancia San Gregorio located 124 km north-east from Punta Arenas and en-route to Pali Aike is a now an abandoned farm and relict of the sheep farming boom of the early 20th Century. This farm dates back to 1876 and at its peak encompassed an area extending over 91,000 hectares and supported 130,000 sheep. (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway)

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congresses have included topics such as biogeography, phylogenetics, ecology, The Southern Connection Congress conservation, ecophysiology, invasions, ethnography, plant reproductive was attended by 295 delegates from biology, macroecology, phylogeography, palaeobotany and palaeontology and 25 countries. The Australasian Earth and ocean processes. For someone like myself whose wide-ranging contingent totaled 46 with 24 research interests straddle different disciplinary areas and perpetually operate coming from Australia and 22 from at the overlapping fringes – what an amazing opportunity to gain knowledge New Zealand. The programme and insight into other but distantly allied disciplinary realms. Over the years included 10 plenary lectures, 16 Southern Connection has organized seven very successful congresses hosted by symposia and several sessions of five different countries in the Southern Hemisphere – the last Congress was contributed posters. The standard held in 2013 at Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand. This eighth Congress of oral and poster presentations was was held at the University of Magallanes in Punta Arenas, Chile in the very far south (53°S) of South America. Punta Arenas is the capital city of Chile’s southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena, and is the largest city south of the 46th parallel south. It’s a Figure 4: Pali Aike cinder cone and lava flows place steeped in history – from its first human settlement by the descendants with a herd of Guanaco’s (a camelid native of the Selk’nam, Aonikenk, Yámana, and Kawésqar (Figure 2) to European to South America) in the foreground. Pali Aike volcanic field is 150 km north-east of visitation by Magallanes in 1520, the establishment of a Chilean settlement Punta Arenas and consists of Pleistocene in 1843, the first emergence in 1893 of the Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del to Holocene maar craters, cinder cones and Fuego which controlled the largest sheep station in the world (10,000 km2) extensive lava fields. There has been no historic (Figure 3) and later in 1916, was the operational centre for the dramatic rescue eruptive activity. An archaeological site within of Shackleton. Now Punta Arenas is one of two South American southern which a cave formed along the inner wall of a cone was found to contain evidence of human gateways to the Antarctic Peninsula and the tourist entry point for Terra del occupation dating back >10,000 14C years B.P. Fuego and the breathtakingly beautiful Torres del Paine. What a venue. (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway)

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high – as to be expected. A couple dinner – that was great event as On that basis, I would like to extend of standout presentations were: well – held on a small farm on a personal note of gratitude to Philip Hulme’s (Landcare Research, the outskirts of Punta Arenas. the organizing committee – Juan Lincoln) paper on “Biogeographic Congress attendees were greeted at Armesto, Ricardo Rozzi, Juan lessons for weed risk assessment” – a the door with traditional pisco-sour, Carlos Aravena and Mary Kalin- topic of great relevance especially meat stretched out on delicately Arroyo, as well as to the organizing in a steadily warming world, as placed spits surrounding a fire pit institutions (Institute of Ecology well as Ricardo Rozzi’s (University (Figure 5), bottles of Carmenere and Biodiversity (IEB), University of North Texas/Universidad de adorning the tables, in attendance of Chile, Santiago; Universidad de Magallanes) presentation which were a multitude of new friends Magallanes and Instituto Antartico focused on “Ecological science and – including a rather frisky Ilama Chileno (INACH) located in Punta biocultural ethics”. OK – I’ll come outside, a Patagonian sheep shearing Arenas) for a thoroughly well- completely clean – as an earth demonstration (as a kiwi I wasn’t too organised and informative congress. scientist I concede that I hadn’t given sure about that ! – yep – the jokes I’m very sure my Australasian too much thought about this topic were about to reign on us poor kiwis’ colleagues who attended this before – but this presentation was, from our trans-Tasman cousins – we Congress share my point of view in its way, absolutely mesmerizing had to brace ourselves) AND Chris and heart-felt sentiments. If this and offered so many startling new Moy’s 40th birthday! (Figure 6) – excellent Chilean experience in (for me at least) concepts and ideas what else could you possibly ask Punta Arenas is anything to go by – that I really hadn’t contemplated for?! – except perhaps getting the then I’m certainly looking forward or comprehended before. There bus driver to drop off a bunch of very to the next meeting in Campos do were many other equally interesting happy Australasian revelers at the Jordão (State of São Paulo) in Brazil and inspiring presentations – Casino on the way back into town at in 2019. Pode vir! some directly relevant to my the end of the formal dinner. research and others that were not. At this point of the narrative, you Nevertheless – the intimacy of this should now be feeling the love small congress with its eclectic, and getting that sense of just how Figure 5: The conference dinner – a traditional but overall ‘connected’, array of well-organized and special this Patagonian Asado (bar-be-qued mutton on symposia was all about intellectual Congress was. a spit) certainly not a culinary occasion for extension and broadening of one’s the faint-hearted, vegans and/or vegetarians. horizons beyond our disciplinary (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway) noses. Precisely from that point of Figure 6: Chris Moy’s 40th Birthday coinciding view – I am completely adamant that with the Congress dinner. Personally – I can just vaguely remember turning 40! Maybe in this Southern Connection Congress the future this photo might serve to remind easily fulfilled its objectives and Chris. (Photo credit: B.V. Alloway) consequently, was a great success. The congress field-trips to Pali Aike volcanic field (native Tehuelche name meaning “Desolate Place”) (Figure 4) and Torres del Paine (Paine means “blue” in Tehuelche – pronounced PIE-nay) (front cover photo) were special AND thoroughly organized right down to the gourmet lunches. The additional bonus of course was that the weather gods in this harsh and sometimes very unpredictable southern environment treated us most favorably so that we had, for the most part, spectacular views of what we all travelled so far to see (relief over relief). As for the final night – the Congress

33 | 1 19 International Symposium on Aeolian Deposits in Earth History, INQUA Loess Focus Group meeting, Beijing, China by Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons

REPORTS | INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON AEOLIAN DEPOSITS IN EARTH HISTORY

International Symposium on Aeolian Deposits in Earth History, INQUA Loess Focus Group meeting, Beijing, China, 12-15 October 2015 Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

The loess-paleosol sequences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, at also included a provocative talk on Eurasia contain the longest, most Yanqi Lake, an hour or so north of the aeolian nature of the Tertiary complete and most widespread Beijing. The programme promised sediment deposits near Port records of Quaternary terrestrial two keynote and 42 additional Campbell in Victoria, Australia palaeoenvironments. Consequently it presentations, as well as 38 posters, (thanks to Xiuming Liu, Fujian is no surprise that scientific research held over two days, and was followed Normal University, China!). into loess records has a long and by two days of exciting field trips to In the evening we were treated distinguished history in Eurasia loess profiles near Beijing and to to a banquet dinner, on a scale (e.g. Markovic et al., in press), and the famous archaeological site of only Chinese can pull off with one which transcended the political Zhoukoudian. style. Figure 1 sees a selection of barriers of the second half of the Monday the 12th began with two participants who survived the rice twentieth century. The international keynote talks held by Professors wine and folk songs from around Loess Commission was established Nat Rutter (University of Alberta, the world (at least, I think the in 1961 and straddled both sides of Canada) and Andrei Velichko photo was taken afterward…). After the Iron Curtain. Loess fever was (Russian Academy of Sciences), sitting quietly through several abetted by the efforts of Professor spanning long timescale rounds of lusty Chinese folk songs Tungsheng Liu who drew the palaeoclimate records of the and cheerful Russian tunes I was attention of the Quaternary scientific Americas and loess formation on induced into warbling “Kookaburra community to the exceptional the Russian Plain respectively. This sits in the old gum tree” as quickly as Chinese loess archives (Liu and was followed by an exciting array of I could! Chang, 1964) – and incidentally, presentations on aeolian themes. also catalyzed connections with Tuesday continued the diverse These ranged from proposed Australian Quaternary research programme of talks, as well as stratigraphic frameworks linking (Bowler, 2007). a fantastic poster session which eastern European and Chinese loess kick-started a number of animated Loess can therefore be viewed as a (Slobodan Markovi , University ć discussions. Highlights included fantastic catalyst for international of Novi Sad, Serbia), to loess as a Zorica Svir ev’s (University of scientific collaboration. The loess recorder of East Asian monsoonal č Novi Sad, Serbia) hypothesis that community across the world remains change over Quaternary timescales cyanobacteria in loess is responsible an active one – albeit nowadays (Shiling Yang, Chinese Academy for mass hallucinations across with much more sophisticated tools of Science). There were models the steppe belt; the impressive for analysis. The INQUA Loess for palaeodust generation and dataset of Zhiwei Xu (Nanjing Commission has more recently deposition (Yaping Shao, University University, China) from the Mu Us morphed into the Loess Focus of Cologne, Germany) and advances dunefield linking dune activity with Group, and continues the tradition of in methodological tools for aeolian palaeoclimate; and a proposed link active international exchange, most provenance and palaeoclimate between Tethys Sea regression and notably through its annual meetings reconstruction (Youbin Sun, Saharan aridification during the held in various dusty places around Chinese Academy of Science; Natalia Miocene (Zhongshi Zhang, Bjerknes the world. Gerasimenko (National University Centre for Climate Research, of Kiev, Ukraine; et al.). The topics So it was that on a sparkling Norway). and case study areas spanned not autumn morning in October 2015, only the entire loess belt of the The following two days comprised approximately 200 aeolian scientists northern hemisphere temperate an ambitious programme combining from across the world gathered latitudes – eastern Europe, Russian science with tourism. On the under the shadow of the Great Wall Plain, Central Asia to China – but Wednesday, we were treated to a visit on the University campus of the

20 33 | 1 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON AEOLIAN DEPOSITS IN EARTH HISTORY | REPORTS

Figure 1: Survivors of the ISADEH banquet. (Photo credit: C. Lan) Figure 2: Thick loess deposits at Fanshan have been terraced for agriculture – during our walk up the sequence we hunted for apples. (Photo credit: S. Marković) Figure 3: Professor Shiling Yang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) draws our attention to the impressive S0 (Holocene) soil at Fanshan. Photo credit: S. Marković) to loess deposits at Fanshan, barely opened the gates for us specially Hill” – including casts of the Homo two hours west of Beijing (Xiong (Figure 4). Having the Great Wall all Erectus remains, casts and evidence et al., 2001). Despite keeping half to yourself as the autumn sun sets is for occupation by Homo Sapiens, an eye on Chinese loess research, a pretty special experience. zooarchaeological inventories, and I hadn’t realized how substantial a smaller exhibit on the ongoing Our final day saw us visit one of the the loess deposits outside of the search for the original fossil Holy Grails of human evolution, the Chinese Loess Plateau could be collections which went missing Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian (Figures 2 and 3)! According to during the Second World War. There (Rukang et al., 1985; Shen et al., stratigraphic correlations, the wasn’t really time to visit all 20+ 2009). I admit that my appreciation Fanshan deposits – which we visited caves which dot the Hill itself, but for all things palaeoanthropological at two sites – are proposed to span we were treated to the highlights. has amplified since moving to 1.1 Ma. These included caves preserving Germany, but seriously, you don’t multiple anatomically modern In the late afternoon we were need to work with archaeologists human occupation events and fossil ushered to the Great Wall. Despite to be impressed by this site. In hyena dens, as well as the Peking the late hour – the sun was only just typical Chinese style, Zhoukoudian Man sequence proper. The latter, still lingering over the russet leaves is introduced by a spectacular while now almost entirely excavated, of the surrounding hills – the guards museum summarizing the finds is truly impressive, and is entered of the many caves at “Dragon Bone

33 | 1 21 REPORTS | INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON AEOLIAN DEPOSITS IN EARTH HISTORY

Figure 4: Savouring day’s end and having the Great Wall all to ourselves. (Photo credit: C. Lan)

by two stairways leading down to the Tungsheng: Australian-Chinese 26Al/10Be burial dating. Nature, bottom of the cave deposits which Quaternary connections. Quaternary 458:198-200. were 40+ m thick. One cave wall is Australasia, 24, 2-10. Xiong, S., Ding, Z. and Liu, T., 2001. constructively signposted with tags at Liu, T. and Chang, T., 1964. The Climatic implications of loess deposits “Huangtu” (loess) of China. Report from the Beijing region. Journal of various depths informing the visitor of the 6th INQUA Congress, Warsaw Quaternary Science, 16:575-582. as to the species of human occupying 1961, 4:503-534. the site, as well as the age and Marković, S.B., Fitzsimmons, K.E., stratigraphic level. It was hard to top Sprafke, T., Hambach, U., Gavrilovic, this visit, but a stop at the Temple of D., Smalley, I.J., Stevens, T., Heaven complex in Beijing afterward Lehmkuhl, F., Obreht, I., Zeeden, C., certainly came close. Jovic, V., Svirčev, Z., Gavrilov, M.B. and Beslin, M., in press. The History All in all, this was a great of Danube Loess research. Quaternary meeting, spanning all aspects of International. aeolian research as it relates to Rukang, W., Meie, R., Xianmo, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Z., Zigeng, Y., Changkang, H., Zhaochen, K., Youyu, X. and Shusen, I’m very much looking forward Z., 1985. Multi-disciplinary study of to the next conference, to be held the Peking man site at Zhoukoudian. in Wisconsin, USA in September Science Press, Beijing. 2016! Check http://inqua-loess.org/ Shen, G., Gao, X., Gao, B. and Granger, for updates. D.E., 2009. Age of Zhoukoudian Homo erectus determined with REFERENCES Bowler, J., 2007. Professor Liu

22 33 | 1 4th Aus2k workshop report – Australasian palaeoclimate of the last 2000 years: Inter-comparison of climate field reconstruction methodologies, modeling, and data synthesis approaches by Joelle Gergis, Steven J. Phipps, Andrew M. Lorrey, Nerilie J. Abram, Benjamin J. Henley, Krystyna M. Saunders and Aus2k Workshop Participants

4TH AUS2K WORKSHOP REPORT | REPORTS

4TH AUS2K WORKSHOP REPORT Australasian palaeoclimate of the last 2000 years: Inter-comparison of climate field reconstruction methodologies, modeling, and data synthesis approaches Joelle Gergis1, Steven J. Phipps2, Andrew M. Lorrey3, Nerilie J. Abram4, Benjamin J. Henley1, Krystyna M. Saunders5, and Aus2k Workshop Participants* 1 School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia 2 Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia 3 National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), New Zealand 4 Research School of Earth Sciences, Australia National University, Australia 5 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia

The aim of the 4th Aus2k workshop most likely driver. Nerilie Abram Index (Henley et al., 2015), and (27–29 October 2015, held in presented a PAGES2k Consortium considered its possible links to global Auckland) was to review progress paper currently in revision, temperature variations. made by the PAGES Aus2k working examining the onset of Industrial- Of significance for bridging the group, and to identify research era warming across the oceans gap between proxy data and climate from the Australasian research and continents. Warming begins model simulations, Steven Phipps community that will contribute to later in the Southern Hemisphere presented preliminary Australasian Phase 2 of the PAGES 2k Network. than in the Northern Hemisphere, climate field reconstructions Nineteen palaeoclimatologists potentially due to delayed warming generated by assimilating Southern from New Zealand and Australia in the tropics. Mandy Freund Hemisphere records into a new attended the workshop at the presented a new Australian 25-member ensemble of CSIRO National Institute of Water and precipitation field reconstruction Mk3L model simulations. Duncan Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in spanning the last millennium. This Ackerley presented plans to Auckland. There was an increased was identified as one of the region’s run a suite of simulations of representation of lake sediment contributions that will go towards the last millennium using the and speleothem specialists at the the planned global PAGES 2k special Australian Centre for Water and meeting, adding to the recent issue of Climate of the Past. Climate Research’s (CAWCR) consolidation of non-annually Hamish McGowan presented a ACCESS model. He also invited resolved data from Australasia. promising 2100-year temperature suggestions for new experiments, From the outset, the highly reconstruction using a speleothem highlighting growing interest in multidisciplinary group generated from the Snowy Mountain region palaeoclimatology from the broader very insightful and collegial of New South Wales, showing climate science community in discussions, setting the tone for a that there is good coherence with Australia. highly productive workshop. major hemispheric and global The morning session of day two Day one of the workshop showcased climatic events. Chris Moy linked focused on an update on the new recent research developments in high-accumulation lake records Australasian database of low- data synthesis, climate modelling from southern South America and resolution records, synoptic typing and new record development. Helen the NZ sub-Antarctic Auckland data synthesis techniques being McGregor discussed the recent low- Islands to changes in the Southern used by the Aus2k group (Lorrey et resolution sea surface temperature Hemisphere westerly winds, al., 2013; Browning and Goodwin, synthesis generated by the PAGES demonstrating strong millennial- 2015). A lively discussion led Ocean2k group (McGregor et al., scale variability throughout the by Ian Goodwin considered the 2015). A composite of 57 records Holocene. Ben Henley presented development of guidelines for future reveals a long-term cooling trend results of an Interdecadal Pacific record collection in our sector of during the pre-industrial Common Oscillation reconstruction spanning the Southern Hemisphere, framed Era, with climate modelling the period from 1600 CE to around understanding regional identifying volcanic eruptions as the present using a new Tripole Mode

33 | 1 23 REPORTS | 4TH AUS2K WORKSHOP REPORT

and hemispheric climate dynamics. Within this session, Bronwyn Dixon described the new Australasian ‘low-resolution’ database, which includes 536 low-resolution records from Australia and Indonesia. The highest quality records in the database were identified and their age models were recalibrated using BACON. Preliminary results using a Monte Carlo EOF method previously applied to east African data (Anchukaitis and Tierney, 2012) were also presented. Stuart Browning gave an extremely thought-provoking presentation on a new 1000-year climate reanalysis called ‘PalaeoR’. This product was generated using a novel data assimilation technique and has been made freely available to the research community (http:// climatefutures.mq.edu.au/research/ themes/marine/paleor/). The follow-on presentation by Drew Lorrey showcased the NIWA Past Interpretation of Climate Tool (PICT; http://pict.niwa.co.nz), which applies modern analogues to understand past circulation changes using collections of proxy data. Initially developed for New Zealand, the tool is now being expanded to include other regions and a wider range of climatic variables. The afternoon session of day two focused on an update of progress developing lake sediment records from Lake Ohau in New Zealand by Marcus Vandergoes. The Southern Annular Mode has a strong influence on rainfall in the lake catchment, giving the potential to develop a record of changes in Figure 1: Members of the Aus2k group visiting the Cascades Kauri Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Southern Hemisphere circulation (Photo credit: Drew Lorrey) spanning the past 17,000 years. Krystyna Saunders presented an update on the application of high- resolution hyper-spectral scanning techniques to Rebecca Lagoon in Tasmania. She has generated the first high-resolution, quantitative reconstruction of Tasmanian rainfall

24 33 | 1 4TH AUS2K WORKSHOP REPORT | REPORTS to be based on lake records, with The workshop wrapped up by REFERENCES the reconstruction identifying the identifying two contributions on Anchukaitis, K. and Tierney, J., 2012. start of the 19th century as being regional hydroclimate synthesis Identifying coherent spatiotemporal one of the driest periods of the last papers, led by Early Career modes in time-uncertain proxy paleoclimate records. Climate 2,000 years. There was also an Researchers Mandy Freund and Dynamics: 1-16. interactive group poster session that Bronwyn Dixon, for the planned Browning, S.A. and Goodwin, I.D., 2015. highlighted progress on the climatic PAGES 2k network-wide special The Paleoclimate reanalysis project. interpretation of Western Australian issue of Climate of the Past. The Climate of the Past Discussions, 11 (5), speleothem records from Pauline group also generated a proposed 4159-4204. Treble; a new borehole temperature table of contents for a regional Henley, B., Gergis, J., Karoly, D., Power, reconstruction for eastern Australia special issue of the same journal S., Kennedy, J. and Folland, C., 2015. by Suman Asadusjjaman, only the to showcase the diversity of new A Tripole Index for the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Climate Dynamics: third attempted for the Australian research being developed by the DOI 10.1007/s00382-015-2525-1. continent; an array of sedimentary Aus2k community. The proposed Lorrey, A., Fauchereau, N., Stanton, C., charcoal records from the Pacific submission timeframe is expected Chappell, P., Phipps, S., Mackintosh, Island region spanning the western to span around September 2016 A., Renwick, J., Goodwin, I. and Solomon Islands to western to March 2017. Please contact a Fowler, A., 2013. The Little Ice Age Polynesia by Matthew Prebble; and member of the steering committee climate of New Zealand reconstructed a new high-resolution Southern if you are interested in contributing from Southern Alps cirque glaciers: a synoptic type approach. Climate Hemisphere westerly wind your research as part of the group’s Dynamics, 42 (11), 3039-3060. reconstruction using sub-Antarctic legacy to the 2k network. McGregor, H.V., Evans, M.N., Goosse, lake sediments being developed by *Aus2k Workshop Participants: H., Leduc, G., Martrat, B., Addison, Krystyna Saunders. J.A., Mortyn, P.G., Oppo, D.W., Duncan Ackerley, Monash Seidenkrantz, M.-S., Sicre, M.-A., Day three was primarily focused University; Suman Asadusjjaman, Phipps, S.J., Selvaraj, K., Thirumalai, on extensive discussion of the University of Canberra; Stuart K., Filipsson, H.L. and Ersek, V., 2015. development of regional ‘best Browning, Macquarie University; Robust global ocean cooling trend practice’ standards for proxy for the pre-industrial Common Era. Bronwyn Dixon, University of metadata reporting to be compatible Nature Geoscience, 8, 671–677. Melbourne; Mandy Freund, with the LiPD framework (McKay McKay, N.P. and Emile-Geay, J., 2015. University of Melbourne; and Emile-Geay, 2015). The group The Linked Paleo Data framework – a Ian Goodwin, Macquarie University; common tongue for paleoclimatology. watched a pre-recorded presentation Hamish McGowan, University of Climates of the Past Discussion, 11, on LiPD given by Julien Emile-Geay, Queensland; Helen McGregor, 4309–4327. then discussed examples in the University of Wollongong ; literature for existing geochronology Chris Moy, University of Otago; protocols and ideas for new record Matthew Prebble, Australia collection. Drew Lorrey agreed to National University; Pauline Treble, coordinate the further development Australian Nuclear Science and of a metadata template that will form Technology Organisation (ANSTO); the basis of a journal article on this and Marcus Vandergoes, GNS critical topic, with the intention that Science. it will assist the next generation of palaeoscientists in reporting and collecting material from our region. The group also discussed a group contribution in assessing different data-model assimilation methods being employed in the Aus2k region and how they can inform future palaeoclimate record collection, with Ian Goodwin volunteering to lead this project.

33 | 1 25 C-Peat October 2015, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York by Len Martin and Geoff Hope

REPORTS | C-PEAT OCTOBER 2015

C-Peat October 2015, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York Len Martin1 and Geoff Hope2 1School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, UNSW, Kensington, Australia 1Archaeology and Natural History, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

October 2015 saw a group of peaty venue and the group of about 60 the week. Zicheng Yu (Lehigh) people congregating at the Lamont- (Figure 1) slowly filtered in during and Nigel Roulet (McGill) gave Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) the evening ahead of an early start on overviews, stating that peatlands are in Palisades, New York, a campus Sunday with breakfast at LDEO. The the major mechanism for decreasing of Columbia University. Sponsored campus started life as the weekend CO2 atmospheric concentration and by PAGES and INQUA the meeting estate of Thomas Lamont before emphasising the very wide range was initiated by Zicheng Yu and Dan being donated to the University of of environments in which peats Charman, the C-PEAT (Carbon in Columbia in 1949 and has become form and are preserved. Tim Moore Peat on EArth though Time) group a world-famous geoscience-specific (McGill) suggested that nutrients aims to improve our understanding postgraduate and research campus. such as P were probably the main of carbon stores, fluxes and long Amongst scattered newer buildings, constraint on carbon accumulation term dynamics of peat forming and our venue was Lamont’s original rates (he introduced the term carbon-storing environments. The manor house, so quite a flash venue “nekromass”). Rene Dommain first public outing for the project (Figure 2). (Smithsonian) introduced us to the was a group discussion between fantastic world of lowland tropical The first day was devoted to short the many peat-based researchers peat with an analysis of rapid tree fall talks; so that we could understand at the Nagoya INQUA congress rates (4 trees/ha/10 yr) as the cause everyone’s background once we in August 2015. This face-to-face of the massive amounts of wood split into workshops and discussion meeting helped steer the planned preserved. How much peat is there groups for the remainder of meeting later in the year and formed and can it be mapped and modelled? the basis for the four focus groups within C-PEAT; tropical peatlands, initiation and lateral expansion, buried peats and deep-time peats. Both ecology and geoscience were equally represented. For Len, a window seat on the flight from LA to New York was a good crash course in North American Geography, starting with the sprawling suburbs of LA then over the mountains and across the desert before spending hours flying over patchwork farmland in the Midwest. After landing at JFK then heading straight through the hustle and bustle New York City, crossing the Figure 1: Participants at the C-PEAT workshop. Hudson River to the quiet green Lamont-Doherty Earth Laboratory, University of woods of the Palisades in New Jersey Columbia. (Photo credit: L. Martin). was a total change of scenery. Geoff Figure 2: Thomas Lamont’s original manor drove across from Indiana getting an house, part of The University of Columbia since 1949 (Photo credit: L. Martin). expert commentary on Laurentide ice landscapes from a colleague. We had all been organised to stay at the same hotel near the conference

26 33 | 1 C-PEAT OCTOBER 2015 | REPORTS

Steve Frolking (New Hampshire) for crops such as oil palm and At Quaternary conferences we have and Thomas Kleinen (Max Planck, forestry. Thawing of the present day found ourselves to be in a minority Hamburg) modelled peat growth and discontinuous permafrost will lose a as peat-based people amongst a global extent of peatlands for us. The total of 56.1 Pg of carbon (mainly as large group of paleo people, but boreal peatlands are the best mapped CO2, thankfully). Elaine Matthews C-PEAT was the opposite and really and modelled. However carbon (NASA) has been building a wetland broadened our appreciation for density mapping is still developing GIS of the 5.3 x 106 of flooded contemporary issues in the field and and the acrotelm (upper seasonally wetlands to estimate CH4 fluxes. potential future challenges. New drying layer) carbon flux processes Tim Daley (Plymouth, UK) broke the ideas spanned many diverse topics: are not well understood. welcome news that methanotrophic ranging from evidence for step- bacteria eat methane and that 10- wise peat accumulation in tropical After these reviews more specific 15% of the carbon in much peat is peat forests moderated by lightning topics were presented in three bacterial. Thus restoring peatlands strikes to large scale swamp- areas-Peats through Earth’s History, does not lead to greatly heightened heating experiments modelling Peats from Around the World and methane releases as has been feared. climate change. We also heard from Future Trajectories. Stephen Greb researchers working in incredibly (Kentucky GS) outlined all the great After the brief talks, we formed four diverse peat-forming environments coal-forming epochs since life took focus groups where we examined from all over the world, and Len over the land in the Devonian – the the major knowledge gaps in peat especially enjoyed surprising the US coals were tropical while the accumulation limits, past and group that yes, Australia does indeed Australian black coals were cold current carbon stock and future have peat swamps, reinforced by permafrost, reflecting the division trajectories for peat. This open style Geoff distributing a pre-print of his today. Dave Large (Nottingham) of workshop meant that time flew paper on carbon in Snowy Mountain showed that 2m of coal is about past and before long we reconvened peatlands. 100,000 years of time and represent to summarise the main points periods with low dust accession each group had come up with and Overall, the experience of attending and C rates of 60g/m2/yr in the worked out a few inroads that could C-PEAT and getting out of our tropics and 20 g/m2/yr in temperate be achieved under the collaborative normal palaeo comfort zone was areas. Viktor Brovkin (Max Planck, umbrella of C-PEAT. This included really useful and served as a platform Hamburg) suggested that the fact a new working group on mapping for raising many of the ideas that that CO2 seems to mirror ice sheets future threats to peatlands – and we have discussed at AQUA and may reflect the burial of peat as ice opportunities for conservation. related events. Moving forward from expands. Re-exposure of these peats the 2015 meetings at INQUA and The third day involved another lead to the abrupt rises in CO at the LDEO, the four working groups are 2 new conference experience: start of interglacials. It is possible continuing to develop ideas with being randomly allocated into a that the lockup of CO in peat subsequent meetings at AGU and 2 discussion groups to cover a wide eventually lowers CO concentration other conferences and I’m sure there 2 range of topics, from ranking the and tips the earth towards ice cap will be more news of interest to the fundamental controls on peat growth. peat and palaeo communities to forming environments through come from this project. The regional reviews covered to discussing modern analogues tropical mountains, coastal fens of buried peat and deep-time LM was supported by a UNSW PRSS and estuarine wetlands. New data peat. An interesting outcome, Travel Grant. on Amazonian peatlands from from an Australian perspective at Ian Lawson (St Andrews) revealed least, came from discussing the REFERENCES Hope, G. and Nanson, R., 2015. Peatland previously suspected but unproven fundamental controls on peat- carbon stores and fluxes in the large peatland carbon stores. forming environments with such a Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia (in the form of the Blue diverse group of researchers. This Australia. Mires and Peat 15 (11), 1-23. Mountains) even had a mention. highlighted the role of topography In the Future Trajectories attention in controlling the initiation and turned to the potential emissions continuation of peat forming of carbon as CO2, CH4 and DOC environments, something that has with global warming and human long been overlooked due to the disruption and peatland exploitation high-latitude Northern Hemisphere dominance in the literature.

33 | 1 27 Southern Hemisphere Assessment of PalaeoEnvironments (SHAPE): An International Focus Group supported by PALCOM by Andrew Lorrey

REPORTS | SHAPE

Southern Hemisphere Assessment of PalaeoEnvironments (SHAPE): An International Focus Group supported by PALCOM Andrew Lorrey NIWA Auckland, 41 Market Place, Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand

Since the INQUA congress in Japan there has been continued progress for SHAPE, including the submission of a formal proposal to advance the SHAPE project (2013-2015) to International Focus Group (IFG) status within PALCOM (Palaeoclimate Commission). The IFG application the SHAPE steering committee submitted was successful, and it attained full requested financial support for the current INQUA inter-congress period (2016-2019). The INQUA executive also noted in their award letter that they were impressed with the high-quality and breadth of the science contained in the SHAPE-IFG application. In addition, the depth of participation for SHAPE has grown to over 200 researchers. Part of the role of the SHAPE-IFG is to support the efforts of aligned projects Figure 1: Matt Ryan, long-standing PhD Candidate at Victoria University in PALCOM, of which there are currently three under the Wellington, presents his research at Nagoya. Matt is an active participant SHAPE-IFG. They are: Southern Westerlies’ Evolution in SHAPE and AQUA. He has recently led papers dealing with the alignment of terrestrial and marine proxy records and outlining the last in Environments of the Past, PalaeoLakes of the Arid 210ka of climate history for Westland, New Zealand. Southern Hemisphere, and the Last Glacial Maximum in (Photo credit: Matt Ryan) the Southern Hemisphere. More projects are expected to be added to the SHAPE-IFG in the coming years. The SHAPE session at INQUA in Nagoya was one of the climate theoreticians and climate modellers. SHAPE most well-attended and highly subscribed, and it included funding from PALCOM will also be applied to assist early more than 45 presentations of research (Figure 1). An career researchers attend meetings and workshops, and equal number of paper titles have come out of that session it will contribute toward the development of a Southern to form a backbone for several SHAPE special issues Hemisphere palaeoscience mentoring network (e.g. for that are being hosted by Journal of Quaternary Science, authorship of publications, training on tools and climate Quaternary International, and Climate of the Past. Each model use). of these special issues has begun receiving articles and some have already been published online. We encourage In addition, SHAPE will have a presence at several members of the community who would like to contribute planned meetings across the Southern Hemisphere that to SHAPE to have a look at the remit for each special are upcoming, including at the Australasian Quaternary issue and consider submitting research to one (or more) Association Biennial Meeting in December 2016 and of the three issues, and the submission deadlines will be the Southern African Society for Quaternary Research re-posted on a SHAPE website that is to be launched in biennial meeting in 2017. For the 2019 INQUA Congress July 2016. in Dublin, the SHAPE team intends to propose a session to highlight the products of associated IFG work that has Three workshops will be held between 2016-2019, been coordinated across all sub regions of the Southern and they will be aligned to regional research initiatives Hemisphere. This effort is also expected to foster the that will help to achieve the major aims of the SHAPE discussion of future directions for new research, led by IFG. The first SHAPE-IFG workshop will be held in early career researchers, and it is hoped that a series of Santiago, Chile and it will be hosted by Maisa Rojas successor projects will build off of SHAPE that can be at Universidad de Chile. The focus of the workshop embedded within PALCOM. will be on Southern Hemisphere climate systems. A major component of that workshop will be to enhance engagement between palaeoscientists and climatologists,

28 33 | 1 Southern Hemisphere Assessment of PalaeoEnvironments (SHAPE): An Heading South to Find a Better Way Forward by International Focus Group supported by PALCOM by Andrew Lorrey Aquatic Transitions – A PAGES Working Jess Reeves Group by Peter Gell

AQUATIC TRANSITIONS – A PAGES WORKING GROUP | REPORTS

Aquatic Transitions – Heading South to Find a A PAGES Working Group Better Way Forward Peter Gell Jess Reeves Convener, Aquatic Transitions and member of the School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Federation PAGES SSC University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria Department of Applied Science, Faculty of Science and What do you get when you put 78 women on a boat to Technology, Federation University, Ballarat, Victoria, Antarctica? I don’t know – but I am going to find out. Australia To the rarefied audience that comprises the readers of Quaternary Australasia, I feel at best a fraud when I talk Aquatic Transitions is an official working group of about my impending trip Down South. After all, many PAGES, which has transitioned from the IGBP and is of you have been before for legitimate reasons – true now under the auspices of ICSU’s Future Earth. The aim expeditions of scientific endeavour, breaking new ground of the working group is to integrate regional records of (or ice) and making important contributions to our change in aquatic systems to provide a global synthesis of understanding of ice dynamics, (palaeo)climate variability the sensitivity of sites to critical stages of human impact, and biotic response in seriously remote regions. Me – I’m detailing the nature of changes that can provide insights just going for a jolly. Or am I? for management of these aquatic ecosystems. The two principal objectives are: I will explain – as best I can. I put my hand up – and was subsequently selected to take part in 20 day leadership [1] To document the history of human impact on aquatic program, specifically designed for female scientists, systems through the identification of the first point of on an expedition from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, to human impact, and the inception and peak of the impact the Antarctic Peninsula. Pretty cool huh! (Apologies of the industrialised phase. for bad pun). I am one of 78 women from around the [2] To examine the nature of these transitions to identify world undergoing this voyage, which is the brainchild the ecosystem dynamics that have resisted human of leadership consultant and savvy Melbourne business- pressures, as well as the changes leading up to the woman, Fabian Dattner. Fabian’s vision is: “to elevate point where the system succumbed, and the degree each participant’s leadership capabilities, to refine their to which new, stabilising forces have entrenched the skills to design and execute strategy, and devise plans for system in a new regime. Essentially, to assess whether future collaborations as women leaders working towards a paleolimnological records can demonstrate stable state sustainable future.” shifts in the past. The basic premise underpinning the expedition is found The group first met at the British Geological Survey in the challenges we face as a global population in view in April 2015 and held a follow up workshop at the of a changed climate and globalised world. The status International Paleolimnological Congress in Lanzhou last quo may have got us this far, but may not be sufficient to August. We ran a special poster session at the Fall session address the future that awaits us. of AGU in San Francisco and will be running a session Women’s leadership style can be different – and that at Intecol Wetlands in Changshu, China this coming difference celebrated. Perhaps more inclusive, perhaps September. more lateral. Many of us (including me) find it extremely Our next working group workshop was at the University difficult to lead from the front, but would rather shepherd of Maine from 26-28 April 2016. See the website (http:// others together. There needs to be a range of leadership www.pages-igbp.org/calendar/all-events/127-pages/1554- styles and techniques to move forward. This program aquatic-transitions-2nd-meeting) for details. For those is designed to explore how female leadership across interested in other PAGES activities visit the PAGES the sciences contributes to solving complex scientific website. The next PAGES Young and Open Science challenges such as climate change and to investigate what Meetings have been announced for 7-9 and 9-13 May 2017 makes women particularly well suited to leading and respectively, both in Zaragoza, Spain. communicating research (Homeward Bound, 2016).

Figure 1: Mike Reid and Peter Gell with the PAGES Aquatic Transitions working group at the University of Maine USA, 28 April 2016.

33 | 1 29 REPORTS | HEADING SOUTH TO FIND A BETTER WAY FORWARD

Female scientists are on the rise coupled with a sound understanding This voyage, heading off in in numbers, and looking to find of the science behind the state of our December, is likely to be the first a stronger voice. And whilst the planet, this could be the start of a of many. Fabian envisages up to number of female science graduates, global collaboration of women able 1000 women participating over the across the disciplines, is equivalent to influence policy and decisions next 10 years. We will be the willing to men, the number of females towards a sustainable future” – guinea pigs and I will happily report in level D and E or in executive Fabian Dattner. on our adventures upon our safe positions certainly is not. Women return. Depending on the internet But it is not all just about what are greatly under-represented in connection, I might even Skype into happens on board. Each of us are leadership positions – particularly the AQUA Auckland meeting and participating in group projects in academia. Many of us share the say kia ora. In the meantime, you leading up to the voyage. Topics challenges of putting our career can follow the pre-journey musings include education outreach, on the back-burner to give support at: https://www.facebook.com/ engagement of organisations making to children and/or partners. But homewardboundprojects. a positive social and environmental women, particularly in science, have impact and the one that I am an important contribution to make REFERENCES involved in, developing and leading Homeward Bound, 2016. http:// to our community, as well as our transdisciplinary science programs homewardboundprojects.com.au/ disciplines. th to address global change priorities. (accessed 26 March, 2016). Why Antarctica? Polar science There is also a longitudinal social provides an evidence-base for global science project being undertaken climate change action (Homeward on the participants by Dr Meredith Bound, 2016). It is essentially a Nash of the University of Tasmania, back-drop to accentuate the impact to record the impact and efficacy of of climate change – and thus the this unique program. Even more relevance for us to be undertaking terrifying is a 1-hour documentary this work collectively and now. It also being made of the program by Greer worked as a pretty good carrot to get Simpkin and David Jowsey. us all to sign up. What am I hoping to get out of The program itself comprises a this? I suppose more confidence in combination of leadership and taking on leadership roles and the strategy training, and science, skills and techniques to enable this. headed up by Fabian Dattner of Importantly, I am really interested Dattner Grant, Harvard business to meet the other 77 women. Most psychologist Dr Susan David, UK of the Victorian women have already strategy guru Kit Jackson and Dr met up and they are quite a diverse Jess Melbourne-Thomas, marine bunch, with regards age, experience ecologist from the Antarctic Climate and expertise. All of them do share and Ecosystems Cooperative a very ‘can do’ attitude and are ready Research Centre. As well as the to take on this challenge. I do not team on board, there is a virtual normally spend time with large “faculty” of experts in the fields of groups of women, so this will be advocacy and ecology, including Dr an interesting aspect for me – and Jane Goodall and Dr Sylvia Earle, hopefully a positive one. adding their knowledge and support to this endeavour. “By giving women the leadership and strategic skills,

30 33 | 1 The Lancefield Megafauna Festival by Sanja van Huet

THE LANCEFIELD MEGAFAUNA FESTIVAL | REPORTS

The Lancefield Megafauna Festival Sanja van Huet Deakin University, Life and Environmental Science and Centre for Integrative Ecology, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia

The EXTINCT Festival is a a ‘huge rodent’ and other bones that is still providing significant ‘head community-based Arts and Cultural resembled a ‘mastodon’ (Orchiston scratching’ as it is actually east event that celebrates the discovery of et al., 1977). A brief field visit by of the Classic Site). Many of the megafauna in Lancefield. In October Museum staff in 1844 recovered the specimens Miller collected are still 2015 the small town of Lancefield, long bones of a cursorial bird, which in the Brigham Young University north of Melbourne, celebrated were later identified as Genyornis sp. collection. In 1991, during a the inaugural event in its own (Orchiston et al., 1977). However, reconnaissance auguring program, a unique way. any extensive excavation had to be third and fluvially separate site was abandoned due to over-abundant discovered, which later proved to be SIGNIFICANCE AND water flow (van Huet, 1993, 1999). the original site located by Mayne in BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 1843. This site became known as the In 1973 geologist Robin Glennie LANCEFIELD SWAMP SITE Mayne Site (van Huet, 1993). sunk several auger holes in the The Lancefield megafauna site has swamp, in an area he suspected may Since then, the area has become a a history of fossil finds that spans have bone. Glennie was hoping to proving ground for Honours and well over 150 years. The site is relocate the original fossil site. He Masters research students from acknowledged as one of the most was successful in his search for fossil Victoria and New South Wales. Of important Late Quaternary sites in bone, but, as it turned out, had also the variety of work done, there has Australia. It is considered significant discovered a different locality from been mixed consensus regarding because it was the third megafauna the original discovery. Consequently, the depositional environment, the locality to be discovered in Australia a team of archaeologists from association between the human/ and provided the first record for the Sydney University, the Institute megafaunal coexistence and the extinct giant dromornithid Genyornis of Aboriginal Studies in Canberra age of the deposition. Conclusions on the Australian continent. It is and palaeontologists from Museum from work done on the taphonomic estimated to contain the bones of Victoria and Monash University and fluvial aspects of the site vary over 10,000 individual animals, extensively excavated Glennie’s from in situ deposition to fluvial and buried in swamp mud. There are new site – now referred to as the overland flow (van Huet, 1999, Peel, three known separate bone localities Classic Site. The findings led to 2001, Ngo, 2004, McKenzie, 2016). in the swamp area, each with its own the, now, seminal investigation and What is established is that the area unique sedimentary and taphonomic subsequent 1978 paper by Gillespie, has produced a significant amount signature; the Classic Site, located in Horton et al. Over 3,000 bones were of bone material from a range of 1974, the South Site, located in 1983 found from more than 27 species, extinct megafauna. At each of the and the Mayne Site, first discovered as well as a hand axe. This last, in three known sites, bone was found in 1843 and subsequently relocated conjunction with a radiocarbon date buried in a different matrix. Each in 1991 (van Huet, 1993). of 25,200 +800 to 26,600 +650 ybp site thus has a distinct depositional In 1843 James Mayne was digging led to speculation for the co-existence signature. The original radiocarbon a well in the swamp when he of humans and megafauna (Gillespie age has now been pushed back discovered the ‘fossil bones of a et al., 1978, van Huet, 1993). to approximately 50,000 ybp. number of animals embedded in Electron Spin Resonance dating In 1983 a second site was located a layer of dark alluvium, about a returned values of 50,100+9700, during construction of a dam and foot in thickness’ (Orchiston et al., 46,300+8900, 56,000+10,000; subsequently excavated by Wade 1977). The bones were taken to the leading to an overall accepted Miller from Brigham University in Museum in Melbourne (then known age of around 50,000 ybp (Grun Utah, USA, in collaboration with as the Mechanics Institute) and et al., 1998). Museum Victoria. It was coined the identified as from a ‘large kangaroo’, ‘South Site’ (although this name

33 | 1 31 REPORTS | THE LANCEFIELD MEGAFAUNA FESTIVAL

Left to Right, Top to Bottom Figure 1: A Thylacoleo in your front yard (Photo credit: Sanja van Huet). Figure 2: Local art work (Photo credit: Sanja van Huet). Figure 3: Carved and painted cypress tree (Photo credit: Sanja van Huet). Figure 4: Fossil Roadshow (Photo credit: Sanja van Huet). Below: Figure 5: Auguring in the swamp (Photo credit: Sanja van Huet).

32 33 | 1 THE LANCEFIELD MEGAFAUNA FESTIVAL | REPORTS

THE EXTINCT FESTIVAL The activities concluded on the REFERENCES Of course, apart from all this, it is Saturday with a ‘Fossil Road Show’ Gillespie, R., Horton, D.R., Ladd, P., the megafauna that the EXTINCT (like the Antiques Road Show but Macumber, P.G., Rich, T.H., Thorm, R., Wright, R.V., 1978. Lancefield Festival is all about. Many of the with fossils) and Cameron McKenzie Swamp and the extinction of the shops on Lancefield’s main street supervised a ‘fun public auguring Australian megafauna. Science, sported giant wooden megafauna session’ … which got serious when 200:1044-1048. ‘cutouts’ constructed by the local they hit bone. Not everything Grun, R., Murray-Wallace, C.V., van men’s shed. Local schools produced brought to the road show was a fossil Huet, S., Redvers-Newton, N., White, plaster fossil casts and art work … and one or two specimens even P.J., 1998. Age of the Lancefield which was on display in cafes and stumped our ‘experts’! The event is megafauna: A reappraisal. Australian Archaeology, 46, 5-11. the local community centre. in the planning stages for November 2016 and is expected to be bigger McKenzie C., 2016. The search for Local and regional artists were the source: The Lancefield Late and better than last year. invited to participate and contribute Pleistocene megafauna deposit. to the event. My personal favourite There is a genuine and more driven Unpublished Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Thesis, Deakin University, were the megafauna ‘characters’ motive for this event. Locals and Australia. carved out of two old cypress trees scientists who have worked at Ngo B., 2004. A taphonomic analysis of Lancefield are concerned that the near the football oval. the faunal assemblage at Lancefield site will be degraded through drying Museum Victoria’s Department of Swamp, south-central Victoria. exacerbated by recently constructed Unpublished Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Vertebrate Palaeontology prepared drainage (it is no longer a swamp Thesis, University of Sydney, and presented to the Lancefield and the bones become highly friable Australia. Park Management Committee when they are dry). As well as this, Orchiston, D.W., Miller, R.N. and a ‘Frankenroo’; a compilation of the site is readily accessible and Glenie, R.C., 1977. A history of random Macropus titan fossil bones, nineteenth century investigations at not protected from the public. If put together into a representative the Lancefield megafaunal site. The the amazing history of the area is skeleton. ‘Frankenroo’ is now on Artefact, 2, 105-122. destroyed and disappears through display in the local community Peel, M.J., 2001. The sedimentological mismanagement, ignorance or centre. A ‘Panel of Experts’ and palaeoecological circumstances apathy then the whole story will of Lancefield’s megafaunal information session was held which never be revealed. Alternatives accumulation. Unpublished Bachelor included talks by local amateur Syd are being discussed to decide of Science (Hons.) Thesis, Monash Green, archaeologist Joe Dortch University, Australia. what can be done to preserve this from University of Western Australia van Huet, S., 1993. A brief history of significant site. and the author, taphonomist Sanja palaeontological investigations at van Huet from Deakin University. Any Quaternary Australasia readers Lancefield megafaunal site. The Victorian Naturalist, 110(4), 154-159. Joe and Sanja have both worked who would like more information, extensively at the Lancefield site. have suggestions, or would like van Huet, S., 1999. The taphonomy of to contribute in any way to the the Lancefield swamp megafaunal The session was attended by over accumulation, Lancefield, Victoria. 150 interested local residents. EXTINCT Festival please contact Records of the Western Australian The topic? Why the bones were Adam Bostanci of the Lancefield Museum, 57, 331-340. there. Syd gave a rundown on his Megafauna Festival Organising involvement with the excavations, Committee at adam.bostanci@ starting with Glennie’s work in 1973, googlemail.com up until recent work by Honours student Cameron McKenzie from Deakin University in 2015. Sanja went over her findings from the 1991 excavations and her subsequent Museum work on bones and sediments from the site. Joe described the findings from his 2004 field work.

33 | 1 33 BOOK REVIEW | CLIMATE CHANGE IN DESERTS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Climate Change in Deserts: Past, Present and Future Martin Williams Cambridge University Press, New York, 2014. ISBN 9781107016910, 629 pp. Cost: USD199.55 (hardback) Reviewed by John Magee Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australia

This is a large and ambitious book South America and lastly Australia. that manages to be a comprehensive The final four chapters move onto introduction to drylands of the modern desert environments, world, including their origins, reviewing extreme drought and palaeoclimates, palaeoenvironments, flood events, desertification and how age (as recognised in the geological present climatic settings and these might change in a world of timescale at the time). Ferricretes prospects of how they might react human-modified climate. The book can, however, form under a variety to future climate changes. It is large finishes with a look at how desert of conditions and have done so at in every sense, weighing in at 1.5 lands might be used sustainably varying times in the geological past. kg, with 530 pages of text spread in the future. I’m not sure that I Williams reviews both these terms over 26 chapters and an 88-page would have chosen this structure and their contexts well and makes bibliography. The chapter structure for such a book, but I would not be what I see as a good case against looks first at present day deserts – so churlish as to try and suggest a their use because of the baggage their classification and distribution, better model. What is clear is that of genetic implications that both then moves on to their origins due Williams’ structure has served him terms carry. However, Williams then to plate tectonics and the interaction well and he has adroitly avoided somewhat inexplicably goes on to of continental movements a major potential pitfall whereby use both terms in following sections and the resultant impacts on the review of landforms across all of the book, particularly laterite. the complexities of the ocean- regions followed by regional reviews One issue that puzzled me atmosphere system. This is followed might have resulted in repetition. throughout the book was the use of by an outline of the adaptation There is some overlap but the the term hominid for the grouping of living things to deserts then a emphasis is often different in the of humans and their direct ancestors history of desert research. Williams two approaches and with good use of rather than the current correct term then reviews the basics of dating cross-referencing the overall result is hominim. This taxonomic change, methodologies and isotope and very comprehensive and very rarely which came about because of DNA trace element geochemistry, which repetitive. phylogenetic revision, certainly are fundamental for understanding The middle chapters reviewing considerably predates the publication much of the research work desert characteristics include useful date of the book and presumably the summarised in subsequent chapters. discussions of the background of writing stage. Well into the book, in The middle portion of the book then some problematic terminology and Chapter 17 on prehistoric occupation contains 10 chapters that review concepts. These include the pluvial (Page 302), Williams explains that he different landform or landscape debate and the use of the term is aware of the taxonomic change but characteristics fundamental to all or laterite for ferricrete or iron-rich regards the terminology as ‘a matter most desert regions. These include duricrusts. In palaeoclimate research of taste’ and personally prefers the dunes, dust, rivers, lakes, glaciations, ‘pluvial’ has a different meaning established term hominid. While speleothems and tufas, soils to its common English meaning such usage is not incorrect, because (including paleosols and duricrusts), of wet or rainy as it was originally all hominims are indeed hominids, plant and animal fossils and human defined as explicitly a wet phase which is now a wider taxonomic occupation. Then follow five associated with a glacial climate. grouping that includes all the great chapters that provide descriptions Laterites, as first defined, were apes, it is clearly not a matter of of individual desert regions – specifically associated with a hot wet taste but one of following taxonomic Africa and Arabia, Asia (mostly or seasonally wet tropical origin, conventions, even if they don’t India and China), North America, usually assumed to be Tertiary in agree with personal preference.

34 33 | 1 Climate Change in Deserts: Past, Present and Future by Martin Williams. Review by John Magee

CLIMATE CHANGE IN DESERTS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE | BOOK REVIEW

It seems very unfortunate that North African, particularly Saharan, highly recommended to all students such an otherwise scholarly work environments that reflects the or researchers with an interest published in 2014 might add to the author’s long research association in drylands. confusion of students as to the use with that region. It is difficult The writing style is generally of correct up-to-date terminology. to argue against Williams’ own excellent with meaning rarely if This aspect of terminology contrasts justification for that bias in that the ever not abundantly clear. Mostly with complete acceptance of the also North African drylands represent the the proof reading and editorial recent rather major revisions of the most extensive continuous desert vetting must have been careful as Cenozoic timescale with removal on Earth, are the location of much I detected very few typos or errors. of the term ‘Tertiary’ and extension fundamental dryland research of There is a puzzling mix-up of plant of the lower Quaternary boundary wider applicability and are closely photosynthetic pathway associations to include the former last Stage of associated with the origins of in a few places where descriptions the Pliocene. Tertiary as a term only humanity. include mention of conversion of appeared in a historical context in The real strength of this book ‘C3 grassland to.... C4 woodland or the book. is the breadth of its coverage in forest’ (e.g. pp 370). Also somewhat The book greatly benefits from terms of both dryland topics and puzzlingly, climate at one site was Williams’ extensive background regions. In a number of individual reported as ‘...cold and dry at 21-20 of research across much of the discussions in the book Williams ka, warmer and wetter at 21 – 19 world’s deserts, particularly North claims that the treatment of the ka, cold and dry at 19 ka...’. But African, Arabian, Indian, Chinese topic will ‘not be encyclopaedic’ but instances such as this are very and Australian deserts and also the overall impression of the book rare in the book. Most figures in from some personal familiarity is that it is indeed encyclopaedic, the book are not overly complex, with North and South American not in alphabetic organisation are well designed and convey the deserts. This results in an excellent but in the range and detail of its required information. The lack of combination of thorough reviews coverage. As such it forms an ideal colour in figures and photographs of the research literature of all textbook or research resource for is unfortunate and seems strange these regions, informed by detailed undergraduate or post-graduate in such a high quality and relatively personal familiarity with many of the students or for researchers at any expensive book. The photographs environments and research issues. level. A multitude of research issues, are relatively high-quality black and This extends to many photographic topics and debates are reviewed white reproductions and convey illustrations of widely separated in considerable detail including valuable information but would regions. The only omission in historical background, present have been so much better in colour, the regional coverage of desert status and likely future research particularly where colour is an environments is the complete lack directions or resolutions. Polarised important characteristic of many of discussion, or even mention, of debates, such as megafaunal aspects of desert landscapes. Some the Madagascan drylands which extinction causes, are reviewed in a of the maps and illustrations, where sit astride the Tropic of Capricorn balanced way with evidence on all geographic or climatic zones are and contain an intriguing mixture sides laid out. Williams’ personal illustrated by shadings or stipples of endemic plants and animals preferences in such issues are often etc, were barely adequate and would as well as widespread evidence of evident but do not bias his reviewing have been much improved by use of human occupation and disturbance of the evidence. Throughout all colour. Presumably this was a cost – recurring themes throughout these discussions, the referencing issue but does seem to be out of step the book. Madagascan drylands do is extensive, to the point that with 2014 expectations. appear on the mapped worldwide elongated lists of references can In summary, I would say that this occurrence of deserts (Fig 1.1) often seem tedious and interrupt book is an outstanding thematic and Williams may lack personal the smooth flow of text. But to be a treatment of most aspects of desert familiarity with them but even comprehensive resource, extensive environments and research and a brief outline of the published referencing is unavoidable. It is this it should be a readily accessible accounts would have been useful. aspect of being a comprehensive source book for any students and That, however, is a relatively minor and detailed introduction to a researchers with an interest in quibble and the coverage of almost multitude of research issues that is drylands. I recommend it very highly all other dryland environments is in my view the greatest achievement to all Quaternarists, especially those meticulous, thorough and wide of Williams’ book and it is very with an interest in deserts. ranging. There is an emphasis on

33 | 1 35 BOOK REVIEW | A CONTINENT ON THE MOVE: NEW ZEALAND GEOSCIENCE REVEALED

A Continent on the Move: New Zealand Geoscience Revealed Second Edition (2015) Ian J Graham, chief editor The Geoscience Society of New Zealand, in association with GNS Science ISBN 978-1-877480-47-8, 397pp, ISSN 2330-4487 Cost: NZ$65 (hardback) Reviewed by Carol Smith Department of Soil and Physical Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand

The first edition (2008) of this book the broad structure of the second geoscience research in both New was created to celebrate both the edition remains the same. Chapter 1 Zealand and globally is focused on 50th anniversary of the founding (“This land of ours”) is an overview understanding the Earth’s dynamic of the Geological Society of New chapter narrating the many ways that environment. In the New Zealand Zealand, but also to provide a geoscience interacts with society, context it is to provide information guide to the diverse and eclectic and the broad physiographic/ that allows decision makers (such as applications of geoscience in 21st landscape setting of New Zealand. politician’s, planners and developers) Century New Zealand society. It has been updated to include the to better understand the issues It also coincided with the IYPE CES and other topical issues: seabed relating to our natural environment. 2008 – International Year of Planet mining and fracking, deep sea This will, in theory, allow them to Earth. The herculean effort to drilling, adaptions to climate change, make better-informed decisions collate the material for this book slow-slip earthquake hazard, ocean regarding land use, resource was duly recognized: garnering acidification and mine safety. extraction, protection and mitigation several prominent awards in 2009 against climate change and other The next four chapters focus on (Montana Environmental Award geological hazards. the foundations of geoscience – and the New Zealand Post Book geological mapping, geochronology, Each chapter is limited to either award – Environment Category). basement geology and plate two or four pages, and with many Two reprints later, it could rightly be tectonics. With this foundation excellent colour diagrams and considered one of the most popular firmly established, the following photographs, the subject matter is books on New Zealand’s geology seven chapters focus on the clearly and succinctly described. and landscapes. applications of geoscience – tectonic There is sufficient scientific rigor However, the very dynamic nature of evolution, volcanology, geological in the narrative to carry weight with our landscape upon which this book hazards, oceanography, paleontology, the scientific community (including was predicated (volcanic eruptions, paleoclimate and economic geology. students of geoscience and allied earthquakes, changes in extractive The final chapter provides a reflective disciplines), yet at the same time industry practices and advances in overview of the preceding chapters to be understandable to the well- geoscience research), prompted the as well as introducing and discussing informed layperson. need for a revised edition, rather issues around the cultural landscape, But what of its application to the than another reprint. 2015 was a heritage and science ethics. Quaternary community? There significant year; 150 years since New Zealand has been well served by are few Quaternary scientists in the founding of the New Zealand a range of books on geosciences over New Zealand who have not been Geological Survey, five years since the last few years, each exploring involved in either the writing or the establishment of the Geoscience in more detail many of the aspects the editorial process for this book Society of New Zealand and also four covered in this book. “A continent (indeed, 130 authors were involved years since the (literally) ground- on the move” is not a text-book and in contributing to this edition). changing Canterbury earthquake nor is it intended to be; it is more More specifically, the very nature sequence (CES). A country very a collection of essays on aspects of of the New Zealand landscape much ….’on the move…”. geoscience in New Zealand. Ian and its position straddling an On comparing the two editions, Graham the chief editor states that active plate boundary means that

36 33 | 1 A continent on the move: New Zealand geoscience revealed (2nd edition) Editor Ian Graham. Review by Carol Smith

A CONTINENT ON THE MOVE: NEW ZEALAND GEOSCIENCE REVEALED | BOOK REVIEW

a significant part is, or has been, the detail to see how it tallied with speleothems. It also acknowledges shaped by Quaternary processes my own experiences. Living on the the pioneering and seminal which have and continue to Port Hills 500m from the epicenter research of Charles Fleming in the

influence the landscape: dominantly of the magnitude 6.3 ML June Whanganui Basin. volcanism, glacial-interglacial 2011 aftershock I can attest to the This book achieves on two levels. cycles, earthquakes, tectonic uplift accuracy of the rock fall information Firstly, it can be a coffee table book and active geomorphic processes. presented. The rock fall hazard for dipping into and browsing The geological evolution of New assessment process is also clearly through the beautiful illustrations Zealand informs us of the nature explained and presents a balanced of this dynamic landscape of ours. of the resources of the land; if we perspective on what has been, at Secondly, at a deeper level it is an understand how the landscape is times, a somewhat contested issue in elegantly written scientific text, formed and how it works then we the affected suburbs. that a well-informed layperson can can make well-informed decisions To compliment the geoscience understand. This book is an excellent about how to sustainably manage the updates, there is an expanded and launch pad for students, visitors landscape. In addition, New Zealand updated chapter on the ramifications and scientists new to New Zealand also incorporates an internationally- of earthquakes on the economic who need to get up to speed with relevant and readily accessible and social infrastructure and on the landscape and the geology. The archive of past climates, recorded in the issues around ensuring societal recommended reading provides a range of proxies. resilience (“Underwriting the a detailed list of both technical Two areas of interest to Quaternary future”). This is a key area, since the information as well as that aimed scientists, the Canterbury earthquake true beneficial impacts of science at general readership. This book sequence (CES) and climate change, to the community are in both the would sit equally well in any school have been revised. The CES of communication of scientific research or University library, as well as local, 2010-2011 has been a major focus and the integration of science into regional and central government. It of geoscience research in New the socio-eco-political decision is the sort of book you can dip into Zealand over the past five years. The making processes that shape our and read a self-contained chapter and myriad effects on the landscape – societies. This is where better- come away feeling better informed. rock fall hazards, liquefaction and informed decision makers come The narrative strikes a balance the effect on the built environment in. Increasing scientific literacy between technical terminology (there and subterranean infrastructure and understanding can only help is a good glossary) and readability. are well addressed in the second in this regard. These chapters are Indeed, one of the strengths of this edition. Chapter 8 (“ The land well written and succinctly cover all book is in the objectivity it brings to strikes back”) has accordingly been aspects of the science behind the topical and recent geoscience issues extensively updated to encompass CES and the place of this knowledge – such as safe mining and fracking all the geological hazards occurring in shaping future planning and by way of example. In a world where in the New Zealand region and policy making both in Christchurch everyone is an expert (thanks to the measures required to attempt but also in New Zealand. Dr. Wikipedia) people seek clarity on to mitigate their effects. The Chapter 11 (“Climate swings and such complex environmental issues; earthquakes and associated events roundabouts”) is updated with their opinions and perceptions of are succinctly summarized here. In a chapter on the mitigation and these are often tuned/filtered by addition, other aspects of the effects adaption to the effects of climate seeking out simplified messages of the CES are addressed elsewhere change. This chapter not just talks that are easy to understand and in the book. The resilience of the to reducing emissions, but the allied which fit with our own thinking built environment is covered, with effects of sea-level rise, changes and personal biases (confirmation detail on liquefaction and resilient to weather patterns and extreme bias, as one example). In fact, we all foundation construction (“Sound weather events. This section of do this to a certain degree, it’s just foundations”, Chapter 1) and there the book demonstrates how New that as scientists, we are trained to is an update on rock fall hazards Zealand operates at the cutting edge seek to understand and investigate (“Danger in the hills”, Chapter 8). of climate change science. Here, natural phenomena using evidence- On first reading this book, I must the chapter covers ocean cores, ice based decision making … and to admit I went straight to those cores and the ANDRILL project, try to put our personal bias to one sections on the CES and poured over glacial and loess landscapes and side. This book presents a well- informed explanation of the facts on

33 | 1 37 THESIS ABSTRACTS Thesis Abstracts: Jie Chang, Deirdre Ryan, Haimish Prodan and Martin Ankor

THESIS ABSTRACTS | JIE CHANG, DEIRDRE RYAN, HAIMISH PRODAN, MARTIN ANKOR

both sides of the issue and calls for Development and application of subfossil balanced debate of the issues as we know them. chironomid based methods for late My only criticism (and it is a small Quaternary climate reconstructions in one) is in the weight and size: this eastern Australia is a sizeable tome, tipping the scales Jie Chang (PhD) at 2 kg and slightly larger than A4. It is more of a coffee table book, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, and that is a comment relating to its Chinese Academy of Sciences physical presence. It is not the book to read on the train or bus, as you The lack of tools to quantify past climate has hindered the development of our commute home (although a kindle knowledge of climate change in the late Quaternary in eastern Australia. This version would be!). However, the thesis developed two methods using subfossil remains of non-biting midge nature of the book and the subject larvae (Chironomid, Diptera: Chironomidae) preserved in lake sediments matter means that a large hardback to reconstruct past changes in the Australian climate system during and format is required to showcase the since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Firstly a transfer function model for superb colour photos (over 700 of reconstructing past summer temperatures based on the temperature tolerance them) and diagrams that illustrate so of modern Australian chironomid taxa was created. Secondly the stable oxygen well the concepts and issues within and hydrogen isotope composition (δ18O, δ2H) of the chitinous head capsules our landscape. The upside – and was used to determine temperature changes from chironomids from the same it’s a big one – is that at NZ$65 this lakes. Both techniques were tested and the complexities of applying these book is incredibly good value; we methods as independent temperature proxies in Australia were explored. are indebted to GNS Science and the other sponsors in supporting In order to develop the transfer function, forty-five lakes were examined in this book; at this price it is highly eastern Australia for eighteen physical and chemical parameters. The physical affordable and thus accessible and chemical analysis of the lakes suggests that sub-humid and semi-arid sites to everyone. are naturally eutrophic, whereas high altitude and actively managed sites were mostly mesotrophic. Thirty-four lakes were subsequently used in the transfer I use both the 1st and 2nd editions for function. The transfer function first axis was Mean February Temperature teaching in a 100 level earth science which explains 9.5% of the variance and the secondary axis is pH which also course and 200 level geomorphology explains 9.5% of the variance. Despite these low values the function appears course. This book is comprehensive 2 robust. The transfer function had an r jack-knifed of 0.69 and a root mean squared in coverage and topical in content. It error of prediction (RMSEP) of 2.33°C. is a New Zealand specific geoscience text, in a publishing landscape The transfer function method was then applied to subfossil chironomids understandably dominated by from a subtropical site on North Stradbroke Island, Australia that spans the European and North American texts. LGM and the last deglaciation. This has provided the first quasi-continuous A plea to the publishers – a digital quantitative temperature reconstruction from mainland terrestrial Australia version would be well received by covering these critical periods (between c. ~ 23.2 and 15.5 cal ka BP). The teachers and students alike. results of this reconstruction show a maximum cooling of c. ~6.5°C had occurred at c. 18.5 cal ka BP during the LGM. A rapid warming followed and My recommendation? This book is ~ temperatures reached near Holocene values by c. 17.3 cal ka BP. The warming an excellent summary of the current ~ trend started at c. 18.1 cal ka BP and is consistent with the start of deglaciation state of New Zealand Geoscience ~ from Antarctic records. The records suggest high latitude influencing of and landscapes – equally at home in subtropical climate during the LGM. the office, lab and on the coffee table. Also buy it as a farewell gift for your geoscience/Quaternary – inclined overseas visitors… and waive the excess baggage fees. But at $65 a book, you can afford to.

38 33 | 1 JIE CHANG, DEIRDRE RYAN, HAIMISH PRODAN, MARTIN ANKOR | THESIS ABSTRACTS

Stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) from The Quaternary geomorphological evolution a single genus of chironomid head capsules (Chironomus spp.) were of the River Murray mouth and lakes region, also evaluated to reconstruct past southern Australia temperatures. Results suggest that Deirdre D. Ryan (PhD) both δ18O and δ2H are potentially valuable tools for reconstructing School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW, temperature in humid and low Australia nutrient regions of Australia (e.g. Tasmania and the south-eastern This thesis examines the Quaternary geomorphological evolution of the River highlands). The correlation between Murray mouth region of southern Australia in the context of increasing aridity 18 δ O of chironomid head capsules and fluctuations in eustatic sea level and climate. The region is located at and temperature is consistent with the northern margin of the Coorong Coastal Plain, which preserves a long observations from Europe and terrestrial record of Quaternary sea-level highstands within the Bridgewater indicates that there is potential Formation, a sedimentary succession of coastal carbonate aeolianites with for this technique. However, the associated beach and back-barrier lagoon facies. The stratigraphic record within collection of enough material the study area has been obscured by long term regional subsidence due to its from suitable sites is challenging location adjacent to the uplifting Mount Lofty Ranges, erosion by the River and the use of stable isotopes is Murray and the dune fields of siliceous Molineaux Sands deposited under recommended for late Holocene and continental conditions during periods of glacially low sea levels. Unravelling modern studies, perhaps focussed the depositional record within this region assists in understanding localised on nutrient changes rather than variations in the sea-level record, the position of the River Murray during temperature. eustatic sea-level fluctuations and the dichotomy of sedimentary successions between the terrestrial, arid climates of glacial periods and marginal marine, wetter climates of interglacial periods. The development of the Pleistocene coastline has been extrapolated from the modern beach-barrier-lagoon analogue, following the principle of uniformitarianism. Pleistocene sedimentary successions were recognised by facies architecture and lithology with depositional and diagenetic environments determined through petrographic analyses. The correlation of the sedimentary successions was based on their morphostratigraphic relationships and geochronological analyses using amino acid racemisation, thermoluminescence, optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon methods. The results of these analytical techniques were correlated with the Coorong Coastal Plain sea level highstand record and the oxygen isotope record. The calcium carbonate content of the Bridgewater Formation aeolianite in the study area is regionally variable and lower than the Coorong Coastal Plain equivalents with consequently higher quartz content. This is attributed to terrestrial sediment input by the River Murray, the quartz-rich character of the offshore shelf environment, continental siliceous dune development during periods of lowered sea level and the reworking of sediments during sea-level transgressions. Extensive recycling of sediments in the region is reflected in a lack of characteristic features on quartz grains from interglacial and glacial sedimentary successions indicative of depositional environment, the ubiquitous presence of reworked quartz and carbonate skeletal grains throughout interglacial sedimentary successions as revealed by AAR analysis of whole-rock samples and individual foraminifer tests.

33 | 1 39 THESIS ABSTRACTS | JIE CHANG, DEIRDRE RYAN, HAIMISH PRODAN, MARTIN ANKOR

This research has revealed an extensive record of Pleistocene deposition, An Investigation most likely correlating with the earliest recognised deposit of the Bridgewater Formation on the Coorong Coastal Plain. The early Pleistocene barriers are into the Sedimentary composite features deposited when the orbitally driven cycles of eustatic sea laminations at West level and climate change transitioned from obliquity (41 ka) to eccentricity (100 ka). The middle Pleistocene record within the study area is best represented by Basin Lake, Victoria: MIS 7 (191-243 ka) aeolianites forming Sturt Peninsula. The remaining middle Are they Varves? Pleistocene record is minimal reflecting ongoing rates of subsidence and high Haimish Prodan (Hons.) potential for erosion in the region, hindering the ability to draw conclusions regarding the height of interglacial sea level. The longest Pleistocene School of Earth and Environmental sedimentary succession is found at Point McLeay, a topographic high in the Science, University of Adelaide, study are since at least MIS 11 (374-424 ka). The last interglacial shoreline Adelaide, South Australia 5005 (MIS 5e, 130-109 ka) is the best-preserved exhibiting regional variability in West Basin Lake, in the Western sedimentary characteristics and preservation as a result of sediment source, Victorian Volcanic Region, has environment of deposition, calcrete development and position in the landscape. characteristics conducive to The distribution of Bridgewater Formation throughout the Pleistocene deposition of annually laminated and orientation of the coastline has been affected by differential rates of sediments known as varves. The uplift across the Coorong Coastal Plain and dominant longshore drift to the uppermost 50 cm of lake sediment northwest. Both factors have helped to constrain the position of the River consists of finely laminated, organic- Murray to the northern coastal plain where it has been located since its carbonate sediments of a size and initiation following the demise of Lake Bungunnia. The orientation of the frequency that are typically associated early Pleistocene ranges was also influenced by the granitic basement feature, with varved lake sediments. Varves the Padthaway Ridge. The subsidence in the Murray mouth has resulted in hold tremendous potential as closely-spaced, onlapping or stacked sedimentary successions of middle to palaeoclimate indicators, allowing late Pleistocene age that have been subjected to erosion and reworking by the for the development of precise River Murray and Southern Ocean during successive sea-level highstands. The chronologies and annual scale preservation of interglacial and glacial sedimentary successions reflects the climate reconstructions. Through differential rates of uplift in the region, their proximity to the River Murray detailed micro-facies analysis and and the height of successive sea-level highstands which, on the southern counting of the West Basin Lake Australia coastline, has returned to within 6 m. Sedimentary successions sediments, the study found that the within the region of subsidence are more susceptible to the migration and number of laminations was in good erosive force of the River Murray and the Southern Ocean during sea-level agreement with radiometric depth transgressions. Erosion by the river delivers sediment to the continental shelf, age modelling, suggesting annual which is then redistributed within the continental dune fields of siliceous sand deposition. While it was concluded during periods of glacially lowered sea level. During sea-level transgressions that although seasonal lamina were these dune fields are reworked and the sediment is redelivered to the coastline unable to be classified by the scope bringing full circle the sediment recycling characteristic of the region. The low of this study, the laminations are preservation potential of sedimentary successions in the region reaffirms the more likely to represent varves than River Murray mouth identity as a failed delta. non-annual laminations. This is likely to be due to the meromixis of West Basin Lake, its sheltered nature and sediment-water interface anoxia, in conjunction with the good agreement to radiometric depth- age modelling. This should warrant further investigation.

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Quantifying lake hydrological RECENT PUBLICATIONS and isotopic responses to Abhar, K.C., Walker, I.J., Hesp, P.A., Gares, P.A., 2015. climate change: A coupled Spatial-temporal evolution Of Aeolian blowout dunes at hydrologic-isotopic mass Cape Cod. Geomorphology 236:148-162. balance model applied to two Abram, N. J., Dixon, B. C., Rosevear, M. G., Plunkett, B., Gagan, M. K., Hantoro W. S., Phipps, S. J., Australian maar lakes 2015. Optimized coral reconstructions of the Indian Martin Ankor (Hons.) Ocean Dipole: an assessment of location and length considerations, Paleoceanography, 30:1391-1405. Department of Earth Sciences and Sprigg Geobiology Centre, doi:10.1002/2015PA002810. University of Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia Bauer, B.O., Hesp, P.A., Walker, I.J., Davidson-Arnott, A hydrologic-isotopic mass balance model was developed R.G.D., 2015. Sediment (dis)continuity across a and applied to Lakes Bullen Merri and Gnotuk in beach-dune profile during an offshore wind event. the Newer Volcanic Province, Australia to investigate Geomorphology, 245:135-148. the influence of basin morphometry upon a lake’s hydrological and isotopic response to climate change. Chang, J., Woodward, C., Shulmeister, J., 2014. A Model calibrations were successful from 1965 to 2001, snapshot of the limnology of Eastern Australian water- however no calibration simulated an extreme lake level bodies spanning the tropics to Tasmania: the land- change from 1889 to 2006. This is interpreted to reflect use, climate, limnology nexus. Marine and Freshwater that catchment flow to the lake is not proportional to Research, 65:872-883. catchment area, suggesting an additional influence from Chang, J., Shulmeister, J., Woodward, C., 2015. A groundwater, and demonstrating the need for long-term chironomid based transfer function for reconstructing lake monitoring documenting a range of lake conditions. summer temperatures in south eastern Australia. 18 The model broadly captures change in lake δ O and δD, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, based upon a sparse monitoring dataset. Both observed 423:109-121. and modeled values indicate opposing trends in δ18O Chang, J., Shulmeister, J., Woodward, C., Steinberger, and δD, which implies lake water re-equilibration to past L., Tibby, J., Barr, C., 2015. A chironomid-inferred climate change. Experiments were carried out to explore summer temperature reconstruction from subtropical the influence of lake morphology on both the timing and Australia during the last glacial maximum (LGM) extent of isotopic responses to changes in hydroclimate. and the last deglaciation, Quaternary Science Reviews, Following a shift in precipitation, lake water isotope ratios 122:282 – 292. underwent transient excursions opposite in sign to the precipitation change, before returning to an equilibrium Dearing, J.A., Acma, B., Bub, S., Chambers, F., Chen X., value. Lakes with shallower basin slopes resulted in more Cooper, J., Crook, D., Dong X.H., Dotterweich, M., rapid excursions with a lower magnitude. Lakes with Edwards, M.E., Foster, T.H., Gaillard, M.-J., Galop, D., longer residence times had longer and more subdued Gell, P., Gil, A., Jeffers, E., Jones, R.T., Anapuma, K., excursions. Applying a 1400 year hypothetical climate Langdon, P.G., Marchant, R., Mazier, F., McLean, C.E., with both El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) type Nunes, L.H., Umer, M., Yang X.D., Wang R., Zhang, cycles and hydroclimate shifts to the Gnotuk basin K., 2015. Socio-ecological systems in the Anthropocene: suggested that on the shallow slopes at lower lake levels, the need for integrating social and biophysical records the seasonal isotopic cycle would obscure both ENSO at regional scales. The Anthropocene Review, 2(3): 220- cycles and hydroclimate shifts, while at higher lake 246. levels and steeper basin slopes, the excursions following Dillenburg, S., Hesp, P.A., Cecilio, R., Miot da Silva, G., hydroclimate change may became identifiable. These 2016. Wave energy as a control on dune development results demonstrate that lake isotopic studies should on two regressive barriers in Southern Brazil. J. Coastal target records that capture isotopic composition over Research S.I. 75:273-277. several years, or during specific times of the year, so as to minimise the seasonal isotopic cycle. Ferry, A., Crosta, X., Quilty, P.G., Fink, D., Howard, W., Armand L.K., 2015. First records of winter sea-ice concentration in the southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. Paleoceanography, 30(11):1525-1539: doi: 10.1002/2014PA002764.

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Finlayson, C.M., Clarke, S.J., Honegger, M., Williams, Lowe, K.M., Shulmeister, J., Davidson, N.C., Gell, P., 2016. M., 2015. Human occupations and Feinberg, J.M., Manne, T, Wallis Role Of palaeoecology in environmental changes in the Nile L.A., Welsh, K., 2016. Using describing the ecological character valley during the Holocene: the soil magnetic properties to of wetlands. Marine & Freshwater case of Kerma in Upper Nubia determine the onset of Pleistocene Research. doi.org/10.1071/ (Northern Sudan). Quaternary human settlement at Gledswood MF15293. Science Reviews, 130:141-154. Shelter 1, northern Australia. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. Geoarchaeology, 31:211-228. Gell, P., Reid, M., 2016. Muddied quascirev.2015.06.031. 10.1002/gea.21544. Waters: the case for mitigating sediment and nutrient flux to Huang, Y.T., Lowe, D.J., Macklin, M.G., Toonen, W.H.J., optimise restoration response. Churchman, G.J., Schipper, L.A., Woodward, J.C., Williams, M.A.J., Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Cursons, R., Zhang, H., Chen, Flaux, C., Marriner, N., Nicoll, K., doi: 3389/fevo.2016.00016. T.-Y., Cooper, A., 2016. DNA Verstraeten, G., Spencer, N. and adsorption by nanocrystalline Welsby, D. 2015. A new model Gontz, A.M., McCallum, A.P., allophane spherules and of river dynamics, hydroclimatic Moss, P.T., Shulmeister, J., nanoaggregates, and implications change and human settlement 2016. Ground penetrating radar for carbon sequestration in in the Nile Valley derived from observations of present and Andisols. Applied Clay Science, meta-analysis of the Holocene former coastal environments, 120:40-50. fluvial archive. Quaternary Great Sandy National Park, Science Reviews, 130:109-123. Queensland, Australia. In: Huang, Y.T., Lowe, D.J., Zhang, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. Vila-Concejo, A., Bruce, E., H.,Cursons, R., Young, J.M., quascirev.2015.09.02. Kennedy, D.M., McCarroll, R.J., Churchman, G.J., Schipper, (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th L.A., Rawlence, N.J., Wood, J.R., Miot da Silva, G., and Shulmeister, International Coastal Symposium, Cooper, A., 2016. A new method J., 2016. A review of coastal Sydney, Australia. Journal of to extract and purify DNA from dunefield evolution in Coastal Research, Special Issue, 75: allophanic soils and paleosols, and Southeastern Queensland. In: 730-734. Coconut Creek, Florida, potential for paleoenvironmental Vila-Concejo, A., Bruce, E., ISSN 0749-0208. reconstruction and other Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, applications. Geoderma, R.J., (eds.), Proceedings of Hesp, P.A., Ruz, M-H, Hequette, 247:114-125. the 14th International Coastal A., Marin, D., Miot da Silva, Symposium Sydney, Australia. G., 2015. Geomorphology and Jara, I.A., Newnham, R.M., Journal of Coastal Research, Special dynamics of a traveling cuspate Vandergoes, M.J., Foster, C.R., Issue, 75: 308-312. Coconut Creek, foreland, Authie estuary, France. Lowe, D.J., Wilmshurst, J.M., Florida, ISSN 0749-0208. Geomorphology, 254:104-120. Moreno, P.I., Renwick, J.A., Homes, A., 2015. Pollen-climate Moon, V.G., Lowe, D.J., Hesp, P.A., Smyth, T.A.G., Nielsen, reconstruction from northern Cunningham, M.J., Wyatt, J., P., Walker, I.J., Bauer, B.O., South Island, New Zealand (41°S), Churchman, G.J., de Lange, W.P., Davidson-Arnott, R.G., 2015. reveals high – and low-latitude Mörz, T., Kreiter, S., Kluger, Flow deflection over a foredune. teleconnections over the last 16 M.O., Jorat, M.E. 2015. Sensitive Geomorphology, 230: 64-74. 000 years. Journal of Quaternary pyroclastic-derived halloysitic Hesp, P.A. and Smyth, T.A.G., 2016. Science, 30:817-829. soils in northern New Zealand: Flow in a trough blowout at Cape interplay of microstructure, Kleyburg, M.A., Moon, V.G., Cod. Journal of Coastal Research, minerals, and geomechanics. In: Lowe, D.J., Nelson, C.S., 2015. S.I. 75: 288-292. Rotonda, T., Cecconi, M., Silvestri, Paleoliquefaction in Late F., Tommasi, P. (eds), Volcanic Hesp, P.A. and Smyth, T.A.G., 2016. Pleistocene alluvial sediments Rocks and Soils. Proceedings of Surfzone-beach-dune interactions: in Hauraki and Hamilton the International Workshop on Review and the role of the basins, and implications for Volcanic Rocks and Soils, Lacco intertidal beach. Journal of Coastal paleoseismicity. Proceedings, 12th Ameno, Ischia Island, Italy, 24- Research, S.I. 75: 8-12. Australia New Zealand Conference 25 September, 2015. Taylor and on Geomechanics (ANZ 2015), 22-25 Francis, London, 3-21. February, 2015, Wellington, 524-531.

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Moriwaki, H., Nakamura, N., Ryan, M.T., Newnham, R.M., Tibby J., Barr C., McInerney F. A., Nagasako, T., Lowe, D.J., Dunbar, G.B., Vandergoes, M.J., Henderson A. C. G., Leng M. Sangawa, T., 2016. The role of Rees, A.B.H., Neil, H., Callard, J., Greenway M., Marshall J. tephras in developing a high S.L., Alloway, B.V., Bostock, H., C., McGregor G. B., Tyler J. J., precision chronostratigraphy Hua, Q., Anderson, B.M., 2016. McNeil V., 2016. Carbon isotope for paleeoenvironmental Exploring the source-to-sink discrimination in leaves of the reconstruction and archaeology residence time of terrestrial pollen broad-leaved paperbark tree in southern Kyushu, Japan, since deposited offshore Westland, New Melaleuca quinquenervia, as a tool 30,000 years ago: an integration. Zealand Review of Palaeobotany for quantifying past tropical and Quaternary International, 397:79- and Palynology, doi: 10.1016/j. subtropical rainfall. Global Change 92. revpalbo.2016.03.005. Biology, doi: 10.1111/gcb.13277. Nelson, C.S., Lowe, D.J., Tonkin, Slee, A., Shulmeister, J., 2015. Ünal-İmer, E., Shulmeister, J. Zhao, P.J., 2015. The working life The distribution and climatic J.X., Uysal, I.T., and Feng, of John McCraw (1925-2014): implications of periglacial Y.X., 2016. High resolution a remarkable New Zealand landforms in eastern Australia. trace element and stable/ pedologist and Earth scientist. Journal of Quaternary Science, radiogenic isotope profiles of Journal of the Historical Studies 30:848-858. late Pleistocene to Holocene Group, Geosciences Society of Smik, L., Belt, S.T., Lieser, J.L., speleothems from Dim Cave, New Zealand, 50:2-29. Armand, L.K., Leventer, A., SW Turkey. Palaeogeography, Rigual-Hernàndez, A.S., Trull, 2016. Variations in algal lipid Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, T.W., Bray, S.G., Cortina, A. and distributions in seasonally sea- 452:68-79. Armand, L.K., 2015. Latitudinal ice covered surface waters from Williams, M., 2015. Earth, air, and temporal distributions East Antarctica: further insights fire and water: distinguishing of diatom populations in for biomarker-based paleo human impacts from natural the pelagic waters of the sea-ice reconstruction. Organic desertification in South Australia. Subantarctic and Polar Frontal Geochemistry, 95:71–80. http:// Transactions of the Royal Society of Zones of the Southern Ocean www.sciencedirect.com/science/ South Australia, 139:9-18. http:// and their role in the biological article/pii/S0146638016000498. dx.doi.org/10.1080/03721426.201 pump. Biogeosciences, 12:5309- Smyth, T.A.G., Hesp. P.A., 2016. 5.1035214. 5337. http://www.biogeosciences. CFD modelling of turbulent flow Williams, M., 2015. Interactions net/12/5309/2015/bg-12-5309- structures in a trough blowout. between fluvial and eolian 2015.html. Journal of Coastal Research, S.I. geomorphic systems and Rigual-Hernández, A.S., Trull, 75:328-332. processes: Examples from the T.W, McCartney, K., Ballegeer, Taylor, M.D., Lowe, D.J., Hardi, Sahara and Australia. Catena A.M., Lawler, K.A., Bray, S.G. P., Smidt, G., Schnug, E., 2016. Special Issue: landforms and and Armand, L.K., in press. Comparing volcanic glass shards geomorphic processes in arid Silicoflagellate assemblages in unfertilised and fertilised and semi-arid areas. Catena, as indicators of the main Andisols derived from rhyolitic 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. oceanographic zones of the tephras, New Zealand: evidence catena.2014.09.015. Southern Ocean: applications for for accelerated weathering Williams, M., 2015.In memory of paleo-reconstructions. Geo-Marine and implications for land Michael Richard Ronald Talbot Letters. DOI: 10.1007/s00367-016- management. Geoderma, 271:91- (1943-2009). Quaternary Science 0444-8. 98. Reviews,130:1-2. Rudd, R.C., Tyler, J.J., Tibby, J., Yokoyama, Y., Tavernier, I., Verleyen, E., Fukui, M., Takano, Y., 2016. A diatom-inferred record of lake variability during the last 900 years in Lützow–Holm Bay, East Antarctica. Journal of Quaternary Science, 31(2):114-125. DOI: 10.1002/jqs.2845.

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Williams, M.A.J., Duller, G.A.T., BOOKS AND Lowe, D.J., Tonkin, P.J., Palmer, J., Williams, F.M., Macklin, BOOK CHAPTERS Lanigan, K., Palmer, A.S., 2015. M.G., Woodward, J.C., El Tom, Dambricourt Malassé, A., (ed) 2016. Dusty horizons. In Graham, I., O.A.M., Munro, R.N., El Hajaz, Human origins in the Indian (chief editor), A Continent on the Y., Barrows, T.T., 2015. Causal sub-continent /Origines de Move: New Zealand Geoscience links between Nile floods and l’homme dans le sous continent Revealed, 2nd Edition. Geoscience eastern Mediterranean sapropel Indien. MComptes Rendus Palevol, Society of New Zealand with formation during the past 125 15(3–4): 279-452. http://www. GNS Science, Wellington, GSNZ kyr confirmed by OSL and sciencedirect.com/science/ Miscellaneous Publication, 141: radiocarbon dating of Blue and journal/16310683/15/3-4. 286-289. White Nile sediments. Quaternary Williams, M., 2015. Nile Waters, Science Reviews, 130:89-108. Lowe, D.J., (editor) 2015. Climate Saharan Sands: Adventures of a http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. swings and roundabouts; geomorphologist at large. Springer, quascirev.2015.05.024. palaeoclimatic fluctuations across Zealandia. In Graham, I.J., (chief Dordrecht. Williams, M.A.J., Usai, D., Salvatori, editor), A Continent on the Weckstrom, K., Gell, P., Saunders, S., Williams, F.M., Zerboni, A., Move: New Zealand Geoscience K., Skilbeck, G., in press. The Maritan, L., Linseele, V., 2015. Revealed, 2nd Edition. Geoscience palaeolimnology of estuarine Late Quaternary environments Society of New Zealand with systems. Developments in and prehistoric occupation in GNS Science, Wellington, GSNZ paleoenvironmental research the lower White Nile valley, Miscellaneous Publication series. Springer. central Sudan. Quaternary 141:262-295. Science Reviews, 130:72-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. Lowe, D.J., Alloway, B.V., 2015. quascirev.2015.03.007. Tephrochronology. In Rink, W.J.; Thompson, J.W., (editors). Woodward, J.C., Macklin, M., Encyclopaedia of Scientific Dating Fielding, L., Millar, I., Spencer, Methods, Springer, Dordrecht, N., Welsby, D. and Williams, M., 783-799. 2015. Shifting sediment sources in the world’s longest river: a Lowe, D.J., Alloway, B.V., Shane, strontium isotope record for P.A.R., 2015. Far-flown markers. the Holocene Nile. Quaternary In Graham, I., (chief editor), Science Reviews, 130:124-140. A Continent on the Move: New http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. Zealand Geoscience Revealed, quascirev.2015.10.040. 2nd Edition. Geoscience Society of New Zealand with GNS Science, Woodward, J.C., Williams, M.A.J., Wellington, GSNZ Miscellaneous Garzanti, E., Macklin, M.G. Publication, 141: 172-175. and Marriner, N., 2015. From source to sink: Exploring the Lowe, D.J., King, C.M., 2015. Quaternary history of the Nile. A dramatic landscape. In Quaternary Science Reviews, 130:3- King, C.M., Gaukrodger, D.J., 8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. Ritchie, N.A., (editors). The quascirev.2015.10.022. Drama of Conservation: The History of Pureora Forest, New Yang, X., Williams, M., 2015. Zealand. Springer, Berlin, and Landforms and processes in arid New Zealand Department of and semi-arid environments. Conservation, Wellington, 1-17. Catena Special Issue: landforms and geomorphic processes in arid and semi-arid areas. Catena. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j. catena.2015.02.011.

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