Monitoring Australian Monsoon variability over the past four glacial cycles

We analyse changes in terrigenous sedimentation along the northwestern Australian margin to monitor latitudinal migration of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and shifting boundaries climatic belts during last four glacial cycles. integrate high-resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning elemental records from Core SO257–18548 International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1482, situated southwest Scott Plateau at southern edge present-day monsoonal belt, SO257–18571, located within dust-cyclone belt offshore Northwest Cape south Exmouth Plateau. The chronology these sediment successions is based on 14C dating over termination correlation benthic oxygen isotope record LR04 stack (Lisiecki Raymo, 200) Antarctic ice core chronology. Our XRF derived riverine run-off aeolian dust input reveal rapid intensification precipitation reduction atmospheric Younger Dryas early Holocene as well terminal phase other major deglaciations. Short-lived maxima (~10 ka), MIS 5e (~130 7 (~200, ~220 ~ 240 9 (~280, ~305 330 ka) coincide with carbon dioxide methane concentrations. Monsoon occurs Southern Hemisphere spring (September) insolation, when intense heat low pressure cells Pilbara region trigger southward shift ITCZ. Within discharge was restricted intervals high CO2 concentrations, sea surface temperature thresholds promoted cyclone formation tropical Indian Ocean. Northwestern Australia remained dry arid 5a-d, ITCZ locked a more northerly position were not attained.