PALEOCLIMATE AND PALEOSEANOGRAPHY ANALYSIS OF LATE PLEISTOCENE - HOLOCENE IN NORTH PAPUA WATERS, PACIFIC OCEAN

• Main Author: Damanik, Bonardo
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Geologi, hidrologi & meteorologi
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/44162
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The northern waters of Papua are one of the entrances of the ITF (Indonesian Through Flow) which brings masses of warm water to the Indian Ocean through Indonesia. As the ITF's entrance to Indonesia, Papua's northern waters are also affected by ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscilation) which is a recurrent climate pattern that involves water circulation and temperature changes in the Pacific Ocean which also affects the climate in Indonesia. Based on the position and role of Papua's northern waters which are important, it becomes necessary to know how climate change and oceanography are occurring in the area. Paleoclimate reconstruction was carried out to determine the climatic conditions during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene in the northern waters of Papua and to determine the effect of ENSO on the research area during the Late Pleistocene – Holocene. Paleoclimate reconstruction is carried out using sediment samples which are gravity core data obtained through the 2018 Nusa Manggala Expedition conducted by LIPI. The analysis conducted in this study is granulometry analysis, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis, and micropaleontological analysis in the form of foraminifera. Grain size analysis is performed to determine the statistical parameters of sediment’s grain size. XRF analysis is used to determine the chemical elements present in the sample that can be used as a proxy for sediment input and weathering intensity that can be used to determine the variation of rainfall. Foraminifera collection analysis is performed to determine the relative age and sea surface temperature (SST), also the results of constrained clustering analysis of the foraminifera data are useful for knowing changes in ecological parameters in the study area. The results of the paleoclimate and paleoseanographic reconstruction in the study area resulted in 7 climate periods and several global climate events in the Late Pleistocene – Holocene, namely Younger Dryas (<11,700 BP), HTC 6 (11,700 BP - 9,000 BP), HTC 5 and 8.2 K (9000 BP - 7000 BP), HTC 4 and Mid Holocene Peak (7000 BP - 6000 BP), HTC 3 and 4.2 K (4000 BP - 2000 BP), HTC 2 (4000 BP - 2000 BP) and HTC 1, Little Ice Age and Medival Warm Period (2000 BP - present,). The ENSO phenomenon has a role in climate and sea water fluctuations in the study area. The decreased intensity of ENSO (dominance of La Niña) results in an increase in sea surface temperature and an increase in rainfall in the study area. While the increased intensity of ENSO (dominated by El Niño) results in a decrease in sea surface temperature and a decrease in rainfall in the study area.