Sediment cores were collected from the East Antarctic margin, aboard the Australian Marine National Facility R/V Investigator from January 14th to March 5th 2017 (IN2017_V01; Armand et al., 2018). This marine geoscience expedition, named the “Sabrina Sea Floor Survey”, focused notably on studying the interactions of the Totten Glacier with the Southern Ocean through multiple glacial cycles. The cores were collected using a multi-corer, allowing to sample the surface of the sediment (top ~ 30cm). The cores were then sliced every centimetre, wrapped up in plastic bags, and stored in the fridge. Radiocarbon (14-C) ages were measured to build an age model for future paleo-reconstructions. Sediment samples were pre-treated in the IMAS Sediment Lab (UTAS, Hobart, Australia). Samples (~ 2 g) from the multi-cores MC01, MC03 and MC06 were dried, ground and acidified with HCl for carbonate removal using sterilised beakers. Dried and ground samples were then packed into sterilised aluminium foil and sent to DirectAMS (Radiocarbon Dating Service, USA) for 14C analysis by Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS). Results were corrected for isotopic fractionation with an unreported δ13C value measured on the prepared carbon by the accelerator. References L.K. Armand, P.E. O’Brien and On-board Scientific Party. 2018. Interactions of the Totten Glacier with the Southern Ocean through multiple glacial cycles (IN2017-V01): Post-survey report, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University: Canberra.

Reconstructed sea spray and minerogenic data for a 12,000 year lake sediment record from Emerald Lake, Macquarie Island. Proxies are based on biological (diatoms) and geochemical (micro x-ray fluorescence and hyperspectral imaging) indicators. Data correspond to the figures in: Saunders et al. 2018 Holocene dynamics of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds and possible links to CO2 outgassing. Nature Geoscience 11:650-655. doi.org/10.1038/s41561-018-0186-5. Detailed supplementary information: https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41561-018-0186-5/MediaObjects/41561_2018_186_MOESM1_ESM.pdf Abstract: The Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SHW) play an important role in regulating the capacity of the Southern Ocean carbon sink. They modulate upwelling of carbon-rich deep water and, with sea ice, determine the ocean surface area available for air–sea gas exchange. Some models indicate that the current strengthening and poleward shift of these winds will weaken the carbon sink. If correct, centennial- to millennial-scale reconstructions of the SHW intensity should be linked with past changes in atmospheric CO2, temperature and sea ice. Here we present a 12,300-year reconstruction of wind strength based on three independent proxies that track inputs of sea-salt aerosols and minerogenic particles accumulating in lake sediments on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Between about 12.1 thousand years ago (ka) and 11.2 ka, and since about 7 ka, the wind intensities were above their long-term mean and corresponded with increasing atmospheric CO2. Conversely, from about 11.2 to 7.2 ka, the wind intensities were below their long-term mean and corresponded with decreasing atmospheric CO2. These observations are consistent with model inferences of enhanced SHW contributing to the long-term outgassing of CO2 from the Southern Ocean.

A collaborative Italian/Australian marine geoscience research voyage to the George Vth Land sector of the East Antarctic continental margin was carried out between 11th February and 20th March, 2000, on board the of the RV Tangaroa. The cost of the expedition was shared jointly by the Italian and Australian National Antarctic Research Programs. Twenty four scientific personnel from 13 institutions participated in the expedition. The geophysical data collected includes a total of 1827 km of multi-channel seismic data and 562 km of Chirper sonar data. A total of 11 gravity cores, 28 piston cores, 18 surface grabs and 11 short trigger cores were collected on the voyage. Water profile (CTD) measurements and water samples were collected at nine stations and seabed bottom photographs were made at 11 stations. The expedition discovered and mapped a shelf sediment drift deposit covering about 400 km2 lying in an greater than 800m deep section of the George Vth basin west of the Mertz Glacier. It is a true 'drift' deposit, since these sediments exhibit a patchy distribution, large-scale bedforms, contain foreset bedding and display a depositional architecture indicative of contour-parallel sediment transport. A significant observation is that the drift thins to the north into an acoustically-transparent veneer; this observation implies that the drift is sourced from the outer continental shelf, with sediment being transported landwards, across the shelf and into an 850m deep inner shelf basin. The 'Mertz Drift' is over 35 m thick and core samples demonstrate that it is composed of laminated, anoxic, gelatinous olive green, silicious mud and diatom ooze (SMO). Preliminary shipboard counts of the laminae suggest a thickness of from 4 to 20mm, with a mean of about 7mm. While the lower sediments are laminated, there is a 20 to 50cm thick sandy drape at the surface over the whole of the drift. This suggests that a recent (late Holocene) change in the depositional environment has occurred, possibly related to changes in the extent of the nearby Mertz Glacier tongue, current regime and/or to the persistence of sea ice over the shelf area. Multi-channel seismic data show the occurrence of foreset beds at the shelf break, interpreted as having been deposited by ice streams that grounded on the outer shelf during glacial maxima. On the shelf, the seismic character of the seafloor exhibits highly reflective, parabolic reflectors suggestive of crystalline basement, cropping out at the seafloor. Northwards of these basement outcrops, the water depth increases to over 1,100 m which is the George Vth Basin. The basin coincides with an abrupt transition in seismic character from acoustic basement in the south to seaward (northeasterly) dipping reflectors. On the continental rise, seismic sections were taken across a contourite drift deposit and submarine canyon system in 2500 to 3500 m water depth. Piston cores were collected along the profile of one drift deposit which gave a preliminary Mid-Pliocene age to truncated strata that crop out on the drift's steeper lee side. These data will provide useful site-survey information in support of a proposal sent to the Ocean Drilling Program under the auspices of the SCAR-ANTOSTRAT project for drilling key sites along the Antarctic margin.

At Loewe Massif and Amery Oasis, samples were taken; - for sediment analysis (XRF geochemistry and grain size) - for geochronology (cosmogenic isotope analysis). The custodian for these samples is Dr Damian Gore, Macquarie University. Lake sediment samples were taken from Lake Terrasovoje, Radok Lake and Beaver Lake. The custodian for these lacustrine samples is Dr Martin Melles, Leipzig University. The dataset also includes weather/meteorological observations. Further work in project 1071 was also completed as part of PCMEGA. The fields in this dataset are: Date Site Latitude Longitude Time Altitude Temperature Pressure Wind direction Wind Speed Cloud Relative Humidity