PALYNOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LATE QUATERNARY OF LOYALTY BASIN (SW PACIFIC)

Palynological studies have been carried out on two cores from the Loya lty Basin, one near the New Caledonia shore (KK 231) and the other nea r Lifou Island (KK 88). The sediments under consideration cover the in terval from the Last Interglacial to the Holocene. All the samples rev ealed the mixing of continental and marine palynomorphs varying with c arbonate sediment variations that are themselves correlated with the L ate Quaternary sea level fluctuations. Dinoflagellate cysts and forami nifera are the dominant components of the marine fraction. Dinoflagell ate cysts reached their maximum abundance during the high sea-level of the Last Interglacial, while foraminifera were most abundant during t he onset of the Holocene transgression. Changes in the continental pal ynomorphs can also be observed; these seem to be linked to sea-level v ariations, modifying conditions of production, transport and depositio n, and to the effects of climatic changes on the community structure o f terrestrial vegetation.