Some reconciliation of glacial‐interglacial calcite flux reconstructions for the eastern equatorial Pacific

Carbonate production in the open ocean plays a significant role in fixing upper water column p CO 2 , and carbonate flux from the surface transfers alkalinity to the deep sea. A key region for this is in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP). Reconstructions of calcite accumulation rates with traditional methods (mass accumulation rate (MAR)) have been used to infer a large Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) increase in fluxes for the EEP. The opposite result has been obtained using thorium normalization (Th‐norm) of accumulation rates. New 14 C dating, combined with detailed correlation among EEP cores based on planktonic and benthic stable isotope records, emphasizes the sensitivity of the MAR approach to the age model and brings some reconciliation to the methodologies. The new results lead to LGM MAR based accumulation rates that are less than previously estimated, and to lower LGM paleofluxes. Both the MAR and thorium normalized methods show a flux maximum during the deglacial with the new age model. Although the signals show some convergence, the magnitudes of MAR accumulation rates appear to be between about 2 and 4 times those from Th normalization for the LGM at the sites examined. Thus sediment focusing inferred from Th normalization remains significant for the EEP.