All samples used in this study were collected during Leg 178 (Table T1). Smear slides made for biostratigraphic examination during the cruise were used for the shore-based analysis of calcareous nannofossils, with additional slides made postcruise. Calcareous nannofossils were found in a total of 43 samples (10 samples from Holes 1095A and 1095B, 4 samples from Hole 1097A, and 29 samples from Hole 1103A), with an additional 43 samples examined from Site 1095 that were found to be barren of calcareous nannofossils (see the "Appendix").
For pollen analysis, samples were processed following the standard preparation technique (Faegri and Iversen, 1989). A total of 40 core catcher samples (25, 4, and 11 samples from Sites 1097, 1100, and 1103, respectively) were used for pollen analysis. All samples were weighed after drying at 110°C for >10 hr (0.31-15.34 g; mean = 4.9 g dry weight). The oven-dried samples were prepared by the standard acetolysis treatment (Faegri and Iversen, 1989). Mineral material in the samples was removed by density separation using ZnCl2 solution (specific gravity = 2.0 g/cm3). A 40% HF treatment was also used on the samples. Residues extracted from the samples were suspended in dilute glycerine jelly. After the mixtures were thoroughly shaken, they were mounted on coverslips. All pollen and spores were counted. When the pollen or spore was mechanically broken and chemically degraded, and therefore could not be identified, it was counted as a decayed grain. Based on the total count, the absolute number of pollen and spores per 10 g dry weight was calculated. Charcoal fragments occurred commonly or often abundantly with fossil pollen and spores in all samples. The occurrence of charcoal fragments in each sample was classified into the following five grades: abundant (5), frequent (4), common (3), rare (2), and very rare (1). Taxonomic references for the pollen and spore taxa identified from the sediments are in Kemp (1975), Martin (1978), Truswell (1983), Pocknal and Mildenhall (1984), Truswell and Drewry (1984), Mildenhall (1989), Dettman et al. (1990), and Hill and Truswell (1993).