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The Mg and Sr isotopic compositions (δ 26 Mg and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of pore fluids and bulk carbonates from Ocean Drilling Project Site 1171 (South Tasman Rise; 2148.2 m water depth) are reported, in order to evaluate the potential of diagenesis to alter carbonate-based geochemical proxies in an open marine system. Given the trace amounts of Mg in marine carbonates relative to coexisting pore fluids, diagenesis can alter carbonate δ 26 Mg, a promising proxy for seawater δ 26 Mg that may help elucidate long-term changes in the global Mg cycle. Constraints on the effect of diagenetic recrystallization on carbonate δ 26 Mg are therefore critical for accurate proxy interpretations. This study provides context for assessing the fidelity of geochemical proxyreconstructions using the primary components (i.e., foraminiferal tests and nannofossils) of bulk carbonate sediments.We find that pore fluid δ 26 Mg values (on the DSM3 scale) at Site 1171 increase systematically with depth (from -0.72‰ to -0.39‰ in the upper ~260 m), while the δ 26 Mg of bulk carbonates decrease systematically with depth (from -2.23‰ to -5.00‰ in the upper ~260 m). This variability is ascribed primarily to carbonate recrystallization, with a small proportion of the variability due to down-hole changes in nannofossil and foraminiferal species composition. The inferred effect of diagenesis on bulk carbonate δ 26 Mg correlates with downcore changes in Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Na/Ca, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. A depositional reactive-transport model is employed to validate the hypothesis that calcite recrystallization in this system can generate sizeable shifts in carbonate δ 26 Mg. Model fits to the data suggest a fractionation factor and a partition coefficient that are consistent with previous work, assuming calcite recrystallization rates of ≤7%/Ma constrained by Sr geochemistry. In addition, either partial dissolution or a distinctly different previous diagenetic regime must be invoked in order to explain aspects of the elemental chemistry and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of relatively deep sediments from Holes A and C. This study indicates that the dynamics of a given sedimentary system can significantly alter bulk carbonate geochemistry, and presents a framework for considering the potential impact of such alteration on picked archives such as foraminiferal tests and nannofossils. Ultimately, this study contributes to the development of δ 26 Mg as a proxy for seawater δ 26 Mg by quantifying the susceptibility of carbonate δ 26 Mg to diagenetic alteration, particularly in sediments in open marine systems. This study suggests that because of the sensitivity of carbonate δ 26 Mg to diagenetic recrystallization, it can, in certain systems, be used to quantify the impact of diagenesis on carbonate-based geochemical proxies.

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