Abstract. We report that the sedimentary record of alkenone unsaturation-index (U₃₇^K') in the eastern South Pacific displays a wide range of temperatures, in response to sea surface temperature (SST), as well as nutrient concentrations. The U₃₇^K' inshore-offshore trend shows low-correlation with SSTs at many transitional sites (50–200 km offshore), and in one oligotrophic coastal site (~20° S). In contrast, in open-ocean sites SSTs play the expected dominant role. The latitudinal trend shows that nitrate, phosphate and/or temperature affect distinctively the U₃₇^K', suggesting progressive high-impacts in areas with permanent nutrient-stress conditions (~20° S), which is consistent with previous experiments. In contrast, this impact is slightly and not observable in transitional and open-ocean areas, respectively, where the coupling between offshore propagation of mesoscale eddies and upwelling filaments supply additional chlorophyll/nutrient. This study is a first field approximation to the impacts of thermal/non-thermal factors over the unsaturation-index in eastern Boundary Current systems, which would help in future temperature reconstructions.