Late Quaternary clay minerals off Middle Vietnam in the western South China Sea: Implications for source analysis and East Asian monsoon evolution

High-resolution clay mineral records combined with oxygen isotopic stratigraphy over the past 450 ka during late Quaternary from Core MD05-2901 off Middle Vietnam in the western South China Sea are re-ported to reconstruct a history of East Asian monsoon evolution. Variations in Illite, chlorite, and kaolinite contents indicate a strong glacial-interglacial cyclicity, while changes in smectite content present a higher frequency cyclicity. The provenance analysis indicates a mixture of individual clay minerals from various sources surrounding the South China Sea. Smectite derived mainly from the Sunda shelf and its major source area of the Indonesian islands. Illite and chlorite originated mainly from the Mekong and Red rivers. Kaolinite was provided mainly by the Pearl River. Spectral analysis of the kaolin-ite/(illite chlorite) ratio displays a strong eccentricity period of 100 ka, implying the ice sheet-forced win-ter monsoon evolution; whereas higher frequency changes in the smectite content show an ice sheet-forced obliquity period of 41 ka, and precession periods of 23 and 19 ka and a semi-precession period of 13 ka as well, implying the tropical-forced summer monsoon evolution. The winter monsoon evolution is generally in coherence with the glacial-interglacial cyclicity, with intensified winter monsoon winds during glacials and weakened winter monsoon winds during interglacials; whereas the summer monsoon evolution provides an almost linear response to the summer insolation of low latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, with strengthened summer monsoon during higher insolation and weakened summer monsoon during lower insolation. The result suggests that the high-latitude ice sheet and low-latitude tropical factor could drive the late Quaternary evolution of East Asian winter and summer monsoons, respectively, implying their diplex and self-contained forcing mechanism.     

Physical processes contributing to the water mass transformation of the Indonesian Throughflow

The properties of the waters that move from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean via passages in the Indonesian archipelago are observed to vary with along-flow-path distance. We study an ocean model of the Indonesian Seas with reference to the observed water property distributions and diagnose the mechanisms and magnitude of the water mass transformations using a thermodynamical methodology. This model includes a key parameterization of mixing due to baroclinic tidal dissipation and simulates realistic water property distributions in all of the seas within the archipelago. A combination of air–sea forcing and mixing is found to significantly change the character of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Around 6 Sv (approximately 1/3 the model net ITF transport) of the flow leaves the Indonesian Seas with reduced density. Mixing transforms both the intermediate depth waters (transforming 4.3 Sv to lighter density) and the surface waters (made denser despite the buoyancy input by air–sea exchange, net transformation?=?2 Sv). The intermediate transformation to lighter waters suggests that the Indonesian transformation contributes significantly to the upwelling of cold water in the global conveyor belt. The mixing induced by the wind is not driving the transformation. In contrast, the baroclinic tides have a major role in this transformation. In particular, they are the only source of energy acting on the thermocline and are responsible for creating the homostad thermocline water, a characteristic of the Indonesian outflow water. Furthermore, they cool the sea surface temperature by between 0.6 and 1.5°C, and thus allow the ocean to absorb more heat from the atmosphere. The additional heat imprints its characteristics into the thermocline. The Indonesian Seas cannot only be seen as a region of water mass transformation (in the sense of only transforming water masses in its interior) but also as a region of water mass formation (as it modifies the heat flux and induced more buoyancy flux). This analysis is complemented with a series of companion numerical experiments using different representations of the mixing and advection schemes. All the different schemes diagnose a lack of significant lateral mixing in the transformation.     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146) —— Implications for oceanic current transport and East Asian monsoon evolution

The East Asian monsoon system is a thermodynamic atmospheric circulation induced by the different potential heating between the 揥estern Pacific Warm Pool?(WPWP) and the Asian continent. The circulation patterns dominate seasonal patterns of winds, preci…     

ENSO related decadal scale climate variability from the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climatic phenomenon that affects socio-economical welfare in vast areas in the world. A continuous record of Holocene ENSO related climate variability of the Indo-Pacific Warm pool (IPWP) is constructed on the basis of stable oxygen isotopes in shells of planktic foraminifera from a sediment core in the western Pacific Ocean. At the centennial scale, variations in the stable oxygen isotope signal (δ¹⁸O) are thought be a representation of ENSO variability, although an imprint of local conditions cannot be entirely excluded. The record for the early Holocene (10.3–6 ka BP) shows, in comparison with the mid- to late Holocene, small amplitude variations in the δ¹⁸O record of up to 0.3‰ indicating relatively stable and warm sea surface conditions. The mid- to late Holocene (6–2 ka BP) exemplified higher variability in δ¹⁸O and thus in oceanic IPWP conditions. Climatically, we interpret this change (5.5–4.2 ka BP) as a phenomenon induced by variability in frequency and/or intensity changes of El Niño. In the period 4.2–2 ka BP we identified several periods, centred on 1.9, 2.1, 2.7, 3.3, 3.7 and 4.2 ka BP, with in general heavy δ¹⁸O values. During these periods, the IPWP was relocated to a more eastward position, enhancing the susceptibility for El Niño-like conditions at the core site. Over the last 2000 yr precipitation increased in the area as a response to an increase in Asian monsoon strength, resulting in a freshening of the surface waters. This study corroborates previous findings that the present-day ENSO activity started around 5.5 ka BP.     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146)

Measurement of clay mineralogy at ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) indicates that illite, chlorite, and kaolinite contents increased during glacials and smectite content increased during interglacials. The smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the smectite abundance were determined as mineralogical indicators for the East Asian monsoon evolution. At a 10 ka timescale, prevailing southeasterly surface oceanic currents during interglacials transported more smectite from the south and east areas to the north, showing a strengthened summer monsoon circulation, whereas dominated counter-clockwise surface currents during glacials carried more illite and chlorite from Taiwan as well as from the Yangtze River via the Luzon Strait to the northern SCS, indicating a strongly intensified winter monsoon. Based on a 100 ka timescale, a linear correlation between the smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the sedimentation rate reflects that the winter monsoon has prevailed in the northern SCS in the intervals 2000–1200 ka and 400–0 ka and the summer monsoon did the same in the interval 1200–400 ka. The evolution of the summer monsoon provides an almost linear response to the summer insolation of Northern Hemisphere, implying an astronomical forcing of the East Asian monsoon evolution.     

Quaternary biogenic opal records in the South China Sea: Linkages to East Asian monsoon, global ice volume and orbital forcing

Particulate fluxes investigated in the central South China Sea (SCS) during 1993―1996 indicate that opal flux can be used to show primary productivity change, which provides a foundation for tracing the evolutionary relationship between the surface productivity and East Asian monsoon in the SCS during the late Quaternary glacial and interglacial periods. Based on the studies of opal % and their mass accumulation rates (MAR) at the six sites recovered from the SCS during the “Resolution” ODP Leg 184 and “Sonne” 95 cruise of the Sino-Germany cooperation, opal % and their MARs increased evidently in the northern sites since 470―900 ka, and they enhanced and reduced, respectively, during the glacial and interglacial periods. Whereas they increased obviously in the southern sites since 420―450 ka, and they augmented and declined, respectively, during the interglacial and glacial periods. The vari- ability in opal % and their MARs in the late Quaternary glacial cyclicity indicate the “seesaw” pattern of surface productivity in the SCS. The winter monsoon intensified during the glacial periods, surface productivity increased and decreased, respectively, in the northern and southern SCS. The summer monsoon strengthened during the interglacial periods, surface productivity increased and decreased, respectively, in the southern and northern SCS. The cross spectral analyses between the opal % in the northern and southern SCS during the Quaternary and global ice volume (δ 18O) and orbital forcing (ETP) indicate that the East Asian winter and summer monsoons could be ascribed to the different drive mechanisms. On the orbital time scale, the global ice volume change could be a dominant factor for the winter monsoon intension and temporal variations. As compared with the winter monsoon, the correlative summer solar radiation with the obliquity and precession in the Northern Hemisphere could be a mostly controlling factor for the summer monsoon intension and temporal variations.     

Clay mineral records of East Asian monsoon evolution during late Quaternary in the southern South China Sea

High-resolution clay mineral records combined with oxygen isotopic stratigraphy over the past 190 ka during late Quaternary from core MD01-2393 off the Mekong River in the southern South China Sea are reported to reconstruct a history of East Asian monsoon evolution. The dominating clay mineral components indicate a strong glacial-interglacial cyclicity, with high glacial illite, chlorite, and kaolinite contents and high interglacial smectites content. The provenance analysis indicates the direct input of clay minerals via the Mekong River drainage basin. Illite and chlorite derived mainly from the upper reach of the Mekong River, where physical erosion of meta-sedimentary rocks is dominant. Kaolinite derived mainly from active erosion of inhered clays from reworked sediments in the middle reaches. Smectites originated mainly through bisiallitic soils in the middle to lower reaches of the Mekong River. The smectites/(illite+chlorite) and smectites/kaolinite ratios are determined as mineralogical indicato     

Eco-environmental changes in the Chinese Loess Plateau during low-eccentricity interglacial Marine Isotope Stage 19

Eco-environmental changes during interglacials with an astronomical background similar to that of the Holocene are potentially helpful for understanding the future climatic evolution. Marine oxygen isotope stage(MIS) 19 is similar to the Holocene in astronomical background, both being characterized by a low eccentricity of the Earth's orbit. However, MIS 19 has attracted research attention only recently and therefore less is known about eco-environmental changes during this interval,especially based on terrestrial records. In the Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP), the S7 paleosol can provide valuable terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental record for MIS 19. Here, high-resolution terrestrial snail records from the L8–L7 strata of the Huining, Xifeng and Luochuan sequences in the CLP were analyzed in order to characterize spatio-temporal changes in climate and eco-environment during MIS 20–18. The results show that in all three sections the late part of MIS 20 was dominated by abundant cold-aridiphilous mollusc species, indicating that cold and dry climatic conditions prevailed across the entire CLP,under the strong influence of the winter monsoon. The mollusc fauna of MIS 19 were dominated by warmth-loving and thermohumidiphilous species that enable the definition of two climatic stages. The early part of MIS 19(～790–778 ka) was marked by warm and humid conditions, as evidenced by high abundances of warmth-loving and thermo-humidiphilous species. This interval was slightly warmer than today and it lasted for ～12 kyr. The climate of the later part of MIS 19(～778–761 ka) was more moderate, and increased proportions of cold-aridiphilous and warmth-loving species were recorded. The warmth of this period was similar to that of today, but the climatic fluctuations were stronger. During the early part of MIS 18(～761–745 ka), the Xifeng and Luochuan sections in the eastern CLP still maintained high abundances of warmth-loving and thermo-humidiphilous species, indicating that the moderate climatic conditions during late MIS 19 continued during early MIS 18, lasting for another～15 kyr, and that the influence of the summer monsoon remained strong in the eastern CLP during early MIS 18. However, in the western CLP, cold-aridiphilous species in the Huining section became dominant during early MIS 18, reflecting the prevalence of a cold and dry glacial climate, with the strong influence of the winter monsoon. These findings indicate that a steeper climatic gradient and a pronounced regional environmental difference existed between the eastern and western CLP during the early part of MIS 18. Comparison of our mollusc results with the variation of Earth orbital parameters suggested that climate changes in the CLP during MIS 20–18 were likely controlled mainly by insolation changes forced by the configuration of Earth orbital parameters. The unique orbital configuration during the low eccentricity interglacial-to-glacial transition could have strengthened the East Asian summer monsoon which favored the amelioration of the eco-environment in the CLP, especially in the eastern CLP where the summer monsoon exerted a strong influence. Thus we speculate that, under natural climatic conditions,the climate of the CLP may remain in a warm, humid state for another 30 kyr, although climatic instability and the seasonal differences between winter and summer could strengthen.     

Geochemistry of rare earth elements in the mid-late Quaternary sediments of the western Philippine Sea and their paleoenvironmental significance

Based on a δ18O chronology,rare earth elements(REE) and other typical elements in sediments from core MD06-3047 in the western Philippine Sea were analyzed to constrain the provenances of the sediments and investigate quantitative changes in the Asian eolian input to the study area over the last 700 ka.Among the competing processes that might affect REE compositions,sediment provenance is the most important one.Provenance analysis suggests that the study sediments have two provenance end-members;local volcanic sources are dominant,and eolian dust from the Asian continent has a smaller contribution.During glacial periods,eolian input to the western Philippine Sea was enhanced.In contrast,material supply from local volcanics increased during interglacial periods.Changes in eolian input to the study area were probably related to the strength of the East Asian winter monsoon(EAWM) as well as aridity in the Asian continent on an orbital time scale,and were partly influenced by local control factors on shorter time scales.Therefore,we propose that the present study expands the application of the REE-based method for quantitatively estimating the eolian component from the mid-latitude northern Pacific to the low-latitude western Pacific.Additionally,the study preliminarily confirms the influence of EAWM-transported eolian material on sedimentation in the western Philippine Sea since 700 ka.     

Seasonal and interannual patterns of sea surface temperature in Banda Sea as revealed by self-organizing map

Seasonal and interannual variations of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Banda Sea are studied for the period of January 1985 through December 2007. A neural network pattern recognition approach based on self-organizing map (SOM) has been applied to monthly SST from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Oceans Pathfinder. The principal conclusions of this paper are outlined as follows. There are three different patterns associated with the variations in the monsoonal winds: the southeast and northwest monsoon patterns, and the monsoon-break patterns. The southeast monsoon pattern is characterized by low SST due to the prevailing southeasterly winds that drive Ekman upwelling. The northwest monsoon pattern, on the other hand, is one of high SST distributed uniformly in space. The monsoon-break pattern is a transitional pattern between the northwest and southeast monsoon patterns, which is characterized by moderate SST patterns. On interannual time-scale, the SST variations are significantly influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomena. Low SST is observed during El Niño and/or positive IOD events, while high SST appears during La Niña event. Low SST in the Banda Sea during positive IOD event is induced by upwelling Kelvin waves generated in the equatorial Indian Ocean which propagate along the southern coast of Sumatra and Java before entering the Banda Sea through the Lombok and Ombai Straits as well as through the Timor Passage. On the other hand, during El Niño (La Niña) events, upwelling (downwelling) Rossby waves associated with off-equatorial divergence (convergence) in response to the equatorial westerly (easterly) winds in the Pacific, partly scattered into the Indonesian archipelago which in turn induce cool (warm) SST in the Banda Sea.     

Water mass transformation along the Indonesian throughflow in an OGCM

The oceanic pathways connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean are described using a quantitative Lagrangian method applied to Eulerian fields from an ocean general circulation model simulation of the Indonesian seas. The main routes diagnosed are in good agreement with those inferred from observations. The secondary routes and the Pacific recirculation are also quantified. The model reproduces the observed salt penetration of subtropical waters from the South Pacific, the homohaline stratification in the southern Indonesian basins, and the cold fresh tongue which exits into the Indian Ocean. These particular water mass characteristics, close to those observed, are obtained when a tidal mixing parameterization is introduced into the model. Trajectories are obtained which link the water masses at the entrance and at the exit of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF), and the mixing along each trajectory is quantified. Both the ITF and the Pacific recirculation are transformed, suggesting that the Indonesian transformation affects both the Indian and Pacific stratification. A recipe to form Indonesian water masses is proposed. We present three major features of the circulation that revisit the classical picture of the ITF and its associated water mass transformation, while still being in agreement with observations. Firstly, the homohaline layer is not a result of pure isopycnal mixing of the North Pacific Intermediate Water and South Pacific Subtropical Water (SPSW) within the Banda Sea, as previously thought. Instead, the observed homohaline layer is reproduced by the model, but it is caused by both isopycnal mixing with the SPSW and a dominant vertical mixing before the Banda Sea with the NPSW. This new mechanism could be real since the model reproduces the SPSW penetration as observed. Secondly, the model explains why the Banda Sea thermocline water is so fresh compared to the SPSW. Until now, the only explanation was a recirculation of the freshwater from the western route. The model does not reproduce this recirculation but instead shows strong mixing of the SPSW within the Halmahera and Seram Seas, which erodes the salinity maximum so that its signature is not longer perceptible. Finally, this work highlights the key role of the Java Sea freshwater. Even though its annual net mass contribution is small, its fresh salinity contribution is highly significant and represents the main reason why the Pacific salinity maxima are eroded.     

Palaeomonsoon vicissitudes in eastern desert region of China since last interglacial period

Based on the geological records, the palaeomonsoon in eastern desert region of China is divided into three major evolution stages, i.e. summer monsoon prevailing stage of last interglacial period (130-70kaB.P.), winter monsoon prevailing stage of last glacial period (70-10 kaB. P.), and unstable summer monsoon prevailing stage of postglacial period (10 kaB. P. to present) and further divided into several substages. The conversion between summer monsoon and winter monsoon in the region is dominated by the sudden change process. The north limit of summer monsoon in the region retreated to the north limit of sandy loess zone of the Loess Plateau in the last glacial period from the Mazong Mts. -Ulan Bator of last interglacial period, then it entered Shandan-Yabrai region in the optimum period of the Holocene, and finally it retreated to the present extended line from north piedmont of the Yinshan Mts to Hulun Buir. This shows that the summer monsoon caused by East Asian monsoon circulation tends to be weakened fluctuationally. However, the factors affecting the monsoon vicissitudes are complex, so special attention should be paid to the study of the short-period climatic fluctuations of the Holocene.     

High-resolution clay mineral assemblages in the inner shelf mud wedge of the East China Sea during the Holocene: Implications for the East Asian Monsoon evolution

The inner shelf mud wedge of the East China Sea(ECS) is a high-sedimentation-rate fine-grained sediment unit that has preserved a continuous environmental evolution history since the last deglaciation. We present a high-resolution clay mineralogical study from Core MD06-3040 to semi-quantitatively evaluate terrigenous sediment contributions from various potential provenances throughout the Holocene. The results showed that the clay mineral assemblage is composed of dominant illite(34–49%), moderate smectite(16–41%) and chlorite(15–28%), and minor kaolinite(5–12%). Provenance analysis suggested that most fine-grained terrigenous sediments originated from the Yangtze River, with minor sediments derived from Taiwan island and negligible sediments from nearby Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. Time series variation in the contribution of the Yangtze source fluctuated in the range of 38–80%, whereas that of Taiwan island had a converse variation pattern from ~10%to ~55%, and the contribution of Fujian was relatively stable in the range of 7–11% throughout the Holocene. The fluctuations of clay mineral assemblages and variations of clay mineral contributions from different provenances of Core MD06-3040 were controlled by the variability of precipitation in the Yangtze drainage associated with periodic fluctuations in the East Asian monsoonal circulation.     

High-resolution peat records for Holocene monsoon history in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Holocene peat sediment has been attached impor-tance to reconstruct the Holocene climatic variations because it can provide much palaeoclimatic informa-tion with high resolution. Analysis on the plant mac-rofossil[1], pollen[2―4], isotope ratio[5―9], element con-tent[10,11], total organic carbon (TOC)[12], humifica-tion[13,14] and grayscale[12] for peat sediment has shown its superiorities as a recorder medium for reconstruct-ing the Holocene climate. Hong et al. have done great fruitful w…     

Forcing mechanism of the Pleistocene east Asian monsoon variations in a phase perspective

The variations of the Earth’s geometry (ETP) pre-dominate climate changes such as monsoon on the Earth[1], serving as its external forcing. The loess/ paleosol sequence in Central China provides a good record of terrestrial deposition to study the evolution of the east Asian monsoon[2―4]. However, the deep sea deposition, due to its high resolution dating and abun-dant climate proxies, should be able to provide more climatic information in the geological time, such as the forcing mechanis…     

Solomon Sea circulation and water mass modifications: response at ENSO timescales

The South Pacific low latitude western boundary currents (LLWBCs) carry waters of subtropical origin through the Solomon Sea before joining the equatorial Pacific. Changes in their properties or transport are assumed to impact El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. At ENSO timescales, the LLWBCs transport tends to counterbalance the interior geostrophic one. When transiting through the complex geography of the Solomon Sea, the main LLWBC, the New Guinea Coastal Undercurrent, cannot follow a unique simple route to the equator. Instead, its routes and water mass properties are influenced by the circulation occurring in the Solomon Sea. In this study, the response of the Solomon Sea circulation to ENSO is investigated based on a numerical simulation. The transport anomalies entering the Solomon Sea from the south are confined to the top 250 m of the water column, where they represent 7.5 Sv (based on ENSO composites) for a mean transport of 10 Sv. The induced circulation anomalies in the Solomon Sea are not symmetric between the two ENSO states because of (1) a bathymetric control at Vitiaz Strait, which plays a stronger role during El Niño, and (2) an additional inflow through Solomon Strait during La Niña events. In terms of temperature and salinity, modifications are particularly notable for the thermocline water during El Niño conditions, with cooler and fresher waters compared to the climatological mean. The surface water at Vitiaz Strait and the upper thermocline water at Solomon Strait, feeding respectively the equatorial Pacific warm pool and the Equatorial Undercurrent, particularly affect the heat and salt fluxes. These fluxes can change by up to a factor of 2 between extreme El Niño and La Niña conditions.     

Quartz OSL dating of sand dunes of Late Pleistocene in the Mu Us Desert in northern China

The Mu Us Desert, located in the northwestern fringe of the East Asian monsoon region, is sensitive to climate variability. The desert is characterized by mobile, semi-fixed and fixed sand dunes. Alternating units of dune sands and sandy palaeosols in the Mu Us Desert imply multiple episodes of dune building and stabilization, in response to the ebb and flow of the East Asian monsoon. Desert evolution and climatic change of high-resolution in the Mu Us Desert are still poorly understood due to limited numerical dating results. In the present study, 19 samples collected from five sand dune sections along a northwest–southeast transect in the Mu Us Desert were dated using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and single aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. Internal checks of the OSL dating indicate that the SAR protocol is appropriate for equivalent dose (D_e) determination for the samples under study. Combined with the lithologic stratigraphy and the luminescence chronology, the sand dune development in the Mu Us Desert during the Late Pleistocene is discussed. Our results indicate that the sand was mobilized approximately at 91 ka, 71 ka, 48–22 ka, 5 ka, 1 ka, and 0.44 ka; the sand was fixed approximately at 65 ka and Holocene Optimum period in the interior Mu Us Desert. The Mu Us Desert formed at least before ～144 ka, and has shown increasing aridity in the Late Pleistocene.     

Lake level changes of Nam Co since 25 ka as revealed by OSL dating of paleo-shorelines

Many lakes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) experienced dramatic lake level changes in the late Quaternary, as suggested by well-preserved paleo-shorelines up to ∼200 m above present lake levels. These relic shorelines provide direct geomorphic record to reconstruct past lake level fluctuation history and water volume changes, linked closely to variations in paleo-climatic controls including Asian monsoon, westerlies and glacial meltwater. In this study, 27 near-shore sediment samples from three of eight paleo-shorelines at north of Nam Co were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) technique, using coarse grains of quartz and potassium feldspar.Our results indicate that: 1) S1 is the highest/most developed shoreline (+26 m). Sediment from upper part of S1 has a consistent age of ∼25 ka (nine samples from 3 gullies), suggesting a high lake level of Nam Co occurred around 25 ka. An overflow point west of Nam Co has a close elevation to that of S1 and thus limits the presence of higher lake levels; 2) sediment profile from the slightly lower S2 (+22 m) contains two parts, silty sand (6.9–8.9 ka) at the bottom and shoreline deposits atop (∼2.3 ka), suggesting Nam Co maintained a relative high lake level in the early Holocene and such lake level occurred again at about 3.0–2.0 ka; 3) In contrast to the swift variations of monsoon precipitation and glacial meltwater in the late Quaternary, water level of Nam Co remained relatively stable during the period from ∼25 ka to about early Holocene (from +26 m to +22 m), implying a continuous outflowing stage and lake infill constantly exceeds evaporation; 4) S5 (+11 m) has an age of 0.7–1.4 ka. Nam Co showed a much accelerated pace of shrinkage since about 2.0 ka in the late Holocene in roughly two steps: it dropped from +22 m to +11 m from ∼2.0 ka to 1.4 ka, and subsequently dropped another 11 m after 0.7 ka.     

Climate changes in East China since the Late-glacial inferred from high-resolution mountain peat humification records

High-resolution peat humification records were obtained from Dajiuhu of the Shennongjia Mountains and Qianmutian of the Tianmu Mountains to study climate changes in East China. The analyses of pollen, organic matters, TOC, and Rb/Sr indicate a high degree of peat humification and thus strong decomposition of organic matter when climate was dry. Conversely, when climate was humid, the degree of humification is low because peat was preserved in a waterlogged condition. Peat humification from Dajiuhu occurred not only during the Younger Dryas (about 11.4–12.6 cal ka BP), the Bølling-Allerød Warm Period (12.6–15.2 cal ka BP), and the Oldest Dryas (about 15.2–16.0 cal ka BP), but also during the early Holocene (about 11.4–9.4 cal ka BP), the 8.2 cal ka BP cold event, and the Holocene Optimum (about 7.0–4.2 cal ka BP). Both peat humification records since nearly 5 ka BP are consistent, showing that mountain peatland has synchronous responses to the East Asia monsoon-induced precipitation. The LOI data confirm the above observation. The monsoon precipitation since nearly 5 ka BP recorded in these two peat profiles can be divided into three phases. During 4.9–3.5 ka BP, precipitation amount was high but fluctuated greatly. During 3.5–0.9 ka BP, precipitation amount was low. During 0.9–0 ka BP, degree of humification reduced gradually, indicating the increase of monsoon precipitation. Contrast to other high-resolution records from East China monsoon region shows that the monsoon precipitation records of the two peat profiles since nearly 16 ka BP are controlled by a common forcing mechanism of summer solar radicalization in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Holocene thermal optimal and climate variability of East Asian monsoon inferred from forest reconstruction of a subalpine pollen sequence, Taiwan

The East Asian monsoon Holocene optimal period has been debated both about duration and whether conditions were a maximum in thermal conditions or in precipitation. In this study we show Holocene climate variability inferred by a forest reconstruction of a subalpine pollen sequence from peat bog deposits in central Taiwan, based on modern analogues of various altitudinal biomes in the region. A warmer interval occurred between 8 and 4 ka BP (calibrated ¹⁴C years) when the subtropical forests were more extensive. The Holocene thermal optimum is represented by an altitudinal tropical forest at 6.1–5.9 ka BP and 6.9 ka BP and only the latter was accompanied by wet conditions, indicating decoupling of thermal and precipitation mechanism in the middle Holocene. Abrupt and relative severe cold phases, shown by biome changes, occurred at about 11.2–11.0 ka BP; 7.5 ka BP; 7.2 ka BP; 7.1 ka BP; 5.2 ka BP, 5.0 ka BP and 4.9 ka BP. A spectral analysis of pollen of a relatively cold taxon — Salix, reveals that the time series is dominated by a 1500 yr periodicity and similar to the cold cycle reported in the marine records of Indian and western Pacific Oceans. The cold–warm conditions inferred by the change of forests show close relationship to solar energy in comparison with the production rate of Be-10.