Rb and Sr Geochemical Characterization of the Chinese Loess Stratigraphy and Its Implications for Palaeomonsoon Climate

Concentrations and distributions of Rb and Sr in loess and palaeosol samples from the Luochuan profile have been studied, in grain-size fractions and chemical forms. Results show that Rb is quite rich in the fraction of less than 2μm, and exits only in the residual phase, while Sr is distributed in sand and silt fractions, occurring in the residual and carbonate phases. Therefore, variations of the concentrations of Rb and Sr in loess and palaeosols are closely related not only to dustfall compositions depending on winter monsoon wind strength but also to summer monsoon-induced pedogenic intensity. This indicates that variations of Rb/Sr ratio in Chinese loess sequences represent cyclic alternations of East Asian summer and winter monsoon climates on the orbital time-scale. Variations in Sr concentrations along the sequence bear a high similarity to the oxygen isotope record of the deep sea sediments over the past 2.5 Ma, whereas variations in Rb concentrations are in good agreement with the record of     

南京老虎山黄土剖面中铷锶地球化学和磁化率与古气候变化的关系

宁镇地区的下蜀黄土记录了古气候变化的丰富信息，作为中国北方风尘堆积的南部边缘相，下蜀黄土在全球环境变化研究中占有重要的地位。本文以10cm间距系统分析了老虎山剖面的Rb、Sr含量和频率磁化率。结果显示，磁化率和Rb含量可以较好地指示东亚冬季风强度变化；Rb/Sr比可以作为下蜀黄土化学风化强度的替代性指标；剖面的Rb/Sr比由下至上升高是南京地区12万年以来化学风化作用增强的结果。     

临夏黄土记录的26万年来季风快速变化

黄土高原西部高分辨率黄土序列开展的多代用指标研究,有助于揭示轨道-亚轨道尺度上东亚冬、夏季风的变化特征及动力机制。但针对同一地质记录提取冬、夏季风多代用指标进行对比和敏感性分析的工作尚不多见,因此制约了对季风快速变化特征和机理的理解。本文利用甘肃临夏85 m黄土岩芯开展高分辨率的粒度、磁化率和元素扫描分析,发现在轨道尺度上粒度和Zr/Rb比值显示的大幅冰期-间冰期波动与深海氧同位素记录有很好的对应关系,表明东亚冬季风的波动响应于北半球高纬冰量的变化。但在千年尺度上,粒度能更敏感地响应冬季风的快速变化;Rb/Sr比值和磁化率均能很好记录轨道尺度上的东亚夏季风波动,但在亚轨道尺度上Rb/Sr的敏感性明显高于磁化率。粒度、Zr/Rb和Rb/Sr所指示的东亚季风快速变化表现出较强的岁差信号,与石笋和北纬65°夏季太阳辐射有较好的对应关系,表明东亚季风变化也受到岁差直接驱动的夏季太阳辐射变的控制。在最后两个冰期-间冰期旋回中(即末期冰期旋回和倒数第二次冰期旋回)Rb/Sr及Zr/Rb比值和粒度记录分别可以辨别出与石笋相同数量级的变暖事件,但粒度记录的暖事件明显要多于Rb/Sr及Zr/Rb比值,且这些暖事件并不能一一对应。粒度及元素比值记录显著变冷的千年尺度的Heinrich(H)事件与石笋记录的夏季风明显减弱的事件有很好的对应关系,但其发生频率明显高于海洋记录。这些指标记录的千年尺度上波动信号的不一致性主要归因指标对不同气候要素敏感性的差异。未来需要进一步开展高分辨率多代用指标敏感性分析,选取对季风快速变化的敏感指标,有助于我们理解季风快速变化的特征(如周期和幅度等)和分析季风快速变化的时空差异性。     

Major changes in East Asian climate in the mid-Pliocene: Triggered by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau or global cooling?

Since the mid-Pliocene, East Asian climates have experienced significant changes. One view suggests that significant uplift of the Tibetan Plateau during this period could have been responsible for these dramatic changes in the strength of the East Asian monsoon and for Asian interior aridification, while some other authors attribute these changes to the ongoing global cooling and rapid growth of the Arctic ice-sheet. Up to the present, which factor dominates the major changes of East Asian climate in the mid-Pliocene is still a contentious issue. This study presents an analysis of several climate proxies including grain-size, (CaO^* + Na₂O + MgO)/TiO₂ ratio, Na/Ka ratio and dust accumulation rates of the Xifeng Red Clay sequence in the eastern Chinese Loess Plateau and the Xihe Pliocene loess-soil sequence in West Qinling. They reveal that aridity in the continental interior and winter monsoon circulation both intensified, whereas the East Asian summer monsoon showed a weakening rather than intensifying trend since the mid-Pliocene. These changes are also supported by the other multi-proxy records from various regions in East Asia. Previous numerical modeling studies have demonstrated that uplift of the Tibetan Plateau would have simultaneously enhanced continental-scale summer and winter monsoon strength as well as central Asian aridity. The mid-Pliocene climate changes in East Asia are therefore unlikely to be a response to Plateau uplift. On the contrary, our recent modeling results give support to the view that ongoing cooling could have intensified both the aridity of the interior and the strength of the winter monsoon, but weakened the summer monsoon in East Asia.     

陕西洛川黄土剖面的Rb/Sr值及其气候地层学意义

本文系统地测试了陕西洛川黄土-古土壤剖面中的Rb,Sr含量和磁化率。通过对比该剖面2．50MaB．P．以来Rb／Sr曲线和磁化率曲线,发现两者的形状和变化的相位十分相似,然而两者的相对振幅却有明显的差别。Rb／Sr曲线记录了0．80MaB．P．左右一次重要的气候转型界面,揭示了黄士和古土壤内部次一级的气候波动旋回,反映了早更新世黄土高原较温暖潮湿的特点以及更新世以来气候由湿向干的变化趋势。研究表明,Rb／Sr值可以作为衡量东亚夏季风环流强度变化的较为敏感的替代性指标。     

Zr/Rb ratio in the Chinese loess sequences and its implication for changes in the East Asian winter monsoon strength

The long-term dust accumulation sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) provide a valuable opportunity to study the evolution of East Asian winter monsoon strength. Grain size of bulk samples of loess deposits, though widely used, is a modified measure of the strength of winter monsoon wind due to modification by post-depositional weathering and pedogenesis. This study proposes a new and reliable geochemical climate proxy that records the variability of the East Asian winter monsoon on the CLP. Six loess-paleosol sections on the Plateau were selected for measuring concentrations of the trace elements Zr and Rb as well as grain size. Variations of the Zr/Rb ratio in all the sections encompassing the last 130 ka display a generally similar pattern to that of mean grain size of bulk samples (MGSB). Though a positive correlation exists between the Zr/Rb ratio and MGSB, the correlation coefficient decreases in southern and eastern sections where intense pedogenesis occurred in the relatively warm and humid climates. Long-term Zr/Rb variation in the Lingtai section exhibits amplitudes and frequencies similar to those in MGSB and the mean grain size of quartz particles (MGSQ, accepted as a more reliable proxy than MGSB) in the upper loess-paleosol sequence over the past 2.6 Ma. However, for the underlying Red Clay formation, in the interval from about 7-2.6 Ma B.P., the MGSB record is relatively stable, whereas both the Zr/Rb ratio and MGSQ show distinct variability and display amplitudes similar to those observed in the overlying loess-paleosol sequence. These results demonstrate that the Zr/Rb ratio reflects original eolian grain size and may serve as a reliable index of the strength of East Asian winter monsoon winds.     

Impacts of grain size sorting and chemical weathering on the geochemistry of Jingyuan loess in the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau

Major and trace elemental compositions of loess samples collected from the Jingyuan section in the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) were analyzed to investigate the potential impacts of grain size sorting and chemical weathering on the loess geochemistry and to extract appropriate geochemical indices for better evaluating the East Asian monsoon variability. Based on variations of major and trace elements in different grain size fractions, seventeen elements were classified into three types: (1) Si and Na display higher contents with the increased particle sizes; (2) Al, Fe, Mg, K, Mn, Zn, Rb, Cr, V are mainly enriched in fine size fractions; (3) Ti, Ba, Zr, P, Ca and Sr show irregular variations among different size fractions. Comparison of Al-normalized elemental ratios with Zr/Rb and Rb/Sr ratios (two commonly employed indicators for grain size sorting and pedogenic weathering) indicates that Si/Al, Zr/Al, Ti/Al variations match well with Zr/Rb and grain size results, whilst Ca/Al, Sr/Al, P/Al ratios display similar variability as that of Rb/Sr ratio. Comparison of loess based proxies (e.g., elemental ratios, magnetic susceptibility, grain size) of Jingyuan section with speleothem and ice-core records confirms that elemental ratios of high-resolution loess sequences developed in the northwestern CLP can be employed to address fluctuations of the winter monsoon-induced grain size sorting and summer monsoon-related weathering and pedogenesis at glacial–interglacial and millennial timescales.     

Constraints from strontium and neodymium isotopic ratios and trace elements on the sources of the sediments in Lake Huguang Maar

The sediments in Lake Huguang Maar in coastal South China were previously thought to originate mainly from wind-blown dust transported from North China, such that the lake sediments recorded the varying strength of the Asian winter monsoon. An alternative explanation was that the local pyroclastic rocks supplied the lake sediments, but the actual contributions from the different sources remained unclear. Geochemical analyses including ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and trace elements support the local pyroclastic rock as the dominant source: < 22% of the total Sr in the lake sediments and  17% of the Nd arises from the distant source. Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf for the lake sediments are identical to those for the local rock but differ from the ratios for the wind-blown dust, and chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns for the lake sediments are similar to those for the local rock and soil, but differ from those for the distant source. The sediments in Lake Huguang Maar are probably input into the lake through runoff and thus controlled by the hydrology of the lake. Wind-blown dust transported by the Asian winter monsoon from arid North China is only a minor contribution to the sediments.     

Extreme variations in strontium initial ratios in ore-related fluids

Magmato-hydrothermal cassiterite-topaz ore at the Carboniferous East Kemptville (EK) greisenhosted tin deposit (Nova Scotia, Canada) is cross-cut by veins containing apatite, triplite, vivianite and fluorite. Initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of these minerals have an extreme range (0.7135 to 0.8284). The initial ratios of the host rocks, EK quartz-topaz rock and Davis Lake biotite monzogranite (0.729±0.001, 0.727±0.004), are also high. The adjacent Meguma Group metasedimentary rocks are more typical of crustal material (0.712–0.719 at 330 Ma). Rb and Sr contents of EK fluorite (max.: 13.0, 1420 ppm) and apatite (max.: 88.1, 6660 ppm) are unusually high and variable. Unexpectedly, high Sr contents correlate positively with the high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. Fluorite and phosphate minerals from the first set of post-greisen veins at East Kemptville reflect the unusual chemistry of a high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr fluid present in the deposit after ore formation. The most extreme composition of this fluid was characterized by ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr>0.8284, high Rb/Sr, high P, Rb, Cu, Zn and Fe contents, but low abundances of Ca, Pb and Sn with respect to the Davis Lake monzogranite. Such a fluid could have been derived from the greisen fluid and modified by reaction with the overlying Meguma metawacke. A second alternative, which cannot be well constrained at present, is that an extremely radiogenic fluid entered the deposit after ore formation and mixed with the postore fluid. In either case, the modified fluid subsequently mixed with meteoric water and precipitated the minerals with much lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and Rb and Sr contents.     

大别山北麓黄土-古土壤Rb、Sr与磁化率及其古环境意义

对大别山北麓0.78 Ma以来的黄土-古土壤样品的磁化率及Rb和Sr的地球化学特征研究表明,相对高的w(Rb)和w(Rb)/w(Sr)值及低w(Sr)值指示夏季风占优势的湿润时期,对应古土壤层;相对低的w(Rb)和w(Rb)/w(Sr)值及高w(Sr)值指示冬季风占优势的干旱期,磁化率相对较低,对应黄土层。剖面的w(Rb)/w(Sr)值自下至上降低反映大别山北麓地区的风化作用逐渐减弱,也揭示自0.78 Ma以来气候具有由湿向干的趋势;磁化率与w(Rb)/w(Sr)值的对比分析表明,它们的变化曲线存在显著不同,原因可能是由于磁化率在古土壤中的增强机制比较复杂所致,w(Rb)/w(Sr)值作为气候替代指标比磁化率更灵敏。与洛川剖面相比,大别山黄土-古土壤的w(Rb)较高而w(Sr)较低及Rb、Sr较强的分异能力特征反映了大别山气候整体较为温湿,沉积物遭受的风化程度更强。     

湖泊沉积物不同粒级组分的元素含量特征及其环境指示意义①——以内蒙古黄旗海为例

黄旗海湖泊柱状沉积物的全样、77~20 μm、<20 μm粒级的钛(Ti)、锰(Mn)、锶(Sr)、銣(Rb)、钡(Ba)、锆(Zr)等元素含量分析表明,元素在湖泊沉积物各粒级组分的丰度存在较大差异:Ti、Zr倾向于在粗颗粒中富集,Mn、Sr、Rb倾向于在细颗粒中富集,Ba的富集粒级不明显。Ti、Zr与Mn、Rb的颗粒粒级富集倾向可能是其硅酸盐矿物颗粒碎化过程的结果,而Sr则与湖泊自生碳酸盐有关。元素比值Zrc/（Rbc+Bac）、Zrc/Rbc与Ti、Zr的粒度效应Tic/Tif、Zrc/Zrf指示了沉积物重、轻矿物的相对比率,是流域侵蚀强度与湖泊涨缩的信息指示;Ba、Rb与Sr在细粒级的含量之比Baf/Srf、Rbf/Srf指示了硅酸盐与碳酸盐矿物的相对含量,是流域风化、侵蚀搬运强度与湖泊过程（包括物理/化学/生物）等混合信息指示,没有明确的环境指向性。     

Late Quaternary climatic control on erosion and weathering in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and the Mekong Basin

High-resolution siliciclastic grain size and bulk mineralogy combined with clay mineralogy, rubidium, strontium, and neodymium isotopes of Core MD01-2393 collected off the Mekong River estuary in the southwestern South China Sea reveals a monsoon-controlled chemical weathering and physical erosion history during the last 190,000 yr in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and the Mekong Basin. The ranges of isotopic composition are limited throughout sedimentary records: ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7206–0.7240 and ε_Nd(0) = −11.1 to −12.1. These values match well to those of Mekong River sediments and they are considered to reflect this source region. Smectites/(illite + chlorite) and smectites/kaolinite ratios are used as indices of chemical weathering rates, whereas the bulk kaolinite/quartz ratio is used as an index of physical erosion rates in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and the Mekong Basin. Furthermore, the 2.5–6.5 μm/15–55 μm siliciclastic grain size population ratio represents the intensity of sediment discharge of the Mekong River and, in turn, the East Asian summer monsoon intensity. Strengthened chemical weathering corresponds to increased sediment discharge and weakened physical erosion during interglacial periods. In contrast, weakened chemical weathering associated with reduced sediment discharge and intensified physical erosion during glacial periods. Such strong glacial–interglacial correlations between chemical weathering/erosion and sediment discharge imply the monsoon-controlled weathering and erosion.     

Decou pled Summer and Winter Monsoon in Northeast Tibet and Northwest Loess Plateau During the Last Interglaciation

DECOUPLED SUMMER AND WINTER MONSOON IN NORTHEAST TIBET AND NORTHWEST LOESS PLATEAU DURING THE LAST INTERGLACIATIONtheNationalKeyProjectforBasicResearchonTibetPlateau (G19980 4 80 0 )andtheNationalNaturalSci encesFoundationofChina (No.4 990     

Climate fluctuation on a kiloyear scale during the Late Last Glacial in Mu Us Desert,China: evidence from Rb and Sr contents and ratios

The MGS2 segment of the Milanggouwan stratigraphical section in China’s Salawusu River Valley records 5.5 sedimentary cycles consisting of dune sands alternating with fluviolacustrine facies or/and palaeosols. The high Rb and Sr contents and low Rb/Sr ratios in the fluviolacustrine facies indicate the presence of a warm and humid climate, and vice versa for a dry and cold climate. Rb and Sr appeared to have 5.5 element cycles that are consistent with the sedimentation changes, and each cycle lasts about 2 ka on average. This study suggests that the observed cycles mainly resulted from variations in the strength of the East Asian winter and summer monsoons, and the MGS2 segment experienced six cold-dry winter monsoons and five warm-humid summer monsoons during the OIS2. In addition, the millennial-scale monsoonal climate fluctuations revealed by the element cycles corresponded well with the Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles recorded in the Greenland ice cores and Heinrich events in the North Atlantic marine sediments. Therefore, the monsoonal climate fluctuations revealed by the Rb and Sr in the MGS2 segment were likely triggered by global climate change.     

Holocene climate variations from Zhuyeze terminal lake records in East Asian monsoon margin in arid northern China

Zhuyeze palaeolake is a terminal lake situated in the arid northern China in the East Asian monsoon margin. In order to examine the Holocene palaeoclimatic change in the East Asian monsoon margin, Qingtu Lake section (QTL) from Zhuyeze palaeolake is sampled in high resolution. Palaeoclimatic proxies such as grain size, carbonate, TOC, C/N and δ¹³C of organic matter, were analyzed; eleven ¹⁴C samples and six optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples were dated to provide chronological control. We also investigated the geomorphic features of lake shorelines in this area. The results show that the climate was warm and dry in early-Holocene (9.5-7.0 cal ka BP), cool and humid in mid-Holocene (7.0-4.8 cal ka BP), and increasingly drier in late-Holocene (since 4.8 cal ka BP). Comparisons of our records with other records in adjacent areas, as well as with the records in the Asian monsoon areas, suggested that changes in effective moisture was synchronous in East Asian monsoon marginal zone (i.e. the pattern of dry early-Holocene, humid mid-Holocene, and aridity-increasing late-Holocene), and that the moisture optimum during the Holocene was out-of-phase between Asian monsoon margin and Asian monsoonal dominated region, possibly due to the high temperature at that time.     

Heinrich events recorded in a loess-paleosol sequence from Hexigten,Inner Mongolia

We describe the last glaciation climatic history Marine Isotope Stage(MIS, 2-4) from 66.7 ka to 14.5 ka in Hexigten, northeast Inner Mongolia, North China. The climate of the region experienced frequent and significant fluctuations between dry-cold and less dry-cold during the late MIS4. The climate was generally warm and humid during early MIS3(MIS3 c) and late MIS3(MIS3 a), whereas it was cold and dry in middle MIS3(MIS3 b) and during MIS2. In this study, the cold and dry conditions were correlated with a stronger East Asian winter monsoon and strong dune activity; whereas, warm and humid conditions were related to a stronger East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) and weak dune activity. This study establishes six distinct dry and cold intervals during the last glacial period(66.7-14.5 ka) based on optically stimulated luminescence data, multi-proxies record(magnetic susceptibility, grain size analysis, Rb/Sr, SiO2/TiO2) and chemical index of alteration(CIA). The last glacial period may be correlated with Heinrich events 1 to 6 which were further confirmed by comparison with the Hulu cave stalagmites and Greenland ice core records. It is concluded that the study area was substantially affected by the EASM, as compared with the loess-desert transition zone of the Chinese Loess Plateau, especially in MIS3 c and suggested that the East Asian monsoon played a pivotal role in the last glacial period climate and dune activity.     

Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle,based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records

Previous studies have suggested a sound chronological correlation between the Hulu Cave record (East Asian monsoon) and Greenland ice-core records, which implies a dominant control of northern hemisphere climate processes on monsoon intensity. We present an objective, straightforward statistical evaluation that challenges this generally accepted paradigm for sub-orbital variability. We propose a more flexible, global interpretation, which takes into account a broad range of variability in the signal structures in the Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records, rather than a limited number of major transitions. Our analysis employs the layer-counted Greenland Ice-Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05), which was developed for Greenland records and has since been applied – via methane synchronisation – to the high-resolution δ¹⁸O_ice series from EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML). The GICC05 chronology allows these ice-core records to be compared to the U–Th dated Hulu Cave record within relatively narrow (～3%) bounds of age uncertainty. Following previous suggestions, our proposed interpretation suggests that the East Asian monsoon is influenced by a combination of northern hemisphere ‘pull’ (which is more intense during boreal warm periods), and southern hemisphere ‘push’ (which is more intense monsoon during austral cold periods). Our analysis strongly suggests a dominant control on millennial-scale monsoon variability by southern hemisphere climate changes during glacial times when the monsoon is weak overall, and control by northern hemisphere climate changes during deglacial and interglacial times when the monsoon is strong. The deduced temporally variable relationship with southern hemisphere climate records offers a statistically more plausible reason for the apparent coincidence of major East Asian monsoon transitions with northern hemisphere (Dansgaard–Oeschger, DO) climate events during glacial times, than the traditional a priori interpretation of strict northern hemisphere control.     

Holocene East Asian monsoon variation inferred from species assemblage and shell chemistry of the ostracodes from Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia

A sediment core from Hulun Lake, Inner Mongolia was analyzed for species assemblages and shell chemistry of ostracodes to investigate changes in the hydrology and climate of the East Asian summer monsoon margin during the Holocene. Darwinula stevensoni was abundant, Ilyocypris spp. scarce, littoral ostracodes absent and Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and δ¹⁸O were low 11,100 to 8300 yr ago, indicating high lake levels and cool/fresh waters. Darwinula stevensoni declined largely, Ilyocypris spp. throve, littoral ostracodes were rare and chemical indicators remained in low values 8300 to 6200 yr ago, suggesting that the lake continued high stands but water became warm. The lake then contracted and water became cool/brackish 6200 to 4300 yr ago. Littoral ostracodes flourished 4300 to 3350 yr ago, marking the lowest lake levels of the entire Holocene. The lake level recovered and water salinity decreased 3350 to 1900 yr ago. From 1900 to 500 yr ago, the lake maintained the preceding status albeit lowered stands and increased salinities 1100 to 800 yr ago. During the recent 500 yr, the lake expanded and water salinity decreased. The data imply that the East Asian summer monsoon did not intensify until 8300 yr ago and weakened dramatically 4300 to 3350 yr ago.     

Pb and Sr systematics of ultrapotassic and basaltic rocks from the central Sierra Nevada,California

This study presents Sr and Pb isotopic ratios and Rb, Sr, U, Th, and Pb concentrations of an ultrapotassic basaltic suite and related rocks from the central Sierra Nevada, California. The ultrapotassic suite yields a narrow range of Sr and Pb isotopic compositions (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.70597–0.70653; ²⁰⁶Pb/ ²⁰⁴Pb=18.862–19.018; ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=15.640–15.686; ²⁰⁸Pb/ ²⁰⁴Pb=38.833–38.950). Associated basalts containing ultramafic nodules have less radiogenic Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶=0.70430–0.70521) and generally higher Rb/Sr ratios than the ultrapotassic suite. Leucitites from Deep Springs Valley, California, contain high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (71141–0.71240) and low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (17.169–17.234) ratios, reflecting contamination by crustal granulite.The isotopic relationships support an origin of the ultrapotassic basaltic suite by partial melting of an enriched upper mantle source. Dehydration of a gently inclined oceanic slab beneath the Sierra Nevada may have provided Ba, K, Rb, Sr, and H₂O, which migrated into the overlying upper mantle lithosphere. The end of subduction 10 m.y. ago allowed increased asthenospheric heat flow into the upper mantle lithosphere. The increased heat flow enhanced fluid movement in the upper mantle and contributed towards isotopic homogenization of the upper mantle source areas. Continued heating of the enriched upper mantle caused partial melting and subsequent eruption of the ultrapotassic lavas.     

Decoupling of the East Asian summer monsoon and Indian summer monsoon between 20 and 17 ka

Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 2, with its profound environmental and climatic changes from before the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the last deglaciation, is an ideal period for understanding the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and Indian summer monsoon (ISM), two Asian monsoon sub-systems. With 875 stable oxygen isotope ratios and 43 ²³⁰Th dates from stalagmites in Sanxing Cave, southwestern China, we construct and interpret a new, replicated, Asian summer monsoon (ASM) record covering 30.9–9.7 ka with decadal resolution. δ¹⁸O records from this site and other reported Chinese caves display similar long-term orbitally dominated trends and synchronous millennial-scale strong and weak monsoonal events associated with climate changes in high northern latitudes. Interestingly, Sanxing δ¹⁸O and Arabian Sea records show a weakening ISM from 22 to 17 ka, while the Hulu and Qingtian records from East and Central China express a 3-ka intensifying EASM from 20 to 17 ka. This decoupling between EASM and ISM may be due to different sensitivities of the two ASM sub-systems in response to internal feedback mechanisms associated with the complex geographical or land-ocean configurations.