The coupled δC-radiocarbon systematics of three Late Glacial/early Holocene speleothems; insights into soil and cave processes at climatic transitions

The coupled δ¹³C-radiocarbon systematics of three European stalagmites deposited during the Late Glacial and early Holocene were investigated to understand better how the carbon isotope systematics of speleothems respond to climate transitions. The emphasis is on understanding how speleothems may record climate-driven changes in the proportions of biogenic (soil carbon) and limestone bedrock derived carbon. At two of the three sites, the combined δ¹³C and ¹⁴C data argue against greater inputs of limestone carbon as the sole cause of the observed shift to higher δ¹³C during the cold Younger Dryas. In these stalagmites (GAR-01 from La Garma cave, N. Spain and So-1 from Sofular cave, Turkey), the combined changes in δ¹³C and initial ¹⁴C activities suggest enhanced decomposition of old stored, more recalcitrant, soil carbon at the onset of the warmer early Holocene. Alternative explanations involving gradual temporal changes between open- and closed-system behaviour during the Late Glacial are difficult to reconcile with observed changes in speleothem δ¹³C and the growth rates. In contrast, a stalagmite from Pindal cave (N. Spain) indicates an abrupt change in carbon inputs linked to local hydrological and disequilibrium isotope fractionation effects, rather than climate change. For the first time, it is shown that while the initial ¹⁴C activities of all three stalagmites broadly follow the contemporaneous atmospheric ¹⁴C trends (the Younger Dryas atmospheric ¹⁴C anomaly can be clearly discerned), subtle changes in speleothem initial ¹⁴C activities are linked to climate-driven changes in soil carbon turnover at a climate transition.     

Holocene climate variability in Europe: Evidence from δ18O,textural and extension-rate variations in three speleothems

Time-series O isotope profiles for three U–Th dated stalagmites have revealed that for much of the Holocene, a site on the Atlantic seaboard (SW Ireland) exhibits first-order δ¹⁸O trends that are almost exactly out of phase with coupled δ¹⁸O curves from two southern European sites (SE France and NW Italy). In the Irish stalagmite (CC3 from Crag Cave, SW Ireland), low δ¹⁸O at 10,000 cal yr BP reflects cool conditions. By the early to mid-Holocene (9000–6000 cal yr BP) δ¹⁸O had increased, reflecting the onset of warmer conditions on the Atlantic seaboard. This shift to higher δ¹⁸O was accompanied by a marked increase in the stalagmite extension rate, reinforcing our interpretation that this was a period of relative warmth. Except for an episode of increased extension rate about 5500 yr ago, δ¹⁸O in the Crag stalagmite exhibits a gradual decrease, accompanied by declining extension rates between 7800 and 3500 cal yr BP, interpreted as a cooling trend. There is evidence for increases in both δ¹⁸O and stalagmite extension rate in the period from 3500 cal yr BP to the present day suggesting a return to warmer conditions on the Atlantic seaboard. In the stalagmite from NW Italy (ER76, Grotta di Ernesto, Trentino province) the early-Holocene (c. 9200-7800 cal yr BP) is characterised by high δ¹⁸O, probably indicative of warm and/or dry conditions. Exceptionally low δ¹⁸O from 7800 to 6900 cal yr BP at this site reflects a well-defined wet phase (Cerin wet phase). In the last three millennia, this stalagmite exhibits a shift to lower δ¹⁸O, interpreted as some combination of cooler and/or wetter conditions. Unlike the Irish stalagmite, the Italian sample does not show a correlation between δ¹⁸O and extension rate. Instead, its extension rate correlates roughly with δ¹³C, presumably reflecting a climate-driven vegetation change. In the early Holocene, δ¹⁸O in the French stalagmite (CL26, Grotte de Clamouse, Herault province, SE France) was low relative to its Holocene average. For much of the period since c. 3500 cal yr BP this stalagmite exhibits higher δ¹⁸O than in the early Holocene, suggesting warmer conditions. Like the Irish stalagmite, the French sample exhibits a well-defined correlation between δ¹⁸O and extension rate. Had drip-water availability been the dominant control on δ¹⁸O at this semi-arid site then higher δ¹⁸O would have been accompanied by lower, not higher extension rates. This suggests strongly that temperature rather than rainfall amount was the dominant control at this site. While conclusions regarding the patterns of climate variability on a continent scale must remain tentative because of the limited number of stalagmites studied we argue that early Holocene warm conditions on the Atlantic seaboard (Irish site) coincided with relatively cool conditions at the Clamouse site. By c. 3500 yr ago the pattern appears to have been reversed.     

A paleoclimate record of the last 17,600 years in stalagmites from the B7 cave,Sauerland, Germany

Petrographical and geochemical parameters of stalagmites from the B7 cave in Iserlohn–Letmathe (Northern Rhenish Massif, NW Germany) record Late- and postglacial climate changes (temperature and/or precipitation). Fabrics and microfacies of the stalagmite profiles lead to a differentiation of four hierarchies of rhythms. Clastic layers in the stalagmites are caused by flooding events and are time markers. Twenty-four TIMS Th/U-age-dates provide a time calibration of stalagmite growth phases. One stalagmite reveals an early growth period between 17.6 and 16.7 ka BP. Between 9.6 and 5.5 ka BP (Atlantic episode of the Holocene) the growth rate of the stalagmites was higher than before and after this time, with dominant light-porous microfacial laminae and high δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values representing partly kinetic fractionation effects. This part of the Holocene is interpreted as a mainly warm episode with frequent interruptions of dripping. Within the past 4 ka the profiles with predominant dark compact facies reveal low isotopic values which may be interpreted as a temperature proxy record. The stalagmite records resemble records from an Irish stalagmite. Correlation with the Δ¹⁴C record from European tree rings suggests that colder periods in the North Atlantic were accompanied by drier winters in central Europe.     

Analysis of the climate signal contained within δO and growth rate parameters in two Ethiopian stalagmites

We combine surface and cave climate monitoring with multiple stalagmite parameters to help understand and calibrate the climate records contained within stalagmites from a region with strong rainfall seasonality. Two actively growing stalagmites from Ethiopia were analysed in order to investigate the climate signal contained within δ¹⁸O and growth rate parameters. The δ¹⁸O and growth rate of the two stalagmites give different responses to surface climate due to variations in the climate signal transfer. Both stalagmites (Merc-1 and Asfa-3) have a climate response that is seasonal; however this signal is subsequently smoothed by the mixing of event and storage water within the aquifer. Merc-1 responds more to high frequency (‘event’) climate, due to a greater ratio of event to storage water in this sample, whereas Asfa-3 responds more to low frequency (‘storage’) climate. In addition, different parameters respond to different seasons. For example, stalagmite Asfa-3, from greater depth from the surface and with a slow drip rate, has a growth rate that responds to the amount of summer rain. In contrast, Merc-1, closer to the surface and with a faster drip rate, exhibits no clear response to surface climate, probably due to a more complex climate signal transfer. δ¹⁸O response varies with stalagmite due to the interplay between rainfall forcing factors (amount, seasonality) and disequilibrium kinetics, with opposing correlations between seasonal rainfall and δ¹⁸O between the samples. Our results demonstrate that analysis of seasonal climate forcing, and transfer functions reflecting the mixing of event and storage water, may be the most appropriate approach to develop of transfer functions appropriate for high-resolution, stalagmite climate reconstruction.     

Episodes of late Holocene aridity recorded by stalagmites from Devil's Icebox Cave, central Missouri, USA

Two stalagmites from Devil's Icebox Cave, central Missouri, display similar δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values and trends during the late Holocene. Positive δ¹³C excursions at 3.5-2.6 ka and 1.2-0.9 ka are interpreted to reflect drier conditions. These elevated stalagmite δ¹³C values could have plausibly been driven by increasing C₄ plant abundances over the cave or an increased contribution of bedrock carbon, both of which could reflect decreased effective moisture. A lack of corresponding oxygen isotopic anomalies during these intervals suggests that neither mean annual temperature nor the seasonality of precipitation changed concomitantly with dryness. Both of the δ¹³C excursions identified in our stalagmite record are roughly coincident with dry intervals from a number of sites located across the Great Plains.     

The speleothem record of climate variability in Southern Arabia

Uranium-series dated stalagmites from Oman indicate that pluvial conditions prevailed from 6.3 to 10.5, 78 to 82, 120 to 130, 180 to 200 and 300 to 330 kyr B.P.; all of these periods coincide with peak interglacials. Oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δD) isotope ratios of speleothem calcite and fluid inclusions reveal the source of moisture and provide information on the amount of precipitation, respectively. δ¹⁸O and δD values of stalagmites deposited during peak interglacials vary between ?8 and ?4 ‰ (VPDB) and ?53 and ?20‰ (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water [VSMOW]) respectively, whereas modern stalagmites range from ?2.6 to ?1.1‰ in δ¹⁸O (VPDB) and ?7.6 and ?3.3‰ in δD (VSMOW), respectively. The growth and isotopic records indicate that during peak interglacial periods, the limit of the monsoon rainfall was shifted far north of its present location and each pluvial period was coinciding with an interglacial stage of the marine oxygen isotope record.     

Oxygen and carbon isotopic systematics of aragonite speleothems and water in Furong Cave, Chongqing, China

To understand oxygen and carbon stable isotopic characteristics of aragonite stalagmites and evaluate their applicability to paleoclimate, the isotopic compositions of active and fossil aragonite speleothems and water samples from an in situ multi-year (October 2005-July 2010) monitoring program in Furong Cave located in Chongqing of China have been examined. The observations during October 2005-June 2007 show that the meteoric water is well mixed in the overlying 300-500-m bedrock aquifer, reflected by relatively constant δ¹⁸O, ±0.11-0.14‰ (1σ), of drip waters in the cave, which represents the annual status of rainfall water. Active cave aragonite speleothems are at oxygen isotopic equilibrium with drip water and their δ¹⁸O values capture the surface-water oxygen isotopic signal. Aragonite-to-calcite transformation since the last glaciation is not noticeable in Furong stalagmites. Our multi-year field experiment approves that aragonite stalagmite δ¹⁸O records in this cave are suitable for paleoclimate reconstruction. With high U, 0.5-7.2 ppm, and low Th, 20-1270 ppt, the Furong aragonite stalagmites provide very precise chronology (as good as ±20s yrs (2σ)) of the climatic variations since the last deglaciation. The synchroneity of Chinese stalagmite δ¹⁸O records at the transition into the Bølling-Allerød (t-BA) and the Younger Dryas from Furong, Hulu and Dongge Caves supports the fidelity of the reconstructed East Asian monsoon evolution. However, the Furong record shows that the cold Older Dryas (OD) occurred at 14.0 thousand years ago, agreeing with Greenland ice core δ¹⁸O records but ∼200 yrs younger than that in the Hulu record. The OD age discrepancy between Chinese caves can be attributable to different regionally climatic/environmental conditions or chronological uncertainty of stalagmite proxy records, which is limited by changes in growth rate and subsampling intervals in absolute dating. Seasonal dissolved inorganic carbon δ¹³C variations of 2-3‰ in the drip water and 5-7‰ in the pool and spring waters are likely attributed to variable degrees of CO₂ degassing in winter and summer. The variable δ¹³C values of active deposits from −11‰ to 0‰ could be caused by kinetically mediated CO₂ degassing processes. The complicated nature of pre-deposition kinetic isotopic fractionation processes for carbon isotopes in speleothems at Furong Cave require further study before they can be interpreted in a paleoclimatic or paleoenvironmental context.     

Stable isotopes in a stalagmite from NW Sweden document environmental changes over the past 4000 years

Sundqvist, H. S., Holmgren, K., Moberg, A., Spötl, C. & Mangini, A. 2009: Stable isotopes in a stalagmite from NW Sweden document environmental changes over the past 4000 years. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00099.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. This study of a 4000‐year‐old stalagmite from Korallgrottan in northwestern Sweden highlights the potentials and challenges when using stable isotopes in stalagmites as climate proxies, as well as the fact that the relationship between climate and proxy may change through time. Both the oxygen and the carbon isotopes display an overall trend of enrichment together with decreasing growth rates over the time period covered by the stalagmite, which is considered a generally cooling period according to current palaeoclimate understanding. The stable isotope records show enriched isotopic values during the, for Scandinavia, comparatively cold period AD 1300–1700 and depleted values during the warmer period AD 800–1000. The indication of a negative relationship between measured δ¹⁸O and surface temperature concurs with earlier reported stalagmite records from regions with a seasonal snow cover and is further supported by the fact that the stalagmite δ¹⁸O record shows general similarities with both regional and hemispheric temperature reconstructions available for the past 500 and 2000 years, respectively. Compared with a stable isotope record of lacustrine carbonates from northern Sweden, however, shifting correlations over time between the two records indicate that a local hydrological change may have taken place at Korallgrottan, or at the lake, compared with around 1000 years ago. The earlier part of the stalagmite δ¹⁸O might thus be influenced, to some extent, by another process than the later part, which means that a negative relationship between δ¹⁸O and surface temperature might not hold for the entire 4000‐year‐old record.     

Solar influence and hydrological variability during the Holocene from a speleothem annual record (Molinos Cave,NE Spain)

We present a multi‐proxy approach to reconstructing Holocene climate conditions in northeastern Spain based on an excellent correlation among the lamina thickness, colour parameters and isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) variations recorded in a speleothem. An age model constructed from five U/Th dates and annual lamina counting suggests that the uppermost 14.7 cm of the MO‐7 stalagmite grew between 7.2 and 2.5 ka before present but experienced a growth hiatus from 4.9 to 4.3 ka. Three spectral analysis methods were applied to 11 time series. The results reveal common solar periodicities on decennial (Gleissberg cycle) and centennial (De Vries‐Suess cycle) scales. The onset of Holocene carbonate precipitation in the MO‐7 stalagmite appears to be associated with a cold, wet period, whereas the hiatus and the end of growth are related to warm, dry periods. This environmental trend fits well within the regional Holocene climate.     

A 500 yr speleothem-derived reconstruction of late autumn–winter precipitation, northeast Turkey

A verified instrumental calibration of annually resolved δ¹⁸O for a stalagmite from Gümü?hane in northeast Turkey is presented and cross-validated using a ‘leave-one-out’ technique. The amount of late autumn to winter precipitation is negatively correlated with stalagmite δ¹⁸O between AD 1938 and 2004. The observed relationship is extrapolated back to ~ AD 1500 leading to the first long winter precipitation reconstruction for this region. Modern day October to January precipitation is linked to pressure fields in Western Russia. Anomalously lower reconstructed rainfall is recorded in AD 1540–1560 at which time higher pressure over the Caspian Sea region is inferred.     

Isotope Geochemistry of Groundwater from Fractured Dolomite Aquifers in Central Slovenia

The hydrogeochemistry and isotope geochemistry of groundwater from 85 wells in fractured dolomite aquifers of Central Slovenia were investigated. This groundwater represents waters strongly influenced by chemical weathering of dolomite with an average of δ¹³C_CARB value of +2.2 ‰. The major groundwater geochemical composition is HCO₃ ^? > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺. Several differences in hydrogeochemical properties among the classes of dolomites were observed when they were divided based on their age and sedimentological properties, with a clear distinction of pure dolomites exhibiting high Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios and low Na⁺, K⁺ and Si values. Trace element and nutrient concentrations (SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?) were low, implying that karstic and fractured dolomite aquifers are of good quality to be used as tap water. Groundwater was generally slightly oversaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, and dissolved CO₂ was up to 46 times supersaturated relative to the atmosphere. The isotopic composition of oxygen (δ¹⁸O_H2O), hydrogen (δD_H2O) and tritium ranged from ?10.3 to ?8.4 ‰, from ?68.5 to ?52.7 ‰ and from 3.5 TU to 10.5 TU, respectively. δ¹⁸O and δD values fell between the GMWL (Global Meteoric Water Line) and the MMWL (Mediterranean Meteoric Water Line) and indicate recharge from precipitation with little evaporation. The tritium activity in groundwater suggests that groundwater is generally younger than 50 years. δ¹³C_DIC values ranged from ?14.6 to ?9.3 ‰ and indicated groundwater with a contribution of degraded organic matter/dissolved inorganic carbon in the aquifer. The mass balances for groundwater interacting with carbonate rocks suggested that carbonate dissolution contributes from 43.7 to 65.4 % and degradation of organic matter from 34.6 to 56.3 %.     

A high-resolution speleothem proxy record of the Late Glacial in the European Alps: extending the NALPS19 record until the beginning of the Holocene

Previous research has shown that speleothems from the northern rim of the European Alps captured submillennial-scale climate change during the last glacial period with exceptional sensitivity and resolution, mimicking Greenland ice-core records. Here we extend this so-called NALPS19 record across the Late Glacial using two stalagmites which grew continuously into the Holocene. Both specimens show the same high-amplitude δ¹⁸O signal as Greenland ice cores down to decadal resolution. The start of the warming at the onset of the equivalent of Greenland Interstadial (GI) GI-1e at 14.66 ± 0.18 ka agrees with the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) (14.64 ± 0.28 ka) and comprised a temperature rise of about 5–6 °C. The transition from the equivalent of GI-1a into the equivalent of Greenland Stadial (GS) GS-1 (broadly equivalent to the Younger Dryas) commenced at 13.02 ± 0.13 ka which is consistent with NGRIP (12.80 ± 0.26 ka) within errors. The onset of the Holocene started at 11.78 ± 0.14 ka (11.65 ± 0.10 ka at NGRIP) and involved a warming of about 4–5 °C. In contrast to δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C values show no response to (sub)millennial climate shifts due to strong rock-buffering and only record a long-term trend of soil development starting with the rapid warming at 14.7 ka.     

A speleothem record of Holocene climate variability from southwestern Mexico

A paleoclimate reconstruction for the Holocene based upon variations of δ¹⁸O in a U-Th dated stalagmite from southwestern Mexico is presented. Our results indicate that the arrival of moisture to the area has been strongly linked to the input of glacial meltwaters into the North Atlantic throughout the Holocene. The record also suggests a complex interplay between Caribbean and Pacific moisture sources, modulated by the North Atlantic SST and the position of the ITCZ, where Pacific moisture becomes increasingly more influential through ENSO since ~ 4.3 ka. The interruption of stalagmite growth during the largest climatic anomalies of the Holocene (10.3 and 8.2 ka) is evidenced by the presence of hiatuses, which suggest a severe disruption in the arrival of moisture to the area. The δ¹⁸O record presented here has important implications for understanding the evolution of the North American Monsoon and climate in southwestern Mexico, as it represents one of the most detailed archives of climate variability for the area spanning most of the Holocene.     

Oxygen isotopes from Chinese caves: records not of monsoon rainfall but of circulation regime

Oxygen isotope variations in Chinese stalagmites have been widely interpreted as a record of the amount of East Asian summer monsoonal rainfall. This interpretation infers decreasing monsoonal rainfall from the mid‐Holocene and large, dipolar rainfall oscillations within glaciations. However, the speleothem δ¹⁸O variations conflict with independent palaeoclimate proxies (cave δ¹³C, loess/palaeosol magnetic properties, δ¹³C alkanes), which indicate no systematic decline in rainfall from the mid‐Holocene, and no glacial rainfall maxima. Using mass balance calculations (which incorporate seasonality effects in both δ¹⁸O concentration and amount of precipitation), we demonstrate that the cave δ¹⁸O variations cannot be accounted for by summer rainfall changes, or rainfall seasonality or winter cooling, but instead reflect changes in moisture source. A possible driver of the δ¹⁸O variations in Chinese stalagmites is precessional forcing of inter‐hemispheric temperature gradients, and resultant shifts in the position and intensity of the subtropical pressure cells. Through such forcing, Indian monsoon‐sourced δ¹⁸O may have dominated at times of high boreal summer insolation, and local Pacific‐sourced moisture at low insolation. Suppression of summer monsoonal rainfall during glacial stages may reflect diminished sea and land surface temperatures and the radiative impacts of increased regional dust fluxes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isotopic climate record in a Holocene stalagmite from Ursilor Cave (Romania)

The PU‐2 stalagmite from Ursilor Cave provides the first dated Romanian isotope record for the Holocene. The overall growth rate of the speleothem was 3.5 cm kyr^?1, corresponding to a temporal resolution of 142 y between each isotope analysis. The ‘Hendy’ tests indicate that isotopic equilibrium conditions occurred during the formation of PU‐2, and hence that it is suitable for palaeoclimatic studies. The relationship between δ¹⁸O and temperature was found to be positive. This can be interpreted either as rain‐out with distance from the west‐northwest ocean source of evaporation or shifts in air mass source with changing North Atlantic Oscillation indices. Applying five U–Th thermal ionisation mass spectrometric (TIMS) dates to a 17.5 cm isotope profile (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) along the stalagmite growth axis enabled a tentative interpretation of the palaeoclimate signal over the past 7.1 kyr. Spikes of depleted isotopic δ¹⁸O values are centred near ca. 7, ca. 5.2 and ca. 4 ka, reflecting cool conditions. The record shows two warm intervals between ca. 3.8 and ca. 3.2 ka (the maximum warmth) and from ca. 2 to ca. 1.4 ka, when the δ¹⁸O values were less negative than present. The ‘Holocene Climate Optimum’ spanning the time interval from ca. 6.8 to ca. 4.4 ka is not well expressed in the PU‐2 stalagmite. Individual spikes of lighter δ¹³C are interpreted as indicative of periods of heavy rainfall, at ca. 7, ca. 5.5, and ca. 3.5 ka. The overall trend to lighter δ¹³C in the PU‐2 stalagmite may reflect a gradual decrease in water–rock interaction. The results demonstrate that the effect of North Atlantic oceanic changes extended to the investigated area. Nevertheless, some differences in temporal correlation and intensity of stable isotopic response to these climatic events have been found, but the exact nature of these differences and the underlying mechanism is yet to be determined. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variability of oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation and cave drip water at Guilin,southwest China

The interpretation of climatic information from stalagmites has traditionally been a complex research problem, with oxygen isotopes playing a particularly important role in global climate change studies. This study investigates the relationship between oxygen isotope composition of the atmospheric in precipitation and cave drip water at Panlong cave in southwest China on seasonal timescales of variability. Time series seasonal variability was derived from Panlong cave in Guilin by collecting daily precipitation samples for stable isotope analysis during 2012. Results indicate that δ¹⁸O of precipitation contains a clear seasonal variation whereby higher values are mainly distributed during winter and lower values during summer. Seasonal variations in water sources affect the precipitation δ¹⁸O values. Drip water δ¹⁸O also displayed a seasonal cycle which is attenuated relative to δ¹⁸O of precipitation. Drip water time series display seasonal cycle ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 ‰ relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water, which mainly follow the precipitation δ¹⁸O seasonal cycle. Seasonal variation in drip water δ¹⁸O supports interpretations of the stalagmite δ¹⁸O record as a paleoclimate proxy sensitive to the local environment. This monitoring experiment revealed that drip water must be transported through the epikarst in approximately 1.5 months during cold periods, and <0.5 months during warm periods. Different residence time percolation is mainly affected by the atmospheric precipitation amount, depending on whether soil moisture reaches saturation.     

The palaeoenvironmental significance of δ13C of stalagmite BW‐1 from Beijing,China during Younger Dryas intervals inferred from the grey level profile

High‐resolution records of carbon isotope composition and grey level were analysed from a stalagmite, BW‐1, from Beijing, China, deposited between c. 14 and 10.5 ka BP, the δ¹⁸O profile of which has been used to discuss the timing and structure of the Younger Dryas (YD) event in north China. The high grey level and low δ¹³C match the milk‐white coloured locations on the polished stalagmite surface and coincide with enhanced luminescent bands within which the concentration of both impurities and the total organic carbon (TOC) are high. Additionally, the fluorescence of speleothems was derived from organic acids that have been flushed onto the stalagmite surface along with impurities from the overlying soil by heavy summer rain and co‐precipitated with the speleothem calcite. Thus, predominantly low δ¹³C and high grey level values indicate increased summer precipitation that supports abundant vegetation and robust biological productivity. Consequently, three distinct time intervals are defined by the palaeoenvironmental conditions expressed in the δ¹³C and grey level records of stalagmite BW‐1: (i) a warm‐humid stage (Pre‐YD, 13.97 to 12.85 ka BP, including a hiatus from 12.99 to 13.21 ka BP reported before); (ii) a cool‐arid stage (YD, 12.85 to 11.56 ka BP); and (iii) a warm‐humid stage (Post‐YD, 11.56 to 10.39 ka BP). The inferences based on our research are generally consistent with other regional vegetation and climatic records.     

Sea-rain-lake relation in the Last Glacial East Mediterranean revealed by δO-δC in Lake Lisan aragonites

We investigated the Sea-Rain-Lake relation during the Last Glacial-Holocene in the East Mediterranean region by comparing the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C records of authigenic aragonite deposited in Lake Lisan, the Dead Sea, Mediterranean foraminifera, and speleothems. The Lisan Formation data display long- and short-term variations of δ¹⁸O, representing steady-state conditions of the lake (e.g., 5.6‰ ± 0.5‰ and 4.5‰ ± 1‰ in the Upper and Lower Members of the Lisan Formation, respectively), and short-term excursions reflecting large floods and droughts. The long-term (steady-state) δ¹⁸O values of the Lisan aragonites show similarity to the corresponding time-equivalent records of the Eastern Mediterranean foraminifera and Judea Mountain speleothems: The Last Glacial deposits are in all of them 2‰-3‰ heavier than the Holocene ones. We interpret this similarity as reflecting the significance of the source effect on the long-term behavior of isotopic reservoirs: Speleothem δ¹⁸O is strongly influenced by the marine reservoir that contributes its vapor to rain formation; the lake δ¹⁸O is dominated by the composition of the inflowing water. Short-term variations in the isotopic composition of rainfall are dominated by the amount effect and the temperature and those of the Lake’s upper water mass by the lake’s water balance.δ¹³C values are more variable than δ¹⁸O in the same Lisan sequences (e.g., δ¹³C in the Lower Member is 1.0‰ ± 1.7‰, whereas δ¹⁸O is 4.6‰ ± 0.7‰) and are 1‰ to 1.5‰ higher in the Upper Member than in the Lower and Middle Members of the Lisan Formation. These variations reflect significant increase in primary productivity of the lake and algal bloom activity. It appears that the hypersaline-saline lakes were not as “dead” as the Dead Sea is and that algal activity had an important impact upon the geochemistry of Lake Lisan.The δ¹⁸O data combined with independent geochemical and limnologic information (e.g., level fluctuations) indicate that Lisan time was characterized by high precipitation-high lake stands-high atmospheric humidity, whereas the Holocene Dead Sea shows the opposite behavior. This paleoclimatic reconstruction is consistent with independent evidence for significantly wetter conditions in the East Mediterranean region during the Last Glacial period.     

Changes to depositional palaeoenvironments within the Qikou depression (Bohaiwan Basin,China): carbon and oxygen isotopes in lacustrine carbonates of the Palaeogene Shahejie Formation

This paper reports the carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of lacustrine carbonate sediments from the Palaeogene Shahejie Formation, Qikou depression, Bohaiwan Basin, with the aim of determining the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the region. Results from Es₂, the second member of the Shahejie Formation, showed values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O from –1.2‰ to +2.4‰ (average +0.6‰) and from –6.8‰ to –4.7‰ (average –5.7‰), respectively, suggesting a relatively hot climate attending deposition. The slightly closed nature of the lake, which contains brackish water, resulted in higher carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values than in a meteoric environment. The values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O preserved within the carbonates of the overlying lower Shahejie I (Es₁) varied between +1.3‰ and +4.9‰ (average +3.2‰) and from ?4.4‰ to ?1.8‰ (average ?3.1‰), respectively, indicating that the climate became colder at that time. Subsequently, a marine transgression caused the salinity of the lake water to increase. The values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O were controlled by salinity. The high δ¹³C values were also influenced by the rapid burial of the lake organisms and by algal photosynthesis. Values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O from carbonates in upper Es₁ ranged from ?8.0‰ to +11.0‰ (average +10.1‰) and from ?5.0‰ to ?1.5‰ (average ?3.4‰), respectively, indicating a slight increase in the temperature over time. In the closed and reducing environment, extremes in δ¹³C values resulted from biochemical fermentation. The positive δ¹³C excursion recorded in the carbonates of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou depression indicates that the palaeoclimate underwent a significant transformation during the Eocene and the Oligocene.     

神农架石笋氧同位素的海拔效应

作为古气候代用指标,石笋氧同位素为亚洲季风演化研究提供了一系列可靠的证据。然而,关于石笋氧同位素指示的气候意义一直存在争论。本文选取了位于神农架地区海拔1250～2250m的黑龙洞、青天洞和三宝洞3个洞穴进行对比分析,发现不同海拔洞穴石笋δ18O在波动形式上相同,但绝对值存在约-0.1‰/100m的系统差,而大气降水的在该地的海拔效应约为-0.2‰/100m。为此,我们认为,石笋δ18O除了受季风降雨的影响外,不同海拔的温度梯度也对石笋δ18O具有较大的贡献。结合洞穴年均温度,初步估算石笋δ18O的温度效应约为-0.25‰/℃,与O’Neil的同位素平衡分馏计算结果相同。