Variations in sea surface temperatures based on alkenones in Korea Plateau sediments of the East Sea (Sea of Japan) over the last 300,000 years

Variations in long chain alkenone-based sea surface temperature (SST) from a piston core (M04-PC1A) collected from the Korea Plateau in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) were investigated to understand paleoceanographic variations over the last 300,000 years. By combining sedimentological and geochemical proxies (the lithological marker of crudely laminated mud, alkenone SST, foraminiferal oxygen isotope values, and ¹⁴C age determination) and by comparison with previous works, we examined paleoceanographic variations back to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 8, approximately 300,000 years B.P. In particular, analysis of alkenones suggests that SSTs were about 8 °C and 11 °C lower during MIS 8 and MIS 6 than that in the present-day SST, respectively. Furthermore, SST was estimated to be 5 °C lower during the Last Glacial Maximum. These significant SST differences among MIS 8, 6, and 2 may be attributable to not only the formation of distinctive water masses, but also to differential alkenone synthesis under different environmental conditions. These results suggest that SSTs in the East Sea during the last three glacial periods (MIS 8, 6, and 2) were different, but rather were closely linked with regional oceanographic conditions overlapped with sensitive responses to the intensity of the East Asian monsoon. Surface-water freshening was a local paleoceanographic consequence that was imprinted in the core during MIS 2 and MIS 6, and potentially during MIS 4. Furthermore, alkenone-based SST data suggested that surface water circulation and biological productivity were strongly associated with the inflow of the Tsushima Warm Current during interglacial periods.     

Phase relationship and surface water mass change in the Northeast Atlantic during Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11)

Planktic foraminiferal census data, faunal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and oxygen isotopic and lithic records from a site in the northeast Atlantic were analyzed to study the interglacial dynamics of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, a period thought to closely resemble the Holocene on the basis of orbital forcing. Interglacial conditions during MIS 11 persisted for approximately 26 ka. After the main deglacial meltwater processes ceased, a 10- to 12-ka-long transitional period marked by significant water mass circulation changes occurred before surface waters finally reached their thermal maximum. This SST peak occurred between 400 and 397 ka, inferred from the abundance of the most thermophilic foraminiferal species and was coincident with lowest sea level according to benthic isotope values. The ensuing stepwise SST decrease characterizes the overall climate deterioration preceding the increase in global ice volume by  3 ka. This cooling trend was followed by a more pronounced cold event that began at 388 ka, and that terminated in the recurrence of icebergs at the site around 382 ka. Because the water mass configuration of early MIS 11 evolved quite differently from that of the early Holocene, there is little evidence that MIS 11 can serve as an appropriate analogue for a future Holocene climate, despite the similarity in some orbital parameters.     

南海的氧同位素3期

以南海北、西、南部3个沉积速率相对较高而且连续的沉积柱状样MD2904,MD2901和MD2897为基础,通过粒度、碳酸盐、有机地球化学和元素分析,并综合前人研究成果,对南海MIS3期进行探讨。结果显示,南海MIS3是末次冰期中的弱暖期,海水表层古温度比相邻的MIS2和MIS4期略高,但是明显比MIS1和MIS5期低。MIS3的最大特点就在于其气候的不稳定性,发生了多次气候快速变化事件。在格陵兰冰芯中记录的千年尺度快速气候变化事件（D/O事件和Heinrich事件）基本上在南海北、西、南部都有响应,具有与全球同步的特征。南海MIS3古生产力都显示出较高的特点,这与东亚季风有着密切的关系,北部主要受冬季风影响,西部和南部主要受夏季风影响。南海南部MIS3表现出比MIS5更高的古生产力和更强的夏季风强度,这一特点有待更进一步深入研究。     

Record of a Mid-Pleistocene depositional anomaly in West Antarctic continental margin sediments: an indicator for ice-sheet collapse?

Modern global warming is likely to cause future melting of Earth's polar ice sheets that may result in dramatic sea-level rise. A possible collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) alone, which is considered highly vulnerable as it is mainly based below sea level, may raise global sea level by up to 5–6 m. Despite the importance of the WAIS for changes in global sea level, its response to the glacial–interglacial cycles of the Quaternary is poorly constrained. Moreover, the geological evidence for the disintegration of the WAIS at some time within the last ca. 750 kyr, possibly during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 (424–374 ka), is ambiguous. Here we present physical properties, palaeomagnetic, geochemical and clay mineralogical data from a glaciomarine sedimentary sequence that was recovered from the West Antarctic continental margin in the Amundsen Sea and spans more than the last 1 Myr. Within the sedimentary sequence, proxies for biological productivity (such as biogenic opal and the barium/aluminum ratio) and the supply of lithogenic detritus from the West Antarctic hinterland (such as ice-rafted debris and clay minerals) exhibit cyclic fluctuations in accordance with the glacial–interglacial cycles of the Quaternary. A prominent depositional anomaly spans MIS 15–MIS 13 (621–478 ka). The proxies for biological productivity and lithogenic sediment supply indicate that this interval has the characteristics of a single, prolonged interglacial period. Even though no proxy suggests environmental conditions much different from today, we conclude that, if the WAIS collapsed during the last 800 kyr, then MIS 15–MIS 13 was the most likely time period. Apparently, the duration rather than the strength of interglacial conditions was the crucial factor for the WAIS drawdown. A comparison with various marine and terrestrial climate archives from around the world corroborates that unusual environmental conditions prevailed throughout MIS 15–MIS 13. Some of these anomalies are observed in the pelagic Southern Ocean and the South Atlantic and might originate in major ice-sheet drawdown in Antarctica, but further research is required to test this hypothesis.     

Oceanography in northwestern Europe during the last interglacial from intrashell δO ranges in Littorina littorea gastropods

Coastal sea-surface temperature (SST) and sea-surface salinity (SSS), including seasonality, in northwest (NW) Europe during the early phase of the Eemian interglacial ca. 125 ka ago were reconstructed from Littorina littorea (common periwinkle) gastropods. The results were based on intra-annual δ¹⁸O analyses in recent and fossil shells, mainly originating from the sea of Kattegat (Sweden) and the English Channel (United Kingdom), and confined to intertidal settings. The Eemian L. littorea shells indicated annual SSTs in the range 8–18°C for the English Channel and 8–26°C for Kattegat. All specimens from the Eemian sites experienced summer SSTs of ca. 1–3°C above recent conditions. The estimated winter SST in the English Channel during the Eemian was comparable to modern measurements of ca. 8°C. However, the Kattegat region displayed Eemian winter SST approximately 8°C warmer than today, and similar to conditions in the western English Channel. The recent-fossil isotope analogue approach indicated high SSS above 35 practical salinity units (psu) for a channel south of England in full contact with the North Atlantic Ocean during the last interglacial. In addition, the Kattegat shells indicated a SSS of ca. 29 psu, which points out a North Sea affinity for this region during the Eemian.     

Middle to Late Pleistocene lake‐level fluctuations of Lake El'gygytgyn,far‐east Russian Arctic

Lake El'gygytgyn, located in central Chukotka, Russian Arctic, was the subject of an international drilling project that resulted in the recovery of the longest continuous palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental record for the terrestrial Arctic covering the last 3.6 million years. Here, we present the reconstruction of the lake‐level fluctuations of Lake El'gygytgyn since Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 based on lithological and palynological as well as chronological studies of shallow‐water sediment cores and subaerial lake terraces. Reconstructed lake levels show an abrupt rise during glacial–interglacial terminations (MIS 6/5 and MIS 2/1) and during the MIS 4/3 stadial–interstadial transition. The most prominent lowstands occurred during glacial periods associated with a permanent lake‐ice cover (namely MIS 6, MIS 4 and MIS 2). Major triggering mechanisms of the lake‐level fluctuations at Lake El'gygytgyn are predominantly changes in air temperature and precipitation. Regional summer temperatures control the volume of meltwater supply as well as the duration of the lake‐ice cover (permanent or seasonal). The duration of the lake‐ice cover, in turn, enables or hampers near‐shore sediment transport, thus leading to long‐term lake‐level oscillations on glacial–interglacial time scales by blocking or opening the lake outflow, respectively. During periods of seasonal ice cover the lake level was additionally influenced by changes in precipitation. The discovered mechanism of climatologically driven level fluctuations of Lake El'gygytgyn are probably valid for large hydrologically open lakes in the Arctic in general, thus helping to understand arctic palaeohydrology and providing missing information for climate modelling.     

Evidence from the Trent terrace archive, Lincolnshire, UK, for lowland glaciation of Britain during the Middle and Late Pleistocene

The late Middle Pleistocene fluvial terrace sequence of the lower Trent system, Lincolnshire (eastern England), provides an excellent record of environmental change, including evidence for the last two interglacial episodes. It also provides important stratigraphical evidence for the timing and extent of three separate glaciations. Two of these, the Anglian and Devensian, are well-established correlatives of Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12 and 2 respectively; the third is a hitherto un-named post-Anglian-pre-Devensian glaciation in eastern England that has been the subject of much previous speculation, but can now be attributed with some confidence to MIS 8. Crucially, the recognition of MIS 7 interglacial deposits within the Balderton-Southrey terrace of the proto-Trent indicates that the underlying Wragby Till, which is ascribed to this additional glaciation, was emplaced no later than MIS 8. The oldest terrace preserved within the lower Trent staircase, the Eagle Moor-Martin Terrace, is considered to be a complex glacial outwash terrace related to the Wragby Till glaciation. It is suggested that deposits representing MIS 11-9, which are conspicuously absent throughout the Trent system, were removed by this glaciation. This is a departure from previous interpretations, which have suggested MIS 10 or MIS 6 as the most likely stages in which an extensive post-Anglian-pre-Devensian lowland glaciation might have occurred in Britain. However, the widespread preservation of undisrupted post-MIS 8 fluvial sequences throughout the Trent valley and in neighbouring systems, within which MIS 7 interglacial deposits have now been recognized at a number of localities, indicates that ice sheets are unlikely to have advanced further into this catchment during MIS 6 than during the Devensian (MIS 2). Recognition of a British glaciation during MIS 8 corresponds with widespread evidence in Europe, which suggests that glacial deposits classified as ‘Saalian’ represent both MIS 8 and MIS 6; in many areas, distinguishing these remains controversial, as confident correlation with either stage is often only possible where glacial sediments interdigitate with well-constrained fluvial records.     

Milankovitch-scale environmental variation in the Banda Sea over the past 820 ka: Fluctuation of the Indonesian Throughflow intensity

We describe the environmental variation in the Banda Sea over the past 820 ka by using the magnetic parameters and oxygen isotope data from the core MD012380. Overall, characteristics of the magnetic parameters show simultaneous variation with marine isotope stage (MIS), especially in the last 420 ka. There are fewer, coarser and more oxidative magnetic minerals in glacial periods, and turn to opposite conditions in interglacial periods. Spectral results clearly present the Milankovitch periods over the last 820 ka, especially the eccentricity period (400-ka and 100-ka). However, the magnetic data shows different pattern before and after 420 ka. Thus, we segmented the time-series data into two periods: MIS 20 to MIS 12 and MIS 11 to MIS 1. During MIS 20 to MIS 12, the spectra of magnetic data show clear periods related to the obliquity (41-ka) and precession (23-ka and 19-ka), while they present only the eccentricity period (100-ka) during MIS 11 to MIS 1. This feature, which splits the late Pleistocene at around 420 ka, could be attributed to the mid-Brunhes event (MBE). In the Banda Sea, main factor controlling the variation of the magnetic minerals is considered as the fluctuation of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) intensity due to sea-level change. Thus, the magnetic data show clear 400-ka and 100-ka periods (main MIS cycle). Besides, the eccentricity signals are relatively dominant in the last ～420 ka, implying that the ITF might become more important after the MBE in the Banda Sea.     

Productivity cycles in Lake Hovsgol, NW Mongolia, during the last 1 Ma and the age model of the HDP-04 drill core record

Repetitive patterns in the records of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and δ¹³C_org observed in the Lake Hovsgol sediment section from HDP-04 drill core reflect past changes in productivity of Lake Hovsgol and in the isotopic composition of the lake's carbon pool. Lake Hovsgol productivity proxy signals are interpreted to represent the response of the Hovsgol lacustrine system to glacial–interglacial cycles of the Pleistocene. This interpretation is supported by the apparent orbitally-forced pattern in the TOC, TN and δ¹³C_org records of the past 250 ka in the BDP-96-2 drill core from neighboring Lake Baikal.The intervals with independent age control, such as the radiocarbon-dated last glacial–interglacial transition and the paleomagnetic reversals, make it evident that productivity proxy signals are reliable indicators of past cold-to-warm and warm-to-cold climate transitions, as seen from the agreement with the pattern of global climate change in marine δ¹⁸O records. The Brunhes/Matuyama reversal during the MIS 19 interglacial coincides with a distinct peak of TOC and TN in the Hovsgol record, similar to the signal during the Holocene interglacial. By contrast, the upper Jaramillo reversal in the Lake Hovsgol record occurs in a diatom-free calcareous interval characterized by minima in TOC, TN and by a ‘glacial’-type range of δ¹³C_org values. In both Lake Baikal and Lake Hovsgol records, peaks in TOC and TN contents help distinguishing past interglacials and interstadials, and isotopically-heaviest δ¹³C_org values help identify past glacial intervals.An age model for the HDP-04 drill core section is proposed based on recognizing the repetitive patterns in Lake Hovsgol productivity and lithologic records as regional paleoclimate cycles of middle to late Pleistocene. Absolute dates and diatom biostratigraphic correlation ties to the Lake Baikal record are used as key controls. In the proposed age model, the interval 81–24 m in the HDP-04 sediment section below the major unconformity is correlated to MIS 27 through late MIS 13, whereas the upper 24 m of the HDP-04 section is suggested to have recovered the sedimentary record of late MIS 7 to MIS 1.     

Evolution of the Thames estuary during MIS 9: insights from the Shoeburyness area, Essex

Multidisciplinary, litho-, bio- and amino-stratigraphical investigations of the infills of buried channels on the coast of eastern Essex have a direct bearing on the differentiation of MIS 11 and MIS 9 in continental records. New data are presented from Shoeburyness, where a deeply incised channel filled with interglacial sediment can be directly related to the terrace stratigraphy of the River Thames. Fossil assemblages confirm that the interglacial beds began accumulating in a freshwater environment, which became transformed into a dynamic estuary as relative sea-levels rose. Pollen data confirm that this occurred early in the interglacial when mixed oak forest was becoming established.The geological context of the sediments indicates that they post-date the Anglian glaciation, yet pre-date the Barling Gravel terrace aggradation, which has been ascribed to MIS 8. Amino acid racemisation data based on Bithynia opercula further constrain the age to the Hoxnian (=MIS 11) or to MIS 9. An MIS 9 attribution is favoured because (i) AAR data suggest that the sequence post-dates the interglacial channel-fill at Clacton, which is widely ascribed to the Hoxnian; (ii) the bivalve Corbicula occurred early within the interglacial (unlike its late appearance during the Hoxnian); and (iii) the sequence includes evidence for a marine transgression that occurred earlier in the interglacial cycle than it did at local Hoxnian sites.Plant macrofossil remains suggest that the early part of the Shoeburyness interglacial was associated with warmer-than-present summer temperatures. This is in keeping with inferences from sites at Barling, Cudmore Grove and Purfleet, which are also attributed to MIS 9. All three sites are similar in terms of their palaeo-vegetation and inferred relative sea-level histories and provide an emerging picture of this temperate episode in southern Britain.     

A new OSL chronology for dust accumulation in the last 130,000 yr for the Chinese Loess Plateau

A sensitivity-corrected Multiple Aliquot Regenerative-dose protocol has been developed for fine-grained quartz OSL dating of Chinese loess. Its reliability has been assessed on the basis of the methodology and by dating reference samples of known age close to the transition from the last interglacial paleosol (S₁) to the last glacial loess (L₁), which corresponds to the Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5/4 transition. On the basis of the fine-grained quartz OSL-age estimates for 33 loess samples from the upper part of the Luochuan profile, a detailed chronostratigraphy of continuous dust accumulation in the past 130 ka has been proposed. Changes in the accumulation rate occurred during the last glacial period (MIS 4 to MIS 2); unexpectedly, high accumulation rates were found in the weakly developed L_1-2(S) paleosol of the last interstadial (MIS 3), rather than in the classic L_1-1 and L_1-3 loess of the cold-dry glacial condition (MIS 2 and 4). The OSL ages show some disagreement with the previous numerical chronology for the loess-paleosol sequence based on correlation of variations in grain size with sedimentation rate; the latter method resulted in an almost constant accumulation rate from 72 to 12 ka.     

Intriguing climatic shifts in a 90 kyr old lake record from northern Russia

A 22 m long sediment core from Lake Yamozero on the Timan Ridge in northern Russia has provided evidence of intriguing climatic shifts during the last glacial cycle. An overall shallowing of the lake is reflected in the lower part of the cores, where pollen indicates a transition from glacial steppe vegetation to interstadial shrub-tundra. These beds are capped by a well-defined layer of compact clay deposited in relatively deep water, where pollen shows surrounding spruce forests and warmer-than-present summer temperatures. The most conservative interpretation is that this unit represents the last interglacial period. However, a series of Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dates suggests that it corresponds with the Early Weichselian Odderade interstadial (MIS 5a). This would imply that the Odderade interstadial was just as warm as a normal interglacial in this continental part of northern Europe. If correct, then pollen analysis, as a correlation tool, is less straightforward and the definition of an interglacial is more complex than previously thought. We discuss the validity and possible systematic errors of the OSL dates on which this age model is based, but conclude they really indicate a MIS 5a age for the warm period. Above the clay is an unconformity, most likely reflecting a period of subaerial exposure implying dry conditions. Deposition of silt under fluctuating cold climates in the Middle Weichselian continued until a second gap in the record at c . 40 kyr BP. The lake basin started to fill up again around 18 kyr BP.     

末次盛冰期太平洋赤道辐合带对暖池外热带海表温度变化的敏感性

利用美国NCAR CAM3大气环流模式,分析了末次盛冰期（LGM）两个不同的热带海表温度重建方案中,北半球冬季热带中、西太平洋对流活动及大气环流对暖池外（赤道东太平洋和热带大西洋）热带SST异常的敏感性。结果表明：  1）SST异常首先引起大气环流的改变。  赤道东太平洋对流层下沉增强,而作为经向补偿,副热带东太平洋上升运动增强,其中南半球尤为明显,同时南半球热带中、西太平洋上升运动增强,加剧了该区纬向逆时针环流,说明冰期热带海气耦合过程受气候背景场（如SST）影响很大;   2）大气环流格局改变引起热带中西太平洋的大气加热、对流活动、表层风场及降雨的巨大变化。  140°E以西的婆罗洲和菲律宾区域,总的大气加热减少是由于对流与辐射加热减少所致,对应于该区风场辐散和降雨减少;   而140°E以东的南半球热带中、西太平洋,大气吸收热量增加,对流与辐射加热均增强,总降雨量也随之增加,反映该区赤道辐合带南移并增强。该项研究为探索热带太平洋在冰期/间冰期旋回中的古海洋学变化提供了新的数据支撑。此外,不同重建SST对赤道辐合带的影响比较大,因此利用重建SST进行数值模拟或者利用耦合模式研究LGM热带海气相互作用时,应该十分重视全球热带SST分布特征。     

南海西南部晚更新世500 ka以来的古海洋学特征

对湄公河口外MD01—2392孔浮游有孔虫的定量分析，并采用FP-12E转换函数、MAT现代类比法及温跃层转换函数的计算，结合氧同位素分析结果，揭示了南海南部晚更新世近500ka以来的古海洋学演化特征．发现冰期MIS12、MISS、MIS2-4冬季表层水温明显高出相邻的间冰期，特别是间冰期M189、MIS5、MIS1表层水温都较低．温跃层在MIS5与MIS1最浅，MIS9其次．主要表现在浮游有孔虫深层高营养种的含量增高，表明上升流增强．间冰期的低水温很可能主要是由于上升流影响所致，当然表层盐度由于多雨而降低也可能影响到间冰期的水温估算．冰期时较高的表层水温，喜暖高盐型次表层种Pulleniatina obliquiloculata的大量繁殖，说明冰期时南部海区受来自北部强冬季风的制约使上升流活动减弱，海平面降低后与邻区通道的关闭也造成水体置换明显减弱，可能有淡水盖层发育，最终导致上层海水分层增强和冬季表层水温保持相对较高．晚更新世时期的南海南部由于冰期低海平面造成半封闭的海盆环境和季风变化，是影响其浮游有孔虫对冰期旋回响应与北部和开放大洋不同的根本原因．     

越南岸外晚第四纪上升流与东亚夏季风变迁

通过对南海西部越南岸外１７９５４—３柱状样中浮游和底栖有孔虫的定量分析,结合碳酸钙、有机碳和稳定同位素数据,获得南海西部上升流区近２０万年来的古海洋学记录,进而讨论了晚第四纪东亚夏季风的变迁。结果表明,在间冰期,尤其是末次间冰期,越南岸外出现表层海水古温度低、温跃层浅、生产力高,同时底层海水富营养的现象,说明上升流的存在,且该上升流有从氧同位素５期(ＭＩＳ５期)向１期逐渐减弱的趋势。结合南海现代海流及生产力分布的研究,推断该上升流由东亚夏季风驱动,其强弱的变化说明,东亚夏季风在近２０万年来有间冰期增强、冰期减弱,且从ＭＩＳ５期向ＭＩＳ１期递减的特征。     

Late Pleistocene lithostratigraphy and sequences in the southwestern Mesopotamia (Argentina): Evidences of the last interglacial stage

The aim of this paper is to show the stratigraphic record of the Late Pleistocene corresponding to the distal region of the Paraná River basin. It displays sedimentological, paleontological and geochronological evidences that characterise the last interglacial–glacial cycle. In particular, strong environmental records are shown for the Last Interglacial Stage (LIS). Salto Ander Egg Formation (SAEF) is defined as a new lithostratigraphic unit representative of the Late Pleistocene in southwestern Mesopotamia. This unit is formed of complex fluvial deposits, which contains a heterogeneous collection of sub-environments, of ages ranging from 120 to 60 ky BP. The clast-supported gravel facies containing sparse boulders indicate high flow during a humid climate. The large and middle-scale architectures of fluvial sedimentary bodies evidence the relationship between the sediment accommodation and the sea level oscillations. Three sub-sequences identified in the succession suggest a transgressive trend during the MIS5e, a highstand stage in MIS5c, and a minor transgressive cycle during MIS3. A Brazilian faunal association collected at the bottom of the sequence and sedimentological interpretations display wet and warm climatic conditions, typical of tropical or subtropical environments. Such environmental conditions are characteristic of the maximum of the last interglacial stage (MIS5e) and show a signal stronger than the signal of the current interglacial stage. All these data show a direct correlation between the increases of paleodischarges and the elevation of the sea level. The whole sequence is completed with transitional swampy deposits, accumulated probably during the MIS3/MIS2 transition, and the typical loess of the Tezanos Pinto Formation, mantled during the Last Maximum Glacial.     

A prolonged warm and humid interval during marine isotope stage 13–15 as revealed by hydrographic reconstructions from the South China Sea (IMAGES MD972142)

Variations of orbital-driven insolation, ice volume, and greenhouse gas effects have been proposed as major controlling factors in determining the timing and amplitude of Quaternary cyclic climate changes. However, it remains to be determined how the internal feedback in the tropical atmosphere and ocean and the coupling between the low- and high-latitude systems may have produced instability or non-cyclic changes in the long-term climate evolution. Such “abnormalities” have been reported increasingly from paleoclimatic reconstructions in East Asia and the western Pacific for a prolonged warm and humid climate interval during marine isotope stage (MIS) 13–15, ～475–610 kya. To better address the climate abnormality in MIS 13–15 that has been observed in the western Pacific, here we report high-resolution late Quaternary planktic foraminifer faunal abundance and faunal sea surface temperature (SST) records from the International Marine Past Global Change (IMAGES) program core MD972142, which was retrieved from the southeastern South China Sea (SCS). Our results indicate that the faunal assemblages and SSTs in the southeastern SCS express a substantially prolonged, unusual warm interglacial-type climate condition in MIS 13–15. The climate was abnormally warm during the cold MIS 14. Our study also suggests a lowering of sea surface salinity (SSS) during MIS 13–15. While the western Pacific climate experienced a persistently warm and humid period at MIS 14, a “normal” cooling (～2 °C) condition on the surface of the eastern equatorial Pacific existed concomitantly. While assessing possible interpretations of this “abnormal” climate interval in MIS 13–15, our study indicates that an enhanced interhemispheric and/or longitudinal temperature gradient across the basin-wide Pacific cannot be ruled out. A change in the sensitivity of the East Asian Monsoon (EAM) that controlled temperature and precipitation patterns in East Asia and the western Pacific is probably also important or responsible for this climate abnormality. Based on our evidence, we suggest that the tropical dynamics would have played a role in the climate abnormality in MIS 13–15, through maintaining or even increasing the longitudinal SST gradient in the equatorial Pacific, which may have intensified the low-latitude trade winds in the eastern component of the Walker Circulation that drove a longer duration and/or stronger intensity of the summer vs. winter EAM.     

白令海北部陆坡100ka来的古海洋学记录及海冰的扩张历史

白令海北部陆坡B2-9柱状样中生源组分的研究显示, 自MIS5.3期以来表层生产力指标的粗组分和蛋白石含量呈阶梯状增加, 反映表层生产力阶段式的增长.全新世表层生产力达到最高, 并且MIS3.2~2期高, 比MIS5.3~3.3期最低.高有机碳含量对应于高C/N比值, 显示有机碳混合来源, 不能作为表层生产力的指标.MIS5.1, 3.3~3.2期和全新世高的有机碳含量和C/N比值反映间冰期陆源有机物质输入量的增加.MIS5.3期至中全新世, 不断增加的陆源砂级和粉砂级颗粒组分说明随着气候的逐渐变冷, 陆架海冰在不断扩张.伐冰碎屑和碳屑颗粒冰期、间冰段和末次冰消期升高, 而间冰期降低, 反映冰期白令海陆架海冰扩张和间冰期海冰消融的过程.冰期海冰扩张与北美大陆气候的相互关联, 揭示了晚第四纪冰期旋回中白令海海冰扩张及其对全球气候变化的响应.      

Last interglacial beetle fauna from New Zealand

Fossil beetles from two last interglacial lake deposits from southern Wairarapa, central New Zealand are provisionally ascribed to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 5a-e. Both assemblages represent ecological successions from lake margins to forest. The lower sample (MIS 5e) is characterized by species found today in northern New Zealand. These species, including Lorelus crassicornis, ‘Dasytes’ laticeps, Cryptobius nitidius, ‘Stenomalium’ sulcithorax, Psilocnaeia nana, and Microbrontes lineatus, represent a southward displacement from modern distributions by up to 700 km. Climate reconstruction indicates that temperatures at the time of deposition were 1.6-2.5°C warmer in the summer (January) and 2.3-3.2°C warmer in the winter (July) than at present. These results match local and regional pollen and phytolith findings of warmer, wetter conditions at the thermal maximum of the last interglaciation. In contrast, the upper sample is characterized by species that have widespread modern-day distributions. This indicates that modern conditions were attained later in MIS5, after the MIS 5e thermal maximum.     

Sea‐level and climatic controls on Late Pleistocene coastal aeolianites in the Cap Bon peninsula,northeastern Tunisia

Elmejdoub, N., Mauz, B. & Jedoui, Y. 2010: Sea‐level and climatic controls on Late Pleistocene coastal aeolianites in the Cap Bon peninsula, northeastern Tunisia. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00162.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The chronology of coastal dunes (aeolianites) along the western littoral of the Cap Bon peninsula (northeastern Tunisia) was investigated using an optical dating technique to examine their tentative correlation with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) record. These dunes, formed under a northwesterly wind regime and supplied by sand from the shore, are an indicator of sea‐level and climate changes. We obtained optically stimulated luminescence ages for these aeolianites ranging from 112±10 to 53±2 ka and clustering around the last interglacial period (～125–75 ka), implying that the former stratigraphic allocation of these dunes is inaccurate. The optical chronology suggests dune formation during MIS 5 in association with a sea level lower than today but higher than the glacial sea‐level lowstand.