A high-resolution stalagmite record from Luoshui Cave, Central China over the past 23.5 kyr. (15th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Zhenjun; Chen, Shitao; Wang, Yongjin; Zhao, Kan; Liang, Yijia; Cheng, Hai; Shao, Qingfeng; Wang, Xianfeng; Zhang, Jingwei; Wang, Quan; Zhai, Xiumin; Edwards, R. Lawrence
• Is Part Of: Quaternary science reviews. Volume 282(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04-15
• Subjects: Stalagmite -- Asian monsoon -- Effective humidity -- Cultural evolution -- 500-yr period; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107443
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0277-3791

Abstract

Abstract: A continuous high-resolution record from a precisely-dated stalagmite spanning the last precessional cycle provides new insight into the dynamics of climate change from orbital to centennial scales. A 600-mm length stalagmite (LS46) collected from the Luoshui Cave, Hubei Province, Central China, was well-dated (a total of 24 230 Th dates) and high-resolved sampled for oxygen and carbon stable isotopic measurements (2047 subsamples in total). The stalagmite LS46 δ 18 O is consistent with other published stalagmite δ 18 O time series in monsoonal China, and closely tracks changes in the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation (NHSI) on July 21 st throughout the past 23.5 kyr. Besides, the stalagmite LS46 δ 18 O shows significant correlations with the reconstructed Dali lake-level history and tree-ring δ 18 O records in the marginal monsoon regions. On this basis, we interpret that the stalagmite LS46 δ 18 O reflects the large-scale monsoon circulation with a superimposed local climate signal that might be related to effective humidity. Furthermore, the stalagmite LS46 δ 18 O exhibited four long-lasting extremely weak monsoon events since 7 kyr B.P.. These four weak monsoon events corresponded well with the tree-ring record in the northwestern fringe of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) region. Notably, the good correspondence between the stalagmite record and the tree-ring record also provides a good chronological support for our assessment of the climate and cultural evolution during the middle-late Holocene transition, the medieval warm period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA). During the early-middle Holocene, the detrended δ 18 O profile revealed 10 multi-centennial monsoon cycles with a duration of nearly 500 yr and the amplitude of ∼0.8‰. The wavelet analysis further discloses that the EASM has nearly 500 yr and 200 yr periodic oscillations in the early-middle Holocene, research indicated that the solar activity and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)/North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) jointly drive the dominant nearly 500 yr cycle of the Asian monsoon. Highlights: A successive stalagmite δ 18 O/δ 13 C series from Central China over the past 23.5 kyr. Stalagmite δ 18 O coincides with tree ring δ 18 O and lake level. LS46 δ 18 O records 4 weak monsoon events since 7 kyr B.P. and corresponds well to the tree ring data in NW China. ∼500 yr periodicity of AM during the Early-Mid Holocene was forced by solar activity and the NAO.