Higher sea surface temperature in the northern South China Sea during the natural warm periods of late Holocene than recent decades

The large-scale syntheses of global mean temperatures in IPCC fourth report suggested that the Northern Hemisphere temperature in the second half of the 20th century was likely the highest in at least the past 1,300 years and the 1990s was likely the warmest decade. However, this remains debated and the controversy is centered on whether temperatures during the recent half century were higher than those during the Medieval Cli- mate Anomaly （MCA, AD 800-1300） and the Roman Warm Period （RWP, BC 200-AD 400）, the most recent two natural warm periods of the late Holocene. Here the high resolution sea surface temperatures （SSTs） of two time windows around AD 990 （±40） and AD 50 （±40）, which located in the MCA and RWP respectively, were reconstructed by the Sr/Ca ratio and 6180 of Tradacna gigas shells from the northern South China Sea. The resultssuggested that the mean SSTs around AD 990 （±40） and AD 50 （＋40） were 28.1 ℃ and 28.7 ℃, 0.8 ℃ and 1.4 ℃ higher than that during AD 199±2005, respectively. These records, together with the tree ring, lake sediment and literature records from the eastern China and northwest China, imply that the temperatures in recent decades do not seem to exceed the natural changes in MCA, at least in eastern Asia from northwest China to northern SCS.     

Speleothem Mg,Sr and Ba records during the MIS 5c-d,and implications for paleoclimate change in NE Sichuan,Central China

Trace metals of Mg, Sr and Ba in a stalagmite (SZ2) collected from Suozi Cave in NE Sichuan, Central China, were analyzed with ICP-AES. The stalagmite was dated to have developed between 120 and 103 ka BP. Results indicate that the Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of SZ2 varied between (9500-14700) 10 6 , (54-123) 10 6 and (31-82) 10 6 , respectively. The three records displayed significant millennial scale variations, which correlate with changes in past climate and environment. Lower values of Mg/Ca ratios and higher values of Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of SZ2 occurred during relatively cold-dry marine isotope stage (MIS) 5d, while the opposite trend was observed during relatively warm-humid MIS 5c. Trace metals in speleothems can be affected by distribution coefficients or trace metal concentrations in solutions from which speleothems precipitate. Temperature is suggested to be the dominant controller of Mg/Ca ratios in SZ2, whereas the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios may have been influenced by surface soil and atmospheric dust activities and prior calcite precipitation in Suozi Cave. Further investigations are warranted as to whether Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios were affected by temperature and growth rate of the speleothem. The shifts of Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca records in SZ2 during the transition from MIS 5d to 5c apparently were earlier than the oxygen isotope record ( 18 O) of the same stalagmite. This possibly indicates (1) that atmospheric dust activity (the mechanism affecting SZ2 Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios) is closely related to temperature, and (2) that temperature changes (dominated by solar insolation) precedes change in speleothem 18 O records which are controlled by both summer monsoons and winter temperatures.     

Assessment of coral bleaching using symbiotic zooxanthellae density and satellite remote sensing data in the Nansha Islands,South China Sea

Coral bleaching,characterized by a significant loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae,is the primary cause of mass coral mortality and reef degradation throughout the world.The characteristics,processes,and resistance of corals to bleaching varies significantly and is dependent on environmental conditions.We documented a mass coral bleaching event in June 2007 at the Meiji and Zhubi Reefs,Nansha Islands (NS),South China Sea using ecological surveys and measurement of coral zooxanthellae density and sea surface temperatures (SST).More than 35 species of corals (between 0-20 m in depth) were bleached.These bleached corals accounted for 15.6% of total corals in the investigated quadrats.The branching corals Pocillopora and Acropora were the most vulnerable species whereas the massive corals Porites and Favia were more tolerant of the high SSTs.Surprisingly,we found no evidence of bleaching in Agariciidae corals suggesting that this family is resistant to thermal stresses.The bleached corals had lost 72%-90% of their symbiotic zooxanthellae.Furthermore,corals that had no visual signs of bleaching had also lost 31%-53% of their zooxanthellae suggesting that most corals were experiencing the early stage of bleaching.The monthly mean SST during June 2007 was 30.8°C,the highest since 1998.Based on measurements of SST and the Hotspots and DHW data (NOAA),we conclude that it the extremely high SSTs triggered this coral bleaching event.Our results suggest that the previously accepted temperature thresholds used to predict coral bleaching based on satellite data are likely to underestimate the extent and intensity of coral bleaching,at least in the NS.     

Seasonal variations in the Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of suspended particulate matter in the lower Changjiang River: Provenance and erosion constraints

Suspended particulate matter samples were collected monthly for more than 2 years in Nanjing,China to examine seasonal changes in the Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the lower Changjiang River(CR).The results indicate that the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the samples ranges from 0.725352 to 0.738128,and the values ofεNd(0)ranges from-10.55 to-12.29.The Sr-Nd isotopic compositions show distinct seasonal variations.The samples had lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios and higherε Nd(0)values during the flood season than the dry seasons.The seasonal variations primarily reflect the controls of provenance rocks and erosion in different sub-catchments.The relative decrease in 87Sr/86Sr ratios and the increase inε Nd(0)values during the flood season may reflect an increasing in the mechanical erosion rate in the upper basin and the contribution of more sediment from the upper reaches.The end member values of 87Sr/86Sr andε Nd(0)of the samples were 0.728254 and?11.26,respectively.     

Quantitative reconstruction of the paleosalinity at Qinghai Lake in the past 900 years

Based on the function relationship between the shell length of Limnocythere inopinata and the salinity of its living water in Tibetan Plateau lakes, the paleosalinty of Qinghai Lake in the past 900 years was reconstructed through the measurement of the adult body length of Limnocythere inopinata. Meanwhile, the paleosalinity sequence of Qinghai Lake during the same period was rebuilt by the St/Ca ratio of the shell of Eucypris inflata combined with the St/Ca ratio of living ostracod valves from the species of genus Eucypris inflata and the host water. The paleosalinity results obtained by two different methods were compared and assessed in this paper. To check the result, it was also contrasted with other historical climatic sequences of this area including tree ring and ice core. It was shown that the paleosalinity sequence rebuilt by adult ostracod body length had high reliability, and the paleosalinity reconstruction method by trace elements of ostracod shells was not suitable for Qinghai Lake. From the reconstructed paleosalinty sequence of Qinghai Lake, it can be found that low salinity during 1160-1290 AD showed the humid climate condition on the Mediaeval Warm Period in this area, while the high salinity during 1410-1540 AD, 1610-1670 AD and 1770-1850 AD which was corresponding to the three cold pulses of the Little Ice Age with a dry climate condition. And the high salinity in the latest several decades was consistent with recent warm and dry trends of the climate in this area. The good consistency of the reconstructed palaeosalinity sequence and the precipitation sequence in this area rebuilt by tree ring proves the reconstruction of past lake salinity is reliable.     

Summer sea-surface temperatures and climate events on the North Icelandic shelf through the last 3000 years

Diatom data from core MD992271 on the North Icelandic shelf record a cooling trend through the last 3000 years. This is indicated by a general decrease in warm water species and an increase in cold water taxa. The relative abundance of these two diatom groups changed periodically, suggesting that the climate also fluctuated within this time period. The results of diatom-based transfer function calculation show that the summer sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) before 1400 cal. a BP were generally higher than the mean value for the last 3000 years and the summer SSTs fluctuated around the mean between 1400 and 700 cal. a BP, and dropped to the values below the mean after 700 cal. a BP. Four cooling events were distinguished, centered at around 2600, 1900, 1300 and 600 cal. a BP respectively. The results are not only consistent with the data from neighbouring cores HM107-03 and MD992275, but also comparable with those from the GISP2 ice core and from other marine sediment records in the North Atlantic. This suggests that changes in the summer SSTs reflect regional climate variations in the North Atlantic. On the North Icelandic shelf, the summer SST variation is a result of changes in the in-teraction between the cold and the warm currents in the area.     

A 1000-year chironomid-based salinity reconstruction from varved sediments of Sugan Lake, Qaidam Basin, arid Northwest China, and its palaeoclimatic significance

A 1000-year high-resolution （-10 years） chironomid record from varved sediments of Sugan Lake, Qaidam Basin on the northern Tibetan Plateau, is presented. The chironomid assemblages are mainly composed of the relatively high-saline-water taxa Psectrocladius barbimanus-type and Orthocladius/ Cricotopus, and the relatively low-saline-water taxa Procladius and Psectrocladius sordidellus-type. Variations in the chironomid fauna and inferred salinities suggest that over the last millennium, the Sugan Lake catchment has alternated between contrasting climatic conditions, having a dry climate during the period 990-1550 AD, a relatively humid climate during the Little Ice Age （LIA） （1550-1840 AD）, and a dry climate again from 1840 AD onwards. At the decadal to centennial scale, a wet event around 1200-1230 AD, interrupting the generally arid period （990-1550 AD）, and a dry event around 1590-1700 AD, punctuating the generally humid period （1550-1840 AD）, are clearly documented. Trends in the chironomid-based salinity time series indicate a highly unstable climate during the LIA when salinity fluctuations were of greater magnitude and higher frequency. The effective moisture evolution in the Sugan Lake catchment during the last millennium reconstructed by chironomid analysis is in broad agreement with previous palaeo-moisture data derived from other sites in arid Northwest China （ANC）. The LIA, characterized by generally humid conditions over the westerly-dominated ANC was distinctly different from that in monsoonal China, implying an ＂out-of-phase＂ relationship between moisture evolution in these two regions during the past 1000 years.     

Animal diversities and characteristics of environmental change revealed by skeletons unearthed at Zhongba Site of Chongqing City,China

Nearly 200000 animal skeletons are unearthed in the Unit T0202 from Zhongba Site of Zhongxian County.According to the analysis of 129165 specimens,these skeletons may be classified into 5 kinds, namely,Mammalia,Osteichthys,Aves,Amphibian and Reptilia,which belong to 13 orders,28 families and 42 genera.In this paper,based on archeological dating and AMS 14 C data,through statistically analyzing the unearthed skeletons and studying the change of the smallest individual numbers,these research results detected the following:1)In almost all the time of 2370―200 BC,in Zhongba region, some animals distributed widely,such as Muntiacus sp,Elaphodus cephalophus and Muntiacus sp. inhabiting in glade and grassland,Scrofa sp.and Canis familiaris raised by the ancient people,rodentia rabbit and Rattus rattus,which suggested that a fairly good ecological environment of forest and grassland was preserved at that period and the predecessors began to raise domestic animals from 1750 to 1000 BC,which has lasted until today.2)Rhinoceros only lived during 2000―1750 BC,1000― 700 BC and 700―500 BC,which indicates that the ecological environment of grassland and wetland might be better in these phases.3)Macaca sp.and Ursus arctos appeared only after 1750―1000 BC, which may show that the forest condition is better for animals to live during 1750―200 BC.4)The smallest individual numbers of Bublus sp.,bos sp.and otters emerged during about 2370―1750 BC, which perhaps infers that water area during the early period was wider than that of the late period.5) Since skeletons of rhinoceros are discovered in strata of Zhongba Site during 2000―1750 BC and 1000―500 BC,according to the climate and ecology environment which rhinoceros live in now,the average annual temperature and precipitation during 2000―1750 BC and 1000―500 BC are supposed to be probably higher than that of today.Although Zhu Kezhen considered that the first low temperature period in the past 5000 years of China was between 1100 BC and 850 BC,massive pollen     

Carbonate verse silicate Sr isotope in lake sediments and its response to Little Ice Age

The ^87Sr/^86Sr ratios of silicate (acid-insoluble,AI,) and carbonate (acid-soluble,AS) of the lake sediments from the Daihai Lake ,Inner Mongolia since the last 500 years are measured respectively ,indicationg that chemical weathering of silicate minerals was in an early stage since the Little Ice Age within the Daihai watershed by combination with mineral constitute,Rb/Sr ratio and CaCO3 content in the sediments,During the Little Ice Age maximum,an evident peak in the ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratios of both silicate and carbonate in sediments suggests that a cold climate condition is unfavorable to dissolving radiogenic stontium from silcate minerals ,Meanwhile,the variation of ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratios of silicate and carbonate also reflects a projected warming climate favorable to intensifying chemical weathering after the Little Ice Age ,Consequently,the ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratio of both silicate and carbonate in inland lake sediment can be used as an effective proxy of the past climate in single watershed.     

Climatic changes documented by stable isotopes of sedimentary carbonate in Lake Sugan, northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China, since 2 kaBP

Lake Sugan at the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin was selected as the research object. The temporal sequence of sedimentary cores retrieved from Lake Sugan since 2 kaBP was reconstructed using the ^210Pb, AMS 14C and conventional 14C dating methods. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of carbonate in the fine-grained lake sediments were analysed. Combined with the changes of 8180 values of surface water and air temperature observation data in the study area, it might be thought that the δ^18O value of the carbonate indicates effective moisture, and the changes in δ^13C values are related to annual freeze-up duration of the lake and indirectly indicate air temperature changes in winter half year. From the above, the sequence of climatic changes in the region since 2 kaBP was established. The climatic changes experienced five stages： Warm-dry climate during 0-190 AD： cold-dry climate during 190-580 AD; warm-dry climate during 580-1200 AD （MWP）; cold-wet climate during 1200-1880 AD （LIA）; cold-dry climate during 1880-1950 AD： and climate warming since 1950s. The air temperature changes in winter half year reflected by carbon isotope since 2 kaBP are in good agreement with the historical literature records and other geologic records, which shows that the climate changes recorded by the stable isotopes from Lake Sugan since 2 kaBP are of universal significance.     

砗磲高分辨率Sr/Ca温度计:3种物种的对比分析

对采自南海西沙的3种不同种的现代砗磲(库氏砗磲、鳞砗磲、砗蚝)进行了高分辨率Sr/Ca比值分析.结果表明:库氏砗磲和鳞砗磲的Sr/Ca比值呈现出年周期变化并与实测的海表面温度(SST)形成较好的对应;而砗蚝的Sr/Ca比值年周期信号较弱且与温度的对应存在较大的不确定性.通过全年逐月或逐周对应和极端对应,我们共获得了两种砗磲的4个有效的Sr/Ca-SST方程,并能较好地作为Sr/Ca温度计进行温度恢复.对比不同种类的砗磲,其Sr/Ca分布有所不同,相应的Sr/Ca-SST方程也有一定的区别.这项研究为选择性地应用砗磲研究全新世气候变化提供了依据.     

Identifying paleoflood deposits archived in Zhongba Site, the Three Gorges reservoir region of the Yangtze River, China

Based on the principle that the present is the key to the past, detailed analyses, such as AMS ^14C dating, grain size, component and morphology of heavy minerals, micro-morphology of zircon, Rb/Sr, magnetic susceptibility and total organic carbon （TOC）, were conducted to identify paleoflood sediments archived in Zhongba Site. The results indicate that the plaeoflood sediments bear great similarities with modern flood sediments in the following aspects： （1） probability cumulative curves mainly show a pattern of 3-4 segments; （2） grain-size distribution of suspended matter ranges between 3 and 10（I）; （3） the sediments are well-sorted, most of which are suspended matter （〉50%）; （4） the same species, quantity and morphology of heavy minerals; （5） scanning electronic microscope images show that shapes of zircon are mainly oval and nearly spheral, rounded due to long-distance transport; （6） higher Rb/Sr values （0.55-0.66）than those of sediments from cultural layers （0.03-0.26）; （7） magnetic susceptibility values （133.73-433.05 10^-6m^3/kg） are lower than those of sediments from cultural layers （959.25-2442.44 10^-6 m^3/kg）; （8） TOC （0.14%- 0.33%） are lower than those of sediments from cultural layers （1.13%-2.95%）. Our results demonstrate that, except for the 1981 flood, there are at least six paleoflood events that occurred during the Qing Dynasty, the middle of Song Dynasty, the early Warring States （400BC-350BC）, the West Zhou Dynasty （920BC-900BC）, the Xia Dynasty （2070BC-1600BC）, and the late Neolithic Age （3000BC-2300BC）, respectively.     

远源地下水入侵阿拉善高原沙漠:酸溶物Sr同位素证据

选取北方西－东向气候剖面上物质组成相似的四个沙漠（塔克拉玛干、巴丹吉林、腾格里和毛乌素）,测定其地表沙酸溶物87Sr/86Sr比值、Ca2+和Sr2+浓度。Ca2+和Sr2+浓度相关性极好,在降雨量低的塔克拉玛干沙漠中最高,向东逐渐降低,在降雨量多的毛乌素沙漠中最低。降雨量是控制阳离子浓度变化的主导因素。酸溶物87Sr/86Sr比值在四个沙漠中有不同于阳离子变化的区域特征。塔克拉玛干沙漠酸溶物87Sr/86Sr比值在0.71以下,巴丹吉林和腾格里沙漠的大于0.7112,而毛乌素沙漠的在0.71-0.7112之间变化。塔克拉玛干和毛乌素沙漠地表沙酸溶物87Sr/86Sr比值仅受气候变化的制约。巴丹吉林和腾格里沙漠除了受气候因素影响外还受其它因素的制约,最可能的就是远源地下水。经计算,远源地下水对巴丹吉林沙漠的影响份额为47%,对腾格里沙漠为44%,接近气候因素的影响。     

中国区域月降水量的多时间尺度特征

根据国家气候中心气候预测室的降水分区方法，使用1951年1月到1998年12月的分区月降水指数资料，采用小波分析方法分析了中国区域月隆水的多时间尺度特征。研究结果得出：对全国平均而言，20世纪50年代和90年代为我国降水偏多期，60年代和80年代为降水偏少期；中国大部分地区降水都存在8年以上的长周期变化和2-4年周期的变化，但后者呈现出明显的不规则性。     

Predicted recurrences of mass coral mortality in the Indian Ocean

In 1998, more than 90% of shallow corals were killed on most Indian Ocean reefs. High sea surface temperature (SST) was a primary cause, acting directly or by interacting with other factors. Mean SSTs have been forecast to rise above the 1998 values in a few decades; however, forecast SSTs rarely flow seamlessly from historical data, or may show erroneous seasonal oscillations, precluding an accurate prediction of when lethal SSTs will recur. Differential acclimation by corals in different places complicates this further. Here I scale forecast SSTs at 33 Indian Ocean sites where most shallow corals died in 1998 (ref. 1) to identify geographical patterns in the timing of probable repeat occurrences. Reefs located 10-15 degrees south will be affected every 5 years by 2010-2025. North and south from this, dates recede in a pattern not directly related to present SSTs; paradoxically, some of the warmest sites may be affected last. Temperatures lethal to corals vary in this region by 6 degrees C, and acclimation of a modest 2 degrees C by corals could prolong their survival by nearly 100 years.     

High resolutionPorites Mg/Ca thermometer for the north of the South China Sea

High resolution Mg/Ca ratios in the skeleton of a Porites lutea from the coastal area in the North of the South China Sea were precisely analyzed by ICP-MS. Compared with the instrument measured SST records, the Mg/Ca ratios strongly correlate with the SSTs, even in time of 1982/83 El Nino. Therefore, a coral Mg/Ca thermometer for the North of the South China Sea was established. Based on ICP-MS technique it can report sea surface temperatures to an accuracy of ±0.5℃.