Formation and evolution of the modern warm current system in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea since the last deglaciation

To reconstruct the formation and evolution process of the warm current system within the East China Sea （ECS） and the Yellow Sea （YS） since the last deglaciation, the paleoceangraphic records in core DGKS9603, core CSH1 and core YSDP102, which were retrieved from the mainstream of the Kuroshio Current （KC）, the edge of the modern Tsushima Warm Current （TWC） and muddy region under cold waters accreted with the Yellow Sea Warm Current （YSWC） respectively, were synthetically analyzed. The results indicate that the formation and evolution of the modern warm current system in the ECS and the YS has been accompanied by the development of the KC and impulse rising of the sea level since the last deglaciation. The influence of the KC on the Okinawa Trough had enhanced since 16 cal kyr BP, and synchronously the modern TWC began to develop with the rising of sea level and finally formed at about 8.5 cal kyr BP. The KC had experienced two weakening process during the Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Drays event from 16 to 8.5 cal kyr BP. The period of 7-6 cal kyr BP was the strongest stage of the KC and the TWC since the last deglaciation. The YSWC has appeared at about 6.4 cal kyr BE Thus the warm current system of the ECS and the YS has ultimately formed. The weakness of the KC, indicated by the occurrence of Pulleniatina minimum event （PME） during the period from 5.3 to 2.8 cal kyr BE caused the main stream of the TWC to shift eastward to the Pacific Ocean around about 3 cal kyr BE The process resulted in the intruding of continent shelf cold water mass with rich nutrients. Synchronously, the strength of the YSWC was relatively weak and the related cold water body was active at the early-mid stage of its appearance against the PME background, which resulted in the quick formation of muddy deposit system in the southeastern YS. The strength of the warm current system in the ECS and the YS has enhanced evidently, and approached to the modern condition gradually since 3 cal kyr BE

Last Deglaciation Climatic Fluctuation Record by the Palaeo-Daocheng Ice Cap, Southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The last deglaciation, a key period for understanding present and future climate changes, has long been the hot topic for palaeoclimatological study. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau（QTP） is often a target study area for understanding hemispheric, or even global environment changes. The glacial landforms on the QTP provide a unique perspective for its climate change. In order to investigate the onset of the last deglaciation at the QTP and its regional correlation, the terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides（TCN） 10 Be and 26 Al surface exposure dating was chosen to date the roche moutonnée, the polished surface and the moraine debris located at the palaeo-Daocheng Ice Cap（pDIC）, southeastern QTP. Our results show that the onset of the last deglaciation is at about 19 ka, followed by another warming event occurring around 15 ka in the p-DIC area. These timings agree well with other records, e.g. equivalent with a rapid sea level rise at 19 ka and the onset of B？lling warming event at about 15 ka. Thus, our new data can provide good reveal constraint on the climate evolution at the QTP.

Sedimentary response to volcanic activity in the Okinawa Trough since the last deglaciation

To investigate the relationship between volcanic activity and sediment record on regional and temporal scales,158 surface sediment samples were collected from the East China Sea Shelf to the northern Okinawa Trough (OT),and two cores recovered in the northern and southern OT,respectively.Mineralogy,grain-size,and geochemical analyses of those samples show that:1) volcanic glass,volcanic-type pyroxene,hypersthenes,and magnetite increase in sediment influenced by volcanic activity;2) sediment grain sizes (and also silt content) increase in ash layers;and 3) the contents of Na2O and Zr are higher,while terrigenous elements,e.g.,TFe2O3 and K2O,and biogenous compositions,e.g.,CaO and Sr,are relatively lower in ash layers than those of non-ash layers.The distribution of volcanic ash has three distinguishing characteristics:1) volcanic ash is more abundant in the northern and central OT than the southern OT;2) volcanic ash increases from continental shelf to the trough;3) the sediment during the last 12 000 a suggests stronger volcanic events than during 15 000-12 000 a.The eruptive locations,frequency,and volume of calderas are among the most important factors controlling the distributions of volcanic ash.In addition,the main Kuroshio warm current that extends northward probably impeded the diffusion of volcanic ash to the west and south in the OT.However,a southward current probably carried some volcanic ash toward southern OT.

EVIDENCE FOR ABRUPT CLIMATIC CHANGES ON NORTHWESTERN MARGIN OF EAST ASIAN MONSOON REGION DURING LAST DEGLACIATION

Based on investigations of the Zhongwei Nanshan aeolian section situated in the southeastern margin of Tengger Desert, carbon-14 and TL (thermoluminescence) dating results and paleoclimatic proxies such as magnetic susceptibility and grain size, we inferred that the northwestern margin of East Asian monsoon region experienced abrupt climatic changes during the last deglaciation. Six oscillation events were identified: Oldest Dryas, Bolling, Older Dryas, Allerod, Intra-Allerod Cold Period (IACP) and Younger Dryas (YD). The summer monsoon was weaker during Oldest Dryas and Younger Dryas when the winter monsoon was stronger. However, during the B/A (Bolling/Allerod) period, the summer monsoon strengthened, reflected by magnetic susceptibility, when the winter monsoon also became strong, which is different from the paleoclimatic pattern established in the East Asian monsoon region. Furthermore, the summer monsoon was nearly in phase with the climate changes inferred from the oxygen isotopic records of Greenland ice cores. It could be speculated that the variations of the sea ice cover in the high latitudes of the North Hemisphere affected the high pressure of Asian continent and the changes of the winter monsoon inland. On the other hand, the sea ice cover variations might have indirectly caused the occurrence of ENSO events that has tightly been related to the summer monsoon in northwest margin of East Asian monsoon region.

Evolution of Palaeoenvironment of the South Yellow Sea Since the Last Deglaciation

The sediments in core YS01 recovered from the South Yellow Sea mud deposit zone contain abundant benthic foraminifera,particularly shallow continental shelf species,but rare of planktonic foraminifera.The benthic foraminifera are dominated by stenohaline cold shallow-water species and euryhaline brackish-water species.In this paper,the palaeoenvironmental changes were discussed based on the grain-size compositions and benthic foraminiferal assemblages.Six different benthic foraminiferal assemblages were discriminated by species analysis from the foraminiferal fauna.According to AMS14C dating data in core YS01,we identified four main stages of marine environmental changes since the last deglaciation:a near-shore depositional stage(13.1–9.5 kyr B.P.),a transitional stage from near-shore deposition to shallow-sea deposition(9.5–5.6 kyr B.P.),a high sea level stage with shallow-sea deposition(5.6–2.9 kyr B.P.),and a stable shallow-sea depositional stage(2.9 kyr B.P.to the present).

Palaeoclimatic evolution recorded by multidicipline in sediments in gahai lake, qaidam basin since late last deglacial

Based on the analyses of Loss-on-Ignition （LOI）, carbonate content and sediment characteristics, this paper reconstructs the climatic and environmental evolution of the Gahai lake area since the late Last Deglacial Period. The results cover the late Last Deglacial Period and the Holocene. The climate was very unstable and rather arid during the late Last Deglacial Period. The Holocene can be divided into three periods： the early Holocene （11360-8240 cal aB. P. ）, which was dry but unstable and featured rising temperatures, the mid-Holocene （8240-3200 cal aB. P. ）, which was warm and wet and the late Holocene （ since 3200 cal aBP）, which was cold and dry. Results also show a warm-wet event around 1500 cal aB. P.

Rare earth element geochemistry in the inner shelf of the East China Sea and its implication to sediment provenances

Gravity core EC2005, located in the mud wedge off the Zhejiang-Fujian coast in the inner shelf of the East China Sea （ECS）, was analyzed for its lithology, grain size, rare earth elements （REE） and AMS14C dating. Results revealed high-resolution paleoenvironmental evolution and multiple switches of sediment provenances in the inner shelf of ECS. The lithology, grain size and REE concentrations of sediments varied significantly down the core. Mean grain size ranged from 8 to 121 μm, and the values of ΣREE were 152.8-227.9 μg/g. The chondrite- and shale-normalized REE patterns indicated their similarity to the terrigenous sediments in the study area. Between 17.3-12.3 ka BP the sediments in the inner shelf of ECS were mainly originated from local drainage basins. The source then gradually switched to the Yangtze River between 12.3 and 9.8 ka BP. Since about 10-9.8 ka BP, the sediments in the study area were dominantly derived from the Yangtze River. The continuous rising of sea level and formation of coastal current along the inner shelf played a key role in the switches of sediment provenances.