The first high-resolution stalagmite record from Taiwan: Climate and environmental changes during the past 1300 years

δ18O, δ13C, elemental content and depositional features of a stalagmite from Yelang Cave reflecting climate and vegetation changes since late Pleistocene in central Guizhou, China

“…The AMS 14 C dating results of stalagmites 20120824-13 and 20120824-11 from Yelang Cave were successfully used for constructing stalagmite chronology . Li et al (2015) found out when CO 2 exchange between dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seepage water and atmospheric CO 2 in the vadose zone and inside the cave, the DCF influence may be minimal though DCF would affect d 13 C strongly.…”

“…Since the criterions of Hendy Test (Hendy, 1971) which was the classic way to detect isotopic disequilibrium, has been questioned by many recent studies (Fairchild et al, 2006;Dorale and Liu, 2009;Zhang et al, 2013;Yin et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015), we do not perform Hendy Test. It is generally agreed that duplicate d 18 O records from the same cave is the best evidence of d 18 O as a climatic proxy.…”

“…Many stalagmite d 18 O records over eastern China show similar trends on millennium or longer scales (Hu et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2008;Wan et al, 2011a;Zhang et al, 2013), and many climatic events such as Younger Dryas (YD), Heinrich (H) cold events and DansgaardeOeschger (DeO) warming events can present in multiple stalagmite records from different caves (Ma et al, 2012;Li et al, 2014;Han et al, 2016). However, meteorological records, historical climate records and young stalagmite d 18 O records (<3 ky) showed strong spatial variations of summer rainfall on annual-to-decadal scales over eastern China (Qian and Lin, 2005;Tan, 2009;Zhang et al, 2010;Wan et al, 2011b;Chu et al, 2012;Yin et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015). To facilitate speleothem record as a regional rainfall and local vegetation proxy and to understand controlling factors of monsoon variability, following studies are needed: (1) age determination of young stalagmites which are not suitable for 230 Th/U dating; (2) duplicating stalagmite records from the same cave or location; (3) using both d 18 O and d 13 C as well as other proxies in the same stalagmite; and (4) comparing stalagmite record with local meteorological records and historical documents.…”

“…Numerous stalagmite records from China have been used for reconstruction of paleoclimate and paleomonsoon variability (e.g., Ku and Li, 1998;Li et al, 1998Li et al, , 2011aLi et al, , 2011bLi et al, , 2015Wang et al, 2001Wang et al, , 2008Paulsen et al, 2003;Yuan et al, 2004;Hu et al, 2008;Yin et al, 2014;Zhao et al, 2015). Taking the advantage of ICP-MS 230 Th/U dating method, stalagmite records with precise chronology have provided important information about climatic and environmental changes during the past 300 ka.…”

“…Changes in ocean circulation can affect summer monsoon variation on decadal to millennium scales (e.g., Cheng et al, 2009;Yin et al, 2014). Variations of atmospheric circulation tele-connected with ocean dynamics such as shifts of Inter-tropical Convergent Zone (ITCZ), El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) can strongly alter the monsoonal rains on seasonal to decadal scales (e.g., Zhang et al, 2010;Wan et al, 2011b;Yin et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015;Zhao et al, 2015). Many stalagmite d 18 O records over eastern China show similar trends on millennium or longer scales (Hu et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2008;Wan et al, 2011a;Zhang et al, 2013), and many climatic events such as Younger Dryas (YD), Heinrich (H) cold events and DansgaardeOeschger (DeO) warming events can present in multiple stalagmite records from different caves (Ma et al, 2012;Li et al, 2014;Han et al, 2016).…”