Abstract
Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) is a ubiquitous biomarker in peat and soil used widely to reconstruct terrestrial paleoclimate change. On the other hand, it has rarely been reported in paleoclimatic studies on the Korean Peninsula. The present study analyzed the brGDGT of core sediments (ES14-GC02) collected from the Hupo Trough (southwestern East Sea) to test whether the brGDGT proxies reflect the terrestrial environmental conditions of East Asia including the Korean Peninsula. At the core-top sediments, the brGDGT-derived mean annual air temperature (MAAT, ca. 13.7 °C) concurred with the modern annual mean of measured atmospheric temperature (ca. 13.3 °C). Core ES14-GC02 is characterized by two lithologic units: a high MAAT and pH in the upper Unit A and a low MAAT and pH in the lower Unit B. In particular, a bi-plot of CBT (cyclization ratio of branched tetraethers) and MBT′ (methylation index of branched tetraethers) shows the distinct difference between the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Holocene. These results indicate that the sources of brGDGT in the Hupo Trough are complex (in situ production, terrestrial source, and unknown source). Thus, great care should be taken when interpreting the absolute value of MAAT in the Hupo Trough. Nevertheless, despite this caveat, the downcore variation of the brGDGT proxies reflects changes in the terrestrial environment in the Korean Peninsula since the LGM. This study suggests that branched GDGTs of neritic marine sediments can be used to improve terrestrial paleoclimatic studies on the Korean Peninsula.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
GDGT data associated with this research are available and can be obtained by contacting the corresponding author.
References
Ajioka T, Yamamoto M, Murase J (2014) Branched and isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in soils and lake/river sediments in Lake Biwa basin and implications for MBT/CBT proxies. Org Geochem 73:70–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2014.05.009
Bahk JJ, Um IK, Jang JH (2021) Lateral sediment transport and late quaternary changes of eolian sedimentation in the East Sea (Japan Sea). J Asian Earth Sci 208:104672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2021.104672
Bereiter B, Shackleton S, Baggenstos D, Kawamura K, Severinghaus J (2018) Mean global ocean temperatures during the last glacial transition. Nature 553:39–44. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25152
Cartapanis O, Jonkers L, Moffa-Sanchez P, Jaccard SL, de Vernal A (2022) Complex spatio-temporal structure of the Holocene thermal maximum. Nat Comm 13:662. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33362-1
Chung CH, Lim HS, Yoon HI (2006) Vegetation and climate changes during the Late Pleistocene to Holocene inferred from pollen record in Jinju area, South Korea. Geosci J 10:423–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02910436
De Jonge C, Hopmans EC, Stadnitskaia A, Rijpstra WIC, Hofland R, Tegelaar E, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2013) Identification of novel penta- and hexamethylated branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in peat using HPLC–MS2, GC–MS and GC–SMB–MS. Org Geochem 54:78–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2012.10.004
De Jonge C, Hopmans EC, Zell CI, Kim JH, Schouten S, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2014a) Occurrence and abundance of 6-methyl branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in soils: implications for palaeoclimate reconstruction. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 141:97–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.06.013
De Jonge C, Stadnitskaia A, Hopmans EC, Cherkashov G, Fedotov A, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2014b) In situ produced branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in suspended particulate matter from the Yenisei River, Eastern Siberia. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 125:476–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.10.031
Hopmans EC, Schouten S, Pancost RD, van der Meer MT, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2000) Analysis of intact tetraether lipids in archaeal cell material and sediments by high performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 14:585–589. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0231(20000415)14:7%3c585::AID-RCM913%3e3.0.CO;2-N
Hopmans EC, Weijers JWH, Schefuß E, Herfort L, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Schouten S (2004) A novel proxy for terrestrial organic matter in sediments based on branched and isoprenoid tetraether lipids. Earth Planet Sc Lett 224:107–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.05.012
Huguet C, Hopmans EC, Febo-Ayala W, Thompson DH, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Schouten S (2006) An improved method to determine the absolute abundance of glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether lipids. Org Geochem 37:1036–1041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2006.05.008
Huguet A, Fosse C, Metzger P, Fritsch E, Derenne S (2010) Occurrence and distribution of extractable glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in podzols. Org Geochem 41:291–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2009.10.007
Itaki T, Ikehara K, Motoyama I, Hasegawa S (2004) Abrupt ventilation changes in the Japan Sea over the last 30 ky: evidence from deep-dwelling radiolarians. Palaeogeogr Palaeoecl 208:263–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2004.03.010
Jiang LQ, Carter BR, Feely RA, Lauvset SK, Olsen A (2019) Surface ocean pH and buffer capacity: past, present and future. Sci Rep 9:18624. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55039-4
Jun CP, Yi S, Kim CH, Park CH, Lee SJ (2020) Pollen records of orbitally modulated variation in East Asian winter monsoon intensity and freshwater inflow to the Ulleung Basin of East Sea, South Korea, during the last glacial period. Mar Geol 430:106365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106365
Kaboth-Bahr S, Bahr A, Zeeden C, Yamoah KA, Lone MA, Chuang CK, Löwemark L, Wei KY (2021) A tale of shifting relations: East Asian summer and winter monsoon variability during the Holocene. Sci Rep 11:6938. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85444-7
Kaufman D, McKay N, Routson C, Erb M, Dätwyler C, Sommer PS, Heiri O, Davis B (2020) Holocene global mean surface temperature, a multi-method reconstruction approach. Sci Data 7:201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0530-7
Keigwin LD, Gorbarenko SA (1992) Sea level, surface salinity of the Japan Sea, and the Younger Dryas event in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Quaternary Res 37:346–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(92)90072-Q
Khim BK, Bahk JJ, Hyun S, Lee GH (2007) Late Pleistocene dark laminated mud layers from the Korea Plateau, western East Sea/Japan Sea, and their paleoceanographic implications. Palaeogeogr Palaeoecl 247:74–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.11.029
Khim BK, Kim S, Park YH, Lee J, Ha S, Yoo KC (2021) Holocene sedimentation in the Hupo Trough of the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) and development of the East Korea Warm Current. Holocene 31:1148–1157. https://doi.org/10.1177/09596836211003238
Kim JH, Schouten S, Hopmans EC, Donner B, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2008) Global sediment core-top calibration of the TEX86 paleothermometer in the ocean. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 72:1154–1173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2007.12.010
Kim DW, Hur BS, Lee SJ, Kim HJ (2011) Tree growth and ecosystem conditions of Docheon forest (Natural Monument No. 514) in Docheon-ri, Yeongdeok—focusing on plant ecosystems. Munhwajae Korean J Cult Herit Stud 44:122–137. https://doi.org/10.22755/kjchs.2011.44.1.122 (in Korean)
Kim JY, Kang DJ, Lee T, Kim KR (2014) Long-term trend of CO2 and ocean acidification in the surface water of the Ulleung Basin, the East/Japan Sea inferred from the underway observational data. Biogeosciences 11:2443–2454. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2443-2014
KMA (2020) Korean climate change assessment report 2020—the physical science basis. Korean Meteorological Administration, p 40
Kong GS, Park SC (2007) Paleoevironmental changes and depositional history of the Korea (Tsushima) Strait since the LGM. J Asian Earth Sci 29:84–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2006.01.004
Lee H, Lee JY, Lim J (2022) Holocene hydrologic fluctuations on the southern coast of Korea and their link to ENSO activity. Geosci J 26:129–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-021-0020-8
Lee H, Lee JY, Shin S (2021) Middle holocene coastal environmental and climate change on the Southern Coast of Korea. Appl Sci 11:230. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010230
Li N, Sharifi A, Chambers FM, Ge Y, Dubois N, Gao G, Li D, Liu L, Liu H, Wang J, Niu H, Meng M, Liu Y, Zhang G, Jie D (2021) Linking Holocene East Asian monsoon variability to solar forcing and ENSO activity: multi-proxy evidence from a peatland in Northeastern China. Holocene 31:966–982. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683621994662
Lim J, Lee J, Hong S, Kim J, Yi S, Nahm WH (2017) Holocene changes in flooding frequency in South Korea and their linkage to centennial-to-millennial-scale El Niño-Southern Oscillation activity. Quaternary Res 87:37–48. https://doi.org/10.1017/qua.2016.8
Lim J, Lee J, Hong S, Park S, Lee E, Yi S (2019) Holocene coastal environmental change and ENSO-driven hydroclimatic variability in East Asia. Quaternary Sci Rev 220:75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.07.041
Liu K, Shen C, Louie K (2001) A 1000-year history of typhoon landfalls in Guangdong, Southern China, reconstructed from Chinese historical documentary records. Ann Am Assoc Geogr 91:453–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/0004-5608.00253
Liu XL, Zhu C, Wakeham SG, Hinrichs KU (2014) In situ production of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in anoxic marine water columns. Mar Chem 166:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2014.08.008
Moon J, Shim C, Jung O, Hong JW, Han J, Song YI (2020) Characteristics in regional climate change over South Korea for regional climate policy measures: based on long-term observations. J Clim Change Res 11:755–770. https://doi.org/10.15531/KSCCR.2020.11.6.755 (in Korean)
Na T, Hwang J, Kim SY, Jeong S, Rho T, Lee T (2022) Large increase in dissolved inorganic carbon in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from 1999 to 2019. Front Mar Sci 9:825206. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.825206
Nahm WH, Kim JY, Lim J, Yu KM (2011) Responses of the upriver valley sediment to Holocene environmental changes in the Paju area of Korea. Geomorphology 133:80–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.06.023
NIMS (2018) Climate change in the Korean Peninsula for 100 years. National Institute of Meteorological Sciences (in Korean)
North greenland ice core project members (2004) High-resolution record of Northern Hemisphere climate extending into the last interglacial period. Nature 431:147–151. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02805
Oba T, Kato M, Kitazato H, Koizumi I, Omura A, Sakai T, Takayama T (1991) Paleoenvironmental changes in the Japan Sea during the last 85,000 years. Paleoceanography 6:499–518. https://doi.org/10.1029/91PA00560
Osman MB, Tierney JE, Zhu J, Tardif R, Hakim GJ, King J, Poulsen CJ (2021) Globally resolved surface temperatures since the Last Glacial Maximum. Nature 599:239–244. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03984-4
Park J (2011) A modern pollen-temperature calibration data set from Korea and quantitative temperature reconstructions for the Holocene. Holocene 21:1125–1135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400462
Park YH, Khim BK (2022) Development of the East Korea Warm Current in the Hupo Trough of the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) since the Last Glacial Maximum based on TEX86 and paleothermometers. Org Geochem 170:104446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2022.104446
Park YH, Yamamoto M, Nam SI, Irino T, Polyak L, Harada N, Nagashima K, Khim BK, Chikita K, Saitoh SI (2014) Distribution, source and transportation of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in surface sediments from the western Arctic Ocean and the northern Bering Sea. Mar Chem 165:10–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2014.07.001
Park J, Park J, Yi S, Kim JC, Lee E, Choi J (2019a) Abrupt Holocene climate shifts in coastal East Asia, including the 8.2 ka, 4.2 ka, and 2.8 ka BP events, and societal responses on the Korean peninsula. Sci Rep 9:10806. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47264-8
Park YH, Kim HJ, Son JW, Yoo CM, Khim BK (2019b) Biomarker-based seawater temperatures of winter sinking particles and core-top sediment in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. Ocean Sci J 54:487–495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-019-0017-7
Patwardhan AP, Thompson DH (1999) Efficient synthesis of 40-and 48-membered tetraether macrocyclic bisphosphocholines. Org Lett 1:241–244. https://doi.org/10.1021/ol990567o
Peterse F, Kim JH, Schouten S, Kristensen DK, Koc N, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2009) Constraints on the application of the MBT/CBT palaeothermometry at high latitude environments. Org Geochem 40:692–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2009.03.004
Peterse F, Meer JVD, Schouten S, Weijers JWH, Fierer N, Jackson RB, Kim JH, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2012) Revised calibration of the MBT-CBT paleotemperature proxy based on branched tetraether membrane lipids in surface soils. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 96:215–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.08.011
Schouten S, Hopmans EC, Schefuß E, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2002) Distributional variations in marine crenarchaeotal membrane lipids: a new tool for reconstructing ancient sea water temperatures? Earth Planet Sc Lett 204:265–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(02)00979-2
Sinninghe Damsté JS, Hopmans EC, Pancost RD, Schouten S, Geenevasen JAJ (2000) Newly discovered non-isoprenoid dialkyl diglycerol tetraether lipids in sediments. Chem Commun 23:1683–1684. https://doi.org/10.1039/B004517I
Sinninghe Damsté JS, Ossebaar J, Abbas B, Schouten S, Verschuren D (2009) Fluxes and distribution of tetraether lipids in an equatorial African lake: constraints on the application of the TEX86 palaeothermometer and branched tetraether lipids in lacustrine settings. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 73:4232–4249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.04.022
Stuiver M, Reimer PJ, Reimer RW (2020) CALIB 8.2 [WWW program]. https://calib.org
Wang Y, Cheng H, Edwards RL, He Y, Kong X, An Z, Wu J, Kelly MJ, Dykoski CA, Li X (2005) The Holocene Asian monsoon: Links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science 30:854–857. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1106296
Weijers JWH, Schouten S, Spaargaren OC, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2006) Occurrence and distribution of tetraether membrane lipids in soils: Implications for the use of the TEX86 proxy and the BIT index. Org Geochem 37:1680–1693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2006.07.018
Weijers JWH, Schouten S, van Den Donker JC, Hopmans EC, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2007) Environmental controls on bacterial tetraether membrane lipid distribution in soils. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 71:703–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2006.10.003
Williams H, Choowong M, Phantuwongraj S, Surakietchai P, Thongkhao T, Kongsen S, Simon E (2016) Geologic records of Holocene typhoon strikes on the Gulf of Thailand coast. Mar Geol 372:66–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2015.12.014
Wu J, Liu Q, Cui QY, Xu DK, Wang L, Shen CM, Chu GQ, Liu JQ (2019) Shrinkage of East Asia winter monsoon associated with increased ENSO events since the mid-Holocene. J Geophys Res-Atmos 124:3839–3848. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD030148
Xiao W, Wang Y, Zhou S, Hu L, Yang H, Xu Y (2016) Ubiquitous production of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in global marine environments: a new source indicator for brGDGTs. Biogeosciences 13:5883–5894. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5883-2016
Yi S (2011) Holocene vegetation responses to East Asian monsoonal changes in South Korea. In: Blanco J, Kheradmand H (eds) Climate change—geophysical foundations and ecological effects. Intech Open, pp 157–178
Yi S, Kim SJ (2010) Vegetation changes in western central region of Korean Peninsula during the last glacial (ca. 21.1–26.1 cal kyr BP). Geosci J 14:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-010-0001-9
Yi JY, Yang DY, Kim JC, Nahm WH, Yun HS (2008) Palynological implication for environmental changes in the Hanam area, Gyeonggi Province since the Last Glacial Maximum. J Geo Soc Korea 44:673–684 (in Korean)
Yi Y, Yeo U, Sung K (2014) Soil properties of barrier island habitats in the Nakdong river estuary. J Wetl Res 16:355–362. https://doi.org/10.17663/JWR.2014.16.3.355 (in Korean)
Yoon SO, Hwang S (2011) Pollen analysis at Loc. Seonggeon and paleo-environmental changes on the Royal District in Gyeongju. J Geo Soc Korea 47:513–525 (in Korean)
Zell C, Kim JH, Hollander D, Lorenzoni L, Baker P, Silva CG, Nittrouer C, Sinninghe Damsté JS (2014) Sources and distributions of branched and isoprenoid tetraether lipids on the Amazon shelf and fan: implications for the use of GDGT-based proxies in marine sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 139:293–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.04.038
Zhu C, Weijers JWH, Wagner T, Pan JM, Chen JF, Pancost RD (2011) Sources and distributions of tetraether lipids in surface sediments across a large river-dominated continental margin. Org Geochem 42:376–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2011.02.002
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the captain, crew, and scientists of RV ARAON for their help during the cruise. We also appreciate greatly Dr. K.-C. Yoo and Dr. S. Kim (KOPRI) for providing samples and Prof. Masanobu Yamamoto (Hokkaido University) for supporting the laboratory analysis and providing many helpful comments. We appreciate the two anonymous reviewers to improve the manuscript. This study was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant no. 2016R1D1A1B03934308, 2020R1C1C1014808, and 2022R1A2B5B01001811).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Both authors approved the data interpretation and agreed on the manuscript submission to Ocean Science Journal. The first author (YHP) designed the research plan, was responsible for the laboratory experiments and data interpretation, and finished writing the manuscript with the assistance of corresponding author (BKK) who was responsible for the conceptualization of research.
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Park, YH., Khim, BK. Branched GDGT in the Hupo Trough (Southwestern East Sea) as a Record of the Terrestrial Climate Change in East Asia Since the Last Glacial Maximum. Ocean Sci. J. 58, 15 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-023-00109-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-023-00109-y