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Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka

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Abstract

In order to reconstruct the paleoproductivity evolution history of the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka, the vertical gradient of Δδ13C in dissolved inorganic carbon (Δδ13C between those of foraminifera Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi) and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages were analysed in piston Core MD06-3047 retrieved from the Benham Rise (east of the Luzon Island). Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka is closely related to glacial-interglacial cycles and precession-controlled insolation. Controlling factors of paleoproductivity could have been both thermocline fluctuations related with ENSO-like processes and eolian input associated with East Asian winter monsoon, and the former could have been the primary factor. A higher productivity and a shallower thermocline coeval with the occurrence of low CO2 concentrations in the EPICA Dome C ice core might indicate that biological export production in the low-latitude could act as a significant sink in the global carbon cycle, and modify atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Spectral analysis further reveals that the paleoproductivity is mainly controlled by thermocline fluctuations subjected to ENSO processes responding to processional variability of insolation. High coherences in eccentricity, obliquity and precession periods further revealing the close link between thermocline fluctuations, paleoproductivity and atmospheric CO2 levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Zheng Tang  (唐正), Tiegang Li  (李铁刚), Fengming Chang  (常凤鸣) & Qingyun Nan  (南青云)

  2. Key Laboratory of Marine Hydrocarbon Resources and Environmental Geology, Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Ministry of Land and Resources of China, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Zheng Tang  (唐正)

  3. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Zheng Tang  (唐正)

  4. Shandong Provincial Analysis and Test Center, Jinan, 250014, China

    Qing Li  (李青)

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  1. Zheng Tang  (唐正)
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  2. Tiegang Li  (李铁刚)
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Correspondence to Tiegang Li  (李铁刚).

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41230959, 41076030, 40906038, 41106042, 41006032), the Pilot Project of the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-221), and the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. MGE2011KG01)

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Tang, Z., Li, T., Chang, F. et al. Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 31, 435–444 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-013-2117-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-013-2117-z

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