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Terrestrial n-alkane signatures in the middle Okinawa Trough during the post-glacial transgression: control by sea level and paleovegetation confounded by offshore transport

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Abstract

We report records of land plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes since 37 ka b.p. from a sediment core in the middle Okinawa Trough, East China Sea. The data show the content and carbon preference index (CPI; degree of freshness) of n-alkanes generally decreasing as sea level rose, which could be explained by coastline retreat resulting in an increased transport route of n-alkanes toward the study site. The n-alkane CPI returned to higher values during the Holocene highstand, however, suggesting sea-level rise was not the only cause for the decline of freshness of n-alkanes. Paleovegetation changes in terms of C3 vs. C4 contributions inferred from n-alkane δ13C are overall consistent with published marine and terrestrial records during two distinct intervals: from 37.0 to 15.2 ka b.p., and from 7.6 ka b.p. to the present. However, n-alkane δ13C excursions from 15.2 to 7.6 ka b.p. are difficult to reconcile with terrestrial signatures. This disagreement, along with other possible causes for the decline of freshness of n-alkanes, and the higher-energy sedimentary environment inferred from increased mean grain sizes and silt/clay ratios during this time period, is consistent with existing knowledge of offshore transport of materials previously stored on the extensive continental shelf during the post-glacial transgression. We therefore suggest that n-alkane records from the Okinawa Trough should be used only cautiously to infer deglacial vegetation and sea-level changes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 511 Kehua St., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Jie Zhang, Guodong Jia & Fajin Chen

  2. The First Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Hua Yu & Zhenxia Liu

  3. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Jie Zhang

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  1. Jie Zhang
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  2. Hua Yu
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Correspondence to Guodong Jia.

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Zhang, J., Yu, H., Jia, G. et al. Terrestrial n-alkane signatures in the middle Okinawa Trough during the post-glacial transgression: control by sea level and paleovegetation confounded by offshore transport. Geo-Mar Lett 30, 143–150 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-009-0173-3

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