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High-resolution geochemistry records of climate changes since late-glacial from Dajiuhu peat in Shennongjia Mountains, Central China

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

A peat core with depths of 297 cm was obtained from the Dajiuhu Basin (31°29′27″N, 109°59′45″E, 1760 m) in Hubei Province, Central China. 10 AMS ages provide a time control and reveal that this core spans the past about 16.0 kaBP (calibrated age) (14C age: 13.3 kaBP). Multi-proxy indexes analysis of geochemistry shows the following character of climate and environmental changes since about 16 kaBP: (1) The climate during the late-glacial period was cold and wet as a whole, but fluctuated continually. 11.4–12.6 cal. kaBP, 12.6–15.2 cal. kaBP and 15.2–16 kaBP were corresponding respectively to the Younger Drays, Bølling-Allerød Warm Period and the Oldest Drays. (2) Inheriting the some climate characteristics of the late-glacial, the climate during the early-Holocene was wet and temperature increased gradually, during which an obvious dry event around 10.6 cal. kaB appeared. (3) The climate during the mid-Holocene was genarally warm and wet.During 9.2–7.5 kaBP, temperature increased gradually, precipitation was less comparatively and the 8.2 kaBP cold event which might be representative in the globe was reflected markedly. Then, multi-proxy records were relatively stable during 6.7–4.2 kaBP, which shows the best water and thermal condition in the Holocene Optimum. (4) Around 4.2 kaBP, the climate and environment transform from warm and wet to cool and dry, which may result in the collapse of the Neolithic Culture and midwifery the civilization of Xia Dynasty in this region. After 0.9 kaBP, the climate turned cool and wet. Climate and environmental changes archived in Dajiuhu peat respond to the global changes since the late-glacial period and can be contrasted to the changes recorded in other high-resolution archives from the East Asia Monsoon region, which take on the variety model that the monsoon strengthened abruptly after the late-glacial, was strong during the early Holocene, subsequently declined and became weak after the middle Holocene with dry climate. According to our analysis, the driving mechanism should be the response of solar radiation changes in the East Asia Monsoon region at middle latitudes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    ChunMei Ma, Cheng Zhu, ChunLin Wu, Yong Guan, ZhiPing Zhao, LinYan Huang & Run Huang

  2. Department of Geography, Chuzhou College, Chuzhou, 239012, China

    ChaoGui Zheng

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  1. ChunMei Ma
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  2. Cheng Zhu
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  3. ChaoGui Zheng
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  4. ChunLin Wu
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  5. Yong Guan
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  6. ZhiPing Zhao
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  7. LinYan Huang
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  8. Run Huang
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Correspondence to Cheng Zhu.

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Supported by the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90411015), the Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40701190), the University Doctoral Foundation (Grant No. 20050284011), the Foundation of Important Basic Research at Nanjing University (Grant No. 0209005206), the Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology from the Institute of Earth Environment, CAS (Grant No. SKLLQG0503), the Physical Geography of “985” Items and the Test Foundation of Modern Analyses Center of Nanjing University (Grant No. 0209001309)

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Ma, C., Zhu, C., Zheng, C. et al. High-resolution geochemistry records of climate changes since late-glacial from Dajiuhu peat in Shennongjia Mountains, Central China. Chin. Sci. Bull. 53 (Suppl 1), 28–41 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-5007-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-5007-6

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