Climate history of the middle reach of the Yangtze river over the past 9000 years: A speleothem isotopic record from Za cave, Hubei, China

Abstract

A stalagmite in Qingjiang, Hubei, has yielded the records of hydrogen and oxygen as well as carbon isotopic changes and provided a climate history of 9000 years. The hydrogen isotopic ratio in fluid inclusions and the oxygen isotopic ratio in stalagmite calcite are controlled by meteoric water, which is in response to ambient temperature or precipitation amount. The carbon isotopic ratio, sensitive to the nature of vegetation, also can be used to reconstruct the climate history. The carbon-14 and U-series dated stalagmite records reveal that climate oscillated in the middle reach of Yangtze river over the past 9000 years: (1) 9.0-6.5 kaBP, a cooler and more humid condition; (2) 6.5-4.0 kaBP, with warmer and drier weather; (3) 4.0-2.0 kaBP, cold weather with heavy precipitation, and (4) 2.0 kaBP to present, tendency to be warmer and drier.