Coral geochemical record of submarine groundwater discharge back to 1870 in the northern South China Sea

Abstract

The importance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is becoming increasingly recognized because of its potential significance as a source of dissolved species. To explore the probable coral geochemical signal of SGD and verify the validity of potential reliable proxies, multiple geochemical proxies over the last 137 years were identified from a Porites coral near a subterranean estuary in the northern South China Sea, where the SGD was reported to be the predominant flux of terrestrial waters to the coastal ocean. Results indicated that the SGD in the coastal zone was the dominant source of trace elements, especially REE and Ba, due to the various dissolution reactions occurring during groundwater flow in the karst terrain. The time- and frequency-domain comparison between the coral geochemical proxy and the local/regional precipitation indicated that coral REE/Ca ratios are predominantly impacted by the SGD associated with local precipitation, while coral Ba/Ca ratios are also affected by the primary productivity and allochthonous seawater Ba from surrounding areas. The REE signal from coral allows us to reconstruct the coastal surface seawater REE concentrations and the SGD rates on the coast of Sanya during 1870–2006. In a novel approach to developing a proxy for historic SGD to coastal waters, this study provides evidence that the coral REE/Ca record from the karst coast with large SGD has potentials to be a promising paleohydrological indicator.