Northern South China Sea SST changes over the last two millennia and possible linkage with solar irradiance

Abstract

High-resolution surface temperature records over the last two millennia are crucial to understanding the forcing and response mechanism of Earth's climate. Here we report a bidecadal-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) record based on long-chain alkenones in a gravity sediment core retrieved from the northern South China Sea. SST values varied between 26.7 and 27.5 °C, with a total variability ∼1 °C over the last 2000 years. The general SST variation pattern matches well with total solar irradiance (TSI) changes. Relatively warm period between 800 and 1400 AD and cool period 1400-1850 AD could be identified, in agreement with the commonly defined periods of Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age. Within chronological uncertainty, notable short cooling events at 640-670 AD, 1030-1080 AD, 1260-1280 AD and 1420-1450 AD, coincide with large volcanic eruption events. The general coincidence of SST changes with TSI and volcanic eruption events suggests strong impact of external forcing on sea surface conditions in the studied area. In addition to the direct TSI changes, volcanic eruptions might have induced oceanic and atmospheric circulation adjustments which might be responsible for the short cooling events as revealed in the alkenone-SST record.