Plant-wax hydrogen isotopic evidence for postglacial variations in delivery of precipitation in the monsoon domain of China

Abstract

Research Article| September 01, 2011 Plant-wax hydrogen isotopic evidence for postglacial variations in delivery of precipitation in the monsoon domain of China Osamu Seki; Osamu Seki 1Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, N19W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Philip A. Meyers; Philip A. Meyers 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1005, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Shinya Yamamoto; Shinya Yamamoto 1Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, N19W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kimitaka Kawamura; Kimitaka Kawamura 1Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, N19W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Takeshi Nakatsuka; Takeshi Nakatsuka 3Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Weijian Zhou; Weijian Zhou 4State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yanhong Zheng Yanhong Zheng 5State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2011) 39 (9): 875–878. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32117.1 Article history received: 29 Jan 2011 rev-recd: 13 Apr 2011 accepted: 19 Apr 2011 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Osamu Seki, Philip A. Meyers, Shinya Yamamoto, Kimitaka Kawamura, Takeshi Nakatsuka, Weijian Zhou, Yanhong Zheng; Plant-wax hydrogen isotopic evidence for postglacial variations in delivery of precipitation in the monsoon domain of China. Geology 2011;; 39 (9): 875–878. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32117.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Asian monsoon is a key component of the Earth's climate system that directly affects the livelihood of 60% of the world population. Reliable reconstruction of changes in monsoon precipitation during the Holocene is required to better understand the present climate conditions and to predict future climate processes in the Asian monsoon domain. Reconstruction of changes in Holocene monsoon precipitation has been done in various regions of this domain using a variety of paleoclimate proxies. However, different proxies have yielded different paleoclimate records of long-term monsoon rainfall variability. We apply compound-specific stable hydrogen isotope compositions of the plant wax n-alkanes isolated from the Hongyuan peat sequence in eastern Tibet to reevaluate the regional carbonate oxygen isotopic and lake-level records. The D/H ratios of the n-alkanes resolve the apparent discrepancy among the different paleoclimate proxies. Our result indicates that lake-level fluctuation is a reliable recorder of changes in the amount of summer monsoonal precipitation while long-term isotope records largely reflect large-scale changes in the source of water vapor rather than a local precipitation signal. Combining lake-level, biomarker, and carbonate isotopic records, we conclude that the early Holocene monsoon precipitation in southwest China has been greatly influenced by the Indian monsoon. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.