Proxy for Millennial Climate Change during the Last 50,000 Years in the Loess-paleosol Sequence at Shengshan Island in the East China Sea: Estimation by Soil Color Reflectance Indices (L*, a*, and b*)

Abstract

Based on a multi-proxy record of the loess-paleosol sequences, we studied the millennial climate change and environmental variation in Shengshan Island in the East China Sea for the last 50, 000 years. The proxy color reflectance indices (L*, a*, and b*) of the loess-paleosol sequence in Shengshan show a series of millennial oscillations. The relationship between the standard curve of δ18O in GRIP and sequential changes of L*, a*, and b* indices in the loess-paleosol section of Shengshan during last 50, 000 years showed that L*, a*, and b* are sensitive indicators for climatic change in southeastern China. Patterns of magnetic susceptibility change were very similar to those of L*, a*, and b*. Soil color reflectance indices are evidently very available as a proxy record for identification of loess-paleosol transition, like magnetic susceptibility. Based on soil color proxy, this study identified horizons of Heinrich events (H1 to H5) and interstadial peaks (IS1, 2, 4, 8, and 12) in the loess-paleosol sequence at Shengshan. The Shengshan loess section is a typical loess-paleosol sequence recording climatic oscillations for the last 50, 000 years in the East China Sea. Due to its special location, the section provided new evidence that climatic change indicated by dust sediments in the Loess Plateau is comparable to change in the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands.