Western Pacific in glacial cycles:Seasonality in marginal seas and variabilities of Warm Pool

Abstract

A serics of low-latitude marginal seas, ranging from the southern South China Sea in the north to the Arafura Sea in the south, are located within the Western Pacific Warm Pool. As shown by rnicropaleontological, isotopical and organic geochemical analyses, the sea surface temperatures in the marginal seas at the last glacial maximum were much cooler than those in the open Western Pacific Ocean. The emergence of extensive shelves of the marginal seas at the glacial low sea-level stand and the decrease of surface temperatures in their deeper water parts resulted in a remarkable reduction of the ability of vapor and heat transport to the atmosphere, causing variabilities to the Warm Pool in the glacial cycles. The intensification of winter monsoon at the glacial stages not only led to a decrease of the surface water temperature and hence to an enhanced seasonality, but also carried moisture from the sea to the tropical islands, giving rise to the downward shift of snowline and mountainous vegetation zones there. It may offer a new alternative in solution of the “Tropical Ocean Paleo-temperature Enigma”.