Synchronous Evolution Research Articles

Construction and evolution of submerged deltaic bodies on the high energy SE African coastline: The interplay between relative sea level and antecedent controls

This paper investigates the interplay between allocyclic controls and antecedent topography in the evolution of submerged coastal landforms, including a back-stepped delta. Using high-resolution tools, we examine the wave-dominated Thukela shelf, and define the major seismic units. Key features identified comprise incised valleys scoured into bedrock, that have overspilled to form lagoons at depths of 50 m. These are in turn overlain by two prograding and backstepped sandy delta systems at 40 m and 32 m depth respectively. The deltas interfinger with muddy prodelta deposits and are truncated by the Holocene ravinement, overlain by the contemporary prodelta of the Thukela River system. A bedrock high separates two physically separate strato-morphological zones; landward a sediment stripped, steep and shallow nearshore zone, and seaward a gentle zone downdip where the deltaic accumulations are sited. Delta development was favoured during sea-level stillstands at −40 m and −32 m respectively. The step-back of the deltas corresponds to sharp increases in the rate of sea-level rise associated with meltwater pulses. The overall gentle palaeo-bathymetric gradient has moderated erosion associated with rising sea level, preserving a sandy back-stepping delta and a draping mud clinoform. Submerged delta positioning relates to underlying incised valleys, suggesting a synchronous transgressive evolution of the drainage and the delta. Incised valley network positioning is further governed by Late Pliocene aged growth-faults in the basement rocks. The geological framework has acted as a recurring primary control to the geomorphic evolution of the area, partitioning accommodation for sediment accumulation and moderating the efficiency of ravinement.

Responses of plant community to the linkages in plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands, China

Succession is one of the central themes of ecology; however, the relationship between aboveground plant communities and underground soils during secondary succession remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the composition of plant community, plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships during secondary succession after the abandonment of farmlands for 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 a in China, 2016. Results showed that the composition of plant communities was most diverse in the farmlands after secondary succession for 20 and 50 a. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents slightly decreased after secondary succession for 30 a, but both were significantly higher than those of control farmland (31.21%–139.10% and 24.24%–121.21%, respectively). Moreover, C:N ratios of soil and microbe greatly contributed to the changes in plant community composition during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands, explaining 35.70% of the total variation. Particularly, soil C:N ratio was significantly and positively related with the Shannon-Wiener index. This study provides the evidence of synchronous evolution between plant community and soil during secondary succession and C:N ratio is an important linkage between them.

Continental crustal evolution and synchronous metallogeny through time in the North China Craton

The generation and evolution of continent crust have long been matters of debates. There is evidence to support the view that the first formation of TTGs of continent was possibly before 4.4 Ga, followed by the sizable continent crust associated with BIF-bearing supra-crustal rocks at ca. 3.8 Ga. Multiple stages of continental growth include continental nuclei at ~3.1 Ga, enormous crustal growth at 2.9–2.7 Ga and stabilization and cratonization at ~2.5 Ga. Subsequently a stable super-continent was formed and the Earth was evolved into the Proterozoic eon. In the Proterozoic eon, major geological events include the great oxygen event (GOE), global rift and mobile belt event, and the Earth’s middle age event with a 1.0 billion years long period of Earth’s adjustment or silence. After that, the Rodinian super-continental break up event (the Nanhua rift) and subsequent Gondwana amalgamation have been suggested to be involved with mantle-plume and the modern style-like plate tectonics, both of which are still under debates. Recent studies suggest that the continental metallogeny has secular changes with the evolving Earth, showing synchronous evolution with the continental crust through time. The North China Craton (NCC) is one of the oldest cratons in the world, and has undergone six major tectono-metallogenic cycles: (1) the Neoarchean crustal growth and Algoman-type BIFs-greenstone belt and gold metallogenic system, (2) Paleoproterozoic GOE associated with global (Huronian) rifting- Glaciation and Superior-type BIFs-Mg-B metallogenic system, (3) Paleoproterozoic rifting-subduction-accretion-collision event (mobile belt) and Cu-Pb-Zn metallogenic system; (4) Late Paleoproterozoic – Neoproterozoic multi-stage rifting and REE-Fe-Pb-Zn metallogenic system; (5) Paleozoic orogenesis at the margins of the craton and porphyry Cu-Mo metallogenic system; and (6) Mesozoic extensional tectonics associated with lithosphere thinning and intracontinental Au metallogenic systems. Ore deposit types in each of these metallogenic systems show distinct characteristics and tectonic affinities. Changes of metallogenic styles with time, from the dominant BIFs in Archean to polymetallic deposits in Proterozoic and Phanerozoic, demonstrate that the nature and style of metallogeny through time change with different stages of the Earth’s evolution and are the expression of variable materials at the different stages. The changes of metallogeny through time are controlled by the irreversible continental tectonic evolution. The connotation and signification of synchronous evolution of continental crust and mineral deposit systems through time are beyond the study of mineral resources but would provide new insights into the geodynamics of the generation and evolution of the continent. The NCC provides an excellent venue to address the linkage between metallogenic processes and secular changes in the Earth System, including mantle dynamics and crust-mantle interaction on a global perspective.

A newly discovered radiation of endoparasitic gastropods and their coevolution with asteroid hosts in Antarctica

BackgroundMarine invertebrates are abundant and diverse on the continental shelf in Antarctica, but little is known about their parasitic counterparts. Endoparasites are especially understudied because they often possess highly modified body plans that pose problems for their identification. Asterophila, a genus of endoparasitic gastropod in the family Eulimidae, forms cysts in the arms and central discs of asteroid sea stars. There are currently four known species in this genus, one of which has been described from the Antarctic Peninsula (A. perknasteri). This study employs molecular and morphological data to investigate the diversity of Asterophila in Antarctica and explore cophylogenetic patterns between host and parasite.ResultsA maximum-likelihood phylogeny of Asterophila and subsequent species-delimitation analysis uncovered nine well-supported putative species, eight of which are new to science. Most Asterophila species were found on a single host species, but four species were found on multiple hosts from one or two closely related genera, showing phylogenetic conservatism of host use. Both distance-based and event-based cophylogenetic analyses uncovered a strong signal of coevolution in this system, but most associations were explained by non-cospeciation events.DiscussionThe prevalence of duplication and host-switching events in Asterophila and its asteroid hosts suggests that synchronous evolution may be rare even in obligate endoparasitic systems. The apparent restricted distribution of Asterophila from around the Scotia Arc may be an artefact of concentrated sampling in the area and a low obvious prevalence of infection. Given the richness of parasites on a global scale, their role in promoting host diversification, and the threat of their loss through coextinction, future work should continue to investigate parasite diversity and coevolution in vulnerable ecosystems.

An X-ray and optical study of the outbursting behaviour of the SMC Be X-ray binary SXP 91.1

ABSTRACT In this paper we report on the optical and X-ray behaviour of the Be X-ray binary, SXP 91.1, during a recent type I outburst. We monitored the outburst using the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. These data were supported by optical data from the Southern African Large Telescope and the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) to show the circumstellar disc activity. Matter from this disc accretes on to the neutron star, giving rise to the X-ray outburst as seen in the synchronous evolution of the optical and X-ray light curves. Using data taken with OGLE we show that the circumstellar disc has exhibited stable behaviour over two decades. A positive correlation is seen between the colour and magnitude from the OGLE and massive compact halo object observations, which indicates that the disc is orientated at relatively low-inclination angles. From the OGLE and Swift data, we demonstrate that the system has shown relative phase offsets that have persisted for many years. The spin period derivative is seen to be at maximum spin-up at phases when the mass accretion rate is at maximum. We show that the neutron star in SXP 91.1 is an unusual member of its class in the sense that it has had a consistent spin period derivative over many years, with the average spin-up rate being one of the highest for known Small Magellanic Cloud pulsars. The most recent measurements of the spin-up rate reveal higher values than the global trend, which is attributed to the recent mass accretion event leading to the current outburst.

Quantum synchronization in a collision model

We reveal the emergence of environment-induced spontaneous synchronization between two spin-1/2 quantum objects in a collision model setting. In particular, we determine the conditions for the dynamical establishment of synchronous evolution between local spin observables of a pair of spins undergoing open-system dynamics in the absence of an external drive. Exploiting the versatility of the collision model framework, we show that the formation of quantum or classical correlations between the principal spin pair are of no significant relevance to the manifestation of spontaneous quantum synchronization between them. Furthermore, we discuss the consequences of thermal effects on the environmental spins for the emergence of quantum synchronization.

Temporal evolution of beta bursts in the parkinsonian cortical and basal ganglia network

Beta frequency oscillations (15 to 35 Hz) in cortical and basal ganglia circuits become abnormally synchronized in Parkinson's disease (PD). How excessive beta oscillations emerge in these circuits is unclear. We addressed this issue by defining the firing properties of basal ganglia neurons around the emergence of cortical beta bursts (β bursts), transient (50 to 350 ms) increases in the beta amplitude of cortical signals. In PD patients, the phase locking of background spiking activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to frontal electroencephalograms preceded the onset and followed the temporal profile of cortical β bursts, with conditions of synchronization consistent within and across bursts. Neuronal ensemble recordings in multiple basal ganglia structures of parkinsonian rats revealed that these dynamics were recapitulated in STN, but also in external globus pallidus and striatum. The onset of consistent phase-locking conditions was preceded by abrupt phase slips between cortical and basal ganglia ensemble signals. Single-unit recordings demonstrated that ensemble-level properties of synchronization were not underlain by changes in firing rate but, rather, by the timing of action potentials in relation to cortical oscillation phase. Notably, the preferred angle of phase-locked action potential firing in each basal ganglia structure was shifted during burst initiation, then maintained stable phase relations during the burst. Subthalamic, pallidal, and striatal neurons engaged and disengaged with cortical β bursts to different extents and timings. The temporal evolution of cortical and basal ganglia synchronization is cell type-selective, which could be key for the generation/ maintenance of excessive beta oscillations in parkinsonism.

The two-speed Europe in business cycle synchronization

This paper evaluates the consequences of the financial and sovereign debt crises on the evolution of the business cycle synchronization across all the Euro Area members. We take advantage of the dimension reduction properties of dynamic factor models to summarize a large dataset of macroeconomic indicators for the Euro Area countries. Then, we estimate latent state variables based on Markov-switching methodologies to obtain a time-varying measure of business cycle synchronization. The combination of these two techniques allows us to describe the evolution in the degree of coincidence of the business cycle phases along time for this set of countries. Our results suggest that there was a general decline in the degree of business cycle synchronization across the Euro Area countries following the financial and the sovereign debt crises. Although they have recovered the levels of business cycle synchronization exhibited before these events, there are significant differences across countries in the required time to recover those levels.

Determining continuous basins across conjugate margins: The East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins of the southern North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins are several of the most promising basins for hydrocarbon exploration along the rifted continental margins of the southern North Atlantic Ocean. Despite having formed at similar geological times, the basins exhibit fundamental differences in symmetry, crustal thickness, sedimentary cover thickness, and amount of extension. Interpretation of seismic reflection and well data was integrated with published 3D grids of depth-to-basement and Moho proxy depth to interpret and restore select seismic reflection lines. Publicly available kinematic evolution models were also integrated to evaluate and compare the restored seismic reflection lines in a more global regional context. Interpretation of five seismo-stratigraphic units and three tectonostratigraphic megasequences along the East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins reveals similar seismic character for each unit and comparable tectonic history. The structural restoration of the selected lines indicates that evolution, sedimentary cover thickness, faulting style, crustal structure, and kinematic evolution of the East Orphan and Porcupine basins differ significantly. A variable and asymmetrical crustal structure is found in the East Orphan Basin contrasting with the elongated and symmetric Porcupine and Galicia Interior basins. Rift domain maps of the three basins reveal that they are each underlain by hyperextended crust, with possible exhumed mantle in the centre of the Porcupine Basin. Based on a holistic analysis of the results obtained, the linkage between the East Orphan and the Porcupine basins seems implausible, but rather a contemporaneous relationship is interpreted. Moreover, a potential connection between the Galicia Interior Basin and the Porcupine Basin during the Early to Late Jurassic is proposed. Such scenarios imply an oblique and synchronous rifting evolution around the Bay of Biscay triple junction of the southern North Atlantic.

Cretaceous extensional systems of the Golfo San Jorge basin: Insights from the analysis of fault length and displacement data

Displacement profiles and maps were used in the subsurface of the Golfo San Jorge basin in the Manantiales Behr region to analyze factors affecting the geometric and kinematic evolution of an extensional system and its relationship with the migration and trapping of hydrocarbons. Two fault types were recognized: faults affecting both the basement and the sedimentary cover, and faults restricted to the sedimentary cover. The vertical growth of the faults within the sedimentary cover was constrained by vertical lithologic variations and by intersection with the free surface. Faults involving the basement are synsedimentary and show Dmax/L relationships and aspect ratios that allow their distinction from the shallower fault planes. The geometric coherence shown in the aggregated displacement profile and map suggests a synchronous kinematic evolution for the faults developed inside the sedimentary cover. Observed fault trace lengths and throw values distributions may indicate that those faults grew by the early linkage of isolated fault segments followed by the progressive building of displacement. Reactivation of pre-existent basement fabric had little influence on faulting across overlying sedimentary cover probably because the fine-grained beds of Pozo D-129 Formation acted as a structural decoupling level. The low degree of connection between the shallow and deep portions of the faults disregards the hypothesis of vertical migration from a local source pod. The mapping of fault segments with higher values of displacement and the recognition of transfer zones may help to locate and delineate footwall hydrocarbon traps. Comparison and integration with other studies show that Cretaceous fault systems in the eastern Golfo San Jorge basin have grown mainly by rapid length establishment and subsequent displacement accumulation. Also, most of the basement-involved structures do not connect significantly with overlying fault arrays.

Pet dogs exhibit social preference for people who synchronize with them: what does it tell us about the evolution of behavioral synchronization?

Humans show greater affiliation with people who are behaviorally synchronized with them but little is known about the impact of synchronization at an interspecific level. We, therefore, explored whether the synchronization of humans with dogs affects dogs' human preferences. Pet dogs were exposed to two unfamiliar persons: one synchronized her walking behavior with them and one walked randomly. In a preference test, molossoids exhibited a clear social preference for the synchronized person, unlike shepherds. We conclude that pet dogs show a greater affiliation with humans who mimic their walking behavior, although genetic selection modulates this propensity. Behavioral synchronization, therefore, acts as a social glue in dogs too. It is the first time that such a human-like ability has been highlighted in domesticated canids at an interspecific level. Implications for the evolution of behavioral synchronization are discussed.

Enhancing network cluster synchronization capability based on artificial immune algorithm

With the deeper study on complex networks, more and more attention has been paid to the research on the cluster synchronization phenomena based on complex networks. In the real world, synchronization phenomena or cluster synchronous behaviors occur frequently, some of which may result in larger negative impacts to the society, such as “cadmium rice event,” while others bring significant economic benefits to the society, such as the synchronization of the propaganda for “black Friday.” Therefore, research on cluster synchronism has great values for theoretical study and social applications. Currently, the study of cluster synchronicity is focused on the solution of the synchronization threshold and the analysis of the synchronization phenomenon, etc. However, the optimization to enhance the synchronous evolutionary effect is rarely presented in literatures. To overcome these limitations of current work, we explore the optimization of network structure with artificial immune algorithms under the condition of a constant network scale and finally realize the promotion of synchronous evolution effect in this paper. Moreover, the relevant research results are applied to real cases. On one hand, for the positive synchronous behaviors, the network structure with good synchronization capability is created to achieve better synchronization. On the other hand, the connection between nodes and edges in the network is cut off to avoid the occurrence of negative synchronous behaviors.

Phase Synchronization Dynamics of Neural Network during Seizures.

Epilepsy has been considered as a network-level disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which result from network reorganization with evolution of synchronization. In this study, the brain networks were established by calculating phase synchronization based on electrocorticogram (ECoG) signals from eleven refractory epilepsy patients. Results showed that there was a significant increase of synchronization prior to seizure termination and no significant difference of the transitions of network states among the preseizure, seizure, and postseizure periods. Those results indicated that synchronization might participate in termination of seizures, and the network states transitions might not dominate the seizure evolution.

Dynamic large-scale network synchronization from perception to action.

Sensory-guided actions entail the processing of sensory information, generation of perceptual decisions, and the generation of appropriate actions. Neuronal activity underlying these processes is distributed into sensory, fronto-parietal, and motor brain areas, respectively. How the neuronal processing is coordinated across these brain areas to support functions from perception to action remains unknown. We investigated whether phase synchronization in large-scale networks coordinate these processes. We recorded human cortical activity with magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a task in which weak somatosensory stimuli remained unperceived or were perceived. We then assessed dynamic evolution of phase synchronization in large-scale networks from source-reconstructed MEG data by using advanced analysis approaches combined with graph theory. Here we show that perceiving and reporting of weak somatosensory stimuli is correlated with sustained strengthening of large-scale synchrony concurrently in delta/theta (3–7 Hz) and gamma (40–60 Hz) frequency bands. In a data-driven network localization, we found this synchronization to dynamically connect the task-relevant, that is, the fronto-parietal, sensory, and motor systems. The strength and temporal pattern of interareal synchronization were also correlated with the response times. These data thus show that key brain areas underlying perception, decision-making, and actions are transiently connected by large-scale dynamic phase synchronization in the delta/theta and gamma bands.

Using synchronous and asynchronous parallel Differential Evolution for calibrating a second-order traffic flow model

Given the importance of the credibility and validity required by macroscopic traffic flow models in performing real-word simulations, the necessity of including an accurate, computationally fast, and reliable constrained optimization scheme appears to be mandatory to ensure that the traffic flow characteristics are accurately represented by such models. To this end, a parallel, synchronous or asynchronous, metamodel-assisted Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is employed for the calibration of a second-order macroscopic gas-kinetic traffic flow (GKT) model using real traffic data from Attiki Odos freeway in Athens, Greece. Two Artificial Neural Networks, a Multi-layer Perceptron and a Radial Basis Function network, are used as surrogate models to decrease the computation time of the evaluation phase of the DE optimizer. The parallelization of the DE algorithm is performed using the Message Passing Interface (MPI). Numerical simulations are performed, which demonstrate that the DE algorithm can be effectively used for the search of the global optimal model parameters in the GKT model, while appears to be a promising method for the calibration of other similar traffic models.

A Longitudinal Study Investigating Synchronization in a Singing Quintet

Research suggests that synchronization between musicians during ensemble performances can be affected by the rhythmic or tonal complexity of the piece being performed and by group roles such as leader-follower relationships. Since previous studies have mostly been conducted within single performance sessions, developmental aspects of interpersonal synchronization in ensembles remain underinvestigated. This longitudinal study followed a newly formed singing ensemble from initial rehearsals to the performance stage in order to investigate the evolution of synchronization between advanced singing students during a university term of study in relation to the musical content of the piece and leader-follower relationships. An advanced postgraduate singing quintet was recorded using head-worn microphones and laryngograph electrodes to allow fundamental frequency evaluation of the individual voices. The quintet, formed to complete a 1-year Master's programme in ensemble singing, rehearsed two pieces composed for the study, during five rehearsals over 3 months. Singers practised the same pieces in a randomized order across rehearsals and performed three repetitions of the same pieces before and after each rehearsal, resulting in six recordings per piece/rehearsal. Audio and laryngograph data of the repeated performances were collected, and synchronization was measured by extracting note times from the fundamental frequency values. The asynchronies of the two pieces before and after rehearsals were calculated and compared both within rehearsals (pre and post) and between rehearsals (rehearsals 1-5). Results demonstrate an increase in the precision of synchronization over the course of study, depending on the piece being rehearsed, and a more variable synchronization for the more rhythmically complex piece. Results also show changes in the distribution of the tendency to precede all co-performers across rehearsals, which became equally distributed among the musicians during the last rehearsal. The results reported here could have important implications for the tailoring of rehearsal strategies that could improve interpersonal synchronization between musicians during ensemble performances.

Modeling and intelligent optimization of social collective behavior with online public opinion synchronization

Today, the public opinion synchronization on the network platform is becoming one of important issues worthy of careful study. In this paper, we take synchronization evolution phenomenon as an objective and adopt artificial bee colony (ABC) to evaluate network synchronization effects with optimization theory to find out an appropriate network structure. Firstly, we use the Kuramoto oscillators as a metaphor of the social system collective behavior. Secondly, combined with the social network characteristics obtained from the data of Sina Micro-Blog, a synchronization evolution model of Internet public opinion based on Kuramoto one is established. Subsequently, evolutionary multi-objective optimization model is set up and the ABC method is used to optimize the level of network synchronization, the synchronization starting time and the cost of public opinion synchronization. Finally, case analysis on “Double Eleven” Internet Marketing as well as Cadmium Poisoned Rice Event demonstrates that the synchronization performance of weak coupled system can be enhanced by offering reasonable configuration of the connection cost and the synchronization duration cost. In addition, a certain degree of increase in input cost can promote the synchronization performance and extend the synchronization duration significantly.

Sedimentary responses to the East Asian monsoon and sea level variations recorded in the northern South China Sea over the past 36 kyr

Sediment grain size is an important proxy to detect sedimentary process and record paleoenvironmental variations in continental slopes. Grain size measurements were performed for 298 samples of the 5.96-m-long core PC338 spanning the past 36 kyr recovered from the northern South China Sea (SCS). Results show that sea level and climatic influences on grain size distributions are crucial. A turbidite formed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is ascribed to the favorable topography close to the Red River estuary induced by the low sea level. Four end-member (EM) components for the normal sediment layers were unmixed using a lognormal parametric end member modeling (EMM). With the sea level decreasing, more EM4 (∼15–100 μm) and less EM1 (∼0–2 μm) supplied the SCS slope. Because EM2 (∼2–10 μm) consisted of fluvial suspension is dominated by the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation, it has the potential to substitute for the EASM intensity. EM2 varied in-phase with many south China paleoclimate records and the 30°N July insolation over the past 36 kyr, and cooling climate events (including the LGM, Heinrich events H1 and H3, Younger Dryas, 8.2 ka and 10.3 ka) lowered the EM2 content. Our results further confirm the synchronous EASM evolution in the South China continent mainly forced by the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation.

Mesozoic strike-slip movement of the Dunhua–Mishan Fault Zone in NE China: A response to oceanic plate subduction

The NE-striking Dunhua–Mishan Fault Zone (DMFZ) is one of two branches of the continental-scale sinistral Tan–Lu Fault Zone in NE China. The field data presented here indicate that the ca. 1000km long DMFZ records two phases of sinistral faulting. The structures produced by these two phases of faulting include NE–SW-striking ductile shear belts and brittle faults, respectively. Mylonite-hosted microstructures and quartz c-axis fabrics suggest deformation temperatures of 450°C–500°C for the ductile shear belts. Combining new zircon U–Pb dates for 14 igneous rock samples analyzed during this study with the geology of this region indicates these shear belts formed during the earliest Early Cretaceous. This phase of sinistral displacement represents the initial formation of the DMFZ in response to the northward propagation of the Tan–Lu Fault Zone into NE China. A phase of Early Cretaceous rifting was followed by a second phase of sinistral faulting at 102–96Ma, as evidenced by our new U–Pb ages for associated igneous rocks. Combining our new data with the results of previous research indicates that the DFMZ records a four-stage Cretaceous evolutionary history, where initial sinistral faulting at the beginning of the Early Cretaceous gave way to rifting during the rest of the Early Cretaceous. This was followed by a second phase of sinistral faulting at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous and a second phase of local rifting during the rest of the Late Cretaceous. The Cretaceous evolution of the DMFZ records the synchronous tectonic evolution of the NE China continent bordering the Pacific Ocean. Two phases of regional N–S compression generated the two phases of sinistral faulting within the DMFZ, whereas two-stage regional extension generated the two phases of rifting. The two compressive events were the result of the rapid low-angle subduction of the Izanagi and Pacific plates, whereas the two-stage extension was caused by the roll-back of these respective plates. The final closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean at the beginning of the Early Cretaceous intensified the synchronous compression in NE China, causing the northward propagation of the Tan–Lu Fault Zone.

Holocene variability in sea surface temperature and sea ice extent in the northern Bering Sea: A multiple biomarker study

The Bering Sea, asa transition between the Arctic and the Pacific oceans, plays an important role in global climate change and biogeochemical cycles. Here we examined a variety of biomarkers in a core (BR07) from the northern continental slope of the Bering Sea in order to reconstruct summer sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice extent during the period 11–2ka (thousands of calendar years ago). The TEX86L -derived SST gradually decreased (ca. 1.6°C) from early to mid-Holocene (11.3–8.0ka), but did not show a cooling or warming trend afterwards. Our SST data do not support the hypothesis of a Holocene seesaw in temperature between the North Atlantic and the North Pacific. Several algal biomarkers, including IP25 and its derived indicators for sea ice, brassicasterol for diatoms and dinosterol for dinoflagellates, suggest that the sea ice extent gradually increased from early to late Holocene, interrupted by rapid changes at ca. 2.8–2.6 and 5.5–5.0ka. The synchronous evolution between IP25 and SST indicates a strong coupling between sea ice cover and climate change in the Holocene.