87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca in speleothems for paleoclimate reconstruction in Central China between 70 and 280 kyr ago

Hong Chun Li; Teh Lung Ku; Chen Feng You; Hai Cheng; R. Lawrence Edwards; Zhi Bang Ma; Wang Sheng Tsai; Mung Dar Li

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2005.01.009

⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Sr/Ca in speleothems for paleoclimate reconstruction in Central China between 70 and 280 kyr ago

Hong Chun Li, Teh Lung Ku, Chen Feng You, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Zhi Bang Ma, Wang Sheng Tsai, Mung Dar Li

Earth and Environmental Sciences-Twin Cities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Limestone cave deposits (speleothems) provide archives for past changes in regional climates over a range of timescales. While δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C in speleothem calcite have been commonly used for reconstruction of paleoclimates, we report here further efforts in the use of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Sr/Ca signals in speleothem calcite to deduce paleomonsoon variability near the Loess Plateau of central China. A two end-member mass-balance model of concentration and isotopic composition of strontium in a cave system is used to estimate variation of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in sediments overlying a limestone cave. We show that this ratio reflects climate-driven variations in the provenance and the extent of chemical weathering of the epikarstic sediments. The measurements of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr made on a well-dated stalagmite, SFL, from Buddha Cave (33°40N′ 109°05′E) show ratios of 0.71092 to 0.71133 (±0.00001 as 2σ) during relatively cold periods (e.g., Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5b, 5d, and 8), lower than ratios of 0.71133 to 0.71194 during relatively warm periods (e.g., MIS 5a, 5c, 5e, and 7). As changes in the Sr/Ca ratio may affect speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, we show that the direct use of speleothem ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is less ideal than our modeled ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the exogenic Sr source above the cave as a paleomonsoon proxy. Using the δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, Sr/Ca, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr records of the stalagmite, we reconstruct the variability of the East Asian monsoon for the time period between 70 and 280 kyr ago. The results show that summer monsoons were more intense during interglacial periods than during glacial periods.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3933-3947
Number of pages	15
Journal	Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Volume	69
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.01.009
State	Published - Aug 15 2005

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (to HCL and TLK: ATM-0081224 and ATM-0402254 and to RLE: ESH 0214041 and MRI 0116395), from the Comer Science and Education Foundation (to RLE: CC8), and from the Taiwan Ministry of Education (to CFY). We thank our USC colleagues L. D. Stott and. M. Rincon for the stable isotope analyses and D. E. Hammond for his ever-helpful discussions. TLK acknowledges support from Fulbright Foundation, National Science Council of Taiwan, and Taiwanese host institutions (National Center for Ocean Research and National Cheng-Kung University). We thank Dr. Sophie Verheyden (Vrije UniÍersiteit Brussel, Belgium), Dr. Ian Fairchild (University of Birmingham, UK), and Dr. Jay Banner (University of Texas at Austin, USA) for their constructive comments.

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title = "87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca in speleothems for paleoclimate reconstruction in Central China between 70 and 280 kyr ago",

abstract = "Limestone cave deposits (speleothems) provide archives for past changes in regional climates over a range of timescales. While δ18O and δ13C in speleothem calcite have been commonly used for reconstruction of paleoclimates, we report here further efforts in the use of 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca signals in speleothem calcite to deduce paleomonsoon variability near the Loess Plateau of central China. A two end-member mass-balance model of concentration and isotopic composition of strontium in a cave system is used to estimate variation of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in sediments overlying a limestone cave. We show that this ratio reflects climate-driven variations in the provenance and the extent of chemical weathering of the epikarstic sediments. The measurements of 87Sr/86Sr made on a well-dated stalagmite, SFL, from Buddha Cave (33°40N′ 109°05′E) show ratios of 0.71092 to 0.71133 (±0.00001 as 2σ) during relatively cold periods (e.g., Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5b, 5d, and 8), lower than ratios of 0.71133 to 0.71194 during relatively warm periods (e.g., MIS 5a, 5c, 5e, and 7). As changes in the Sr/Ca ratio may affect speleothem 87Sr/86Sr, we show that the direct use of speleothem 87Sr/86Sr is less ideal than our modeled 87Sr/86Sr for the exogenic Sr source above the cave as a paleomonsoon proxy. Using the δ18O, δ13C, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr records of the stalagmite, we reconstruct the variability of the East Asian monsoon for the time period between 70 and 280 kyr ago. The results show that summer monsoons were more intense during interglacial periods than during glacial periods.",

author = "Li, {Hong Chun} and Ku, {Teh Lung} and You, {Chen Feng} and Hai Cheng and Edwards, {R. Lawrence} and Ma, {Zhi Bang} and Tsai, {Wang Sheng} and Li, {Mung Dar}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (to HCL and TLK: ATM-0081224 and ATM-0402254 and to RLE: ESH 0214041 and MRI 0116395), from the Comer Science and Education Foundation (to RLE: CC8), and from the Taiwan Ministry of Education (to CFY). We thank our USC colleagues L. D. Stott and. M. Rincon for the stable isotope analyses and D. E. Hammond for his ever-helpful discussions. TLK acknowledges support from Fulbright Foundation, National Science Council of Taiwan, and Taiwanese host institutions (National Center for Ocean Research and National Cheng-Kung University). We thank Dr. Sophie Verheyden (Vrije Uni{\'I}ersiteit Brussel, Belgium), Dr. Ian Fairchild (University of Birmingham, UK), and Dr. Jay Banner (University of Texas at Austin, USA) for their constructive comments. ",

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T1 - 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca in speleothems for paleoclimate reconstruction in Central China between 70 and 280 kyr ago

AU - Li, Hong Chun

AU - Ku, Teh Lung

AU - You, Chen Feng

AU - Cheng, Hai

AU - Edwards, R. Lawrence

AU - Ma, Zhi Bang

AU - Tsai, Wang Sheng

AU - Li, Mung Dar

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (to HCL and TLK: ATM-0081224 and ATM-0402254 and to RLE: ESH 0214041 and MRI 0116395), from the Comer Science and Education Foundation (to RLE: CC8), and from the Taiwan Ministry of Education (to CFY). We thank our USC colleagues L. D. Stott and. M. Rincon for the stable isotope analyses and D. E. Hammond for his ever-helpful discussions. TLK acknowledges support from Fulbright Foundation, National Science Council of Taiwan, and Taiwanese host institutions (National Center for Ocean Research and National Cheng-Kung University). We thank Dr. Sophie Verheyden (Vrije UniÍersiteit Brussel, Belgium), Dr. Ian Fairchild (University of Birmingham, UK), and Dr. Jay Banner (University of Texas at Austin, USA) for their constructive comments.

PY - 2005/8/15

Y1 - 2005/8/15

N2 - Limestone cave deposits (speleothems) provide archives for past changes in regional climates over a range of timescales. While δ18O and δ13C in speleothem calcite have been commonly used for reconstruction of paleoclimates, we report here further efforts in the use of 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca signals in speleothem calcite to deduce paleomonsoon variability near the Loess Plateau of central China. A two end-member mass-balance model of concentration and isotopic composition of strontium in a cave system is used to estimate variation of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in sediments overlying a limestone cave. We show that this ratio reflects climate-driven variations in the provenance and the extent of chemical weathering of the epikarstic sediments. The measurements of 87Sr/86Sr made on a well-dated stalagmite, SFL, from Buddha Cave (33°40N′ 109°05′E) show ratios of 0.71092 to 0.71133 (±0.00001 as 2σ) during relatively cold periods (e.g., Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5b, 5d, and 8), lower than ratios of 0.71133 to 0.71194 during relatively warm periods (e.g., MIS 5a, 5c, 5e, and 7). As changes in the Sr/Ca ratio may affect speleothem 87Sr/86Sr, we show that the direct use of speleothem 87Sr/86Sr is less ideal than our modeled 87Sr/86Sr for the exogenic Sr source above the cave as a paleomonsoon proxy. Using the δ18O, δ13C, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr records of the stalagmite, we reconstruct the variability of the East Asian monsoon for the time period between 70 and 280 kyr ago. The results show that summer monsoons were more intense during interglacial periods than during glacial periods.

AB - Limestone cave deposits (speleothems) provide archives for past changes in regional climates over a range of timescales. While δ18O and δ13C in speleothem calcite have been commonly used for reconstruction of paleoclimates, we report here further efforts in the use of 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca signals in speleothem calcite to deduce paleomonsoon variability near the Loess Plateau of central China. A two end-member mass-balance model of concentration and isotopic composition of strontium in a cave system is used to estimate variation of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in sediments overlying a limestone cave. We show that this ratio reflects climate-driven variations in the provenance and the extent of chemical weathering of the epikarstic sediments. The measurements of 87Sr/86Sr made on a well-dated stalagmite, SFL, from Buddha Cave (33°40N′ 109°05′E) show ratios of 0.71092 to 0.71133 (±0.00001 as 2σ) during relatively cold periods (e.g., Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5b, 5d, and 8), lower than ratios of 0.71133 to 0.71194 during relatively warm periods (e.g., MIS 5a, 5c, 5e, and 7). As changes in the Sr/Ca ratio may affect speleothem 87Sr/86Sr, we show that the direct use of speleothem 87Sr/86Sr is less ideal than our modeled 87Sr/86Sr for the exogenic Sr source above the cave as a paleomonsoon proxy. Using the δ18O, δ13C, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr records of the stalagmite, we reconstruct the variability of the East Asian monsoon for the time period between 70 and 280 kyr ago. The results show that summer monsoons were more intense during interglacial periods than during glacial periods.

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