The Yangtze River Delta experienced strong seasonality and regular summer upwelling during the warm mid-Holocene

Autor: Matthias Alberti, Sandro F. Veiga, Bo Chen, Liang Hu, Zheng Fang, Baochun Zhou, Yanhong Pan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2662-4435
DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01668-1
Popis: Abstract The mid-Holocene climate optimum saw warm temperatures in large parts of China, but its impact on seasonal environmental changes is not fully understood yet. Here, we use high-resolution geochemical analyses of 7000 to 6000 year-old oyster shells from the Yangtze River Delta to reconstruct climatic and oceanographic patterns. The stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) and clumped isotope data reflect prominent seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and river discharge. Summer months experienced warm temperatures and a distinct increase in rainfalls and river discharge. In contrast, winter months were characterized by a dry season, which might have been longer than today. Stable isotope data also indicate regular summer upwelling in the study area. These results partly disagree with available climate models raising doubts on the models’ reliability. Thus, our palaeo-proxy data offers the possibility to evaluate and correct climate models and thereby improve predictions for the future considering on-going global warming.
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