Advances in Earth Science ›› 2006, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (8): 781-792. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2006.08.0781

Special Issue: IODP

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Paleoecological-Environmental Contrasts between the Southern and Northern South China Sea during Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition 

Li Qianyu 1,2,Wang Pinxian 1,Chen Muhong 3,Zheng Fan 3,Wang Rujian 1,Sun Xiangjun 1,Liu Chuanlian 1,Cheng Xinrong 1,Jian Zhimin 1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;2. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;3. South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
  • Received:2006-03-03 Revised:2006-03-29 Online:2006-08-15 Published:2006-08-15

Li Qianyu,Wang Pinxian,Chen Muhong,Zheng Fan,Wang Rujian,Sun Xiangjun. Paleoecological-Environmental Contrasts between the Southern and Northern South China Sea during Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition [J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2006, 21(8): 781-792.

Paleoecological responses to mid-Pleistocene climate transition at about 900 ka in the south China sea (SCS) were mainly reflected by high-frequency fluctuations in planktonic foraminifer, isotopic, and other biological-environmental records that indicated a sudden decrease in sea surface temperature. Winter SST declined from 24~25℃ to 17~28℃ in the northern SCS and from 26~27℃ to 23~24℃ in the southern SCS. In parallel to the general trend in the open western Pacific, these results indicated considerable weakening of the Western Pacific Warm Pool at ~900 ka, during MIS22. Large-scale SST decreases also occurred during the subsequent glacial periods MIS 20, 18, and 16, indicating a transitional period of up to 400 ka during the transition of dominant glacial cyclicities from 41 ka to 100 ka. It was not until the later part of this transition did the winter monsoon become significantly strengthened. Paleobiological and isotopic differences between the northern and southern SCS enhanced the signals of N-S climate gradient contrasts and strengthening of winter monsoons during glacial periods in this marginal sea. Therefore, responses of the paleoecological-environmental system to mid-Pleistocene climate transition included not only parallel changes with glacial cycles but also some unique regional characteristics. However, changes in sea surface salinity at and since ~900 ka in responding to monsoon variability and low sea level, as well their impact on sea-air interaction and the evolution of paleoecological-environmental system in the SCS-western Pacific region, remain unclear.

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