Records of the paleoclimate during the fast transgression period (13 ka BP-8 ka BP) from the mud area on the inner shelf of the East China Sea

Abstract:

A 35.30m-long core (MZ02) recovered from a water depth of 32.4m from the inner shelf mud deposit of the East China Sea was analyzed for sedimentary characteristics, color reflectance, clay mineral, and element geochemistry components as well as by AMS ¹⁴C dating to research the sedimentation rate, sediment provenance and paleocwan mountainous river and clay fralimate evolution during the fast transgression period in the study area. Rare earth element and clay mineral proxies indicated that the mixed provenance sediment accumulated in the foreshore–nearshore region at the beginning of the fast transgression period, with a higher sedimentation rate of 5.58m/ka. While from 9800-9500 a B.P., the sedimentation rate keep lower about 1.73m/ka, and the sediment provenance changed obviously, silt fraction were apt to Taiction prone to be transported from the Yangtze River. Multiple proxy system including sediment redness (a*), chemical index of alteration (CIA), clay mineral proxy (smectite/kaolinite), major and trace element proxy (CaO/MgO, Ba/Sr) also showed a good paleoclimate record during the fast transgression period, which could be divided into three units. All the proxies changed little during Unit I (13-11.3ka B.P.) and revealed the climate kept in a relative stable level. Obvious fluctuation happened in Unit II (11.3-10.1ka B.P.) and the temperature kept decreasing more than 1ka till the Younger Dryas event, showed a well regional response to global climate changes. While continuous warming trend resumed again in Unit III (10.1-8 ka B.P.), which may be the signal for Holocene warm period. In addition, we also found significant 80yr, 89yr and 100yr cycles in our CIA, CaO/MgO and Ba/Sr records that imply a possible solar influence on the regional climate changes during the fast transgression period.

Keywords: East China Sea, provenance, transgression, mud deposit, late Pleistocene, paleoclimate