Strontium (Sr) Isotope and Strontium/Calcium (Sr/Ca) Ratios Variations in Speleothems from Central China: A New Proxy for Paleomonsoon Variability

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports research on the variability of the East Asian Monsoon (EAM) from the recent through the late Pleistocene on centennial to millennial scales using speleothems from Buddha and Jingdong Caves in central China. High-resolution measurements from the cave sites will be collected and measured to provide information on temperature, moisture, and vegetation over the past 330,000 years. The researchers will utilize a newly developed mass balance model for Strontium isotopes to demonstrate its validity as a paleomonsoon proxy. The results will be compared with published records (i.e. Chinese loess, marine oxygen isotopes and Greenland ice) to examine the response of the EAM during periods of rapid climate change. This research will broadly impact the science community by helping develop a paleoclimate proxy that could increase climate data available from cave systems. The research project will also contribute to the training of undergraduate students and encourage international collaboration with Chinese scientists.