High Resolution δ18O and δ13C Records of AMS 14C Dated Stalagmites From Jinlun and Yilingyan Caves in Guangxi, China: Climate Variability and Controlling Factors in the Monsoonal Region During the Past 2300 Years

Jinlun Cave in Mashan County and Yilingyan Cave in Wuming County are ~120km and ~60km north of Nanning in Guangxi Province under influence of both Indian Monsoon and North Western Pacific Monsoon. Several stalagmites have been dated by AMS 14C dating method since 230Th/U is not applicable due to very low U contents. Twenty (20) AMS 14C dates on Stalagmite JL20131005-10 (10-cm long) show "Bomb carbon curve", spanning the past 60 years. Lamination counting further confirms the chronology. Thirty nine (39) AMS 14C dates on Stalagmite JL20131005-12 (33-cm long) reveal 2300-year continuous growth. Stalagmite YLY20130727-12 (10-cm long) from Yilingyan Cave covers a continuous record of past 2300 years. All studied stalagmites in the caves contain low dead carbon fractions. The annual resolution δ18O and δ13C records obtained from the stalagmites allow us to compare the stalagmite δ18O records with the instrumental rainfall and temperature records, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and Sunspot variation, etc. The δ18O and δ13C records exhibit relatively good correlation throughout the time, indicating climatic control on vegetation change. Based on the high-resolution δ18O and δ13C records, we interpret that dry climatic conditions and poor vegetation coverage during periods of AD1880~1850, 1700~1600, 1460~1320, 1210~1280, 860~750, 540~420, 300~220, and AD100~0 shown by increased δ18O and δ13C. The δ18O and δ13C were strongly depleted during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP between AD900 and AD1100) and Current Warm Period (CWP, since AD1900), reflecting strongly increased East Asian Summer Monsoon. After AD1900, the δ13C decreased about 6‰, perhaps indicating human impact on surface vegetation. The δ18O records from the study area are comparable to the published WX42B δ18O record of Wanxiang Cave (Zhang et al., 2008) except for the period of AD1400~1850. Our study suggests that AMS 14C dating is an alternative method for stalagmites containing low U and high Th contents.