Age of the MGS5 segment of the Milanggouwan stratigraphical section and evolution of the desert environment on a kiloyear scale during the Last Interglacial in China's Salawusu River Valley: Evidence from Rb and Sr contents and ratios

• Published in: Geochemistry
• Main Authors: Zhang, DD, Du, S, Li, B, Wen, X, Niu, D, Wang, F, Yang, Y, Chen, D
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Urban und Fischer Verlag. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/chemerd 2011
• Subjects: Paleoclimate; Last interglacial; Biostratigraphy; Paleoecology; Age determination; Greenland; GRIP; NGRIP
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2010.07.002; http://hdl.handle.net/10722/142560

The MGS5 segment of the Milanggouwan stratigraphical section in China's Salawusu River Valley records 8.5 sedimentary cycles consisting of dune sands alternating with fluviolacustrine facies or/and paleosols. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of Rb and Sr within the segment and paleoecological evidence (fossils), it appears that the observed sedimentation cycles mainly resulted from fluctuations between dry-cold and warm-humid climates, which indicates that the MGS5 segment experienced at least eight cold-dry and nine warm-humid climatic fluctuations. Of these, 12 cold-warm climate fluctuations correspond to DO20-DO25 and stadia 21-26 recorded by the NGRIP ice cores. Another five cold-warm climatic fluctuations that occurred during MGS5e correspond to five substages (5e1-5e5) recorded by the GRIP ice cores from Greenland. This kind of high-frequency climatic fluctuation on a kiloyear scale was mainly subject to variations in the strength of the East Asian winter and summer monsoons. © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. link_to_subscribed_fulltext