Chronology of a Holocene Core From the Pearl River Delta in Southern China

Xu, Xiaolin; Li, Hongwei; Tang, LinJie; Lai, Zhongping; Xu, Guan; Zhang, XianHe; Wang, Yixuan

doi:10.3389/feart.2020.00262

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…OSL measures the time elapsed since the last exposure of the mineral to sunlight. Several studies have used OSL in estuarine and delta sediments showing that this method provides generally reliable ages (Madsen et al 2007;Shen and Mauz 2012;Gao et al 2017;Xu et al 2020). However, there are some limitation that should be considered including: 1) the incomplete bleaching of the OSL signal caused by the attenuation of the solar spectrum in the water environment and 2) different grain sizes had a different bleaching history being finer grains better bleached.…”

Section: Potential and Limitations Of Deltaic Records For Paleolimnol...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of large water-level variations found in deltaic sediments of a tropical deep lake in the karst mountains of the Lacandon forest, Mexico

et al. 2022

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Lake Tzibaná is one of the largest (1.27 km2) and deepest (Zmax = 52 m) karstic lakes in the UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve “Nahá-Metzabok” and in the Lacandon Forest, southeastern Mexico. It archives sediments from multiple sources and the inflowing Nahá River forms deltaic deposits. In 2019, the water level in Lake Tzibaná declined by ~ 15 m, persisting for 4 months and exposing the Nahá River Delta. A geophysical profile on the exposed delta revealed an accumulation of ~ 20 m of such deposits. Three sediment outcrops from an inactive channel in the Nahá River Delta, which ranged in height from 0.6 to 1.43 m, were sampled and a multi-proxy analysis of biological remains and geochemical variables was conducted. Four facies were observed: (1) massive-coarse sand, (2) fine sand, (3) dark leaf litter and (4) massive silty clay, each characterized by specific microcrustacean, testate amoebae and diatom taxa. Six dark leaf litter horizons were radiocarbon dated and revealed a complex depositional history including inverted ages making the establishment of an age model difficult. Nevertheless, past lake-level changes and the formation of the four facies match three characteristic water-level stages, which can also be observed on recent satellite images: (1) Massive-coarse sand deposits, with compositional and sedimentological characteristics of a shoreline environment and fluvial lateral banks, were formed during large-magnitude reductions in the lake level, similar to the one in 2019, (2) Interbedded layers of fine sand and dark leaf litter, currently found in low-energy fluvial environments, were formed during shorter and less pronounced decrease intervals, and (3) Massive silty clay, with distinctive microorganisms from low-energy lacustrine environments, is deposited during high water-level stages, when the delta is covered by water. Our findings illustrate how hydrological changes alter sedimentary dynamics in deltaic areas of lakes. Despite the complexity of their depositional processes, deltaic records can serve as a complementary source of paleolimnological information to records from distal zones due to their sensitivity to variations in water level, especially during extreme and prolonged desiccation events. Future research should attempt to combine evidences from deltaic and sediment sequences from deeper zones of Lake Tzibaná to reconstruct water-level variations during the entire Holocene. Understanding past lake-level reductions is not only relevant for the local indigenous communities but also crucial for the conservation of this ecosystem of international importance.

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Section: Potential and Limitations Of Deltaic Records For Paleolimnol...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of large water-level variations found in deltaic sediments of a tropical deep lake in the karst mountains of the Lacandon forest, Mexico

et al. 2022

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“…However, the carbon reservoir effect of the carbonate-rich PRD region can yield abnormal 14 C ages by releasing negative particulate organic carbon to depositional process (Liu et al, 2017). For instance the 14 C ages are generally older than OSL ages at similar depths in core DA from the southern PRD, and this discrepancy might be caused by the carbon reservoir effect (Xu et al, 2020). In addition, reworking of carbon materials in deltas with complex hydrodynamics usually causes overestimation of radiocarbon ages, which can be abnormally old by up to 2 ka for surface samples (Yim et al, 2006;Kong et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of the largest coastal deltas in the world. Boreholes and high-resolution seismic profiles demonstrated that a major marine sequence was deposited in the PRD during the Holocene (Fyfe et al, 1997;Owen et al, 1998;Zong et al, 2009a;Xu et al, 2020). Over the past two decades, several studies have attempted to reconstruct the Holocene evolutionary history of the PRD and elucidated the driving mechanisms by investigating the Holocene strata at different time scales and regional settings (Zong et al, 2009a;Zong et al, 2012;Wu et al, 2017;Xiong et al, 2018a;Fu et al, 2020;Xiong et al, 2020;Xu et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Boreholes and high-resolution seismic profiles demonstrated that a major marine sequence was deposited in the PRD during the Holocene (Fyfe et al, 1997;Owen et al, 1998;Zong et al, 2009a;Xu et al, 2020). Over the past two decades, several studies have attempted to reconstruct the Holocene evolutionary history of the PRD and elucidated the driving mechanisms by investigating the Holocene strata at different time scales and regional settings (Zong et al, 2009a;Zong et al, 2012;Wu et al, 2017;Xiong et al, 2018a;Fu et al, 2020;Xiong et al, 2020;Xu et al, 2020). For instance six stratigraphic transects from the head area through the central basin to northern estuaries were used to investigate the interactions between sea level rise, monsoon runoff, and the palaeo-landscape in the early Holocene (Zong et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Holocene sedimentary of the Pearl River Delta in South China: OSL and radiocarbon dating of cores from Zhuhai

Lin

Yan

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Deltaic sediments provide a window for investigating delta development processes and the effects of human activities. Despite the fact that numerous studies have been conducted in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), the chronological data are still very limited, which hinder the detailed interpretation of the sedimentary records. The current study aims to establish high-resolution chronology on two cores from Zhuhai using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon (14C) dating and, further, to reconstruct the Holocene sedimentary history of the PRD. Core P1-1 has a depth of 79 m and core P3-2 a depth of 60 m. Thirteen quartz OSL samples from P1-1 produced ages between 10.4 and 0.16 ka. Eight OSL and eight 14C ages from P3-2 span from 10.7 to 0.3 ka. The OSL and 14C dates show a good agreement above the depth of 26 m (1.4–0.3 ka), but with discrepancies at depths of 26–54 m. 14C ages (10.7–8.1 ka) are generally older (up to c. 2 ka) than quartz OSL ages, and the discrepancy decreases with depth. The age model shows three phases of the sedimentation process: (1) rapid accumulation rates of 7.48 (P1-1) and 7.52 (P3-2) m/ka between c. 10.7 and 7.5 ka in response to high sea level, (2) followed by a significantly reduced rate of 2.24 m/ka (P1-1) and a depositional hiatus (P3-2) from 7.5 to 2.5 ka as a result of reduced sediment supply and strong scouring by tidal processes, and (3) high sedimentation rates of 8.86 (P1-1) and 9.07 (P3-2) m/ka since 2.5 ka associated with intensive human activities and weakening tidal hydrodynamics. This sedimentary pattern is also evident in many other Asian deltas.

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“…The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating method has become widely accepted in recent decades, with its merits of a long time-scale range (even up to 200 ka) and abundance of dating materials (e.g., quartz or feldspar) (Murray and Olley, 2002;Rhodes, 2011;Murray et al, 2021). The applicability of OSL dating to coastal and marine sediments allowed the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment of the delta (Chen et al, 2010;Guo et al, 2013;Yi et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016;Xu et al, 2020;Gao et al, 2021;Long et al, 2022;Xu et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon and OSL dating on cores from the Chaoshan delta in the coastal South China Sea

et al. 2022

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Accurate chronology plays a crucial role in reconstructing delta evolution. Radiocarbon (14C) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating are widely used to establish a stratigraphic chronology of the late Quaternary sediments. The Chaoshan plain is located on the southern coast of China and borders the South China Sea. The thickness of Quaternary sediments in this area extends to a depth of 140 m and is considered a valuable archive for studying the evolution of the delta in response to climate and sea-level changes. However, reliable chronological data are still very limited. In this paper, eighteen accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C and thirteen quartz OSL ages were obtained from two cores from the Rongjiang plain, the middle part of the Chaoshan plain: ZK001 (90.85 m in depth) and ZK002 (100 m in depth). The present study aims to provide a reliable chronology of the Chaoshan plain based on OSL and 14C dating methods and examine the upper limit of the 14C dating on plant remains. Our results show that (1) OSL ages of cores ZK001 and ZK002 range from 56 to 1.7 ka and from 177 to 15 ka, respectively; (2) 14C ages of core ZK002 range from 8.8 to 41 cal ka BP, showing that all 14C ages below ca. 30 m depth are younger than OSL ages and that the upper limit of plant remains is around 35 cal ka BP. OSL ages are consistent with stratigraphic order within uncertainties. The oldest OSL age obtained from core ZK002 is 177 ± 20 ka at a depth of 93 m, and is considered a minimum age. This indicates that the Quaternary deposition in the Rongjiang plain can trace back to at least the marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 during sea-level lowstand, during which the plain is mainly influenced by the fluvial process. The comparison between 14C and OSL ages in the Chaoshan plain suggests that 14C ages older than 35 cal ka BP need to be re-evaluated. However, the OSL dating method proves reliable for establishing a comprehensive chronological framework for the late Quaternary sediments in this area.

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Chronology of a Holocene Core From the Pearl River Delta in Southern China

Cited by 16 publications

References 55 publications

Evidence of large water-level variations found in deltaic sediments of a tropical deep lake in the karst mountains of the Lacandon forest, Mexico

Evidence of large water-level variations found in deltaic sediments of a tropical deep lake in the karst mountains of the Lacandon forest, Mexico

Holocene sedimentary of the Pearl River Delta in South China: OSL and radiocarbon dating of cores from Zhuhai

Radiocarbon and OSL dating on cores from the Chaoshan delta in the coastal South China Sea

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