Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on δ13C Variations in a Stalagmite from Central China

Tan, Liangcheng; Zhang, Haiwei; Qin, Shijun; An, Zhisheng

doi:10.3319/tao.2012.12.27.01(tt)

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(80 reference statements)

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“…The δ 13 C values 24 are relatively higher during each drought event in the last 500 years too ( Fig. 3 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

Tan

Cai

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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The collapse of some pre-historical and historical cultures, including Chinese dynasties were presumably linked to widespread droughts, on the basis of synchronicities of societal crises and proxy-based climate events. Here, we present a comparison of ancient inscriptions in Dayu Cave from Qinling Mountains, central China, which described accurate times and detailed impacts of seven drought events during the period of 1520–1920 CE, with high-resolution speleothem records from the same cave. The comparable results provide unique and robust tests on relationships among speleothem δ18O changes, drought events, and societal unrest. With direct historical evidences, our results suggest that droughts and even modest events interrupting otherwise wet intervals can cause serious social crises. Modeling results of speleothem δ18O series suggest that future precipitation in central China may be below the average of the past 500 years. As Qinling Mountain is the main recharge area of two large water transfer projects and habitats of many endangered species, it is imperative to explore an adaptive strategy for the decline in precipitation and/or drought events.

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“…The δ 13 C values 24 are relatively higher during each drought event in the last 500 years too ( Fig. 3 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

Tan

Cai

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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“…The factors controlling speleothem δ 13 C values have been discussed in many previous studies (McDermott 2004;Fairchild et al 2006;Cosford et al 2009;Li et al 2012;Tan et al 2013). We summarize these factors in the following list.…”

Section: Factors Affecting Speleothem δ 13 C Valuesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Previous studies have suggested that vegetation changes above caves (owing to either natural or artificial causes) may influence the carbon isotope compositions (δ 13 C values) of speleothems in the caves (Dorale et al 1998;Hellstrom et al 1998;Genty et al 2001Genty et al , 2003Zhang et al 2004;Baldini et al 2005;Cruz et al 2006;Zhu et al 2006;Fleitmann et al 2009;Frisia et al 2011;Kuo et al 2011;Hartmann et al 2013;Tan et al 2013;Uchida et al 2013;Duan et al 2014). The rationale behind such an interpretation lies in the fact that carbon isotope composition in speleothem derives from soil CO2 dissolved in the drip water, and the soil CO2 is produced by plant respiration and organic matter decomposition.…”

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confidence: 99%

Large variations of δ¹³C values in stalagmites from southeastern China during historical times: implications for anthropogenic deforestation

Zhang

Cai

Tan

et al. 2015

Boreas

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Large variations of δ 13 C values in stalagmites from southeastern China during historical times: implications for anthropogenic deforestation. BoreasVariations in speleothem δ 13 C values can reflect changes in overlying surface vegetation, which, over historical time scales, may represent the influence of human activities. Here, we examined δ 13 C variations in two stalagmites growing for the last 2200 years in Shennong Cave, Jiangxi Province, SE China. The two δ 13 C records corroborate well one another and show a prominent 6‰ enrichment of the δ 13 C values from AD 700 to 1100. The isotopic equilibrium for modern calcite and negative correlation between δ 18 O and δ 13 C values along the growth axis suggest that the influences of kinetic fractionation are negligible. Varied correlations between Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios and divergent changes between δ 13 C values and Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios from AD 700 to 1100 reveal that the prior calcite precipitation (PCP) and water-rock interaction did not dominate the increase of δ 13 C values. It is plausible that the obvious δ 13 C variation was largely influenced by the changes in vegetation cover overlying the cave. Our δ 13 C results, together with the records of climate and human activity from historical documentary records, suggest that: (i) prior to AD 700, small fluctuations in relatively light δ 13 C values reflect the presence of lush forest coverage above the cave, which was minimally disturbed by human activities; (ii) during AD 700-1100, the drastic increase in δ 13 C values indicates persistent and massive deforestation associated with large-scale immigration into northern Jiangxi after the Rebellion of in the Tang Dynasty and the subsequent development of agriculture and economic activity; and (iii) since AD 1100, fluctuations in relatively high δ 13 C values suggest that local vegetation during the last millennium has been sparse. Since the Rebellion of An & Shi, southeastern China was progressively developed, coincident with deforestation and vegetation deterioration caused by human disturbance in the form of deforestation and cultivation.

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“…If the climatic deterioration was responsible for the obvious isotopic shift in Shihua cave records, it should also be observed in Zhenzhu cave record, given the coherence between them before this period (Figures 5 and 6). Various anthropogenic impacts on the variations of stalagmite δ 13 C have been widely reported in previous studies (Hartmann et al, 2013;Hou et al, 2003;Kuo et al, 2011;Li et al, 1998;Tan et al, 2013Tan et al, , 2020Zhang et al, 2015). For instance, a prominent enrichment in δ 13 C values of an Indonesian stalagmite between ∼1.1 and ∼0.5 ka BP has been attributed to deforestation and cultivation (Hartmann et al, 2013).…”

Section: Imprints Of Climate and Human Activity On Isotopic Variabili...mentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Carbon isotope compositions of speleothems mainly reflect that of soil CO 2 overlying the cave (Genty & Massault, 1999;Genty et al, 2001;Li et al, 2011;Luo & Wang, 2009), which are influenced by biological processes such as plant root respiration, organic matter decomposition, and vegetation type (C4/C3 plant ratio) (Baker et al, 1997;Denniston et al, 2001;Dreybrodt, 1980;Duan et al, 2014Duan et al, , 2022Genty et al, 2003Genty et al, , 2006Hou et al, 2003;Jia et al, 2022;McDermott, 2004;Tan et al, 2013;Yin et al, 2017;Zhang et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2020). Before 1588 AD, the δ 13 C of both stalagmites TS9701 and TS950 fluctuates between −11.7‰ and −7.7‰ (Figure 2), indicating that the vegetation overlying Shihua cave was predominantly C3 plants, as expected from speleothem δ 13 C values (−14‰ to −6‰) at such sites (Baker et al, 1997;Dreybrodt, 1980;McDermott, 2004).…”

Section: Imprints Of Climate and Human Activity On Isotopic Variabili...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐Timescale Variations of δ¹⁸O‐δ¹³C in Stalagmites: Insights Into Isotopic Disequilibrium and Human Activities

Duan,

Cai,

Tao

et al. 2023

JGR Atmospheres

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The reasons for covariations of speleothem δ13C and δ18O remain controversial, primarily due to the limited high‐resolution stalagmite records that can be compared with meteorological data. This study presents δ13C and δ18O records of two coeval, annually laminated stalagmites (TS9701 and TS9501) spanning the past ∼2000 years from Shihua cave, Beijing, northern China. The low correlation between stalagmite TS9701 records, with annual resolution, and local annual precipitation as well as mean annual temperature on interannual to decadal scales indicates that the positive covariations of δ18O and δ13C in TS9701 are partly attributed to kinetic isotope effects caused by rapid CO2 degassing. Isotopic disequilibrium between HCO3−(aq) and drip water, induced by prior calcite precipitation on cave ceiling and stalactite surface, is another potential contributing factor. δ18O and δ13C exhibits distinct patterns on multidecadal to millennial timescales. δ18O records show notable centennial variability, aligning with El Niño‐Southern Oscillation cycles. In contrast, δ13C profiles reveal a decreasing trend during the first ∼750 years, followed by an increasing trend. Prior to 1588 AD, variations in δ13C broadly correspond to changes in warm season temperature and/or moisture on centennial scale. Both δ13C records show an abrupt enrichment between 1588 and 1654 AD. Historical documents indicate that this anomaly is likely attributed to coal mining and resultant deforestation around Shihua cave during late‐Ming and early‐Qing Dynasties. In summary, while isotopic disequilibrium can cause high‐frequency covariations of speleothem δ18O and δ13C, it does not erase the imprints of climate changes and human activities on multidecadal to millennial timescales.

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Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on δ13C Variations in a Stalagmite from Central China

Cited by 15 publications

References 47 publications

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

Large variations of δ¹³C values in stalagmites from southeastern China during historical times: implications for anthropogenic deforestation

Multi‐Timescale Variations of δ¹⁸O‐δ¹³C in Stalagmites: Insights Into Isotopic Disequilibrium and Human Activities

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Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on δ13C Variations in a Stalagmite from Central China

Cited by 15 publications

References 47 publications

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

A Chinese cave links climate change, social impacts and human adaptation over the last 500 years

Large variations of δ13C values in stalagmites from southeastern China during historical times: implications for anthropogenic deforestation

Multi‐Timescale Variations of δ18O‐δ13C in Stalagmites: Insights Into Isotopic Disequilibrium and Human Activities

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Product

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Large variations of δ¹³C values in stalagmites from southeastern China during historical times: implications for anthropogenic deforestation

Multi‐Timescale Variations of δ¹⁸O‐δ¹³C in Stalagmites: Insights Into Isotopic Disequilibrium and Human Activities