Major and trace elements of a peat core from Yunnan, Southwest China: Implications for paleoclimatic proxies

Evolution of the Indian summer monsoon during the interval 32.7–11.4cal. ka BP: Evidence from the Baoxiu peat, Yunnan, southwest China

“…K 2 O/Na 2 O, K/Rb, and La/Sm ratios are regarded as good proxy indicators for chemical weathering intensity (Nesbitt et al, 1980;Nesbitt and Markovics, 1997;Wei et al, 2004). Most importantly, the use of K 2 O/Na 2 O and K/Rb ratios in constructing records of chemical weathering intensity in the Baoxiu peat has been corroborated by Wei et al (2012).…”

“…3) was established by linear interpolation. For further details of the dating method and modeling approach, see Wei et al (2012).…”

“…Several USGS and Chinese soil and sediment reference standards, including GSS-5, GSS-7, and GXR-6 (soils), and GSD-9 and GSD-12 (sediments), were repeatedly measured along with the samples, yielding values that were generally within ±10% (RSD) of the certified values. For further details on the method and results of major and trace element analyses see Wei et al (2012).…”

Environmental processes derived from peatland geochemistry since the last deglaciation in Dajiuhu, Shennongjia, central China

“…As a nonmetal that is essential to plants, the distribution of P in peat cores is strongly affected by vegetation dynamics. It has been observed that plants can accumulate Pb from soils and dust, resulting in relatively high Pb concentrations in roots and leaves (Singh et al 1997;Wei et al 2012). Furthermore, previous studies have found that an extremely high percentage of cationic species of Pb and Zn are bound to organic phases, and that migration within peat profiles is significantly retarded by organic complexation (Nriagu 1996;Zaccone et al 2007;Gallego et al 2013).…”

“…In recent years, researchers have developed informative proxies for determining climatic and environmental changes from minerotrophic fens (Kylander Rano Aroi minerotrophic fen on Easter Island, periods of enhanced precipitation and more frequent droughts during the last 70 ka could be identified, along with changes in vegetation cover (Margalef et al 2014). Additionally, a study of major and trace elements in a peat core from Yunnan in southwest China assessed the elemental contributions of organic materials and found a number of elemental ratios to be informative proxies for changes in monsoon climate (Wei et al 2012). Although minerogenic peatlands are not generally considered the best archives to reconstruct past atmospheric metal deposition history, a high ash minerogenic peat deposit located in the High Aldudes valley (Basque country, southern France) was successfully used to document ancient mining exploitation and metallurgy (Monna et al 2004).…”