Timing and Structure of 10.9 and 10.3 ka BP Events Revealed by Annually Laminated Stalagmite Records From Shihua Cave, Northern China

Abstract

Studies have shown that East Asia experienced several abrupt centennial‐scale weak monsoonal events in the early Holocene. However, the timing and structure of these climate events remain unclear due to the lack of precisely dated and highly resolved records. In this study, we present a well‐dated high‐resolution East Asia summer monsoon record from 11.32 to 10 ka BP based on two coeval stalagmites, one of which developed clear annual lamina, from Shihua Cave, northern China. Stalagmite δ18O records show 2 weak summer monsoon events at 10.9 and 10.3 ka. The 10.9‐ka event occurred from 10.93 to 10.79 ka BP for ∼140 years and features a “W”‐shaped structure. The 10.3‐ka event, also known as the ice‐rafted debris event 7 in the North Atlantic, lasted ∼260 years with an asymmetric double‐plunging structure. The two events are concurrent with the cold conditions in Greenland ice core record, indicating a close correlation between East Asia summer monsoon and North Atlantic climate. Spectral analyses on Shihua Cave stalagmite δ18O time series and annually lamina thickness sequence both show a statistically significant periodicity of 200 years, indicating that anomalous climate events may be triggered by solar activity. The 10.3‐ka event also coincides with three small freshwater outbursts in the high‐latitude North Atlantic. This agreement suggests that freshwater outbursts may have played a role in reinforcing this weak 10.3‐ka event in monsoonal China.