Paleoproductivity variations in the southern Okinawa Trough since the middle Holocene: Calcareous nannofossil records
Based on 17 AMS(14)C age data, we reconstructed high-resolution records of sea surface primary productivity (PP) in the southern Okinawa Trough (MD05-2908) over the last 6.8 ka BP using the calcareous nannofossil carbon isotope and the relative percentage contents of Florisphaera profunda indexes. The underlying mechanism controlling the sea surface PP was then discussed. The sea surface PP, indicated by the coccolith delta C-13 and %Fp conversional equations, decreased with some fluctuations since 6.8 ka BP. This decrease may be connected to the decreased terrigenous input resulting from the reduced East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation. Both the periods of 4-2 ka BP (PME) and 6.8-4.8 ka BP were characterized by relatively higher PP. The former was mainly controlled by the weakening of the Kuroshio Current, whereas the latter mainly resulted from the greater terrigenous input associated with the stronger EASM.
Keyword(s)
middle Holocene, the southern Okinawa Trough, primary productivity, calcareous nannofossil
Zhao JingTao, Li TieGang, Li Jun, Hu BangQi (2012). Paleoproductivity variations in the southern Okinawa Trough since the middle Holocene: Calcareous nannofossil records. Chinese Science Bulletin. 57 (30). 3917-3922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5276-y, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00265/37615/