Luhua Xie

Acceleration of modern acidification in the South China Sea driven by anthropogenic CO2

Modern acidification by the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 can profoundly affect the physiology of marine organisms and the structure of ocean ecosystems. Centennial-scale global and regional influences of anthropogenic CO2 remain largely unknown due to limited instrumental pH records. Here we present coral boron isotope-inferred pH records for two periods from the South China Sea: AD 1048–1079 and AD 1838–2001. There are no significant pH differences between the first period at the Medieval Warm Period and AD 1830–1870. However, we find anomalous and unprecedented acidification during the 20th century, pacing the observed increase in atmospheric CO2. Moreover, pH value also varies in phase with inter-decadal changes in Asian Winter Monsoon intensity. As the level of atmospheric CO2 keeps rising, the coupling global warming via weakening the winter monsoon intensity could exacerbate acidification of the South China Sea and threaten this expansive shallow water marine ecosystem.

Decadal variations in trace metal concentrations on a coral reef: Evidence from a 159 year record of Mn, Cu, and V in a Porites coral from the northern South China Sea

Geochemical cycles of trace metals are important influences on the composition and function of the marine ecosystem. Although spatial distributions of most trace metals have now been determined in at least some parts of the oceans, temporal variations have barely been studied on account of data limitations. In this paper, we report on a 159 year record of trace metal concentrations from a Porites coral from the northern South China Sea (SCS), and discuss how oceanic and climatic processes control variations in Mn, Cu, and V concentrations in this region. Our results show that trace metal concentrations in the coral skeleton demonstrate decadal to interdecadal fluctuations, and that their variations are controlled by different mechanisms. The input of Mn to reef water is partly controlled by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which controls precipitation and river runoff. Surface water concentrations of the nutrient-like element Cu are controlled by summer upwelling to the east of Hainan Island. The concentrations of V show complex interrelationships, and are linked to riverine input prior to the 1990 and to upwelling after the 1990. Our results imply that in the northern SCS, ocean-atmosphere climate fluctuations, such as the PDO and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), are important factors that influence long-term variability of Mn, Cu, and V concentrations in seawater, by controlling precipitation-related river runoff and the strength of upwelling systems.

High-precision analysis of Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios in corals by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A method has been developed to determine high-precision Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios in corals by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (LA-ICP-OES) using aqueous solution standard calibration. Simultaneous determination of the signals of the entire analytical wavelengths by ICP-OES and the high performance of the new type of LA system (Resonetics 193 nm ArF excimer laser-ablation system, RESOlution M-50) improve the precision for elemental ratios. Repeated measurements on a coral base synthesized working standard, BH-7, provide precisions of about 0.4% and 0.8% for the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios, respectively, which are better than the formerly reported precision by the LA-ICP-MS method, about 1%. Such precision is comparable to those obtained by the solution nebulization-ICP-OES (SN-ICP-OES) method, and is adequate for paleoclimate reconstruction. In addition, the LA-ICP-OES can provide results with much higher spatial/time resolution. Comparisons between the LA and SN methods were handled by measuring along the same track of a coral. The Sr/Ca results by these two methods agree quite well with each other. The LA-ICP-OES method is very promising for the analysis of element/Ca ratios in coral and other carbonates used in paleoclimate studies such as stalagmite. Systematic discrepancy, however, was observed in the Mg/Ca ratios, likely due to the existing state of magnesium in the coral skeleton.

Isotopic evidence for the turnover of biological reactive nitrogen in the Pearl River Estuary, south China

Nitrate (NO3−) concentrations and the isotopic composition (δ15N and δ18O) of water samples from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), south China, were measured to constrain N sources and processing in springtime. Nitrate concentrations decreased at higher salinities, and dual isotopic values were correlated with 1/[NO3−], both of which suggest mixing of eutrophic freshwater and oligotrophic seawater. However, δ15N and δ18O values did not closely follow the expected mixing lines. At low salinities (0–3.0), some samples exhibited high δ15N and low δ18O values compared with those of the riverine end-member, indicating that sewage is a significant source of nitrate (up to 19.0% calculated from δ15N). At salinities of >3.0, Δδ15N and Δδ18O values are linearly correlated with lnƒ (the fraction of NO3− remaining in the system), which is attributable to isotopic Rayleigh fractionation during phytoplankton uptake of nitrate. However, the linear relationship between Δδ15N and Δδ18O is different between the west and east PRE, with a slope of 1.18 in the west and 1.59 in the east. This difference most likely resulted from varying degrees of nitrification due to different water velocities and residence times in the two areas. Our data therefore indicate that dual nitrate isotopic signatures are a valuable way to constrain the sources and behavior of nitrate in river-dominated estuaries.

Decadal variability in seawater pH in the West Pacific: Evidence from coral δ11B records

Long-term seawater pH records are essential for evaluating the rates of ocean acidification (OA) driven by anthropogenic emissions. Widespread, natural decadal variability in seawater pH superimposes on the long-term anthropogenic variations, likely influencing the OA rates estimated from the pH records. Here, we report a record of annual seawater pH estimated using the δB proxy over the past 159 years reconstructed from a Porites coral collected to the east of Hainan Island in the northern South China Sea (SCS). By coupling this time series with previously reported long-term seawater pH records in the West Pacific, the decadal variability in seawater pH records and its possible driving mechanisms were investigated. The results indicate that large decadal variability in seawater pH has occurred off eastern Hainan Island over the past 159 years, in agreement with previous records. The Qiongdong upwelling system, which controls nutrient supplies, regulates surface water productivity, and is driven by the East Asian summer monsoon, is the primary control of this decadal variability, while terrestrial inputs appear not influence significantly. Meanwhile the impacts of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) systems on seawater pH off eastern Hainan Island is likely limited. In contrast, the PDO is the main factor to influence the decadal seawater pH variability offshore the East Australia, while the mechanism controlling the decadal seawater pH variability in Guam is not clear yet. Meanwhile, The rate of decrease in seawater pH estimated from coral records are significantly different in different regions and over different time spans, which may reflect a combination of natural decadal variability in seawater pH and long-term variations. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms driving natural variability in seawater pH is important for improving estimates of ocean acidification rates driven by anthropogenic emissions.

A comparison of the climates of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age, and Current Warm Period reconstructed using coral records from the northern South China Sea

For the global oceans, the characteristics of high-resolution climate changes during the last millennium remain uncertain because of the limited availability of proxy data. This study reconstructs climate conditions using annually resolved coral records from the South China Sea (SCS) to provide new insights into climate change over the last millennium. The results indicate that the climate of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, AD 900–1300) was similar to that of the Current Warm Period (CWP, AD 1850-present), which contradicts previous studies. The similar warmth levels for the MCA and CWP have also been recorded in the Makassar Strait of Indonesia, which suggests that the MCA was not warmer than the CWP in the western Pacific and that this may not have been a globally uniform change. Hydrological conditions were drier/saltier during the MCA and similar to those of the CWP. The drier/saltier MCA and CWP in the western Pacific may be associated with the reduced precipitation caused by variations in the Pacific Walker Circulation. As for the Little Ice Age (LIA, AD 1550–1850), the results from this study, together with previous data from the Makassar Strait, indicate a cold and wet period compared with the CWP and the MCA in the western Pacific. The cold LIA period agrees with the timing of the Maunder sunspot minimum and is therefore associated with low solar activity. The fresher/wetter LIA in the western Pacific may have been caused by the synchronized retreat of both the East Asian Summer Monsoon and the Australian Monsoon.

Paleoenvironmental shifts and precipitation variations recorded in tropical maar lake sediments during the Holocene in Southern China

Tropical ocean–atmosphere system exerts powerful control on the precipitation variations around the Pacific Ocean area where interactions among monsoon system, Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migration, and other tropical ocean circulations modulate the regional climate changes in centennial-scale. However, little high-resolution information is known about the paleoenvironment changes in this area during the Holocene. In this study, a composite sediment profile, approximately 16 m in length, recovered from Shuangchiling (SCL) maar lake in Hainan Island, northern margin of western tropical Pacific, was selected to investigate the lake-level fluctuations, net precipitation variations, and the influence of the ocean–atmosphere system. Stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analyses, total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN) concentration measurements, as well as grain-size estimations revealed a two-stage evolution scenario for the lake dating back to 9 cal. kyr BP. The first stage spans a period of time from ~9 to ~3 cal. kyr BP, once the lake was characterized by shallow or ephemeral conditions. The second stage occurred from 3 to 0.6 cal. kyr BP and was characterized by a deeper water environment with substantial lake-level changes. All climate proxies suggest that the ocean–atmosphere variabilities, such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) activities, had a dominant influence on the regional net precipitation (the difference between precipitation and evaporation) and lake-level fluctuations. A three-step change of clay percentage at ~3, ~2.2, and ~1.3 cal. kyr BP correlate well with the ENSO proxy records from the eastern tropical Pacific.

Isotope constraints on seasonal dynamics of dissolved and particulate N in the Pearl River Estuary, south China

Isotope measurements were performed on dissolved NO3−, NH4+ and suspended particulate total N along a salinity gradient in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) to investigate seasonal changes in main N sources and its biogeochemical processing under the influence of monsoon climate. Our data revealed that municipal sewage and re-mineralized soil organic N were the major sources of DIN (NO3− and/or NH4+) in freshwater during winter and summer, respectively, whereas phytoplankton biomass was a major component of PN in both seasons. In low salinity waters (<2–3), nitrification was proved to be a significant NO3− source via NH4+ consumption, with N isotope effects of −15.3‰ in summer and −23.7‰ in winter for NH4+ oxidation. The contribution of nitrification to the total NO3− pool was smaller in summer than in winter, most likely due to freshwater dilution. At mid-salinities (3–20), δ15N values of PN were similar to those of NO3− and NH4+ in summer, reflecting a strong coupling between assimilation and remineralization. In winter, however, higher δ15NNH4 but lower δ15NNO3 than δ15NPN were observed, even though δ15NPN was similar between summer and winter. Intense sediment-water interaction and resuspension of sediments during winter appeared largely responsible for the decoupling. At high salinities, the greater enrichment in δ18ONO3 than in δ15NNO3 (up to 15.6‰) in winter suggests that atmospheric deposition may contribute to NO3− delivery during the dry season. Overall, these results show the importance of seasonal variability in physical forcing on biological N sources and its turnover processes in the highly dynamic river-dominated estuary. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.