Late Holocene monsoon climate of northeastern Taiwan inferred from elemental (C, N) and isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) data in lake sediments

Little information exists about centennial-scale climate variability on oceanic islands in the western Pacific where the East Asian monsoon (EAM) strongly influences the climate, mountain ecosystem and the society. In this study, we investigate a 168 cm long sediment core recovered from Emerald Peak Lake in subalpine NE Taiwan for the contents of grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N ratio, and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to reconstruct the monsoon climate and vegetation density during the late Holocene. Six radiocarbon (14C) ages obtained on plant remains used for the chronology indicate that the sediment core has been accumulated since ∼3770 cal BP with a mean sedimentation rate of 44.6 cm/ka. The sub-centennial resolution of our proxy records reveals strong fluctuations of the EAM and vegetation density for the past ∼3770 cal BP. The greater contents of coarse and medium sediments with overall decreasing trends from 3770 to 2000 cal BP suggest an increasing fine sediment influx from the catchment likely due to an increasing lake water level. Although low TOC content, C/N ratio, and enriched δ13C values in bulk and fine sediments during this interval suggest a sparsely vegetated catchment, increasing trends of TOC content and C/N ratio together with decreasing trends of δ13C and δ15N values indicate a strengthening pattern of summer monsoon. This is in contrast to a decreasing monsoon strength inferred from Dongge Cave δ18O record at that time, supporting the idea of anti-phasing of summer EAM and Indian summer monsoon. Since 2000 cal BP, higher content of fine sediments with high TOC content and C/N ratio but relatively depleted δ13C and low δ15N values suggest a high but stable lake water level and dense C3 plants, consistent with a stronger summer monsoon in a wet climate. Within this general trend, we interpret a prominent change of proxy parameters in sediments from ∼560 to 150 cal BP, as subtropical evidence for the Little Ice Age in NE Taiwan. By comparing our proxy records with other diverse land and marine records from southern China and adjoining marine realm, we demonstrate that the centennial to millennial-scale fluctuations of the summer EAM over the northeastern Taiwan during the late Holocene have been largely modulated by the tropical Pacific forcing through El Niño along with solar forcing.

► This study reconstructs the late Holocene monsoon climate in NE Taiwan.
► Argues a strengthening pattern of summer East Asian monsoon ∼3770−2000 cal BP.
► The summer East Asian monsoon shows an anti-phase with Indian summer monsoon ∼3770−2000 cal BP.