Variations in seawater osmium isotope composition since the last glacial maximum: A case study from the Japan Sea

Data from this study show that the Japan Sea recorded higher 187Os/188Os during the current interglacial coinciding with excursions of oxygen isotopic compositions of planktonic foraminifera to heavier values. This is explained in terms of preferential release of 187Os during deglacial weathering and/or higher continental Os flux driven by warm and wet climate. This study demonstrates that Os isotopic composition of reducing margin sediments has immense potential to track variations in the seawater composition. In addition, 187Os/188Os of reducing sediments may be used to draw inferences about local paleoceanographic processes in semi-enclosed basins such as the Japan Sea.