Compound-specific D/H ratios of the marine lakes of Palau as proxies for West Pacific Warm Pool hydrologic variability

We tested the use of hydrogen isotopic ratios (δD) of lipids in marine lake sediments from the Micronesian Republic of Palau against the instrumental record of the last century to assess their capacity to record past hydrological changes of the Western Pacific Warm Pool. δD values of the algal lipid biomarker dinosterol (δDDino) and the more generic palmitic acid (δDPA) were found to be sensitive indicators of the intensity of regional precipitation, as recorded by the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). The observed sensitivity is caused by the combined effect of: 1) The amount effect in tropical precipitation; 2) Dilution of the isotopically heavy saline surface waters with light precipitation; 3) A salinity effect on the biosynthetic D/H fractionation between lipid and lake water. Both lake water δD (δDLake) and δDDino could be expressed as a quadratic function of either precipitation or lake water salinity. δDDino values were used to reconstruct past hydrological changes of the region. Long-term variations in the strength and sign of the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) since the Little Ice Age (LIA, ∼1450–1850 A.D.) and during the early Holocene (∼7–9 kyr BP) appeared to dominate decadal variability, and indicate very dry conditions during the LIA. Early Holocene δDDino values were on average ∼10‰ higher than those of recent centuries, which we interpret as a result of millennial scale hydrologic and water mass changes on a global level. The similar ∼35‰ range of δD changes during the early Holocene and last several centuries imply a similar range of decadal-centennial hydrologic variability during those two climate regimes. Our results indicate that a correlation exists between solar irradiance levels and tropical Pacific climate.

► H/D ratios of lipids from Palauan marine lakes are sensitive indicators of WPWP precipitation. ► This is a combination of the amount effect, mixing of sea-water and rain water, and a biosynthetic salinity effect. ► Dinosterol δD values were used to reconstruct past hydrological changes of the region. ► Hydrologic variability of the Early Holocene is similar to the last centuries. ► A correlation may exist between solar irradiance levels and tropical Pacific climate.