NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - E'mei Cave Geochemical Data from 140 to -59 Cal Yr BP

In southeastern China (SEC), the precipitation amount produced by the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is almost equivalent to that during the non-summer monsoon (NSM) period, both of them significantly affecting agriculture and socioeconomy. Here, we present a seasonally-resolved stalagmite δ18O record (δ18Os) for the interval 1810–2009 AD from E’mei cave, Jiangxi Province, SEC. The comparison between δ18Os and instrumental data indicates that the δ18Os variability is primarily controlled by the precipitation seasonality (i.e., the ratio of EASM/NSM precipitation) modulated by the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on interannual to interdecadal timescales. Higher (lower) δ18Os values thereby correspond to lower (higher) EASM/NSM ratios associated with El Niño (La Niña) events. Significant correlations with ENSO and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) indicate that the precipitation seasonality in SEC is remarkably influenced by ocean-atmosphere interactions, with lower (higher) EASM/NSM ratios during warm (cold) phases of ENSO/PDO. The progressive increase in δ18Os since 2005 AD may reflect a strengthening of the central Pacific El Niño under continued anthropogenic global warming. The relationship between seasonal precipitation and δ18Os with ENSO/PDO requires further studies.