Early-Middle Holocene paleoenvironmental evolution revealed by a la-custrine sediment sequence in Leizhou Peninsula

This study presents the record of paleoenvironmental evolution results from a radiocarbon-dated 1.54m-long lacustrine sediment sequence in south Leizhou Peninsula. Measurement of grain size, magnetic susceptibility (MS), total nitrogen (TN), total or-ganic carbon (TOC), atomic TOC/TN (C/N) and color reflectance values was carried out in order to reconstruct the climate span-ning the interval 10.5~6.5cal ka BP. Three distinct stages can be identified as follows:①10.5~6.5 cal ka BP, a shallow lake level and relatively dry climate dominated this area. ②The interval from 9.5~7.2cal ka BP was characterized by a relatively high lake level and humid climate. ③During 7.2~6.5cal ka BP, lake level was relatively shallow with a relatively dry climate. Indian monsoon was more responsible for precipitation variability in this area, which was interconnected with average monthly solar radiation in summer and ITCZ migration. Red noise spectrum analysis of proxies shows centennial to millennia time scale cycles, which suggests that the envi-ronmental evolution was probably sensitive to the secular solar activity.