Title: Human impact overwhelms long-term climate control of weathering and erosion in southwest China
Abstract: Research Article| May 01, 2015 Human impact overwhelms long-term climate control of weathering and erosion in southwest China Shiming Wan; Shiming Wan * 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China *E-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Samuel Toucanne; Samuel Toucanne 2IFREMER, Unité de Recherche Géosciences Marines, BP70, 29280 Plouzané, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Peter D. Clift; Peter D. Clift 3Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Debo Zhao; Debo Zhao 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Germain Bayon; Germain Bayon 2IFREMER, Unité de Recherche Géosciences Marines, BP70, 29280 Plouzané, France4Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zhaojie Yu; Zhaojie Yu 5Laboratoire IDES, UMR 8148 CNRS, Université de Paris XI, Orsay 91405, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Guanqiang Cai; Guanqiang Cai 6Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou 510760, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xuebo Yin; Xuebo Yin 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sidonie Révillon; Sidonie Révillon 7SEDISOR/UMR 6538 “Domaines Oceaniques”, IUEM, Place Nicolas Copernic, 29280 Plouzané, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Dawei Wang; Dawei Wang 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Anchun Li; Anchun Li 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Tiegang Li Tiegang Li 1Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2015) 43 (5): 439–442. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36570.1 Article history received: 27 Dec 2014 rev-recd: 15 Feb 2015 accepted: 25 Feb 2015 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Shiming Wan, Samuel Toucanne, Peter D. Clift, Debo Zhao, Germain Bayon, Zhaojie Yu, Guanqiang Cai, Xuebo Yin, Sidonie Révillon, Dawei Wang, Anchun Li, Tiegang Li; Human impact overwhelms long-term climate control of weathering and erosion in southwest China. Geology 2015;; 43 (5): 439–442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36570.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract During the Holocene there has been a gradual increase in the influence of humans on Earth systems. High-resolution sedimentary records can help us to assess how erosion and weathering have evolved in response to recent climatic and anthropogenic disturbances. Here we present data from a high-resolution (∼75 cm/k.y.) sedimentary archive from the South China Sea. Provenance data indicate that the sediment was derived from the Red River, and can be used to reconstruct the erosion and/or weathering history in this river basin. Accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dating provides direct age control and reveals coherent variations in clay mineralogy, geochemistry, and terrigenous flux, indicative of strong chemical weathering and physical erosion during the mid-Holocene warm period (6400–4000 cal [calibrated] yr B.P.), followed by weakening from ca. 4000–1800 cal yr B.P., and renewed intensification since 1800 cal yr B.P.. Comparison with climatic records from China indicates that precipitation and temperature controlled both physical erosion and chemical weathering intensity before 1800 cal yr B.P.. However, weathering proxies in the offshore sediment indicate recent increased soil erosion. We suggest that enhanced human activity (deforestation, cultivation, and mining) since the end of the Chinese Han Dynasty (220 CE) has overwhelmed the natural climatic controls on erosion in the Red River. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.