Holocene salinity fluctuations of the East Korean lagoon related to sea level and precipitation changes |
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| Authors: | Kota Katsuki Toshimichi Nakanishi Jaesoo Lim Wook‐Hyun Nahm |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Research Center for Coastal Lagoon Environments, Shimane University, Nishikawatsu‐cho 1060, Matsue, Shimane 690‐8504, Japan;2. AIG Collaborative Research Institute for International Study on Eruptive History and Informatics, 8‐19‐1 Nanakuma, Jonan‐ku, Fukuoka 814‐0180, Japan;3. Geo‐Environmental Hazards & Quaternary Geology Research Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources, Gwahak‐ro 124, Yuseong‐gu, Daejeon 34132, Korea |
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| Abstract: | Detailed diatom records within core sediments from Maeho Lagoon along the Eastern coast of South Korea revealed that the ecological dynamics of the lagoon during the Holocene were associated with relative sea level and regional precipitation. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating indicates that sediment accumulation began prior to 8300 cal. year BP, and that the lagoon formed around 8000 cal. year BP. The salinity level of the lagoon increased until 5000 cal. year BP, and then decreased. Long‐term trends in salinity were dependent upon changes in sea level: periods of high salinity in the lagoon were generally coincident with periods of high sea levels along the east coasts of Korea and Japan. On the other hand, multicentennial‐scale fluctuations in diatom assemblages and magnetic susceptibility (MS) suggest that a 400 year fluctuation in salinity was regulated by changes in precipitation in the area of this lagoon. Changes in the westerly jet stream, controlled by variation in solar irradiance, had an important influence on precipitation volume in South Korea, suggesting that the patterns of the westerly jet stream fluctuate on a 400 year cycle. |
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| Keywords: | climate oscillation diatom Holocene lagoon environment precipitation change sea level change |
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