Humification degree of peat and its implications for Holocene climate change in Hani peatland, Northeast China

• Published in: Acta geochimica Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 406 - 412
• Main Authors: Huang, Ting, Cheng, Shenggao, Mao, Xumei, Hong, Bing, Hu, Zhongxia, Zhou, Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Climate change; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Geochemistry; Peatlands; 东北; 中国; 全新世; 古气候变化; 时间序列; 泥炭地; 湿润期; 腐殖化程度; China; China, People's Rep; Hani peatland; humification degree; Holocene; climate change
• ISSN: 1000-9426; 2096-0956; 1993-0364; 2365-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11631-013-0649-8

The humification degree of peat is a significant climatic proxy for paleoclimate change. Using the al- kali-extraction method, a time series of absorbance values of the Hani peatland, Northeast China, was determined, which is used as an indicator for the humification degree of peat. Combined with 14C dating data of peat cellulose, and compared with 81SO and 813C time series of the cellulose in the Hani peatland, the evidence for the existence of 14 ka paleoclimate was provided. Higher humification degrees hint a warmer-wetter climate, and vice versa. It also reconstructs the four stages of Holocene climate evolution in this region： 11.5-9.8 cal ka B.P., warm and wet period; 9.8-9.0 cal ka B.P., cold and dry period; 9.0-4.8 cal ka B.P., warm and wet period; and 4.8-0 cal ka B.E, warm-wet and dry-cold alternation period. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the abrupt climate shifts signals such as the ＂8.2 ka＂ event and the ＂4.2 ka＂ event. Results showed that the Hani peat humification degree is of sensitive response to pa- leoclimate change. Therefore, it is a feasible method to analyze the relationship between paleoclimate change and peat humification degree.