Middle to late Miocene surface water history in the northern South China Sea (SCS): Relationship to the East Asian Monsoon (EAM) evolution and variability

本研究旨在探讨中新世中晚期（-15 Ma ~ 6 Ma）全球气候剧变时期东亚季风（EAM）的演化与变率。为此，将对海洋钻探计划（OOP） 184号站（地点1146,19°27.40 N, 116°16.37 E，水深2092 m，南海北部）的沉积物样本进行浮游有孔虫Mg/Ca比值（温度代用物）和稳定氧同位素（温度、盐度和全球冰量代用物）的分析。这种综合方法是研究南海北部地表水热水文史的一种很有前途的方法，可用于了解中新世中晚期南海北部地表水的演化和变率。本研究的目的是：(a)验证关于中新世中晚期东亚夏季风增强的假设，(b)为东亚夏季风的演化和变异提供更详细的海洋证据，以及(c)记录南海北部地表水对新近纪全球变冷的响应。

The proposed study intends to investigate the evolution and variability of the East Asian Monsoon (EAM) for the middle to late Miocene (-15 Ma to 6 Ma), a period of drastic reorganization of global climate. To this end, sediment samples of Ocean Drilling Program (OOP) Leg 184 (Site 1146, 19°27.40 N, 116 16.37 E; water depth of 2092 m; northern South China Sea, SCS) will be analysed for planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios (temperature proxy) and stabile oxygen isotopes (proxy of temperature, salinity, and global ice-volume). This integrated approach is a promising method to investigate the thermal and Hydrographie history of the northern SCS surface waters in order to understand the evolution and variability of the EAM during the middle to late Miocene. The objectives of this study are (a) to test hypotheses about the middle to late Miocene intensification of the East Asian summer monsoon, (b) to provide more detailed marine evidence for the evolution and variability of the EAM, and (c) to document the response of the northern SCS surface waters to the Neogene global cooling.