Joint DFG project (BR 2208/7-1) together with Pavel Tarasov (TA 540/3-1)

Varve chronology and high-resolution vegetation and climate dynamics in central Japan during the last glacial (ca. 10-50 kyr BP) derived from the Lake Suigetsu sediment record

High-resolution climate and environment archives from monsoonal Eastern Asia are still rare but necessary for better understanding of past and future environmental dynamics in the region. for evaluating the role of vegetation in glacial-interglacial climate variations; and for validating climate models. Precise and accurate absolute chronologies are essential for all these goals. The actual calibration curve for terrestrial radiocarbon dates is provided by tree ring data presently reaching back to ca. 12,500 cal. yr BP.

This project is part of the international Lake Suigetsu Varved Sediment Project working on the 73.5-m continuous sediment core (SG06). The main goals of this project are (I) to establish a radiocarbon calibration model to the limit of ¹⁴C dating method (~50 kyr), using microscopic varve counting and improved interpolation models combined with extensive ¹⁴C dating (provided by the cooperation partners from ORAU Oxford and RCL East Kilbride, University of Newcastle, UK) of plant remains free of reservoir effects recovered from annually laminated SG06 sediment; and (II) provide detailed micro-facies data allowing to detect even subtle changes in sediment deposition triggered by climatic and environmental variability and (III) to produce quantitative reconstruction of the monsoonal climate in the Western Pacific region during ca. 10,000-50,000 cal. yr BP using high-resolution pollen/vegetation and diatom records (P. Tarasov, FU Berlin).

• Schlolaut, G., Brauer, A., Nakagawa, T., Lamb, H.F., Tyler, J.T., Staff, R.A., Marshall, M.H., Bronk Ramsey, C., Bryant, C.L., Tarasov, P.E. (2017). Evidence for a bi-partition of the Younger Dryas Stadial in East Asia associated with inversed climate characteristics compared to Europe. Scientific Reports 7, doi:10.1038/srep44983

• Schlolaut, G.; Brauer, A.; Marshall, M.H.; Nakagawa, T.; Staff, R.A.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Lamb, H.F.; Bryant, C.; Naumann, R.; Dulski, P.; Brock, F.; Yokoyama, Y.; Tada, R.; Haraguchi, T.; Suigetsu 2006 project members (2014): Event layers in the Japanese Lake Suigetsu 'SG06' sediment core: description, interpretation and climatic implications. Quaternary Science Reviews 83, 157-170.

• Schlolaut, G.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Brock, F.; Bryant, C.L.; Kitagawa, H.; van der Plicht, H; Marshall, M.H.; Brauer, A.; Lamb, H.F.; Payne, R.L.; Tarasov, P.E.; Haraguchi, T.; Gotanda, K.; Yonenobu, H.; Yokoyama, Y.; Nakagawa, T.; Suigetsu 2006 project members (2013 online first): Integration of the Old and New Lake Suigetsu (Japan) Terrestrial Radiocarbon Calibration Data Sets. Radiocarbon, 55, 2.

• Nakagawa, T.; Schlolaut, G.; Marshall, M.; Brauer, A.; Lamb, H.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Bryant, C.; Brock, F.; Kitagawa, H.; van der Plicht, J.; Payne, R.; Smith, V.; Mark, D.; MacLeod, A.; Blockley, S.; Schwenninger, J.-L.; Tarasov, P.; Haraguchi, T.; Gotanda, K.; Yonenobu, H.; Yokoyama, Y. (2013): The multiple chronological techniques applied to the Lake Suigetsu SG06 sediment core, central Japan. Boreas 42 (2), 259-266.

• Bryant, C.L.; Brock, F.; Kitagawa, H.; van der Plicht, J.; Schlolaut, G.; Marshall, M.H.; Brauer, A.; Lamb, H.F.; Payne, R.L.; Tarasov, P.E.; Haraguchi, T.; Gotanda, K.; Yonenobu, H.; Yokoyama, Y.; Tada, R.; Nakagawa, T. (2012): A complete terrestrial radiocarbon record for 11.2-52.8 kyr BP. Science, 338, 370-374. DOI: 10.1126/science.1226660

• Schlolaut, G.; Nakagawa, T.; Lamb, H.; Brauer, A.; Staff, R.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Tarasov, P.; Gotanda, K.; Haraguchi, T.; Yokoyama, Y.; Yonenobu, H.; Tada, R. (2012): A novel approach to varve counting using μXRF and X-radiography in combination with thin-section microscopy, applied to the Late Glacial chronology from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. Quaternary Geochronology. 13, 70-80.

• Nakagawa, T.; Gotanda, K.; Haraguchi, T.; Danhara, T.; Yonenobu, H.; Brauer, A.; Yokoyama, Y.; Tada, R.; Takemura, K.; Staff, R. A.; Payne, R.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Bryant, C.; Brock, F.; Schlolaut, G.; Marshall, M.; Tarasov, P.; Lamb, H. (2012): SG06, a fully continuous and varved sediment core from Lake Suigetsu, Japan: stratigraphy and potential for improving the radiocarbon calibration model and understanding of late Quaternary climate changes. Quaternary Science Reviews, 36, 164-176. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.12.013

• Schlolaut, G.; Marshall, M. H.; Brauer, A.; Nakagawa, T.; Lamb, H. F.; Staff, R. A.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; Bryant, C. L.; Brock, F.; Kossler, A.; Tarasov, P. E.; Yokoyama, Y.; Tada, R.; Haraguchi, T. (2012): An automated method for varve interpolation and its application to the Late Glacial chronology from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. Quaternary Geochronology 13, 52-69.

• Staff, R., Bronk Ramsey, C., Bryant, C.L., Brock, F., Payne, R.L., Schlolaut, G., Marshall, M.H., Brauer, A., F Lamb, H.F., Tarasov, P., Yokoyama, Y., Haraguchi, T., Gotanda, K., Yonenobu, H., Nakagawa, T., and Suigetsu 2006 Project Members (2011) New 14C determinations from Lake Suigetsu, Japan: 12,000 to 0 cal BP. Radiocarbon, 53, 3, 511-528.