Silicoflagellate assemblages in the North Pacific surface sediments: an application of the modern analog method to reconstruct the glacial sea surface temperature in the Japan Sea

Yusuke Okazaki*, Jonaotaro Onodera, Kyohei Tanizaki, Fumiaki Nishizono, Kazuki Egashira, Asuka Tomokawa, Takuya Sagawa, Keiji Horikawa, Ken Ikehara

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent silicoflagellate distributions have been examined in 195 surface sediment samples from the North Pacific to establish the silicoflagellate assemblage dataset from surface sediments across the North Pacific for paleo sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction. The relative abundance data of all seven silicoflagellate taxa identified in this study were used for the modern analog method to reconstruct past SST. The SST reconstruction based on the silicoflagellate modern analog technique was applied to the two sediment cores from the Japan Sea. With the development of ice sheets, the Japan Sea experienced a low salinity isolation event during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM: 19 ka–26.5 ka), which hampers the SST reconstruction employing geochemical proxies such as alkenone and Mg/Ca thermometry. The reconstructed glacial SST between 25 and 15 ka was ~ 5 °C in the northern and southern Japan Sea, indicating significant southward migration of the glacial subpolar front. The timings of the deglacial SST rises were ~ 14 ka at the south core site and ~ 10 ka at the north core site, indicating a latitudinal lag. This lag likely reflects a gradual increase in the fluxes of the Tsushima Warm Current from the East China Sea through the Tsushima Strait. Compilation of the silicoflagellate assemblages in the North Pacific surface sediments used for the modern analog technique to reconstruct past sea surface temperature (SST), revealing the Japan Sea SST during the last glacial maximum ~20 ka ago.

Original languageEnglish
Article number62
JournalProgress in Earth and Planetary Science
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024/12

Keywords

  • Japan Sea
  • Last Glacial Maximum
  • Modern analog method
  • North Pacific
  • Sea surface temperature
  • Silicoflagellates
  • Tsushima Warm Current

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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