Abstract
Abrupt climatic events and the history of human activities on Hainan Island are poorly understood, due to the lack of high-resolution records. We present high-resolution multiproxy records from the coastal shelf off eastern Hainan Island in China to investigate abrupt climate change and regional human–environment interaction over the last 7,000 years. A prominent climatic anomaly occurred during 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP. This abrupt monsoon failure has been detected in various paleoclimatic records from monsoonal regions. Anomalous summer monsoon intensity during 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP is probably driven by solar variability, ENSO activity and ice-rafting events in the North Atlantic. Over the past 1,500 years, with the growing population and progress in production technology, human activity has increasingly become the dominant factor controlling the natural environment of Hainan Island.
Introduction
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent owing to global warming, and people are increasingly concerned about climate change and its impacts on their lives. Over recent Earth history, several abrupt global climatic anomalies occurred during the Holocene (; ; ). For example, the 4200 BP climate event and the Little Ice Age, these events had disastrous consequences for humans, and seriously influenced the development of agriculture and the prehistoric advancement of human society (; ; ; ). Climatic anomaly around 5,500 cal yr BP have recently received attention as a result of the close linkage between climate change and the evolution of prehistoric culture (; ; ; ; ). A detailed understanding of abrupt climatic events in the past is therefore critical for exploring their underlying forcing mechanisms and dealing with abrupt changes in the climate system in the future.
In recent years, studies have suggested that human activities play an important role in controlling ecosystems and soil erosion in monsoonal China. Increases in χlfandχfd over the last 2000 years in sediments from the Yangtze delta in eastern China, Lake Xiaolongwan in northeast China, and lakes Erhai and Xingyun in southwest China reflect an increase in soil erosion attributed to enhanced human activity (; ; ; ). Numerous studies likewise found that increasing contents of various metals, including Cu, Pb, and Zn, could be closely linked to mining and metalworking activities, reflecting a progressive intensification of human activities (; ; ; ; ; ). Additionally, pollen and black carbon results indicate significantly accelerated deforestation in monsoonal China since 2000 cal yr BP (; ; ; ; ).
As human populations grew and progress in production technology increased, human influences on the natural environment became increasingly important during the late Holocene, and often obscure the detection of climatic fluctuations in the archives investigated. Human activities can mediate the terrestrial ecosystems and soil erosion, generating unavailability of the relevant proxy indicators to reconstruct climate change. It is therefore essential to understand climate and human activities, as well as their impacts upon terrestrial ecosystems on longer timescales, in order to reconstruct each of them accurately. However, previous studies to determine human—environment interactions were mainly dependent on sediment cores from lakes (; ; ) and river deltas (; ; ). High-resolution records from continental shelves are relatively scarce. Well dated and high-resolution data of various geologic archives from wide regions are crucial for better understanding the complex interplays between humans and the Earth. Sediment cores from continental shelves would therefore provide an excellent opportunity to understand human–environment interactions at regional scales.
Hainan Island, the second largest island in the northern South China Sea (SCS), is sensitive to climatic fluctuations. Previous studies have confirmed that continental shelf sediments off eastern Hainan provide valuable information on paleoclimate variation and human activity (; ; ; ). However, most previous studies have focused on short timescales during the past 200 years (; ). Accurate timing and intensity of human activity have not been well constrained. This study presents a high-resolution multi-proxy record with a robust chronology spanning the last 7,000 years collected from the continental shelf off eastern Hainan. The main aims are to investigate the interaction between Holocene climate variability, human activity and environmental changes, and to determine the timing and intensity of human activity on Hainan Island during the last 1,500 years.
Materials and Methods
Materials
Hainan Island is the second largest island in the northern SCS and has an area of ∼33.9 × 103 km2 (Figure 1). The Wanquan River is the third largest river on the island and originates from the Wuzhishan Mountains. It drains southeast Hainan and eventually discharges into the northwestern SCS at Boao Township in Qionghai City. The river’s total length is ∼157 km and its drainage area covers 3,693 km2 (). The study region is dominated by a tropical monsoon climate (). The annual mean temperature is 22.8–25.8°C. Annual precipitation ranges 961–2,439 mm yr−1, with about 80% occurring during the wet season from April to September ().
FIGURE 1
The GH6 core (19°06′N, 110°42.85′E; 2.4 m in length) was collected using a gravity corer from approximately 50 m water depth on the continental shelf off eastern Hainan Island (Figure 1). The sediment core was cut longitudinally and samples were stored at 4°C prior to analysis. As shown in Figure 2, GH6 core can be divided into three lithological units: Unit 1 (0–20 cm) consists of yellow-brown clayey silt; Unit 2 (20–176 cm) consists of grey silt containing occasional shells; and Unit 3 (176–240 cm) consists of grey clayey silt.
FIGURE 2
Age Model
The chronology for the GH6 core was based on six AMS 14C dates from mixed species of planktonic foraminifera (Table. 1; Figure 2). 10 mg of complete and clean planktonic foraminifera were selected hand-picked under a binocular dissecting microscope at 40 × magnification and cleaned by sonication in deionized water in order to remove surface adhesions. AMS 14C dates were measured at the BETA Laboratory in the United States. All radiocarbon dates were calibrated to calendar ages with Calib 8.1.0 software using the marine20 program (
TABLE 1
| Sample Code | Beta Lab Code | Depth (cm) | Material | Conventional age (years, BP) | Error (2σ) | Calibrated | Error (2σ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years, BP) | |||||||
| GH6-F10 | 530613 | 8 | Foraminifera | 460 | 30 | 20 | 30 |
| GH6-F17 | 530614 | 37 | Foraminifera | 1,760 | 30 | 1,165.5 | 60 |
| GH6-F84 | 530615 | 84 | Foraminifera | 2,240 | 30 | 1,656.5 | 65 |
| GH6-F114 | 545408 | 114 | Foraminifera | 2,980 | 30 | 3,085 | 84.5 |
| GH6-F148 | 532199 | 148 | Foraminifera | 4,230 | 30 | 4,142 | 81.5 |
| GH6-F198 | 532200 | 198 | Foraminifera | 5,420 | 30 | 5,599.5 | 96.5 |
Details of 6 AMS 14C dates from the GH6 core (after
Major and Trace Element Compositions
Bulk sediment samples were freeze-dried and ground, then heated at 650°C for 4 h to remove organic matter. The samples were digested in an HNO3 + HF acid mixture and the solutions then used for major and trace-element analyses at 2-cm intervals. Major element concentrations were measured on a Varian 720 ES inductively coupled plasma—atomic emission spectrometer (ICP–AES). Trace element concentrations were measured on a Varian 820 inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer (ICP–MS). Precision and accuracy were monitored by analysing several United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Chinese certified reference standards (BHVO-2, BCR-2, GBW07314, GBW07315, GBW07316), yielding values that were generally within ± 10% (RSD) of the certified values.
The chemical index of alteration (CIA), defined as Al2O3/(Al2O3 + CaO + Na2O + K2O) × 100, using molecular proportions, has been widely used as an indicator of chemical weathering intensity (
Environmental Magnetic Measurements
Magnetic susceptibility was determined at about 1–6 cm intervals. The low-field magnetic susceptibility (χ) for all discrete samples was measured using a Kappabridge MFK1-FA (AGICO) magnetic susceptibility meter at low (976 Hz) and high (15,616 Hz) frequencies (defined as χlf and χhf, respectively). Frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χfd%) was calculated using the formula χfd% = 100 × (χlf—χhf)/χlf.
Particle Size Analysis
The samples used for the particle-size analysis were collected at about 1–7 cm intervals. All samples were pre-treated with 10% H2O2, followed by treatment with 10% HCl, to remove organic matter and carbonates, respectively. They were then rinsed with deionized water and dispersed with 10 ml of 0.05 mol L−1 (NaPO3)6 on an ultrasonic vibrator for 10 min. The grain-size distribution was measured using a Malvern 3,000 laser diffraction instrument. Mean grain size was calculated according to
Results
As shown in Figure 3, the Al/K, CIA, Al, Fe, Ti, Cu and Pb values share very similar trends through time. Generally, the variations in multi-proxies of GH6 core can be divided into four stages. During the interval 7,000–5,400 cal yr BP, CIA values and Al/K ratios are relatively high, and contents of Al, Fe, Ti, Cu, and Pb are also relatively high; both χlf and χfd values remain relatively high, but the mean grain size has relatively low values. During the interval 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP, all of proxies in GH6 core show an abrupt shift; a sharp decrease in CIA and Al/K raios is observed, and contents of Al, Fe, Ti, Cu, and Pb exhibit clear decreasing trends; both χlf and χfd values show a rapid decrease, but the mean grain size exhibits a rapid increase. During the interval 4,900–1,500 cal yr BP, CIA and Al/K ratios are relatively low, and contents of Al, Fe, Ti, Cu, and Pb remain fairly constant and relatively low values; both χlf and χfd values are relatively low except the period of 4,000–3,200 cal yr BP, and prominent peaks of them would be attributed the pedogenic process; the mean grain size show a rapid increase. After 1,500 cal yr BP, CIA, and Al/K exhibit clear increasing trends, and contents of Al, Fe, Ti, Cu, and Pb show an overall increasing trend; both χlf and χfd values show an overall increase, and the mean grain size exhibits an overall decreasing trend.
FIGURE 3

Time series for multiple proxies measured in core GH6. The dots indicate the raw data, and the lines represent 3-point moving average. The grey bar indicates the recorded episode of abrupt climate change. The yellow bar represents the recent time period dominated by human activity.
Discussion
Palaeoclimatic Significance of Proxy Indicators
Different elements behave differently during chemical weathering processes. Elemental ratios can therefore be applied to indicate variations in chemical weathering intensity. K tends to be enriched in weathering products after moderate chemical weathering, but depleted after extreme chemical weathering (
Climate is believed to be the dominant factor controlling the degree of chemical weathering under specific environmental conditions (
In marine sediments, concentrations of Al, Ti, and Fe are primarily derived from terrigenous detrital materials (
Abrupt Changes in Summer Monsoon Strength 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP and Forcing Mechanisms
During the period 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP, the intensity of chemical weathering decreased rapidly, as inferred from the profiles of CIA and Al/K in our GH6 core. The terrigenous influx decreased rapidly during the same interval, as indicated by concentrations of Al, Ti, and Fe. Simultaneously, the mean sediment grain size increased sharply. The distinct variations in these records suggest a rapid climatic deterioration, which was likely associated with abrupt changes in the Asian summer monsoon. This abrupt climatic event generally coincides with a dramatic weakening of the summer monsoon at 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP, as inferred from various paleoclimate records from monsoonal regions elsewhere (
Chemical weathering interpreted from core KNG5, retrieved from the northern SCS slope, shows an abrupt decrease, reflecting reduced monsoon rainfall (Figure 4B;
FIGURE 4

Comparisons between related records: (A) Al/K ratios from our GH6 core; (B) K/Al record from the northern South China Sea slope (
As shown in Figure 5, the weak monsoon between 5,400 and 4,900 cal yr BP, recorded in our GH6 core, shows good correspondence within dating uncertainty with an interval of weak solar activity as inferred from residual atmospheric 14C (Δ14C) (
FIGURE 5

Comparison between various paleoclimate records: (A) Al/K ratios from core GH6; (B) atmospheric residual Δ14C record (
In addition, solar activity may influence variability in the summer monsoon indirectly, perhaps amplified by North Atlantic teleconnection and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity (
Human Disturbance Over the Past 1,500 Years
AS shown in Figure 6, some decoupling have been observed between records of climate, chemical weathering and fluvial discharge over the past 1,500 years. Temperature reconstructions for the Northern hemisphere and the whole of China exhibit an overall cooling trend (Figures 6A,B;
FIGURE 6

Comparison between GH6 core records and temperature and precipitation data: (A) standardized 30-years-mean temperature record averaged over the whole Northern Hemisphere (
However, values of CIA and Al/K ratios in our GH6 core show an overall increasing trend during the last 1,500 years (Figure 6E), reflecting enhanced chemical weathering. An overall increasing trend of terrigenous supply can be also seen, as indicated by concentrations of Al, Ti, and Fe (Figure 6F). These trends suggest that climate alone cannot be responsible for changes in chemical weathering and fluvial influx. The concentrations of Cu and Pb in the GH6 core increase dramatically over the past 1,500 years (Figures 6G,H). Previous studies have confirmed that increasing metal contents (Cu, Pb, and Zn) appear to be associated with mining and smelting activities (
More importantly, all of the proxies in our GH6 core are generally consistent with the historical exploitation of Hainan Island (Figure 7;
FIGURE 7

Map depicting the historical exploitation of Hainan Island over past dynasties (redrawn from
Conclusion
This study presents high-resolution multi-proxy analyses incorporating chronological, environmental-magnetic, geochemical and grain-size evidence from the coastal shelf off eastern Hainan Island, China. The prominent climatic anomaly during 5,400–4,900 cal yr BP is observed, which is coincides with a dramatic weakening of the summer monsoon. This abrupt event is synchronous with a period of weak solar activity, strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity and North Atlantic ice-rafting. These results suggest a climatic link between East Asia, the tropical Pacific and the North Atlantic. The possible forcing mechanism for abrupt climate change is solar variability affecting the Asian summer monsoon via the North Atlantic and ENSO system. There are some decoupling between records of climate, chemical weathering and fluvial discharge over the past 1,500 years. Moreover, enhanced chemical weathering and terrigenous influx during the past 1,500 years are consistent with increasing metal contents (Cu and Pb), and increases in magnetic susceptibility (χlf) and frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χfd). All of these proxies are generally consistent with the historical exploitation of Hainan Island. We therefore suggest that enhanced human activity (deforestation, cultivation and mining) over the past 1,500 years has overwhelmed the natural climatic controls on the environment and landscape of Hainan Island.
Statements
Data availability statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Author contributions
FC and CH designed the study; CH, DK, JH, PW, and JL performed research; CH analyzed data and contributed to data interpretation and paper writing. All authors contributed to the discussion and interpretation of the results and to the writing of the manuscript.
Funding
This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42001078, U1901213, 41876058, 41991252), Guangdong Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 2020A1515010500), Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS (SKLLQG 1908), and Marine Science Research Team Project of Guangdong Ocean University (No. 002026002004).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.663634/full#supplementary-material
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Summary
Keywords
Asian summer monsoon, holocene, human activity, abrupt climate change, chemical weathering, terrigenous influx
Citation
Huang C, Kong D, Chen F, Hu J, Wang P and Lin J (2021) Multi—Proxy Reconstructions of Climate Change and Human Impacts Over the Past 7000 Years From an Archive of Continental Shelf Sediments off Eastern Hainan Island, China. Front. Earth Sci. 9:663634. doi: 10.3389/feart.2021.663634
Received
03 February 2021
Accepted
31 May 2021
Published
14 June 2021
Volume
9 - 2021
Edited by
Min-Te Chen, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
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© 2021 Huang, Kong, Chen, Hu, Wang and Lin.
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*Correspondence: Fajin Chen, fjchen@gdou.edu.cn
This article was submitted to Quaternary Science, Geomorphology and Paleoenvironment, a section of the journal Frontiers in Earth Science
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