High resolution stalagmite δ18O records over the past 1000 years from Dongge Cave in Guizhou.

Based on MC-ICP-MS U-series dating and stable O-isotope analysis results, a 4–5 years resolution monsoon record over the past 1000 years has been established for two stalagmites from Dongge Cave, Guizhou. The high resolution oxygen isotope record serves as a proxy for variations in rainfall of Asian southwest monsoon over the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. A close relation of the δ¹⁸O record with the Δ¹⁴C record from tree rings largely reflects impact of centennial-scale solar activity on the monsoon climate changes. The conspicuous decrease in the δ¹⁸O value at AD 1720 indicates an abrupt increase in monsoon rainfall, suggesting that an atmospheric-oceanic couple over the tropical Indian Ocean plays an important role in rapid increase of the Northern Hemisphere temperature over the last century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]