Millennial-scale changes of surface and bottom water conditions in the northwestern Pacific during the last deglaciation

Changes in water column conditions in the northwestern Pacific during the last 23 ka were reconstructed using geochemical and isotope proxies and redox elemental compositions along with published data (alkenone sea surface temperature (SST) and benthic foraminiferal fauna) at core GH02-1030. Surface water primary productivity in terms of biogenic opal and TOC contents, which mainly represented export production of diatom, was closely related to alkenone (spring-summer) SST and the development of spring-summer mixed layer depth. The different variation patterns of nitrate and silicic acid utilization, estimated by bulk δ 15 N and δ 30 Si diatom values, respectively, are most likely due to the water column denitrification influence on bulk δ 15 N. Dysoxic bottom water conditions occurred during the Bolling-Allerod (BA) and the Pre-Boreal (PB), which was evident by laminated sediments, abundant dysoxic benthic foraminifers, and increased redox elemental compositions. Although surface water productivity increased during the BA and PB, dysoxic bottom water conditions were caused by a combination of enhanced surface water productivity and reduced ventilation of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) in response to meltwater input from the high latitude areas. Based on records of core GH02-1030 and other cores in the northwestern Pacific, the Okhotsk Sea, and the Bering Sea, which are all proximal to the modern NPIW source region, dissolved oxygen concentrations of bottom water were more depleted during the BA than PB. Such difference was attributed to more sluggish NPIW ventilation due to more meltwater input during the BA than the PB. The opening or closure of the Bering Strait is critical to the direction of meltwater transport to the northwestern Pacific.