Holocene megathermal abrupt environmental changes derived from C-14 dating of a coral reef at Leizhou Peninsula, South China Sea

Abstract

A depth profile of a Goniopora coral reef at Leizhou Peninsula, South China Sea, was radiocarbon dated using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The time of formation, during 6600–7400 cal BP, can be divided into nine stages, each terminated by abrupt growth cessation of Goniopora and appearance of Ostrea shells. The results show that, during the Holocene megathermal (8.2–3.3 ka BP), large climatic changes have occurred in the South China Sea area.