A ∼130 ka terrestrial-marine interaction sedimentary history of the northern Jiangsu coastal plain in China

Coastal deposits are ideal archives to decipher the history of terrestrial-marine interactions in response to sea-level changes. Over the last decades, numerous investigations have been implemented to uncover the stratigraphic framework and the paleoenvironment evolution of the Jiangsu coastal plain (JCP), China. However, there have been limited studies on the sedimentary history over the glacial-interglacial timescales because of the lack of reliable chronostratigraphy. Here, we selected a 30-m-long sediment core in the northern JCP for luminescence dating, and carried out comprehensive sedimentological and paleontological analyses to ascertain the sedimentary history. Multiple luminescence dating techniques, including quartz optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar (polymineral) post-infrared (IR) IR stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating, were applied to determine the chronology of the sediment core. The obtained chronostratigraphy of core JCP01 spanning similar to 130 ka reveals that terrestrial deposition occurred in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6, MIS 4-2 and the late stage of MIS 1. In contrast, marine influenced deposition is identified in MIS 5e and early MIS 1. The terrestrial interval of core JCP01 mainly consists of stiff clay and floodplain facies occurring at depths of 30-24 m, 12-5 m and 2-1 m, formed in relation to sea-level lowstands; whereas marine-influenced sediments at depths of 24-12 m and 5-2 m correspond to sea-level highstands, respectively. Our results highlight two sets of marine influenced sedimentary stratigraphy (T1, T2) dated to similar to 7 ka and around 130-120 ka, but no obvious MIS 3 transgression recorded in this core. In general, the conclusion is consistent with previous studies in East Asia and beyond, but not with previous work in this region that relied on radiocarbon dating. This suggests that re-dating with luminescence techniques is required for deposits correlated with the MIS 3 transgression in the northern JCP. Our reconstructed terrestrial-marine alternation sedimentary history of the northern JCP also shows a strong linkage with changes in the relative sea-level over the glacial-interglacial cycles.

Automated summary

This study utilized luminescence dating on a sediment core in the Jiangsu coastal plain to reveal a sedimentary history alternating terrestrial and marine influences over the past 130 ka, showing a strong correlation between sedimentation and relative sea-level changes.