via Quaternary Science Reviews, 15 April 2024: New speleothem stable isotope records from western Thailand provide a fresh perspective on the Indian Summer Monsoon’s early and rapid shift during the Younger Dryas termination, challenging previous chronologies. This study, which details climatic conditions from the Bølling-Allerød interstadial through the mid-Holocene, highlights a narrower timeframe for the Younger Dryas transition and a distinct Holocene trend towards drier conditions. These findings, contrasting with other Southeast Asian records, underscore the region’s complex hydroclimatic dynamics and the critical role of accurate paleoclimate reconstructions in understanding future changes.
Mainland Southeast Asia experiences complex and variable hydroclimatic conditions, mainly due to its location at the intersection of Asian monsoon subsystems. Predicting future changes requires an in-depth understanding of paleoclimatic conditions that is currently hindered by a paucity of records in some regions. In this paper, we present the first speleothem stable isotope records from western Thailand detailing the Bølling-Allerød interstadial, Younger Dryas termination, and early- to mid-Holocene period. We find evidence of higher precipitation during the Bølling-Allerød (14,321–12,824 years before present (1950: BP)) compared to a Younger Dryas termination that starts 11,702–11,674 BP, has a rapid shift centered on 11,660–11,641 BP, and ends 11,603–11,589 BP. In addition, our records show Holocene monsoon intensity peaking at 8250 BP or before, a multi-millennia delay from the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation peak, followed by a trend to drier conditions until at least 750 BP. Assessment of the timing of the Younger Dryas termination in paleoclimate records across Southeast Asia reveals an earlier shift of the Indian Summer Monsoon to global climate shifts when compared to East Asian Summer Monsoon records. The causes of this are currently unknown. Some potentially important aspects include: an Indian Summer Monsoon influence on East Asian Summer Monsoon strength via the Indian Ocean Dipole climate pattern, the role of the Tibetan Plateau in monsoon dynamics, and exposure of the Sundaland shoreline. More high-resolution paleoclimate records, especially on the pathway of Indian Summer Monsoon to East Asian Summer Monsoon, are required for further discussion on the mechanisms controlling the differences between climate regimes.
