Abstract:

The large desiccation cracks, which are up to 60 cm deep, were developed on the intertidal zone of the Guanyin Bay, Zhujiajian Island, Zhejiang Province. The results from chronological, palynological and mineralogical analysis show that the time of the formation of the desiccation crack is coincident with the period of the environmental change from warm and humid to cold and dry. The desiccation crack corresponds to an abrupt climate shift event during 312304 ka BP, with a decline in vegetation. It is most probable that this phenomenon demonstrates a direct landscape evidence for the worldwide abrupt climate event—the Heinrich event 3. The desiccation crack provides a new method for the research of Quaternary abrupt climate shift events.

Key words: Zhoushan Islands; desiccation cracks; Heinrich event 3; climate shift