Trace metal and carbon isotopic variations in cave dripwater and stalagmite geochemistry from northern Borneo

A study of stalagmite geochemistry in Gunung Mulu National Park, northern Borneo, reveals that while trace metal ratios (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) and carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) show strong centennial-scale variations over the last 27,000 years, they are not reliable indicators of hydroclimate conditions in this tropical rainforest karst site. The research found that dripwater geochemistry exhibits minimal correlation with rainfall variability, suggesting a weak relationship between hydroclimate and geochemical proxies here. However, stalagmite δ13C records a consistent shift from C4 (savannah) to C3 (rainforest) vegetation during the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene, aligning with regional paleoenvironmental changes. The study utilized biweekly dripwater sampling and multi-year stalagmite geochemical analysis to explore these relationships.

Partin, J. W., Cobb, K. M., Adkins, J. F., Tuen, A. A., & Clark, B. (2013). Trace metal and carbon isotopic variations in cave dripwater and stalagmite geochemistry from northern Borneo. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 14(9), 3567–3585. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20215