定年技術與質譜分析技術日新月異，各種同位素系統的定年誤差從百萬年尺度往下修正，某些元素系統可達”年”的精準度，造就了第四季氣候變遷研究蓬勃發展。利用海洋洋流系統探討地球氣候長時間尺度與短時間尺度的變遷為一重要的課題。
本研究選擇南海岩芯SO17940-2與MD052914，岩芯具有高沉積速率，而且位於邊緣海內，可靈敏地記錄到短時間尺度的氣候變遷。使用鹽酸羥胺水溶液萃取出海洋沉積物內的鐵錳氫氧化物，接下來以AG50W-X8和LN樹脂除去主要元素和同重素干擾，純化出僅含釹元素之溶液。最後以HR-ICPMS(高解析度感應耦合電漿質譜儀)量測未經純化前的溶液，獲得稀土元素之分佈模式圖；使用MC-ICPMS(多頻道接受器感應耦合電漿質譜儀)量測純化後的樣品內釹同位素比值。
結果顯示，鐵錳氫氧化物內稀土元素經過PAAS標準化後的分佈曲線圖具有中稀土元素正異常和Ce正異常的情形，與大西洋地區深海岩芯的鐵錳氫氧化物內稀土元素分佈模式相仿。另外使用標準樣品測試，在HR-ICPMS測量稀土元素過程中，主要元素所造成的基質效應不至於干擾到稀土元素的濃度判定。
而岩芯SO17940-2中釹同位素比值約在-6~-8之間；MD052914中釹同位素比值約在-8~-9.5之間，在一萬年一千年前(正逢新仙女木冷事件)出現釹同位素比值負異常現象。造成此現象之可能原因為冬季季風增強，陸地出露，造成大量歐亞板塊陸源物質輸入南海，增加較低的釹同位素比值來源；尚有北太平洋中層水輸入南海的通量減弱之情形發生。但是在LGM期間並無釹同位素比值負異常現象產生，其可能原因為：乾冷環境，冬季季風增強，海平面下將約120公尺，造成南海形成半封閉海域，但是此時期的沉積速率低於新仙女木時期；再加上北太平洋洋流系統並無明顯減弱之現象產生，使NPIW輸送進入南海的通量無顯著的改變。

With the ability to provide very accurate and precise isotopic ratios, mass spectrometry has become as the most important method in the field of radiometric dating. The precision of dating has been hugely improved in the last decade, in some case less than 1 year error can be achieved. These processes stimulate the study of Quaternary climate change. One of the most important subjects is reconstructing long-term and short-term climate by tracing major ocean currents in the past.
The Nd isotopic compositions of ancient seawater deduced from sedimentary Fe-Mn hydroxides have been used extensively to trace short-term variation in the water masses. Two cores, SO17940-2 and MD052914, used in this study were collected from South China Sea. Due to high sedimentation rate in marginal sea, those cores have a good potential to reconstruct century-scale climate variations over the last 30Ka. The sedimentary Nd isotope compositions were carried out by MC-ICPMS after the HH treatment and ion chromatography separation using AG50W-X8 and LN resins. REE pattern also been measured by a HR-ICPMS. Due to the presence of Ca, Na and Mg, the matrix effects were determined to be insignificant.
PAAS normalized REE patterns of sedimentary Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides show LREE enrichment and positive Ce anomalies, similar to those in the Atlantic.
The 143Nd/144Nd ratio is ranging from -6 to -8εNd and has a minimum value in the period of 10~12Ka (Younger Dryas Event) in core SO17940-2；The 143Nd/144Nd ratio is ranging from -8 to -9.5εNd in MD052914. This can be explained by strengthening. Winter monsoon resulted in high flux of terrestrial input from the continent, which is characterized by low 143Nd/144Nd ratio. The other possibility is the weakening of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) flow into the South China Sea. However, in the last glacial maximum, the negative anomaly Nd isotope did not observed. This probably is due to lower sedimentary rate and no significant change in the strength of NPIW.

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