Growth rate and the paleoclimatic significance of stalagmites in Chongqing

Two stalagmites collected from Liangtianwan cave and Shuiming cave in Chongqing have been precisely dated by thermal ionization mass spectrometric uranium-series dating.Based on the comparison between the high resolution stable isotopic records and the average growth rate in each depositional phase,it is found that the more fast the growth rate is,the lighter the depositional color is,and the oxygen isotope decreased during the late last glaciation.However,the fast growth rate has not always related with warm-wet periods,just because the factors that affecting the growth rate of stalagmite are not only temperature and rainfall but also any other unknown controlling processes,such as the change in the routing of the cave water.The authors consider that there is a very complicated correlation between growth rate and oxygen isotope of stalagmite.So the growth rate used as an indictor of external paleoclimate should be prudent.