Stable isotope potential of Northern Vietnam stalagmites:  A 51-cave survey with the Hendy test and U/Th analysis

Duong Thuy Nguyen; Dung Chi Nguyen; Thuy Thi An; Chun- Yuan Huang; Chuan- Chou Shen; Czuppon György; Dong Van Bui; Linh Ngoc Nguyen; Hong- Wei Chiang; Yue- Gau Chen; Ha Vu Van; Quang Minh Nguyen; Tuan Minh Dang; Lam Dinh Doan; Ben Marwick; Yin Lin

doi:10.15625/2615-9783/24038

Author affiliations

Authors

Duong Thuy Nguyen VNU Vietnam Japan University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Dung Chi Nguyen Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Thuy Thi An Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Chun- Yuan Huang 1-High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC; 2-Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC
Chuan- Chou Shen 1-High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC; 2-Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC
Czuppon György Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
Dong Van Bui VNU University of Science, Hanoi, Vietnam
Linh Ngoc Nguyen VNU University of Science, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hong- Wei Chiang Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, ROC
Yue- Gau Chen Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, ROC
Ha Vu Van Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Quang Minh Nguyen Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tuan Minh Dang Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Lam Dinh Doan Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam
Ben Marwick Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, Washington, USA
Yin Lin Institute of Earth Sciences, VAST, Hanoi, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15625/2615-9783/24038

Keywords:

Northern Vietnam, stalagmites, Oxygen isotope, Hendy test, Paleoclimate proxy

Abstract

Northern Vietnam’s karst landscapes offer an untapped potential for paleo-monsoon research, complementing the extensive speleothem records of Southwest China. Here, we surveyed 51 caves across seven provinces, targeting those with humidity exceeding 95% from 2017 to 2024, and collected 127 broken stalagmites to evaluate their stable-isotope potential (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) as paleoclimate proxies. Focusing on caves in Hoa Binh and nearby karst-rich regions, we applied Hendy tests to 56 subsamples of eight layers on four stalagmites, NS3, HS3, HS7, and HS16, to assess the isotopic equilibrium conditions. The deposition intervals of the four stalagmites, determined using U/Th dating, range from 36 to 60 thousand years ago (ka). Small 1-sigma variations of ±0.04−0.20‰ in coeval δ¹⁸O values across all eight layers suggest deposition under near oxygen isotope equilibrium. Combined with fast growth rates exceeding 0.09 mm/year, this evidence suggests high-resolution potential for paleohydroclimate reconstruction using stalagmite δ¹⁸O data. However, one-sigma variations of ±0.04−0.71‰ of coeval δ¹³C data reflect relatively large carbon isotopic fractionation during the degassing process. It suggests that stalagmite δ¹³C records from these caves should be carefully evaluated before use in paleoclimate reconstructions.

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