Paleoclimatic indication of X-ray fluorescence core-scanned Rb/Sr ratios: A case study in the Zoige Basin in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core-scanned Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments have been widely used as a proxy for chemical weathering intensity and past climate change. However, some factors could affect Rb/Sr ratios, causing misinterpretation and limiting its application. In this study, we present a high-resolution XRF core-scanned Rb/Sr record of core ZB13-C1 from the Zoige Basin in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. To validate its application, we correlated this record with the chemical index of alteration (CIA) and other paleoclimatic proxies. Our results showed that (1) the core-scanned Rb/Sr ratios and CIA were reliable proxies of chemical weathering intensity in fine-grained sedimentary sequences; (2) the low values of core-scanned Rb/Sr ratios and CIA were significantly correlated with high total organic carbon content, arboreal pollen content, carbonate content, and C/N ratios, confirming its reliability as a proxy for the Asian summer monsoon intensity; (3) the core-scanned Rb/Sr ratios at core depths of 25–0.3 and 56–17 m were unable to reliably reflect chemical weathering intensity due to both the grain-size effect and the low test accuracy. Our study highlights the need for mutual verification of multiple indicators before accurately applying Rb/Sr as a paleoclimatic proxy in other similar study areas.