Figure 2

Multi-index comparison of phytoclast, pollen, sea-level, δ¹⁸O, and potassium records during the 2 Ma. (a) Global (eustatic) sea-level records²¹. (b) Total concentration of phytoclasts (Tp; n/g). (c) Concentration of coarse-grained phytoclasts (Cp; n/g): lath shaped (length:width ratio at least 3.0), larger than 80 µm. (d) LR04 stacks of benthic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O values³⁸. (e) Pollen concentrations of cold climate indicators from Northern East Asia; sum of Abies, Picea, and Pinus-Haploxylon^{28,29,30,31,32}. (f) Concentration of xerophytic herb pollen of Artemisia^33,34. (g) Potassium (K) content (wt.%) quantified from natural gamma radiation (NGR) spectra of the site U1422 at the East Sea, indicating arid climate conditions^36,43. (h) Cross-correlation of eustatic sea level²¹, Tp, Cp, cold-dry indices pollen, δ¹⁸O value³⁸, and K content. Tp and Cp are both negatively correlated with sea level. Positive correlations with no lag time were observed between Cp and Artemisia, between δ¹⁸O values³⁸ and cold conifer, and between Artemisia and K (wt.%) content³⁷. The gray bars represent periods of low sea level characterized by high Tp, Cp, δ¹⁸O, cold-conifer, Artemisia, and K content values.