Universitaet Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany

High-resolution quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera and delta (super 18) O records of the section between 96.49-137.6 mcd at ODP Site 1144 on the continental slope of the northern South China Sea reveal an abrupt cooling event of sea surface temperature (SST) during the last interglacial (MIS 5.5, i.e. 5e). The range of the drop in winter SST may come to 7.5 degrees , corresponding to 1.2% of the delta (super 18) O value of sea surface water. This event is comparable with those discovered in Western Europe and the northern Atlantic Ocean, but is expressed in a more intensive way. It is inferred that this event may have been induced by middle- to low-latitude processes rather than by polar ice sheet change. Since the Kuroshio-index species Pulleniatina obliquilocu lata displayed the most distinct change during the event, it may also be related to paleo-oceanographic changes in the low-latitude area in the western Pacific Ocean. This event can be considered to be one of the "Younger Dryas-style coolings", and is indicative of climate variability during the last interglacial stage.