Bioptical microcycles of laminated speleothems from China and their chronological significance

Abstract

Interfaces of microlayers, in most stalagmites from China, consist of opaque and organic materials. Observed with microscope, the interfaces seem dark under transmitted light and luminiferous under reflected fluorescent light. Stalagmites in which the two optical characters are unified spatially would be most suitable for cross-dating use, and can play an important role in the study on speleochronology and speleoclimatology.