Environmental reconstruction in nong thale pron, nakhon si thammarat province

Climate change is one of the major factors influencing environmental changes. The study of proxies from geological records can extend climate data into the past, enabling the reconstruction of past environmental changes. This study collected sediment cores from three points at the deepest part of Nong Thale Pron, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The sediment core NTP-CP6 was selected for analysis using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), radiocarbon dating, grain size analysis, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, stable carbon isotopes, and n-alkanes. During the Last Glacial Maximum (21–19 ka BP), dry conditions were caused by a strong northeast monsoon and the exposure of the Sunda Shelf, which reduced sources of atmospheric moisture. The last deglaciation (19–13 ka BP) had wet periods driven by warming temperatures that strengthened the southwest monsoon. Subsequently, temperatures declined and the northeast monsoon intensified, resulting in dry conditions during the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka BP). Wet conditions in the early Holocene (11.7–8 ka BP) and the mid-Holocene (8–4 ka BP) occurred due to warming, which enhanced the southwest monsoon, shifted the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) northward, and submerged the Sunda Shelf. The late Holocene (4–2 ka BP), a cooling trend in the Northern Hemisphere, caused the ITCZ to shift southward, maintaining wet conditions in the region.