Long-chain n-alkanes are measured in sediment cores (Cores U1341C and UMK-3A) collected from the Bering Sea to evaluate the paleoclimatic utility of n-alkanes in high northern latitude marine sediments. The variations in concentration and molecular composition of long-chain n-alkanes since the end of the last glacial period (the past 18 kyr) have been reconstructed. Sedimentary records of molecular distributions of n-alkanes in Cores U1341C and UMK-3A indicate that they primarily originate from terrestrial vascular plants. The results indicate that concentrations of odd number C₂₅–C₃₁ n-alkanes increased in the last glacial and Younger Dryas (YD) cold periods for Core U1341C, while those in Core UMK-3A increased during the warm Bølling–Allerød period and the cold YD period. These findings suggest that the source and transport pathways differ between the two sites. However, the n-alkanes chain length distribution in Cores U1341C and UMK-3A exhibits a low and a high during the cold and warm periods, respectively. These millennial-scale variability patterns remarkably resemble those of the sea surface temperature records in the proximal sites. This similarity suggests that the sedimentary record of n-alkane chain length distribution reflects surface temperature changes rather than changes in vegetation in the high northern latitudes (including in the Beringia). This study shows that n-alkanes are useful for reconstructing climate change in the high northern latitudes where applicable paleoclimate proxies are limited.

在从白令海收集的沉积岩芯（核心 U1341C 和 UMK-3A）中测量长链正构烷烃，以评估正构烷烃在高北纬海洋沉积物中的古气候效用。自上次冰期（过去 18 kyr）结束以来，长链正构烷烃的浓度和分子组成的变化已被重建。的分子分布的沉积记录Ñ在磁芯U1341C和UMK-3A烷烃表明它们主要来自陆地维管束植物起源。结果表明，奇数 C ₂₅ –C ₃₁ n 的浓度- 烷烃在核心 U1341C 的最后一次冰川和新仙女木 (YD) 寒冷时期增加，而核心 UMK-3A 中的烷烃在温暖的 Bølling-Allerød 时期和寒冷的 YD 时期增加。这些发现表明两个地点之间的来源和运输途径不同。然而，核心 U1341C 和 UMK-3A 中的正构烷烃链长分布在寒冷和温暖时期分别表现出低和高。这些千年尺度的变化模式非常类似于近端地点的海面温度记录。这种相似性表明正构烷烃链长度分布的沉积记录反映了地表温度的变化，而不是北高纬度地区（包括白令旗）植被的变化。本研究表明正构烷烃可用于重建北纬高纬度地区的气候变化，那里适用的古气候代理有限。