Overview
Background
I specialize in applying geochemical theories and methods, particularly elemental and isotopic analyses, to study past climate and environmental changes. My research focuses on high-resolution reconstructions of climate variability and the responses of marine carbonates to environmental shifts. One of my key contributions has been developing a high-precision carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) analysis method. This work has clarified biological effects on Δ47 in biogenic carbonates and uncovered fractionation mechanisms during diagenesis and burial, providing a theoretical foundation for broader Δ47 applications in climate studies. I have also reconstructed high-resolution climate records for the South China Sea and western Pacific during the mid-to-late Holocene. These records help distinguish natural climate variability from anthropogenic influences, offering critical insights into past and present climate trends. Additionally, my research has explored traditional and novel isotopic compositions in coral skeletons as indicators of coral biological activity. This work introduces new perspectives on how corals respond and adapt to environmental changes, contributing to a deeper understanding of coral resilience under future climate scenarios.
Availability
- Dr Wenfeng Deng is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (中国地质大学)
- Doctor of Philosophy of Geochemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Research interests
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Advanced Clumped Isotope Approaches for Climate Evolution
My research refines high-precision Δ47 analysis in carbonate samples to reveal biological and geological fractionation mechanisms. This work enhances clumped isotope applications in deciphering past climate and environmental changes, laying a crucial theoretical foundation for more accurate reconstructions of Earth’s climate history.
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Holocene Climate Reconstruction in Marine Environments
I reconstruct mid- to late-Holocene climate and environmental records in the South China Sea–Western Pacific using elemental and isotopic geochemistry. These high-resolution datasets clarify natural versus anthropogenic climate drivers and highlight the role of human activities in shaping regional and global environmental change.
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Coral Biomineralization and Climate Adaptation
I explore both novel and conventional isotope markers in coral skeletons to assess coral biological activity and responses to ocean warming. This work reveals corals’ adaptive strategies under shifting environmental conditions, offering new perspectives for predicting and mitigating future climate impacts on marine ecosystems.
Works
Search Professor Wenfeng Deng’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Growth patterns and geochemical characteristics of a colonial scleractinian cold-water coral in the South Chian Sea: A 500-year record of ocean environmental changes
Wang, Xuefeng, Chen, Xuefei, Ta, Kaiwen, Yin, Xuna, Wang, Lisheng, He, Miaohong, Deng, Wenfeng, Wei, Gangjian, Peng, Xiaotong and Li, Xianhua (2025). Growth patterns and geochemical characteristics of a colonial scleractinian cold-water coral in the South Chian Sea: A 500-year record of ocean environmental changes. Global and Planetary Change, 248 104747, 104747-248. doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104747
2025
Journal Article
Coral-derived seasonal seawater δ18O records from the Northern South China Sea: Hydroclimatic insights into the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age
Guo, Huimin, Chen, Xuefei, Guo, Yangrui, Zhao, Jian-xin, Wei, Gangjian and Deng, Wenfeng (2025). Coral-derived seasonal seawater δ18O records from the Northern South China Sea: Hydroclimatic insights into the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age. Global and Planetary Change, 246 104718, 104718. doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104718
2025
Journal Article
Mid-Late Holocene coral calcification dynamics: deciphering climatic and environmental effects
Deng, Guangchao, Chen, Xuefei, Deng, Wenfeng, Kang, Huiling, Zhao, Jian-xin and Wei, Gangjian (2025). Mid-Late Holocene coral calcification dynamics: deciphering climatic and environmental effects. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 292 (2040) 20241739, 2040. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1739
2025
Journal Article
A new calcite reference material for <i>in situ</i> oxygen isotope analysis using secondary ion mass spectrometry: development and application constraints
Yin, Xuna, He, Miaohong, Zhang, Le, Deng, Wenfeng, Guo, Yangrui, Cui, Zexian, Yang, Qing, Zhang, Yanqiang and Wei, Gangjian (2025). A new calcite reference material for in situ oxygen isotope analysis using secondary ion mass spectrometry: development and application constraints. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 40 (1), 104-109. doi: 10.1039/d4ja00345d
2024
Journal Article
Interhemispheric synchrony of Mid-Late Holocene SST in the Indo-Pacific warm pool linked to upper water column dynamics
Chen, Xuefei, Deng, Wenfeng, Zhao, Jian-xin and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Interhemispheric synchrony of Mid-Late Holocene SST in the Indo-Pacific warm pool linked to upper water column dynamics. Quaternary Science Reviews, 346 109064. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109064
2024
Journal Article
Imprints of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation on pantropical seawater pH inferred from coral δ11B records
Kang, Huiling, Chen, Xuefei, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Tianyu, Cai, Guanqiang and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Imprints of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation on pantropical seawater pH inferred from coral δ11B records. Quaternary Science Reviews, 344 109003. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109003
2024
Journal Article
In situ analysis of sulfur isotopic fractionation in deep-sea corals using secondary-ion mass spectrometry: insights into vital effects
He, Miaohong, Yu, Xiaoxiao, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Peng, Xiaotong, Ta, Kaiwen, Xu, Hengchao, Cui, Zexian, Yang, Qing, Yang, Yanan, Zhang, Yanqiang and Wei, Gangjian (2024). In situ analysis of sulfur isotopic fractionation in deep-sea corals using secondary-ion mass spectrometry: insights into vital effects. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 129 (10) e2024JG008032, 1-19. doi: 10.1029/2024JG008032
2024
Journal Article
A comprehensive evaluation of machine learning on coral trace element paleothermometers for sea surface temperature reconstruction
Wei, Yuxuan, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei and Wei, Gangjian (2024). A comprehensive evaluation of machine learning on coral trace element paleothermometers for sea surface temperature reconstruction. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 39 (10) e2024PA004885. doi: 10.1029/2024PA004885
2024
Journal Article
Biological control of ultra-skeleton mineralization in coral
He, Miaohong, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Zhang, Yanqiang and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Biological control of ultra-skeleton mineralization in coral. American Mineralogist, 109 (9), 1559-1568. doi: 10.2138/am-2023-9134
2024
Journal Article
Development of two novel natural calcite reference materials for enhanced in situ elemental and Sr isotopic analysis
Yin, Xuna, He, Miaohong, Zhang, Le, Zhu, Guanhong, Deng, Wenfeng and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Development of two novel natural calcite reference materials for enhanced in situ elemental and Sr isotopic analysis. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 39 (5), 1277-1283. doi: 10.1039/d4ja00003j
2024
Journal Article
Fluid inclusion calibration of clumped-isotope solid-state reordering in dolomite: implication for thermal history reconstruction in deeply buried reservoirs
Ping, Hongwei, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Honghan, Guo, Yangrui, Kong, Kai, Yang, Xin and Liu, Jianzhang (2024). Fluid inclusion calibration of clumped-isotope solid-state reordering in dolomite: implication for thermal history reconstruction in deeply buried reservoirs. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 163 106773, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2024.106773
2024
Journal Article
Fluid-mediated exchange reaction induces clumped isotope resetting: Insights from aragonite dolomitization experiments
Guo, Yangrui, Kong, Kai, Liu, Xi, Deng, Wenfeng and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Fluid-mediated exchange reaction induces clumped isotope resetting: Insights from aragonite dolomitization experiments. Chemical Geology, 653 122036. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122036
2024
Journal Article
Reevaluating the Little Ice Age: novel insights from oceanic and terrestrial records on unexpected warm winters
Guo, Huimin, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Zhao, Jian-xin and Wei, Gangjian (2024). Reevaluating the Little Ice Age: novel insights from oceanic and terrestrial records on unexpected warm winters. Quaternary Science Reviews, 327 108527, 108527. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108527
2024
Journal Article
Natural and anthropogenic controls on environmental change during the Holocene based on a multi-proxy record obtained from subalpine peatland in southern China
Qu, Xiaoxu, Huang, Chao, Rao, Zhiguo, Wu, Liyuan, Luo, Yongyi, Chen, Fajin, Li, Yunxia, Zhao, Lin, Liu, Lidan, Song, Zhiguang and Deng, Wenfeng (2024). Natural and anthropogenic controls on environmental change during the Holocene based on a multi-proxy record obtained from subalpine peatland in southern China. Science of the Total Environment, 912 169446, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169446
2024
Journal Article
Ocean warming and warning
Deng, Wenfeng (2024). Ocean warming and warning. Nature Climate Change, 14 (2), 118-119. doi: 10.1038/s41558-023-01921-z
2024
Journal Article
Holocene provenance variations and palaeofloods response to ENSO-driven monsoon precipitation in the subalpine peatland in southern China
Qu, Xiaoxu, Huang, Chao, Rao, Zhiguo, Wei, Gangjian, Wu, Liyuan, Luo, Yongyi, Li, Yunxia, Zhao, Lin, Liu, Lidan and Deng, Wenfeng (2024). Holocene provenance variations and palaeofloods response to ENSO-driven monsoon precipitation in the subalpine peatland in southern China. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 635 111948, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111948
2024
Journal Article
A perspective on probing coral resilience to climate and environmental changes using stable isotopes of bio-utilized metal elements
Chen, Xuefei, Deng, Wenfeng, Xiao, Hangfang, Guo, Yangrui and Wei, Gangjian (2024). A perspective on probing coral resilience to climate and environmental changes using stable isotopes of bio-utilized metal elements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 129 (1) e2023JG007656. doi: 10.1029/2023JG007656
2023
Journal Article
Synthetic witherite for standardisation of clumped isotope (Δ47) measurements
Kong, Kai, Guo, Yangrui, Deng, Wenfeng and Wei, Gangjian (2023). Synthetic witherite for standardisation of clumped isotope (Δ47) measurements. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 47 (4), 855-868. doi: 10.1111/ggr.12520
2023
Journal Article
Anthropogenic influences on the sources and distribution of organic carbon, black carbon, and heavy metals in Daya Bay's surface sediments
Yang, Yin, Li, Yilan, Huang, Chao, Chen, Fajin, Chen, Chunqing, Zhang, Huiling, Deng, Wenfeng and Ye, Feng (2023). Anthropogenic influences on the sources and distribution of organic carbon, black carbon, and heavy metals in Daya Bay's surface sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 196 115571, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115571
2023
Journal Article
Introduction to special issue: environmental and climatic change records in coral reefs of the South China Sea during the Holocene
Yang, Hongqiang, Deng, Wenfeng, Yan, Hong and Zhang, Feifei (2023). Introduction to special issue: environmental and climatic change records in coral reefs of the South China Sea during the Holocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 627 111727, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111727
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Wenfeng Deng is:
- Available for supervision
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