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
2019
Journal Article
Links between the coral δ13C record of primary productivity variations in the Northern South China sea and the East Asian winter monsoon
Han, Tao, Yu, Kefu, Yan, Hongqiang, Deng, Wenfeng, Liu, Yi, Xu, Shendong, Tao, Shichen, Zhang, Huiling and Wang, Shaopeng (2019). Links between the coral δ13C record of primary productivity variations in the Northern South China sea and the East Asian winter monsoon. Geophysical Research Letters, 46 (24), 14586-14594. doi: 10.1029/2019GL085030
2019
Journal Article
Clumped isotopic signatures in land-snail shells revisited: possible palaeoenvironmental implications
Guo, Yangrui, Deng, Wenfeng, Wei, Gangjian, Lo, Li and Wang, Ning (2019). Clumped isotopic signatures in land-snail shells revisited: possible palaeoenvironmental implications. Chemical Geology, 519, 83-94. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.04.030
2019
Journal Article
Biologically controlled Mo isotope fractionation in coral reef systems
Wang, Zhibing, Li, Jie, Wei, Gangjian, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Zeng, Ti, Wang, Xijie, Ma, Jinlong, Zhang, Le, Tu, Xianglin, Wang, Qiang and McCulloch, Malcolm (2019). Biologically controlled Mo isotope fractionation in coral reef systems. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 262, 128-142. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.037
2019
Journal Article
Episodic reef growth in the northern South China Sea linked to warm climate during the past 7000 years: potential for future coral refugia
Yan, Shuang, Zhao, Jian‐xin, Lau, A.Y. Annie, Roff, George, Leonard, Nicole D., Clark, Tara R., Nguyen, Ai D., Feng, Yue‐xing, Wei, Gangjian, Deng, Wenfeng and Chen, Xuefei (2019). Episodic reef growth in the northern South China Sea linked to warm climate during the past 7000 years: potential for future coral refugia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 124 (4) 2018JG004939, 1032-1043. doi: 10.1029/2018jg004939
2019
Journal Article
Carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of calcite in calcite-dolomite mixtures: optimization of selective acid extraction
Liu, Xi, Deng, Wenfeng and Wei, Gangjian (2019). Carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of calcite in calcite-dolomite mixtures: optimization of selective acid extraction. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 33 (5), 411-418. doi: 10.1002/rcm.8365
2019
Journal Article
Kinetic effects during the experimental transition of aragonite to calcite in aqueous solution: insights from clumped and oxygen isotope signatures
Guo, Yangrui, Deng, Wenfeng and Wei, Gangjian (2019). Kinetic effects during the experimental transition of aragonite to calcite in aqueous solution: insights from clumped and oxygen isotope signatures. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 248, 210-230. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2019.01.012
2019
Journal Article
Anthropogenic effects on tropical oceanic climate change and variability: an insight from the South China Sea over the past 2000 years
Deng, Wenfeng, Wei, Gangjian, Zhao, Jian-xin and Zeng, Ti (2019). Anthropogenic effects on tropical oceanic climate change and variability: an insight from the South China Sea over the past 2000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews, 206, 56-64. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.12.027
2018
Journal Article
二次离子质谱测定珊瑚氧同位素的制靶技术评价
Zou, Jie-Qiong, Wei, Gang-Jian, Deng, Wen-Feng, Chen, Xue-Fei, Yang, Qing, Zhang, Yan-Qiang and Xia, Xiao-Ping (2018). 二次离子质谱测定珊瑚氧同位素的制靶技术评价. Journal of Chinese Mass Spectrometry Society, 39 (6), 697-704. doi: 10.7538/zpxb.2017.0167
2018
Journal Article
Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter in the Beibu Gulf, China: application of multiple proxies
Liao, Weisen, Hu, Jianfang, Zhou, Haoda, Hu, Jianhua, Peng, Ping'an and Deng, Wenfeng (2018). Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter in the Beibu Gulf, China: application of multiple proxies. Marine Chemistry, 206, 74-83. doi: 10.1016/j.marchem.2018.09.006
2018
Journal Article
Influence of redox conditions on animal distribution and soft-bodied fossil preservation of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota
Qi, Changshi, Li, Chao, Gabbott, Sarah E., Ma, Xiaoya, Xie, Luhua, Deng, Wenfeng, Jin, Chengsheng and Hou, Xian-Guang (2018). Influence of redox conditions on animal distribution and soft-bodied fossil preservation of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 507, 180-187. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.07.010
2018
Journal Article
Natural and anthropogenic impacts on environmental changes over the past 7500 years based on the multi-proxy study of shelf sediments in the northern South China Sea
Huang, Chao, Zeng, Ti, Ye, Feng, Xie, Luhua, Wang, Zhibing, Wei, Gangjian, Lo, Li, Deng, Wenfeng and Rao, Zhiguo (2018). Natural and anthropogenic impacts on environmental changes over the past 7500 years based on the multi-proxy study of shelf sediments in the northern South China Sea. Quaternary Science Reviews, 197, 35-48. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.08.005
2018
Journal Article
Fe (hydro) oxide controls Mo isotope fractionation during the weathering of granite
Wang, Zhibing, Ma, Jinlong, Li, Jie, Wei, Gangjian, Zeng, Ti, Li, Lei, Zhang, Le, Deng, Wenfeng, Xie, Luhua and Liu, Zhifeng (2018). Fe (hydro) oxide controls Mo isotope fractionation during the weathering of granite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 226, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2018.01.032
2018
Journal Article
Super instrumental El Nio events recorded by a Porites coral from the South China Sea
Wang, Xijie, Deng, Wenfeng, Liu, Xi, Wei, Gangjian, Chen, Xuefei, Zhao, Jian-xin, Cai, Guanqiang and Zeng, Ti (2018). Super instrumental El Nio events recorded by a Porites coral from the South China Sea. Coral Reefs, 37 (1), 295-308. doi: 10.1007/s00338-018-1658-1
2017
Journal Article
ENSO variability around 2000 years ago recorded by Tridacna gigas δ18O from the South China Sea
Yan, Hong, Liu, Chengcheng, Zhang, Wenchao, Li, Ming, Zheng, Xufeng, Wei, Gangjian, Xie, Louhua, Deng, Wenfeng and Sun, Liguang (2017). ENSO variability around 2000 years ago recorded by Tridacna gigas δ18O from the South China Sea. Quaternary International, 452, 148-154. doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2016.05.011
2017
Journal Article
El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability recorded in estuarine sediments of the Changjiang River, China
Wang, Zhibing, Wei, Gangjian, Chen, Jianfang, Liu, Ying, Ma, Jinlong, Xie, Luhua, Deng, Wenfeng and Ke, Ting (2017). El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability recorded in estuarine sediments of the Changjiang River, China. Quaternary International, 441, 18-28. doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2016.07.009
2017
Journal Article
Wet and cold climate conditions recorded by coral geochemical proxies during the beginning of the first millennium CE in the northern South China Sea
Xiao, Hangfang, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Wei, Gangjian, Zeng, Ti and Zhao, Jian-xin (2017). Wet and cold climate conditions recorded by coral geochemical proxies during the beginning of the first millennium CE in the northern South China Sea. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 135, 25-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2016.12.012
2017
Journal Article
Decoupling of coral skeletal δ13C and solar irradiance over the past millennium caused by the oceanic Suess effect
Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Wei, Gangjian, Zeng, Ti and Zhao, Jian-xin (2017). Decoupling of coral skeletal δ13C and solar irradiance over the past millennium caused by the oceanic Suess effect. Paleoceanography, 32 (2), 161-171. doi: 10.1002/2016PA003049
2017
Journal Article
A comparison of the climates of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age, and Current Warm Period reconstructed using coral records from the northern South China Sea
Deng, Wenfeng, Liu, Xi, Chen, Xuefei, Wei, Gangjian, Zeng, Ti, Xie, Luhua and Zhao, Jian-xin (2017). A comparison of the climates of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age, and Current Warm Period reconstructed using coral records from the northern South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 122 (1), 264-275. doi: 10.1002/2016JC012458
2016
Journal Article
Assessment of coral δ44/40Ca as a paleoclimate proxy in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia
Chen, Xuefei, Deng, Wenfeng, Zhu, Hongli, Zhang, Zhaofeng, Wei, Gangjian and McCulloch, Malcolm T. (2016). Assessment of coral δ44/40Ca as a paleoclimate proxy in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Chemical Geology, 435, 71-78. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.04.024
2016
Journal Article
Saltier sea surface water conditions recorded by multiple mid-Holocene corals in the northern South China Sea
Guo, Yangrui, Deng, Wenfeng, Chen, Xuefei, Wei, Gangjian, Yu, Kefu and Zhao, Jian-xin (2016). Saltier sea surface water conditions recorded by multiple mid-Holocene corals in the northern South China Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 121 (8), 6323-6330. doi: 10.1002/2016JC012034
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Wenfeng Deng is:
- Available for supervision
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