Yuzhen Ma

Modern pollen-based interpretations of mid-Holocene palaeoclimate (8500 to 3000 cal. BP) at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert, northwestern China:

The focus of this paper is on the reconstruction of the mid-Holocene climatic changes based on the pollen records contained in a 6.2 m thick section in the southern part of the Tengger Desert, northwestern China. To understand the modem analogues of the mid-Holocene changes, modem pollen spectra across different vegetation zones from the Qilian Mountains to the lowland Tengger Desert were studied first. Four pollen combinations were identified, corresponding,to four different modem ecological environments: (1) a Picea-Artemisia combination in a spruce forest and its vicinity; (2) an Artemisia- Chenopodiaceae-Gramineae-Salix combination in a mixture belt of montane grassland and poplar woodland; (3) a Chenopodiaceae-Artemisia-Nitraria combination in a desert steppe belt; and (4) an Elaeagnus-Artemisia-Chenopodiaceae-Nitraria combination in a desert riparian forest. Our study also shows that a relatively low percentage of Picea pollen (30-10%) seems to be associated with water transportation (alluvial deposits) and a very low percentage of Picea pollen (10-5%) appears to be related to long-dis tance air transportation. With references to the modern relationships between pollen assemblages and associated biocimates, the pollen sequence covering the period between 8500 and 3000 cal. BP was used to infer the climatic change history. The results show that a warmer and drier climate dominated between 8500 and 7950 cal. BP. Subsequent decreases in Artemisia and warm desert forbs/shrubs taxa and contemporaneous fluctuating increases in montane coniferous and aquatics elements from 7950 to 7400 cal. BP reflect a fluctuating increase in humidity and/or a fluctuating decrease in temperature. The following period from 7400 to 5650 cal. BP was generally warm with the Holocene Climate Optimum occurring between 7400 and 6500 cal. BP. A remarkably cool spell followed between 6500 and 6300 cal. BP that was then succeeded by a warmer and more humid period between 6300 and 5650 cal. BP. The period between 5650 and 4450 cal. BP was characterized by drastic oscillations in climatic conditions with three humid and probably cold spells intervened by three relatively dry and wann spells. The period between 4450 and 3500 cal. BP was cold and humid, followed by a wet spell as indicated by a very high percentage of Typha pollen.

Linkage between the second uplifting of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau and the initiation of the Asian monsoon system

During the period from 25 to 17 Ma BP, when the second plateau uplifting, i.e. the second phase of the Himalaya movement, occurred, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau reached an altitude high enough to chbge the situation of the general circulation. Such an effect of the plateau on the atmospheric circulation was accompanied by the warrning of the tropical ocean, the enhancement of the cross equatorial current, the enlargement of the marginal sea basins in the east-southeastern Asia, the westward extending of the Asian continent and the regression of the Paratethys Sea. As a result, the thermal difference was enlarged, and the air currents were enhanced between continents and oceans; finally the Asian monsoon system, mainly the summer monsoon, was initiated. The former planet wind system was then substituted by the monsoon system, and this caused the important environmental changes, such as the large shrinkage of the dry steppe in Central Asia, and the extension of the humid forest zone in East Asia. Thme changes have been dated at 21.8 Ma BP on the Lingxia profile in the northeastern border of the Tibet Plateau, when the savanna was transformed into the forest.

Pollen record from red clay sequence in the central Loess Plateau between 8.10 and 2.60 Ma

The Late Miocene and Pliocene are the key periods for understanding the origin and development of the present Asian monsoon circulations and ecologic environments. Here we present a pollen record from Chaona Red Clay section located in the central Loess Plateau in attempt to establish the histories of vegetation and associated climate changes between 8.10 and 2.60 Ma. Our results show that Gramineae-dominated woodland-grasslands developed in this region withCedrus- and Pinus-characterized montane coniferous forests distributing in higher elevations from 8.10 to 6.73 Ma, probably suggesting a semi-humid climate in a warm-temperate zone. A subsequent expansion ofUlmus-dominated deciduous forests and a synchronous increase of Gramineae-dominated grassland reflect a warmer and more humid climate between 6.73 and 5.67 Ma. The vegetation changed to anArtemisia- and Gramineae-characterized steppe in lower elevations and to a coniferous forest in higher elevations from 5.67 to 3.71 Ma, implying probably a warm and semiarid climate in lowland and hill, and a colder and moister climate in mountain. During this period, a considerable warmer and more humid climate occurred between 4.61 and 4.07 Ma as indicated by pollen assemblages. The period between 3.71 and 2.58 Ma was characterized by the disappearance ofCedrus andTsuga and also by an abrupt expansion of Cupressaceae, reflecting a drastic enhancement of monsoon-related climatic seasonality.

Holocene abrupt climate shifts recorded in Gun Nuur lake core, northern Mongolia

A continuous 7.44 m lake core was successfully drilled at Gun Nuur Lake, northern Mongolia, and analyses on environment magnetic parameters, organic matter content and organic λ13C were conducted in an attempt to retrieve the Holocene chronosequence of climatic changes based on 6 AMS14C dates. We found that the Holocene climate in northern Mongolia has been alternating between cold (or cool)/wet conditions and warm/arid conditions, and also punctuated with a series of abrupt climate shifts. The abrupt climate shifts occurred around 1750, 2800, 4000, 5200, 7200, and 9200 aBP (14C age), being chronologically correlative to those abrupt climatic events recorded in the highlatitude North Atlantic Ocean. The correlation indicates that the climatic changes in northern Mongolia were linked with those in the North Atlantic Ocean probably via the North Atlantic Oscillation-affected westerly winds. The strength and position of westerly winds might have modulated the Siberian-Mongolian high pressure system (winter monsoon), directly influencing the climate in China.

Palaeolake and palaeoenvironment between 42 and 18 kaBP in Tengger Desert, NW China

Comprehensive field investigations and laboratory analyses show that palaeolakes, including freshmesohaline water Megalake Tengger and other semi-connected, isolated water bodies, during late Pleistocene covered an area of more than 20000 km2, which is more than half of the Tengger Desert in NW China. Stratigraphic correlation and chronological evidence indicate that before ca. 42000 aBP the area was more arid. The palaeolakes started to develop around 40000 uncal.14C aBP but until 3700014C aBP their scope was limited. High water levels established from 3500014C aBP lasted until 2200014C aBP. Lake levels regressed between 22000 and 2000014C aBP but transgressed from 20000 to 1860014C aBP. Subsequently, water level declined further and the Megalake Tengger finally desiccated at around 1800014C aBP. Megalake Tengger possessed a fresh-mesohaline water property, implying that the regional precipitation increased significantly. During the period of Megalake Tengger, the climate was warmer-humid than present. The annual rainfall was 250 to 350 mm more than that of today and the temperature was 1.5 to 3.0°C higher.

A 1.5 Ma sporopollen record of paleoecologic environment evolution in the central Chinese Loess Plateau

A 1.5 Ma sporopollen record was obtained from a continuous loess-paleosol sequence at Chaona in the central Chinese Loess Plateau. It shows that (1) arid herbs of largelyArtemisia and Chenopodiaceae and arbors of mainlyPinus, Betula andQuercus dominate loess and paleosol, respectively, reflecting cycles of cold-dry and warm-humid conditions of glaciation and interglaciation; (2) that similar vegetation pattern and cold-dry condition were found in times of unusual thick and coarse loesses L9 and L15, which have been regarded as two extremely cold and dry times as indicated by inorganic climatic proxies; and (3) that shifts of vegetations from earlier forest-steppe to open-forest and steppe and then to steppe were found at 0.95 and 0.5 Ma, implying a stepwise of drying of the Loess Plateau in the Quaternary.

Palaeolake evolution and abrupt climate changes during Last Glacial Period in NW China

Field investigations and laboratory analyses show that there existed long-lasting and extensive palaolakes between 18,000 and 42,000 yr B.P. in the Tengger Desert, NW China. This palaolake phase developed in a mild humid-warm climate that was very different from that of present. Geochemical data, palynological evidence and grain size variations demonstrate that the lake levels had fluctuated greatly with the climate changes and these fluctuations can be correlated with the Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events.

The Holocene Palaeoclimatic change in southern vicinity of Tengger Desert

Through stratigraphy and chronology studies on Hongshui River section located at the southern vicinity of Tengger Desert, and based on the analysis results of TOC, TIC, elements, stable oxygen isotope that possess a high resolution of 40–50 a, the paleaoclimatic change history during last 8 000–3 000 a has been reconstructed.