2002年腾格里沙漠湖泊季节变化研究

以2002年的6期ETM+遥感影像作为数据源,采用面向对象的解译方法,自动提取腾格里沙漠一年内6个时期的湖泊信息,对湖泊季节变化情况进行统计,并与巴丹吉林沙漠的湖泊季节变化进行对比分析.结果表明,腾格里沙漠湖泊的季节变化显著,湖泊总数量及总面积在夏季(6月)达最大值,在冬季(12、2月)最小;两大沙漠湖泊季节变化情况不尽相同,可能与两大沙漠湖泊水的补给方式存在差异有关,腾格里沙漠湖泊水量变化更多地受近源地下水的影响,而巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊水量变化则主要受远源地下水影响.     

巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊水分补给机制的模拟——以苏木吉林湖区为例

巴丹吉林沙漠气候干旱,蒸发强烈,与之形成鲜明对比的是沙漠腹地湖泊群的长久不衰,目前对于湖泊水分的补给来源仍存在争议.本文以水量均衡为基础,在苏木吉林湖区开展了降水、蒸发及湖水位和地下水位的动态监测,结合已有的水文地质资料建立地下水流动三维模型,重现湖区地下水位的季节动态变化,并基于模型进行水均衡分析.结果表明:苏木吉林湖区降水入渗补给量不足以平衡湖泊蒸发量,湖泊需要深层承压水的越流补给;湖水位和地下水位均呈现正弦曲线形态,11月最低,4月达到峰值,水位变幅分别为22和18 cm;湖区地下水多年平均总补给量为11620 m3/d,其中降水和承压水越流分别约占13%和87%,降水补给量夏季高、冬季低,承压水越流补给量季节变化不明显;承压水越流补给量可能主要来源于沙漠周边山区降水,未发现明显的水量亏空需要断裂导水来弥补.研究结果为巴丹吉林沙漠地下水资源分析及合理利用提供科学依据.     

Holocene vegetational and climatic variation in westerly-dominated areas of Central Asia inferred from the Sayram Lake in northern Xinjiang,China

Changes in the vegetation and climate of the westerly-dominated areas in Central Asia during the Holocene were interpreted using pollen-assemblages and charcoal data from a 300-cm-long sediment core of the Sayram Lake,northern Xinjiang.Accele-rator Mass Spectrometry(AMS) radiocarbon dating methods were applied to bulk organic matter of the samples.Artemisia spp./Chenopodiaceae ratios and results from principal component analysis were used to infer that the lake basin was dominated by desert vegetation before ca.9.6 cal.ka BP,which suggests a warm and dry climate in the early Holocene.Desert steppe/steppe expanded during 9.6-5.5 cal.ka BP,indicating a remarkable increase both in the precipitation and temperature during the mid-Holocene.Desert vegetation dominated between 6.5 and 5.5 cal.ka BP,marking an extreme warmer and drier interval.The steppe/meadow steppe recovered,and temperatures decreased from 5.5 cal.ka BP in the late Holocene,as indicated by the increased abundance of Artemisia and the development of meadows.Holocene temperatures and moisture variations in the Sayram Lake areas were similar to those of adjacent areas.This consistency implies that solar radiation was the main driving factor for regional temperature changes,and that the effect of temperature variations was significant on regional changes in humidity.The evolution of climate and environment in the Sayram Lake areas,which were characterized as dry in the early Holocene and relatively humid in the middle-late Holocene,are clearly different from those in monsoonal areas.Dry conditions in the early Holocene in the Sayram Lake areas were closely related to decreased water vapor advection.These conditions were a result of reduced westerly wind speeds and less evaporation upstream,which in turn were caused by seasonal changes in solar radiation superimposed by strong evaporation following warming and drying local climate.     

Analysis of groundwater–lake interaction by distributed temperature sensing in Badain Jaran Desert,Northwest China

The Badain Jaran Desert is the second largest desert of China with a total area of 49 200 km². At least 72 perennial lakes are scattered throughout the desert, sustaining a unique desert–lake ecosystem. Groundwater of various origins was believed to play an essential role in maintaining those desert lakes, but hydrological measurements are lacking due to difficult field conditions. This study applied the distributed temperature sensing technique to continuously measure temperature variations in one of the desert lakes – the Badain Lake – to identify groundwater discharge to the lake based on the temperature differences between groundwater and lake water. Because temperature may be influenced by various unforeseen and temporary factors, it is critical to discern those factors that may affect the temperature such as solar radiation and vertical temperature stratification and to ensure that the temperature variations of the lake water as detected by the distributed temperature sensing are mainly caused by groundwater discharge. A time window was identified during which the groundwater discharge is the dominant factor that determines the temperature pattern of the lake water. The results show that the temperature near the eastern and southeastern lakeshore of the eastern Badain Lake is colder than the average, indicating that this area is the main groundwater discharge zone. Near the northwestern lakeshore adjacent to a sand dune, a weak cold abnormal area was identified, indicating that the sand dune is another recharge source to the lake through channelling the local precipitation toward the lake. The contribution from the sand dune, however, appeared to be less than that from the regional groundwater flow. This study provides the first identification of the temperature abnormal areas, which imply groundwater discharges into desert lakes and contributes to a better understanding of the unique desert–lake ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

巴丹吉林沙漠盐湖跃层对地下淡水排泄的指示作用

位于阿拉善高原的巴丹吉林沙漠分布有大量盐湖.为揭示盐湖分层特征以及地下水对盐湖水体的影响,选取沙漠腹地的第二大盐湖——苏木巴润吉林,对9月份湖水的温度和电导率剖面进行了观测.结果表明,尽管所测盐湖宽深比大于90,还是存在温跃层.温跃层的矿化度(TDS)为60~160 g/L,靠近湖底的水体存在TDS低值异常区,形成化跃层,推测为地下淡水集中排泄所致.这种湖底泉在其它较浅的盐湖水体中也存在,说明深、浅层地下水对盐湖水分及盐分都有贡献.温跃层水温随深度的变化近似符合静止水体的热传导规律,并没有受到地下水排泄热量的显著影响.研究区盐湖跃层的季节性变化还有待进一步研究.     

湖北江汉平原JZ-2010剖面沉积物粒度特征与环境演变

通过对江汉平原JZ-2010湖相沉积剖面AMS14C年代的精确测定与校正,以及代用指标粒度、磁化率的分析和研究,重建了研究区12.76 cal ka BP以来的环境演变过程:1)12.76-6.70 cal ka BP,区域环境处于偏干的晚冰期向湿润的早全新世发展阶段.2)6.70-4.47 cal ka BP,区域环境湿润,为湿度配置最佳的全新世适宜期,这是大溪文化向屈家岭文化转变时期自然背景.3)4.47-3.67 cal ka BP,区域气候环境偏干,其中经历了明显的4.2 cal ka BP干旱事件.4)3.67-1.22 cal ka BP时期,环境向湿润发展;在2.5 cal ka BP左右水动力条件明显变强,此时正对应于古云梦泽扩张时期.5)1.22 cal ka BP后,研究区处于湖泊面积减小的干旱时期;人类活动带来的影响达到高峰,围湖造田等农业活动也是江汉平原湖群趋于衰退的重要原因之一.     

1973-2010年巴丹吉林沙漠腹地湖泊面积空间变化的遥感分析

利用1973、1990、2000、2010年4个时期遥感影像数据,提取并统计了1973-1990、1990-2000、2000-2010、1973-2010年4个时期湖泊面积变化信息,分析了巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊面积变化的空间特征.结果表明,湖泊数量与面积整体表现为减小,同时也存在湖泊面积增大与湖泊新增;1973-2010年间,沙漠腹地共干涸19个湖泊、新增7个湖泊,43个湖泊萎缩、6个湖泊扩张,26个湖泊面积基本保持稳定;从湖泊面积的空间变化看,面积减小的湖泊在整个湖泊区域均有分布,面积增大的湖泊较多分布于研究区东侧,且多在中东部区域外围,面积减小剧烈的湖泊在空间上有聚集分布的态势;湖泊面积变化量在整个空间上并没有表现出显著的正相关关系.湖泊面积变化所表现的空间特征可能由于不同湖泊区域补给来源不同或不同湖泊补给方式存在差异造成的.     

MIS-3晚期以来乌伦古湖古湖相沉积记录的初步研究

通过对现代乌伦古湖附近出露的古湖相沉积剖面的AMS~(14)C测年,粒度、总有机碳、总有机氮以及碳酸盐等环境代用指标的分析及其与全新世钻孔沉积记录的对比研究,结果发现:乌伦古湖在MIS-3晚期的33600-22500 cal a BP以及冰后期至早中全新世的16500-6500 cal a BP期间,维持着湖相沉积环境,湖面约比现在湖面高40 m.33600-22500 cal a BP的MIS-3晚期,气候相对温暖,乌伦古湖呈现高湖面特征,湖泊沉积物来源以流水搬运为主;22500-16500 cal a BP的末次冰期冰盛期,气候寒冷干燥,湖泊沉积物来源以风力搬运为主;16500-6500 cal a BP的冰后期以及早、中全新世期间,气候回暖,湖泊沉积物主要来源于河流径流作用.6500-5500 cal a BP,受高温干旱事件的影响,湖面收缩、水位剧降,除沉积中心外的其它钻孔位置出现沉积中断.5500 cal a BP后气候转冷变湿,湖泊重新恢复到现在的状态.乌伦古湖MIS-3晚期以来的古湖相沉积环境变化及其反映的古气候万年尺度上的干湿变化与周边区域气候环境变化记录有很好的一致性,响应了区域环境变化和全球气候突变事件.季风和西风的强度消长变化及其引起的环流条件改变以及温度变化引起的蒸发效应可能是区域气候环境变化的主要原因.这一古湖相沉积记录的研究可为MIS-3晚期以来北疆地区的古湖泊演化以及长时间尺度上西风和季风环流相互关系及其影响区的气候环境演化提供地质证据.     

Palaeomonsoon variability in the southern fringe of the Badain Jaran Desert,China, since 130 ka BP

Taking the Chagelebulu Stratigraphic Profile as a typical example, a comprehensive study has been conducted to elucidate the palaeoclimatic and geomorphic evolution patterns in the southern fringe of the Badain Jaran Desert, which were found to be complex and polycyclic in the past 130 ka. However, the fluctuating magnitude is not as remarkable as that in the eastern China sandy region. The shift in climate from interglacial to glacial and the uplift process of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau are the two leading forces driving the evolution of the climate and desert landforms in this area. Seventeen cycles of cold, dry and warm, humid climatic stages were recognized in the Upper Pleistocene Series of the profile. The sharp uplift of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau superimposed a cool and arid climatic trend in this area. As a result of the climatic changes, the desert in this area has undergone multiple stages of expansion and contraction since 130 ka bp . The middle Holocene Epoch and the early stage of the Late Pleistocene Period were the main periods when the sand dunes became stabilized, and the early and late phases of the Holocene Epoch and late phase of the Pleistocene Epoch were the main periods when the previously stabilized sand dunes became mobile. The late phase of the Pleistocene Epoch was the most mobile stage, when the aeolian sand activities formed the essential geomorphic pattern of the Badain Jaran Desert. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地下水补给型湖泊表层沉积物矿物组成及其形成机制——以巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊群为例

盐湖中的矿物沉积记录着丰富的环境气候变化信息,是古环境研究的重要对象.在无地表径流补给的盐湖中,其矿物组成及沉积特征与有地表径流补给的湖泊相比是否有一定的特殊性,是值得探讨的问题.采集巴丹吉林沙漠33个不同矿化度地下水补给型湖泊的表层沉积物和10个地表风积砂样品,通过X衍射的方法,分析样品的矿物组成.结果显示:湖泊表层沉积物主要为石英、长石、辉石、云母等碎屑矿物,部分湖泊含有少量的碳酸盐和氯化物盐类矿物.湖泊沉积物的矿物组成与湖水矿化度的关系较为密切,淡水湖仅分布碎屑矿物,微咸水湖含有碎屑矿物和碳酸盐类矿物,盐湖含有碎屑矿物、碳酸盐类矿物和氯化物.风积砂样品中主要为碎屑矿物,占总矿物含量的90%,对湖泊沉积物的矿物组成影响较大,但对湖泊沉积物中的盐类矿物没有贡献,表明湖泊表层沉积物中盐类矿物主要是自生作用形成的.虽然本地区湖泊边缘的沉积物中盐类矿物种类相对较少并且含量较低,但其盐类矿物组成与分布能够响应湖水矿化度的变化,其环境指示意义与有径流补给的盐湖相同,可以指示其湖水的盐度.因此,可以从巴丹吉林沙漠地下水补给型湖泊沉积的盐类矿物中提取相应的古环境信息,用于恢复古气候和古环境的研究.     

巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊水化学空间分布特征

通过对巴丹吉林沙漠腹地拐子湖-地质公园一线51个湖泊水,8个泉水,12个井水及1个雨水水样的水化学成分分析,初步探讨了沙漠湖泊水化学分布特征及其影响因素.结果表明由东南边缘至腹地湖泊总体上依次呈硫酸盐型-碳酸盐型-氯化物型分布.东南边缘以Na+、Cl-、SO24-为主的湖泊因矿化度分异,形成Ca2+、Mg2+含量不同的三种亚型,其中高矿化度的Na-Cl-(SO4)型湖泊在腹地湖泊群中也有出现,表现出地理上的不连续分布;边缘若干湖泊受局部地理环境的影响水离子多含Na+、Cl-、CO32-+HCO3-.综合分析表明湖泊水化学型的空间分异与区域气候差异和气候变化有关,湖水直接或间接地接受当地降水补给,但不排除外源地下水补给对其有一定贡献.通过对比不同时段部分沙漠湖泊水化学特征发现近十年以来腹地湖泊补给源或受气候干暖化影响使其水化学特性较边缘湖泊的变化大.     

Sediment accumulation rates in subarctic lakes: Insights into age-depth modeling from 22 dated lake records from the Northwest Territories,Canada

Age-depth modeling using Bayesian statistics requires well-informed prior information about the behavior of sediment accumulation. Here we present average sediment accumulation rates (represented as deposition times, DT, in yr/cm) for lakes in an Arctic setting, and we examine the variability across space (intra- and inter-lake) and time (late Holocene). The dataset includes over 100 radiocarbon dates, primarily on bulk sediment, from 22 sediment cores obtained from 18 lakes spanning the boreal to tundra ecotone gradients in subarctic Canada. There are four to twenty-five radiocarbon dates per core, depending on the length and character of the sediment records. Deposition times were calculated at 100-year intervals from age-depth models constructed using the ‘classical’ age-depth modeling software Clam. Lakes in boreal settings have the most rapid accumulation (mean DT 20 ± 10 yr/cm), whereas lakes in tundra settings accumulate at moderate (mean DT 70 ± 10 yr/cm) to very slow rates, (>100 yr/cm). Many of the age-depth models demonstrate fluctuations in accumulation that coincide with lake evolution and post-glacial climate change. Ten of our sediment cores yielded sediments as old as c. 9000 cal BP (BP = years before AD 1950). From between c. 9000 cal BP and c. 6000 cal BP, sediment accumulation was relatively rapid (DT of 20–60 yr/cm). Accumulation slowed between c. 5500 and c. 4000 cal BP as vegetation expanded northward in response to warming. A short period of rapid accumulation occurred near 1200 cal BP at three lakes. Our research will help inform priors in Bayesian age modeling.     

Climate changes in East China since the Late-glacial inferred from high-resolution mountain peat humification records

High-resolution peat humification records were obtained from Dajiuhu of the Shennongjia Mountains and Qianmutian of the Tianmu Mountains to study climate changes in East China. The analyses of pollen, organic matters, TOC, and Rb/Sr indicate a high degree of peat humification and thus strong decomposition of organic matter when climate was dry. Conversely, when climate was humid, the degree of humification is low because peat was preserved in a waterlogged condition. Peat humification from Dajiuhu occurred not only during the Younger Dryas (about 11.4–12.6 cal ka BP), the Bølling-Allerød Warm Period (12.6–15.2 cal ka BP), and the Oldest Dryas (about 15.2–16.0 cal ka BP), but also during the early Holocene (about 11.4–9.4 cal ka BP), the 8.2 cal ka BP cold event, and the Holocene Optimum (about 7.0–4.2 cal ka BP). Both peat humification records since nearly 5 ka BP are consistent, showing that mountain peatland has synchronous responses to the East Asia monsoon-induced precipitation. The LOI data confirm the above observation. The monsoon precipitation since nearly 5 ka BP recorded in these two peat profiles can be divided into three phases. During 4.9–3.5 ka BP, precipitation amount was high but fluctuated greatly. During 3.5–0.9 ka BP, precipitation amount was low. During 0.9–0 ka BP, degree of humification reduced gradually, indicating the increase of monsoon precipitation. Contrast to other high-resolution records from East China monsoon region shows that the monsoon precipitation records of the two peat profiles since nearly 16 ka BP are controlled by a common forcing mechanism of summer solar radicalization in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

The hydrology and water balance of megadunes and lakes have been investigated in the Badain Jaran Desert of China. Field observations and analyses of sand layer water content, field capacity, secondary salt content, and grain size reveal 3 types of important natural phenomenon: (a) vegetation bands on the leeward slope of the megadunes reflect the hydrological regime within the sandy vadose zone; (b) seepage, wet sand deposits, and secondary salt deposits indicate the pattern of water movement within the sandy vadose zone; (c) zones of groundwater seeps and descending springs around the lakes reflect the influence of the local topography on the hydrological regime of the megadunes. The seepage exposed on the sloping surface of the megadunes and gravity water contained within the sand layer confirm the occurrence of preferential flow within the vadose zone of the megadunes. Alternating layers of coarse and fine sand create the conditions for the formation of preferential flows. The preferential flows promote movement of water within the sand layer water that leads to deep penetration of water within the megadunes and ultimately to the recharging of groundwater and lake water. Our results indicate that a positive water balance promotes recharge of the megadunes, which depends on the high permeability of the megadune material, the shallow depth of the surface sand layer affected by evaporation, the occurrence of rainfall events exceeding 15 mm, and the sparse vegetation cover. Water balance estimates indicate that the annual water storage of the megadunes is about 7.5 mm, accounting for only 8% of annual precipitation; however, the shallow groundwater per unit area under the megadunes receives only 3.6% of annual precipitation, but it is still able to maintain a dynamic balance of the lake water. From a water budget perspective, the annual water storage in the megadunes is sufficient to serve as a recharge source for lake water, thereby enabling the long‐term persistence of the lakes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that precipitation is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid deserts.     

Radiocarbon wiggle-match dating of proglacial lake sediments – Implications for the 8.2 ka event

The problem of insufficient age-control limits the utilisation of the 8.2 ka BP event for modelling freshwater forcing in climate change studies. High-resolution radiocarbon dates, magnetic susceptibility and lithostratigraphic evidence from a lake sediment core from Nedre Hervavatnet located at Sygnefjell in western Norway provide a record of the early Holocene. We use the method of radiocarbon wiggle-match dating of the lake sediments using the non-linear relationship between the ¹⁴C calibration curve and the consecutive accumulation order of the sample series in order to build a high-resolution age-model. The timing and duration of Holocene environmental changes is estimated using 38 AMS radiocarbon dates on terrestrial macrofossils, insects and chironomids covering the time period from 9750 to 1180 cal BP. Chironomids, Salix and Betula leaves produce the most consistent results. Sedimentological and physical properties of the core suggest that three meltwater events with high sedimentation rates are superimposed on a long-term trend with glacier retreat between 9750 and 8000 cal BP. The lake sediment sequence of Nedre Hervavatnet demonstrates the following: only a reliable high-resolution geochronology based on carefully selected terrestrial macrofossils allows the reconstruction of a more refined and complex environmental change history before and during the 8.2 ka event.     

全新世镜泊湖粒度特征记录的该地区古降水变化历史

在湖泊沉积与环境演变研究中,粒度参数通常用来反映湖泊水动力条件的变化,进而反映湖面波动状况以及湖区环境有效湿度的变化．镜泊湖JPH-1钻孔沉积物粒度分析表明:全新世以来镜泊湖沉积物粒度的变化呈现明显的粗细交替变化的规律性．结合14C测年,镜泊湖沉积物粒度特征有效地指示了历史时期镜泊湖水动力变化的情况．进而揭示了该地区古降水的变化历史．9300-8540cal aBP,是一个降水较少的偏干旱时期;8540-6350 cal aBP,降水颇丰的湿润时期; 6350-3120cal aBF,气候波动频繁,前期(6350-4800 cal aBP)由湿润向干旱过渡,后期(4800-3120cal aBP左右)又由于早转向湿润,31 20-1 580 cal aBP,降水较多,气候湿润;1 580 cal aBP至今,降水变化波动剧烈,这阶段粒度特征的变化除了与降水的自然变化有关外,还与人类活动的剧烈影响有关系．湖区周围人类活动破坏了原始植被,大量地表裸露,降水冲刷地表作用明显增大,陆源物质被携带人湖,粗颗粒含量显著增多．     

The paleoenvironmental significance of spatial distributions of grain size in groundwater‐recharged lakes: A case study in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert,northwest China

For lakes in desert hinterlands that are not recharged by river runoff, sediment input solely comes from wind transport. While the processes of sediment transport and deposition in these lakes differ significantly from those with river discharge, the spatial distribution of sediment grain size in these groundwater‐recharged lakes remains largely unknown. Moreover, whether the grain size distribution in these lake sediments can be used as a proxy in the study of past climatic change and environmental evolution studies is unclear. In this study, five lakes with a range of surface areas that had no runoff recharge were selected from the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert of north‐western China, and a total of 108 samples of lake surface sediments were collected to examine the spatial distribution of grain size. Moreover, an end‐member‐modeling algorithm was used to calculate end members from all grain size measurements. Our results showed that both the median and mean grain sizes in the lake sediments decreased from the nearshore to the offshore, deep‐water zone. However, the lowest median and mean grain sizes were not found in the center of the lakes, in contrast to lakes recharged by surface runoff. The median grain size of sediment in the lake center was negatively correlated with lake level, and thus could help reveal lake evolution at low resolutions. Moreover, EM1 and EM2 were interpreted as wind transported sediment, and sediment perturbed by lake waves after wind transport, respectively. The modal grain size of EM1 varied slightly between lakes, while changes in the modal grain size of EM2 were related to lake area. Given the positive relationship found between EM2 content and lake level, changes in the EM2 content (%) can serve as a rough indicator of lake level fluctuations at low temporal resolutions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Luminescence dating of shoreline sediments indicates a late deglacial lake-level rise of Selin Co on the central Tibetan Plateau

The palaeo-shorelines around the lakes on the Tibetan Plateau can be used to reconstruct water level variations, which serve as sensitive indicators of hydroclimate change. Extensive studies have been carried out to constrain the Holocene lake level fluctuations by dating shorelines with a variety of methods (e.g., luminescence, ¹⁴C, ¹⁰Be and U–Th series). In comparison, the timing of the lake level variations during the last glacial and subsequent deglaciation periods has been rarely studied. The driving factors of such changes, therefore, remain elusive. In this study, we performed a detailed luminescence dating investigation on six samples taken from a nearshore sedimentary outcrop in the south of Selin Co basin. The post-IR IRSL signals measured at 225 °C (pIRIR₂₂₅) on sand-sized K-feldspar grains demonstrated a generally good behavior and yielded reliable chronologies, while the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signals of quartz showed systematical age underestimation, which was attributed to anomalous fading. Six pIRIR₂₂₅ ages ranging from 15 to 10 ka suggested that the lake level of Selin Co during the last deglaciation reached up to 40–45 m high above the modern lake level. In view of the regional precipitation and temperature proxy records, we consider that the glacier meltwater supply has likely been the primary contributor to the lake highstands during the last deglaciation.     

Abrupt vegetation shifts caused by gradual climate changes in central Asia during the Holocene

Understanding the response of ecosystems to past climate is critical for evaluating the impacts of future climate changes. A large-scale abrupt shift of vegetation in response to the Holocene gradual climate changes has been well documented for the Sahara-Sahel ecosystem. Whether such a non-linear response is of universal significance remains to be further addressed. Here, we examine the vegetation-climate relationships in central Asia based on a compilation of 38 high-quality pollen records. The results show that the Holocene vegetation experienced two major abrupt shifts, one in the early Holocene (Shift I, establishing shift) and another in the late Holocene (Shift II, collapsing shift), while the mid-Holocene vegetation remained rather stable. The timings of these shifts in different regions are asynchronous, which are not readily linkable with any known abrupt climate shifts, but are highly correlated with the local rainfalls. These new findings suggest that the observed vegetation shifts are attributable to the threshold effects of the orbital-induced gradual climate changes. During the early Holocene, the orbital-induced precipitation increase would have first reached the threshold for vegetation “establishment” for moister areas, but significantly later for drier areas. In contrast, the orbital-induced precipitation decrease during the late Holocene would have first reached the threshold, and led to the vegetation “collapse” for drier areas, but delayed for moister areas. The well-known 4.2 kyr BP drought event and human intervention would have also helped the vegetation collapses at some sites. These interpretations are strongly supported by our surface pollen-climate analyses and ecosystem simulations. These results also imply that future climate changes may cause abrupt changes in the dry ecosystem once the threshold is reached.     

A high-resolution climatic change since the Late Glacial Age inferred from multi-proxy of sediments in Qinghai Lake

The study of climatic changes since the Late Glacial Age has become one of the hotspots of the PAGES in recent years.Deep-sea cores from the high-latitude area show that the climate was very unstable during the transitional period from the Late Glacial Age to the Holocene[1,2],which has also been testified by the geological records from ocean sediments,ice cores and terrestrial sections in different latitudes of the earth[3—8].What’s more,climatic instability also ex-isted in the Holoce…