An 8.1Ma calcite record of Asian summer monsoon evolution on the Chinese central Loess Plateau

Carbonates in loess-red clay sequences consist mainly of calcite and dolomite. The EDTA analysis of carbonates in different size fractions and magnetic susceptibility reveal that calcite is a sensitive index of summer monsoon. The chemical analysis of carbonates and calcite from an 8.1 Ma loess-red clay sequence at Chaona on the Chinese central Loess Plateau shows that the evolution of the Asian summer monsoon experienced four stages, namely 8.1―5.5 Ma, 5.5―2.8 Ma, 2.8―1.5 Ma and 1.5―0 Ma, with increasing intensification and fluctuation, suggesting a possible combining impacts of uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and global changes on the Asian summer monsoon.     

青藏高原季节冻融过程与东亚大气环流关系的研究

利用青藏高原46个气象站的最大冻土深度观测资料、中国160个气象站降水资料和NCAR/NCEP资料，对青藏高原冻土的季节性冻融过程进行合成分析，发现青藏高原土壤的季节冻融过程对青藏高原上空及东亚大气环流有显著的影响，在高原最大冻土深度较小的年份中，7月份，南亚高压强且偏西，500hPa印度低压强，西太平洋副热带高压弱且偏东，高原南部的东风较强；最大冻土深度较大的年份，南亚高压弱且偏东，印度低压弱，西太平洋副热带高压强且偏西. 在不同的冻融年份，850hPa上纬向风的差异显著区反映了西南季风的活动. 最大冻土深度与中国夏季（7月份）降水有3条显著相关带，雨带的分布与中国夏季平均雨带相吻合. 由此，青藏高原季节冻融过程引起的水热变化是影响东亚气候的一个重要外源.     

Eolian evidence from the Chinese Loess Plateau: the onset of the Late Cenozoic Great Glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift forcing

On the basis of a newly-constructed record of magnetic susceptibility (SUS) and the depositional rate change of eolian loess-red clay sequences in the last 7.2 Ma BP from the hea Plateau, together with a cornperison of a record of °¹⁸O values from the equatorial East Pacific Ocean and eolian Quartz flux variations fmm the North Pacific Ocean, the evolutiomuy process of the Late Cenozoic Great Glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere can be divided into three stages: the arrival stage around 7.2–3.4 Ma BP, the initial stage at about 3.4—2.6 Ma BP, and the Great Ice Age since 2.6 Ma BP. The evolution of the East Asian monsoon is characterized by paid winter and summer monsoons, and it is basically composed of the initial stage of weak winter and summer monsoons, the transitional stage of simultaneous increase in intensity of winter and summer monsoons, and the prevailing stage of strong winter and week summer monsoons, or weak winter and strong summer monsoons. The Late Cenowic global tectonic uplift, paaicdarly the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift and the associated CO₂ concentration variation, controls the dng processes of the onset of Great Glaciation and the long-term changes of East Asian monsoom climate in the Northern Hemisphere to a large extent. The accelerating uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau between 3.4 and 2.6 Ma BP provided an important driving force to global climiatic change. Project supported by the foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZ951-A1-402), the State Science and Technology Committee (Grant No. 95-pre-40)and the Chinese Nature Science Foundation (Grant No. 49672140)     

The evolution of coupling of Asian winter monsoon and high latitude climate of Northern Hemisphere

The evolution and driving mechanism of the Asian winter monsoon system are of great importance to understanding the present-day climate. Through high-resolution particle size analysis of the oldest loess-red clay sequence known so far (with a basal age of about 8 Ma) and comparison of the results with oxygen isotope curves from North Atlantic marine sediments, 4 stages of the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon were clearly demonstrated. During the first stage, between about 8.1 and 4.3 Ma, there was no relation between Asian winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate inferred from marine sediments. A weak relation developed during the second stage, about 4.3 to 3.5 Ma. During the third stage (3.5 to 2.6 Ma) an Asian winter monsoon system similar to the present formed, initiating a stronger relation between the winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate. In the final stage (2.6 to 0 Ma) the present Asian winter monsoon system was fortified and stabilized and changes in the winter monsoon system were almost in phase with Northern Hemisphere ice volume and climate. The staggered uplift of Tibetan Plateau at ≈8, 3.6, 2.6 Ma and later might be the driving force for the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon.

     

Evolution of the monsoon and dry climate in East Asia during late Cenozoic: A review

Climate in Eastern Asia is composed of monsoon climate in the east,arid and semi-arid climate in the north and west,and the cold and dry climate of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the southwest.The underlying causes for the evolution of East Asian climate during late Cenozoic have long been investigated and debated,particularly with regards to the role played by the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau uplift and the global cooling.In this paper,we reviewed major research developments in this area,and summarized the important results.Based on a synthesis of data,we propose that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau uplift alone cannot fully explain the formation of monsoon and arid climates in Eastern Asia during the past 22–25 Ma.Other factors such as the global ice volume and high-latitude temperature changes have also played a vital role.Moreover,atmospheric CO2changes may have modulated the monsoon and dry climate changes by affecting the location of the inter-tropical convergence zone(ITCZ),which controls the monsoon precipitation zone and the track of the East Asian winter monsoon during late Cenozoic.The integration of high-resolution geological record and numerical paleoclimate modeling could make new contributions to understanding the climate evolution and variation in eastern Asia in future studies.It could facilitate the investigation of the regional differences in East Asian environmental changes and the asynchronous nature between the uplift of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and their climatic effects.These would be the keys to understanding underlying driving forces for the evolution of the East Asian climate.     

Late quaternary monsoon patterns on the Loess Plateau of China

China's Loess Plateau was formed under special conditions. The tectonic movement, topographical characteristics, and monsoon patterns combined to create a favourable environment for the accumulation of thick loessic deposits. The Loess Plateau itself is part of the ‘Monsoon Triangle’ of China, a region very susceptible to climatic changes. Throughout the Upper Pleistocene the palaeoenvironment on the Loess Plateau alternated from steppe, to deciduous forest and coniferous forest, in response to shifts in the atmospheric circulation. Three monsoon patterns appear to be indicated: (1) a full glacial monsoon pattern (18000–15000 yr BP) which induced a cold and dry climate favouring loess accumulation in steppe conditions; (2) an interglacial monsoon pattern (last interglacial and Holocene) in which a warm humid climate prevailed with deciduous forests, leaving palaeosols interbedded within the loess sequence; and (3) a transitional or interstadial monsoon pattern (50 000–23 000 yr BP) in which the climate was cold and humid in the Loess Plateau, encouraging the development of coniferous forest.     

An overview of the influence of atmospheric circulation on the climate in arid and semi-arid region of Central and East Asia

The arid and semi-arid (ASA) region of Asia occupies a large area in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, of which the main body is the ASA region of Central and East Asia (CEA). In this region, the climate is fragile and the environment is sensitive. The eastern part of the ASA region of CEA is located in the marginal zone of the East Asian monsoon and is jointly influenced by westerly circulation and the monsoon system, while in the western part of the ASA of CEA, the climate is mainly controlled by westerly circulation. To understand and predict the climate over this region, it is necessary to investigate the influence of general circulation on the climate system over the ASA region of CEA. In this paper, recent progress in understanding the relationship between the general circulation and climate change over the ASA region is systematically reviewed. Previous studies have demonstrated that atmospheric circulation represents a significant factor in climate change over the ASA region of CEA. In the years with a strong East Asian summer monsoon, the water vapor flux increases and precipitation is abundant in the southeastern part of Northwest China. The opposite situation occurs in years when the East Asian summer monsoon is weak. With the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon, the climate tends to dry over the semi-arid region located in the monsoon marginal zone. Recently, owing to the strengthening of the South Asian monsoon, more water vapor has been transported to the ASA region of Asia. The Plateau summer monsoon intensity and the precipitation in summer exhibit a significant positive correlation in Central Asia but a negative correlation in North China and Mongolia. A significant positive correlation also exists between the westerly index and the temperature over the arid region of CEA. The change in the westerly circulation may be the main factor affecting precipitation over the arid region of Central Asia.     

Magnetostratigraphy and palaeoclimate of Red Clay sequences from Chinese Loess Plateau

Two Red Clay profiles near Xi’an and Xifeng were investigated in an attempt to determine magnetostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic records. The results show that aeolian dust accumulation and the related East Asia palaeomonsoon system had begun by 6.5 Ma, and it is deduced that the Tibetan Plateau had reached a significant elevation at that time. The late Tertiary palaeoclimatic history of the Red Clay as reflected by magnetic susceptibility is reconstructed during the period of 6.5–2.5 Ma. Stepwise increase in susceptibility of aeolian dust accumulation appears to have a close correlation to the uplift processes of the Tibetan Plateau. The remarkable increase of aeolian dust accumulation at 3.2 Ma appears to be due to the influence of global ice volume on the East Asia monsoon. Palaeomonsoon variation during the late Tertiary as recorded in the Red Clay sequences from the Chinese Loess Plateau can be regarded as the product of a number of interacting factors, such as uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, solar radiation, global ice volume, etc. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Foundation of Xi’an Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Continental drift,plateau uplift,and the evolutions of monsoon and arid regions in Asia,Africa, and Australia during the Cenozoic

Monsoon and arid regions in the Asia-Africa-Australia(A-A-A) realm occupy more than 60% of the total area of these continents. Geological evidence showed that significant changes occurred to the A-A-A environments of the monsoon and arid regions, the land-ocean configuration in the Eastern Hemisphere, and the topography of the Tibetan Plateau(TP) in the Cenozoic. Motivated by this background, numerical experiments for 5 typical geological periods during the Cenozoic were conducted using a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model to systemically explore the formations and evolutionary histories of the Cenozoic A-A-A monsoon and arid regions under the influences of continental drift and plateau uplift. Results of the numerical experiments indicate that the timings and causes of the formations of monsoon and arid regions in the A-A-A realm were very different. The northern and southern African monsoons existed during the mid-Paleocene, while the South Asian monsoon appeared in the Eocene after the Indian Subcontinent moved into the tropical Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, the East Asian monsoon and northern Australian monsoon were established much later in the Miocene. The establishment of the tropical monsoons in northern and southern Africa, South Asia, and Australia were determined by both the continental drift and seasonal migration of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ), while the position and height of the TP were the key factor for the establishment of the East Asian monsoon. The presence of the subtropical arid regions in northern and southern Africa,Asia, and Australia depended on the positions of the continents and the control of the planetary scale subtropical high pressure zones, while the arid regions in the Arabian Peninsula and West Asia were closely related to the retreat of the Paratethys Sea. The formation of the mid-latitude arid region in the Asian interior, on the other hand, was the consequence of the uplift of the TP.These results from this study provide insight to the important roles played by the earth's tectonic boundary conditions in the formations and evolutions of regional climates during geological times.     

上新世以来构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响

大量地质证据表明,上新世以来(最近5 MaB.P.)青藏高原北部及非洲东部和南部地区出现过显著的构造隆升,而与此同时亚洲季风也经历了显著变化,这两者之间是否存在着因果联系一直是地学界所关心和争论的一个重要科学问题.本文利用美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)的公用大气模式(CAM 3.1)就上新世以来青藏高原北部及东-南非高原的构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响进行了数值试验研究.结果表明,上新世以来亚洲夏季风的增强与两地构造隆升密切相关,但两者隆升对于亚洲季风子系统的作用是有区别的.青藏高原北部隆升主要造成东亚北部夏季风的增强及季风降水的增多,但对南亚夏季风的作用较小;东-南非高原的隆升明显增强南亚夏季风,但对东亚北部夏季风的影响有限.     

A new pollen record of the last 2.8 Ma from the Co Ngoin,central Tibetan Plateau

A new pollen record from the lake of Co Ngoin in the central Tibetan Plateau provides information on the vegetation and climate changes during the last 2.8 Ma. Seven major significant changes in pollen associations indicate the processes of vegetation change and possible tectonic uplifts. The seven changes in vegetation succession include a temperate montane conifer and broad-leaved mixed forest, cold temperate montane dark conifer forest, alpine shrub-meadow and alpine desert, montane dark coniferous forest and alpine shrub meadow, montane dark coniferous forest and alpine shrub meadow, montane dark coniferous forest and alpine meadow, and alpine desert and meadow. The pollen record provides the evidence of at least five times tectonic uplifts occurring at about 2.58 Ma, 1.87 Ma, 1.17 Ma, 0.83 Ma, and 0.3 Ma ago, respectively. Before 0.8 Ma, this region maintained the altitude below 4000 m a.s.l. Larger amplitude of uplift occurring at about 0.8 Ma ago enforced the plateau rising into cryosphere, shaping the basic topographic pattern of modern plateau. The major successions in vegetation of this area were largely controlled by stepwise uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

     

Impacts of thermodynamic processes over the Tibetan Plateau on the Northern Hemispheric climate

We here report our recent research results on the climatic features of Tibetan thermodynamic functions and their impacts on the regional climates of the Northern Hemisphere. The results show that the thermodynamic processes over the Tibetan Plateau not only strongly influence the Asian monsoon and precipitation, but also modulate the atmospheric circulation and climate over North America and Europe through stimulating the large-scale teleconnections such as the Asian-Pacific oscillation and affect the atmospheric circulation over the southern Indian Ocean. The Tibetan climate may be affected by sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific. On the other hand, the Tibetan climate also affects the atmosphere-ocean interactions in the tropics and mid-latitudes of the Pacific by the atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific. In spring and summer, the thermodynamic anomalies on the plateau affect the subtropical high pressure, the Hadley circulation, and the intertropical convergence zone over the Pacific, and then modulate the development of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It is necessary to study the forecasting methods for the development of ENSO from the Tibetan climate anomaly. This result also embodies the essence of interactions among land, atmosphere, and ocean over the Northern Hemisphere. Since the previous studies focused on impacts of the plateau on climates in the Asian monsoon regions, it is essential to pay more attention to studying the roles of the plateau in the Northern Hemispheric and even global climates.     

Origin of the Red Earth sequence on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and its implications for regional aridity since the middle Miocene

Desiccation in the interior of Asia is an important aspect of paleoclimate change during the Cenozoic era[1,2]. Research[3,4] shows that the widely distributed loess deposits in China were mainly transported by northwesterly and northerly winds from deserts and the Gobi region; in addition, an indispensable re- quirement for the generation of aeolian sediment is the presence of dry lands in central Asia[5,6]. The aeolian deposits in China provide an especially useful record of desiccation pr…     

Precipitation seesaw phenomenon and its formation mechanism in the eastern and western parts of Northwest China during the flood season

Extending across three major plateaus,namely the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Plateau and the Loess Plateau,Northwest China has the complex terrain and spatio-temporal climate variations,and is affected by the interactions among different circulation systems,such as the summer monsoon,the westerlies and the plateau monsoon.The understanding of the climate variability,as well as its characteristics and evolution mechanisms in this area has been limited so far.In this paper,the precipitation characteristics and mechanisms in the eastern and western parts of Northwest China during the flood season are compared and analyzed based on the data from 192 national meteorological observational sites in Northwest China in 1961-2016.The results show that,divided by the northern boundary of the East Asian summer monsoon,there are huge differences in the precipitation variation characteristics between the eastern and western parts.The inter-annual variations,interdecadal variations and total trends in the two parts all show a significant seesaw phenomenon.Moreover,it is found that the seesaw phenomenon of precipitation variation is closely related to the opposite variation between the East Asian summer monsoon index(MI) and the westerly circulation index(WI).In addition,the inverse variations on different time scales are only related to the contributions of precipitation at specific grades.Besides,in the two matching patterns of precipitation in the seesaw phenomenon,the middle and high latitudes are occupied by the "high-low-high" wave trains in the precipitation increases in the east of Northwest China(ENWC) and decreases in the west of Northwest China(WNWC) pattern,meaning precipitation increases in ENWC and decreases in WNWC.Whereas the opposite "low-high-low" wave trains at 500 hPa height are observed in the middle and high latitudes in the WH-EA pattern at 500 hPa height,meaning precipitation increases in WNWC and decreases in ENWC.Thus,the atmosphere circulation situation with two wave train types can support both the precipitation seesaw phenomenon and the opposite variation between MI and WI.Moreover,the seesaw phenomenon is shown to be related to the separate or joint effects of the South Asian High,ENSO and the plateau heating on the common but opposite effect on the summer monsoon and the westerlies,in which the South Asian High probably plays a more critical role.This study could deepen the scientific understanding of precipitation mechanisms and improve the weather forecast technology in Northwest China during the flood season.     

High-resolution peat records for Holocene monsoon history in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Holocene peat sediment has been attached impor-tance to reconstruct the Holocene climatic variations because it can provide much palaeoclimatic informa-tion with high resolution. Analysis on the plant mac-rofossil[1], pollen[2―4], isotope ratio[5―9], element con-tent[10,11], total organic carbon (TOC)[12], humifica-tion[13,14] and grayscale[12] for peat sediment has shown its superiorities as a recorder medium for reconstruct-ing the Holocene climate. Hong et al. have done great fruitful w…     

Grain-size records at ODP Site 1146 from the northern South China Sea: Implications on the East Asian monsoon evolution since 20 Ma

273 samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for grain-size distributions using grain-size class vs. standard deviation method and end-member modeling algorithm (EMMA) in order to investigate the evolution of the East Asian monsoon since about 20 Ma. 10–19 μm/1.3–2.4 μm, the ratio of two grain-size populations with the highest variability through time was used to indicate East Asian winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The mass accumulation rate of the coarsest end member EM1 (eolian), resulting from EMMA, can be used as a proxy of winter monsoon strength and Asian inland aridity, and the ratio of EM1/(EM2 EM3) as a proxy of winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The combined proxies show that a profound enhancement of East Asian winter monsoon strength and winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon occurred at about 8 Ma, and it is possible that the summer monsoon simultaneously intensified with winter monsoon at 3 Ma. Our results are well consistent with the previous studies in loess, eolian deposion in the Pacifc, radiolarians and planktonic foraminifera in the SCS. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 8 Ma and 3 Ma.     

El Nino演变不同阶段东亚大气环流年际异常型的数值模拟

给定1948～1999年逐月变化的全球观测的海表温度分布，使用全球大气环流模式（CCM3/NCAR）模拟了大气对海表温度变化的响应，利用SVD和合成检验方法，分析了El Nino发展阶段夏季、成熟阶段冬季以及衰亡阶段夏季东亚大气环流的年际异常型.结果表明：El Nino发展阶段夏季，中国东北、朝鲜半岛以及日本海附近为高度负异常中心，西太平洋副高偏弱、偏东，东亚夏季风增强；El Nino成熟阶段冬季，东亚大槽加强，东亚北部冬季风加强；El Nino衰亡阶段夏季，西太平洋副高偏强、偏南、西伸，东亚夏季风减弱；El Nino事件在其衰亡阶段夏季与东亚大气环流异常的关系最紧密，其次是成熟阶段冬季，最后是发展阶段夏季.模拟的El Nino演变不同阶段东亚大气环流年际异常型易于解释以往研究中观测分析揭示的由El Nino造成的我国东部气温和降水异常型.     

Sensitivity of the central Asian climate to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in the coupled climate model (MRI-CGCM1)

Abstract   The relationship between the altitude of the Tibetan Plateau and climate change in central Asia was investigated through a numeric experiment using the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model I (MRI-CGCM1). The results suggest that summer precipitation in central Asia decreased significantly as the Tibetan Plateau rose in height. Spring precipitation, however, increased during initial growth stages when the plateau height was up to 40% of its present-day height, and then decreased with further plateau growth. During the Tibetan Plateau uplift, the difference between precipitation and evaporation was minimal during spring. When the plateau attained a height exceeding 60% of its present height, relatively low precipitation but high evaporation in spring led to a lower amount of ground moisture. In the case of the high plateau, sensible heat flux during summer and fall largely exceeded latent heat flux. Change was particularly significant for cases when the plateau reached 40–60% of its present-day height. The duration of the predominant sensible heat flux became longer with the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The period in which latent heat exceeded sensible heat seems to have been restricted to winter and early spring. The numeric experiments suggest that a significant drying of central Asia corresponded to the period in which the Tibetan Plateau exceeded approximately half its present-day height.     

CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风指数变化及其与冬季大气环流和气温关系的模拟评估

本文评估了44个CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风环流系统,特别是东亚冬季风指数及其对应的环流和气温特征的模拟能力.结果表明:CMIP5模式对地表气温和500 hPa位势高度场模拟效果最好,对200 hPa纬向风的模拟次之,而对海平面气压和850 hPa经向风的模拟相对较差.与单个模式相比,多模式集合(MME)的模拟能力要更优,其能够很好地再现西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚低层偏北风、中层东亚大槽、高层东亚西风急流以及地表气温的空间分布.不过,模拟的环流系统偏强,造成东亚地表气温总体偏低.对于东亚冬季风指数,分别选取基于300 hPa纬向风(I_(Jhun))、850 hPa风场(I_(Wang))、500 hPa位势高度(I_(Cui))、以及海平面气压(I_(Guo))定义的四个指数表征东亚冬季风强度.MME能很好地模拟I_(Cui)和I_(Wang)指数的长期变化,还能合理再现四个指数所指示的东亚冬季风环流和气温的变化特征:对应冬季风偏强年份,西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚沿岸低层北风、东亚大槽和高空西风急流加强,东亚大陆地表气温和极端低温降低,但变化的幅度比观测结果偏弱.     

Wet surface resistance of forest canopy in monsoon Asia: Implications for eddy‐covariance measurement of evapotranspiration

During the Asian monsoon period, intense precipitation commonly occurs for an extended period in accompaniment with a reduction in solar radiation. This suggests that wet surface evapotranspiration is an important contributor to the total evapotranspiration. Therefore, investigating evapotranspiration over a wet canopy surface is critical to achieve a better understanding of water and energy cycles in Asia. In this study, we estimated surface resistances under wet conditions in a mixed forest influenced by the East Asian monsoon system. We showed that the surface resistance had a non‐negligible magnitude of about 30 sm^?1 even under wet conditions. We also found that the ratio between the actual and potential evapotranspiration depended on the friction velocity regardless of the time of day. Our analyses suggest that this dependency is tightly related to the underestimation of turbulent fluxes by the eddy‐covariance system under wet surface conditions. Together, our findings suggest that the wet surface resistance, although small, should be considered in simulating evapotranspiration because the forest ecosystem is strongly coupled to the overlying atmosphere. This could significantly improve the shortcomings of evapotranspiration measurement and modeling in Asian forest canopies influenced by the monsoon system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.