Lake-level changes during the past 100,000 years at Lake Baikal, southern Siberia

Lake-level changes inferred from seismic surveying and core sampling of the floor of Lake Baikal near the Selenga River delta can be used to constrain regional climatic history and appear to be correlated to global climate changes represented by marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS). The reflection pattern and correlation to the isotope stages indicate that the topset and progradational foreset sediments of the deltas formed during periods of stable lake levels and warm climatic conditions. During warm stages, the lake level was high, and during cold stages it was low. The drop in the lake level due to cooling from MIS 5 through MIS 4 is estimated to be 33-38 m; from MIS 3 through MIS 2, it fell an additional 11-15 m. Because the lake level is chiefly controlled by evaporation and river input, we infer that more water was supplied to Lake Baikal during warm stages.     

Phytoliths as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in China II: palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in the Loess Plateau

Quantitative reconstruction of the climatic history of the Chinese Loess Plateau is important for understanding present and past environment and climate changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we reconstructed mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) trends during the last 136 ka based on the analysis of phytoliths from the Weinan loess section (34°24′N, 109°30′E) near the southern part of the Loess Plateau in northern China. The reconstructions have been carried out using a Chinese phytolith–climate calibration model based on weighted averaging partial least-squares regression. A series of cold and dry events, as indicated by the reconstructed MAT and MAP, are documented in the loess during the last glacial periods, which can be temporally correlated with the North Atlantic Heinrich events. Our MAT and MAP estimations show that the coldest and/or driest period occurred at the upper part of L2 unit (Late MIS 6), where MAT dropped to ca 4.4 °C and MAP to ca 100 mm. Two other prominent cold-dry periods occurred at lower Ll-5 (ca 77–62 ka) and L1-1 (ca 23–10.5 ka) where the MAT and MAP decreased to about 6.1–6.5 °C and 150–370 mm, respectively, ca 6.6–6.2 °C and 400–200 mm lower than today. However, the highest MAT (average 14.6 °C, max. 18.1 °C) and MAP (average 757 mm, max. 1000 mm) occurred at Sl interval (MIS 5). During the interstadial of L1-4–L1-2 (MIS 3) and during the Holocene warm-wet period, the MAT was about 1–2 °C and MAP 100–150 mm higher than today in the Weinan region. The well-dated MAT and MAP reconstructions from the Chinese Loess Plateau presented in this paper are the first quantitatively reconstructed proxy record of climatic changes at the glacial–interglacial timescale that is based on phytolith data. This study also reveals a causal link between climatic instability in the Atlantic Ocean and climate variability in the Chinese Loess Plateau.     

四川盆地中生代古气候变化:来自深时古土壤证据

定量的古气候重建可为当前及未来可能的气候/环境变化提供基础性参考。发育自四川盆地中生代地层的古土壤蕴藏了丰富的陆相古气候信息,利用古土壤的地球化学指数、钙质古土壤成壤碳酸盐结核深度及其氧同位素组成与年均降水量、温度之间的关系,定量重建四川盆地中生代（晚三叠世晚期—白垩纪）年均降水量与温度的变化。结果表明:四川盆地中生代年均降水量变化较大,为145~1 400 mm;年均温度变化幅度相对较小,为7 °C~15 °C;总体上属于温带干旱—湿润交替的气候环境但以温带半干旱、干旱气候为主。其中晚三叠世晚期年均降水量为1 180~1 400 mm,年均温度为9 °C~15 °C,侏罗纪年均降水量为150~1 140 mm,年均温度为7 °C~15 °C,早白垩世早期与晚白垩世晚期的年均降水量与温度分别为150~720 mm、8 °C~12 °C和150~575 mm、10 °C~11 °C。区域陆相气候变化原因分析显示,波动的气候一方面与东亚季风环流、行星环流、区域构造运动导致的盆地内部山系隆起及古地理格局引起的焚风效应有关,另一方面还与区域构造运动引起海岸山脉裂解有关。     

How cold was it for Neanderthals moving to Central Europe during warm phases of the last glaciation?

Precise estimates of mean annual temperature (MAT) for when Neanderthals occupied Central Europe are critical for understanding the role that climatic and associated environmental factors played in Neanderthal migrations and in their ultimate extinction. Neanderthals were continuously present in the relatively warm regions of southern and Western Europe in the Pleistocene but only temporarily settled Central Europe (CE), presumably because of its colder and less hospitable climate. Here, we present a new approach for more spatially and temporally accurate estimation of palaeotemperatures based on the stable oxygen isotope composition of phosphates extracted from animal teeth found at sites linked directly to concurrent Neanderthal occupation. We provide evidence that Neanderthals migrated along the Odra Valley of CE during warmer periods throughout the Upper Pleistocene. The MATs during these migrations were about 6.8 °C for the warm phase of Oxygen Isotope Stage OIS 5a–d (prior to the OIS4 cold event) at ～115–74,000 yr BP and about 6.3 °C during the early OIS 3 warm phase ～59–41,000 yr BP. Our results show that temperatures during these phases peaked 2–4 °C above longer term estimates from ice cores and pollen records. We argue that our approach can provide valuable insights into evaluating the role of climate in human migration patterns in the Pleistocene.     

华北区第四纪植被演替与气候变化

文中华北区是指燕山、辽南一线以南、吕梁山以东、渭河谷地与准阳丘陵以北地区。该区属暖温带,即蒙古和东北寒温带、温带区域与华中和华东亚热带区域之间的过渡地带,故第四纪冰期、间冰期气候的变化,对本区的影响表现得很强烈,它引起第四纪植被的明显演替,是我国第四纪植被变化较大的两个区域之一(另一为青藏区)。     

The palaeoecoloical potential of pollen records in caves: the case of Mediterranean Spain

Important palynological sequences are reviewed from caves with archaeological interest in Mediterranean Spain. Upper Pleistocene sites include Abric Romanı́ and Abric de l’Arbreda in NE Spain, and in SE Spain Cueva de la Carihuela, Cova Beneito, Cueva de Perneras, Cueva del Algarrobo and the Holocene Cova de l’Or and Cova de les Cendres. Carihuela has the longest sequence, starting in the last interglacial and covering most of the last glaciation. A pre-Würm phase was followed by two glacial maxima separated by an interpleniglacial phase, and in the Lateglacial the Younger Dryas seems present. Whereas at Carihuela harsh pleniglacial conditions caused Mediterranean associations to disappear, in the milder surroundings of Beneito and Perneras these were able to survive. At Romanı́, pollen shows acute palaeoclimatic sensitivity, pointing to upland refuges nearby. Holocene pollen from Cova de l’Or and Cendres underlines the importance of pine in natural woodlands of mature meso and thermomediterranean taxa. Some between-site comparisons and contrasts with modern bioclimatology are interpreted in the context of the palaeoclimate history. Despite taphonomical and methodological problems of cave palynology, its future in arid regions such as SE Spain is promising.     

Paleoclimate and growth rates of speleothems in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula over the last two glacial cycles

Speleothem growth requires humid climates sufficiently warm to stimulate soil CO₂ production by plants. We compile 283 U/Th dates on 21 stalagmites from six cave systems in the NW coast of Spain to evaluate if there are patterns in stalagmite growth that are evidence of climatic forcing. In the oldest stalagmites, from marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 7–5, growth persists through the glacial period. Hiatuses and major reductions in growth rate occur during extreme minima in summer insolation. Stalagmites active during the last interglaciation cease growth at the MIS 5–4 boundary (74 ka), when regional sea-surface temperature cooled significantly. During MIS 3, only two stalagmites grew; rates were highest between 50 and 60 ka during the maximum in summer insolation. One stalagmite grew briefly at 41 ka, 36.5 and 28.6 ka, all during warm phases of the Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles. A pronounced Holocene optimum in stalagmite growth occurs from 9 to 6 ka. The cessation of most growth by 4.1 ka, coincident with broad increases in aridity over the Mediterranean and areas influenced by the North African Monsoon, suggest that regions such as NW Spain, with dominant Atlantic moisture sources, also experienced increased aridity at this time.     

Climate variability in the Salawusu River valley of the Ordos Plateau (Inner Mongolia,China) during Marine Isotope Stage 3

Fluctuations in climatic proxies of the Milanggouwan section in the Salawusu River valley of the Ordos Plateau (Inner Mongolia, China) during Marine Isotope stage 3 (MIS 3) coincide well with sedimentary cycles for palaeo‐mobile dune sands alternating with fluvial–lacustrine facies and palaeosols. We compared the palaeo‐mobile dune sands with modern mobile dune sands (products of a cold and dry climate dominated by the East Asian winter monsoon), whereas the fluvial–lacustrine facies and palaeosols were controlled by a wet–warm climate similar to that of the East Asian summer monsoon. The MIS 3 climate of the Salawusu River valley appears to have experienced at least nine wet–warm and ten cold–dry fluctuations, divided into five stages: MIS 3e (58 900–49500 yr BP), MIS 3d (49 500–40 700 yr BP), MIS 3c (40 700–36 900 yr BP), MIS 3b (36 900–27 000 yr BP) and MIS 3a (27 000–22 300 yr BP). The 19 cold–warm climatic fluctuations corresponded roughly to the GRIP and Guliyan records, and with fluctuations in the North Atlantic climate. Notable peaks in the spectral analysis occurred at 19 500 yr, 1020 yr, 640 yr and 500 yr. Our results show that the millennial–centennial climate was closely related to the relative strengths of East Asian monsoons, which are controlled by the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation, and which is also closely linked to the Sun's precession period. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate control on stacked paleosols in the Pleistocene of the Po Basin (northern Italy)

Paleosols are recurrent features in alluvial successions and provide information about past sedimentary dynamics and climate change. Through sedimentological analysis on six sediment cores, the mud-dominated succession beneath the medieval ‘Two Towers’ of Bologna was investigated down to 100 m depth. A succession of weakly developed paleosols (Inceptisols) was identified. Four paleosols (P1, P2, P3 and PH) were radiocarbon-dated to 40–10 cal ka bp . Organic matter and CaCO₃ determinations indicate low groundwater levels during soil development, which spanned periods < 5 ka. The development and burial of soils, which occurred synchronously in the Bologna region and in other sectors of the Po Plain, are interpreted to reflect climatic and eustatic variations. Climatic oscillations, at the scale of the Bond cycles, controlled soil development and burial during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (P1 and P2). Rapid sea-level oscillations probably induced soil development at the MIS 3/2 transition (P3) and favored burial of PH after 10 ka bp . Weakly developed paleosols in alluvial successions can provide clues to millennial-scale climatic and environmental variations. In particular, the paleosol-bearing succession of the Po Plain represents an unprecedent record of environmental changes across the Late Pleistocene (MIS 3 and 2) in the Mediterranean region.     

中更新世早中期以来黄河上游与三峡库区滑坡形成机理与气候变化关系研究

气候变化对滑坡的影响关系研究是近年来滑坡灾害研究的热点问题之一。本研究以我国中更新世早中期以来黄河上游和三峡库区的滑坡为研究对象,分析了其发育期与气候变化的对应关系以及气候演变对滑坡发育的作用机理。研究认为: 1）大型古滑坡在时空分布上具有明显的多期性和时段性,大区域滑坡的广泛发育与全球古环境变化的暖湿间冰期之间呈现良好的对应关系。2）黄河上游龙羊峡-刘家峡段干流区内共发育有3期滑坡,其中早期滑坡多披覆于黄河Ⅲ～Ⅳ级阶地,光释光年龄显示其发生于MIS3时期;  晚期滑坡多披覆于黄河Ⅱ级阶地,发育于MIS1时期;  现代滑坡披覆于黄河Ⅰ级阶地,多为早期滑坡前缘因人类工程活动诱发的次级滑坡。3）三峡库区中更新世早中期以来主要发育了3期古滑坡,并以深海氧同位素的MIS5和MIS3为最多,尤其是中更新世晚期以来,滑坡数量明显增加,延续时间明显增长。     

Evolution and architecture of a West Mediterranean Upper Pleistocene to Holocene coastal apron‐fan system

The Quaternary deposits of tectonically stable areas are a powerful tool to investigate high‐frequency climate variations (<10 ka) and to distinguish allogenic and autogenic factors controlling deposition. Therefore, an Upper Pleistocene–Holocene coastal apron‐fan system in north–western Sardinia (Porto Palmas, Italy) was studied to investigate the relations between climate changes, sea‐level fluctuations and sediment source‐supply that controlled its development. The sedimentary sequence records the strong influence of local (wet/dry) and worldwide (sea‐level) environmental variations in the sedimentation and preservation of the deposits. A multi‐disciplinary approach allowed subdivision of the succession into four major, unconformity‐bounded stratigraphic units: U1 U2, U3 and U4. Unit U1, tentatively dated to the warm and humid Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5, consists of sandy, gravelly coastal/beach deposits developed during high sea‐level in low‐lying areas. Unit U2 consists of debris‐flow dominated fan‐deposits (ca 74 ka; MIS 4), preserved as partial fills of small valleys and coves. Unit U2 is mainly composed of reddish silty conglomerate to pebbly siltstones sourced from the Palaeozoic metamorphic inland hills (bedrock), superficially disintegrated during the preceding warm, vegetation‐rich MIS 5. The cold and semi‐arid climate strongly reduced vegetation cover along the valley flanks. Therefore, sediment gravity‐flow processes, possibly activated by rainstorms, led to deposition of debris‐flow dominated fans. Unit U3 consists of water‐flow dominated alluvial‐fan deposits (ca 47 to 23 ka; MIS 3), developed on a slightly inclined coastal plain. Unit U3 is composed of sandstone and sandy conglomerate fed from two main sediment sources: metamorphic inland bedrock and Quaternary bioclastic‐rich shelf‐derived sands. During this cold phase, sea‐level dropped sufficiently to expose bioclastic sands accumulated on the shelf. Frequent climate fluctuations favoured inland aeolian transport of sand during dry phases, followed by reworking of the aeolian bodies by flash floods during wet phases. Bedrock‐derived fragments mixed with water‐reworked, wind‐blown sands led to the development of water‐flow dominated fans. The Dansgaard–Oeschger events possibly associated with sand landward deflation and main fan formations are Dansgaard–Oeschger 13 (ca 47 ka), Dansgaard–Oeschger 8 (ca 39 ka) and Dansgaard–Oeschger 2 (ca 23 ka). No record of sedimentation during MIS 2 was observed. Finally, bioclastic‐rich aeolianites (Unit U4, ca 10 to 5 ka; MIS 1), preserved on a coastal slope, were developed during the Holocene transgression (ca 10 to 5 ka; MIS 1). The studied sequence shows strong similarities with those of other Mediterranean sites; it is, however, one of the few where the main MIS 4 and MIS 3 climatic fluctuations are registered in the sedimentary record.     

基于端元法的银川盆地MIS6—MIS5气候变化探究

银川盆地位于东亚季风与西风带的交界带,地层沉积物记录着气候环境的演变信息。通过对银川盆地LS01钻孔沉积物进行光释光定年、粒度分析以及端元分析重建了该地区MIS6—MIS5时期的气候演变序列。结果表明,端元分析得到4个有具体环境指示意义的端元Em1—Em4:Em1代表了水动力较弱的弱流水或湖沼相沉积;Em2代表了水动力较强的河流沉积;Em3和Em4可指代区域构造抬升事件。气候演变分为6个阶段:150~137 ka(MIS6),银川盆地气候冷干,出现两次构造抬升事件;137~110 ka(MIS5),气候整体较为暖湿,期间有3次暖事件a1(137~129 ka)、a2(124~120 ka)和a3(118~111 ka);110~107 ka(MIS5),气候转向冷干;107~102 ka(MIS5),气候由冷转暖,出现冷事件b1(106~104 ka),整体偏暖湿;102~87 ka(MIS5),气候较冷干;87~75 ka(MIS5),出现冷事件b2(87~84 ka),但整体偏暖湿。该区域MIS6—MIS5阶段气候变化主要受夏季太阳辐射和岁差驱动。     

Effective precipitation in southern Spain ( 266 to 46 ka) based on a speleothem stable carbon isotope record

We present the longest-duration directly dated terrestrial palaeoclimate record from the western Mediterranean region: a flowstone speleothem from Gitana Cave, southeast Spain. The main phase of growth was 274 to 58 ka, dated by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) U-series methods. Effective precipitation, which we consider primarily responsible for flowstone calcite δ¹³C variations, measured at 300 μm resolution, was higher during interglacials associated with marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 7 and 5, and lower during glacial MIS 6. There is a close correspondence between speleothem δ¹³C and sea surface temperature (SST) estimates from adjacent Atlantic Ocean cores during MIS 6, which implies that oceanic conditions are critical in controlling the western Mediterranean terrestrial moisture balance during glacial periods. Other features of our record, such as the sequence of termination II warming/moistening between approximately 133 and 127 ka, including a “pause” around 130–128 ka, and the lagged termination of MIS 5 warm intervals (5e, 5c and 5a) are similar to other terrestrial records within the Mediterranean basin, indicating climate synchroneity along the northern Mediterranean coast. The Gitana cave region also may have been a refugium for temperate species during short-lived cold/arid periods during MIS 5.     

Late Pleistocene lithostratigraphy and sequences in the southwestern Mesopotamia (Argentina): Evidences of the last interglacial stage

The aim of this paper is to show the stratigraphic record of the Late Pleistocene corresponding to the distal region of the Paraná River basin. It displays sedimentological, paleontological and geochronological evidences that characterise the last interglacial–glacial cycle. In particular, strong environmental records are shown for the Last Interglacial Stage (LIS). Salto Ander Egg Formation (SAEF) is defined as a new lithostratigraphic unit representative of the Late Pleistocene in southwestern Mesopotamia. This unit is formed of complex fluvial deposits, which contains a heterogeneous collection of sub-environments, of ages ranging from 120 to 60 ky BP. The clast-supported gravel facies containing sparse boulders indicate high flow during a humid climate. The large and middle-scale architectures of fluvial sedimentary bodies evidence the relationship between the sediment accommodation and the sea level oscillations. Three sub-sequences identified in the succession suggest a transgressive trend during the MIS5e, a highstand stage in MIS5c, and a minor transgressive cycle during MIS3. A Brazilian faunal association collected at the bottom of the sequence and sedimentological interpretations display wet and warm climatic conditions, typical of tropical or subtropical environments. Such environmental conditions are characteristic of the maximum of the last interglacial stage (MIS5e) and show a signal stronger than the signal of the current interglacial stage. All these data show a direct correlation between the increases of paleodischarges and the elevation of the sea level. The whole sequence is completed with transitional swampy deposits, accumulated probably during the MIS3/MIS2 transition, and the typical loess of the Tezanos Pinto Formation, mantled during the Last Maximum Glacial.     

Climatic reconstructions from the Eemian/Early Weichselian transition in Central Europe based on the coleopteran record from Gröbern, Germany

At Grobern (51°52'N, 12°6'E, altitude 94–98 m a.s.l., 50km north of Leipzig), a succession of lacustrine sediments has yielded a fossil coleopterous fauna permitting the reconstruction of climatic conditions through out the Eemian/Early Weichselian transition. In accord with other indicators, the Coleoptera show that this period was characterized by three major climatic oscillations during which the thermal climate fluctuated between conditions of arctic severity and more temperate conditions. During the cold episodes, the beetle faunas were dominated by species which today have exclusively northern or even Asiatic ranges. In the intervening warm periods these cold-adapted species were absent and the faunas included temperate species some of which are tree-dependent. Quantitative palaeotemperature estimates using the Mutual Climatic Range method, show that the mean July temperatures during the relatively colder intervals were 5°C to 6°C lower than during the warmer periods, but the depression of winter temperatures during the colder periods was much greater than this. Because different species of Coleoptera have different thresholds of temperature tolerance, their indications of climatic change do not always coincide with the changes in the lithology or pollen.     

Stratigraphy,pollen and 14C dating of Johnston's Gum Hole,a late Quaternary fossil kauri (Agathis australis) site,Northland, New Zealand

Johnston's Gum Hole provides a discontinuous pollen record commencing late in Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5). In combination with other published records from the region, the Aupouri Peninsula is reconstructed to have been continuously forested through much of the last glacial cycle with the oscillation of Agathis‐ and Nothofagus‐dominated forest corresponding to stadials and interstadials, respectively. A northward latitudinal expansion of beech forest to 35° S is demonstrated. Kauri demise at the close of MIS 5 appears to have been due to flooding of the site. The elimination of kauri in MIS 3 was also associated with rewetting of the substrate, but could have been a more catastrophic event. The presence of both MIS 5 and MIS 3 kauri wood at the site suggests that other Aupouri peat swamps may also preserve timber of these ages, and demonstrate the potential of this area for providing MIS 3 and MIS 5 tree ring records. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climatic bisection of the last interglacial warm period in the Polar North Atlantic

New multiproxy marine data of the Eemian interglacial (MIS5e) from the Norwegian Sea manifest a cold event with near-glacial surface ocean summer temperatures (3–4 °C). This mid-Eemian cooling divided the otherwise relatively warm interglacial climate and was associated with widespread expansions of winter sea-ice and polar water masses due to changes in atmospheric circulation and ocean stability. While the data also verify a late rather than early last interglacial warm peak, which is in general disharmony with northern hemisphere insolation maximum and the regional climatic progression of the early Holocene, the cold event itself was likely instrumental for delaying the last interglacial climate development in the Polar North when compared with regions farther south. Such a ‘climatic decoupling’ of the Polar region may bear profound implications for the employment of Eemian conditions to help evaluate the present and future state of the Arctic cryosphere during a warming interglacial.     

Land–sea correlation of Middle Pleistocene temperate sub-stages using high-precision uranium-series dating of tufa deposits from southern England

High-precision U-series dating allows a direct correlation to be made between terrestrial records of the penultimate interglacial (Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7)) in Britain and sub-stage climate forcing in the marine oxygen isotope sequence. U-series ages of surficial tufa deposits are of sufficient precision to correlate discrete episodes of temperate conditions with individual warm sub-stages within MIS 7. Furthermore, detailed biostratigraphy allows periods of faunal turnover to be correlated with cold climates and lowered sea level. Ecological and environmental conditions in Britain during MIS 7 are therefore driven by the short-lived, sub-stage climate forcing that is observable in the marine isotope record. It is clear that interglacial climates are highly dynamic, producing multiple climatic optima and a diverse range of environments within single warm episodes. Consequently sub-stage records of climate forcing are crucial frameworks for reconstructing terrestrial records of environmental change.     

Chronology of the Last Climatic Cycle (Upper Pleistocene) of the Surduk loess sequence, Vojvodina, Serbia

The Surduk loess section in Serbia provides a 20 m thick pedosedimentary record of the last interglacial–glacial climatic cycle (Upper Pleistocene). Based on optical dating, a chronostratigraphy could be established for the last climatic cycle, yielding the first numerical ages of a loess record from the middle Danube basin. Infrared-stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL) dating has been applied to the polymineral silt fraction using a multiple aliquot additive-dose protocol to determine the equivalent dose ( D _E ). Within error limits, all age estimates are in stratigraphic order. Owing to the application of shine-plateau tests, the samples showed no evidence of insufficient bleaching. The Surduk loess section comprises three major periods of soil formation. Based on the IR-OSL chronostratigraphy, the lowermost pedocomplex is attributed to the Last Interglacial and to the Early Glacial (Marine Isotope Stage – MIS 5e to 5a). The middle part of the section exhibits a succession of weakly developed brown soils and a humic horizon, named 'Surduk soil', formed during MIS 3. On top of the section, recent soil formation is related to the Holocene. Thick loess deposits are preserved between these palaeosols and are attributed to the Lower and Upper Pleniglacials (MIS 4 and 2), respectively. Estimated mean sedimentation rates are 0.1–0.2 mm/yr for the last glacial cycle, with a strong increase to 0.6 mm/yr with onset of the Pleniglacial.     

Transgressive Events since the Late Pleistocene in the Yellow River Delta: Grain-size Distribution and Palynological Results

This study deals with the relationship between sea-level changes and paleoclimatic fluctuations based on the analysis of stratigraphy, grain sizes, palynology, and radiometric dating of the Yellow River delta since the Late Pleistocene. Evidence from the sedimentary record, grain sizes, and pollen provides a paleoenvironmental history of the Late Pleistocene from the boreholes of the delta. Based on a combination of grain-size analysis with lithological studies, marine deposit units contain the intervals of 13.85–16.9, 18.5–19.69, 27.9–34.8, 36.4–37.2, 48.4–51.6, and 54.1–55.9 m, and transitional facies units contain the intervals of 10.25–13.85, 16.9–18.5, 19.69–27.9, 34.8–36.4, 37.2–48.4, 51.6–54.1, and 55.9–60 m, compared with fluvial(terrestrial facies) deposit units(3.36–10.25 m). Based on pollen analysis and pollen assemblages, there were three warm-wet periods from 9.1–0.16 ka BP, 16.1–60 ka BP, and 90.1–94.6 ka BP From the top to the bottom of the borehole, the paleoclimate has an evident fluctuation: warm and moist(Holocene Optimum) —cool and dry(Younger Dryas Event)—mild semi cool—cool and dry—warm and moist. There were three warm-wet periods from 9.1–0.16 ka BP, 16.1–60 ka BP, and 90.1–94.6 ka BP, corresponding to the Holocene Optimum stage, MIS 3, and MIS 5, respectively. The warm period allowed monsoonal evergreen and broadleaved deciduous forests that corresponded to Holocene hypsithermal climatic conditions and the Late Pleistocene climatic Optimum. Three warm-wet periods occurred in marine deposit units from 9.1–0.16 ka BP, 60.1–16.1 ka BP, and 94.6–90.1 ka BP. These periods correspond to the Cangzhou transgression, Xianxian transgression, and Huanghua transgression, respectively. From 90.1–60.1 ka BP, 17.5–9.1 ka BP, and 0. 16 ka BP–1855 AD, three dry and cold phases are recognized. The phases indicate the fluvial(flood plain) sedimentary environment, corresponding to cooler and mild dry periods based on palynological results and grain-size distribution.