Mid-Holocene Climate Variations Recorded by Palaeolake in Marginal Area of East Asian Monsoon： A Multi-proxy Study

Traditionally, the mid-Holocene in most parts of China was thought to be warmer with higher precipitation, resulting from a strong Asian summer monsoon. However, some recent researches have proposed a mid-Holocene drought interval of millennial-scale in East Asian monsoon margin areas. Thus whether mid-Holocene was dry or humid remains an open issue. Here, Zhuyeze palaeolake, the terminal lake of the Shiyang River Drainage lying in Asian monsoon marginal areas, was selected for reconstructing the details of climate variations during the Holocene, especially mid-Holocene, on the basis of a sedimentological analysis. Qingtu Lake (QTL) section of 6.92m depth was taken from Zhuyeze palaeolake. Multi-proxy analysis of QTL section, including grain size, carbonate, TOC, C/N and δ13C of organic matter, was used to document regional climatic changes during 9-3 cal ka B.P. The record shows a major environmental change at 9.0-7.8 cal ka B.P., attributed to a climate trend towards warmth and humidity. This event was followed by a typical regional drought event which occurred during 7.8-7.5 cal ka B.P. And a warm and humid climate prevailed from 7.5 to 5.0 cal ka B.P., attributed to the warm/humid Holocene Optimum in this region. After that, the climate gradually became drier. Moreover, comparison of the climate record from this paper with the summer insolation at 30°N indicates that the climate pattern reflecting the Asian monsoon changes was caused by insolation change.     

A PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON THE CLIMATIC RECORDS OF LACUSTRINE DEPOSITS OF QINGTU LAKE IN THE LAST 6000 YEARS

１　ＳＴＵＤＩＥＤＲＥＧＩＯＮＡＮＤＡＮＡＬＹＳＩＳＭＥＴＨＯＤＬｏｃａｔｅｄａｔｎｏｒｔｈｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｍａｒｇｉｎｏｆＴｅｎｇｇｅｒＤｅｓｅｒｔａｎｄ７０ｋｍｎｏｒｔｈｅａｓｔｏｆＭｉｎｑｉｎＣｏｕｎｔｙｉｎＧａｎｓｕＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ，ＱｉｎｇｔｕＬａｋｅｂｅｌｏｎｇｓｔｏｔｈｅＳｈｉｙａｎｇＲｉｖｅｒＤｒｙＤｅｌｔａ，ａｎｄｔｈｅａｌｔｉｔｕｄｅｉｓ１２９２－１３１０ｍ．Ｔｈｅｒｅｇｉｏｎｈａｓｔｈｅｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｏｆｔｅｍｐｅｒａｔｅｃｏｎｔｉｎｅｎｔａｌａｒｉｄｄｅｓｅｒｔｃｌｉ…     

Exploring seven hundred years of transhumance,climate dynamic,fire and human activity through a historical mountain pass in central Spain

A high-altitude peat sequence from the heart of the Spanish Central System (Gredos range) was analysed through a multi-proxy approach to determine the sensitivity of high-mountain habitats to climate, fire and land use changes during the last seven hundred years, providing valuable insight into our understanding of the vegetation history and environmental changes in a mountain pass close to a traditional route of transhumance. The pollen data indicate that the vegetation was dominated by shrublands and grasslands with scattered pines in high-mountain areas, while in the valleys cereals, chestnut and olive trees were cultivated. Strong declines of high-mountain pines percentages are recorded at 1540, 1675, 1765, 1835 and 1925 cal AD, which may be related to increasing grazing activities and/or the occurrence of anthropogenic fires. The practice of mountain summer farming and transhumance deeply changed and redesigned the landscape of the high altitudes in central Spain (Gredos range) since the Middle Ages, although its dynamics was influenced in some way by climate variability of the past seven centuries.     

Effects of climate change on potential habitats of the cold temperate coniferous forest in Yunnan province,southwestern China

We built a classification tree(CT) model to estimate climatic factors controlling the cold temperate coniferous forest(CTCF) distributions in Yunnan province and to predict its potential habitats under the current and future climates, using seven climate change scenarios, projected over the years of 2070-2099. The accurate CT model on CTCFs showed that minimum temperature of coldest month(TMW) was the overwhelmingly potent factor among the six climate variables. The areas of TMW-4.05 were suitable habitats of CTCF, and the areas of -1.35 TMW were non-habitats, where temperate conifer and broad-leaved mixed forests(TCBLFs) were distribute in lower elevation, bordering on the CTCF. Dominant species of Abies, Picea, and Larix in the CTCFs, are more tolerant to winter coldness than Tsuga and broad-leaved trees including deciduous broad-leaved Acer and Betula, evergreen broadleaved Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus in TCBLFs. Winter coldness may actually limit the cool-side distributions of TCBLFs in the areas between -1.35°C and -4.05°C, and the warm-side distributions of CTCFs may be controlled by competition to the species of TCBLFs. Under future climate scenarios, the vulnerable area, where current potential(suitable + marginal) habitats(80,749 km~2) shift to nonhabitats, was predicted to decrease to 55.91%(45,053 km~2) of the current area. Inferring from the current vegetation distribution pattern, TCBLFs will replace declining CTCFs. Vulnerable areas predicted by models are important in determining priority of ecosystem conservation.     

Millennial-centennial scales climate changes of Holocene indicated by magnetic susceptibility of high-resolution section in Salawusu River valley,China

The upmost segment(Holocene series)of the Milanggouwan stratigraphic section(MGS1)in the Salawusu River valley shows 11 sedimentary cycles of dune sands and fluvio-lacustrine facies,or dune sands and paleosols.The analysis of the magnetic susceptibility of this segment suggests that there are 11 magnetic susceptibility cycles with the value alternating from low to high,in which the layers of the dune sands correspond to the lower value of the magnetic susceptibility and the layers of fluvio-lacustrine facies and paleosols correspond to the higher peaks.The study reveals that the low and high magnetic susceptibility values indicate the climate dominated by cold-arid winter monsoon and warm-humid summer monsoon of East Asia,respectively,and the study area has experienced at least 22 times of mil-lennial-centennial scales climate alternation from the cold-arid to the warm-humid during the Holocene.In terms of the time and the climate nature,the variations basically correspond to those of the North Atlantic and some records of cold-warm changes in China as well.They might be caused by the alternation of winter and summer monsoons in the Mu Us Desert induced by global climate fluctuations in the Holocene.     

天水谢家湾全新世环境变迁及人地关系演化

在野外详细观测的基础上，对天水谢家湾全新世黄土剖面以2cm为间距进行了连续采样，并对所有样品作了磁化率和粒度分析，结果综合反映出研究区自全新世以来，经历了早期升温、中期基本暖湿、晚期趋于干冷的气候环境演化阶段，其中全新世中期在总体温湿的大背景下，存在频繁的气候波动。以此为基础，结合对渭河文化的历史研究资料，探讨了区内约1万年以来的人地关系演化历史，指出人地关系的和谐与统一，对人类社会发展具有重要意义。     

Major mid-late Holocene cooling in the East China Sea revealed by an alkenone sea surface temperature record

Although the mid-late Holocene cold and dry event about 4000 years ago(the 4 ka event) has been observed almost globally, it was most prominent in terrestrial climate proxies from the lower latitudes. Here we evaluate the oceanic response to this event in terms of a Holocene sea surface temperature(SST) record reconstructed using the K'37U index for Core B3 on the continental shelf of the East China Sea. The record reveals a large temperature drop of about 5℃ from the mid-Holocene(24.7℃ at 5.6 ka) to the 4 ka event(19.2℃ at 3.8 ka). This mid-late Holocene cooling period in Core B3 correlated with(i) decreases in the East Asia summer monsoon intensity and(ii) the transition period with increased El Nino/Southern Oscillation activities in the Equatorial Pacific. Our SST record provides oceanic evidence for a more global nature of the mid-late Holocene climate change, which was most likely caused by a southward migration of the Intertropical Converge Zone in response to the decreasing summer solar insolation in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the large SST drop around Core B3 indicates that the mid-late Holocene cooling was regionally amplified by the initiation/strengthening of eddy circulation/cold front which caused upwelling and resulted in additional SST decrease. Upwelling during the mid-late Holocene also enhanced with surface productivity in the East China Sea as reflected by higher alkenone content around Core B3.     

Isotopic evidence for holocene climatic changes in Bosten Lake, Southern Xinjiang, China

ＩＳＯＴＯＰＩＣＥＶＩＤＥＮＣＥＦＯＲＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＣＬＩＭＡＴＩＣＣＨＡＮＧＥＳＩＮＢＯＳＴＥＮＬＡＫＥ,ＳＯＵＴＨＥＲＮＸＩＮＪＩＡＮＧ,ＣＨＩＮＡＺｈｏｎｇＷｅｉ（钟巍）ＸｉｏｎｇＨｅｉｇａｎｇ（熊黑钢）ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＧｅｏｇｒａｐ...     

Holocene temperature records from the East China sea mud area southwest of the Cheju Island reconstructed by the U 37 K′ and TEX86 paleothermometers

As an important marginal sea under the influences of both the Changjiang River and the Kuroshio, the East China Sea (ECS) environment is sensitive to both continental and oceanic forcing. Paleoenvironmental records are essential for understanding the long-term environmental evolution of the ECS and adjacent areas. However, paleo-temperature records from the ECS shelf are currently very limited. In this study, the U ₃₇ ^K′ and TEX₈₆ paleothermometers were used to reconstruct surface and subsurface temperature changes of the mud area southwest of the Cheju Island (Site F10B) in the ECS during the Holocene. The results indicate that temperature changes of F10B during the early Holocene (11.6–6.2 kyr) are associated with global climate change. During the period of 6.2–2.5 kyr, the similar variability trends of smoothing average of ΔT (the difference between surface and subsurface temperature) of Site F10B and the strength of the Kuroshio suggest that the Kuroshio influence on the site started around 6.2 kyr when the Kuroshio entered the Yellow Sea and continued to 2.5 kyr. During the late Holocene (2.5–1.45 kyr), apparent decreases of U ₃₇ ^K′ sea surface temperature (SST) and ΔT imply that the direct influence of the Kuroshio was reduced while cold eddy induced by the Kuroshio gradually controlled hydrological conditions of this region around 2.5 kyr.     

Palynological assemblages from the holocene sediments of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Delta and its implications

The palynolpgical study on the Quaternary sediments of 42 cores in the region of the Yangtze River Delta and the sections of 4 relics had been done since 1960. Palynological assemblages from the region of the Yangtze River Delta, showing obviously .common characteristics but with slight differences because of the vast areas covered, can be divided into five spores and pollen zones and three subzones in ascendant order:I.Quercus alienc-Pinus-Cupressaceae-Chenopodiaceae spores and pollen zone reflecting the cool, then cold and dry climate--Preboreal.II.Quercus dentata-Quefcus acutissima-Pinus-Castanea-Artemisia spores and pollen zone reflecting the temperate and cool, but a little dry climate--Boreal.III.Quercus glauca-Caslanopsis-Myrica-Caslanea spores and pollen zone reflecting the hot and moist climate--Atlantic.IV.Quercus acutissima-Pinus-Castanea-Quercus glauca- Chenopodiaceae spores and pollen zone reflecting the warm, and a little dry climate--Subboreal.V.Quercus acutissima-Costarica-Quercus glauca     

Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene vegetation and climatic change of Tibetan Plateau

A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine evergreen sclerophyllous forest in the southeastern part of the plateau; from alpine steppe to alpine desert in the central, western and northern part; and from alpine meadow to alpine steppe in the eastern and southern plateau regions during the Holocene. These records show that increases in precipitation began about 9 ka from the southeast, and a wide ranging level of increased humidity developed over the entire of the plateau around 8-7 ka, followed by aridity from 6 ka and a continuous drying over the plateau after 4-3 ka. The changes in Holocene climates of the plateau can be interpreted qualitatively as a response to orbital forcing and its secondary effects on the Indian Monsoon which expanded northwards     

Isotopic evidence for holocene climatic changes in Bosten Lake, Southern Xinjiang, China

Based on the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O fluctuation of lacustrine carbonate, CaCO₃ content and sporo-pollen data, a palaeoclimatic history of Bosten Lake during the Holocene has been outlined, several stages of climatic changes are divided, and the following result es are obtained: (1) Palaeoclimatic changes revealed by carbonate isotope around Bosten Lake are basically identical with that revealed by other geological records in Xinjiang. Environmental changes presented apparent Westlies Style model: during cold period, relative humidity increased, δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C and CaCO₃ appeared low; but in warm periods, the dry regime aggravated. (2) The temperature reflected by δ¹⁸O exist evident features being increase in the late period during the Holocene. Together with the δ¹³C, pollen and CaCO₃ analyses, several cold and warm phases which are of broad regional significance can be identified. The warm peaks occurred at about 11.0 ka B.P., 9.4 ka B.P., 7.5 ka B.P., 5.0 ka B.P., 3.0 ka B.P. and 2.0 ka B.P.; the cold peaks at 11.5 ka B.P., 10.5 ka B.P., 8.8 ka B.P., 5.5 ka B.P., 3.3 ka B.P., 2.2 ka B.P. and 1.5 ka B.P.. (3) Several climatic events with the nature of “abrupt climatic changes” are revealed in the periods of 11.0 ka B.P. −10.5 ka B.P., 9.4 ka B.P. −8.8 ka B.P., 5.5 ka B.P. −5.0 ka B.P. and 2.0 ka B.P. −1.5 ka B.P.. (4) The results show that carbonate isotopic record of lacustrine sediment in arid area is very sensitive to climatic changes, and may be play a very important role in understanding the features and mechanism of palaeoclimatic changes.     

Environmental anomalies in the northeastern East China Sea during the last 3 000 years: implications for El Niño activity in the Holocene

To reconstruct the productivity changes for the last 10 500 a in the northeastern East China Sea (ECS), biogenic compounds (such as carbonate, organic carbon and opal), marine micropaleontological fossils (planktonic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera, radiolarian and silicoflagellate) and the compositional characters of benthic foraminifera fauna analyses were carried out on a sediment core DOC082 obtained from the western slope of Okinawa Trough (29°13.93′N, 128°08.53′E; 1 128 m water depth). The long-term changes of biogenic and micropaleontological proxies display some similarities through the last 10 500 a, which show three different phases: lower values are recorded during the early and middle Holocene (before about 4 000 a BP), followed by an abrupt and remarkable increase at about 4 000 a BP, the late Holocene (after about 3 000 a BP) is characterized by continuously high values. The multi-proxy data of paleoproductivity and percents of benthic foraminifera genera (Uvigerina and Bulimina) show that during the early and middle Holocene (10 500–4 000 a BP) productivity was relatively low with a sudden and distinct increase at about 4 000 a BP, and the late Holocene (3 400–0 a BP) is marked by significantly higher productivity. Also, the radiolarian-based sea surface temperature (SST) records reveal a distinct decline in SST in the late Holocene after 3 200 a BP, very different from the early and middle Holocene. For the last 3 000 a, the enhanced biological productivity and distinctly lower SST indicate a major change of oceanographic conditions in the northeastern ECS. These marine environmental anomalies are consistent with other paleoclimatic records for the late Holocene in the Chinese continent and its surrounding regions. After analyzing the mechanisms of modern productivity and SST changes in the northeastern ECS, and based on the climatic anomalies in the Chinese continent and variations in the Kuroshio Current during modern El Niño periods, we suggest that the anomalous environmental conditions in the northeastern ECS may imply intensified El Niño activity during the late Holocene.     

Phase evolution of Holocene paleoenvironmental changes in the southern Yellow Sea: Benthic foraminiferal evidence from core C02

Assemblages of benthic foraminifera in a sediment core (C02) near the western margin of the southern Yellow Sea Mud were studied to decipher the phase evolution of Holocene paleoenvironmental changes associated with the Holocene marine transgression. It appears that during the early Holocene (11.2–10.1 kyr BP), the faunal was dominated by low salinity and shallow water species Cribrononion subincertum, Buccella frigida and Ammonia beccarii, reflecting a near coast depositional environment. A rapid increase of the relative abundance of Ammonia compressiuscula between 10.1–9.3 kyr BP indicates that the sea level rose rapidly during that time period. From 9.3–7.7 kyr BP, the benthic foraminiferal assemblage was dominated by high percentage of A. compressiscula, suggesting that the sea level was relatively stable. An obvious transition of benthic foraminifera, from the A. compressiuscula-dominated assemblage to an Ammonia ketienziensis-dominated assemblage, occurred between 7.7–6.2 kyr BP, possibly corresponding to a second sea level rapid rise period in the Yellow Sea during the Holocene. This transition may correspond to the gradually strengthened Yellow Sea warm current (YSWC) and finally is established the modern-type circulation in the Yellow Sea. It may also mark the formation of the Yellow Sea cold bottom water (YSCBW) during that period. Since then, the benthic foraminiferal assemblage based on core C02 was dominated by typical YSCBW species, A. ketienziensis, Astrononion italicum and Hanzawaia nipponica, at 6.2–4 kyr BP. A non-deposition period occurred since ～4 kyr BP, which possibly related to the hydrology changes caused by the East Asia monsoon. The two obvious benthic foraminiferal transitions recorded in core C02 during the early and middle Holocene provide evidence that the Yellow Sea has undergone a two-phase rapid sea level rise during the Holocene marine transgression.     

Reanalysis of principal component analysis to resume past vegetation and environment

In the paper 11 pollen types were selected from the original pollen and spore records of 54 samples in Fenzhuang profile of Beijing region, then 54 × 11 matrix was set up. Based on the pollen data of Fenzhuang profile from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene, the paper gives a further analysis to subdivide zone of the pollen assemblages and changes of paleovegetation and paleoenvironment in this area using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA can play an complementary role for subdividing zone, at the same time, it can eliminate the difference to subdivide zone of the pollen assemblages caused by artificial factors. Finally to the biodiversity in plant communities and complex geographical environment in Beijing region, using great dispersal of accumulative percent of total in PCA (for cumulative rate only 57% from the first three factors of PCA), may sufficiently correspond to the environmental characteristic, so as to recover past climate condition much better.     

Reanalysis of principal component analysis to resume past vegetation and environment

In the paper 11 pollen types were selected from the original pollen and spore records of 54 samples in Fenzhuang profile of Beijing region, then 54 × 11 matrix was set up. Based on the pollen data of Fenzhuang profile from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene, the paper gives a further analysis to subdivide zone of the pollen assemblages and changes of paleovegetation and paleoenvironment in this area using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA can play an complementary role for subdividing zone, at the same time, it can eliminate the difference to subdivide zone of the pollen assemblages caused by artificial factors. Finally to the biodiversity in plant communities and complex geographical environment in Beijing region, using great dispersal of accumulative percent of total in PCA (for cumulative rate only 57% from the first three factors of PCA), may sufficiently correspond to the environmental characteristic, so as to recover past climate condition much better. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 49571066, 39470132).     

ICDP湖泊科学钻探进展

气候变化与全球环境是地学界的热点之一。最能反映全球或局部气候变化与环境的高分辨率沉积记录大多保存在大陆内部的湖相沉积中, 特别是具有较长寿命的湖相沉积中。因此，湖泊环境科学及湖泊环境科学钻探作为开展此类研究最为直接的技术手段，一直以来都受到国内外学术界的高度关注。在介绍湖泊科学钻探技术难点的基础上, 以国际大陆科学钻探计划(ICDP)资助的已完成的12个湖泊钻探项目为例，对2000年以来ICDP在气候变化与全球环境研究领域的重要进展进行了综述，并对未来的主要湖泊科学钻探计划进行了简要的概述。      

“一带一路”沿线国家农田生态系统脆弱性及其对气候变化的响应

全球气候变化背景下,“一带一路”沿线国家农田生态系统脆弱性直接影响着所在国家或地区的粮食安全问题。本文基于农田生态系统总初级生产力（GPP）,使用定量的脆弱性评价方法,系统分析了“一带一路”沿线国家农田生态系统脆弱性的空间分布特征及其对气候变化的响应。结果表明：① “一带一路”沿线国家农田生态系统脆弱性普遍处于较高的程度,77.1%的农田生态系统表现为中度和重度脆弱,且农田生态系统脆弱性呈现出明显的空间分异格局,中亚、西亚和蒙古脆弱性较高,中国、东南亚和南亚的脆弱性处于中等水平,俄罗斯、独联体和中东欧脆弱性较低;② 1980年以来“一带一路”沿线农田生态系统暖干化趋势明显,暖干化区域面积占64.06%,暖干化是“一带一路”沿线国家农田生态系统气候变化的主要特征;③ 农田生态系统脆弱性由低到高的气候变化区依次为暖湿区、冷湿区、暖干区、冷干区。暖湿区农田生态系统脆弱性最低,而冷干区农田生态系统脆弱性最高。气温和降水的变化及其耦合关系控制着农田生态系统脆弱性程度,其中降水变化趋势是影响农田生态系统脆弱性的重要因子。本研究为“一带一路”沿线国家应对和解决粮食安全问题,促进农业可持续发展,为加强各国之间的农业国际合作提供科学依据和有益参考。     

The coupled characteristics of the physical process between sea ice of two poles and Tibetan land surface

In order to discuss the characteristics of sea ice change of strong signal area on Antarctic and Arctic and the correlation between the thermal state on the land surface of Tibetan Plateau and the atmosphere circulation of North Hemisphere or the climate changes in China, and to study the feedback mechanism among “three-pole” factors, the earlier stage “three-pole” strong signal characteristics by using statistic methods such as teleconnection,which affect the regional climate changes in China and East Asia. The cross-correlation feature and coupling effect between ice caps of North and South pole and water-thermal state on Tibetan Plateau surface are discussed as well. The contribution of three-pole's earlier stage factors to China's summer climate change and the influence of its dynamic structure are compared here. The formation mechanisms of global climate change and regional climate change of China are investigated from the aspect of qualitative correlation mode of global sea-land-air-ice.     

Review of China's scientific research progress in polar meteorology in the last 30 years

The Antarctic and Arctic are sensitive to global climate change; therefore, they are key regions of global climate change research. This paper, the progress in scientific investigations and research regarding the atmosphere in the polar regions over the last 30 years by Chinese scientists is summarized. Primary understanding of the relationship between the polar regions and global change, especially, the variations in time and space in the Antarctic and Arctic regions with respect to climate change is indicated. Operational weather forecasts for investigation of the polar regions have also been established. Moreover, changes in sea ice and their impact on the atmosphere of polar regions have been diagnosed and simulated. Parameterization of the atmospheric boundary layer of different underlying layers and changes in the atmospheric ozone in the polar region has also been experimented. Overall, there has been great progress in studies of the possible impact of changes in the atmospheric environment of polar regions on circulation in East Asia and the climate of China.