Response of diatom community in Lugu Lake (Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau,China) to climate change over the past century

A mean annual temperature increase has been recorded on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau of China during the last century. This temperature increase has been significantly greater since the 1950s. Thus, paleolimnological analyses may be utilized to better understand ecological responses to recent changing climate over decadal to centennial timescales, especially in regions with sparse lake monitoring data. Here, we present paleolimnological results from a ²¹⁰Pb/¹³⁷Cs-dated sediment core spanning approximately the last ~250 years from a remote, alpine, semi-closed oligotrophic lake (Lugu Lake) on the northwestern Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. Sediment profiles of diatoms, geochemical variables (LOI₅₅₀, TOC and C/N) and median grain size were analyzed and compared with the climate data (1951 AD–2010 AD) from the Lijiang weather station. Endogenous productivity of Lugu Lake has increased gradually over the last 30 years. The majority of diatom taxa encountered in the core are typical of alkaline oligotrophic lakes. Diatom assemblages were dominated by Cyclostephanos dubius, Cyclotella taxa, and fragilarioid taxa. Diatom species composition has changed significantly with three assemblage shifts at different scales over the ~250-year period. Diatom species diversity reveals a distinct increase before ~1970 AD, followed by a decline. In addition, a decreasing trend in diatom cell-size was consistent with recent warming trends. Redundancy analysis (RDA) shows that regional air temperature trends (annual, spring, summer, and winter) have played a significant role (p < 0.05) in determining diatom compositional changes over the past six decades. Results of this study suggest that regional warming is the main driving force behind recent changes in diatom composition at Lugu Lake, while nutrients may also have impact on the diatom change in recent 10 years.     

Two centuries of temperature variation and volcanic forcing reconstructed for the northern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The northern Tibetan Plateau has been subject to recent warming far above the global average. With few instrumental climate records available for this region before the 1950s, paleoclimatic reconstructions must be used to understand annual-to-centennial-scale climate variations and local climate response to large-scale forcing mechanisms. We developed a maximum latewood density chronology of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) from the southern slope of the Qilian Mountains, northern Tibetan Plateau. Based on the chronology, we reconstructed August–September temperature for 1780–2008. The temperature reconstruction model accounts for 39.7% of instrumental temperature variance from 1957 to 2008, successfully capturing the most recent warming. Superposed epoch analysis indicated a volcanic forcing for temperature, resulting in pulses of cooler conditions that can persist for 2–4 years. Tree-ring data indicated that warm-dry and cold-wet climate combinations mainly occurred in northern Tibetan Plateau before CE 1900, and revealed a clear wetting and warming trend since the 1980s. Our study provides long-term perspective on recent climate change in northern Tibetan Plateau to guide expectations of future climate variability and aid sustainable development, and provides scenarios for climate change adaptation and inputs for climate models representing a broader range of conditions than those of historical climate records.     

Diatom-based paleolimnological reconstruction of regional climate and local land-use change from a protected sinkhole lake in southern Florida, USA

Despite their sensitivity to climate variability, few of the abundant sinkhole lakes of Florida have been the subject of paleolimnological studies to discern patterns of change in aquatic communities and link them to climate drivers. However, deep sinkhole lakes can contain highly resolved paleolimnological records that can be used to track long-term climate variability and its interaction with effects of land-use change. In order to understand how limnological changes were regulated by regional climate variability and further modified by local land-use change in south Florida, we explored diatom assemblage variability over centennial and semi-decadal time scales in an ~11,000-yr and a ~150-yr sediment core extracted from a 21-m deep sinkhole lake, Lake Annie, on the protected property of Archbold Biological Station. We linked variance in diatom assemblage structure to changes in water total phosphorus, color, and pH using diatom-based transfer functions. Reconstructions suggest the sinkhole depression contained a small, acidic, oligotrophic pond ~11000–7000 cal yr BP that gradually deepened to form a humic lake by ~4000 cal yr BP, coinciding with the onset of modern precipitation regimes and the stabilization of sea-level indicated by corresponding palynological records. The lake then contained stable, acidophilous planktonic and benthic algal communities for several thousand years. In the early AD 1900s, that community shifted to one diagnostic of an even lower pH (~5.6), likely resulting from acid precipitation. Further transitions over the past 25 yr reflect recovery from acidification and intensified sensitivity to climate variability caused by enhanced watershed runoff from small drainage ditches dug during the mid-twentieth Century on the surrounding property.     

Paleohydrology of Lake Nhaucati (southern Mozambique), ∼400 AD to present

This paper investigates the correlations between lake level change, rainfall variability and general atmospheric forcing in southern Africa. The analysis of fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment sequence from the small, rain-fed Lake Nhaucati, southern Mozambique, is presented and discussed in relation to regional palaeoclimate data. The accumulation of organic sediments in Lake Nhaucati began 1,600 years ago when the lake level was rising. Lithology and pollen suggest a low stand at 800 AD, which correlates with other climate proxies from the summer rainfall region of southern Africa. The diatom assemblage suggests that lake levels were high between 900 and 1300 AD, with shorter low stands at c.1100 and 1200 AD. The period after 1400 AD was marked by a slow rate of accumulation and consequently a low temporal resolution. The correlation with other climate proxies in the summer rainfall region, written sources, and pollen data suggests repeated droughts corresponding to the Little Ice Age, though the driest periods may have caused complete desiccation of the lake. Higher lake levels are suggested after 1800 AD, though written sources suggest droughts in the beginning of the twentieth century. The analysis shows a good correlation with palaeoclimate data from the summer rainfall region and confirms the presence of an anti-phase relationship between the summer rainfall region of southern Africa and the bi-modal rainfall region of east tropical Africa. It also supports the general hypothesis that variation in the intensity of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone is the main agent modulating rainfall over southern and eastern Africa on centennial timescales.     

Climatic and environmental change in Yanchi Lake, Northwest China since the Late Glacial: A comprehensive analysis of lake sediments

Modern climate research has shown that the Asian summer monsoon water vapor transport is limited to the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains. On the Holocene millennial-scale, whether the northwest boundary of the summer monsoon varies according to climate change is a key scientific issue. Yanchi Lake is located in the northern Qilian Mountains and the middle of the Hexi Corridor, where the modern climate is less affected by the Asian summer monsoon. It is a key research area for examining the long-term variations of the Asian summer monsoon. Paleoclimatic data, including AMS ^14C dates of pollen concentrates and bulk organic carbon, lithology, grain-size, mineral composition and geochemical proxies were acquired from sediments of Yanchi Lake. The chronological results show that the lower part of the lacustrine section is formed mainly in the Late Glacial and early Holocene period, while the proxies＇ data indicate the lake expansion is associated with high content of mineral salts. The middle part of this section is formed during the transitional period of the early and middle Holocene. Affected by the reworking effect, the pollen concentrates AMS^14C dates from the middle part of the section are generally older than those from the lower part. Since the mid-Holocene, Yanchi Lake retreated significantly and the deposition rate dropped obvi- ously. The Yanchi Lake record is consistent with the Late Glacial and Holocene lake records in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the climatic records in typical monsoon domain, which indicate the lake expansion and the strong Asian summer monsoon during the Late Glacial and early Holocene. The long-term monsoonal pattern is different from the lake evolution in Central Asia on the Holocene millennial-scale. This study proves the monsoon impacts on the northwestern margin of the summer monsoon, and also proves the fact that the northern boundary of the summer monsoon moves according to millennial-scale climate change.     

Monsoonal forcing of Holocene paleoenvironmental change on the central Tibetan Plateau inferred using a sediment record from Lake Nam Co (Xizang,China)

This study focuses on Holocene monsoon dynamics on the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) inferred using a sediment record from Lake Nam Co. A high-resolution (decadal) multi-proxy approach, using geochemical, micropaleontological, and sedimentological methods was applied. Fifteen AMS-¹⁴C ages were used to establish the chronology, assuming a reservoir effect of 1,420 years. Our results point to a first strong monsoonal pulse at Lake Nam Co ~11.3 cal ka BP, followed by colder and drier conditions until ~10.8 cal ka BP. A warm and humid climate from ~10.8 to ~9.5 cal ka BP is related to a strong summer monsoon on the central TP, triggering a lake-level highstand at ~9.5 cal ka BP. Declining minerogenic input after ~9.5 cal ka BP indicates less moisture availability until ~7.7 cal ka BP. Following stable conditions between ~7.7 and ~6.6 cal ka BP, a warm and wet climate is inferred for the time span from ~6.6 to ~4.8 cal ka BP. A change towards drier conditions after ~4.8 cal ka BP points to a weakening of the Indian Ocean Summer Monsoon on the central TP, further diminished after ~2.0 cal ka BP. A short-term wet spell occurred from ~1.5 to ~1.3 cal ka BP. By comparing the results derived from Lake Nam Co with several lacustrine records from the central, northern, and eastern TP, a similar but not synchronous pattern of monsoon-driven paleoenvironmental change is observed. Although the general trend of lake and catchment evolution on the TP during the Holocene is also reproduced in this record, pronounced spatial and temporal offsets with respect to distinct climate events were detected, suggesting periods of non-uniform moisture and temperature evolution.     

Diatom-inferred late Pleistocene and Holocene palaeolimnological changes in the Ioannina basin, northwest Greece

The character and impact of climate change since the last glacial maximum (LGM) in the eastern Mediterranean region remain poorly understood. Here, two new diatom records from the Ioannina basin in northwest Greece are presented alongside a pre-existing record and used to infer past changes in lake level, a proxy for the balance between precipitation and evaporation. Comparison of the three records indicates that lake-level fluctuations were the dominant driver of diatom assemblage composition change, whereas productivity variations had a secondary role. The reconstruction indicates low lake levels during the LGM. Late glacial lake deepening was underway by 15.0 cal kyr BP, implying that the climate was becoming wetter. During the Younger Dryas stadial, a lake-level decline is recorded, indicating arid climatic conditions. Lake Ioannina deepened rapidly in the early Holocene, but long-term lake-level decline commenced around 7.0 cal kyr BP. The pattern of lake-level change is broadly consistent with an existing lake-level reconstruction at Lake Xinias, central Greece. The timing of the apparent change, however, is different, with delayed early Holocene deepening at Xinias. This offset is attributed to uncertainties in the age models, and the position of Xinias in the rain shadow of the Pindus Mountains.     

Surface pollen and its relationship to vegetation on the southern slope of the eastern Qilian Mountains

The objective of this study is to investigate pollen-vegetation relationship in the Qilian Mountains. The eastern Qilian Mountains are located in the transitional zone of the Tibetan Plateau, the Loess Plateau and the arid region of Northwest China, which is one of the key areas of global environmental change. A total of 13 surface pollen samples from main vegetation have been collected. Pollen percentages were calculated in all samples. In order to reveal the relationship between pollen composition and the vegetation types from which the soil samples have been collected, Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) ordination method was employed on the pollen data. The results show that dominating vegetation types can be recognized by their pollen spectra: Picea crassifolia forest, alpine shrub and alpine meadow as well. Altitude and temperature determine the distribution of the surface pollen and the vegetation. The good agreement between modern vegetation and surface samples across this area provides a measure of the reliability of using pollen data to reconstruct paleoenvironment and paleovegetation patterns in this or other similar regions. However the loss of Betula pollen in forest needs further investigation. Pollen oxidation is the most important factor contributing to the damage of modern pollen in the study area. Pollen concentrations decrease with the increase of pH values of soils, and decrease sharply when the pH exceeds 7.6.     

东祁连山南坡现代花粉雨与植被

1 Introduction A significant problem in the analysis of pollen spectra is the incomplete comprehension of the relationship between modern pollen spectra and the vegetation that produces them. Pollen precipitation reflects many factors: pollen production,…     

SUMMER TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY IN CENTRAL SCANDINAVIA DURING THE LAST 3600 YEARS

ABSTRACT. A Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) tree-ring width chronology from Jämtland, in the central Scandinavian Mountains, built from living and sub-fossil wood, covering the period 1632 BC to AD 2002, with a minor gap during AD 887–907, is presented. This is the first multi-millennial tree-ring chronology from the central parts of Fennoscandia. Pine growth in this tree line environment is mainly limited by summer temperatures, and hence the record can be viewed as a temperature proxy. Using the regional curve standardization (RCS) technique, pine-growth variability on short and long time scales was retained and subsequently summer (June–August) temperatures were reconstructed yielding information on temperature variability during the last 3600 years. Several periods with anomalously warm or cold summers were found: 450–550 BC (warm), AD 300–400 (cold), AD 900–1000 (the Medieval Warm Period, warm) and AD 1550–1900 (Little Ice Age, cold). The coldest period was encountered in the fourth century AD and the warmest period 450 to 550 BC. However, the magnitude of these anomalies is uncertain since the replication of trees in the Jämtland record is low during those periods. The twentieth century warming does not stand out as an anomalous feature in the last 3600 years. Two multi-millennial tree-ring chronologies from Swedish and Finnish Lapland, which have previously been used as summer temperature proxies, agree well with the Jämtland record, indicating that the latter is a good proxy of local, but also regional, summer temperature variability.     

青藏高原不同时段气候变化的研究综述

综述了近年来通过冰芯、树轮、湖泊沉积等记录对青藏高原不同时段气候变化研究取得的成果．并特别着重于末次间冰期以来青藏高原的气候变化特征。在末次间冰期．青藏高原气候变化剧烈,降温迅速升温缓慢;末次冰期温度变化与格陵兰冰芯记录具有较好一致性,同时也具有高原的独特性;新仙女木事件发生时间与欧洲和格陵兰冰芯的记录基本一致;全新世总体比较温暖;近2000年来温度变化在波动中逐渐上升;近代温度有加速升高的趋势。总体上青藏高原各种尺度上的气候变化要早于我国其它地区．变化的幅度也较大。     

Variations of the alpine precipitation from an ice core record of the Laohugou glacier basin during 1960-2006 in western Qilian Mountains,China

The net accumulation record of ice core is one of the most reliable indicators for reconstructing precipitation changes in high mountains. A 20.12 m ice core was drilled in 2006 from the accumulation zone of Laohugou Glacier No.12 in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China. We obtained the precipitation from the ice core net accumulation during 1960-2006, and found out the relationship between Laohugou ice core record and other data from surrounding sites of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Results showed that during 1960-2006, the precipitation in the high mountains showed firstly an increasing trend, while during 1980 to 2006 it showed an obvious decreasing trend. Reconstructed precipitation change in the Laohugou glacier basin was consistent with the measured data from the nearby weather stations in the lower mountain of Subei, and the correlation coefficient was 0.619 (P<0.001). However, the precipitation in the high mountain was about 3 times more than that of the lower mountain. The precipitation in Laohugou Glacier No.12 of the western Qilian Mountains corresponded well to the net accumulation of Dunde ice core during the same period, tree-ring reconstructed precipitation, the measured data of multiple meteorological stations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and also the changes of adjacent PDSI drought index. Precipitation changes of the Laohugou glacier basin and other sites of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau had significantly positive correlation with ENSO, which implied that the regional alpine precipitation change was very likely to be influenced by ENSO.     

青藏高原不同时段气候变化的研究综述

1 Introduction The annual mean world temperature increased by about 0.6℃ from the late 1800s to the 1980s (Wang, 1994). The global environmental change is marked with “global warming” and its possible effects on the ecosystem as well as the production …     

青藏高原内陆湖泊过去40年变化研究（英文）

Inland lakes and alpine glaciers are important water resources on the Tibetan Plateau. Understanding their variation is crucial for accurate evaluation and prediction of changes in water supply and for retrieval and analysis of climatic information. Data from previous research on 35 alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau were used to investigate changes in lake water level and area. In terms of temporal changes, the area of the 35 alpine lakes could be divided into five groups: rising, falling-rising, rising-falling, fluctuating, and falling. In terms of spatial changes, the area of alpine lakes in the Himalayan Mountains, the Karakoram Mountains, and the Qaidam Basin tended to decrease; the area of lakes in the Naqu region and the Kunlun Mountains increased; and the area of lakes in the Hoh Xil region and Qilian Mountains fluctuated. Changes in lake water level and area were correlated with regional changes in climate. Reasons for changes in these lakes on the Tibetan Plateau were analyzed, including precipitation and evaporation from meteorological data, glacier meltwater from the Chinese glacier inventories. Several key problems, e.g. challenges of monitoring water balance, limitations to glacial area detection, uncertainties in detecting lake water-level variations and variable region boundaries of lake change types on the Tibetan Plateau were discussed. This research has most indicative significance to regional climate change.     

Abrupt deglaciation on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau: evidence from Lake Qinghai

We inferred the climate history for Central Asia over the past 20,000 years, using sediments from core QH07, taken in the southeastern basin of Lake Qinghai, which lies at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Results from multiple environmental indicators are internally consistent and yield a clear late Pleistocene and Holocene climate record. Carbonate content and total organic carbon (TOC) in Lake Qinghai sediments are interpreted as indicators of the strength of the Asian summer monsoon. Warm and wet intervals, associated with increased monsoon strength, are indicated by increased carbonate and TOC content. During the glacial period (~20,000 to ~14,600 cal year BP), summer monsoon intensity remained low and relatively constant at Lake Qinghai, suggesting cool, dry, and relatively stable climate conditions. The inferred stable, cold, arid environment of the glacial maximum seems to persist through the Younger Dryas time period, and little or no evidence of a warm interval correlative with the Bølling–Allerød is found in the QH07 record. The transition between the late Pleistocene and the Holocene, about 11,500 cal year BP, was abrupt, more so than indicated by speleothems in eastern China. The Holocene (~11,500 cal year BP to present) was a time of enhanced summer monsoon strength and greater variability, indicating relatively wetter but more unstable climatic conditions than those of the late Pleistocene. The warmest, wettest part of the Holocene, marked by increased organic matter and carbonate contents, occurred from ~11,500 to ~9,000 cal year BP, consistent with maximum summer insolation contrast between 30°N and 15°N. A gradual reduction in precipitation (weakened summer monsoon) is inferred from decreased carbonate content through the course of the Holocene. We propose that changes in the contrast of summer insolation between 30°N and 15°N are the primary control on the Asian monsoon system over glacial/interglacial time scales. Secondary influences may include regional and global albedo changes attributable to ice-cover and vegetation shifts and sea level changes (distance from moisture source in Pacific Ocean). The abruptness of the change at the beginning of the Holocene, combined with an increase in variability, suggest a threshold for the arrival of monsoonal rainfall at the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.     

Changes in inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau over the past 40 years

Inland lakes and alpine glaciers are important water resources on the Tibetan Plateau. Understanding their variation is crucial for accurate evaluation and prediction of changes in water supply and for retrieval and analysis of climatic information. Data from previous research on 35 alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau were used to investigate changes in lake water level and area. In terms of temporal changes, the area of the 35 alpine lakes could be divided into five groups: rising, falling-rising, rising-falling, fluctuating, and falling. In terms of spatial changes, the area of alpine lakes in the Himalayan Mountains, the Karakoram Mountains, and the Qaidam Basin tended to decrease; the area of lakes in the Naqu region and the Kunlun Mountains increased; and the area of lakes in the Hoh Xil region and Qilian Mountains fluctuated. Changes in lake water level and area were correlated with regional changes in climate. Reasons for changes in these lakes on the Tibetan Plateau were analyzed, including precipitation and evaporation from meteorological data, glacier meltwater from the Chinese glacier inventories. Several key problems, e.g. challenges of monitoring water balance, limitations to glacial area detection, uncertainties in detecting lake water-level variations and variable region boundaries of lake change types on the Tibetan Plateau were discussed. This research has most indicative significance to regional climate change.     

1854-2010年川西高原北部初夏气温变化与全球海表温度关系初探

本文利用主成分分析法提取了川西高原北部5个样点反映气温变化的树轮宽度年表的主成分年表,其中第一主成分年表(PC1)的方差贡献率为59.52%,能够较好地代表川西高原北部地区树轮宽度变化的共同特征。在器测时段内(1961-2010年),PC1年表、6-7月区域平均气温观测序列与东亚气温场的相关分布较为一致,均与中国的西北-青藏高原一带以及西伯利亚东部呈现显著的正相关(r > 0.443,p < 0.001),表明PC1年表能够反映较大空间范围的气温变化特征。器测时期,PC1年表和观测序列与全球海温场的相关分析表明,两者均与西太平洋、印度洋及北大西洋海域显著正相关,反映了在海气相互作用过程中多个海区海表温度变化可能对研究区气温变化有一定影响;而利用PC1年表在更长时间尺度(1854-2010年)及分阶段分析则发现不同阶段对区域气温起主导作用的海区有比较明显的差异,甚至在比较大的空间范围内在不同阶段出现相反的分布型,且由相关系数反映出的海气相互作用强度也具有显著的差异,气温波动较大时,海气相互作用也比较强烈。异常年分析则反映出西北太平洋和北大西洋海温异常对研究区气温异常具有持续稳定的影响。     

Two hundred years of environmental change in Picos de Europa National Park inferred from sediments of Lago Enol, northern Iberia

We present a study of two short sediment cores recovered from Lago Enol, in the Picos de Europa National Park, Cantabrian Mountains, northern Iberia. We inferred past climate conditions and anthropogenic impacts using geochemical and biological (pollen and diatoms) variables in the dated sequences, in conjunction with temperature and precipitation data collected since 1871 at meteorological stations in the region. The record provides evidence of environmental changes during the last 200 years. At the end of the Little Ice Age (~1800?C1875 AD) the region was characterized by an open landscape. Long-term use of the area for mixed livestock grazing in the mountains, and cultivation of rye during the nineteenth century, contributed to the expansion of grassland at the expense of forest. Warmer temperatures since the end of the nineteenth century are inferred from a change in diatom assemblages and development of the local forest. Socioeconomic transformation during the twentieth century, such as livestock changes related to dairy specialization, planting of non-native trees, mining activities, and management of the national park since its creation in 1918, caused profound changes in the catchment and in the lake ecology. The last several decades (~1970?C2007 AD) of the Lago Enol sediment record are strikingly different from previous periods, indicating lower runoff and increasing lake productivity, particularly since AD 2000. Today, the large number of tourists who visit the area cause substantial impacts on this ecosystem.     

A multi-proxy approach to reconstruct hydrological changes and Holocene climate development of Nam Co, Central Tibet

Holocene lake level fluctuations were reconstructed from a 2.7-m sediment core from Nam Co, Central Tibet, China dating to >7.2 cal ka BP. Results were compared to existing lake records from the Tibetan Plateau to infer variations in the strength of the Asian Monsoon. Geomorphological features in the Nam Co catchment, such as beach ridges and lake terraces, indicate high lake stands during the late Glacial. A major low stand is suggested for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Sands and sandy silts at the base of the core are transgressive facies, with material transported by melt water and deposited under rising lake level conditions that followed the LGM low stand. Variations in grain size, major elements, biomarker stable isotopes and minerals in the core suggest a climate evolution reflected in at least five depositional units and subunits. Sediments in Unit I (~7.2 to ~5.4 cal ka BP) were deposited at highest lake levels. Large amounts of allogenic minerals and allochthonous organic matter suggest high precipitation and melt water input, implying positive water balance. Increasing aquatic productivity points to favourable environmental conditions. Unit II (~5.4 to ~4.0 cal ka BP) marks a transition between favourable, stable hydrological conditions and lake level decrease. Lower lake levels were a consequence of drier climate with less monsoonal precipitation, higher evaporation rates, and increased moisture recycling in the catchment. Unit III (~4.0 to ~1.4 cal ka BP) reflects the driest periods recorded, at ~3.7 cal ka BP and 1.6 cal ka BP. Lake shrinkage and salinization was interrupted as suggested by the deposition of Unit IV (~1.4 to ~0.8 cal ka BP), when increased precipitation and runoff that might be related to the Medieval Warm Period, led to a stable, but still low lake level. Unit V (800 cal years BP—present) is characterized by progressive lake shrinkage due to intense evaporation. Large fluctuations in geochemical variables indicate humid and arid periods, respectively, at Nam Co between ~450 and ~200 cal years BP, with the latter assumed to correspond to the Little Ice Age. Modern hydrological data indicate the lake level is rising. Comparison of the Nam Co record with other lake records from the Tibetan Plateau suggests general agreement with the broader picture of Holocene environmental evolution. The timing of dry and wet climate conditions at lake sites across Tibet indicates a gradually decreasing influence of the southern monsoon during the Holocene, from NW to SE. Nevertheless, further research is needed to improve our understanding of Holocene spatio-temporal hydrological variations across the Asian continent.     

近60 a来西秦岭及周边地区降水的分布格局

基于西秦岭及周边地区15个气象站点的降水、气温等月值、年值资料,采用相关统计分析及检验的方法,研究了1951年以来该区域近60 a干湿变化的时空特征。结果表明:西秦岭及周边地区1951年以来降水量呈下降趋势,秋季降水量减少趋势最明显,速率为-18.6 mm· (10 a)^-1;而近60 a年平均气温呈上升趋势,升温速率为0.28℃· (10 a)^-1。对比气温和降水要素,西秦岭及周边地区年平均温度每升高1℃,则年降水减少37 mm,表明该区近60 a由冷湿向暖干转变。同时将气候要素与Niño3.4指数进行相关分析,结果显示在厄尔尼诺事件发生当年该区降水少,气温高,容易发生干旱。利用改进的经验正交函数法分析西秦岭及其周边地区15个气象站点的气候要素,发现该区年降水距平百分率的第一模态解释方差为49.0%,整个区域呈同向变化,而年平均温度距平第一模态解释方差为78.8%,在整个区域内亦呈现同向变化。对比两个要素第一模态显示西秦岭近60 a东部地区与西部地区相比,呈现降水减少幅度大,气温升高速率小的分布格局。