Asian monsoon climate during the Last Glacial Maximum: palaeo‐data–model comparisons

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (23–19 ka BP) in the Asian monsoon region is generally described as cool and dry, due to a strong winter monsoon. More recently, however, palaeo‐data and climate model simulations have argued for a more variable LGM Asian monsoon climate with distinct regional differences. We compiled, evaluated, and partly re‐assessed proxy records for the Asian monsoon region in terms of wet/dry climatic conditions based on precipitation and effective moisture, and of sea surface temperatures. The comparison of the palaeo‐data set to LGM simulations by the Climate Community System Model version 3 (CCSM3) shows fairly good agreement: a dry LGM climate in the western and northern part due to a strengthened winter monsoon and/or strengthened westerly winds and wetter conditions in equatorial areas, due to a stronger summer monsoon. Data–model discrepancies are seen in some areas and are ascribed to the fairly coarse resolution of CCSM3 and/or to uncertainties in the reconstructions. Differences are also observed between the reconstructed and simulated northern boundaries of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The reconstructions estimate a more southern position over southern India and the Bay of Bengal, whereas CCSM3 simulates a more northern position. In Indochina, the opposite is the case. The palaeo‐data indicate that climatic conditions changed around 20–19 ka BP, with some regions receiving higher precipitation and some experiencing drier conditions, which would imply a distinct shift in summer monsoon intensity. This shift was probably triggered by the late LGM sea‐level rise, which led to changes in atmosphere–ocean interactions in the Indian Ocean. The overall good correspondence between reconstructions and CCSM3 suggests that CCSM3 simulates LGM climate conditions over subtropical and tropical areas fairly well. The few high‐resolution qualitative and quantitative palaeo‐records available for the large Asian monsoon region make reconstructions however still uncertain.     

Sub-millennial scale variations in East Asian monsoon systems recorded by dust deposits from the north-western Chinese Loess Plateau

Previous work has demonstrated that magnetic properties and sediment particle size of Chinese loess deposits provide information on past behaviour of Chinese summer and winter monsoons, respectively (Heller and Evans, 1995; Derbyshire et al, 1997). It has been suggested that the East Asian winter monsoon system in particular is teleconnected on earth orbital and sub-orbital timescales to climatic states and events in high northern latitudes, especially northern hemisphere ice volume and Heinrich events, (Porter and An, 1995; Chen et al., 1997). However, the majority of this research has been performed around the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau where the rate of dust accumulation is relatively low, thus limiting the potential resolution of palaeoclimatic records. Here we present a high resolution (5mm / ~20 yr interval) magnetic susceptibility record from an thick loess deposit located at Caoxian in the north-western part of the Loess Plateau. The record spans the “Lateglacial” (last glacial / interglacial transition) and when placed on a palaeomagnetic chronology shows a relationship with the GISP2 proxy air temperature record from Greenland (Grootes et al., 1993; Meese et al., 1994; Stuiver et al 1995). The results demonstrate that several Lateglacial climatic fluctuations previously reported in the North Atlantic region and in Europe are also recorded in China. In addition, the apparent absence of a signal corresponding to the Bølling Interstadial in China during the early deglaciation suggests that, at certain times, the apparent North Atlantic — Asian monsoon teleconnection may have collapsed. The demonstrated ability of the loess deposits to resolve sub-millennial scale climate variations points to their potential as a previously unexplored archive for very high-resolution studies of terrestrial climate.     

Variability of East Asian Winter Monsoon in Quaternary Climatic Extremes in North China

In order to examine high-frequency variations of East Asian winter monsoon in Quaternary climatic extremes, two typical loess–paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau were investigated. Sandy layers in the loess deposits, the “Upper sand” and “Lower sand” (layers L9 and L15, respectively), which represent a high-resolution record of paleomonsoon changes, have been sampled at intervals of 5–6 cm from sections at Luochuan and Xifeng. The grain size and magnetic susceptibility was measured for all samples. The grain-size results (a proxy of winter monsoon strength) indicate that the winter monsoon strength fluctuated on a millennial timescale during cold climatic extremes, with climatic events of a few hundred to a few thousand years. However, the winter monsoon was relatively stable during warm periods. The magnetic susceptibility signal (a proxy of summer monsoon intensity) is practically constant over the same period. This is tentatively explained by the assumption that the summer monsoon intensity was too low to be recorded in the magnetic susceptibility signal. The intensified winter monsoon events show periodicities in a range of 1000 to 2770 yr, with a dominant cycle of approximately 1450 yr. The detection of this oscillation in older glacial stages strongly suggests that it may be a pervasive cycle of the cold climatic phases of the Quaternary. Millennial-scale variations of the winter monsoon may be caused by instability of the westerly jet, which is determined by temperature differences between the polar and the equatorial regions.     

Decoupling of the East Asian summer monsoon and Indian summer monsoon between 20 and 17 ka

Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 2, with its profound environmental and climatic changes from before the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the last deglaciation, is an ideal period for understanding the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and Indian summer monsoon (ISM), two Asian monsoon sub-systems. With 875 stable oxygen isotope ratios and 43 ²³⁰Th dates from stalagmites in Sanxing Cave, southwestern China, we construct and interpret a new, replicated, Asian summer monsoon (ASM) record covering 30.9–9.7 ka with decadal resolution. δ¹⁸O records from this site and other reported Chinese caves display similar long-term orbitally dominated trends and synchronous millennial-scale strong and weak monsoonal events associated with climate changes in high northern latitudes. Interestingly, Sanxing δ¹⁸O and Arabian Sea records show a weakening ISM from 22 to 17 ka, while the Hulu and Qingtian records from East and Central China express a 3-ka intensifying EASM from 20 to 17 ka. This decoupling between EASM and ISM may be due to different sensitivities of the two ASM sub-systems in response to internal feedback mechanisms associated with the complex geographical or land-ocean configurations.     

Holocene Vegetation and Climate Changes in the Huangqihai Lake Region, Inner Mongolia

A consensus on Holocene climate variability at the modern northern fringe of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) region remains elusive. Here, we present a pollen-based reconstruction of vegetation history and associated climate variations of a sediment core from Huangqihai Lake, central Inner Mongolia. During 10.7 to 8.8 cal kaBP, typical steppe with small patches of forest dominated the lake area, suggesting a moderately wet climate, followed by ameliorating climatic conditions until 8.0 cal kaBP as deduced by the expansion of forest. Typical steppe recovered the lake area between 8.0 and 7.2 cal kaBP, reflecting a deterioration of climatic conditions; in combination with other proxy records in the study region, we noticed that severe aridity was prevailed in the lake area between 8.0 and 7.6 cal kaBP. During 7.2 to 3.2 cal kaBP, abundant tree pollen indicated dominance of forest-steppe around the lake, marking regionally wet conditions. A notable absence of broadleaved trees after 5.2 cal kaBP reveals a slight drying trend, and climate deterioration from 4.5 to 4.1 cal kaBP might be linked to the 4.2 ka event. After 3.2 cal kaBP, a transition to steppe was associated with dry conditions in the region. Based on our pollen record and prior paleoclimatic reconstructions in the Huangqihai Lake region, there was a generally-accepted, stepwise shift to a wet climate during the early Holocene, an overall humid climate from 7.2 to 3.2 cal kaBP, and then severe drought for the rest of the Holocene. Moreover, regional comparisons among pollen records derived from lakes situated in the temperate steppe region suggested a roughly synchronous pattern of vegetation and climate changes during the Holocene and demonstrated an intensified EASM during the middle Holocene.     

亚洲中部干旱区全新世气候变化的西风模式* ——以新疆博斯腾湖记录为例

位于受西风环流显著影响区的我国最大内陆淡水湖——新疆博斯腾湖提供了全新世亚洲中部干旱区气候变化的可靠记录。对该湖钻探岩芯、沉积年代以及孢粉、碳酸盐含量、粒度等代用指标分析结果表明,末次冰消期到全新世早期湖泊干涸,风砂沉积盛行,气候干旱;约8cal.kaB.P.以来现代湖泊形成,气候相对湿润,其中,约6.0~1.5cal.kaB.P.期间代用指标A/C值指示的流域湿度增加,盘星藻指示的湖泊深度最大,全新世最湿润时段发生在中晚全新世。博斯腾湖记录的早全新世干旱和中晚全新世湿润的气候框架得到中亚其他较高分辨率湖泊记录的支持,具有普遍性。亚洲中部西风影响区这一全新世气候变化框架与亚洲季风区早中全新世夏季风强盛、中晚全新世季风衰落的变化模式显著不同,具有近似反相位(out of phase)变化特征。广大中亚内陆干旱区中晚全新世湿润气候不大可能是东亚季风深入内陆造成的,更可能是通过西风环流与高纬度北大西洋相联系,其驱动机制需要更深入研究。     

中国黄土高原西缘甘肃万象洞MIS 5石笋δ18 O记录与南方地区石笋记录的对比研究*

位于青藏高原与黄土高原过渡带的甘肃武都万象洞石笋WXSM51和WXSM52提供了MIS 5(118~79kaB.P.)高分辨率的δ¹⁸ O记录。研究表明, 万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O值与夏季风强度呈负相关关系, 与我国西南部的贵州董歌洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录有良好的对应关系, 并与高纬度的格陵兰NGRIP冰芯δ¹⁸ O记录和65°N太阳辐射强度有很好的一致性, 说明万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录了118~79kaB.P.期间亚洲季风强度的变化, 同时也说明东亚季风强度的变化和全球气候变化同步, 而且主要受控于北半球太阳辐射强度的变化。同时它与地中海碳酸盐记录有很好的相似性, 和巴西石笋δ¹⁸ O记录在千年尺度上表现出相反的变化趋势, 说明东亚季风区、地中海地区以及巴西季风区之间存在密切的联系, 指示了南北半球气候在千年尺度上存在"跷跷板"(seesaw)现象。万象洞石笋δ¹⁸ O记录的MIS 5b与MIS 5a突发性转换, 与NGRIP冰芯δ¹⁸ O记录相似, 而与神农架记录存在差异, 说明万象洞地区对亚洲季风强度的响应更为敏感。     

贵州石笋记录的中晚全新世东亚夏季风变化

研究全新世典型气候突变事件的内部结构及区域特征,有助于明晰季风气候突变事件的成因机制。通过对贵州七星洞石笋14个高精度²³⁰Th定年和779个氧同位素数据的分析,重建了过去6 380～2 700 yr B.P.时段平均分辨率达4.7年的东亚夏季风演化序列。该石笋δ¹⁸O值整体上呈逐渐偏正的特征,指示中晚全新世以来东亚夏季风持续变弱的趋势。叠加在此长期季风减弱变化趋势上,最为显著的百年尺度振荡主要发生在4 548～3 715 yr B.P.时段,对应于4.2 kyr B.P.事件。该记录与同区域董哥洞石笋δ¹⁸O记录一致,均显示在此事件内部并非持续干旱,而是具有两次显著的季风强降雨期。相似的季风强降雨期在我国北方气候记录中也有体现。在更大的空间尺度上,这种4.2 kyr B.P.事件的内部结构特征与澳洲—印度尼西亚(澳—印)季风区的石笋记录结构相对应,但呈显著的反相位耦合关系,证实了亚洲与澳—印季风间的动力学联系。此外,该事件结构与ENSO记录的耦合暗示了4.2 kyr B.P.事件的发生可能与热带太平洋密切相关。     

黄土高原和南海陆架古季风演变的生物记录与Heinrich事件

宝鸡黄土中０．１５Ｍａ以来植物硅酸体研究表明,年均温度、１月份和年均降水量的变化与深海氧同位素变化有很好的一致性,而７月份降水量的变化与印度洋反映季风强弱的粒度变化相类似。南海陆架孢粉研究发现,１４７００—１３９００ａＢ．Ｐ．和２２９００一２０６００ａＢ．Ｐ．气候变冷期与北大西洋沉积物中Ｈ１、Ｈ２变冷事件存在成因上的联系。全球冰量通过冬季风等因素在“轨道尺度”上可能影响了夏季风对特定地区的控制时间,从而控制了黄土区气候的年均状况,但没有影响夏季风固有的变化周期和振幅。由低纬夏季太阳辐射控制的夏季风以其准２００００ａ周期叠加在冬季风所具有的准０．１Ｍａ周期上。冬、夏季风的演化行为具有较强的相对独立性,冬、夏季风同时减弱或增强的情况是存在的。Ｈｅｉｎｒｉｃｈ事件在东亚地区不仅影响了冬季风而且影响了夏季风。     

Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle,based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records

Previous studies have suggested a sound chronological correlation between the Hulu Cave record (East Asian monsoon) and Greenland ice-core records, which implies a dominant control of northern hemisphere climate processes on monsoon intensity. We present an objective, straightforward statistical evaluation that challenges this generally accepted paradigm for sub-orbital variability. We propose a more flexible, global interpretation, which takes into account a broad range of variability in the signal structures in the Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records, rather than a limited number of major transitions. Our analysis employs the layer-counted Greenland Ice-Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05), which was developed for Greenland records and has since been applied – via methane synchronisation – to the high-resolution δ¹⁸O_ice series from EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML). The GICC05 chronology allows these ice-core records to be compared to the U–Th dated Hulu Cave record within relatively narrow (～3%) bounds of age uncertainty. Following previous suggestions, our proposed interpretation suggests that the East Asian monsoon is influenced by a combination of northern hemisphere ‘pull’ (which is more intense during boreal warm periods), and southern hemisphere ‘push’ (which is more intense monsoon during austral cold periods). Our analysis strongly suggests a dominant control on millennial-scale monsoon variability by southern hemisphere climate changes during glacial times when the monsoon is weak overall, and control by northern hemisphere climate changes during deglacial and interglacial times when the monsoon is strong. The deduced temporally variable relationship with southern hemisphere climate records offers a statistically more plausible reason for the apparent coincidence of major East Asian monsoon transitions with northern hemisphere (Dansgaard–Oeschger, DO) climate events during glacial times, than the traditional a priori interpretation of strict northern hemisphere control.     

The East Asian monsoon during MIS 2 expressed in a speleothem δO record from Jintanwan Cave, Hunan, China

Stalagmite J1 from Jintanwan Cave, Hunan, China, provides a precisely dated, decadally resolved δ¹⁸O proxy record of paleoclimatic changes associated with the East Asian monsoon from ∼29.5 to 14.7 ka and from ∼12.9 to 11.0 ka. At the time of the last glacial maximum (LGM), the East Asian summer monsoon weakened and then strengthened in response to changes in Northern Hemisphere insolation. As the ice sheets retreated the East Asian summer monsoon weakened, especially during Heinrich event H1, when atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections transferred the climatic changes around the North Atlantic to the monsoonal regions of Eastern Asia. A depositional hiatus between ∼14.7 and 12.9 ka leaves the deglacial record incomplete, but an abrupt shift in δ¹⁸O values at ∼11.5 ka marks the end of the Younger Dryas and the transition into the Holocene. Comparisons of the J1 record to other Chinese speleothem records indicate synchronous climatic changes throughout monsoonal China. Further comparisons to a speleothem record from western Asia (Socotra Island) and to Greenland ice cores support hemispherical-scale paleoclimatic change. Spectral and wavelet analyses reveal centennial- and decadal-scale periodicities that correspond to solar frequencies and to oscillations in atmospheric and oceanic circulation.     

贵州荔波地区2000年来石笋高分辨率的气候记录

通过对荔波董哥洞石笋进行高精度的ICP MS或TIMS U系测年和碳、氧同位素分析,建立了荔波地区2 300a B.P.来高分辨率的古气候变化的时间序列。研究结果表明,贵州荔波地区2 300a B.P.以来石笋记录的季风气候变化,大致可分为8个气候(亚)期:① 2 300～1 800a B.P.为降温期,显示东亚夏季风减弱,东亚冬季风增强,气候干旱寒冷;② 1 800～1 080a B.P.气温有所回升,显示东亚冬季风缓慢减弱,东亚夏季风有所回升,表现为半湿润的温凉气候期;③ 1 080～680a B.P. 为降温期,气温再次下降,显示东亚冬季风再次增强,但降水相对增大,表现为寒冷湿润的气候期,是气候变化的关键转折时期;④ 680～550a B.P.温暖期,显示东亚夏季风再次增强,气温升高,降水增大,表现为温暖湿润的气候期。⑤ 550～400a B.P.寒冷期,显示东亚冬季风快速增强,气温下降,表现为寒冷湿润的气候环境,是近1 000年以来最冷的时期;⑥ 400～364a B.P.温凉期,显示东亚夏季风有所增强,气温有所回升,表现为温凉湿润气候环境;⑦ 364～324a B.P.冷凉期,显示东亚夏季风有所减弱,气温有所下降,表现为冷凉湿润气候环境;⑧ 324a B.P.至今,气候相对波动期,同位素记录曲线呈锯齿状波动,在其内包括若干个冷凉半湿润、冷湿的气候变化亚阶段。根据荔波董哥洞石笋的高分辨率的古气候变化的连续记录,揭示了荔波地区2 300a B.P.以来的一些百年尺度的重大气候事件——干旱寒冷期、隋唐温暖期(或小温暖期)、小寒冷期以及一些十年尺度的降水、温度变化。石笋记录的这种百年、十年尺度的突发性气候变化事件,与冰芯记录极为相似,反映低纬度地区石笋记录的季风气候与高纬度及北极地区的气候具有极好的相关性,这对于认识现代气候系统变化以及对未来十年—百年尺度的气候预测和演化的驱动机制,具有重要的科学意义。     

Reconstruction Paleoclimate Dased on Sporopollen Record of Re’nacuo Lake, Tibet

The sedimentary sequences since 33 ka B.P. to 10 ka B.P. have been established in the Re＇nacuo-Lake, Gaize area of north Tibet, through a study of a lacustrine section. The climate since 33 ka B.P. to 10 ka B.P. may be divided into two cycle include 5 dry phases and 5 moist phases from reconstructing the paleoclimate through a study of sporopollen analysis. It mainly reflects the general regularity of global climatic change through contrasting with the pale environment in northern hemisphere. Our pollen record reveals a regional climate history similar to those from the neighboring sites, including the GISP2, the Guliya ice core and core RM in Zoige, and thus supports the notion that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau acts as an important link between climatic events in the North Atlantic realm and the Asian monsoon domain. The response of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the global climatic change is relatively sensitive.     

中国热带MIS 3气候特征探讨

本文根据30多个古气候分析实例,探讨中国热带MIS3气候波动的相位特征、变幅特征和周期特征.MIS3为回暖期,曾出现早、晚2个暖期,晚期比早期更暖.MIS3的气候与现今的气候相比较,东部热带以热湿为主,年均温比今高1°～2℃或2°～2.5℃,年降水量比今多700mm或400～500mm;西部热带以凉湿为主,年均温与今相似或约低1.5℃,年降水量比今多700mm左右.MIS3期间出现2个冷-暖-冷的旋回,平均周期为17.5ka,这与岁差周期大体相符.中国热带MIS3的气候波动不仅有万年尺度的地球轨道周期,也有千年尺度的周期,后者与太阳辐射总量本身的变化有关.     

新疆罗布泊地区32.0～9.1kaB.P.期间的孢粉记录及其古气候古环境演化

新疆罗布泊地区罗北洼地CK­2钻孔的孢粉记录揭示出： 32.0～9.1kaB.P. 植被演替明显,气候干湿波动显著; 晚冰期向全新世过渡期间,气候波动频繁且具突变性。31.98～19.26kaB.P.罗布泊地区处于末次冰期的盛冰期阶段,气候寒冷湿润,冷暖波动频繁,但幅度不大,研究区植被以草原－荒漠草原为主; 19.26～13.67kaB.P. 气候明显变为温暖干燥,植被以荒漠为主; 13.67～12.73kaB.P.气候冷湿偏干,植被以草原－荒漠草原为主; 12.73～9.14kaB.P.气候冷湿与暖干交替频繁,波动幅度较大,植被逐渐由荒漠向草原－荒漠草原过渡。其中, 16.45～15.39kaB.P.,14.27～13.67kaB.P.和 11.74～11.23kaB.P.之间的冷颤动分别相应于老仙女木、中仙女木和新仙女木事件; 15.39～14.27kaB.P.和 12.73～11.74kaB.P.之间的暖期则分别对应于欧洲博令和阿勒罗得暖期; 新仙女木事件后的气候具有突变性的特点,10.49kaB.P.前后的暖事件和9.14kaB.P.前后的冷事件,成为全新世早期气候变化的显著特征。孢粉浓度和花粉组合所反映的罗布泊地区晚冰期以来的气候演化同全球性的气候事件具有显著的可比性。     

基于石笋记录的晚全新世太平洋东西两岸季风区气候事件对比研究

研究晚全新世季风气候演变有助于进一步认识与预测未来季风区气候变化。太平洋东西两岸是全球季风集中分布的地区,已经有大量的古气候记录发表,但是缺乏对各个季风区气候突变事件以及整体变化趋势的对比研究。针对这一问题,选取亚洲季风区、印澳季风区、北美季风区、南美季风区11个洞穴石笋δ18O和1个湖泊Ti含量,对比研究各个记录在3.5~0.5 ka B.P.期间指示的夏季风变化特征。通过对比发现四大季风区的石笋δ18O在晚全新世整体上呈现偏正趋势,指示夏季风减弱;2次重要的气候突变事件1.5 ka B.P.和2.7 ka B.P.弱夏季风事件在各个季风区内均有表现;同时也记录了一系列十年际-百年际尺度的弱夏季风事件,表明太平洋东西两岸和南北半球的夏季风都有减弱的趋势,这与先前研究认为的南北半球呈现"see-saw"模式表现出不一样的特征。晚全新世以来ENSO(El Nino-Southern Oscillation)活动的增强对太平洋东西两岸南北半球夏季风减弱具有重要影响。在El Nino事件发生时,Walker环流减弱,而且它的上升支向东移动远离西太平洋暖池,西太平洋副热带高压增强并向西移动,导致亚洲夏季风减弱。Walker环流的东移也会使得印度尼西亚-太平洋暖池(Indo-Pacific Warm Pool,简称IPWP)海温下降,热带季节内震荡减弱致使印澳夏季风减弱;此外,El Nino事件发生时,赤道东太平洋海水温度上升导致东西太平洋海水温度梯度减弱,在此状态下南美季风区低空急流(Low Level Jet,简称LLJ)减弱,导致南美夏季风减弱;同时,北美洲加勒比海低空急流增强,使得该季风区下沉气流增强,导致北美夏季风减弱。我们的研究表明,在晚全新世ENSO活动增强的状态下,太平洋东西两岸南北半球夏季风变化可能都呈现减弱趋势。     

树轮记录的西北季风边缘区干旱变化

祁连山东部位于亚洲季风西北边缘区,对气候变化十分敏感。由于该区位于半干旱区,降水的变化直接影响人类社会经济的发展,所以研究该区干旱变化情况及其机制非常重要。 利用采自祁连山东部西北季风边缘、地处半干旱区的吐鲁沟地区的油松树轮样芯,建立了树轮宽度年表,时间跨度为1866-2003AD。树轮宽度年表与气象因子相关分析结果显示树木生长主要响应生长季内的降水和干旱变化。该年表与附近区域利用树轮宽度重建的帕尔默干旱指数（PDSI）进行对比,结果显示严重的干旱时间发生在1920s-1930s、1966年、1974年、1982年和1990s和21世纪初。多窗谱分析研究表明,该区年表序列存在显著的2~4 a周期（P<0.05）,该周期与ENSO变率吻合,与在贺兰山、祁连山其他地区、兴隆山及贵清山研究结果一致,表明这些区域可能受共同气候因子的影响。     

晚冰期以来月亮湖孢粉记录反映的古植被与古气候演化

地处季风/非季风影响过渡地带的月亮湖是大兴安岭中段阿尔山-柴河火山区中的一个火山口湖.其长8.86 m的沉积岩心孢粉记录, 揭示了末次冰期晚期以来的古植被演化和古气候变化历史: 20.9~18.0 cal. ka B.P.期间研究区的植被为典型草原, 气候寒冷干旱; 18.0~15.3 cal. ka B.P.期间研究区的植被为草甸草原, 气候寒冷湿润; 15.3~14.0 cal. ka B.P.期间乔木开始在当地发育, 植被开始由草甸草原向森林草原转变, 气候向较为温暖湿润的方向转变; 14.0~12.8 cal. ka B.P.期间森林草原在温暖湿润的气候影响下, 森林扩张, 草原退缩, 与B?lling-Aller?d暖期相对应; 12.8~11.8 cal. ka B.P.期间草原在寒冷气候下扩张, 可与新仙女木期相对应; 11.8~0.8 cal. ka B.P. 期间在较为温暖的气候条件下, 草原在气候快速变冷事件的影响下发生了多次扩张, 其中, 较为明显的6次气温突降事件分别发生在9.0~8.9, 8.2~7.8, 7.0~6.8, 6.1~5.6, 5.4~5.2, 2.3~1.8 cal. ka B.P..这些快速气候变化事件与全球和区域中其他高分辨率古气候记录具有可比性, 揭示出月亮湖敏感地记录了全球和区域气候的变化, 同时也表明研究区的高分辨率孢粉分析是研究东亚季风强度变化的良好指标.      

末次冰期东亚季风快速波动的模式与成因

通过对位于东亚季风区中东部与西部边缘的两个高分辨率黄土剖面记录的对比研究，发现它们不仅捕捉到了20个Dansgaard Oeschger事件与6个Heinrich事件，而且黄土记录与GRIP冰芯记录的这些快速气候波动基本上是同步的。暗示在整个末次冰期，东亚季风气候同样存在千年—百年尺度上的快速波动。所不同的是，西面的沙沟剖面对这些快速气候波动的反应比东面的王官剖面敏感。结合末次冰期中国黄土记录的先前研究结果，我们发现，自西向东Dansgaard Oeschger旋回的幅度逐渐变小，推测这主要是由西风与东亚夏季风共同作用所造成的。     

贵州荔波1200年来石笋高分辨率的古气候环境记录

通过笔者对荔波龙泉洞L2石笋进行高精度的ICP-MS-230Th测年和碳、氧同位素分析, 建立了荔波地区1200 a BP 来高分辨率的古气候变化的时间序列。研究结果表明, 荔波地区1200 a BP以来石笋记录的季风气候经历了1200~1100 a BP(暖)、1100~940 a BP (冷)、940~840 a BP(暖)、840~700 a BP(冷)、700~450 a BP(暖)、450~300 a BP(冷)、300~200 a BP(暖)以及200~70 a BP(冷)等8个阶段百年尺度的干湿、冷暖波动, 并在这些百年尺度的波动上又叠加了一系列数十年尺度的气候变化。石笋记录揭示了1200 a以来东亚季风气候的不稳定性, 呈百年尺度(Gleissberg)的周期性变化。这些气候变化事件, 与冰芯记录极为相似, 反映低纬度地区百年尺度石笋记录的季风气候变化与高纬度及北极地区的气候变化具有极好的相关性, 反映百年尺度石笋记录的季风降水主要受太阳辐射驱动、控制, 而东亚季风的降水事件(或干旱事件)与太阳的辐射强度密切相关。石笋记录的百年尺度季风降水事件对于认识现代气候系统变化以及对未来十年—百年尺度的气候预测和演化的驱动机制, 具有重要的科学意义。