Age and paleoenvironment of Paleolithic stone artifact remains discovered in the Tengger Desert,northern China

In northern China, environmental changes in the transitional zone from the sandy desert to the loess plateau have been regarded as an important issue in the understanding of climate changes and the remains of hominin activities found in this zone provide a solid line of evidence to support the reconstruction of environmental conditions during the late Pleistocene. In 2006, many stone artifacts were collected on the surface in the southeastern Tengger Desert, Northern China. The Tengger lithic assemblage is correlated to the Late Middle to Early Upper Paleolithic stage and with the typical and extensively investigated Shuidonggou site some 140 km north–east of the Tengger localities. In order to evaluate both the age and the environmental conditions prevailing during human occupation despite the lack of associated stratigraphies, we have tried to place the Tengger localities into the Late Pleistocene climatic framework using the available published data provided by Mu Us Desert sand–loess sections and records of Tengger paleolake levels, respectively eastwards and westwards from the newly discovered localities. Additionally, an unpublished sand–loess section was studied by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) near Zhongwei city, around 170 km to the south. All the data suggests that the optimal time for hominin activity in the Tengger Desert would have been from 42 to 22 ka, during a period of relatively humid conditions when the climate of the area was governed by the strengthened summer East Asian monsoon.     

Climate in the Monte Desert: Past trends,present conditions,and future projections

This paper documents the main features of climate and climate variability across the Monte Desert for the Last Glacial Maximum, the Glacial–Interglacial transition, and the Holocene on the basis of proxy records and for the 20th century using instrumental observations. The climate in the Monte is determined by interactions between regional physiography and atmospheric circulation in the 25–45°S sectors of South America. Although arid and semi-arid conditions prevail across the Monte, its large latitudinal extent and complex topography introduce many particularities at local scales. Paleoclimatic records and model simulations of past climates suggest significant variations in the atmospheric circulation, temperature and rainfall patterns since the Last Glacial Maximum. High-resolution proxy records east of the Andes support the existence of complex climatic patterns with similar temperature changes across the whole region but opposite precipitation variations between subtropical and mid-latitude sectors in the Monte during the past millennium.The present-day climate is depicted in terms of the space and time variability of the near-surface temperature, rainfall and tropospheric wind patterns. Uneven temperature trends over the Monte were recorded for two separate (1920–44 and 1977–2001) global warming periods in the 20th century. Additional warming evidence in the region is provided by extreme temperature records. The non-homogeneous regional pattern of precipitation shows a positive long-term increase between 30 and 40°S during the interval 1985–2001. Ensemble of climate experiments accomplished with general circulation models provide the most likely changes in temperature and rainfall to occur by the end of this century in relation to present climate. Temperature increases, larger in summer than in winter, will be concurrent with more abundant precipitations in summer, but almost no changes or even small reductions in winter across the Monte.     

Seasonal dynamics of vegetation over the past 100 years inferred from tree rings and climate in Hulunbei'er steppe,northern China

The relationship between monthly vegetation cover anomalies and climate in the Hulunbei'er steppe were studied through analyzing the relationship between regional normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and climatic variables, and NDVI and tree-ring width during the growing season (May–October). The local moisture (dry/wet) and temperature (cold/warm) variations largely affected the vegetation cover and the radial growth of Mongolian pines (Pinus sylvestiris Linnaeus var. mongolica Litvinov) in the steppe. Monthly precipitation and Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) data from the previous to the current growing seasons were positively correlated to regional vegetation cover and radial growth of Mongolian pines; however, negative correlations were found between temperature and vegetation variables. A reconstruction of monthly vegetation cover dynamics for the growing season was created and spans 116 years (from 1891 to 2006). The results show that the total numbers of anomalies for dense and sparse seasonal vegetation cover is 22 years over the 116 year record; about 5–7 relatively dense or sparse periods; and ∼2–8 years significant periodicities (p < 0.05). Linkages to the Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean regimes were also detected.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠的气候特征及其变化趋势

通过对短期的野外考察资料和历年气象记录与树木年轮的资料分析结果表明:塔克拉玛干沙漠气候实质上是盆地气候与沙漠气候的综合体-极端干旱的大陆性气候。主要特征有:冷热剧变,干旱少雨,降水少而集中,变率大,风沙活动频繁等。事实证明:极端干旱的大陆性气候也有冷和暖、干和湿的相对变化;这种变化过程具有波动特征,而不是沿着一个方向持续发展的,其变化速度是缓慢的,强度也是微弱的,并不能从根本上改变极端干旱的大陆性气候的基本特征。沙漠南缘近200年来,气候有变干、变暖的变化趋势。     

Recent ecological responses to climate variability and human impacts in the Nianbaoyeze Mountains (eastern Tibetan Plateau) inferred from pollen,diatom and tree-ring data

The Tibetan Plateau is a region that is highly sensitive to recent global warming, but the complexity and heterogeneity of its mountainous landscape can result in variable responses. In addition, the scarcity and brevity of regional instrumental and palaeoecological records still hamper our understanding of past and present patterns of environmental change. To investigate how the remote, high-alpine environments of the Nianbaoyeze Mountains, eastern Tibetan Plateau, are affected by climate change and human activity over the last ~600 years, we compared regional tree-ring studies with pollen and diatom remains archived in the dated sediments of Dongerwuka Lake (33.22°N, 101.12°E, 4,307 m a.s.l.). In agreement with previous studies from the eastern Tibetan Plateau, a strong coherence between our two juniper-based tree-ring chronologies from the Nianbaoyeze and the Anemaqin Mountains was observed, with pronounced cyclical variations in summer temperature reconstructions. A positive directional trend to warmer summer temperatures in the most recent decades, was, however, not observed in the tree-ring record. Likewise, our pollen and diatom spectra showed minimal change over the investigated time period. Although modest, the most notable change in the diatom relative abundances was a subtle decrease in the dominant planktonic Cyclotella ocellata and a concurrent increase in small, benthic fragilarioid taxa in the ~1820s, suggesting higher ecosystem variability. The pollen record subtly indicates three periods of increased cattle grazing activity (~1400–1480 AD, ~1630–1760 AD, after 1850 AD), but shows generally no significant vegetation changes during past ~600 years. The minimal changes observed in the tree-ring, diatom and pollen records are consistent with the presence of localised cooling centres that are evident in instrumental and tree-ring data within the southeastern and eastern Tibetan Plateau. Given the minor changes in regional temperature records, our complacent palaeoecological profiles suggest that climatically induced ecological thresholds have not yet been crossed in the Nianbaoyeze Mountains region.     

树轮记录的腾格里沙漠东缘1775-2005年降水变化

 利用采自腾格里沙漠东缘的贺兰山油松树轮样本,建立树轮宽度年表。通过相关普查发现,贺兰山油松树轮宽度差值年表与腾格里沙漠东缘当年5月至7月的降水存在显著的正相关,相关系数为0.606（P<0.001）。利用贺兰山北部的树轮宽度差值年表,可较好地重建腾格里沙漠东缘近231 a来当年5月至7月的降水变化,交叉检验表明,降水重建结果稳定可靠。通过与腾格里沙漠南缘地区树轮降水重建序列对比分析,发现腾格里沙漠边缘区的树轮重建降水的干湿阶段变化具有良好的同步性,并对西北地区极端干旱历史事件有良好响应。     

Seasonal variability of phytoplankton biomass and composition in the major water masses of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean

Long-term changes in phytoplankton biomass and community composition are important in the ecosystem and biogeochemical cycle in the Southern Ocean. We aim to ultimately evaluate changes in phytoplankton assemblages in this region on a decadal scale. However, yearly continuous data are lacking, and long-term datasets often include seasonal variability. We evaluated the seasonal changes in phytoplankton abundance/composition across latitudes in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean via multi-ship observations along the 110°E meridian from 2011 to 2013. The chlorophyll a concentration was 0.3–0.5 mg m⁻³ in the Subantarctic Zone (40–50°S) and 0.4–0.6 mg m⁻³ in the Polar Frontal Zone (50–60°S); pico-sized phytoplankton (<10 μm), mainly haptophytes, were dominant in both zones. In the Antarctic Divergence area (60–65°S), the chlorophyll a concentration was 0.6–0.8 mg m⁻³, and nano-sized phytoplankton (>10 μm), mainly diatoms, dominated. Chlorophyll a concentrations and phytoplankton community compositions were the same within a latitudinal zone at different times, except during a small but distinct spring bloom that occurred north of 45°S and south of 60°S. This small seasonal variation means that this part of the Southern Ocean is an ideal site to monitor the long-term effects of climate change.     

阿拉善东南部自然环境演变与地面流沙路径的分析

阿拉善东南部包括腾格里和吉兰泰两区。腾格里和吉兰泰两区在晚更新世均是一个湖域广阔的淡水大湖。之后 ,吉兰泰大湖和腾格里大湖在封闭状态下 ,一方面因气候转为干旱、蒸发致使湖域减小直至完全干涸 ,露出的湖底在风的吹蚀作用下形成沙漠 ;另一方面在“狭管效应”作用下 ,由吉兰泰西部来自雅玛雷克沙漠和在腾格里西部来自巴丹吉林沙漠的风吹沙沿着地形上狭窄通道的侵进是加剧这两个湖盆沙漠化的另一个重要因素。对此 ,基于遥感的研究提出了研究区西缘挡沙固沙 ,建立生态保护带 ,区内分块治理、有效控制流沙的侵进和扩张以及通过改善下垫面性质来控制沙尘的发生与强度 ,逐步改善生态环境的措施。研究区风沙的治理 ,对于缓解京津沙尘灾害具有重要的意义。     

Recent advances on reconstruction of climate and extreme events in China for the past 2000 years

China is distinguished by a prominent monsoonal climate in the east of the country, a continental arid climate in the northwest and a highland cold climate on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Because of the long history of Chinese civilization, there are abundant and well-dated documentary records for climate variation over the whole of the country as well as many natural archives (e.g., tree-rings, ice cores, stalagmites, varved lake sediments and corals) that enable high-resolution paleoclimatic reconstruction. In this paper, we review recent advances in the reconstruction of climate and extreme events over the last 2000 years in China. In the last 10 years, many new reconstructions, based on multi-proxies with wide spatial coverage, have been published in China. These reconstructions enable us to understand the characteristics of climate change across the country as well as the uncertainties of regional reconstructions. Synthesized reconstructed temperature results show that warm intervals over the last 2000 years occurred in AD 1–200, AD 551–760, AD 951–1320, and after AD 1921, and also show that cold intervals were in AD 201–350, AD 441–530, AD 781–950, and AD 1321–1920. Extreme cold winters, seen between 1500 and 1900, were more frequent than those after 1950. The intensity of regional heat waves, in the context of recent global warming, may not in fact exceed natural climate variability seen over the last 2000 years. In the eastern monsoonal region of China, decadal, multi-decadal and centennial oscillations are seen in rainfall variability. While the ensemble mean for drought/flood spatial patterns across all cold periods shows a meridional distribution, there is a tri-pole pattern with respect to droughts south of 25°N, floods between 25° and 30°N, and droughts north of 30°N for all warm periods. Data show that extreme drought events were most frequent in the periods AD 301–400, AD 751–800, AD 1051–1150, AD 1501–1550, and AD 1601–1650, while extreme flood events were frequent in the periods AD 101–150, AD 251–300, AD 951–1000, AD 1701–1750, AD 1801–1850, and AD 1901–1950. Between AD 1551–1600, extreme droughts and flood events occurred frequently. In arid northwest China, climate was characterized by dry conditions in AD 1000–1350, wet conditions in AD 1500–1850, and has tended to be wet over recent decades. On the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, centennial-scale oscillations in precipitation have occurred over the last 1000 years, interrupted by several multi-decadal-scale severe drought events. Of these, the most severe were in the 1480s and 1710s. In southwest China, extreme droughts as severe as those seen in Sichuan and Chongqing in 2006 are known to have occurred during historical times.     

基于RS、GIS两大沙漠边缘带土地利用/覆盖对近十余年来气候变化的响应研究

以1986年与2000年两期TM遥感解译影像为基础,运用GIS空间分析手段,借助多个土地利用分析模型,对我国北方腾格里与毛乌素两大沙漠边缘带土地利用空间变化特点进行了分析,揭示出上世纪80年代后期至本世纪初的十余年来两大沙漠南缘带土地利用／覆盖对气候变化所做出的各具特色的响应方式。研究期内,研究区土地利用程度总体得到提高,其中东部毛乌素地区提高速度高于西部,中部宁夏部分高于两头陕西、甘肃部分。土地利用重心分布揭示出半干旱、干旱沙漠边缘带耕地与水资源分布的密切关系,同时,土地利用重心变化分析揭示山西部腾格里地区研究期内生态环境区域恶化,而东部毛乌素地区生态环境质量趋于好转。     

Five thousand years of sediment transfer in a high arctic watershed recorded in annually laminated sediments from Lower Murray Lake,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut, Canada

Sediments in Lower Murray Lake, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Canada (81°21′ N, 69°32′ W) contain annual laminations (varves) that provide a record of sediment accumulation through the past 5000+ years. Annual mass accumulation was estimated based on measurements of varve thickness and sediment bulk density. Comparison of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with instrumental climate data, long-term records of climatic forcing mechanisms and other regional paleoclimate records suggests that lake sedimentation is positively correlated with regional melt season temperatures driven by radiative forcing. The temperature reconstruction suggests that recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum temperatures observed during the Little Ice Age, maximum temperatures during the past 5200 years exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, and that minimum temperatures observed approximately 2900 varve years BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent conditions. Recent temperatures were the warmest since the fourteenth century, but similar conditions existed intermittently during the period spanning ~4000–1000 varve years ago. A highly stable pattern of sedimentation throughout the period of record supports the use of annual mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake as a reliable proxy indicator of local climatic conditions in the past.

Evidence of late Holocene climate variability in the western Nanling Mountains,South China

A 95-cm-thick peat sequence obtained from Daping Swamp in the western Nanling Mountains provides evidence for climate variability in the past ~3,000 year. Multi-proxy records (including organic carbon isotopes, humification degree, organic matter content, and dry bulk density) revealed three intensified Asian summer monsoon (ASM) intervals (i.e.~2900–2700, 2500–1700 and 1000–600 cal. yr BP) and three weakened ASM intervals (i.e.~2800–2500, 1700–1000 and 600–200 cal. yr BP). Our δ¹³C record shows a possible correlation with the sunspot number and residual atmospheric ¹⁴C records on multi-centennial scale, especially for the period between 2960 and 2200 cal. yr BP. A spectral analysis of δ¹³C record reveals three significant cycles (i.e., 396, 110 and 102 yr) and all these cycles could be related to solar activity, suggesting that solar output may have influenced the late Holocene climate variability in the study region.     

Seasonal variability of Holocene climate: a palaeolimnological study on varved sediments in Lake Jues (Harz Mountains, Germany)

Studies combining sedimentological and biological evidence to reconstruct Holocene climate beyond the major changes, and especially seasonality, are rare in Europe, and are nearly completely absent in Germany. The present study tries to reconstruct changes of seasonality from evidence of annual algal successions within the framework of well-established pollen zonation and ¹⁴C-AMS dates from terrestrial plants. Laminated Holocene sediments in Lake Jues (10°20.7′ E, 51°39.3′ N, 241 m a.s.l.), located at the SW margin of the Harz Mountains, central Germany, were studied for sediment characteristics, pollen, diatoms and coccal green algae. An age model is based on 21 calibrated AMS radiocarbon dates from terrestrial plants. The sedimentary record covers the entire Holocene period. Trophic status and circulation/stagnation patterns of the lake were inferred from algal assemblages, the subannual structure of varves and the physico-chemical properties of the sediment. During the Holocene, mixing conditions alternated between di-, oligo- and meromictic depending on length and variability of spring and fall periods, and the stability of winter and summer weather. The trophic state was controlled by nutrient input, circulation patterns and the temperature-dependent rates of organic production and mineralization. Climate shifts, mainly in phase with those recorded from other European regions, are inferred from changing limnological conditions and terrestrial vegetation. Significant changes occurred at 11,600 cal. yr. BP (Preboreal warming), between 10,600 and 10,100 cal. yr. BP (Boreal cooling), and between 8,400 and 4,550 cal. yr. BP (warm and dry interval of the Atlantic). Since 4,550 cal. yr. BP the climate became gradually cooler, wetter and more oceanic. This trend was interrupted by warmer and dryer phases between 3,440 and 2,850 cal. yr. BP and, likely, between 2,500 and 2,250 cal. yr. BP.     

Factors contributing to dust storms in source regions producing the yellow-sand phenomena observed in Japan from 1993 to 2002

Asian-dust (yellow-sand) phenomena observed in Japan have been increasing in recent years, especially from 2000 to 2002. The main cause is severe dust events in arid and semi-arid regions of northeast Asia. The dust source area in northeast Asia (target area: 35°–45°N and 100°–115°E) was identified with reference to past results, and the relationship between the yellow-sand phenomena observed in Japan and dust outbreaks in the target area was examined during the springtime (March to May) from 1993 to 2002. The annual change in the number of dust phenomena observed in Japan agreed well with the Dust Storm Frequency (DSF) in the target area (R² = 0.8796). Even though strong wind (≧7.0 m s⁻¹) has a profound effect on dust storms (R² = 0.515), coverage of the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), ranging from 0 to 0.1 (bare land with snow cover) and 0.1 to 0.2 (bare land) in April, also affected dust storms in the target area (R² = 0.486 and 0.418).     

Holocene millennial-scale climate variations documented by multiple lake-level proxies in sediment cores from Hurleg Lake,Northwest China

Millennial-scale climate variability has not been well documented in arid northwest China due to the scarcity of high-resolution, well-dated paleoclimate records. Here we present multi-proxy records from sediment cores taken in freshwater Hurleg Lake on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, which reveal millennial-scale lake-level and climate variations over the past 8,000 years. This high-elevation region is very sensitive to large-scale climate change, thus allowing us to better understand Holocene climate variations in East Asia. The lake-level record, derived from lithology, magnetic mineralogy, carbonate isotopes, ostracode shell isotopes and trace elements, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and gray scale data, indicates a highly variable and generally dry climate from 7.8 to 1 ka (1 ka = 1,000 cal year BP), and a relatively stable and wet climate after 1 ka. Superimposed on this general trend, six dry intervals at 7.6–7.2 ka, 6.2–5.9 ka, 5.3–4.9 ka, 4.4–3.8 ka, 2.7–2.4 ka, and 1.7–1.1 ka were detected from the high-resolution carbonate content and XRF data. The generally dry climate between 7.8 and 1 ka was almost synchronous with the decrease of East Asian and Indian monsoon intensities shortly after 8 ka. The six dry intervals can be correlated with weak monsoon events recorded in the East Asia and Indian monsoon regions, as well as the North Atlantic cold events. Our data suggest that millennial-scale monsoon variations could cause highly variable climate conditions in arid northwest China during the Holocene. These millennial-scale climate variations may reflect changes in solar variation and/or changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation.     

腾格里沙漠南缘近315年5～6月PDSI指数变化

利用昌灵山早材宽度年表重建腾格里沙漠南缘在过去315 a的5～6月份PDSI指数变化,重建方程的方差解释量达42.0%。腾格里沙漠南缘5～6月的PDSI指数重建序列平均值为-0.32。腾格里沙漠南缘5～6月的PDSI指数重建序列对西北地区干旱极端历史事件有良好的响应。空间分析显示腾格里沙漠南缘5～6月的PDSI指数重建序列与亚洲季风尾闾区PDSI指数的变化比较一致,同时还与西北地区的多条PDSI指数重建序列有着良好的相关性。腾格里沙漠南缘5～6月的PDSI指数重建序列具有25 a(95%)、12 a(95%)、3.4 a(99%)、2.8 a(99%)、2.6 a(99%)、2.3 a(95%)的周期变化。     

Summer Moisture Variability in East Central Sweden Since the Mid-Eighteenth Century Recorded in Tree Rings

To make predictions of future climate it is necessary to understand the past climate—temperature as well as precipitation. While a wealth of temperature proxies exist from northern latitudes, there is still a lack of information about past precipitation variability. Here we present a 300‐year‐long tree‐ring width chronology from xeric‐site Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Tyresta National Park, east central Sweden. Tree‐ring widths were compared to the long observed temperature and precipitation records from Stockholm during 1786–2000. Analyses of the climate/growth relationship showed that, in general, May–June precipitation had a dominating influence on pine growth. However, during dry periods, negative responses to June–July temperature were stronger, especially evident in the late nineteenth century. Periods of below‐average growth were associated with dry conditions in May–June, but occasionally periods of wet and cool summers also produced narrow rings. Periods of above‐average growth were linked to wet, but sporadically also cool and dry, early summers. The years between 1815 and 1833 appear to be particularly dry in the 300‐year context. Since growth anomalies are found in other Swedish drought‐sensitive tree‐ring chronologies during this period, it is likely that this dry period had a regional extent. This is the first tree‐ring chronology from southern Sweden that provides multi‐century information of past summer drought and moisture variability with high resolution and the study will add important information regarding past climate variability in southern Sweden.     

How well do sediment indicators record past climate? An evaluation using annually laminated sediments

The reliability of paleoclimatic inferences from lake-sediment records rests on the understanding of how various sediment indicators respond to environmental changes. Despite the recent proliferation of paleoclimatic records, only a limited number of studies have rigorously evaluated potential indicators by comparing lake-sediment records with instrumental weather data. We analyzed annually laminated sediments of the past 100 years from a lake in north-central Minnesota for a suite of variables commonly used for climatic reconstructions. Results were compared with time series of climatic or climate-derived variables, as well as with indices of climate modes thought to influence the regional climate of the midwestern United States. The oxygen-isotopic composition of calcite (δ¹⁸O_c) shows trends similar to those of effective moisture (as measured by precipitation [P] minus actual evapotranspiration [AET], P-AET, and the Palmer Drought Severity Index [PDSI]), with high δ¹⁸O_c values generally corresponding to low P-AET and low PDSI. δ¹⁸O_c also exhibits striking correspondence with the index of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) but it lags behind PDO by 3 years. Elevated δ¹⁸O_c values during the warm PDO phase probably reflect warm and dry climatic conditions in the midwestern US, especially during winter months. The carbon-isotopic composition of calcite (δ¹³C_c) shows some similarity with δ¹⁸O_c but also displays stratigraphic patterns resembling those of lake-productivity indicators, including biogenic silica, inverse of inorganic carbon, ratio of organic carbon to nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, organic carbon. δ¹³C_c is correlated with mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and the index of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), probably because elevated MAAT stimulates the rate of algal carbon uptake, lengthens growing season, and/or enhances CO₂ degassing. Varves are typically thicker during periods of lower δ¹⁸O_c and higher P-AET (or PDSI) values, because wet climatic conditions probably increase nutrient availability and lake productivity. Gray-scale intensity does not co-vary with any of the above climatic variables or climate-mode indices. These results demonstrate the utility of lake-sediment analyses for reconstructing temperature, drought, and large-scale climatic modes at Steel Lake. However, application to down-core reconstructions may be compromised by a number of factors, including the site specificity and non-stationarity of such relationships.     

近2000a毛乌素沙地沙漠化及成因

历史时期毛乌素沙地发生了沙漠化现象,但对沙漠化过程及成因尚有争议。利用毛乌素沙地风成沙-古土壤沉积的测年数据建立累积频度曲线,重建了沙漠化过程;结合高分辨率气候曲线与历史人类活动记录,对近2 000 a毛乌素沙地沙漠化与气候变化、人类活动的关系进行了探讨。结果表明:风成沙-古土壤沉积的测年数据记录了毛乌素沙地在公元440—570、840—960、1525—1890年经历3个沙漠化阶段,均属于温度较低、降水较少的冷干气候,且尘暴频次高;前2次沙漠化时期人口较少,土地开垦面积较小,人类活动程度较低,冷干气候在沙漠化过程中影响显著;第3个沙漠化阶段人口总体处于高压状态,土地开垦面积不断扩大,人类活动强度的增大加剧了沙漠化程度。