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.     

RELATIVE BRIGHTNESS INDEX AND IT‘S CLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE FROM LACUSTRINE SEDIMENT OF NAPAHAI LAKE，NORTHWESTERN YUNNAN PLATEAU，CHINA

Information on the palaeoenvironment from Late Pleistocene to Holocene in northwestern Yannan Plateau has been deduced from a study of a 28.81m-long core taken from Napahai Lake.The results from Relative Brightness In-dex(RBI) as well as those from the lithological analyses of bulk sediments,total organic carbon and granulometric analy-ses have been used to reconstruct the environmental and climatic evolution of the area.The ages were provided by three ^14C datings.The record suggested a climate fluctuation between warm-dry and cool-wet from ca.57 to 32ka B.P.which led a shallowing and swamping of the lake.The water level again increased quickly at ca.32ka B.P.,reached itˊs peak during LGM(Last Glacial Maximum,ca.18-20kaB.P.)and remained relative high until ca.15kaB.P.The high wa-ter level at LGM is attributed to cold-wet conditions.The area experienced an abrupt and unstable climatic changes dur-ing the transition period form 15 to 10ka B.P.with a dominated littoral environment.Awarm-dry climate led to the contrac-tion of the lake during the Holocene and reed-swamps became dominant..After a minor wet-cool pulse during the Late Holocene,the modern climate became to be established.     

A singular spectrum analysis on Holocene climatic oscillation from lake sedimentary record in Minqin Basin, China

The total organic carbon (TOC) content series from the lake sediment of Minqin Basin (100°57′–104°57′E, 37°48′–39°17′N) in northwestern China, which has a 10 000-year-long paleo-climatic proxy record, was used to analyze the Holocene climate changes in the local region. The proxy record was established in the Sanjiaocheng (SJC), Triangle Town in Chinese, Section (103°20′25″E, 39°00′38″N), which is located at the northwestern boundary of the present Asian summer monsoon in China, and is sensitive to global environmental and climate changes. Applying singular spectrum analysis (SSA) to the TOC series, principal climatic oscillations and periodical changes were studied. The results reveal 3 major patterns of climate change regulated by reconstructed components (RCs). The first pattern is natural long-term trend of climatic change in the local area (Minqin Basin), indicating a relatively wetter stage in early Holocene (starting at 9.5 kaBP), and a relatively dryer stage with a strong lake desiccation and a declined vegetation cover in mid-Holocene (during 7–6 kaBP). From 4.0 kaBP to the present, there has been a gradually decreasing trend in the third reconstructed component (RC3) showing that the local climate changed again into a dryer stage. The second pattern shows millennial-centennial scale oscillations containing cycles of 1 600 and 800 years that have been present throughout almost the entire Holocene period of the last 10 000 years. The third pattern is a millennial-centennial scale variation with a relatively smaller amplitude and unclear cycles showing a nonlinear interaction within the earth’s climate systems.     

Holocene abrupt climate shifts and mid-Holocene drought intervals recorded in Barkol Lake of Northern Xinjiang of China

Study results in this paper have indicated that the Holocene climate in Xinjiang, Northwestem China has been alternating between wet and dry conditions, and was punctuated with a series of abrupt climate shifts. A sediment core taken from Barkol Lake in the northern Xinjiang of Northwest China was analyzed at 1 cm interval for grain-size distribution. Abrupt climate shifts revealed by the grain-size proxy occurred at ca 1.4, 3.0, 4.3, 5.6, 8.0 cal kyr B.E, which were well correlated to both the abrupt shifts recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean （NAO） and the Holocene sea surface temperature （SST） cooling events in the Arabian Ocean. The correlation indicated that the climatic changes in the extreme arid Northwest China were associated with the NAO, probably via the North Atlantic Oscillation-affected westerly winds. The strength and position of westerly winds probably modulated the Siberian-Mongolian high- pressure system （winter monsoon）, and played an important role in climate change of Northwest China. Moreover, an evident drought interval during the middle Holocene was also revealed by grain-size proxy.     

Holocene climate cycles in northwest margin of Asian monsoon

In the mid-latitude regions of the Asian continent,Zhuye Lake is located in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon,where the modern climate is affected by the Asian monsoon and Westerlies.In this study,we investigated the absolutely dated Holocene records in Zhuye Lake for detecting the Holocene climate cycles.Totally,14 14 C dates and 6 optically simulated luminescence(OSL) dates are obtained from the QTH01 and QTH02 sections.The proxies of grain-size,total organic carbon content(TOC),C/N and δ 13 C are used for wavelet analysis,and the results show obvious ~256,~512 and ~1024-year climate cycles,which are consistent with the Holocene millennial and centennial scale climate cycles in the typical Asian summer monsoon domain.In different parts of the Zhuye Lake,the Holocene sediments show variable climate cycles that are affected by the lake basin topography.In the Zhuye Lake,the Holocene climate cycles are mainly correlated with the solar-related Asian summer monsoon variability and the North Atlantic ice-rafting events.     

THE STUDY ON CLIMATIC CHANGES AND LAKE LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS OF OINGHAIB LAKE IN HOLOCENE

According to loess and palaeosol climatic record, field observation, analysis data and 14C dating, we discuss the climatic changes and the water level fluctuations of Qinghai Lake. It is pointed out that there were four relatively warm and moist stages in Qinghai Lake basin during the Holocene. They formed in the periods from 10,300 yr.B.P. to 8,500 yr.B.P., 7,000 yr.B.P. to 3,500 yr.B.P., 2,800 yr.B.P. to 2,000 yr.B.P. and from 1,300 yr.B.P. up to now. The climate in the Holocene optimum period, from 7,000 yr.B.P. to 3,500 yr.B.P., was much warmer and moister than that today. Polypodium plant grew luxuriantly around Qinghai Lake. The annual temperature was 2.5℃ higher than that today, but there was no forest at Qinghai Lake shore. It is found that there was a good relationship between precipitation and water level fluctuation. In warm and moist period water level was high and in the cold and dry period it was low in the Holocene. There were four high water level periods for Qinghai Lake in the Holocen     

Late Quaternary sedimentary environmental evolution offshore of the Hangzhou Bay,East China——implications for sea level change and formation of Changjiang alongshore current

This study focuses on sedimentary environmental changes offshore of Hangzhou Bay,East China,since the Late Quaternary. AMS 1 4 C ages from core CJK10,lithologies,distribution of foraminifera,heavy minerals,and S and Cl elements show a f luvial terrace environment during ~23.2–11.0 cal ka BP; a littoral to tidal-f lat environment during 11.0–10.2 cal ka BP; and a shallow marine environment with a relatively low sedimentation rate(0.1–0.22 cm/a) since 4.3 cal ka BP. High depositional rates(~1.6 cm/a) from 10.9 to 10.2 cal ka BP resulted from suff icient accommodation space created by rapid sea level rise from-44 m to-33 m,from high sediment delivery by local rivers,and effective trapping of sediments by tidal-f lat vegetation. The rate of sea level rise was variable; relatively high from 10.9 to 10.6 cal ka BP(2.1 cm/a),and lower since 10.6 cal ka BP(1.2 cm/a). The Changjiang alongshore current crossed the Hangzhou Bay to form the mud wedge on the inner shelf of the East China Sea later than 9.4 cal ka BP. The CJK10 site was a tide-dominated shelf environment and experienced erosion from approximately 9.4–9.2 cal ka BP to 4.3 cal ka BP. The depositional hiatus was caused by the Changjiang alongshore current,which was relatively weak during 9.4–7.5 cal ka BP and increased in strength during ~7.5–4 cal ka BP. From ~4.3 cal ka BP,a large amount of sediment from the Changjiang River was partly deposited on the continental shelf of Hangzhou Bay with some transported southward. Therefore,this study clarif ies the history of Changjiang-derived sediment dispersal and deposition,although a detailed record of the changes in the Changjiang alongshore current since 4.3 cal ka BP is diff icult to obtain because of the scarcity of evidence.     

Sediment record of environmental change at Lake Lop Nur(Xinjiang,NW China) from 13.0 to 5.6 cal ka BP

Lake Lop Nur is located in the eastern part of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang,northwestern China.A 220-cm-long sediment core was collected from the center of the ear-shaped depression forming the basin and dated with AMS~(14)C.Grain size,total organic matter(TOC),total nitrogen(TN),and TOC/TN(C/N)analyses were used to reconstruct climatic conditions from 13.0 to 5.6 cal ka BP.The results showed fi ve main climatic stages.Zone I(13.0–11.3 cal ka BP)was a wet–dry environment,whereas Zone II(11.3–8.9 cal ka BP)consisted of a primarily wet environment.Zone III(8.9–7.7 cal ka BP)was subdivided into Zone IIIa(8.9–8.2 cal ka BP)that indicated lake constriction and dry climate,and Zone IIIb(8.2–7.7 cal ka BP)in which the proxies indicated wet conditions.In Zone IV(7.7–6.6 cal ka BP),the climate presented a bit wet conditions.In Zone V(6.6–5.6 cal ka BP),abundant glauberite is present in the sediment and silt dominates the lithology;these results indicate the lake shrank and the overall climate was dry.Abrupt environmental events were also identifi ed,including six dry events at 11.0,10.5,9.3,8.6,8.2,and 7.6 cal ka BP and one fl ood event from 7.8 to 7.7 cal ka BP in the Early–Middle Holocene.     

Abrupt climate changes of Holocene

This paper is a review of studies of abrupt climate changes(ACCs) during the Holocene published during the past ten years.North Atlantic cold events are indicators of ACCs.As indicated by North Atlantic ice-rafted debris(IRD),there were nine confirmed cold events during the Holocene,occurring at 11.1 kyr,10.3 kyr,9.4 kyr,8.1 kyr,5.9 kyr,4.2 kyr,2.8 kyr,1.4 kyr,and 0.4 kyr respectively according to most representative results from Bond et al.(1997).However,the identification of chronology has been made with some uncertainties.Considerable climatic proxy data have shown that,during the cold events,substantial climate abnormalities have occurred widely across the globe,particularly in the areas surrounding the North Atlantic.These abnormalities were in the form of high-latitude cold in the both hemispheres,expansion of the Westerlies to low latitudes,drought in the monsoon regions,recession of summer monsoons,and intensification of the winter monsoons.Studies have indicated that the four ACCs occurring in the early Holocene may be related to freshwater pulses from ice melting in the northern part of the North Atlantic,and the other five ACCs that occurred during the middle and late Holocene may be related to the decreased solar activity.     

Sporo-pollen Assemblage and Paleoclimate Events in Shelf Area of the Southern Yellow Sea Since 1.5 ka B.P.

Based on the authors‘ 1986 to 1994 sporo-pollen assemblage analysis in the southern Yellow Sea area, data from 3 main cores were studied in combination with ^14C, palaeomagnetic and thermoluminescence data. The evolution of the paleoclimate environments in the southern Yellow Sea since 15ka B.P. was revealed that, in deglaciation of the last glacial period, the climate of late glaciation transformed into that of postglaciation, accompanied by a series of violent climate fluctuations. These evolution events happened in a global climate background and related to the geographic changes in eastern China. We distinguished three short-term cooling events and two warming events. Among them, the sporo-pollen assemblage of subzone A1 showed some cold climate features indicating that a cooling event occurred at about 15 - 14ka. B .P. in early deglaciation. This subzone corresponds to the Oldest Dryas. In subzone A3 , many drought-enduring herbal pollens and some few pollens of cold-resistant Picea, Abies, etc. were found, which indicated that a cooling event, with cold and arid climate, occurred at about 12- 11ka. B.P. in late deglaciation. This subzone corresponds to the Younger Dryas. The sporo-pollen assemblage of zone B showed warm and arid climate features in postglaciation. Although the assemblage of subzone B2 indicated a cold and arid climate environment, the development of flora in subzone B2 climate was less cold than that in A3 . Subzone B2 indicated a cooling event which occurred at about 9ka B.P. in early Holocene. Subzone A2, with some distinct differences from subzone A1 and A3 , indicated a warming event which occurred at 14 - 13ka. B.P. and should correspond to a warming fluctuation. The sporo-pollen assemblage of zone C showed features of warm-moist flora and climate, and indicated a warming event which universally occurred along the coast of eastern China at 8 - 3ka B.P. in middle Holocene, and its duration was longer than that of any climate events mentioned above. This period was climatic optimum and belonged to an altithermal period in postglaciation.     

Palynological record of paleovegetation change during holocene at North tumd plain in Inner Mongolia, China

I~are~orsruDVThemiddleinnerMongoliaissituatedintherearpartoftheeasternAsianmonsonzone,itissensitivetotheclimatechange,thereforeitsenvironmentchangeintheHOIOcenehasbeenPaidattentiontobythescholarsofpaleoclimateandpal~nvirorunent.Wedidhighr~lutionPOllenanalysisonapeatprofileinpluvialfan,whichwaslocated3kmtothenorthOfQaSq,theheadquarteroftheTumdBanner,InnerMongolia,withaltitudeof1000malerssealevel.Theaverageannualtemperaturewas5.6t,annualprecipitation300--450rum,theclimatewascontinentaland…     

The holocene sedimental characteristicand paleoclimatic evolution of Ebinur Lake,XinJiang

On the basis of lacustrine sedimentary profile of Ebinur Lake, sequences of evolution of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in Ebinur Lake area have been rebuilt by analysing the sedimentary stratigraphy, bio-stratigraphy and geochemistry as well as the chronological records. The results show that, during the last 10 ka years, the general change trends of the paleoclimate in E-binur Lake area can be divided into three stages: (1) 10. 2 – 8.3 ka B. P., a warm-cool dry climate stage; (2) 8.3–3.5 ka B. P., a warmer moist climate stage (specially, 7.3–6.4 ka B. P., a relatively stable humid temperate stage); (3) 3.5 ka B. P. —present, adraught temperate climate stage, similar to the present climate. In addition, there existed clearly several times of secondary undulations of dry-humid climate, i.e. 8.3 ka and 7.3 ka for dry climate     

Middle Holocene warm period and sea level high in coastal areas,North China

Relevant geological, geographical, archaeological data were collected to study the characteristics of middle Holocene warm period and sea level high on North China coast. Middle Holocene climate and sea level change on North China coast were correlated to warm marine environment events in about 8-3 ka B.E The sea level in about 8 ka B.E was higher than present mean sea level, then fluctuated for 5 000 years and after that it became even in 3 ka B.E The highest sea level occurred in about 6-5 ka B.E; the maximum was about 2-3 m and minimum was about 1-2 m.     

A new high-resolution Late Glacial-Holocene climatic record from eastern Nanling Mountains in South China

A 350-cm-long sediment core sequence from Dahu Swamp situated in the eastern Nanling Mountains was selected for high-resolution paleoclimatic reconstruction since the Late Glacial period. The multi-proxy records of this paper reveal several evidently dry and cold events that may coincide with the Oldest Dryas, the Older Dryas, the Younger Dryas in the late deglacial period. Two relatively wetter and warmer phases occurred in ca. 15,000–14,400 cal yr B.P. and 13,500–12,800 cal yr B.P. respectively may correspond to the Bølling and Allerød warming events. The Younger Dryas event (ca. 12,800–11,500 cal yr B.P.) revealed by multi-proxies was characterized by relatively colder and drier climate. A warmer and wetter climate, occurred in ca. 10,000–6000 cal yr B.P., was consistent with the Holocene Optimum, which coincided with the maximum Northern Hemisphere insolation. The “8.2kyr cool event” and even the “8.8kyr cool event” were indicated as well from our sediment core. A dry mid-Holocene period (ca. 6000–3000 cal yr B.P.) indicated by multi-proxies does not follow the traditional concept of the wet mid-Holocene conditions observed in other regions in China.     

Cold event at 5 500 a BP recorded in mud sediments on the inner shelf of the East China Sea

A 700-year record (1.0–1.5 a resolution) of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM), based on grain-size analysis and AMS¹⁴C dating of Core EC2005 from the inner-shelf mud wedge of the East China Sea (ECS), was compared with the Dongge stalagmite δ¹⁸O record during the mid-Holocene. The upper muddy section of Core EC2005 has been formed mainly by suspended sediments derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River mouth since 7.3 ka BP. High precipitation and a strengthened EAWM might have played key roles in the high sedimentation rate (1 324–1 986 cm/ka) between 5.9–5.2 ka BP. The EAWM strengthened when the Asian summer monsoon weakened, especially around 5 500 a BP, which corresponded to a worldwide cold event. The EAWM during the mid-Holocene shows statistically significant solar periodicities at 62 and 11 a. The 5 500 a BP cold event might be resulted from orbital forcing and changes in solar activity.     

Biomarker evidence for paleoenvironmental changes in the southern Yellow Sea over the last 8200 years

Previous studies have indicated that the Yellow Sea underwent significant environmental changes during the Holocene, but many questions remain concerning the timing of the establishment of the modern circulation system, which would have major implications for the Yellow Sea ecosystem and carbon cycle. In this study, marine and terrestrial biomarkers were analyzed in Core YE-2 from a muddy area in the southern Yellow Sea to reconstruct Holocene environmental and phytoplankton community change. The content of three individual marine phytoplankton biomarkers (alkenones, brassicasterol and dinosterol) all display a similar trend, and their total contents during the early Holocene (362 ng/g) were lower than those during the mid-late Holocene (991 ng/g). On the other hand, the contents of terrestrial biomarkers (C27+C29+C31n-alkanes) during the early Holocene (1 661 ng/g) were about three times higher than those during the mid-late Holocene (499 ng/g). Our biomarker results suggest that the modern circulation system of the Yellow Sea was established by 5-6 ka, and resulted in higher marine productivity and lower terrestrial organic matter inputs. Biomarker ratios were used to estimate shifts in phytoplankton community structure in response to mid-Holocene (5-6 ka) environmental changes in the Yellow Sea, revealing a transition from a dinoflagellate-diatom dominant community structure during the early Holocene to a coccolithophore-dominant community structure during the mid-late Holocene.     

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.