Moisture variability across China and Mongolia: 1951–2005

Moisture variability across China and Mongolia (hereafter, CM) during 1951–2005 was investigated using the recently developed monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) dataset. In total there are 206 PDSI grid points across CM, based on a 2.5° × 2.5° gridding system. For CM as a whole a significant decreasing trend in mean moisture availability was observed during 1951–2005, but with strong decadal (17.1-year) and interannual (5.0-year, 3.2-year, 2.4–2.8 year) variations. The areas affected by moderate and severe moisture deficit over CM have increased significantly since the mid-1950s. In contrast, there is a significant decreasing trend for areas affected by moderate wetness since the mid-1950s, and no significant trend was found for the areas affected by severe wetness. Ten moisture-related spatial patterns were objectively defined for CM using rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function (REOF) analysis. These patterns are related to distinct geographical areas and are associated with distinct temporal variations. Four of these patterns, in Northeast China (NE), North China (NC), Central China (CC), and East China (EC), generally demonstrate a significant decreasing trend in moisture availability. Two patterns located in western areas of Northwest China (NW) and the Tibetan Plateau (TP) show a significant moisture increase, while four patterns in Mongolia (MN), far western China (FW), South China (SC), and Southwest China (SW) do not have significant moisture trends during 1951–2005. Based on REOF results we propose that CM should be divided into ten coherent moisture divisions. Moisture variations within each division are generally coherent, but may show either similar or contrasting covariability with adjacent divisions.     

Anthropogenic origin of a change in the fire-climate relationship in northern China after ~2000 yr BP: Evidence from a 15,500-year black carbon record from Dali Lake

There are debates regarding whether a wet and warm climate or a dry and cold climate dominated Holocene fire activity in northern China on the millennial timescale, and when human activities overtook climate change as the dominant control on fire occurrence in the region. Here we present a high-resolution fire history for the past ~15,500 years from a sediment core in Dali Lake, located in the foothills of the Greater Hinggan Mountains, one of the areas of highest fire risk in China. The results demonstrate that fire activity was rare during the last deglaciation (~15,500-11,700 yr BP), gradually increased at the beginning of the Holocene, and reached its highest level during ~9000-5000 yr BP, after which there was a decreasing trend. However, after ~2000 yr BP this decreasing trend ended, and the most prominent feature is a peak in fire activity during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). Overall, fire activity corresponded well to changes in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation on the millennial timescale during ~15,500-2000 yr BP, but this relationship changed after ~2000 yr BP. We propose that fire activity in northern China on the millennial timescale during ~15,500-2000 yr BP was dominated by the biofuels reserve under the control of the EASM precipitation. In contrast, with the intensification of human activities after ~2000 yr BP, human activity caused a ~62%-73% increase in fire activity, which altered the fire-climate relationship that had previously prevailed in northern China. Our results indicate that a wet-warm climate (increased EASM intensity), rather than a dry-cold climate, was the dominant control on fire activity in northern China during 15,500-2000 yr BP on the millennial timescale, but that human activities played an important role in fire occurrence after ~2000 yr BP.     

新疆伊犁地区典型黄土磁学特征及其环境意义初探

黄土地层记录的磁学参数受控因素复杂,全球不同地区黄土磁化率的主要受控因子存在差别。文章在伊犁地区选取两个地层磁化率与成壤作用分别存在较明显正相关和负相关的典型黄土剖面,进行了系统磁性地层学研究。结果表明伊犁地区黄土地层中磁性矿物浓度较大,磁学性质主要受呈现准单畴状态磁铁矿控制,黄土沉积物中磁性矿物主要为原生矿物,后期改造作用弱,地层的磁学特征受物源影响明显。地层的成壤强度与地层中磁性矿物浓度无明显相关关系,与磁性矿物中细粒磁性矿物的含量呈正相关关系。本研究结果暗示伊犁地区黄土沉积物的磁化率增强模式既区别于典型的西伯利亚黄土风速说模型,也不同于中国黄土高原成壤说模型; 当后期改造作用弱时,地层的磁学特征主要受物源影响; 随着地层成壤作用的增强,对原生磁性矿物的改造作用逐渐增强,次生磁性矿物含量逐渐增加,磁化率变化规律趋近于成壤说模型。     

Major advances in studies of the physical geography and living environment of China during the past 70 years and future prospects

The natural environment provides material essentials for human survival and development. The characteristics,processes, regional differentiation and forcing mechanisms of the elements of the natural environment(e.g. geomorphology,climate, hydrology, soil, etc.) are the main objects of research in physical geography. China has a complex natural environment and huge regional differentiation and therefore it provides outstanding reserach opportunities in physical geography. This review summarizes the most important developments and the main contributions of research in the physical geography and human living environment in China during the past 70 years. The major topics addressed are the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of its cryosphere, the development of fluvial systems, the acidification of the vast arid region of the Asian interior, variations in the monsoon and westerly climate systems on multiple timescales, the development of lakes and wetlands, the watershed system model, soil erosion, past human-environment interactions, biogeography, and physical geographic zonality. After briefly introducing international research developments, we review the history of research in physical geography in China, focusing on the major achievements and major academic debates, and finally we summarize the status of current research and the future prospects. We propose that in the context of the national demand for the construction of an ecological civilization, we should make full use of the research findings of physical geography, and determine the patterns and mechanisms of natural environmental processes in order to continue to promote the continued contribution of physical geography to national development strategies, and to further contribute to the theory of physical geography from a global perspective.     

Tree‐ring‐based annual precipitation reconstruction for the Hexi Corridor,NW China: consequences for climate history on and beyond the mid‐latitude Asian continent

An annual (July to June) precipitation reconstruction for the period AD 1760–2010 was developed from a Picea crassifolia regional tree‐ring chronology from two sites in the northern mountainous region of the Hexi Corridor, NW China. This reconstruction explains 52.1% of the actual precipitation variance during the period 1951 to 2010. Spatial correlations with gridded land‐surface data reveal that our reconstruction contains a strong regional precipitation signal for the Hexi Corridor and for the southern margin of the Badain Jaran Desert. Significant spectral peaks were identified at 31.9, 11.1, 8.0, 7.0, 3.2, 2.6 and 2.2 years. A large‐scale comparison indicates that our reconstruction is more consistent with climate records of a Westerly‐dominated Central Asia, and that the Westerlies have a greater impact on the precipitation in this region than the Asian summer monsoon. Our reconstructed precipitation series is significantly correlated with sea‐surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Atlantic Ocean (positive), the tropical Indian Ocean (positive), the western tropical Pacific Ocean (positive), and the western North Pacific Ocean (negative). The spatial correlation patterns between our precipitation reconstruction and SSTs of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans suggest a connection between regional precipitation variations and the high‐mid‐latitude northern atmospheric circulations (Westerlies and Asian summer monsoon).     

中东亚干旱区全新世气候变化的西风模式——以湖泊研究为例

综述了亚洲中部干旱区湖泊研究的古气候记录.发现湖泊记录的全新世有效湿度在大框架上具有一致性变化.据此,选择了其中年代可靠、代用指标湿度意义明确、时间分辨率较高的8个地点的记录,半定量地集成了中东亚干旱区全新世期间湿度的变化.结果表明,亚洲内陆干旱区全新世气候变化具有较清晰的阶段性变化,大约8cal kaBP以前的早全新世气候干旱,8-4cal kaBP的中全新世气候湿润,从距今5-6cal kaBP以来湿润程度逐步降低到晚全新世,但晚全新世比早全新世湿润.内陆干旱区的全新世湿度变化框架与最新获得的亚洲季风变化模式存在较大差异,因此推论出,北大西洋海洋表面的温度变化可能是中东亚干旱区湿度的主要影响因素.     

Disciplinary structure of geographic science in China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - International and domestic circumstances have led to new opportunities and higher requirements for the development of geographic science in China. In this paper,...     

A 16-ka lake-level record inferred from macrofossils in a sediment core from Genggahai Lake, northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (China)

Genggahai Lake, a small, shallow water body on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, is presently occupied by dense aquatic vegetation. The distribution of macrophytes is strongly associated with water depth. Macrofossils from a 7.82-m sediment core indicate that the dominant taxa in past aquatic plant communities were almost the same as those that dominate the lake today. In combination with sediment geochemical variables TOC, TN, and δ¹³C_bulk-org, macrofossil assemblages (aquatic plant remains, stem encrustations, and mollusc shells) were employed to reconstruct lake-level fluctuations over the past 16 ka. The lake formed or refilled at 15.3 cal ka and sustained a low level until 11.4 cal ka. From 11.4 to 6.3 cal ka, a remarkably high level was punctuated by a period of relatively low level between 9.2 and 7.4 cal ka. Stepwise drops in lake level occurred from 6.3 to 5.5 cal ka. Water level was characterized by more frequent fluctuations between 5.5 and 4.1 cal ka. Low level persisted from 4.1 to 2.1 cal ka and from 1.6 to 0.3 cal ka. Short-lived episodes of high water level were centered around 1.8 cal ka and since 0.3 cal ka. The lake-level history of Genggahai Lake appears to be largely consistent with the Asian monsoon records from nearby and distant locations. Our preliminary results suggest that monsoon variability on centennial to millennial timescales was superimposed on the long-term pattern of the Asian monsoon, modulated by orbitally induced summer insolation, and that the Asian monsoon may play an important role in water balance in marginal regions.     

Progress and prospects of applied research on physical geography and the living environment in China over the past 70 years (1949–2019)

Physical geography is a basic research subject of natural sciences.Its research object is the natural environment which is closely related to human living and development,and China's natural environment is complex and diverse.According to national needs and regional development,physical geographers have achieved remarkable achievements in applied basis and applied research,which also has substantially contributed to the planning of national economic growth and social development,the protection of macro ecosystems and resources,and sustainable regional development.This study summarized the practice and application of physical geography in China over the past 70 years in the following fields:regional differences in natural environments and physical regionalization;land use and land cover changes;natural hazards and risk reduction;process and prevention of desertification;upgrading of medium-and low-yield fields in the Huang-Huai-Hai region;engineering construction in permafrost areas; geochemical element anomalies and the prevention and control of endemic diseases;positioning and observation of hysical geographical elements;and identification of geospatial differentiation and geographical detectors. Furthermore, we have proposed the future direction of applied research in the field of physical geography.     

1949年以前青藏高原探险和科学考察活动概况

本文收集整理了1949年以前对青藏高原区域的主要探险和考察活动。青藏高原的探险和考察主要可划分为4个阶段：① 古代主要是与国内外宗教活动相关的附带零星记录;② 晚清时期主要是西方人以科学名义的初步科学考察;③ 1912—1949年中外联合科学考察; ④ 1912—1949年中国学者主导的较系统科学考察。清代以前对青藏高原的考察,以地理现象描述、资料收集、单学科考察和研究为主,1912—1949年科学考察已过渡到采用简易科学仪器进行地理要素的测量、对某一专题（如植物）的局部区域有了比较深入的研究。1912—1949年中国学者从配合西方科学家开展联合科学考察发展到政府组织国内学者对青藏高原地理、地貌、地质和气象气候、植物等的考察和研究,中国学者的一些成果也开始走向国际,扩大了国内外对青藏高原的认识。