34 results
Search Results
2. Holocene aeolian activities linked to Indian summer monsoon in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
- Author
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Li, Tuoyu, Zhang, Jifeng, Wu, Yongqiu, Du, Shisong, Mo, Duowen, Liao, Yinan, Chen, Zhitong, Liu, Jianbao, and Li, Qing
- Abstract
Widespread aeolian deposits on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have provided valuable palaeoclimatic information. However, the primary factors (e.g., climate factors, human activity, and vegetation cover) controlling aeolian deposition remain elusive. In this paper, we use a dataset that comprises new and published ages of Holocene aeolian sand and loess in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River to identify the primary controlling factors and palaeoclimatic implications of aeolian deposition. Several intervals of enhanced aeolian accumulation centered at 8.5–7.8, 6.4–5.8, 4.5–4.0, 3.1–1.8, and 0.9 ka are identified, generally consistent with regional low rainfall events and weak Indian summer monsoon (ISM). This suggests that regional wetness, dominated by the ISM, may play a key role in modulating dust emissions and aeolian deposition on centennial timescales. Our results show that on centennial- to millennial-scales, ISM activity can be reconstructed by non-continuous aeolian deposits in the monsoon dominated TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Paleo-environmental changes in the Yangtze Delta during past 8000 years.
- Author
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Zhang, Qiang, Jiang, Tong, Shi, Yafeng, Lorenz, King, Liu, Chunling, and Martin, Metzler
- Abstract
The Yangtze Delta is one of the economically most developed areas in China. It is located in the eastern China monsoon region. Archaeological excavations and environment-archaeology studies over many years in this region provide exceptional information about climate changes, development of human civilization and also human-environment interactions. Archaeological excavations made in the study region reveal that the development of Neolithic cultures is not continuous, which may be a result of extreme climatic events. The analysis of
14 C-dated buried paleotrees, peat and shell ridges show the rise and fall of human civilization in the study area. The research results presented in this paper confirm that human civilization collapsed six times in the Yangtze Delta, matching six high sea level epoches, peat accumulation and buried paleotrees formation periods respectively. This indicates that human activities in the Yangtze Delta are controlled by local climate changes and changing hydrological conditions. The collapse of the Liangzhu culture (5000 aBP-3800 aBP) in about 4000 aBP, after a tremendous flooding event, followed by a relatively backward Maqiao culture (3800 aBP-3200 aBP) confused researchers and aroused their great interest. The research results in this paper show that the collapse of the Liangzhu culture is a result of several factors, for example war and food shortage, but the flooding event occurred in the late Liangzhu culture epoch is the main factor therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Environmental change inferred from Rb and Sr of lacustrine sediments in Huangqihai Lake, Inner Mongolia.
- Author
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Chen, Lei, Shen, Hongyuan, Jia, Yulian, Wu, Jinglu, Li, Xusheng, Wei, Ling, and Wang, Pengling
- Abstract
Based on the geochemical elements Rb and Sr in sediments with three different grain size fractions from profile H3 on the northern lacustrine bottomland 13 m above the Huangqihai Lake surface in 1986, the paper investigates the record of palaeolake stand state, sedimentary environmental evolution, and winter monsoon change. First, these samples are separated into three different grain size fractions, i.e., total sediments, 77-20 μm and <20 μm. Second, the chemical elements—Rb and Sr—of the grain size separation were tested and analyzed systematically in this paper. Then the elements compositions of these samples are measured using VP-320 mode fluorescence spectrum instrument, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility of these samples is measured using Kappabridge KLY-3 mode instrument made in Czech AGICO Company. The results showed the elements and the ratios varied regularly with the grain size. But the ratio of Rb/Sr in the sediments <20 μm correlates positively with the magnetic susceptibility of these samples. Therefore, the ratio of Rb/Sr in the fraction <20 μm from the lake sediments reflected the strengthening of the weathering in the deposition sites. It is a good indicator of the summer monsoon-induced weathering and pedogenesis fluctuations and can be used to reconstruct the conditions of the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Lake evaporation: A possible factor affecting lake level changes tested by modern observational data in arid and semi-arid China.
- Author
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Li, Yu, Wang, Nai'ang, Li, Zhuolun, Ma, Ning, Zhou, Xuehua, and Zhang, Chengqi
- Abstract
Qinghai Lake and Zhuye Lake, ∼400 km apart, are located in the northwest margin of the Asian summer monsoon. Water of these two lakes mostly comes from the middle and eastern parts of the Qilian Mountains. Previous studies show that the Holocene climate changes of the two lakes implied from lake records are different. Whether lake evaporation plays a role in asynchronous Holocene climate changes is important to understand the lake records. In this paper, we used modern observations beside Qinghai Lake and Zhuye Lake to test the impact factors for lake evaporation. Pan evaporation near the two lakes is mainly related to relative humidity, temperature, vapor pressure and sunshine duration. But temperature has different impacts to lake evaporation of the two lakes, which can affect Holocene millennial-scale lake level changes. In addition, differences in relative humidity on the millennial-scale would be more significant, which also can contribute to asynchronous lake records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Impact of Holocene environmental change on temporal-spatial distribution of Neolithic sites in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province.
- Author
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Huang, Run, Zhu, Cheng, Guan, Yong, and Zheng, Chaogui
- Abstract
The Huaihe River basin of Anhui is not only a transitional zone of physical geography, but also a convergent area of many cultures in China. It is one of the sensitive ecotones to global changes and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Using the field archaeological data and the sporo-pollens and the age data of the drilling cores, we analysed Neolithic cultural development and environmental evolution in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. According to the combination of some research results in archaeology with environmental evolution research, this paper discusses the relationship between culture and environment in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. The Neolithic cultural development was strongly impacted by the environmental change. The primitive culture (Shishanzi) was developed in the beginning of the Holocene Megathermal Period with distinct regional feature of the culture. From 6.5 kaBP to 5.5 kaBP, the climate changed warmer and wetter. The frequent occurrence of flood and waterlog due to such a climate regime and high sea level caused the earth’s surface environment deteriorated in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui and the interruption of the Neolithic cultural development, hence a lack of archaeological sites. From 5.5 kaBP to 4.0 kaBP, the climate changed from wet to dry, the natural environment was propitious to human survival. Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture flourished in this period. The Neolithic cultural development, the number of the sites and their distribution characteristics of the sites in the study area differed apparently from those in Central China and Shandong Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. A comparison of climate changes between Arctic and China in the last 600 years.
- Author
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Juan, Xu
- Abstract
A compilation of paleoclimate records from lake sediments, trees, ice cores, and historical documents provide a view of China and Arctic environmental changes in the last 600 years. Many of these changes have also been identified in sedimentary and geochemical signatures in deep-sea sediment cores from the North Atlantic Ocean, Arctic and Greenland and ice cores from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, confirming the linkage of environmental changes of different time scales between the Arctic and China. It is shown that the changes of precipitation, temperature and sea ice cover in Arctic were correlated with climate changes in China. This paper also developed a comparative research on the climate changes between Arctic and China both during the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the instrumental observation period. Cycles and trend of temperature variations during LIA and temperature and precipitation during the instrumental observation period are performed. We found some similarities and differences of environmental changes between Arctic and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Spatiotemporal distribution of sea-island prehistoric dune sites, Holocene sea levels, and aeolian sand activities in Fujian Province, China
- Author
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Jin, Jianhui, Ling, Zhiyong, Li, Zhizhong, Zuo, Xinxin, Fan, Xuechun, Huang, Yunming, Wang, Xiaoyang, Wei, Changfu, Ren, Yongqing, and Qiu, Junjie
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Coastal evolution of Yancheng, northern Jiangsu, China since the mid-Holocene based on the Landsat MSS imagery.
- Author
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Kang, Yanyan, Xia, Fei, Ding, Xianrong, Zhang, Changkuan, Cheng, Ligang, Ge, Xiaoping, and Glass, Jennifer
- Abstract
Since the 1970s, remote sensing images have provided new information for the delineation and analysis of coastline changes, especially focusing on the short timescale changes. This paper, based on the Landsat MSS imagery, focuses on the coastline evolution of Yancheng, northern Jiangsu, China since the mid-Holocene. A zebra stripe image, which could reveal the ancient coastal evolution of Yancheng, was extracted from a Landsat MSS image. Based on the extracted black-white stripes, 19 surface sediment samples were recovered and analyzed to recognize the sedimentary characteristics of these stripes. It shows that most sand and silty sand samples appear on the white stripes, while silt and silty clay samples are on the black stripes. Sandy and muddy sediments present an alternating distribution pattern on the Yancheng coastal plain. A historical coastline map was drawn according to the previous research achievements of the paleo-coastal sand barriers and paleo-coastlines, and was superimposed on the zebra stripe image. The trend of the extracted zebra stripes is consistent with the historical coastlines, and it should be the symbol of the Yancheng coastline evolution. On the basis of ten sets of black-white stripes and previous research results, we divided the progression of Yancheng coastal evolution into three stages (i.e., the early stable stage (6500 a BP-AD 1128), the rapid deposition stage (AD 1128-1855) and the adjustment stage (AD 1855-present)). Ten sets of black-white stripes were identified as the characteristic pattern of the coastline evolution on the Yancheng coastal plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Holocene hydro-environmental evolution and its impacts on human occupation in Jianghan-Dongting Basin, middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China
- Author
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Zhao, Chengshuangping and Mo, Duowen
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Earth surface processes and their effects on human behavior in monsoonal China during the Pleistocene-Holocene epochs.
- Author
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Lu, Huayu, Zhuo, Haixin, Zhang, Wenchao, Wang, Shejiang, Zhang, Hongyan, Sun, Xuefeng, Jia, Xin, Xu, Zhiwei, and Wang, Xianyan
- Abstract
There is a wide diversity of landforms in China. The topography of three major terraces, decreasing in height stepwise from west to east, was formed by the early Miocene. With the commencement of the Great Northern Hemisphere Glaciations (GHGs) and the glacial-interglacial cycles in the Pleistocene, thick loess deposits accumulated in north China, and fluvial terraces were formed and lakes expanded and contracted in eastern and central China. The earliest evidence of hominins in China is dated to ∼1.7 Ma; they occupied the monsoon-dominated region for a long interval, until the late Pleistocene, ∼50 ka. In this study, we investigated a large area rich in the relics and artifacts of early man. The results indicate that the early humans occupied riverine areas, especially medium-sized fluvial basins, and lake shores. Even in the relatively recent geological past, the occupation and abandonment of settlements were directly forced by the shifting of sand dune fields in the desert-loess transitional zone, which in turn was closely associated with variations in the monsoon climate and vegetation patterns. Our observations indicate that landforms were one of the main determinants of early human behavior, in that loess tableland, large alluvial plains, desert-Gobi areas, and the Tibetan Plateau, were not suitable environments for early human settlement. We infer that the early humans in China adapted their behavior to specific landforms and landform processes. The monsoon climate, which shapes the large-scale step-like pattern of fluvial landforms, promotes vegetation coverage and dominates soil formation, provides a crucial context for early human adaptation. The adaptation of early humans to earth surface processes in East Asia is investigated for the first time in this study. Future investigations will provide further information that will increase our understanding of the linkage between early human behavior and landform processes in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Holocene aeolian activities linked to Indian summer monsoon in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River
- Author
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Tuoyu Li, Duowen Mo, Jianbao Liu, Yinan Liao, Zhitong Chen, Shisong Du, Yongqiu Wu, Qing Li, and Jifeng Zhang
- Subjects
geography ,Plateau ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,05 social sciences ,0507 social and economic geography ,Monsoon ,01 natural sciences ,Deposition (geology) ,Vegetation cover ,Indian summer monsoon ,Loess ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Aeolian processes ,Physical geography ,050703 geography ,Holocene ,Geology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Widespread aeolian deposits on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have provided valuable palaeoclimatic information. However, the primary factors (e.g., climate factors, human activity, and vegetation cover) controlling aeolian deposition remain elusive. In this paper, we use a dataset that comprises new and published ages of Holocene aeolian sand and loess in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River to identify the primary controlling factors and palaeoclimatic implications of aeolian deposition. Several intervals of enhanced aeolian accumulation centered at 8.5–7.8, 6.4–5.8, 4.5–4.0, 3.1–1.8, and 0.9 ka are identified, generally consistent with regional low rainfall events and weak Indian summer monsoon (ISM). This suggests that regional wetness, dominated by the ISM, may play a key role in modulating dust emissions and aeolian deposition on centennial timescales. Our results show that on centennial- to millennial-scales, ISM activity can be reconstructed by non-continuous aeolian deposits in the monsoon dominated TP.
- Published
- 2020
13. Moisture sources of the Alashan Sand Seas in western Inner Mongolia, China during the Last Glacial Maximum and mid-Holocene
- Author
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Yang Xiaoping and Feng Yingying
- Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Atmospheric circulation ,05 social sciences ,0507 social and economic geography ,Climate change ,Westerlies ,Last Glacial Maximum ,Monsoon ,01 natural sciences ,Climatology ,Paleoclimatology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Precipitation ,050703 geography ,Holocene ,Geology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Knowledge of moisture sources is of great significance for understanding climatic change and landscape evolution in desert environments. In this paper, we aim to clarify moisture origins for the Alashan (Alxa) Sand Seas (ALSS) in western Inner Mongolia and their transport pathways during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the mid-Holocene using modern analogues and paleoclimatic simulations. Precipitation data for the period 1959–2015 from meteorological stations in the study area and wind and specific humidity data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) daily re-analysis were adopted to determine the moisture sources of summer precipitation in the ALSS. In addition paleoclimate simulations under PMIP3/CMIP5 protocols were used to detect the atmospheric circulation and precipitation at 21 ka BP and 6 ka BP over the ALSS. We also reviewed paleoclimate records from the ALSS to acquire a semi-quantitative re-construction of the moisture history during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Our results suggest that the summer monsoon transported water vapor from the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea to the ALSS during July and August, causing increased precipitation. The dominant moisture source was from the southwest monsoon, while the East Asian summer monsoon also partly contributed to precipitation in the ALSS. The increased humidity during the period 8.2–4.2 ka BP in the ALSS, as derived from both climate simulation outputs and sedimentary records, was caused by monsoons according to the outputs of simulations. At 21 ka BP, the moisture sources of the ALSS were greatly associated with the prevailing westerlies.
- Published
- 2019
14. Holocene environmental changes around Xiaohe Cemetery and its effects on human occupation, Xinjiang, China
- Author
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Zhang, Yifei, Mo, Duowen, Hu, Ke, Bao, Wenbo, Li, Wenying, Abuduresule, Idilisi, Storozum, Michael J., and Kidder, Tristram R.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Reconstructing the extraordinary palaeoflood events during 3200-2800 a BP in the upper reaches of Hanjiang River Valley, China.
- Author
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Zha, Xiaochun, Huang, Chunchang, Pang, Jiangli, and Zhou, Yali
- Abstract
Palaeoflood hydrology study is a leading subject in global change study. Through field investigation in the upper reaches of Hanjiang River, palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWD) were found in the bedrock gorges of the Yunxi reach. The results of field observation, laboratory analysis including particle-size distribution and magnetic susceptibility, and comparison with modern flood deposits, the SWD were identified as the most typical Holocene palaeoflood deposits of the Hanjiang River. By using stratigraphic correlation and OSL dating method, the palaeoflood event was dated to be 3200-2800 a BP at the turn from the middle to late Holocene. According to the palaeoflood peak stage and hydraulic parameters, the peak discharges of the palaeoflood were reconstructed as 48,830-51,710 m/s by using the slope-area method. At same time, the flood peak discharges of 1983, 2005 and 2010 severe floods were reconstructed with the same method and hydraulic parameters in the same cross section. The error between the reconstructed and gauged discharges was 1.99%-4.21%. This showed that the reconstructed palaeoflood peak discharges were reliable. The flood peak discharge-frequency relationship at 10,000-year time scale was established by a combination of the gauged flood, historical flood and palaeoflood hydrological data. These results are very important for hydraulic engineering and flood mitigation on the Hanjiang River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Palaeovegetational and palaeoenvironmental changes since the last deglacial in Gonghe Basin, northeast Tibetan Plateau.
- Author
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Cheng, Bo, Chen, Fahu, and Zhang, Jiawu
- Abstract
Paleoenvironmental history in the monsoonal margin in the northeast Tibetan Plateau provides important clue to the regional climate. Previous researches have been limited by either poor chronology or low resolution. Here we present a high-resolution pollen record from a 40.92-m-long sediment core (DLH) taken from Dalianhai, a terminal lake situated in the Gonghe Basin, the northeast Tibetan Plateau for reconstructing the vegetation and climate history since the last deglacial on the basis of a chronology controlled by 10 AMS C dates on plant remains preserved in the core sediments. The pollen assemblages in DLH core can be partitioned into 6 pollen zones and each zone is mainly characterized by the growth and decline of tree or herb pollen percentage. During the periods of 14.8-12.9 ka and 9.4-3.9 ka, the subalpine arboreal and local herbaceous pollen increased, indicating the subalpine forest developed in the surrounding mountains and a desert steppe or typical steppe developed in Gonghe Basin under a relatively moister climate. During the periods of 15.8-14.8 ka, 12.9-9.4 ka and 3.9-1.4 ka, the forest shrank or disappeared according to different degrees of aridity, and the desert steppe degraded to a more arid steppe desert in the basin, indicating a dry climate. After 1.4 ka, vegetation type around Dalianhai was mainly dominated by steppe suggested by increased Artemisia. Our results suggested the climate history in this region was dry from 15.8-14.8 ka, humid from 14.8-12.9 ka and dry from 12.9-9.4 ka, after which the climate was humid during 9.4-3.9 ka, followed by dry conditions during 3.9-1.4 ka and humid conditions in the last 1.4 ka. The change of pollen percentage and the evolution of palaeovegetation in Dalianhai since the last deglacial were similar to those recorded in Qinghai Lake. The forest expanded in the mountains around Dalianhai during the Bølling-Allerød period, shrank during the Younger Dryas and the early Holocene, then it developed and reached its maximum in the mid-Holocene. During the late Holocene, the vegetation began to shrink till disappearance. However, the timing of forest expansion in the Holocene lagged behind that of Qinghai Lake, and this spatial heterogeneity was probably caused by the different forest species between these two places. The maximum of forest development in the mid-Holocene was inconsistent with the period of stronger summer monsoon in the early Holocene indicated by stalagmite records, the reason might be related to the complexity of vegetation response to a large-scale climatic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Sedimentary and hydrological studies of the Holocene palaeofloods in the middle reaches of the Jinghe River.
- Author
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Zha, Xiaochun, Huang, Chunchang, Pang, Jiangli, and Li, Yuqin
- Abstract
Palaeo-hydrological field investigation was carried out in the middle reaches of the Jinghe River. A set of palaeoflood slackwater deposit beds was identified in the Holocene loess-soil sequence in the riverbanks. The sediment samples were collected from the profile, and the particle-size distribution, magnetic susceptibility, loss-on-ignition were analyzed in laboratory. The analytical results showed that the palaeoflood slackwater deposits have recorded extraordinary flood events in the Jinghe River valley. According to stratigraphic correlation and OSL dating, the palaeoflood events were dated to 4100-4000 a BP. The palaeoflood peak discharges were estimated to be 19,410-22,280 m/s by using the hydrological model and checked by different approaches. These results have the flood data sequence of the Jinghe River extended to 10,000-year time-scale. It provided significant data for hydraulic engineering and for mitigation of flood hazards in the Jinghe River drainage basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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18. Chronology of the Holocene loess-paleosol section and its deposition and pedogenesis on the south of Chinese Loess Plateau.
- Author
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Jia, Yaofeng, Huang, Chunchang, Pang, Jiangli, and Niu, Junjie
- Abstract
Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for polymineral fine-grained loess samples, collected in Laoguantai (LGT) section on the south of the Chinese Loess Plateau, was made by application of single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. A ‘Double-SAR’ procedure in which aliquots are subjected to both infrared (IR) and blue stimulations was used, and two sets of equivalent dose ( D
e ) determinations were produced and assumed to relate predominantly to feldspathic and quartz fine grain populations respectively. The OSL ages estimated from IRSL signals are smaller than those estimated from [post-IR] OSL signals due to the anomalous fading of feldspar IR signals, based on fading experiment. The young ages of the samples near ground surface may be originated from the post-depositional disturbance by the intensifying humanity’s cultivation since 3.0 ka BP in the Guanzhong Basin, south of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Based on OSL dating, as well as field observations and stratigraphic correlation, we determine the chronology of the LGT loess-paleosol sequence. In combination with climate proxy records, it is indicated that aeolian loess deposition and pedogenesis underwent polyphase changes during the Holocene, likely to have been driven by shifts in the East Asian monsoon. This suggests that aeolian loess deposition is episodic and highly variable, with contributions from non-aeolian processes such as alluvial deposition found in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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19. Cold events of Holocene indicated by primary elements distribution of the high-resolution sand dunes in the Salawusu River Valley.
- Author
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Niu, Dongfeng, Li, Baosheng, Du, Shuhuan, Wen, Xiaohao, Qiu, Shifan, Ou, Xianjiao, and Yang, Yi
- Abstract
The components of the primary elements in the dune sands for the MGS1 subsection of the Milanggouwan section in the Salawusu River valley, compared with those of modern dune sands, show that they were caused by East Asian winter monsoon in the Mu Us desert during Holocene. The examined ages for the 11 layers of dune sands, based on the average sedimentary rate, are: 0 to 960, 1350–2240, 2470 to 3530, 4000 to 4180, 4290 to 4350, 4380 to 4760, 5040 to 5920, 6570 to 8270, 9020 to 9700, 9880 to 10160 and 10580 to 11080 a BP, respectively. The climatic events indicated by these dune sands are consistent with those records in the Huguangyan volcanic lake, Zoige peat bog, Hulu cave and Dunde ice core, particularly with the climatic fluctuations of the North Atlantic since 11 000 a BP. Among them, patterns from B0 to B8 correspond to the peak values of 0MD, 2D, 4D, 6D+8D+10D, 12D, 14D, 16D, 18D and 20D respectively. It might be caused by the North Atlantic ice age induced by the heat circulation, which strengthened the polar high pressure and Siberian-Mongolian high pressure and further led to the dominance of the winter monsoon over China’s desert area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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20. Climatic evolution in the Yangtze Delta region in the late Holocene epoch.
- Author
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Zhu, Cheng and Zhang, Qiang
- Abstract
Neolithic site sections, natural sections and other proxy indicators like paleotrees and peat are collected for further understanding the environmental changes during the past 10,000 years in the Yangtze Delta region. The results indicate that cultural interruption in the Yangtze Delta was the result of water expansion induced by climatic changes like more precipitation. For fragile human mitigation to the natural hazards in the Neolithic cultural period, environmental changes usually exerted tremendous influences on human activities, havocking the human civilization, which is meaningful for human mitigation to natural hazards under the present global warming. At the same time, some uncertainties in reconstruction of paleo-environmental changes were discussed in the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Impact of Holocene climate change on the prehistoric cultures of Zhejiang region, East China
- Author
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Wu, Li, Zhu, Cheng, Zheng, Chaogui, Ma, Chunmei, Wang, Xinhao, Li, Feng, Li, Bing, and Li, Kaifeng
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Climatic and environmental change in Yanchi Lake, Northwest China since the Late Glacial: A comprehensive analysis of lake sediments
- Author
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Li, Yu, Wang, Nai’ang, Li, Zhuolun, Zhou, Xuehua, and Zhang, Chengqi
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Palaeofloods recorded by slackwater deposits on the Qishuihe River in the Middle Yellow River
- Author
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Zha, Xiaochun, Huang, Chunchang, and Pang, Jiangli
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Dust source of the Holocene loess-soil and pedogenic environmental changes in the upper Huaihe River
- Author
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Li, Xinyan, Huang, Chunchang, Pang, Jiangli, and He, Zhong
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Formation and evolution of sand deserts in Xinjiang, Northwest China: II. The palaeo-environmental reconstruction
- Author
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Yichi Zhang, Bingqi Zhu, Xiaoguang Qin, Patrick Rioual, Heigang Xiong, and Jingjie Yu
- Subjects
Pleistocene ,Aridification ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Climate change ,Aeolian processes ,Physical geography ,Structural basin ,Monsoon ,Quaternary ,Geomorphology ,Holocene ,Geology - Abstract
Based on the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental evidences of geological history and human history periods, this paper reviews the researches and progresses on the development of the sandy deserts in Xinjiang. It pointed out that the features of tectonic structure in Xinjiang had made both the Tarim Basin and the Junggar Basin being influenced greatly by the foehn effects originated from the planetary wind system of westerly, the East Asian ocean-continental monsoon and the topographical mountain-valley winds. The regional patterns of climate and environment since the Quaternary were characterized by the overall persistent drought accompanied by fluctuations in the secondary scale. Formations of aeolian sediments in the basins and at the margins are a potential response to global climate change, particularly the aridification of the Asian hinterland deduced by the uprising of the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding highlands. For the question about the formation time of the Taklamakan Desert, because the research methods, objects and information carriers used in previous studies are different, there are many disputes in the academic circles at present. Evidences from aeolian deposits/rocks at the edge and in the hinterland of these sandy deserts and their chronological data indicate that an arid climate and land surface aeolian processes have occurred at the edge of the Tarim Basin and its hinterland areas since the Tertiary period. However, the duration time of these processes at mass scale should have begun after the middle Pleistocene and lasted to the Holocene. Occurrence of dune fields in recent 2000 years in the oasis areas should be greatly influenced by human factors.
- Published
- 2014
26. Coastal evolution of Yancheng, northern Jiangsu, China since the mid-Holocene based on the Landsat MSS imagery
- Author
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Xianrong Ding, Changkuan Zhang, Fei Xia, Xiaoping Ge, Jennifer Glass, Ligang Cheng, and Yanyan Kang
- Subjects
geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Coastal plain ,Sediment ,Silt ,Deposition (geology) ,Remote sensing (archaeology) ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Sedimentary rock ,Stage (hydrology) ,Physical geography ,Geomorphology ,Holocene ,Geology - Abstract
Since the 1970s, remote sensing images have provided new information for the delineation and analysis of coastline changes, especially focusing on the short timescale changes. This paper, based on the Landsat MSS imagery, focuses on the coastline evolution of Yancheng, northern Jiangsu, China since the mid-Holocene. A zebra stripe image, which could reveal the ancient coastal evolution of Yancheng, was extracted from a Landsat MSS image. Based on the extracted black-white stripes, 19 surface sediment samples were recovered and analyzed to recognize the sedimentary characteristics of these stripes. It shows that most sand and silty sand samples appear on the white stripes, while silt and silty clay samples are on the black stripes. Sandy and muddy sediments present an alternating distribution pattern on the Yancheng coastal plain. A historical coastline map was drawn according to the previous research achievements of the paleo-coastal sand barriers and paleo-coastlines, and was superimposed on the zebra stripe image. The trend of the extracted zebra stripes is consistent with the historical coastlines, and it should be the symbol of the Yancheng coastline evolution. On the basis of ten sets of black-white stripes and previous research results, we divided the progression of Yancheng coastal evolution into three stages (i.e., the early stable stage (6500 a BP-AD 1128), the rapid deposition stage (AD 1128–1855) and the adjustment stage (AD 1855-present)). Ten sets of black-white stripes were identified as the characteristic pattern of the coastline evolution on the Yancheng coastal plain.
- Published
- 2013
27. Lake evaporation: A possible factor affecting lake level changes tested by modern observational data in arid and semi-arid China
- Author
-
Chengqi Zhang, Nai’ang Wang, Zhuolun Li, Ning Ma, Xuehua Zhou, and Yu Li
- Subjects
Hydrology ,Sunshine duration ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Evaporation ,Climate change ,Relative humidity ,China ,Arid ,Pan evaporation ,Holocene ,Geology - Abstract
Qinghai Lake and Zhuye Lake, ∼400 km apart, are located in the northwest margin of the Asian summer monsoon. Water of these two lakes mostly comes from the middle and eastern parts of the Qilian Mountains. Previous studies show that the Holocene climate changes of the two lakes implied from lake records are different. Whether lake evaporation plays a role in asynchronous Holocene climate changes is important to understand the lake records. In this paper, we used modern observations beside Qinghai Lake and Zhuye Lake to test the impact factors for lake evaporation. Pan evaporation near the two lakes is mainly related to relative humidity, temperature, vapor pressure and sunshine duration. But temperature has different impacts to lake evaporation of the two lakes, which can affect Holocene millennial-scale lake level changes. In addition, differences in relative humidity on the millennial-scale would be more significant, which also can contribute to asynchronous lake records.
- Published
- 2013
28. Environmental change inferred from Rb and Sr of lacustrine sediments in Huangqihai Lake, Inner Mongolia
- Author
-
Hongyuan Shen, Pengling Wang, Jinglu Wu, Ling Wei, Xusheng Li, Yulian Jia, and Lei Chen
- Subjects
Pedogenesis ,Deposition (aerosol physics) ,Environmental change ,Paleoclimatology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Mineralogy ,Sedimentary rock ,Weathering ,Geomorphology ,Geology ,Grain size ,Holocene - Abstract
Based on the geochemical elements Rb and Sr in sediments with three different grain size fractions from profile H3 on the northern lacustrine bottomland 13 m above the Huangqihai Lake surface in 1986, the paper investigates the record of palaeolake stand state, sedimentary environmental evolution, and winter monsoon change. First, these samples are separated into three different grain size fractions, i.e., total sediments, 77-20 μm and
- Published
- 2008
29. Climate change comparison between Arctic and other areas in the Northern Hemisphere since the last Interstade
- Author
-
Guo Wang, Juan Xu, and Baiping Zhang
- Subjects
Geography ,Arctic dipole anomaly ,Arctic ,Climatology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Northern Hemisphere ,Climate change ,Last Glacial Maximum ,Arctic ecology ,Megathermal ,Holocene - Abstract
Based on temperature reconstruction and proxy data from 14 sites in the Northern Hemisphere, this paper focused on comparing the cycles of temperature variations between the Arctic and other areas, including Atlantic, Europe, China, Asia, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and America during the transition from the last Interstade to the Last Glacial Maximum, from the Last Glacial Maximum to megathermal period in Holocene and the transition of the Little Ice Age (LIA) by the methods of Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Maximum Entropy Spectrum (MES). The results showed that environmental changes in the Arctic are most similar to that in the North American and better similar to Asia, Atlantic and Pacific, the least similar to Indian Ocean and Europe. The 1500-year oscillation of temperature existed both in Arctic and Europe.
- Published
- 2007
30. Review of the studies on climate change since the last inter-glacial period on the Tibetan Plateau
- Author
-
Chaoliu Li and Shichang Kang
- Subjects
Geography ,Plateau ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ice core ,Climatology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Period (geology) ,Climate change ,Glacial period ,Younger Dryas ,Holocene ,Temperature record - Abstract
As the “Third Pole” of the world, the Tibetan Plateau has important effects on climate of its surrounding areas and even the whole world. Many results have been achieved on climate change since the last inter-glacial period in recent decades from ice core, tree-ring and lake sediment records over the Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we review these achievements, especially those in the special periods. During the last inter-glacial period, temperature went down rapidly and went up slowly. The temperature record of the last glacial period is consistent with Greenland ice core records, also having own features over the Tibetan Plateau. Younger Dryas event agrees with the records from Europe and Greenland. Generally speaking, it is warm in the Holocene, and temperature has been rising gradually in the last 2000 years and gone up rapidly in recent decades. Climate changes on different time scales on the Tibetan Plateau occurred earlier and the change amplitude is larger than those in other parts of China.
- Published
- 2006
31. Impact of Holocene environmental change on temporal-spatial distribution of Neolithic sites in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province
- Author
-
Zhu Cheng, Zheng Chaogui, Huang Run, and Guan Yong
- Subjects
Hydrology ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Flood myth ,Environmental change ,Dawenkou culture ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Period (geology) ,Drainage basin ,Physical geography ,Megathermal ,Holocene ,Sea level - Abstract
The Huaihe River basin of Anhui is not only a transitional zone of physical geography, but also a convergent area of many cultures in China. It is one of the sensitive ecotones to global changes and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Using the field archaeological data and the sporo-pollens and the age data of the drilling cores, we analysed Neolithic cultural development and environmental evolution in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. According to the combination of some research results in archaeology with environmental evolution research, this paper discusses the relationship between culture and environment in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. The Neolithic cultural development was strongly impacted by the environmental change. The primitive culture (Shishanzi) was developed in the beginning of the Holocene Megathermal Period with distinct regional feature of the culture. From 6.5 kaBP to 5.5 kaBP, the climate changed warmer and wetter. The frequent occurrence of flood and waterlog due to such a climate regime and high sea level caused the earth’s surface environment deteriorated in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui and the interruption of the Neolithic cultural development, hence a lack of archaeological sites. From 5.5 kaBP to 4.0 kaBP, the climate changed from wet to dry, the natural environment was propitious to human survival. Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture flourished in this period. The Neolithic cultural development, the number of the sites and their distribution characteristics of the sites in the study area differed apparently from those in Central China and Shandong Province.
- Published
- 2006
32. The Quaternary faunas and climatic fluctuation in the tropical zone of China
- Author
-
Huang Zhenguo and Zhang Weiqiang
- Subjects
Paleontology ,Early Pleistocene ,Pleistocene ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Tropics ,Glacial period ,Quaternary ,Neoglaciation ,Geology ,Megathermal ,Holocene - Abstract
About 70 examples of Quaternary fauna in China’s tropics are enumerated in this paper. Of which about 40% of the examples can be found even in cooling stages, showing the smaller amplitude of climatic fluctuation during Quaternary. According to the temporal and spatial distribution of tropical faunas, the following characters of climate variation can be evidenced: two main cycles in Early Pleistocene, three main cycles in Middle Pleistocene, two main cycles in Late Pleistocene and Holocene Megathermal. The drop in temperature during the Latest Glacial Period and Neoglaciation has not endangered the existence of tropical faunas. With influence of cooling fluctuation during historical period, some faunas have removed southwards progressively, but disappearance of these animals in China’s tropics was mainly the result of artificial factors.
- Published
- 2003
33. Erosion response to anthropogenic activity and climatic changes during the Holocene: case studies in northwestern China and southern Norway
- Author
-
John A. Matthews, Tang Keli, HE Xiubin, and Geraint Owen
- Subjects
Hydrology ,Environmental change ,Erosion control ,Global warming ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Erosion ,Environmental science ,Climate change ,Physical geography ,Soil conservation ,Debris ,Holocene - Abstract
Soil erosion assessment and prediction play critical roles in addressing problems associated with erosion control or soil conservation. The past dynamics of soil erosion can provide valuable information for us to understand the relations of soil erosion to environmental change and anthropogenic activity. The present paper has compared Holocene climatic changes in northwestern China with those in southern Norway, and investigated the past dynamics of erosion activity during the Holocene. Modern soil erosion on the Loess Plateau is a combination of the intensive natural erosion and human-induced erosion, the latter being four times greater than the former. Because of global warming and increasing human activities, climate on the Loess Plateau is becoming dryer and more unstable, causing an enhanced erosion problem and water scarcity. In the arctic-alpine region of southern Norway, however, the global warming and regional wetting caused expansion of the largest European ice cap. This has accentuated the erosion in that region, with a higher frequency of avalanches and debris flows.
- Published
- 2002
34. The cooling fluctuation events during Holocene in the tropical zone of China
- Author
-
Huang Zhenguo and Zhang Weiqiang
- Subjects
South china ,Climatology ,Nature Conservation ,Drop (liquid) ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Tropics ,Neoglaciation ,China ,Geology ,Holocene - Abstract
Forty-eight samples are chosen to discuss the distribution in space and time of the cooling fluctuation events during Holocene in the tropical zone of China in this paper. The authors consider that the Neoglaciations II and III (or Cooling Event) have a widespread impact on the drop in temperature of 1–2 °C or less than 2 °C. The YD Event was dated at 11,300-10,200 a BP in the tropical mainland and its dating is 11,400-10,500 a BP in the sea area with a drop in temperature of 4–6 °C. The distribution of Event B and Neoglaciation I is taking a position of north, with a drop in temperature of 2.5–3.0 °C. The Cooling Event shows the temporality in time. The Cooling Event shows the limitation of regional distribution with a drop in temperature of less than 1.5°C. The more recent the cooling event is, the smaller the drop amplitude in temperature will be. In the eastern part of tropical zone seven events are complete in all varieties but the cooling fluctuation is weaker in the western part. In Hainan Island and South China Sea the appearance of cooling fluctuations is synchronous with each other.
- Published
- 2002
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