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The sedimentary sequences of the Yangtze River delta comprise important Quaternary records of tectonics, sea-level oscillation, and climatic change; however, analysis is hampered by a lack of a reliable chronological framework. In this paper, we present an integrated chronology for two sedimentary sequences (core ZKW2 and ZKW4) on the southern side of the Yangtze River delta, based on magnetostratigraphy and absolute methods (OSL, 14C, and ESR dating). The basal ages of the core ZKW2 and ZKW4 are ca. 2.25 Ma and 2.96 Ma, respectively. The integrated chronology indicates significant increases in the sedimentary accumulation rate at ∼0.15 Ma, rather than the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary as indicated by magnetostratigraphy alone. The observed sedimentary transition is possibly controlled by regional subsidence of the Zhe-Min Uplift, and climate evolution during the last interglacial period. • High-quality magnetostratigraphy is obtained for the Quaternary sediments in the YRD. • The SARs of the YRD sediments significantly enhanced since ∼0.15 Ma. • Tectonics and climate factors jointly control the sedimentary evolution in the YRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services and understanding their response to past climatic changes may help predict their possible future responses. In this paper, we obtained records of pollen, algae, sediment grain-size, and other environmental proxies, from a late Holocene sediment core (CFD-E) from the Caofeidian area, on the northwest coast of the Bay of Bohai, China. Our results indicate three major stages of environmental change. During Stage I (3500–2800 cal yr BP), arboreal pollen content was high (mostly >60%), especially for Pinus and Quercus , and the PCA sample scores on Axis 1 were negative indicating that regional vegetation was temperate broadleaved forest and the climate was wet. During Stage II (2800–2350 cal yr BP), the arboreal pollen content decreased substantially (mostly <40%), and the PCA Axis 1 sample scores were positive indicating a decrease in forest vegetation, grassland expansion, and a drier climate. During Stage III (2350–1400 cal yr BP), the arboreal pollen content increased again (mostly >40%), although it remained lower than during Stage I, indicating that forests expanded under a relatively humid climate while the wetland area decreased slightly. Our results also record the 2.8 ka and 2.4 ka events of monsoon weakening, which were characterized by increases in herbaceous pollen (indicating grassland expansion) and the drying of the regional climate. There are several differences in the regional expression of these two climatic events. During the 2.4 ka event, Chenopodiaceae pollen increased substantially (average of 42.0%), indicating the expansion of halophytes; whereas during the 2.8 ka event, an increase in Artemisia indicates the occurrence of a dry climate throughout the region. We suggest that the aridity during the 2.8 ka event was triggered by decreased solar activity and the resulting changes in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which weakened the East Asian summer monsoon. However, we suggest that the 2.4 ka event was driven by the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. • Significant increase in halophytic vegetation during 3500–1400 cal yr BP • The 2.8 ka and 2.4 ka events were characterized by climate drying lasting ∼150 years. • During these two events the area of forest decreased and grassland expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The periodicities of the climate change have long been explored by researchers not only because they reflect the inherent characteristics of the climate systems, but also because they are the foundations of climate-change predictability. This paper reports the periodicities of the hydroclimate variations reconstructed from a lacustrine sequence at Tiancun section (TC section) in the Luoyang Basin within the Central Plains of China and the sequence covers the first half of the Holocene. Our reconstruction shows that the hydroclimate variations at the TC section during the period from ∼10,135 and ∼ 5890 cal. yr BP were well corresponding with the effective soil moisture variations recorded by the stalagmite δ13C sequence at the Magou Cave. This corresponding relationship suggests that when the effective soil moisture increases (i.e., more negative δ13C values), the ratio of evaporation over precipitation in the paleolake at the TC section decreased, resulting in lower CaCO 3 content. It also suggests that when the effective soil moisture increases, more inflowing water entered the paleolake, resulting in coarser sediments. Our reconstruction also shows that the hydroclimate variations or lake level variations in the Luoyang Basin were characterized by millennial-scale quasi-periodicities that were most likely paced by the changes in ITCZ (Inter-tropical Convergent Zone) position and also by alterations in ENSO-like phase. And, both (ITCZ and ENSO) were most likely regulated by the solar activity. Our further analysis shows that the hydroclimate in the Luoyang Basin also experienced centennial-scale variations. Specifically, the grain size data express the following cycles: 692-year, 538-year, 217-year, 170-year and 123-year, all at the 99% confidence level. And, the CaCO 3 content data express the following cycles: 202-year, 184-year, 169-year and 85-year, all at the 99% confidence level. These cycles are approximately coincident with the widely-reported solar-activity cycles. • This paper reports the periodicities of the hydroclimate variations reconstructed from a lacustrine sequence in the Central Plains of China and the sequence covers the first half of the Holocene. • The hydroclimate variations were primarily paced by changes in ITCZ position and also by alterations in ENSO-like phase. And, both (ITCZ and ENSO) were most likely regulated by solar activity. • The centennial-scale hydroclimate variations were approximately coincident with the widely-reported solar-activity cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of pastoralism, as an alternative or adjunct to farming in China's long history, a clear understanding of the spreading routes and mechanisms of pastoralism in China is lacking. Fungal spores can be a useful addition to zooarchaeological evidence and have been widely used to explore the origins and development of pastoralism in different regions of the globe. The northern Loess Plateau is one of the most important areas for the emergence and development of pastoralism in early China. The aim of this paper was to take the fungal spores in the Baihemiao (BHM) core that we extracted from a site in the Yulin region, combine them with the zooarchaeological records to explore their relationship with climate and environmental changes, and reconstruct the evolution of animal husbandry in the northern Loess Plateau since the mid-Holocene. The results indicate that the climatic conditions in the northern Loess Plateau during the first period of 6–4.2 ka were relatively humid, the number of domesticated herbivores was small, animal husbandry was not developed, and the spores of coprophilous fungi in the sediments mainly originated from wild herbivores. Fungal spores as well as zooarchaeological evidence reveal that cattle and sheep grazing developed rapidly in the region during the second period, c. 4.2–3 ka. We suggest that the arid climatic conditions during this period facilitated the development of pastoral activities in the northern Loess Plateau. However, this pastoral economy gradually weakened after 1.2 ka. • Sporormiella suggests a high volume of herbivore activities in the Baihemiao area in 6–4.2 ka. • Fungal spores and zooarchaeological record from the archaeological sites indicate that grazing activity was strong in 4.2-3 ka. • Arid climatic conditions facilitated the development of pastoral activities in the northern Loess Plateau in 4.2–3 ka. • Pastoralism weakened and declined during the period from 3 ka to 1.2 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE) induced an intense carbon-cycle disturbance and biological crisis at a global scale. The eruption of the Wrangellia Large Igneous Province (W-LIP) is considered a possible triggering mechanism; however, this cannot fully explain the significant differences in environmental perturbations across different regions. In this paper, we present detailed records of petrography, mercury geochemistry, carbon and sulfur isotopes, trace elements, and provenance data for the Triassic lacustrine facies of the Ordos Basin in the North China Plate, which provide insights into the important effects of volcanic activities, other than the W-LIP, on palaeoenvironment during the CPE interval. Massive emissions of SO 2 , CO 2 , and pyroclastic deposits resulting from these volcanic activities triggered four humid episodes, each characterized by lake-level rise, negative δ13C org excursion, a transition from mudstones to organic-rich shales facies, as well as algal bloom within a time span of 180 kyrs. The establishment of an age framework in the Ordos Basin enables comparative analyses of environmental evolution during the Carnian age across the North China Plate, the western Tethys domain, and the South China Plate. During the period of global climate perturbation driven by the W-LIP eruption, we conclude that short-term localized volcanic activities may have further induced high frequentcy environmental perturbations, which influenced biological shifts and increase organic carbon burial. These short-term volcanic activities with different occurrence times and frequencies complicate local-scale palaeoenvironmental evolutions, which may be an important reason contributing to significant differences in environmental perturbations during the CPE interval across different regions of the globe. • Four humid episodes and sedimentary changes occurred within 0.18Ma in the Ordos Basin during Carnian age. • Environmental changes in the Ordos Basin was related to the local volcanisms in its nearby Qinling orogenic belts. • Short-term local volcanisms can complicate the environmental evolutions in different parts of globe during the CPE interval. • Local volcanic processes may cause inconsistent environment perturbation in different parts of globe during the CPE interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southwestern China, a biodiversity hotspot, underwent dramatic climate change following the Last Glacial Maximum and intensive human activity also exerted a major impact since the late Holocene. In this paper, we report a pollen record from Yilong Lake in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, to understand vegetation response to long-term climatic variation and human activities at a regional-level over the last 27,000 years. Findings show that temperate and coniferous taxa were dominant before 18 cal kyr BP reflecting the glacial climate. Between 18 and 14 cal kyr BP, thermophilic taxa increased in response to global deglaciation. A notable shift from deciduous to evergreen forests occurred at approximately 14 cal kyr BP, after which pollen concentration increased but pollen diversity decreased. Pollen assemblages indicated dense forests, primarily composed of evergreen oaks developed under warm and strong summer monsoon conditions from 13 to 8 cal kyr BP. High rates of vegetation change occurred during the middle Holocene before vegetation diversity gradually increased during the Holocene Thermal Optimum, with high variability of precipitation in the Yilong Lake region. Anthropogenic forcing progressively became the main factor affecting vegetation composition and vegetation change rates over the past three millennia. • We reported a pollen record from Yilong Lake in Yunnan province, China. • Cold-tolerant taxa dominated before 18 cal kaBP after which thermal-like taxa increased. • Evergreen forests replaced deciduous forests around 14 cal kaBP. • Vegetation change rates peaked in mid-Holocene with mega-thermal but frequent droughts. • Departure of vegetation and potential climax occurred in late-Holocene due to human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition from cereal-based agriculture to pastoralism in North China occurred around 3600 cal yr B.P., and corresponded to Northern Hemisphere cooling and the onset of an arid climate over North China. In this paper, we investigate the mechanisms for the ~3600 cal yr B.P. climate transition that may have triggered this change in Chinese civilization based on a compilation of 33 high-resolution paleoclimate records spanning the 4000–3000 cal yr B.P. interval. Results show that North and South China experienced a meridional dipole pattern of the climate change. From 4000 to 3600 cal yr B.P., the region north of 30°N was wet and the region south of 30°N was dry, then from 3600 to 3000 cal yr B.P., the pattern reversed with a drier north and a wetter south. We found that this climate transition was related to the onset of a more El Niño-like state in the tropical Pacific Ocean after ~3600 cal yr B.P., which resulted in more precipitation in South China but less precipitation in North China. Climate in the marginal monsoon areas of North China deteriorated, becoming more cold and arid, and pastoralism replaced cereal agriculture as the dominant mode of subsistence. Our study highlights the important role of the paleo-El Niño-Southern Oscillation (paleo-ENSO) for the evolution of civilization in China. • North China transitioned to pastoralism around 3600 cal yr B.P. • A shift in East Asia's dipole climate pattern was observed at the same period. • This climate change was influenced by the paleo-ENSO. • The paleo-ENSO significantly impacted the progression of Chinese civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 4.2 ka event was a period of global drought and climate cooling linked to the widespread disruption of Neolithic culture. However, the detailed climatic changes during this period are not completely understood. In this paper, we report a high-resolution pollen record for the Dayanghu wetland in the Zhejiang region of southeastern China, which we use to infer mean annual precipitation (MAP) fluctuations during the period spanning 4600–4000 calendar years before present (cal. yr BP). There was a long-term trend of decreasing MAP during this interval, consistent with weakening of the East Asian Summer Monsoon since the mid-Holocene. This trend was punctuated by episodes of relatively high MAP at 4350–4320, ca. 4260, and 4220–4200 cal. yr BP, and extreme droughts at 4200 and 4150 cal. yr BP. We propose that solar activity promoted El Niño events and contributed to dramatic MAP fluctuations in the Dayanghu wetland. La Niña events and negative-phase intervals of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation may have been responsible for the extreme drought at 4200–4150 cal. yr BP. In summary, we propose a close relationship between MAP and solar forcing, with short-term enhanced solar activity increasing the intensity of the East Asian Summer Monsoon and contributing to increasing decadal variability in the inner tropical Pacific, which ultimately leads to increased precipitation variability in southeast China. The results improve our understanding of the detailed climatic features of the 4.2 ka event. • High-resolution pollen record for ca. 4.2 ka for the Zhejiang region, China. • Pollen-based mean annual precipitation was quantitatively reconstructed. • Long-term droughts tended to occur during 4600–4000 cal. yr BP. • La Niña-dominated ENSO contributed to a catastrophic drought at 4200–4150 cal. yr BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during Younger Dryas (YD) has been attributed to freshwater discharge into the North Atlantic ocean and resultant Northern Hemisphere cooling. Recent studies have found that sea ice variability in the Nordic Sea during the YD exerted a great influence upon the northern high-latitude climate. However, the influence of sea ice upon EASM evolution during YD event remains unclear. In this paper, we report two precisely-dated speleothem oxygen isotope records from the EASM-dominated region of central China. Our records archive abrupt changes in EASM variability during the YD event. Initially, there was a significant strengthening of the EASM during the mid-YD following the gradually increased Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Later this trend reversed at ∼12.15 ka due to northern high-latitude sea ice fluctuations and a consequent reduction of AMOC. At the YD termination, abrupt intensification of the EASM was synchronous with the rapid decline of sea-ice and recovery of the AMOC indicating that sea ice variability was a significant influence on high latitude climate and EASM variation during the YD. • A new speleothem δ18O record show significant EASM strengthening during mid-YD. • Mid-YD oscillation in EASM linked with NH sea ice variability. • Abrupt EASM intensification at YD termination synchronous with the rapid decline of sea ice. • Drier interval following the YD termination in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-latitude permafrost peatlands are sensitive to global warming, and understanding their paleohydrological evolution is critical for assessing future hydrological and environmental changes. This paper presents a diatom record from a peat deposit covering the past 3300 years to reconstruct the moisture and acidity conditions in the Tuqiang permafrost peatland in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains of northeast China. Our findings are integrated with previously published records of plant macrofossils, palynology, and geochemistry from the same profile. From 3300 to 2800 cal yr BP, planktonic and benthic diatoms were equally abundant, indicating relatively high moisture conditions, while the low abundance of acidophilous diatoms reflects relatively high pH during this interval. Pollen data show dominance by sedges with input from the surrounding Pinus forest, while LOI data and lithology suggest that the site was a non-peat accumulating wetland. During the period 2800–1100 cal yr BP, the dominance of planktonic diatoms indicates a wetter local environment, concurrent with the dominance of peat-forming sedges (Eriophorum), indicating the development of a peatland. Between 1100 and 500 cal yr BP, a short-lived increase in acidophilous diatoms (Eunotia) marks a decrease in pH. Since 500 cal yr BP, the dominance of benthic diatoms reflects a drier environment, while a vegetation shift from an Eriophorum -dominated rich fen to a Sphagnum- and Ericaceae-dominated poor fen. An increase in Eunotia diatoms prior to the Sphagnum peak may indicate that diatoms are more sensitive to local acidified habitats than moss. Peatland development in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains was likely induced by the onset of a cooler and wetter climate starting at approximately 2800 cal yr BP, a scenario supported by regional paleoclimate records. Since 700 cal yr BP, the peatland has been affected by both anthropogenic activities and climatic changes, as a drying climate and intensified human activities around the study area reduced diatom species diversity and peat accumulation. Under the background of future global warming and enhanced human activities, the decreasing species diversity and carbon accumulation rate of peatlands in high-latitude permafrost regions need more attention. • Diatoms can indicate local moisture and acidity in permafrost peatlands. • Diatoms are likely more sensitive to microhabitats than bryophytes. • TQ peatland formed after 2800 cal yr BP caused by the cooler and wetter climate. • Rich-fen shifted to poor-fen which co-influenced by deforestation and dry climate at LIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Eocene was an interval of climate evolution, when the extreme high temperatures of the earliest Cenozoic gave way to a global cooling trend. Fine-grained lacustrine sediments of Eocene age from northeastern China represent an excellent archive to study long-term environmental and climatic changes at high-resolution. The Huadian Basin is a Cenozoic, fault-bounded basin in Jilin Province, northeastern China. Though small in area, it contains numerous oil shale- and coal-bearing layers, which provide an abundant Middle to Late Eocene palynoflora. Eighty-five palynomorph genera and one hundred palynomorph species were identified in the Huadian Formation, allowing to distinguish 4 palynozones. The nearest living relatives of the recovered palynomorph taxa suggest the presence of subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forests during deposition of the Huadian Formation. Using the coexistence approach (CA), we calculated seven paleoclimatic parameters, which indicate a subtropical warm and humid climate with a mean annual temperature above 13.6 °C and a mean annual precipitation of at least 887 mm. However, the climate became cooler and drier during the transition from the lower Oil Shale Member to the upper Carbonaceous Shale Member. Palaeoclimatic data from the various Middle and Late Eocene basins of northeastern China (i.e., the Huadian, Fushun, Yilan, Hunchun and Jishu basins) were compared with data from North American and European basins. Middle Eocene climate in the Northern Hemisphere was generally warm and humid, and the mean annual temperature and precipitation in northeastern China were similar to those in North America, though slightly lower than those of Europe. Similar trends in temperature and precipitation on different continents support the existence of a global Mid-Eocene cooling event. This paper is the first systematic study of Middle to Late Eocene seasonality in the Huadian Basin. Our results show an apparent differentiation in both temperature and precipitation between summer and winter, supporting the view that the East Asian Monsoon was established in northeastern China already during the Middle to Late Eocene. This Middle and Late Eocene monsoon was likely driven by the development of Pacific trade winds and an alternating, seasonal high- and low-pressure system over Siberia. The climatic changes observed in our dataset, especially the precipitation changes, appear to have played an important role in controlling oil shale formation in the Huadian Basin. A warmer and more humid climate, with abundant precipitation and high subsidence rates, formed a deeper Huadian depositional lake. High productivity and stable stratification provided the abundant organic matter and favorable preservation conditions necessary for oil shale accumulation. Highlights • The Middle-Late Eocene palynoflora were firstly systematically studied in Huadian Basin. • We quantitatively estimated the Middle-Late Eocene climate based on CA method. • A globally cooler phase was recognized in the Middle Eocene. • Climate seasonality in the Middle-Late Eocene supports the EAM was already prevalent in NE China. • Changes in climate, especially precipitation, play an important role in oil shale formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major reorganizations in climate and tectonic regime occurred in East Asia during the Pleistocene, resulting in large-scale environmental changes. In this paper a detailed geochemical and mineralogical record of these changes is presented from a distal alluvial fan sedimentary sequence in the northern Weihe Basin. We established that, in addition to glacial-interglacial variation, there are three distinctly different units deposited over the past 1 m.y. These units are the result of variations in the overall tectonic regime in the northern Weihe Basin. Fine-grained detrital minerals were predominantly delivered during colder climatic periods, whereas evaporative minerals were dominantly deposited during the warmer, interglacial periods, probably as a result of strong seasonal contrast. This compositional variation demonstrates the importance of climate control on hinterland erosion, surface runoff, chemical weathering and evaporation. Al-normalized ratios of indicative major elements relative to average loess composition, indicate important variations in sedimentary processes, mostly related to sediment flux. Si-enrichment is an index for past flooding events, while Fe enrichment, just like K and Ti, reflects influx of clays. In contrast, Ca and Mn are strongly enriched throughout the core, associated with the authigenic precipitation of carbonates, especially during interglacial periods. The lower (~ 1000–690 ka) and upper (~ 330–0 ka) units of the core are characterized by relative intense and frequent flooding, which coincided with extensive ponding in the study area. In the middle unit (~ 690–330 ka) increased salinity levels caused by evaporation, as reflected in the high Sr/Ca ratio and dolomite abundance, led to increased carbonate precipitation. Simultaneously, the increased influx of fine sediments indicates increased clay production in the source area as a result of a more intense summer monsoon strength after 600 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordovician-Silurian (O S) transition witnessed dramatic tectonic, climatic, marine, and biological coevolution, during which organic-rich black shale was widely deposited and is considered an important source rock. However, the potential links between the differential enrichment pattern of organic matter and climate fluctuations and paleoenvironmental evolution during this period are still unclear. In this paper, the Late Ordovician-early Silurian black shale in a JieLong (JL) section in South China was identified by graptolitic fossils, total organic carbon (TOC) content, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and geochemical analysis. The results show that the provenances of sedimentary rocks are all granodiorite-like. According to the variations in the TOC content and geochemical indicators, four layers are delineated. Under warm and humid climatic conditions, sea level rise and unstable seasonal upwelling led to Unit 1 organic matter enrichment controlled by high primary productivity, anoxic conditions and effective smectite production. Unit 2 organic matter burial was controlled by cold, arid and oxic environmental conditions, but primary productivity was still relatively high. After the end of the glacial period, warm and humid climatic conditions and rapid transgression were the main factors affecting the burial of organic matter in Unit 3. Under hot and humid climate conditions, higher terrigenous detrital inputs and unfavourable preservation environments, the dilution of organic matter in Unit 4 was accelerated. The corrected chemical index of alteration (CIA corr) values show that the study area experienced a climate change of alternating cold and warm conditions in response to the climate fluctuation during the glacial-interglacial period. The CIA corr value is negatively correlated with the TOC content, while the generation of available clay minerals (smectite) in warm and humid climates is usually consistent with the enhanced burial flux of organic matter, supporting the important role of climate fluctuations in the accumulation of organic matter. Finally, a comparison of the data from the present study with geochemical data from different profiles in South China reveals the role of climatic fluctuations during the O S transition in controlling paleoenvironmental evolution and organic matter enrichment, while such a heterogeneous factor is usually associated with global or regional geological events. Our study highlights this differential enrichment mechanism as a combined response of multiple factors and provides important implications for glacial-interglacial organic matter enrichment mechanisms. • Rapid changes of weathering indices imply climatic fluctuations during the Late Ordovician-Early Silurian. • Four different patterns were established for organic matter accumulation across the O/S. • Climate fluctuations and the heterogeneity nature of ocean systems explain the regional variations of OM accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstructing Holocene changes in regional sea level is useful for understanding future sea-level scenarios. In this paper we examined the sedimentology, pollen, foraminifera, and organic matter properties of a well-dated profile from the Subei Basin that spans the last 6.7 ka. By integrating our findings with the archaeological record, we investigated mid- to late Holocene vegetation responses to relative sea-level fluctuations and considered the impact of climatic variations on cultural development. In the middle Holocene, the rapid and abrupt expansion of salt marsh vegetation (Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae, and Poaceae) suggests a relative rise in sea level. From 5.7 to 4.2 cal ka BP, lowland swamps were settled by Neolithic communities, as indicated by peak levels of microscopic charcoal and a significant rise in herbaceous pollen species, such as Cyperaceae, Typha , Myriophyllum , and Poaceae. From 4.2 to 3.7 cal ka BP, a major increase in Chenopodiaceae abundance and a δ13C excursion were observed along with a decrease in Cyperaceae and Poaceae levels, which revealed that human activity significantly decreased following the 4.2 ka climate event. Evidence suggests that the area under investigation experienced a relatively high sea level between 6.7 and 6.0 ka, a relative decrease in sea level between 6.0 and 5.7 ka, a steady sea-level condition between 5.7 and 4.2 ka, and gradual replacement by a freshwater marsh between 5.7 and 4.2 ka. The pollen and δ13 C records demonstrate that the relative sea level rose quickly from 4.2 to 3.7 ka, which could correspond to the 4.2 ka event. Enhanced El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variance and intense climatic events in eastern China were the driving forces behind the mid-late Holocene relative sea-level shift. The rise in relative sea level eventually led to the collapse of the Qingdun and Jiangzhuang sites in the Subei Basin. Our results provide independent vegetation evidence of the simultaneous changes in relative sea level and variations in climate. • Vegatation and environment changes are investigated from ∼6700 cal a BP. • The significant relative sea-level rise in the Subei Plain during 4.2–3.7 cal ka BP. • The rise in relative sea level led to the collapse of the Qingdun site and Jiangzhuang site in the Subei Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeastern coastal region of China has coastal sand dunes, which are usually called paleo-sand dunes or "Old Red Sandstone". The ages and geological implications of these coastal dunes have been studied for tens of years but are still controversial. In this paper, we used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to establish the chronology of the paleo-aeolian reddish sand dunes from two representative sites in the coastal region of SE China. Our results indicate that the sand dunes were mainly accumulated in three periods, including 9–6 ka (broadly corresponding to marine isotope stage (MIS) 1), 50–26 ka (MIS 3), and 110–74 ka (MIS 5). Based on the comparison between the regional aeolian dune records and the global sea-level fluctuations, we concluded that the reddish sand dunes were associated with the aeolian processes during interglacials and interstadials when sea-level were relatively higher compared with glacial maxima. We proposed a conceptual model to interpret the formation of the coastal sand dunes. We suggest that coastal dunes that formed during the glacial maxima could not be preserved in highstands above the present sea-level due to the lower altitude of sand dunes and the erosion by water waves during the subsequent marine transgression. Therefore, only aeolian sand dunes accumulated in higher altitudes during sea-level rise were preserved as in the coastal region of SE China. • Luminescence dating of coastal dunes in SE China • Dune sands were mainly accumulated in MIS 1, MIS 3, and MIS 5. • Interplay between exposure of continental shelf and aeolian processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Changbaishan volcano, located in northeast China, produced a large amount of charcoal during the "Millennium Eruption" (c. 946 CE). In this paper, we report a high-resolution date for the eruption using multiple methods applied to the fossil charcoal and living trees, including wood anatomy, radiocarbon dating and tree-ring cross-dating. In addition, we develop a new floating annual-resolution tree-ring chronology spanning nearly 200 years that provides information about paleoclimate conditions. In our study, we identified 60 samples of charcoal as Larix olgensis based on anatomical characteristics and geographical location. Using these materials, we dated the eruption to the winter of 946 CE based on a combination of radiocarbon dating, traditional dendrochronological cross-dating and cambial cell growth status. This allowed us to develop an L. olgensis tree-ring width chronology covering 764–946 CE and 1715–2016 CE, with significant sensitivities to April–September temperature (p < 0.05). The tree-ring data have great potential to indicate extreme climate events; for example, we identify an extremely cold year in 903 CE. Such marker years can improve the reliability and accuracy of tree-ring data. Our study provides direct and precise tree-ring evidence for volcanic eruptions and anomalous climate years in the Middle Ages. [Display omitted] • Cambial activity enables us to date the Millennium Eruption to winter 946 CE. • The first chronology reaching the Middle Ages so far developed in northeastern China. • The chronology was assembled from volcanic charcoal and living larch. • This chronology is sensitive to temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disentangling fire and its controls over thousands of years ago is a major challenge in the study of paleofires. In this paper, we synthesize sedimentary charcoal and black carbon from the coastal plain of Laizhou Bay, China to improve our ability to reconstruct fire history in the past 5000 years, and to assess the controls of fire using principal component analysis and multiple regression approach. The results show that there were three distinct fire episodes at the intervals of 5300–5100 yr BP., 1190–1060 yr BP., and 300–0 yr BP., based on the Changyi (CY) profile. A large-scale fire episode was synchronous with a rapid climate variability that occurred 5300 yr BP., which had frequent drought and cold epoch. High fluxes of black carbon and charcoal were closely related to mass migration and the use of fire for land reclamation from 1190 to 1060 yr BP. Subsequently, anthropogenic biomass burning for cereal cultivation has reached a higher level over the past 300 years. However, between 4600 and 4000 yr BP. the shifts in the frequency of high-magnitude floods and climate aridity consequently resulted in the decline of fire-episode frequency and the abandonment of the late Neolithic settlements in the study region. Therefore, climate is still a prerequisite factor for fire occurrence on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay in the past 5000 years. A rapid climate variability was not only responsible for various fire patterns, but also could affect human settlements and the mode of production during middle-late Holocene. In the past 1000 years, human land use has been a more important control of fire. However, temperature has become one of the evidently identified controls of fire across the study area in recent decades. To synthesize the methods of Principal Component Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis with multi-proxy evidence is necessary for us to better understand fire and its controls on coastal plain of Laizhou Bay at the region. • Charcoal and BC have recorded fire mid-Holocene at the Laizhou Bay of China. • Climate was still a prerequisite control of fire at the Laizhou Bay mid-Holocene. • In the past 1000 years, human land use has been an important control of fire. • Temperature has become one of the identified controls of fire across the study area. • Principal component analysis will contribute to disentangling fire and its controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Continental Scientific Drilling Project at the Cretaceous-age Songliao Basin is a drilling initiative under the framework of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, to recover a nearly complete Cretaceous terrestrial sedimentary record in the Songliao Basin, northeastern China. The recovered cores will provide unique opportunities for the geosciences community to advance the understanding of climate change in the Cretaceous greenhouse world, and provide a documentation of geological events relevant to the carbon cycle during this time period. This drilling project will address significant geological questions, such as the identification of important stratigraphic boundaries and the marine-terrestrial correlations of stratigraphy, the reasons for the biotic response to the terrestrial environmental changes, the terrestrial response to the Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events, the formation of terrestrial petroleum source rocks, and the mechanisms for the Cretaceous magnetic Normal Superchron (CNS). In the first stage of this drilling project, the SKI drilling, rock cores of 2485.89m in total length were recovered and the recovery ratio reached 96.46%. A series of drilling and coring technologies including regular, confined, directional, and sealed coring, were utilized to ensure a higher recovery ratio for the core, and will be described at the end of this paper. Well loggings were conducted right after coring. Core handling and storage were arranged in such a way that the scientific research was conducted on half of each core, whereas the other half of each core was preserved for long-term storage. The upcoming second stage, the SKII drilling, will combine with data from the existing SKI to provide complete high-resolution climate records of the terrestrial environment for the whole Cretaceous time period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As a paradigm of greenhouse climate in Earth's history, the Cretaceous provides significant rock records of global climate changes under conditions of greenhouse climate. The Songliao Basin, among the longest duration (85–90m.y.) of continental sedimentary basins, provides an excellent opportunity to recover a nearly complete Cretaceous terrestrial sedimentary record. Extensive lake deposits, ten-kilometers deep and covering an area of 260,000km2 of the Songliao Basin, provide unique, detailed records that can be tied to the global stratigraphic time scale, thereby improving our understanding of the continental paleoclimate and ecological system. The two coreholes at SKIs and SKIn sites were drilled into this basin and completed with a total length of 2485.89m of recovered core that spanned the complete middle-to-Upper Cretaceous strata in the basin. The unique geological setting of long-term continuous subsidence within the largest Cretaceous landmass in the world — makes the Cretaceous Songliao Basin of northeastern China an ideal place to study Cretaceous climate change on the continent. This paper reviews the literature on the paleogeography and paleoclimate of the northern East Asia and the Songliao Basin during the Cretaceous. Based on the climatologically sensitive deposits, oxygen isotope studies, and paleontology, the climate during the Cretaceous in the Songliao Basin was temperate and humid with relatively abundant rainfall. During the period, significant changes – four cooling, three warming, and three semiarid events – are generally consistent with the oxygen isotope data from East Asia, and the four cooling events, in Berriasian–Valanginian, Aptian–Albian, early Santonian, and Campanian–Maastrichtian, may be related to potential glaciations in Cretaceous. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Miocene vegetation and climate history of western China remains unclear. However, widely-distributed Miocene sediments of the Tianshui Basin in the NE Tibetan Plateau provide a great potential for deciphering the Miocene vegetation and climate history of this region. This paper presents first sporopollen record from these sediments, covering the period from 17.1 to 6.1Ma. Sporopollen data reveal that temperate, warm-temperate broad-leaved forest of Quercus, Ulmus and Betula dominated the Tianshui region between 17.1 and 14.7Ma, which was replaced by forest or forest-steppe of Ulmus, Artemisia and Betula between 14.7 and 11.7Ma. After a return to a broad-leaved forest of Betula and Quercus during 11.7–8.5Ma, the forest decreased rapidly and was replaced mostly by steppe vegetation (mainly composed of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae) after 8.5Ma. We interpret the observed vegetation changes as a result of global climate change, which is characterized by global cooling, development of Arctic ice-sheets and permanent El Niño state after the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. The rapid development of steppe at about 8.5Ma suggested a permanent drying of the Asian interior at this time, coinciding with the onset of the well-known Hipparion red clay deposition in North China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Long-term high-resolution climate proxies are essential for understanding climate variability on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), where few long-term climate records are available. In this paper, we describe a summer (August) temperature reconstruction over the period 1385–2002 based on a tree-ring width chronology of Balfour spruce (Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana) on the southeastern TP created using the Regional Curve Standardization method. The reconstruction explains 44.7% of the variance in the instrumental temperature records during the calibration period (1962–2002), and captures temperature variability over a broad region of the TP. Warmer than average Augusts were found during the periods 1446–1494, 1509–1522, 1553–1567, 1797–1812, 1845–1905 and 1918–2002. Cooler than average Augusts occurred from 1385–1416, 1426–1445, 1495–1508, 1523–1552, 1568–1686, 1695–1718, 1725–1796, 1813–1844 and 1906–1917. A warming trend in the 20th century was unprecedented during the past six centuries. The reconstruction closely matched other tree-ring summer temperature reconstructions from neighboring regions, as well as patterns from ice-core δ18O data, and fluctuated in synchrony with Northern Hemisphere temperature reconstructions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Global climate change and tectonism are principal causes of spatial and temporal differences in Ordovician-Silurian (O S) transition sedimentary environments of China's Upper Yangtze Platform. However, the relative significance of each of these drivers is not always obvious. This paper describes results of a geochemical study of a drill core section (Well X3) recovered from Xiang'e Submarine High in the central part of the Upper Yangtze Platform. This work focused on shale deposits of the Wufeng Formation and Longmaxi Formation that accumulated during the O S transition. Geochemical characteristics, including total organic carbon (TOC), pyrite S (S py), stable carbon and sulfur isotopes, and Mo and U enrichment values, were combined with pyrite framboid size distribution data to reconstruct the O S paleoenvironmental evolution of this region of the Upper Yangtze Platform. The studied succession appears to record the transition from lower Katian-Hirnantian shale deposited under sulfate-limited conditions to Rhuddanian organic-rich shale and finally to organic-depleted Aeronian sediment. The depositional history of these deposits was controlled by changes in water depth and watermass chemistry as a result of changing sea level. The sea-level history of the studied succession was largely controlled by global climate change related to Hirnantian glaciation and Rhuddanian warming and tectonism associated with the Kwangsian Orogeny that resulted in uplift of the Xiang'e Submarine High. Similar geochemical investigation of the Pengshui and Shuanghe sections, also in the Upper Yangtze Platform, demonstrate the dominant role of global climate change and tectonism in controlling organic carbon content and thickness of potential shale gas targets. Specifically, the low concentrations of organic carbon in thin shale deposits proximal to uplifted regions of the basin pose a major risk to shale gas exploration. • Reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the O S transition, South China. • Carbon content reflects the influence of global sea level and local tectonic uplift. • Successful shale gas exploration requires an understanding of depositional history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the climate and environmental changes that have occurred in the extremely arid regions of China since MIS (Marine Isotope Stage) 3 (59–29 cal kyr BP), when most regions in northwestern China and the Tibetan Plateau featured warm and humid conditions. In this paper, we present a record of the climate changes in the Qaidam Basin in arid northwestern China over the past 40 kyr based on the mineralogy of a 35-m-long sediment core recovered from Qarhan Salt Lake. Our results show that the lake was a saline or hyper-saline lake saturated with respect to gypsum between 40 and 33 cal kyr BP. Beginning at 33 cal kyr BP, evaporite formation was dominated by halite precipitation, indicating that the lake salinity had increased extensively and that the climate became drier during 33–24.5 cal kyr BP. The lake salinity then increased continuously, resulting in the appearance of bischofite between 24.5 and 14.6 cal kyr BP. The disappearance of bischofite and the increase in gypsum indicate that the salinity of the water decreased slightly between 14.6 and 8.3cal kyr BP. However, during the last 8300 years, the lake has dried up and is now a playa. Generally, the climate was wet in late MIS 3, arid in MIS 2 (29–11.7 cal kyr BP), and hyperarid in the Holocene. The relatively humid conditions may have resulted from weak evaporation caused by the relatively low insolation and intense ice-albedo feedback in late MIS 3. The decreased insolation and dramatically increased Eurasian ice volume in MIS 2 may have led to limited precipitation, which resulted in persistent dry climate conditions in the Qaidam Basin. In the Holocene, the reduction in ice volume reduced the albedo, and this change, in conjunction with increased insolation, may have led to evaporation exceeding local precipitation, resulting in hyperarid climate conditions in the Qaidam Basin. • Climate change since late MIS 3 was studied in an extremely arid region of China. • The climate was wet in late MIS 3 but hyper-arid in the Holocene. • Northern Hemisphere insolation and Eurasian ice volume were the forcing mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]