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In this paper, we examine the Early to Middle Holocene evolution of a prominent group of ground-water fed lakes in the southeastern hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert (BJD) of northwest China. Specifically, we describe a sediment profile record from the Taoerlegetu (TR) palaeolake basin using multiple proxies of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N ratio, δ13C org , grain size and mineral composition based on a well-dated trench profile. As C/N values suggest that sedimentary organic matter mainly originated from aquatic plants, δ13Corg values can be used as a qualitative proxy for water level because aquatic plants in different biotopes (water depth) have different δ13C values. Our results show that from 10.9 to 9.1 cal kyr B.P., water level rose slowly, and aquatic macrophytes occupied the lake basin. From 9.1 to 5.5 cal kyr B.P., water level reached an even higher level and phytoplankton replaced macrophytes as the major contributor to organic matter. The humid episode of the lakes in the hinterland of the BJD in the early Holocene might be related to the increased groundwater supply from the northeast region of the Tibet Plateau. These findings are consistent with earlier studies of lacustrine and peat sediments found in periphery of the modern lake group, which indicate that their geographic extent may have been larger in the past. A relative drought period recorded in the studied succession from 8.5 to 8.0 cal kyr B.P. marks an interval of reduced ground-water transport from the Tibet Plateau. This interval probably corresponds to the "8.2 ka cold event" and provides evidence that this widespread climate episode influenced groundwater processes across inland Asia. • The δ13C org value could be used as a qualitative indicator for the change of water level. • Lakes in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert shows different evolution progress with these in the edge. • The main water source of lakes in the hinterland of the BJD in the Early Holocene comes from the Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the surface and Holocene aeolian deposits in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, N. China, systematically analysing the evolution of the geochemical characteristics of aeolian sand-palaeosol sequences and their environmental significance. Our results indicate that the geochemical components of the Holocene aeolian deposits and surface deposits had the similar material sources, sediment transport and deposition processes in the study region, which were dominated by SiO2, Al2O3, and Na2O. In the weathering process of the Jinjie (JJ) profile, the Na, K, and Si presented the slight leaching and migration in general, while the other elements were relatively accumulated. The Holocene aeolian deposits and surface deposits incurred weaker geochemical weathering under cold and dry conditions and were only weakly leached, which implies a relatively arid environment in the Holocene epoch and the modern era. The weathering degree was controlled by the regional temperature and precipitation, and was probably more sensitive to the precipitation changes. In the sedimentary profile, the geochemical parameters and migration of elements demonstrated that there have been several alternating warm-wet and cold-dry intervals in the Mu Us Desert in the Holocene epoch; there were relatively warm and wet conditions prior to 4.6 ka, and it has been cold and dry since then. Six millennial-scale dry events were recorded during the Holocene, which were not only accordant with the history of palaeoclimatic changes in the different latitudes and archives of the Northern Hemisphere, but also correspond to the millennial-scale variation of cosmic radiation and solar activity during that period. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deserts and sandylands that are located in the semi-arid and arid regions in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere are usually regarded as environmentally sensitive change belts which respond to global climatic change. In northern China, activation or immobilization of sand dunes is mainly influenced by humid and dry variation and is related to stronger or weaker Asian monsoons. In this paper, the history of Holocene millennial-scale climatic and environmental change is reconstructed by the systematic analysis of the geochemical element contents and parameters, along with the OSL and C chronologies, from the different lithologies of the palaeosol-aeolian sand sequence in the south-eastern Mu Us Desert, northern China. Our results indicate that the region was dominated by a dry climate with intensive aeolian activity before 7.2 ka BP, and there was an optimal humid climate and fixed desert in 7.2-4.6 ka. Afterwards, the dune fields became mobile again as the effective humidity declined. Additionally, six dry events were discovered with times of ~7.2, 7.0-6.8, 6.6-5.7, 4.6-4.1, 3.7-3.5, and 3.3-2.5 ka, which were not only coincident with the intervals of millennial-scale weaker Asian summer monsoons, but also accordant with the cold events evidenced in the ice cores and deep-sea deposits of the high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. In general, the Holocene climatic and environmental changes had the characteristics of the 'monsoonal mode' and 'abrupt millennial-scale oscillation' in the Mu Us Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]