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The East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) exhibits significant variability on intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal time scales and the variability can be extended to Holocene centennial and millennial scales. Previous Holocene EAWM proxy data records, which were mostly located in Central, Eastern and Southern China, did not show a consistent Holocene EAWM history. Therefore, it is difficult to provide insights into mechanisms of the long-term winter monsoon variability on the basis of the records. Eolian sediments at the southern edge of the Gobi Desert, Western China, are sensitive to the EAWM changes and less affected by the East Asian summer monsoon due to an obstruction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This paper presents a comparison between a well-dated Holocene EAWM record and coupled climate model simulations, so as to explore physical processes and influencing factors of the Holocene EAWM. Sediment samples from two Holocene eolian sedimentary sections [Huangyanghe (a) and Huangyanghe (b)] were acquired at the southern edge of the Gobi Desert. Chronologies were established based on twenty bulk organic matter AMS C ages and five pollen concentrates AMS C ages. Proxy data, including grain-size, total organic carbon, magnetic susceptibility and carbonate content were obtained from the two eolian sections. The grain-size standard deviation model was applied to determine components sensitive to variability of the Holocene EAWM. After a comparison of environmentally-sensitive grain-size components and proxy data, the 20-200 μm component at the Huangyanghe (a) and the 20-159 μm component at the Huangyanghe (b) section were selected as indicators of the Holocene EAWM, which show a strong early Holocene winter monsoon and a decline of the winter monsoon since the mid-Holocene. We also present equilibrium and transient simulations of the climate evolution for the Holocene using a state-of-art coupled climate model: the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). Indices for the Holocene EAWM were calculated and are consistent with the reconstructed Holocene EAWM intensity. The simulations indicate that orbital forcing effects on the land-sea temperature and sea level pressure contrast can account for the observed EAWM trends. Other forcings that were present in the early Holocene, including the remnant Laurentide ice sheet and meltwater forcing in the North Atlantic, were not responsible for the Holocene trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid regions, because of spatial variability, using single climate records is difficult to reconstruct the past climate change for the drainage basins. Holocene environmental records were collected from the upper, middle and lower regions of the Shiyang River drainage basin in the marginal area of the Asian monsoon (northwest China). The main objective of this paper was to compare the records from the terminal lake and the middle and upper reaches of the basin to study the basin-wide environmental changes. During the early Holocene the vegetation was sparse, and the effective moisture was relatively low in the basin. The Holocene Climatic Optimum started between 7.0 and 8.0 cal ka BP, during which the lake level reached the highest level in the terminal lake; the vegetation density and the effective moisture reached the highest level during the Holocene in the drainage basin. From 4.7 cal ka BP the terminal lake began to shrink, while the vegetation density decreased dramatically. In the middle and upper regions of the drainage, the effective moisture began to decrease since 3.5 cal ka BP, and the arid tendency was earlier in the terminal lake than it was in the middle and upper regions of the drainage basin. During the early Holocene the relatively arid environment was affected by the gradually intensifying East Asian monsoon and the dry westerly winds. The mid-Holocene Optimum benefited from the intensive East Asian monsoon and the humid westerly winds. Then, the East Asian monsoon retreated since the late-Holocene. In the basin the arid tendency may be related to the retracting of the East Asian monsoon. However, the intensifying acidification after 1.5 cal ka BP may be correlated to the increasing dryness of the westerly winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary sequence and landscape of the Hobq desert was observed through twelve profiles along five N-S sections extending through the entire desert. Aeolian sands were found to overlie the alluvial, diluvial, and lacustrine sediments in this desert. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results were obtained from post-IR OSL signals of quartz fractions of sand samples at the bottom of sand dunes and hills by using the Double-SAR protocol. The OSL ages reveal that the latest sand accumulation began around 19 ka in the northwestern part and 9 ka in the eastern part of the Hobq Desert. Around 7 ka, the sand accumulation was strengthened and extended southward and northward 2 ka to develop the present desert landscape. Our study suggests that the aeolian sand accumulation around 19, 9 and 7 ka resulted from the weakening of the Asian summer monsoon over this region. However, the rapid development of the present Hobq desert landscape since 2 ka was likely triggered by human activities in this desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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