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The aeolian deposits in the coastal region of North China are important for reconstructing paleoclimate. In this paper, chronology, climatic proxies and chemical compositions of four loess sections were studied. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results indicate that the coastal loess was accumulated during late Quaternary, with ages ranging from the penultimate glacial period to the latest Holocene. Both granulometric characteristics and geochemical properties indicate that the dust provenance of the coastal loess is partially different from that of the Chinese Loess Plateau, characterized by more proximal contributions. Except distal dust transported by northwesterly winter winds from the inland gobi and sand deserts, the coastal loess also contains proximal, local coarse particles, which were derived from the exposed shelf as well as neighboring hills. Multiple climatic proxies, including color, magnetic susceptibility and particle size parameters, correlate well with the marine SPECMAP δ18O record, indicating that climatic changes in the coastal region of North China during the late Quaternary was mainly controlled by variations of the East Asian monsoon, driven by changes in global ice volumes. • Luminescence dating of coastal loess in eastern North China. • Coastal loess contain both distal and proximal source materials. • Exposed shelf during glacial time serving as an important source for coastal loess. • Costal loess reflects orbital climatic fluctuations driven by East Asian monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding coastal flooding processes in response to centennial-scale sea-level rise is essential in preparing for the challenge of present-day global warming. Mid-Holocene sea-level rise induced widespread coastal flooding along the East China coast and precipitated the collapse of the Neolithic Liangzhu Culture, the earliest known prehistoric state in East Asia. This paper presents multi-proxy analyses of sedimentology, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), and alkaline-earth metals extracted by acetic acid (HAc) of a dated sediment core, ZK07, collected from Liangzhu City, with the aim of revealing the detailed progression of coastal flooding phases and the response of prehistoric people at the end of the associated Liangzhu Culture. A three-step succession of coastal flooding processes between ca. 4.6–4.3 cal kyr BP, brought about by relative sea-level rise, is evident in core ZK07. Initially, an increase in the local water level in response to the first phase of sea-level rise is indicated by a gradual increase in TOC at ca. 4630 cal yr BP. Subsequently, at ca. 4520 cal yr BP, a second phase of increased local water-level, consistent with further sea-level rise and salinity intrusion, is suggested by higher Sr concentrations accompanied by a sharp increase in TOC. Thirdly, at ca. 4480–4315 cal yr BP, low TOC content, high - but strongly fluctuating - Sr and Ba concentrations and coarser sediment grain size are all indicative of coastal inundation caused by both storm surges and river flooding associated with typhoon events that correspond with a concurrent phase of accelerated sea-level rise. Considering the evidence of cultural deposits preserved at Liangzhu City, it appears that the Liangzhu people were forced to respond rapidly to the inundation by abandoning the city at ca. 4480 cal yr BP. We suggest that relative sea-level rise and coastal flooding at the terminal stage of the Liangzhu Culture was the regional response to global climate warming and eustatic sea-level rise at that time. Given evidence that a contemporaneous cultural transition took place in the lower Yellow River basin, we further propose that global climate change around 4.5 cal kyr BP had a widespread impact on Neolithic cultural evolution in East China. Furthermore, the rise in local water levels and associated salinity intrusions may be considered as an early warning signal in monitoring future coastal flooding risk. • A three-step succession of coastal flooding was recognized at the end of Liangzhu Culture. • Rise in local water level and salinity intrusion could be early warning of coastal flooding. • Global climate warming and eustatic sea-level rise at ca. 4.5 ka was the major mechanism. • Contrasting Neolithic cultural evolution occurred in the lower reaches of two large rivers in East China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the latest Cretaceous (late Campanian to Maastrichtian, ~75–66 Ma) to the earliest Paleogene, fluctuations in greenhouse climate, inferred primarily from marine sediments, have been linked to volcanism, the Chicxulub asteroid impact, and the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction. In this paper, we summarize terrestrial climate records in mid-latitude East Asia during the latest Cretaceous and across the K-Pg boundary, based on a multi-proxy approach from the geochronologically well-constrained Sifangtai and Mingshui formations (SMF), accessed by scientific drilling of the Songliao Basin in northeastern China. Evolution of sedimentary environments is characterized by five depositional units of fluvial-deltaic-lacustrine facies. Development of four types of paleosols, including Inceptisols, Aridisols, Vertisols and Alfisols, is interpreted to primarily reflect climatic changes. Correlations among sedimentary facies, paleosol features, illite chemistry index, chemical index of alteration, as well as stable and clumped isotopes of pedogenic carbonates and clay minerals of the SMF validate their reliability for paleoclimate reconstruction, and indicate significant fluctuations in terrestrial climate and sedimentary environment. During global warming intervals possibly triggered by volcanism (e.g. ~69.5–68.5 Ma), the Songliao Basin experienced a warmer and wetter climate with stronger terrestrial chemical weathering and more monsoon-derived moisture sourced from the Pacific. In contrast, during global cooling intervals (e.g. ~70.5–69.5 Ma and ~ 68.5–66.5 Ma), the SMF record a cooler and drier climate with less intensive chemical weathering and more westerlies-derived moisture. Across the K-Pg boundary, dramatic changes in land temperatures and hydroclimate correspond to the latest Maastrichtian warming episode (~66.4–66.1 Ma), the transient cooling preceding the K-Pg boundary (~66.1–66.0 Ma), and the earliest Paleogene warming interval (~66.0–65.7 Ma). Temporal correlation of weathering index changes with the Deccan Traps volcanism suggests that volcanism and subsequent intensified weathering played a major role for climatic changes across the K-Pg boundary. The integrated records of sedimentological and geochemical datasets from the Songliao Basin robustly demonstrate that the terrestrial climate of mid-latitude East Asia responded strongly to greenhouse climate changes and to the catastrophic geological events from the latest Cretaceous to the earliest Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rainfall-runoff relationship has changed under climate change and human activities in the TRH region. • The impacts climate indicators of rainfall-runoff ratio in the sub-basins of TRH region were different. • The contribution rates of human activity in the YRB were a little higher than that in the YARB. Identifying the impact of climate change and human activities on rainfall-runoff relationship in the Three-River Headwaters (TRH) region is essential for water source conservation, ecological security, and biodiversity maintenance of China and East Asia. In this paper, the runoff-rainfall ratio was used as the index of rainfall-runoff relationship. Different methods were employed to identify the impact indicators and quantitative assessment of rainfall-runoff relationship from 1957 to 2016. The results are the following: (1) the rainfall-runoff relationship has changed in the source regions of Yangtze River basin (YARB) and Yellow River (YRB), and runoff-rainfall ratio has increased by 2.9% and decreased by 3.2%, respectively; (2) the main climate indicators of runoff-rainfall ratio were rainfall, potential evaporation and sunshine hours in the YARB, and rainfall, potential evaporation and temperature in the YRB; (3) the contribution rates of human activity in the YRB were a little higher than that in the YARB, and the contribution rates of climate change and human activity were 90.9% and 9.1% in the YARB and 42.9% and 57.1% in the YRB. The results can provide invaluable information for managing water resources and taking ecological protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]