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Alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau are being threatened by ongoing climate warming and intensified human activities. Ecological time-series obtained from sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) are essential for understanding past ecosystem and biodiversity dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau and their responses to climate change at a high taxonomic resolution. Hitherto only few but promising studies have been published on this topic. The potential and limitations of using sedaDNA on the Tibetan Plateau are not fully understood. Here, we (i) provide updated knowledge of and a brief introduction to the suitable archives, region-specific taphonomy, state-of-the-art methodologies, and research questions of sedaDNA on the Tibetan Plateau; (ii) review published and ongoing sedaDNA studies from the Tibetan Plateau; and (iii) give some recommendations for future sedaDNA study designs. Based on the current knowledge of taphonomy, we infer that deep glacial lakes with freshwater and high clay sediment input, such as those from the southern and southeastern Tibetan Plateau, may have a high potential for sedaDNA studies. Metabarcoding (for microorganisms and plants), metagenomics (for ecosystems), and hybridization capture (for prehistoric humans) are three primary sedaDNA approaches which have been successfully applied on the Tibetan Plateau, but their power is still limited by several technical issues, such as PCR bias and incompleteness of taxonomic reference databases. Setting up high-quality and open-access regional taxonomic reference databases for the Tibetan Plateau should be given priority in the future. To conclude, the archival, taphonomic, and methodological conditions of the Tibetan Plateau are favorable for performing sedaDNA studies. More research should be encouraged to address questions about long-term ecological dynamics at ecosystem scale and to bring the paleoecology of the Tibetan Plateau into a new era.

The presence of arboreal pollen grains in pollen assemblages collected from alpine meadow and steppe sites in the central Tibetan Plateau affects the reliability of pollen-based investigations of past vegetation and climate conditions, but their origin remains uncertain. In this study, we present a 39-sample modern pollen dataset from the Yadong area on the southern slope of the Himalayas and investigate the relationships between pollen assemblages and the vertical variations in vegetation and climate and the upward transport of arboreal pollen. Our results reveal that surface soil pollen assemblages were influenced heavily by local vegetation components; however, their variations along the elevation gradient generally reflect vertical variations in vegetation and climate. For instance, arboreal pollen abundances were high at low-elevation sites, whereas herbaceous pollen abundances were high at cold and dry sites. Arboreal pollen grains (dominantly Pinus, Betula and Picea) can be transported by wind to unforested areas, and the southern slope of the Himalayas is likely a source of the arboreal pollen grains in alpine meadows and alpine steppes in the central Tibetan Plateau. Thus the arboreal pollen grains should be treated with caution in the reconstructions of past vegetation and climate in the central Tibetan Plateau.

Metallo‐β‐lactamases (MBLs) are some of the best known β‐lactamases produced by common Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative pathogens and are crucial factors in the rise of bacterial resistance against β‐lactam antibiotics. Although many types of β‐lactamase inhibitors have been successfully developed and used in clinical settings, no MBL inhibitors have been identified to date. Nitrocefin, checkerboard and time‐kill assays were used to examine the enzyme behaviour in vitro. Molecular docking calculation, molecular dynamics simulation, calculation of the binding free energy and ligand‐residue interaction decomposition were used for mechanistic research. The behaviour of the enzymes in vivo was investigated by a mouse infection experiment. We showed that theaflavin‐3,3´‐digallate (TFDG), a natural compound lacking antibacterial activities, can inhibit the hydrolysis of MBLs. In the checkerboard and time‐kill assays, we observed a synergistic effect of TFDG with β‐lactam antibiotics against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus BAA1717. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to identify the mechanism of the inhibition of MBLs by TFDG, and we observed that the hydrolysis activity of the MBLs was restricted by the binding of TFDG to Gln242 and Ser369. Furthermore, the combination of TFDG with β‐lactam antibiotics showed effective protection in a mouse Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia model. These findings suggest that TFDG can effectively inhibit the hydrolysis activity of MBLs and enhance the antibacterial activity of β‐lactam antibiotics against pathogens in vitro and in vivo.

For Z-scheme photocatalytic systems, the presence of electron mediators and the establishment of multiple channels for carriers transfer are critical. Herein, a series of novel indirect double Z-scheme BiOBr-GO-polyaniline systems were rationally designed and successfully synthesized. Their physical and photochemical properties were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis absorption spectra (UV–Vis DRS), transient photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results evidenced that the presence of GO and polyaniline obviously expanded the spectral response range and improved quantum yield. As expected, BiOBr-GO-polyaniline presented excellent photocatalytic activity and outstanding photostability in degradation of the colorless organic compound (phenol). Its highest degradation conversion of phenol was up to 89%, much higher than that of polyaniline (5%), BiOBr (34%), BiOBr-GO (43%) and BiOBr-polyaniline (55%). It is still active in the subsequent runs of photocatalytic degradation experiments of phenol, preserving 90% of the initial degradation conversion even after the fifth run. Moreover, based on experimental data analysis, sample characterization and band theory, the charge carriers migration process over BiOBr-GO-polyaniline system was proposed. In this system, the establishment of double Z-scheme ensured that high carrier separation and strong redox ability were simultaneously achieved.

High-resolution climate archives of the Late Holocene are essential in the study of paleoclimatic dynamics and for understanding the importance of natural and anthropogenic influences on past and future climate changes. Here, we present well-dated X-ray fluorescence scanning records retrieved from a varved sediment core from Lake Kusai. These records show the decadal- to centennial-scale paleoclimatic variability of the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over the last 2000 yr. Ca is mainly related to the precipitation of authigenic carbonates and is a proxy for temperature changes. The Ca record of Lake Kusai is well-correlated with the variations and periodicities of solar activity. Therefore, solar output can be suggested as being the predominant forcing mechanism of decadal- to centennial-scale temperature fluctuations over the last 2000 yr. The evolution of effective moisture was inferred from the log-ratios of Rb/Sr, which demonstrated synchronous changes with the typical Indian summer monsoon record from Dongge Cave. These results indicate that the decadal- to centennial-scale effective moisture evolution of the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is mainly influenced by the Indian summer monsoon. Additionally, we have not found the evident periodicities of solar activity in our effective moisture record over the last 2000 yr.

The recent emergence of the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 poses a substantial clinical threat to the severe infections caused by CRE (Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae), as the treatment failure of the mcr-1-positive CRE “Superbug” most likely occurs by using the combination of carbapenem and polymixins. Therefore, our study aims to seek a potent MCR-1 inhibitor to fight this infection. A checkerboard MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) assay, time-killing assay, MPNP (Modified rapid polymyxin Nordmann/Poirel) test, combined disk test and molecular modelling analysis were performed on different mcr-1-positive strains to confirm the synergistic effects of the combination of colistin and osthole (OST). And a thigh mouse infection model was also used to evaluate such synergies. We identified that OST regained the bactericidal activity of polymyxins (FIC (Fractional Inhibitory Concentration) index = 0.11±0.04 − 0.29±0.10) against mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The in-vitro time-killing assays showed that either OST or polymyxins failed to eradicate mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae, but the combination eliminated mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae by 3–7-h post-inoculation. The mouse infection model demonstrated that the combination therapy significantly reduced the bacterial load in the thighs following subcutaneous administration. Our results established that OST is a promising natural compound that could be used to extend the life of polymyxins and to tackle the inevitability of serious infections caused by polymyxin-resistant bacteria.

The climate conditions during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 were similar to present-day conditions, but whether humidity then exceeded present levels is debated, and the driving mechanisms of palaeoclimate evolution since MIS 3 remain unclear. Here, we use pollen data from Wulagai Lake, Inner Mongolia, to reconstruct vegetation and climate changes since the middle MIS 3. The steppe biome is reconstructed as the first dominant biome and the desert biome as the second, and the results show that the vegetation was steppe over the last 43,800 years. Poaceae, Artemisia, Caryophyllaceae and Humulus were abundant from middle to late MIS 3, indicating humid climate conditions. As drought-tolerant species such as Hippophae, Nitraria and Chenopodiaceae spread during MIS 2, the climate became arid. The Holocene is characterized by the dominance of steppe with mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests in the Greater Hinggan Range, and the desert biome retains high affinity scores, indicating that the climate was semi-arid. The climate from middle to late MIS 3 was wetter than in the Holocene; this shift was related to changes in the Northern Hemisphere's solar insolation and ice volume. The humid conditions during MIS 3 were attributed to strong ice–albedo feedback, which led to evaporation that was less than the precipitation. The enhanced evaporation caused by increased solar insolation and decreased ice volume might have exceeded the precipitation during the Holocene and resulted in low effective humidity in the Wulagai Lake basin.

Climate variability has been impacting the terrestrial ecosystems. However, some important processes relating to the response of vegetation to climate change in alpine regions, such as treeline composition and associated plant diversity change, have not been well understood in terms of multi-centennial scales. Here, we present a well-dated high-resolution palynological record from Basomtso, southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), to discuss the vegetation change and the relevant climate forcing. Our results manifest that the treeline position, composition and plant diversity around Basomtso did change greatly during the past millennium. The cold events (ca. 720-650 cal yr BP and ca. 400-50 cal yr BP) were considered crucial to force these changes. Cold temperature limited the growth of trees in the high elevations and thus led to downslope movement of treeline and conspicuous decrease of dominant tree species. Space and resource released from the upper forest triggered shrub and herb taxa expanded to lower elevations and even new species can dispersed to this area and survived, leading to changes in vegetation composition and diversity. Although the climate warming is pronounced since the 20th century, treeline distribution, vegetation composition and species diversity seem have not been recovered from the previous cold period. And the vegetation succession in the mountains of the southeastern TP will probably develop slowly in the coming decades. Our results highlight the need for long-term climate and vegetation monitoring and analysis in order to better understand the regional dynamics of treeline movement and plant diversity change during climate transition period.

Understanding the relationship between historical vegetation and bacteria is critical for disentangling spatiotemporal variations in microbial communities. However, the utility of historical vegetation as indicated by the reconstruction proxies like n-alkanes to explain microbial succession has been understudied, especially regarding aquatic microbes living under contrasting climates. Here, we studied bacterial and n-alkane succession in sediment cores from Kusai Lake and Lugu Lake under contrasting climates, that is, the drier and colder climates and the warmer and wetter conditions, respectively, and further explored how bacterial communities are affected by historical vegetation. In both lakes, the Shannon diversity of bacteria and n-alkanes consistently and significantly (P

With the development of the carbonate clumped isotope () geothermometer, many –temperature calibrations based on biogenic and abiogenic carbonates have been generated in recent years. However, there is still not a robust empirical calibration relationship derived from lacustrine authigenic carbonates that can be used to calculate lake water temperatures from values. In this study, we present a new calibration dataset that is comprised of measurements of the clumped isotope composition of 33 lacustrine authigenic carbonates collected from terminal lakes primarily in Western China that cover a substantial altitudinal gradient, and 5 samples from other regions. These data allow us to directly derive a temperature calibration for lacustrine authigenic carbonates. Our results show a robust correlation between modern lacustrine authigenic carbonate clumped isotope composition (Δ47carb) values and independently measured mean summer water surface temperatures (Twater) (ranging from 9.8 to 26.0 °C), which confirms the utility of mass-47 clumped isotope measurements of lacustrine authigenic carbonates as a lake water temperature indicator and allows for the derivation of the following calibration equation: Δ47carb (‰) = 0.0521 ± 0.0071 × 106/ (K) + 0.0904 ± 0.0870 (R2 = 0.6224, P < 0.0001, n = 33). We observe that Δ47carb is significantly correlated to lake elevation at 35°N from 270 to 5,156 m a.s.l. The change in –derived water temperature differences through elevation gradients (i.e. lapse rate) is around 3.2 °C/km. We do not observe a significant correlation between Δ47carb and carbonate oxygen isotopic composition or independently measured lake surface water oxygen isotopic composition. Additionally, in our dataset, we find that water chemistry, carbonate precipitation rate, carbonate content and mineral-specific differences do not significantly affect Δ47carb values. Hence, the mass-47 clumped isotope signal of lacustrine authigenic carbonate can be used in paleotemperature and paleoaltimetry studies if post-depositional diagenesis did not modify the isotopic composition.

Lake sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) is an established tool to trace past changes in vegetation composition and plant diversity. However, little is known about the relationships between sedimentary plant DNA and modern vegetational and environmental conditions. In this study, we investigate i) the relationships between the preservation of sedimentary plant DNA and environmental variables, ii) the modern analogue of ancient plant DNA assemblages archived in lake sediments, and iii) the usability of sedimentary plant DNA for characterization of terrestrial and aquatic plant composition and diversity based on a large dataset of PCR-amplified plant DNA data retrieved from 259 lake surface sediments from the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia. Our results indicate the following: i) Lake-water electrical conductivity and pH are the most important variables for the preservation of plant DNA in lake sediments. We expect the best preservation conditions for sedimentary plant DNA in small deep lakes characterized by high water conductivities (≥100 μS cm-1) and neutral to slightly alkaline pH conditions (7–9). ii) Plant DNA metabarcoding is promising for palaeovegetation reconstruction in high mountain regions, where shifts in vegetation are solely captured by the sedDNA-based analogue matching and fossil pollen generally has poor modern analogues. However, the biases in the representation of some taxa could lead to poor analogue conditions. iii) Plant DNA metabarcoding is a reliable proxy to reflect modern vegetation types and climate characteristics at a sub-continental scale. However, the resolution of the trnL P6 loop marker, the incompleteness of the reference library, and the extent of sedDNA preservation are still the main limitations of this method. iv) Plant DNA metabarcoding is a suitable proxy to recover modern aquatic plant diversity, which is mostly affected by July temperature and lake-water conductivity. Ongoing warming might decrease macrophyte richness in the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia, and ultimately threaten the health of these important freshwater ecosystems. To conclude, sedimentary plant DNA presents a high correlation with modern vegetation and may therefore be an important proxy for reconstruction of past vegetation.

In the carbonate-water system, at equilibrium, the oxygen isotopic composition of carbonate is dependent not only on the temperature but also on the isotopic composition of host water in which the carbonate is formed. In this study, lake surface sediment and water samples were collected from 33 terminal lakes in Western China to evaluate controls on the oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine authigenic carbonates (δ18Ocarb) and its spatial distribution. Our results show that water oxygen isotopic composition (δ18Owater) rather than lake summer water temperature (Twater), is the main determinant of δ18Ocarb, irrespective of whether oxygen isotope equilibrium is achieved. There are significant linear correlations between δ18Ocarb and elevation, as well as that between δ18Ocarb and latitude for lakes located on the Tibetan Plateau. In Western China, the spatial distribution of δ18Ocarb is consistent with that of δ18Owater, and is ultimately controlled by the isotopic composition of local precipitation (δ18Oprecipitation) that depends on the source of water vapor. Therefore, changes in δ18Ocarb can be predominantly interpreted as variations of δ18Owater, which in turn represent changes in δ18Oprecipitation for paleoclimate reconstructions in this region, and may be relevant to studies of other areas.

In order to solve the problem of the long update cycle of geographical names and addresses, this paper puts forward a dynamic update technique of mobile & PC integration. The combination of related services of NewMap software and mobile APP can effectively improve the speed and accuracy of updating geographical names and addresses. Taking the mobile & PC integration model as a starting point and comprehensively using GIS-related technologies, mobile positioning technologies, offline map technologies, etc., the dynamic update of geographical names and addresses has been successfully implemented and has been successfully applied to the dynamic update of geographical names.

We report 1900-year long records of alknone concentration, C38/C37 ratio, and U 37 k , U 37 k ' and a newly-developed alkenone unsaturation index U 37 k ' ' -based temperatures in a sediment core retrieved from Kusai Lake in the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The predominance of C37 and C38 alkenones with minor presence of C39 and C40 alkenones, and the absence of C38 methyl alkenones are indicative of alkneones produced by Isochrysis, which is consistent with the results of sedimentary haptophyte DNA analyses. The interval from 400 to 1200 AD is characterized by higher alkenone concentrations and C38/C37 ratios than the other intervals, which can be attributed to the predominant production of Isochrysis during the entire phytoplankton blooms. With the assistance of information on gene abundance, we attributed this phenomenon to drastic ecological changes in Kusai Lake around 1200 AD in response to climatic changes from warm and wet to cold and dry conditions, and resultant decreased riverine inflow but increased nutrient concentration. The U 37 k ' ' -based temperatures with U 37 k ' ' substituting U 37 k ' in a equation concluded based on studies on lakes from high latitude areas in Germany are the most reliable reconstructed summer surface water temperatures for Kusai Lake since they are close to the current summer monthly mean temperature of Wudaoliang Meteorological Station, approximately 50 km to the south of Kusai Lake, and exhibit variations that are generally in accordance with those of the 51-year moving average summer temperatures reconstructed from thicknesses of varve light layers in Kusai Lake sediments. Besides, variations showed by this U 37 k ' ' -based summer surface water temperatures are also generally consistent with those showed by reconstructed temperatures in China.

Mimicking the natural photosynthesis, artificial Z-scheme photocatalysis enables more efficient utilization of solar energy for degradation of organic pollutants. Herein, an indirect Z-scheme photocatalyst of Ag nanoparticles and polymer polypyrrole (PPy) co-modified BiOBr was rationally designed and successfully synthesized via a combination of hydrothermal technique, in-situ photo-reduction and oxidative polymerization method. Dramatically, BiOBr-Ag-PPy system showed superior photocatalytic performance and excellent stability in degradation of both the typical triphenylmethane dye (malachite green) and colorless organic compound (phenol). Especially for BAP-0.4, its degradation conversion of malachite green was 6.4, 2.4 and 1.6 times of those of pure BiOBr, BiOBr-Ag and BiOBr-PPy, respectively, and can still maintain more than 91% even after fifth cycle experiment. The trapping experiments of reactive species and electron spin resonance (ESR) tests confirmed that the O2− and h+ were main active species in photocatalytic degradation. Through experimental investigations and theoretical analyses, the possible charge carriers transfer process over BiOBr-Ag-PPy ternary Z-scheme photocatalyst was proposed. In the indirect all-solid-state Z-scheme BiOBr-Ag-PPy heterojunction structure, by quenching the photo-generated electrons and holes with weaker redox ability in metal Ag nanoparticles, the electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of PPy and holes in the valence band (VB) of BiOBr can survive and then have the opportunity to participate in the surface reaction, thus showing an increased photocatalytic activity.

The variability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) has far-reaching effects on the global climate system and the environment, and full understanding of the variability and dynamics of the EASM contributes to predictions of its future behavior. Here, we present a well-dated mineralogical and total organic carbon record from a saline inland lake in northern China which provides a robust archive of the EASM evolution since 16.0 cal. ka BP. Our record reveals a series of rapid and frequent millennial-scale climatic fluctuations during the last deglaciation; these fluctuations are documented by changes in the abundances of mirabilite, bloedite, and gypsum, which appear to record the Oldest Dryas, the Bølling-Allerød warm period, and the Younger Dryas. The peak EASM moisture occurred in the early and middle Holocene, which was punctuated by a prominent and abrupt weak monsoon interval that occurred synchronously with the 8.2 cal. ka BP cold event. This moisture maximum was terminated at 6.9–5.9 cal. ka BP by a warm-dry event marked by the deposition of gaylussite. Subsequently, the EASM gradually weakened over the late Holocene. The EASM moisture patterns reconstructed from Anguli-nuur Lake display good consistency with records from northern China, as revealed by a regional comparison; moreover, the recorded changes are synchronous with those of the Indian summer monsoon moisture patterns, as revealed by a comparison with the stalagmite records of southern China. Our reconstruction shows that the EASM has responded broadly to Northern Hemisphere summer insolation forcing on orbital time scales since the last deglaciation; thus, insolation is the primary factor that controls regional hydrological variations in the Asian monsoonal domain. The suborbital-scale events are related to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, and a slowdown of this circulation would lead to a southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone and a weakening of the EASM.

Understanding late Holocene climate variation on the northern Tibetan Plateau is essential for understanding regional climate dynamics, especially the potential response to mid-latitude westerlies. A continuous lacustrine sediment record covering the past 1500 years was recovered from Lake Ayakum on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, in which a typical cold-phase mineral (mirabilite) was detected. Assisted by the simulation results in the Pitzer model, the preservation of mirabilite in the sediment core as well as its relative proportion was interpreted in terms of past temperature variations, in which a high mirabilite content corresponded to a relatively cold environment. Grain size analysis and subsequent end-member modeling results revealed potential correlations with regional moisture conditions, that more coarse materials were transported by increased river discharge under relatively wet conditions. The results showed that cold and humid conditions dominated the Dark Age Cold Period and Little Ice Age, while warm and dry conditions dominated the Medieval Warm Period. Following the increase in regional temperature, more coarse materials were deposited during the last 200 years owing to probable increased fluvial transport supplied by glacier meltwater. The overall temperature and moisture variations were broadly consistent with records from western China and central Asia, indicating that the northern Tibetan Plateau was predominately influenced by the mid-latitude westerlies during the late Holocene. In addition, the temperature change showed a close correlation with solar irradiance, pointing to a potential response to solar activity. On the other hand, the moisture change responded sensitively to the North Atlantic Oscillation and the migration of mid-latitude westerlies.

Little information about millennial-scale change is known in large extremely arid area of northwest China, which is less influenced by the Asian monsoon than regions to the southeast. Visible spectroscopy of a 35 m long core taken from the Qarhan Salt Lake is used to reconstruct humidity changes of Qaidam Basin between 40 and 10 cal ka BP. High redness values (low brightness values) reflect moist climates, whereas low redness values (high brightness values) indicate dry climates. On millennial-scale, Qaidam Basin was relatively wet during the Younger Dryas and Heinrich H1-H4 events. Dry periods appear to have occurred at nearly the same time as warm periods in the North Atlantic region. These millennial-scale climate oscillations in Qaidam Basin are different from those in Asian monsoon regions that show a relatively dry climate during the occurrence of the Younger Dryas and Heinrich H1-H4 events. Our data indicate that the cooling of the North Atlantic caused a downstream cooling of the atmosphere by westerly jet and influenced the climate in Qaidam Basin.

Due to the development of renewable energy generations, the reasonable grid-connected control strategy for wind turbines is of great significant. Doubly-fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is one of the variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) motors, which is regarded as the object in this paper. To decouple the control of active and reactive power, the strategies for both grid-side and rotor-side converter are designed. The simulation model of DFIG is built with MATLAB/Simulink software, and the grid-connection simulation experiment is carried out.

The Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) is one of the most important climate systems, whose variability and driving mechanisms are of broad interest for academic and societal communities. Here, we present a well-dated high-resolution pollen analysis from a 4.82-m long sediment core taken from Basomtso, in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), which depicts the regional climate changes of the past millennium. Our results show that subalpine coniferous forest was dominant around Basomtso from ca. 867 to ca. 750 cal. yr BP, indicating a warm and semi-humid climate. The timberline in the study area significantly decreased from ca. 750 to ca. 100 cal. yr BP, and a cold climate, corresponding to the Little Ice Age (LIA) prevailed. Since ca. 100 cal. yr BP, the vegetation type changed to forest-meadow with rising temperatures and moisture. Ordination analysis reveals that the migration of vegetation was dominated by regional temperatures and then by moisture. Further comparisons between the Basomtso pollen record and the regional temperature reconstructions underscore the relevance of the Basomtso record from the southeastern TP for regional and global climatologies. Our pollen based moisture reconstruction demonstrates the strong multicentennial-scale link to ISM variability, providing solid evidence for the increase of monsoonal strengths over the past four centuries. Spectral analysis indicates the potential influence of solar forcing. However, a closer relationship has been observed between multicentennial ISM variations and Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTs), suggesting that the variations in monsoonal precipitation over the southeastern TP are probably driven by the Indian Ocean Dipole on the multicentennial scale.

The concept of a Global Monsoon (GM) has been proposed based on modern precipitation observations, but its application over a wide range of temporal scales is still under debate. Here, we present a synthesis of 268 continental paleo-moisture records collected from monsoonal systems in the Eastern Hemisphere, including the East Asian Monsoon (EAsM), the Indian Monsoon (IM), the East African Monsoon (EAfM), and the Australian Monsoon (AuM) covering the last 18,000 years. The overall pattern of late Glacial to Holocene moisture change is consistent with those inferred from ice cores and marine records. With respect to the last 10,000 years (10 ka), i.e. a period that has high spatial coverage, a Fuzzy c -Means clustering analysis of the moisture index records together with “Xie-Beni” index reveals four clusters of our data set. The paleoclimatic meaning of each cluster is interpreted considering the temporal evolution and spatial distribution patterns. The major trend in the tropical AuM, EAfM, and IM regions is a gradual decrease in moisture conditions since the early Holocene. Moisture changes in the EAsM regions show maximum index values between 8 and 6 ka. However, records located in nearby subtropical areas, i.e. in regions not influenced by the intertropical convergence zone, show an opposite trend compared to the tropical monsoon regions (AuM, EAfM and IM), i.e. a gradual increase. Analyses of modern meteorological data reveal the same spatial patterns as in the paleoclimate records such that, in times of overall monsoon strengthening, lower precipitation rates are observed in the nearby subtropical areas. We explain this pattern as the effect of a strong monsoon circulation suppressing air uplift in nearby subtropical areas, and hence hindering precipitation. By analogy to the modern system, this would mean that during the early Holocene strong monsoon period, the intensified ascending airflows within the monsoon domains led to relatively weaker ascending or even descending airflows in the adjacent subtropical regions, resulting in a precipitation deficit compared to the late Holocene. Our conceptual model therefore integrates regionally contrasting moisture changes into the Global Monsoon hypothesis.

This paper uses China's historical records to gather information on maritime disasters caused by tropical cyclones. Official records show that there were a total of thirteen major maritime disasters possibly caused by tropical cyclones. Maritime disaster variation trends indicate that tropical cyclones tend to strike the southern coast of China during a La Nina-like stage whereas an El Nino-like stage leads to tropical cyclones being guided northward toward the Korean Peninsula and Japan. During China's Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271–1368) Kublai Khan tried to invade Japan twice during an El Nino-like stage and encountered intense tropical cyclones, which the Japanese called Kamikaze . During a La Nina-like stage, multiple maritime disasters occurred in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1636–1912). Indeed, the historical record of the Qing Dynasty details maritime disasters at least 9 times. These events were also caused by tropical cyclones. In addition, statistics on the seasons of tropical cyclone genesis and their landfall locations from AD 1945–2013 in the Northwest Pacific Ocean region reveal that in summer, tropical cyclones tend to make landfall along coastal regions north of Fujian Province, eastern China; however, in autumn and winter, cyclones tend to be guided further southward to make landfall in southern China (Hainan), Vietnam, and the Philippines. This phenomenon in seasonal variation is reflected in the maritime disaster events recorded for coastal regions of southeastern China and landfall locations of tropical cyclones during the Qing Dynasty.

The hydrological conditions of a lake system strongly influence the reservoir effect in the radiocarbon dating of endogenic organic and inorganic carbon in lake sediments. In this paper, we compare 14C dating with varve counting results for cores from Kusai Lake to determine the temporal changes in 14C reservoir ages during the last 2000 years. Based on the 14C budget equation for a lake system, the characteristics of geomorphology, topography, and river systems in the catchment, and the physical and chemical properties of modern water in Kusai Lake, the hydrological conditions and the reservoir effect age are discussed. The reservoir age of the sediment core from northwestern Kusai Lake (i.e., deep water area) fluctuates slightly between 2980 and 3310 years, while that from southeastern Kusai Lake (i.e., shallow water area) fluctuates greatly between 3130 and 4010 years. Under the relatively steady conditions of atmospheric 14C levels for the past 2000 years, the 14C level in the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of Kusai Lake is mainly related to carbon influxes from river and glacial meltwater and carbon outfluxes in lake water. The water in the shallow water area is more affected by the Kusai River, glacier meltwater, and lake outflow than the water in the deep water area, which has caused larger temporal changes in the radiocarbon reservoir ages in the shallow water area than in the deep water area during the last 2000 years.

Lake sediments preserve different components transported by wind, runoff, and glaciers; therefore, it is important to distinguish the aeolian components in lake sediments. In this study, we used the sediment grain-size characteristics, the end-member modelling algorithm (EMMA), and the thickness of coarse-grained layers in varves to identify aeolian sediments in the KS-2010 core from Kusai Lake. The results indicate that the sand component in the lake sediments can be considered to be related to aeolian processes. Then, we used the sand contents of the surface sediments from 67 lakes to infer the distribution of aeolian activity in China, and the results correlate well with the spatial distribution of the annual maximum wind speed, mean annual blowing sand weather, and mean annual sandstorm. Therefore, the sand component in lake sediments is transported by aeolian processes and can be used as an indicator of wind activity.

A 35-cm long sediment core - retrieved from Erhai Lake - was analyzed for Pb isotope ratios ( 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb) and trace metal concentrations (Cr, Cu, Ni, Hg, Pb and Zn) to gain an understanding of atmospheric trace metal pollution over the last 150 years in Southwest China. Core chronology was established by using the 210 Pb and 137 Cs dating techniques. Principal component analysis (PCA) and enrichment factors (EFs) were used to differentiate between the anthropogenic and detrital origins of the metals. The results indicate that the elements Hg, Pb and Zn in the sediment of Erhai Lake were affected by anthropogenic contamination. During the 1860s-1890 CE, decreasing EFs of Hg, Pb and Zn and Pb isotope ratios suggest improving atmospheric quality, which may relate to the shrinking metallurgy activities during the late Qing Dynasty in Southwest China. Pollution levels of the metals remained stable during 1890–1960 CE, whereas they increased after 1960 CE, especially since the 1980 CE, suggesting degradation of the regional atmospheric environment with the economic development after the reform and opening in the late 1970s. Pb isotopes and the PCA reveal that the atmospheric Pb is mainly from regional ore mining and smelting, which is also the dominant source of atmospheric Hg and Zn pollution in Southwest China. Our study also shows that the use of a pre-industrial background may underestimate the trace metal pollution in Erhai Lake due to the influence of early smelting activities.

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 on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) is assumed to impact lake ecosystems. However, parallel changes in climate and non-climate factors and mediation of signals by catchment processes complicate the assessment of climate-change effects on lake ecosystems requiring long-term and high resolution multi-variable time-series. Here we present a diatom record from sediments in the lake Basomtso, southeastern TP, covering the period 1083–2012 CE with sub-decadal resolution which we relate to available proxies for potential climate and non-climate factors. The record is dominated by planktonic species and the compositional change is mainly characterized by alternations between big- and small-celled Pantocsekiella ocellata and between planktonic and benthic diatom species. The diatom assemblages show a decrease of P. ocellata (big form) since the end of 17th century and an increase of P. ocellata (small form) as well as an increase in diatom productivity, reflecting changes on a centennial timescale which mainly follow temperature increase. We recorded several changes in the ratio of planktonic to benthic species abundance (P: B) on a sub-decadal or decadal timescale. Noticeable decreases in P: B were a result of rapid sedimentary events caused by high energy flows. Cross-correlation analyses reveal synchronous responses of diatoms and asynchronous responses of terrestrial vegetation to regional temperature change, indicating a higher potential of lake diatoms to detect the timing and magnitude of climate shifts on the southeastern TP. The results imply that aquatic ecosystems in Basomtso, as well as in other mountain lakes on the southeastern TP, are probably subject to a larger risk of regime shift than terrestrial ecosystems under future climate scenarios.

The northwestern Pacific Ocean and south China sea are where tropical cyclones occur most frequently. Many climatologists also study the formation of Pacific Ocean warm pools and typhoons in this region. This study collected data of paleotyphoons found in China’s official historical records over the past two thousand years with known typhoon activity reports. The collected data is then subjected to statistical analyses focusing on typhoon activity in coastal regions of southeastern China to garner a better understanding of the long-term evolution of moving paths and occurrence frequency, especially those typhoons making landfall in mainland China. We analyses the data with the year and month of each typhoon event, as well as the number of events in a ten-year period. The result shows that (1) north/southward migration of typhoon paths correspond to the north/southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA), (2) paleotyphoons made landfall in mainland China one month earlier during MWP than those during LIA. This implies a northward shift in ITCZ during MWP. Typhoons tend to make landfall in Japan during El Nino-like periods and strike the southern coastal regions of China during La Nina-like stages. According to paleotyphoon records over the last two thousand years, typhoons made landfall in southeastern China frequently around 490–510 A.D., 700–850 A.D., and after 1500 A.D. The number of typhoons striking Guangdong Province peaked during the coldest period in 1660–1680 A.D.; however, after 1700 A.D., landfall has migrated farther north.

Lake sediment is an important carbon reservoir. However, little is known on the dynamics and sources of sediment organic carbon in Bosten Lake. We collected 13 surface (0–2 cm) sediment samples in Bosten Lake and analyzed total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), stable carbon isotopic composition in TOC (δ13Corg), and grain size. We found a large spatial variability in TOC content (1.8–4.4 %) and δ 13Corg value (−26.77 to −23.98 ‰). Using a three-end-member mixing model with measured TOC : TN ratio and δ13Corg, we estimated that 54–90 % of TOC was from autochthonous sources. Higher TOC content (> 3.7 %) was found in the east and central-north sections and near the mouth of the Kaidu River, which was attributable to allochthonous, autochthonous plus allochthonous, and autochthonous sources, respectively. The lowest TOC content was found in the mid-west section, which might be a result of high kinetic energy levels. Our study indicated that the spatial distribution of sediment TOC in the Bosten Lake was influenced by multiple and complex processes.