The East Asian Monsoon since the Last Glacial Maximum: Evidence from geological records in northern China

Yang, Shiling; Dong, Xinxin; Xiao, Jinchong

doi:10.1007/s11430-018-9254-8

Cited by 24 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…The subsequent abrupt aridification (reaching a very dry regime by ∼1675 BCE) initiated a broad-scale forest decline in northern China, finally resulting in the disappearance of spruce forests in the Qinghai Lake basin. The mid-to late Holocene aridification trend is also reflected by enhanced aeolian activity (39). Our DLH precipitation reconstruction supports assessments of the societal responses to rapid climatic change in China.…”

Section: Significancesupporting

confidence: 65%

Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years

Yang

Qin

Bräuning

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

111

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Asian summer monsoon (ASM) variability and its long-term ecological and societal impacts extending back to Neolithic times are poorly understood due to a lack of high-resolution climate proxy data. Here, we present a precisely dated and well-calibrated tree-ring stable isotope chronology from the Tibetan Plateau with 1- to 5-y resolution that reflects high- to low-frequency ASM variability from 4680 BCE to 2011 CE. Superimposed on a persistent drying trend since the mid-Holocene, a rapid decrease in moisture availability between ∼2000 and ∼1500 BCE caused a dry hydroclimatic regime from ∼1675 to ∼1185 BCE, with mean precipitation estimated at 42 ± 4% and 5 ± 2% lower than during the mid-Holocene and the instrumental period, respectively. This second-millennium–BCE megadrought marks the mid-to late Holocene transition, during which regional forests declined and enhanced aeolian activity affected northern Chinese ecosystems. We argue that this abrupt aridification starting ∼2000 BCE contributed to the shift of Neolithic cultures in northern China and likely triggered human migration and societal transformation.

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Section: Significancesupporting

confidence: 65%

Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years

Yang

Qin

Bräuning

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

111

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“…Pollen concentration in Qinghai Lake Basin gradually increased, and records succession from desert steppe to alpine meadow/sub-alpine shrub at the start of the EH (Shen et al, 2004). At this time, the winter monsoon weakened, but the summer monsoon continued to strengthen (Yang et al, 2019) and total precipitation significantly increased, driving the transition from a cold dry to a relatively warm and humid environment (Chen et al, 2006;Zhao et al, 2006;Chen et al, 2015a;Zhang, 2018). Both the Gonghe Basin and Qinghai Lake areas recorded weakening of aeolian sand activity, increasing vegetation coverage, and enhanced pedogenesis in the EH (Liu et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic changes in forest cover and human activities during the Holocene on the northeast Tibetan plateau

et al. 2023

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Human activities strongly influenced the present-day environment of the Tibetan Plateau, especially in the northeastern area. The questions over when and to what extent humans began to utilize the plateau environment have been long investigated, but there are still gaps in our understanding, such as the relationship between forest dynamics and anthropogenic activities. Here, we simulate the potential Holocene geographical distribution of the three dominant coniferous species in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau in response to climate/environment and analyze pollen records and multi-proxies for anthropogenic activities to explore human impact on natural forest dynamics. Simulation results show marked expansion of Picea and Pinus coniferous forests in the Early Holocene (11.5–8.3 ka BP), continuing into the Mid Holocene (8.3–4.0 ka BP). However, there was a slight contraction of forest in the Late Holocene (4.0–2.6 ka BP) in the western part of the region, and near disappearance in the eastern Qaidam Basin, although both Pinus and Picea slightly increased in Hehuang Valley. Pollen analysis confirms the patterns, with an increase in arboreal pollen mainly comprising Pinus and Picea from Early to Early Mid Holocene (11.5–5.3 ka BP), followed by a decrease. Proxies of anthropogenic activities, including carbon concentration, archeological sites, and, synanthropic plants, increased significantly after 5.3 ka BP, with archeological evidence for intensive exploitation of forest and turnover of natural vegetation. We argue that forest retreat at 5.3–4.0 ka BP was due to the expansion of cropland and increasing demand for wood. Significant coniferous forest retreat and degradation from 4.0 to 2.6 ka BP, with forest succession in Hehuang Valley, was driven by the booming population, extensive grazing, and forest exploitation; the drying cooling climate may have aggravated the pace of deforestation at higher elevations. This study presents new insights into the deforestation on the Northeast Tibetan Plateau in the Holocene.

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“…In addition, the meridional temperature gradient increases in the Northern Hemisphere (Böhm et al, 2015), leading to the enhancement of westerlies. The influence of this process on the climate of East Asia manifests as the increase in the winter monsoon and the decrease in the summer monsoon (Sun et al, 2011; Yang et al, 2019). Long-term transient simulations of climate evolution forced by North Atlantic meltwater also show that the EAWM and EASM are inversely correlated during the period of Heinrich 1, the Younger Dryas, and the ~8.2 ka cooling event (Wen et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-phase and out-of-phase behavior of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons recorded in the South Yellow Sea sediment over the past 9.5 ka

Wang

et al. 2020

Quat. res.

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The variability of the East Asian monsoon (EAM) during the Holocene exhibits significant regional response, and its evolution needs further discussion. A well-dated, high-resolution sea-surface temperature record based on long-chain unsaturated alkenones, grain-size data, and clay mineral assemblages from the South Yellow Sea sediment is presented to investigate the sedimentary provenance and reconstruct the EAM over the past 9.5 ka. The results show that the sediments are most likely supplied by the Huanghe. The evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) can be divided into three periods: strong and relatively stable conditions during 9.5–7.0 ka, weakened conditions during 7.0–1.5 ka, and strengthened conditions during 1.5–0 ka. The East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) has experienced five periods: weakened conditions during 9.5–6.7 ka, weak and relatively stable conditions during 6.7–5.6 ka, strong and relatively stable conditions during 5.6–2.6 ka, strengthened conditions during 2.6–1.5 ka, and weak and stable conditions during 1.5–0 ka. Moreover, in-phase correlation was found between the EAWM and EASM at the orbital time scale in response to orbital-driven solar insolation, but out-of-phase correlation at a centennial time scale is predominantly associated with solar activity.

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The East Asian Monsoon since the Last Glacial Maximum: Evidence from geological records in northern China

Cited by 24 publications

References 110 publications

Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years

Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years

Dynamic changes in forest cover and human activities during the Holocene on the northeast Tibetan plateau

In-phase and out-of-phase behavior of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons recorded in the South Yellow Sea sediment over the past 9.5 ka

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