Climatic significance of n-alkanes and their compound-specific dD values from lake surface sediments on the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau

The content and hydrogen isotope ratios of n-alkanes extracted from recent lake surface sediments sampled from nine lakes in three different climate zones on the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau were analyzed.Values were compared with n-alkanes in plants from lake drainages,and dD values of meteoric water,lake water,and mean annual precipitation.The results showed that n-C23was predominantly derived from aquatic plants,and n-C27–n-C33from terrestrial higher plants.The average carbon chain length of n-C27–n-C33(ACL27–33)was positively correlated with the mean annual precipitation.dD values of the long-chain n-alkanes n-C29and n-C31of terrestrial origin(varying between-214%and-169%,and-226%and-185%,respectively)were inversely correlated with mean annual precipitation;but in accordance with the average annual variations in dD(OIPC),dD values of n-C31were strongly related to the dD values of growing season meteoric water(R2=0.74).The large difference between dD values of n-C23of aquatic origin and n-C31(an average of about 27%)demonstrates the enrichment of the lake water dD compared to precipitation,caused by strong evaporation in the semiarid–arid areas of the southwestern Tibetan Plateau.Average value of en C25 31=p(-95%)is evidently higher than the value observed in European wet regions(-128%);besides,en C31(about-116%)is constant along the study transect(SD=9),which indicates that n-C31is a useful proxy for the environment.     

Environmental changes reflected by n-alkanes of lake core in Nam Co on the Tibetan Plateau since 8.4 kaB.P.

The n-alkanes are extracted from NMLC-1 core that was drilled in the Nam Co, central Tibet. They are measured by using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) for componential and quantitative analyses. According to the constructed depth-age model, the component and concentration of n-alkanes, together with total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and carbonate are used to elu- cidate palaeoenvironmental changes of Nam Co during the past 8.4 ka. The results indicate that Holo- cene environment performs three stages in the lake area. In the stage of 8.4―6.7 kaB.P., it was warmer while precipitation slightly increased. This stage was ended by an obvious cold/dry event. During 6.7― 5.8 kaB.P., temperature increased rapidly and reached its maximum values at about 6.0 kaB.P. The environments were warm/wet optimum for the blooming of terrestrial plants and submerged aquatic plants. After that, temperature decreased continuously and showed the lowest values at about 3.0 kaB.P. From 2.9 kaB.P. to the present, temperature rose again but alternated with cold and warm. The lake area tended to be dry after 1.4 kaB.P. During 600―400 aB.P., the environmental feature was the reflection of "Little Ice Age".     

青藏高原湖泊沉积记录与环境变化研究

 过去全球变化研究是人类认识气候与环境变化事实与规律,客观评价现代环境在气候与环境发展历史中位置的重要手段,能够为未来气候与环境变化的预测提供科学的检验工具。介绍了湖泊沉积物环境代用指标与气候要素关系定量化的研究,简要回顾利用湖泊沉积物重建高原最近2万年环境变化历史研究成果,阐述高原湖泊沉积对气候变化的敏感响应。     

Environmental changes reflected by n-alkanes of lake core in Nam Co on the Tibetan Plateau since 8.4 kaB.P.

The n-alkanes are extracted from NMLC-1 core that was drilled in the Nam Co, central Tibet. They are measured by using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry （GC/MS） for componential and quantitative analyses. According to the constructed depth-age model, the component and concentration of n-alkanes, together with total organic carbon （TOC）, total nitrogen （TN） and carbonate are used to elucidate palaeoenvironmental changes of Nam Co during the past 8.4 ka. The results indicate that Holocene environment performs three stages in the lake area. In the stage of 8.4-6.7 kaB.P., it was warmer while precipitation slightly increased. This stage was ended by an obvious cold/dry event. During 6.7-5.8 kaB.P., temperature increased rapidly and reached its maximum values at about 6.0 kaB.P. The environments were warm/wet optimum for the blooming of terrestrial plants and submerged aquatic plants. After that, temperature decreased continuously and showed the lowest values at about 3.0 kaB.P. From 2.9 kaB.P, to the present, temperature rose again but alternated with cold and warm. The lake area tended to be dry after 1.4 kaB.P. During 600-400 aB.P., the environmental feature was the reflection of ＂Little Ice Age＂.     

Quantitative analysis of lake area variations and the influence factors from 1971 to 2004 in the Nam Co basin of the Tibetan Plateau

By using remote sensing and GIS technologies, spatial analysis and statistic analysis, we calculated the water area and volume variations of the Nam Co Lake from 1971-2004, and discussed their influence factors from the viewpoints of climatic change and water balance. Data source in this study includes bathymetric data of the lake, aerial surveyed topographic maps of 1970, remote sensing images of 1991 and 2004 in the lake catchment, meteorological data from 17 stations within 1971-2004 in the adjacent area...     

Pollen-inferred Holocene vegetation and climate histories in Taro Co,southwestern Tibetan Plateau

A 310-cm-long sediment core, covering the last 10,200 years, was collected from Taro Co on the south- western Tibetan Plateau and analyzed for pollen, grain size and total inorganic carbon content. The pollen data showed that vegetation changed from alpine steppe to alpine meadow during 10,200-8,900 cal a BP, to alpine steppe dominated by Artemisia during 8,900-7,400 cal a BP, to alpine meadow during 7,400-3,300 cal a BP and to alpine steppe after 3,300 cal a BP. Correspondingly, the pollen, grain size and total inorganic carbon content results revealed climatic change in this area over four stages. The initial stage was from 10,200 to 8,900 cal a BP, during which the climate changed from cold-dry to warm-humid. The second stage （8,900-7,400 cal a BP） was characterized by a warm and dry climate. However, at approximately 7,400 cal a BP, the climate began to become cold andhumid, which continued until 3,300 cal a BP. The last stage, from 3,300 cal a BP to present, was characterized as cold and increasingly arid. Climatic events of the early and mid-late Holocene showed that the area was significantly affected by the westerlies. However, the mid-Holocene climate in Taro Co was controlled by the Indian monsoon. The mid-late Holocene depositional environment record of Taro Co was very important to further elaborate the degree of influence by the westerlies or Indian monsoon.     

青藏高原中西部湖泊生物标志物记录的过去两千年气候变化

以青藏高原中西部湖泊达则错和阿翁错为研究对象,通过分析湖泊沉积物岩芯中GDGTs、长链不饱和烯酮与叶蜡化合物单体氢同位素等生物分子标志物获得过去2000 a以来青藏高原中西部定量的温度与降水同位素记录,以期探讨晚全新世以来不同时段青藏高原气候变化区域特征,并揭示过去2000 a季风与西风对青藏高原影响范围的变化.结果表明:(1)青藏高原气候变化存在强烈的区域性特征,两个湖泊均存在中世纪暖期(MWP),但是暖期持续的时间有所不同,高原西部(阿翁错) MWP持续时间明显长于高原中部(达则错);达则错有明显的小冰期(LIA)降温,阿翁错没有发现明显的LIA,可能受样品分辨率低的影响;过去200 a达则错温度有缓慢降低趋势,可能是冰融水补给湖泊温度变化滞后于气候变化的表现.(2)过去2000 a印度夏季风在青藏高原的最北界线可能发生了北移,在距今1000～2000 a,夏季风边界线位于阿翁错以北、达则错以南;但在过去1000 a印度季风边界线移动到阿翁错和达则错以北.     

A study on environmental changes based upon cladoceran assemblages from the core sediments in Chen Co,southern Tibet

A consecutive sediment core (CC2) was drilled in Chen Co (lake) of southern Tibet using a PISTON sampler in 1998 AD. Cladoceran remains including their species,amount richness and ecological features are analyzed for the top 117 cm sections of the core, upon which 5 cladoceran assemblages are distinguished. CL0 is an assemblage without any cladocera in the depth between 117-105 cm. CL1 assemblage (depths between I01-77 cm, ca.1407-1533 AD) possesses total 9 cladoceran species that appear in the core,and performs the greatest richness in the whole sequence.This assemblage reflected that there was plenty of exotic cold water and organic debrises inputing to the sedimentary site under the warmer conditions. The lake was wide and shallow that satisfied the big hydrophyte living. Cladoceran species and richnesses of CL2 assemblage (depths between 77-29cm, ca. 1533-1831AD) perform much more decreasing than those of CLI. There was only less Chydorus sphaericus which was acclimatized to wide environmental ranges. This implied that the sedimentary environment is so execrable that most of cladoceran lost their living abilities. Compared with CL1 assemblage, CL3 assemblage (depths between 29-10 cm, ca.1831--1941 AD) possesses nearly the same dominant species but lower richnesses. Especially, the cladoceran preferring organic debris also decrease in their amounts. This meant that the surface vegetation in the drainage basin was still poor though the environment turned to be better. Except the 2 zooplankton species, the other 7 species of cladoceran in this core are found in CL4 assemblage (depths between 10-0cm, ca. 1941-1998 AD), in which the eurythermal species had not performed their competition ability comparing withnarrow-temperatures adapted species. It implied that water temperatures were stable and much more influenced by air temperatures under the shallow-water conditions. The environmental features reflected by cladocera assemblages of CC2 core are fully supported by the evidences from ostracoda assemblages, diatom-salinity transfunction, environmental magnetism and relative proxies of the parallel CC1 core. Cladoceran assemblages in the lake sediments of Tibetan Plateau are sensitive to sedimentary environment and very significant to the studies of environmental changes.