Climatic significance of n-alkanes and their compound-specific δD 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 drain- ages, and δD values of meteoric water, lake water, and mean annual precipitation. The results showed that n-C23 was predominantly derived from aquatic plants, and n-C27- n-C33 from terrestrial higher plants. The average carbon chain length of n-C27-n-C33 （ACL27-33） was positively correlated with the mean annual precipitation. δD values of the long-chain n-alkanes n-C29 and n-C31 of 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 δD （OIPC）, δD values of n-C31 were strongly related to the δD values of growing season meteoric water （R2 = 0.74）. The large difference between δD values of n-C23 of aquatic origin and n-C31 （an average of about 27 ‰） demonstrates the enrichment of the lake water δD compared to precipitation, caused by strong evaporation in the semiarid-arid areas of the southwestern Tibetan Plateau. Average value of εn-c25- 31/p （-95 ‰） is evidently higher than the value observed in European wet regions （-128 ‰）; besides, εn-C31 （about -116 ‰） is constant along the study transect （SD = 9）, which indicates that n-C31 is a useful proxy for the environment.     

Preliminary evidence indicating Dome A （Antarctica） satisfying preconditions for drilling the oldest ice core

Lowest temperature and snow accumulation rate are preconditions for retrieving the oldest ice core from the polar ice sheets. The 10-m depth firn temperature at Dome A, the summit of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, recorded by an automatic weather station （AWS） was -58.3℃ in 2005 and -58.2℃ in 2006, respectively. The 10-m firn temperature is an approximation of the annual mean air temperature （AMAT）, and this is the lowest AMAT that has been recorded on the surface of the Earth. The stable isotopic ratios （δ^18O and δD） of surface snow at Dome A are also lower than at other ice sheet domes along the East Antarctic Ice Divide such as Dome C, Dome F, Dome B and Vostok. These facts indicate that Dome A is the ＂pole of cold＂ on the Earth. The total amount of snow accumulation rate in 2005 and 2006 was only 0.16 cm, equaling 0.016 m water equivalent per year, the lowest precipitation ever recorded from Antarctica. Preliminary evidences indicate that Dome A is a candidate site for recovering the oldest ice core.     

Recent temperature increase recorded in an ice core in the source region of Yangtze River

Interests on climate change in the source region of Yangtze River have been raised since it is a region with the greatest warming over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). A 70-year history of precipitation δ~(18)O has been recovered using an ice core record retrieved in a plat portion of the firn area in the Guoqu Glacier (33°34′37.8″N, 91°10′35.3″E, 5720 m a.s.l.), Mt. Geladaindong (the source region of Yangtze River), in November, 2005. By using a significant positive relationship between ice core δ~(18)O record and summer air temperature (July to September) from the nearby meteorological stations, a history of summer air temperature has been reconstructed for the last 70 years. Summer temperature was relatively low in 1940s and high in 1950s to the middle of 1960s. The lowest temperature occurred in the middle of 1970s. Temperature was low in 1980s and dramatically increased since 1990s, keeping the trend to the begin-ning of the 21st century. The warming rate recorded in the ice core with 0.5℃/10 a since 1970s is much higher that that in the central TP and the Northern Hemisphere (NH), and it becomes 1.1℃/10 a since 1990s which is also higher than these from the central TP and the NH, reflecting an accelerated warm-ing and a more sensitive response to global warming in the high elevation region.     

Oxygen isotope variation in the water cycle of the Yamzho lake Basin in southern Tibetan Plateau

Given the potential use of stable isotope in the paleoclimate reconstruction from lacustrine records as well as in the local hydrology cycle, it is crucial to understand the processes of stable isotope evolution in catchment in the Tibetan Plateau region. Here we present a detailed study on the water oxygen isotope based on 2 years observation including precipitation, river water and lake water in the Yamzho Lake, south of the Tibetan Plateau. Temporal variation of local precipitation 5180 shows an apparent ＂monsoon cycle＂. In monsoon season, 5180 in waters is lower. In non-monsoon season, δ^18O in precipitation and lake water is higher and higher river δ^18O exists in spring, probably reflecting the effect of land surface evaporation, together with the higher δ^18O values in spring precipitation. It is also found that the surface lake water δ^18O varies seasonally and annually. The lower lake water δ^18O in the late summer is apparently related to the summer monsoon precipitation. The mean δ^18O value of lake water in 2007 is 1.2‰ higher than that in 2004, probably due to the less monsoon precipitation in summer of 2007, as can be confirmed from the precipitation data at the Langkazi meteorological data. It is also found that an obvious shift of vertical lake water δ^18O reflects the fast mixture of lake water. δ^18O values of lake water are over 10‰ higher than those of precipitation and river water in this region due to the evaporation fractionation. The modeled results show that the evaporation process of the lake water is sensitive to relative humidity, and the present lake water δ^18O reflects a relative humidity of 51% in the Yamzho Lake. It shows that the lake will take 30.5 years to reach present lake water δ^18O given a large shift in the input water δ^18O. The modeled results also reveal that surface lake water temperature and inflow δ^18O have slight effect on the isotopic balance process of lake water in the Yamzho Lake.     

Precipitation variations recorded in Guliya ice core in the past 400 years

Based on the Guliya ice core records, the precipitation in the past 400 years was retrieved. Its rela tions with other regions were also analyzed. The results demonstrated that there were two high-precipitation periods and two low-precipitation periods in Guliya ice core since 1571 AD. The average precipitation in the two high-precipitation periods was 42 mm (21%) higher than that in the two low-precipitation periods. The precipitation recorded in the Guliya ice core was consistent with that in Dunde ice core. The variation trends of precipitation in the Guliya ice core and the northern hemisphere are similar. During the extremely wet years in the northern hemisphere, the precipitation recorded in the Guliya ice core was two times the long-term average. However, the annual precipitation was 38% less than that of the long-term average in extremely dry years.     

Calcium isotope fractionation and its controlling factors over authigenic carbonates in the cold seeps of the northern South China Sea

In this study, we analyzed stable calcium isotope results of authigenic carbonates from two cold seep areas of the Dongsha area and the Baiyun Sag in the northern South China Sea. The stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen as well as the mineral composition of authigenic carbonates were used to investigate control calcium isotope fractionation. The δ44/40Ca ratios of the southwestern Dongsha area samples ranged from 1.21‰ to 1.52‰ and the ratio of the Baiyun Sag sample was 1.55‰ of the SRM915a isotope standard. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the carbonate samples consisted of dolomite, calcite and aragonite, with small amounts of high-Mg calcite and siderite. The δ13C values of the carbonates of the southwestern Dongsha area varied between δ49.21‰ and δ16.86‰ of the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) standard and the δ18O values ranged from 2.25‰ to 3.72‰ VPDB. The δ13C value of the Baiyun Sag sample was 2.36‰ VPDB and the δ18O value was 0.44‰ VPDB. The δ13C values of the carbonates of the southwestern Dongsha area revealed there is methane seeping into this area, with a variable contribution of methane-derived carbon. The sampled carbonates covered a range of δ13C values suggesting a dominant methane carbon source for the light samples and mixtures of δ13C values for the heavier samples, with possibly an organic or seawater carbon source. The δ18O values indicated that there is enrichment in 18O, which is related to the larger oxygen isotope fractionation in dolomite compared to calcite. The results of the Baiyun Sag sample exhibited normal seawater carbon and oxygen isotopic values, indicating that this sample is not related to methane seepage but instead to precipitation from seawater. The relatively high δ44/40Ca values indicated either precipitation at comparatively high rates in pore-water regimes with high alkalinity, or precipitation from an evolved heavy fluid with high degrees of Ca consumption (Raleigh type fractionation). The dolomite samples from the Dongsha area revealed a clear correlation between the carbon and calcium isotope composition, indicating a link between the amount and/or rate of carbonate precipitation and methane contribution to the bicarbonate source. The results of the three stable isotope systems, mineralogy and petrography, show that mineral composition, the geochemical environment of authigenic carbonates and carbon source can control the calcium isotope fractionation.     

Climatic significance of δ18O records from precipitation on the western Tibetan Plateau

Analysis of daily precipitation samples for stable oxygen isotopes （δ^18O） collected at the Shiquanhe and Gerze （Gaize, Gertse） stations in the Ngari （Ali） region on the western Tibetan Plateau indicates that air temperature affects the δ^18O variations in precipitation at these stations. In summer, Shiquanhe and Gerze show strongly similar trends in precipitation δ^18O, especially in simultaneous precipitation events. Moreover, both stations experienced low δ^18O values in precipitation during the active monsoon period, resulting from the southwest monsoon （the summer phase of the Indian monsoon）. However, during the break monsoon period （during the summer rainy season, when the monsoon circulation is disrupted）, δ^18O values in summer precipitation remain relatively high and local moisture recycling generally controls the moisture sources. Air temperature correlations with δ^18O strengthen during the non-monsoon period （January--June, and October--December） due to continental air masses and the westerlies. In addition, evaporation also influences the δ^18O variations in precipitation. The observed temporal and spatial variations of δ^18O in precipitation on the western Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions show that the late May and early June-the late August and early September time frame provides an important period for the transportation of moisture from various sources on the Tibetan Plateau, and that the region of the West Kunlun-Tanggula Ranges acts as a significant climatic divide on the Plateau, perhaps for all of western China.     

Paleoecological implications of the nitrogen isotope signatures in the sediments amended by Antarctic seal excrements

The nitrogen isotope signatures in the sediments amended by seal excrements, from Fildes Peninsula of King George Islands, Antarctica, were examined for their paleoecological application potential. The contents of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) and the atomic C/N ratios in the sediments show that the organic carbon and nitrogen are predominantly of marine origin and derived from seal excrements. The remarkably high δ15N values in the sediments may be related to at least two important factors of trophic enrichment and NH3 volatilization, which requires further studies. The large variations in the seal hair abundances and the determinedδ15N values in the sediments signify similar changes of the historical seal populations around the study site. A significant negative correlation between the δ15N values and seal hair abundance was observed, and this suggests that the δ15N values, like the number of seal hairs,can be used as a paleoecological proxy for the historical seal populations. The time-integrated δ15N signatures in the sediments with predominantly animal-derived nitrogen source thus provide a new tool for estimating historical populations of seals and penguins and interpretlng the underlying paleoecological processes.     

Westerly moisture transport to the middle of Himalayas revealed from the high deuterium excess

Previous studies found extremely high d-excess in both ice core and glacial melt water in Dasuopu glacier, Xixiabangma, middle of Himalayas. These values are much higher than the global average and those measured in southwest monsoon precipitation. The d-excess variation in over one year at Nyalam station will clarify this phenomenon. Studies show that the high d-excess is related to the seasonal variation of moisture transport to this region. The d-excess values are low during the southwest monsoon active periods, when moisture originated from the humid ocean surface. The d-excess values are higher in non-monsoon months, when moisture is derived from westerly transport. Winter and spring precipitation accounts for a substantial portion of the annual precipitation, resulting in higher d-excess in the yearly precipitation in the middle of Himalayas than other parts of the southern Tibetan Plateau. This finding reveals that the precipitation in the middle of Himalayas is not purely from southwest monsoon, but a large portion from the westerly transport, which is very important for ice core study in this area.     

Foliar δ^13C and δ^15N values of C3 plants in the Ethiopia Rift Valley and their environmental controls

The foliar C and N stable isotopic compositions （δ^13C and δ^15N） and the relationships between these compositions and environmental factors of C3 plants in the Ethiopia Rift Valley were investigated. There were three distribution patterns for foliar δ^13C with mean values of -26.7‰±0.4‰, -29.7‰ ±0.6‰ , and -26.9‰± 1.2‰ in cold-moist, temperate-moist, and arid-hot environments, respectively. The δ^15N values ranged from -1.4‰ ±1.7‰ to 14.3‰ ± 0.1‰, with higher values under arid-hot conditions and the lowest values in plants growing at higher altitudes under cold-moist conditions. A strong negative relationship between mean annual precipitation and δ^15N explained more than half of the observed variation in the δ^15N values （r2= 0.54, P 〈 0.001）; a modest positive relationship was also found between δ^15N and temperature （r2 = 0.32, P 〈 0.01）. A weakly positive relationship existed between δ^13C and temperature, and changes in δ^13C values with precipitation and altitude followed quadratic curves. This suggests a shift in the effects of water and heat conditions caused by altitude on carbon isotopic discrimination.     

Variations in air temperature during the last 100 years revealed by δ~(18)O in the Malanice core from the Tibetan Plateau

By comprehensive analyses,it was found that the variations in δ^18O recorded in Malan ice core from the Kekexili Region on the Tibetan Plateau could represent the changes in air temperature during the summer half year (from May to October) over the Kekexili Region and the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.The general increase trend in δ^18O in the ice core during the past century indicated climate warming,and it was estimated that air temperature during the summer half-year rose about 1.2℃ over there then.However,this ice core record documented that the study area has been cooling while most of the world has been dramatically warming since the late 1970s. A tele-connection was found between the variations in δ^18O in the Malan ice core and the North Atlantic Oscillation.Moreover,the variations in δ^18O in this ice core were similar to that in the summer half-year air temperature over the southern Tibetan Plateau on the centurial time scale,but opposite on the multidecadal time scale.     

Isotopic composition of organic carbon and elemental carbon in PM2.5 in Hangzhou, China

In order to identify the sources of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in airborne PM2.5 in Hangzhou, OC and EC were oxidized to CO2 offline in two thermal steps, and their carbon isotope compositions were measured by mass spectrometer. Results showed that the average δ13COC values were -52.8‰, -48.1‰, -50.0‰ and -52.5‰ in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively, and the annual average value was -50.9‰ (-85.0‰ to -35.6‰), whereas δ13CEC values were -26.4‰, -26.9‰, -26.7‰ and -25.9‰ in the four seasons, and its annual value was -26.5‰ (-30.5‰ to -23.8‰). Large differences were found between isotope compositions of the two types of carbon. δ13COC values were much smaller than those of δ13CEC, and varied in a large range, and the ratios in both spring and winter were the smallest. δ13CEC varied in a small range, and its mean values in four seasons were nearly the same. This suggests that the carbon isotope compositions of OC and EC in PM2.5 can provide useful information in distinguishing their sources.     

Asian summer monsoon precipitation recorded by stalagmite oxygen isotopic composition in the western Loess Plateau during AD1875―2003 and its linkage with ocean-atmosphere system

Based on 5 high-precision 230Th dates and 103 stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) obtained from the top 16 mm of a stalagmite collected from Wanxiang Cave,Wudu,Gansu,variation of monsoonal precipita-tion in the modern Asian Monsoon (AM) marginal zone over the past 100 years was reconstructed. Comparison of the speleothem δ18O record with instrumental precipitation data at Wudu in the past 50 years indicates a high parallelism between the two curves,suggesting that the speleothem δ18O is a good proxy for the AM strength and associated precipitation,controlled by "amount effect" of the pre-cipitation. Variation of the monsoonal precipitation during the past 100 years can be divided into three stages,increasing from AD 1875 to 1900,then decreasing from AD 1901 to 1946,and increasing again thereafter. This variation is quite similar to that of the Drought/Flooding index archived from Chinese historical documents. This speleothem-derived AM record shows a close association with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) between AD 1875 and 1977,with higher monsoonal precipitation corre-sponding to cold PDO phase and vice versa at decadal timescale. The monsoonal precipitation varia-tion is out of phase with the PDO after AD 1977,probably resulting from the decadal climate jump in the north Pacific occurring at around AD 1976/77. These results demonstrate a strong linkage between the AM and associated precipitation and the Pacific Ocean via ocean/atmosphere interaction. This rela-tionship will aid to forecast future hydrological cycle for the AM monsoon region,and to improve forecasting potential of climatic model with observation data from cave.     

Climate as the dominant control on C3 and C4 plant abundance in the Loess Plateau： Organic carbon isotope evidence from the last glacial-interglacial loess-soil sequences

Abundance of C3 and C4 photosynthesis plants can be inferred relatively from stable carbon isotopic composition of organic matter in soils. The samples from five sequences of the last glacial-interglacial loess-soil in the Chinese Loess Plateau have been measured for organic carbon isotopic ratios (613Corg). The organic carbon isotope data show that relative abundance (or biomass) of C4 plants was increased ca. 40% for each sampling site from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to Holocene optimum, and increased southeastward on the Loess Plateau during both periods of LGM and Holocene. Statistic analyses on the steady maximum δ^13Corg values of Holocene soils and modern climatic data from the Loess Plateau and Inner Mongolia indicate that the C4 plant abundance increases with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation. The C4 plant abundance is related much closer with mean April temperature and precipitation than annual. These results lead us to deduce following conclusions. First, temperature is the major factor for control on variations in C4 plant abundance in the Loess Plateau from the last glacial to interglacial. In the absence of favorable temperature condition, both of low moisture and low atmospheric CO2 concentration are insufficient to drive an expansion of the C4 plants in the plateau. Second,δ^13Corg in the loess-paleosol sequences, as a proxy of the relative abundance of C4 plants in the Loess Plateau, could not be used as an indicator of changes in the summer monsoon intensity unless the temperature had changed without great amplitude. Since all C4 plants are grasses, finally, the increase of the C4 plants supports that forest has not been dominant in the ecosystem on the Loess Plateau during Holocene although precipitation and atmospheric CO2 were largely increased relative to those during LGM.     

Stable isotope fractionation of chlorine during evaporation of brine from a saline lake

Brine from the saline Qarhan Lake was evaporated at 28±2°C in a clean environment.Two groups of experiments were conducted;one with complete separation of precipitate and brine at different stages of evaporation,and the other with continuous precipitation during the evaporation.Seventy-nine precipitate and brine samples were collected during the experiments,and the δ37 Cl values were determined using an improved thermal ionization mass spectrometry procedure for precise measurement of chlorine isotopes based on Cs2Cl+ ions.Based on the concentrations of Na+,K+,and Mg2+,evaporation was divided into three main precipitation stages as follows:halite dominant,carnallite dominant,and bischofite dominant.The δ37 Clsolid and δ37 Clliquid values of the precipitate and coexisting brine samples at different stages showed the following characteristics.The precipitates were enriched with 37 Cl relative to the coexisting brine samples,and the δ37 Cl of both the precipitate and brine samples decreased gradually during evaporation.The fractionation factors(αh) between halite and brine were the highest,followed by that(αc) between carnallite and brine,and then that(αb) between bischofite and brine.The αc and αb values of less than one,which indicate the precipitate is enriched in 35 Cl,were found when the evaporation process entered a new stage.However,the δ37 Cl values of carnallite,bischofite,and the coexisting brine samples decreased during evaporation.The residual brine is a 35 Cl reservoir.The experimental phenomena were consistent with the δ37 Cl values in saline deposits in the literature.δ37 Cl can be used as an indicator of brine evaporation processes,which is important in the exploration of sylvinite deposits.     

Modern stalagmite oxygen isotopic composition and its implications of climatic change from a high-elevation cave in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau over the past 50 years

An oxygen isotope record of a stalagmite from Huanglong Cave in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau dated with 230Th and 210Pb methods provides variations of the Asian monsoon with an average resolu-tion of 1 year over the past 50 years. This study shows that the δ18O of dripwater in the cave represents the annual mean δ18O of local meteoric precipitation and the stalagmites were deposited in isotopic equilibrium. A comparison of the stalagmite δ18O record with instrumentally meteorological data indi-cates that shifts of the δ18O are largely controlled by the amount effect of meteoric precipitation con-veyed through the southwest monsoon(the Indian monsoon) and less affected by temperature. Therefore,the variations of δ18O record reflect the changes in monsoon precipitation on inter-annual time scales under the influence of the southwest monsoon. Like many other stalagmite δ18O records in the Asian monsoon regions,the δ18O record of the stalagmite from Huanglong Cave also reveals a gradually enriched trend during the past 50 years,i.e. relatively enriched in 18O. This trend may indicate the decline of the Asian monsoon intensity which is consistent with the decrease of monsoon indices. The weakening of the modern Asian monsoon well matched with the temperature changes in strato-sphere,which may illustrate that the weakening of the monsoon mainly results from the lowering of solar radiation.     

Water isotope variations in the snow pack and summer precipitation at July 1 Glacier, Qilian Mountains in northwest China

This paper presents the stable isotope data of the snow pack and summer precipitation collected at the July 1 Glacier, Qilian Mountains in northwest China and analyses their relationships with meteorologi- cal factors. On an event scale, there is no temperature effect on the δ 18O values in the summer pre- cipitation, whereas the amount effect is shown to be clear. By tracing the moisture transport history and comparing the precipitation with its isotopic composition, it is shown that this amount effect not only reflects the change in moisture trajectory, which is related to the monsoon activities, but is also associated with the cooling degree of vapor in the cloud, the evaporation of falling raindrops and the isotopic exchange between the falling drops and the atmospheric vapor. As very little precipitation occurs in winter, the snow pack profile mainly represents the precipitation in the other three seasons. There are low precipitation δ 18O ratios in summer and high ratios in spring and autumn. The Meteoric Water Line (MLW) for the summer precipitation is δ D = 7.6 δ 18O 13.3, which is similar to that at Delingha, located in the south rim of the Qilian Mountains. The MWL for the snow pack is δ D = 10.4 δ 18O 41.4, showing a large slope and intercept. The deuterium excess (d) of the snow pack is positively correlated with δ 18O, indicating that both d and δ 18O decrease from spring to summer and increase from early autumn to early spring. This then results in the high slope and intercept of the MWL. Sea- sonal fluctuations of d in the snow pack indicate the change of moisture source and trajectory. During spring and autumn, the moisture originates from continental recycling or rapid evaporation over rela- tively warm water bodies like Black, Caspian and Aral Seas when the dry westerly air masses pass over them, hence very high d values in precipitation are formed. During summer, the monsoon is responsi- ble for the low d values. This indicates that the monsoon can reach the western part of the Qilian Mountains.     

Summer monsoon and dust signals recorded in the Dasuopu firn core, central Himalayas

In September 1997, a 15-m firn core was recovered from an elevation of 7 000 m a. s.l. from the Dasuopu Glacier in the central Himalayas. The analysis of δ18O values and major ion (Ca2+ , Mg2+ , NH4+ , SO42- and NO3-) concentrations shows that average annual accumulation is 0.75 m (water equivalent) in the Dasuopu firn core. The seasonal variations of δ18O values and major ion concentrations in the core indicate that present summer monsoon and dust signals are recorded with high-resolution in the Dasuopu Glacier. δ18O in precipitation are controlled by amount effect in summer monsoon season, more negative δ18O is representative of summer monsoon signal in snow layers. Higher concentrations of Ca2+ , Mg2+ , SO42- and NO3-are dominated by spring dust storm imput derived from the arid and semi-arid desert regions in central Asia. Also EOF analysis verifies that high spring concentrations of major ions are consistent. Due to the possibly different sources, the secondary variations of NH4+ and NO3- are negatively relevant with that of Ca2+ and Mg2+ .     

Transmission of oxygen isotope signals of precipitation-soil water-drip water and its implications in Liangfeng Cave of Guizhou,China

According to systemically monitoring results of oxygen （hydrogen） isotope compositions of precipitation, soil waters, soil CO2, cave drip waters and their corresponding speleothems in Liangfeng Cave （LFC） in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, it is found that local precipitation is the main source of soil waters and drip waters, and that the amplitudes of those δ18O values of three waters （precipitation, soil water and drip water） decrease in turn in the observed year, which are 0‰ to -10‰, -2‰ to -9‰ and -6‰ to -8‰, respectively. Moreover, the δ18O values for three waters show a roughly simultaneous variation, namely, that those values are lighter in the rainy seasons, weightier in the dry seasons, and that the average δ18O value of drip waters is about 0.3‰ weightier than that of precipitation, which is modified by surface evaporation processes. We also find that oxygen isotope equilibrium is reached or neared in the formation processes of speleothems in LFC system, and that it is feasible to reconstruct paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation by using δ18O values of speleothems. However, it should be noted that surface evaporation would affect the oxygen isotope values in the study area.     

Southwest monsoon changes indicated by oxygen isotope of ostracode shells from sediments in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial

The δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sediments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake can be used as a better proxy to reflect monsoon changes. Low monsoon precipitation between 17.5 and 11 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values averaging 2.37‰. A fast shift in δ 18O from positive at 11 cal. ka BP to negative at 10 cal. ka BP indicates sharp increase of monsoon precipitation. An interval of generally high monsoon precipitation is observed between 10 and 6 cal. ka BP with δ 18O values averaging -2.15‰. Decrease of monsoon precipitation between 6 and 2.5 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values. δ 18O keeps positive values averaging 3.0‰ between 2.5 and 0 cal. ka BP suggesting low high monsoon precipitation. The climatic changes indicated by δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sedi- ments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake and our broader regional comparison show that the climate in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial is probably controlled by southwest monsoon other than southeast monsoon.