The early Holocene optimum inferred from a high-resolution pollen record of Huguangyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that (i) pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene (11600―7800 cal a BP), of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500―8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet envi- ronment; (ii) during the mid-Holocene (7800―4200 cal a BP), the pollen percentage of montane conif- erous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indi- cating lower temperature and humidity; (iii) in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500―8000 cal a BP in south- ern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer mon- soon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

Periodicity of Holocene climatic variations in the Huguangyan Maar Lake

There exist five primary periods of 2 930, 1 140, 490, 250 and 220 a in the Holocene climatic variations in the Huguangyan Maar Lake, according to the energy-spectrum and filter analyses of high-resolution time sequences (10–15 a) of the sediment dry density. The peak values of the three temperature-decreasing periods with the 2 930 a cycle occur at about 7 300, 4 250 and 1 200 Cal. aBP. There are 7–8 temperature-decreasing periods with the 1 140 a cycle, and the climate fluctuation range is largest in the early Holocene, and reduces gradually in the middle and late Holocene. The millennial-scale climatic change in the Holocene may adjust the global water cycle and the thermohaline circulation intensity through the harmonic tones of the earth’s precession cycle, which in turn influences the global climate change.     

The early Holocene optimum inferred from a hish-resolution pollen record of Husuansyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that （i） pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene （11600-7800 cal a BP）, of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500-8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet environment; （ii） during the mid-Holocene （7800-4200 cal a BP）, the pollen percentage of montane coniferous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indicating lower temperature and humidity; （iii） in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500-8000 cal a BP in southern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer monsoon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

Rapid oscillations of Chinese monsoon climate since the last deglaciation and its comparison with GISP2 record

The geographic extent of the climate oscillations during the last deglaciation is an open question in the world. Here a high resolution climate record from a 16 000 C-14 a loess sequence in the northwestern margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau is reported. Comparison with GISP2 record shows that all major climate oscillation (e. g. Oldest Dryas/ Boiling/ Older Dryas/ Allerod/ Younger Dryas) in the North Atlantic region also registered in the record. In addition, the sequence also contains some other distinctive strengthened winter monsoon periods. It is suggested that a coupling mechanism operate between the two areas, and climate oscillations in the North Atlantic region may not be a local phenomenon.     

Pulleniatina Minimum Event during the last deglaciation in the southern South China Sea

The planktonic foraminiferal faunal census of core MD 05-2894 （7°2.25′N, 111°33.11′E, water depth 1982 m）, retrieved from the southern South China Sea （SCS） during the ＂Marco Polo＂ cruise in 2005, was performed to investigate the abundance changes of a subsurface dweller, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata. The results display that the abundance of P. obliquiloculata nearly declines to zero during 16.0--14.9 ka, corresponding to the Heinrich 1 （H1） cold interval. The unexpected decrease of P. obliquiloculata occurs in the adjacent cores, roughly between 17 and 14.8 ka based on the previous studies. Accordingly, the Pulleniatina Minimum Event in the last deglaciation can serve as a good stratigraphical indicator, at least in the southern SCS. To further explore the changes of sea surface temperature （SST） and subsurface seawater temperature （SSST）, we made parallel Mg/Ca measurements on surface dweller Globigerinoides tuber and subsurface dweller P. obliquiloculata tests. Since the last deglaciation, the SSTs show a continuous increasing trend towards the late Holocene, while the warming of the subsurface water is punctuated by a 2℃-cooling interval across the deglacial Pulleniatina Minimum Event. Both increased 5180 differences between G. ruber and P. obliquiloculata, and increased temperature differences between surface and subsurface water suggest a shoaling of the mixed layer during the deglacial Pulleniatina Minimum Event. Therefore, we consider that the significant changes in the upper ocean structure are responsible for the Pulleniatina Minimum Event during the last deglaciation in the southern SCS.     

Evolution of heat transport pathways in the Indonesian Archipelago during last deglaciation

The Indonesian Archipelago provides important heat transport pathways of the Western Pacific Warm Pool between the northern Indian Ocean and western equatorial Pacific Ocean, that exert important impacts on global climate change. This study investigated AMS ¹⁴C, δ¹⁸O, planktonic foraminifer assemblages and sedimentation rates in three piston cores collected in the Indonesian Archipelago. The results indicate that changes in the Indonesian Archipelago heat transport pathways were phase characteristic and in steps during the last deglaciation. In the deglaciation Termination IA, at about 12.5 kaBP, sea level rose rapidly in a short time period, and Makassar and Lombok straits widened suddenly for warm and fresh water from the Pacific to pour into the Java Sea and eastern Indian Ocean. During the Termination IB, about 9.5 kaBP, sea level rose rapidly again, and the South China Sea (SCS) started to connect with the Java Sea. With monsoon actions, a large amount of fresh water from the SCS shelf area flew through the Indonesian Archipelago.     

High—resolution records of Holocene from the Shuangchi Maar Lake in Hainan Island

The results of sedimentary characteristics,grain-size,clay mineral,C/N and pollen analysis reveal the evolution history of the Shuangchi Maar Lake of Hainan Island as well as the short-term climate variations in tropical areas.It is testified that the Maar sediment system was sensitive in recording the rapid climate changes in the Holocene.These multidisciplinary results demonstrate that the thermal maximum in the Holocene climate lasted from 7200 to 2700 aBP,with serveral abrupt ephemeral vibrations occurring between 7250-6120aBP and at around 4460,3850 and 2700 aBP.In the late Holocent,particularly at -2700 aBP,a distinct environmental change indicating an important climate transition in the tropical eastern Asia was recorded,probably responding to the enhancement of ENSO phenomena in the Pacific Ocean.In addition,the high-resolution algae record clearly indicates periodical climate fluctuations at 500 a cyclicity during the last 2500 years.     

High-resolution climate evolution derived from the sediment records of Erlongwan Maar Lake since 14 ka BP

Varve counts with AMS 14 C,137 Cs and 210 Pb dating of sediments(0-900 cm) from Erlongwan Maar Lake,NE China were used to establish a high-resolution chronology series for the late Quaternary.Dry density,total organic carbon(TOC) content,total nitrogen(TN) content,TOC/TN ratios and stable organic carbon isotope(13 C org) ratios were continuously analyzed on this sediment profile.On the basis of lithological characters,sporo-pollen assemblages and geochemical analyses,we identified 6 climate stages within the last 14 ka BP.The time before the Holocene(14-11.4 ka BP) represents a higher-order oscillation climatic transitional period(I).The entire Holocene climate development(from 11.4 ka BP to present) exhibited an increasing temperature trend,although there were cold and warm alternations(II-VI).The periods included were:II(11.4-9.05 ka BP) warm-wet stage,III(9.05-7.4 ka BP) cold and warm fluctuation stage,IV(7.4-4.2 ka BP) smoothly warming climate stage,V(4.2-1.67 ka BP) climate optimum stage,and VI(from 1.67 ka BP to present) cool and drier stage.Each climate stage began with a warming event and ended with an abrupt cooling event.This climate change cycle had unequal time spaces that were progressively shorter over time.Several abrupt climate shifts occurred at about 9.4-9.05,8.5-8.2,7.8-7.4,4.6-4.2,3.7-3.25,2-1.67 and 0.3-0.03 ka BP.Thus,it can be seen that the climate has been warming since 1920 AD,which indicates a new climate stage.     

A climatic reversal at the last interglacial-last glacial transition recorded in the loess section at Zhaitang, Beijing

A weakly developed paleosol was identified at S1-L1 transition of the loess section of Zhaitang, Beijing. This paleosol may represent a climatic reversal which is associated with the strengthening in summer monsoon and correlated well with the climatic regression event documented in the paleoclimate records from Greenland ice, marine sediments and European pollen at the last interglacial-last glacial transition.     

Holocene lake deposits of Bosten Lake, southern Xinjiang, China

A 9.25-m-long sediment core from Bosten Lake,Xinjiang, provides detailed information about changes in the water budget and biological acticity over the last 8400 cal-endar years. The chronology is constructed from six AMS radiocarbon dates on the terrestrial plant remains. Based onanalyses of TOC, CO3, detrital compounds and biogenic SiO2,lake level fluctuations and periods of remarkably-negative water budget appeared at 8.4-8.2 cal ka, 7.38-7.25 cal ka,5.7-5.5 cal ka, 3.7-3.4 cal ka and 3.3-2.9 cal ka, respec-tively. As they are in-phase with low lake levels at Sumxl Co and Bangong Co in western Tibet Plateau and with paleo-lakes in Inner Mongolia, a climate-induced change to some-what drier and warmer conditions is inferred. A further drop in lake level after 1320 AD of about 200 yr duration may heattributed to a negative water balance prior to the main phase of the Little Ice Age. Deep and stable lake phases of 1500 yr and 1800 yr duration at 7.2-5.7 cal ka and 5.5-3.7cal ka coincide with maximum moisture during the Holocene Megathermai in China. The long term trend towards aridity since about 4.3 cal ka can dearly be recognised. The reduced water budget of Bosten Lake from 640-1200 AD may be attributed to local effects.     

Climatic variations recorded by the sediments from Erhai Lake, Yunnan Province, southwest China during the past 8000 a

Erhai Lake is a large lake with important climatic significance in Yunnan Province, southwest China. The multi-proxy sedimentary records from Erhai Lake indicate the 9 stages of climatic changes with the alternation of warm-dry and cool-wet during the past 8000 a. The variations of Asian monsoon systems were the main cause for the climatic changes in southwest China. The warm-dry period was coincident with the intensification of India monsoon and Northwest Pacific Sub-tropical High Pressure, and the cool-wet corresponding to weak of India monsoon and its main rain belt moving back to southwest China.     

A 1000-year chironomid-based salinity reconstruction from varved sediments of Sugan Lake, Qaidam Basin, arid Northwest China, and its palaeoclimatic significance

A 1000-year high-resolution （-10 years） chironomid record from varved sediments of Sugan Lake, Qaidam Basin on the northern Tibetan Plateau, is presented. The chironomid assemblages are mainly composed of the relatively high-saline-water taxa Psectrocladius barbimanus-type and Orthocladius/ Cricotopus, and the relatively low-saline-water taxa Procladius and Psectrocladius sordidellus-type. Variations in the chironomid fauna and inferred salinities suggest that over the last millennium, the Sugan Lake catchment has alternated between contrasting climatic conditions, having a dry climate during the period 990-1550 AD, a relatively humid climate during the Little Ice Age （LIA） （1550-1840 AD）, and a dry climate again from 1840 AD onwards. At the decadal to centennial scale, a wet event around 1200-1230 AD, interrupting the generally arid period （990-1550 AD）, and a dry event around 1590-1700 AD, punctuating the generally humid period （1550-1840 AD）, are clearly documented. Trends in the chironomid-based salinity time series indicate a highly unstable climate during the LIA when salinity fluctuations were of greater magnitude and higher frequency. The effective moisture evolution in the Sugan Lake catchment during the last millennium reconstructed by chironomid analysis is in broad agreement with previous palaeo-moisture data derived from other sites in arid Northwest China （ANC）. The LIA, characterized by generally humid conditions over the westerly-dominated ANC was distinctly different from that in monsoonal China, implying an ＂out-of-phase＂ relationship between moisture evolution in these two regions during the past 1000 years.     

Humid medieval warm period recorded by magnetic characteristics of sediments from Gonghai Lake,Shanxi, North China

Variations in monsoon strength, moisture or precipitation in eastern China during the MWP reflected by different climatic records have shown apparent discrepancies. Here, detailed environmental magnetic investigations and mineralogical analyses were conducted on lacustrine sediments of Core GH09B1 (2.8 m long) from Gonghai Lake, Shanxi, North China, concerning the monsoon history during the MWP. The results demonstrate that the main magnetic mineral is magnetite. The sediments with relatively high magnetic mineral concentrations were characterized by relatively fine magnetic grain sizes, which were formed in a period of relatively strong pedogenesis and high precipitation. In contrast, the sediments with low magnetic mineral concentrations reflected an opposite process. The variations of magnetic parameters in Gonghai Lake sediments were mainly controlled by the degree of pedogenesis in the lake drainage basin, which further indicated the strength of the Asian summer monsoon. The variations in the and S 300 parameters of the core clearly reveal the Asian summer monsoon history over the last 1200 years in the study area, suggesting generally abundant precipitation and a strong summer monsoon during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP, AD 910–1220), which is supported by pollen evidence. Furthermore, this 3–6-year resolution environmental magnetic record indicates a dry event around AD 980–1050, interrupting the generally humid MWP. The summer monsoon evolution over the last millennium recorded by magnetic parameters in sediments from Gonghai Lake correlates well with historical documentation (North China) and speleothem oxygen isotopes (Wanxiang Cave), as well as precipitation modeling results (extratropical East Asia), which all indicate a generally humid MWP within which centennial-scale moisture variability existed. It is thus demonstrated that environmental magnetic parameters could be used as an effective proxy for monsoon climate variations in high-resolution lacustrine sediments.     

Reconstruction of temperature series in China for the last 5000 years

A temperature series with a 100 year resolution for the last 5000 years in China has been reconstructed by using 31 long-term temperature proxy series selected from recent publications in the last 20 years. The proxy records include pollens, stalagmites, lake-sediments, peat, ice cores and historical documents. The result reveals that in the millennial scale temperature variation it was warm in 3050-250 BC and it was cold in 250 BC-1950 AD. In the above two periods there were many stages of sub-scale temperature fluctuations. The result also shows an obvious temperature discrepancy on the century to multi-century scale between the Eastern Monsoon Region, the Qinghai-Tibet Region and the Northwestern Region in 2850 BC, 2350 BC, 1350 BC, 950-350 BC, 50-250 AD, and 550 AD. A comparison between the reconstructed series of this paper and some North Hemisphere temperature series indicates that in the long-term scale change, the temperature change in China is in phrase with that of the Northern Hemisphere during the last 5000 years, while on the century to multi-century scale there are differences at the beginning and end times, which may imply that temperature change does not occur simultaneously in different regions.     

Turbidite deposition in the southern South China Sea during the last glacial: Evidence from grain-size and major elements records

High-resolution grain size and major element geochemical measurements were performed on the marine sediments of Core MD05-2895 to help understand the formation of turbidite sequences. Grain-size results show that these turbidite sediments contain more coarse sediment grains than normal marls. The coarse sediment grains are mostly derived from relict sediments on the Sunda Shelf. Relict sediments are composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, tephra and a few titaniferous or ferruginous heavy minerals. Corresponding to the concentration of these minerals, increases in Si/Al, K/Al, Ti/Al and Fe/Al ratios are observed in the turbidite layers. As all the observed turbidite sequences were deposited during the last glacial, the occurrence of these turbidity events is implied to be closely related to instabilities in sea-level-induced sediment supply. We suggest that deposition of sediment particles from a single turbidity current is usually controlled by a counterbalance between gravity and buoyancy, with the interaction of individual grains being of minor importance.     

Biomarker reconstruction of phytoplankton productivity and community structure changes in the middle Okinawa Trough during the last 15 ka

Biomarkers have been widely used to reconstruct phytoplankton productivity and community structure changes, and this method has been applied for the first time in the middle Okinawa Trough during the transition from the last deglaciation to the Holocene. The total content of all marine phytoplankton biomarkers, used as a total productivity indicator, reveals higher productivity during the deglaciation. The ratios of the biomarkers are used as community structure indicators which show that, compared with the Holocene, the contribution from haptophytes decreased while the contributions from diatoms and dinoflagellates increased during the deglaciation. The increased productivity during the deglaciation was likely caused by the stronger winter monsoon. Also increased nutrient supply from terrestrial sources contributes to the higher productivity due to lower sea-level, which is consistent with higher terrestrial biomarker （long-chain n-alkanols） content. These changes in the nutrient supply also con- tributed to the community structure changes in the Okinawa Trough.     

Quantitative reconstruction of the paleosalinity at Qinghai Lake in the past 900 years

Based on the function relationship between the shell length of Limnocythere inopinata and the salinity of its living water in Tibetan Plateau lakes, the paleosalinty of Qinghai Lake in the past 900 years was reconstructed through the measurement of the adult body length of Limnocythere inopinata. Meanwhile, the paleosalinity sequence of Qinghai Lake during the same period was rebuilt by the St/Ca ratio of the shell of Eucypris inflata combined with the St/Ca ratio of living ostracod valves from the species of genus Eucypris inflata and the host water. The paleosalinity results obtained by two different methods were compared and assessed in this paper. To check the result, it was also contrasted with other historical climatic sequences of this area including tree ring and ice core. It was shown that the paleosalinity sequence rebuilt by adult ostracod body length had high reliability, and the paleosalinity reconstruction method by trace elements of ostracod shells was not suitable for Qinghai Lake. From the reconstructed paleosalinty sequence of Qinghai Lake, it can be found that low salinity during 1160-1290 AD showed the humid climate condition on the Mediaeval Warm Period in this area, while the high salinity during 1410-1540 AD, 1610-1670 AD and 1770-1850 AD which was corresponding to the three cold pulses of the Little Ice Age with a dry climate condition. And the high salinity in the latest several decades was consistent with recent warm and dry trends of the climate in this area. The good consistency of the reconstructed palaeosalinity sequence and the precipitation sequence in this area rebuilt by tree ring proves the reconstruction of past lake salinity is reliable.     

滇池浮游植物的生物多样性调查研究

 根据2001年9月至2002年7月6个月滇池浮游植物种类和数量的调查结果,分析了该湖浮游植物的物种组成,通过Shannon指数、Pielou均匀度指数、Berger-Parker指数计算,从不同侧面研究了滇池的生物多样性水平.结果表明:调查期间共鉴定浮游植物106种及变种;浮游植物生物多样性在3月最高,而其他月份差别不明显,平面分布上南部高于北部,东部高于西部.     

Quantitative reconstruction of the paleosalinity in the Daihai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China

Ostracods are small bivalved aquatic crustaceans. They secrete shells of low-Mg calcite that are often preserved in lake sediments. Recent work has shown that the uptake of trace elements (especially Mg and Sr) into the shell may be a function of the salinity and temperature of the host water. We measured Sr/Ca ratios in living ostracod valves from the species of genus Limnocythere cf. inopinata and Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios of the host water to calculate distribution coefficient of genus Limnocythere cf. inopinata in the Daihai Lake. A function for Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratio and salinity was established by measuring a series of Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios and salinities of the lake water in different places of the Daihai Lake. Finally paleosalinities of the lake water were quantitatively reconstructed by the Sr/Ca ratios of ostracod shells of the same species in sediment core of the Daihai Lake.