Multi-proxy evidence for late Pleistocene-Holocene environ-mental change in arid Central Asia: An overview of the RACHAD 2001 symposium

This special issue of Chinese Science Bulletin arose from a symposium entitled 揂brupt EnvironmentalChanges in Arid Asia——History and Mechanisms?RACHAD 2001) held at Lanzhou University in October 2001. This international event was attended by over 70 scientists from Australia, China, Germany, India,Mongolia, Russia, the UK and the USA. More than fifty papers were given over a three-day period on all aspects of the mechanisms and history of environmental change in Asia抯 drylands.…

Multi-proxy evidence for late Pleistocene-Holocene environ-mental change in arid Central Asia: An overview of the RACHAD 2001 symposium

This special issue of Chinese Science Bulletin arose from a symposium entitled "Abrupt Environmental Changes in Arid Asia--History and Mechanisms" (RACHAD 2001) held at Lanzhou University in October 2001. This international event was attended by over 70 scientists from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mongolia, Russia, the UK and the USA. More than fifty papers were given over a three-dayperiod on all aspects of the mechanisms and history of environmental change in Asia's drylands. Most of the papers presented in the symposium are the preliminary results of the INQUA working group called "Rapid Climatic Changes in the Central-Asia's Drylands" (RACHAD).