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Age constraints on the late Quaternary evolution of Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

David B. Madsen ,
Ma Haizhou ,
David Rhode ,
P. Jeffrey Brantingham  and
Steven L. Forman
David B. Madsen*
Affiliation:
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas, 1 University Station R7500, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Ma Haizhou
Affiliation:
Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, PR China
David Rhode
Affiliation:
Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
P. Jeffrey Brantingham
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Steven L. Forman
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
*
*Corresponding author.E-mail address:[email protected] (D.B. Madsen).
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Abstract

Dating and geomorphology of shoreline features in the Qinghai Lake basin of northwestern China suggest that, contrary to previous interpretations, the lake likely did not reach levels 66–140 m above modern within the past ∼ 90,000 yr. Maximum highstands of ∼ 20–66 m above modern probably date to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. MIS 3 highstands are undated and uncertain but may have been at or below post-glacial highs. The lake probably reached ∼ 3202–3206 m (+ 8–12 m) during the early Holocene but stayed below ∼ 3202 m after ∼ 8.4 ka. This shoreline history implies significantly different hydrologic balances in the Qinghai Lake basin before ∼ 90 ka and after ∼ 45 ka, possibly the result of a more expansive Asian monsoon in MIS 5.

Keywords

Tibetan PlateauLate QuaternaryClimate changeQinghai LakeShoreline geomorphology
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 69 , Issue 2 , March 2008 , pp. 316 - 325
Copyright
University of Washington

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