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Holocene variations in the Asian monsoon inferred from the geochemistry of lake sediments in central Tibet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Carrie Morrill ,
Jonathan T. Overpeck ,
Julia E. Cole ,
Kam-biu Liu ,
Caiming Shen  and
Lingyu Tang
Carrie Morrill
Affiliation:
Geosciences Department, Gould-Simpson Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Jonathan T. Overpeck
Affiliation:
Geosciences Department, Gould-Simpson Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, 715 N. Park Avenue (2nd Floor), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Julia E. Cole
Affiliation:
Geosciences Department, Gould-Simpson Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Kam-biu Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Caiming Shen
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Lingyu Tang
Affiliation:
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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Abstract

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We present a record of monsoon variations for the early and middle Holocene that is inferred from the geochemistry of sediment cores from Ahung Co, a lake in central Tibet. The resolution of this record is better than 50 yr and the age model is derived from radiocarbon ages of terrestrial charcoal, which eliminates errors associated with the lake hard-water effect. We made down-core geochemical measurements of % carbonate, % organic carbon, C/N and δ13C of bulk organic matter, δ13C and δ18O of carbonate, and % dolomite. Proxy calibration and modern water-balance reconstruction show that these are proxies for lake depth and the amount of monsoon precipitation. We find that lake level and monsoon precipitation have been decreasing at Ahung Co since the early Holocene (∼7500 cal yr B.P.). Superimposed on this trend are rapid declines in monsoon rainfall at 7000–7500 and 4700 cal yr B.P. and seven century-scale wet–dry oscillations. The cores do not contain sediment from the last ∼4000 yr. Surface sediments from the lake accumulated during the 20th century, however. From this, we argue that lake levels have risen again recently following a late Holocene dry period.

Keywords

PrecipitationMonsoonHoloceneClimate changeOxygen stable isotopesPaleoclimateHard-water effectAquatic macrophytes
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 65 , Issue 02 , March 2006 , pp. 232 - 243
Copyright
University of Washington

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