Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T01:39:46.639Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Precipitation in the Yellow River drainage basin and East Asian monsoon strength on a decadal time scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2012

Xin Zhou
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment and School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
Liguang Sun*
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment and School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
Wen Huang
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment and School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University NCSU Campus Box 7614, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Wenhan Cheng
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment and School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
Nan Jia
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment and School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
*
Corresponding author. Fax: +86 551 3607 583. Email Address:[email protected]

Abstract

Paleomonsoon strength is difficult to reconstruct. The strength of the East Asian monsoon and precipitation over large areas correlate well on a decadal time scale. Thus, monsoon strength can be reconstructed through proxies of sediments originating from large areas. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of a sediment core from the Northern Yellow Sea Mud. The results showed that sedimentary characteristics are mainly controlled by discharge changes of the Yellow River. The relationships between median grain size (MZ), magnetic susceptibility (MS) and the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of sediments and spatially averaged precipitation around the Yellow River Drainage basin reveal that changes in MZ and MS are correlated with variation in precipitation. The agreement of temporal trends in MZ, MS and the monsoon strength index confirm that spatially averaged precipitation changes in the Yellow River Drainage basin on decadal time scale are driven by the monsoon strength. These characteristics of marine sediments from the Northern Yellow Sea Mud can thus be used as proxies for monsoon strength.

Type
Articles
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1 These authors contributed to the work equally and should be regarded as co-first authors.

References

Appleby, R.G. Chronostratigraphic techniques in recent sediments. Last, W.M., and Smol, J.P. Tracking Environmental Change using Lake Sediments. Basin Analysis, Coring and Chronological Techniques Vol. 1, (2001). Kluwer Academic, 171203.Google Scholar
D'Arrigo, R., Jacoby, G., Wilson, R., and Panagiotopoulos, F. A reconstructed Siberian High index since A.D. 1599 from Eurasian and North American tree rings. Geophysical Research Letters 32, (2005). L05705 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2004GL022271 Google Scholar
Ding, Y., Wang, Z., and Sun, Y. Inter-decadal variation of the summer precipitation in East China and its association with decreasing Asian summer monsoon. Part I: observed evidences. International Journal of Climatology 28, (2008). 11391161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, Q., Cai, J., Shao, X., Sha, W., Guo, Q., Cai, J., Shao, X., and Sha, W. Studies on the variations of East-Asian summer monsoon during AD 1873~2000. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 28, (2004). 206215. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 28, (2004). 206215. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Lean, J. Evolution of the Sun's spectral irradiance since the Maunder Minimum. Geophysical Research Letters 27, (2000). 24252428.Google Scholar
Li, F.Y., Gao, S., Jia, J.J., and Zhao, Y.Y. Contemporary deposition rates of fine-grained sediment in the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 33, (2002). 364369. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Liu, X. Semimentary division in marginal seas of China. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology 16, (1996). 111. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Liu, T., and Ding, Z. Chinese loess and the paleomonsoon. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 26, (1998). 111145.Google Scholar
Liu, J., Zhu, R., Li, S., and Chang, J. Magnetic mineral diagenesis in the post-glacial muddy sediments from the southeastern South Yellow Sea: response to marine environmental changes. Science in China (Series D) 48, (2005). 134144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, J., Qin, H., Kong, X., and Li, J. Comparative researches on the magnetic properties of muddy sediments from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea shelves and the Korea Strait. Quaternary Sciences 27, (2007). 10311039. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Liu, S., Shi, X., Liu, Y., Qiao, S., Yang, G., Fang, X., Wu, Y., Li, C., Li, X., Zhu, A., and Gao, J. Records of the East Asian winter monsoon from the mud area on the inner shelf of the East China Sea since the mid-Holocene. Chinese Science Bulletin 55, (2010). 23062314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, M., Zhang, W., Shi, Y., Yu, L., and Zheng, X. Vertical variations of metals and nutrients in sediments from northern Taihu Lake and the influencing factors. Journal of LakeSciences 15, (2003). 213220. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Luo, C., and Le, J. Floods in China. (1996). Chinese Bookstore, Beijing, China. In Chinese Google Scholar
Peng, S., and Guo, Z. Geochemical indicator of original eolian grain size and the implications on winter monsoon evolution. Science in China (Series D) 44, Suppl. (2001). 261266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qi, J., Li, F., Song, J., Gao, S., Wang, G., and Cheng, P. Sedimentation rate and flux of the North Yellow Sea. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology 24, (2004). 914. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Qiao, S., Yang, Z., Liu, J., Sun, X., Xiang, R., Shi, X., Fan, D., and Saito, Y. Records of late-Holocene East Asian winter monsoon in the East China Sea: key grain-size component of quartz versus bulk sediments. Quaternary International 230, (2011). 106114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tan, M. Circulation effect: Climate significance of the short term variability of the oxygen isotopes in stalagmites from monsoonal China—dialogue between paleoclimate records and modern climate research. Quaternary Sciences 29, (2009). 851862. (in Chinese with English Abstr) Google Scholar
Tan, L., Cai, Y., An, Z., Edwards, R.L., Cheng, H., Shen, C., and Zhang, H. Centennial- to decadal-scale monsoon precipitation variability in the semi-humid region, northern China during the last 1860 yr: records from stalagmites in Huangye Cave. The Holocene 21, (2011). 287296.Google Scholar
Wang, W., Liu, J., Peng, P., Lu, H., Gu, Z., Chu, G., Negendank, J., Luo, X., and Mingram, J. The two-step monsoon changes of the last deglaciation recorded in tropical Maar Lake Huguangyan, southern China. Chinese Science Bulletin 45, (2000). 15291532.Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., He, Y., Kong, X., An, Z., Wu, J., Kelly, M.J., Dykoski, C.A., and Li, X. The Holocene Asian Monsoon: links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science 308, (2005). 854857.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiang, R., Yang, Z., Saito, Y., Guo, Z., Fan, D., Li, Y., Xiao, S., Shi, X., and Chen, M. East Asia Winter Monsoon changes inferred from environmentally sensitive grain-size component records during the last 2300 yr in mud area southwest off Cheju Island, ECS. Science in China: Series D Earth Sciences 49, (2006). 604614.Google Scholar
Xiao, S., Li, A., Jiang, F., Li, T., Huang, P., and Xu, Z. Recent 2000-yr geological records of mud in the inner shelf of the East China Sea and their climatic implications. Chinese Science Bulletin 50, (2005). 466471.Google Scholar
Xiao, S., Li, A., Liu, J.P., Chen, M., Xie, Q., Jiang, F., Li, T., Xiang, R., and Chen, Z. Coherence between solar activity and the East Asian winter monsoon variability in the past 8000 yr from Yangtze River-derived mud in the East China Sea. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 237, (2006). 293304.Google Scholar
Yang, Z., and Chen, X. Centurial high resolution records of sediment grain-size variation in the mud area off the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and its influencial factors. Quaternary Sciences 27, (2007). 690699. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Yuan, D., and Hsueh, Y. Dynamics of the cross-shelf circulation in the Yellow and East China Seas in winter. Deep-Sea Research II 57, (2010). 17451761.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, P., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Chen, F., Wang, Y., Yang, X., Liu, J., Tan, M., Wang, X., Liu, J., An, C., Dai, Z., Zhou, J., Zhang, D., Jia, J., Jin, L., and Johnson, K.R. A test of climate, sun, and culture relationships from an 1810-yr Chinese cave record. Science 322, (2008). 940942.Google Scholar
Zhang, J., Chen, F., Holmes, J.A., Li, H., Guo, X., Wang, J., Li, S., Lu, Y., Zhao, Y., and Qiang, M. Holocene monsoon climate documented by oxygen and carbon isotopes from lake sediments and peat bogs in China: a review and synthesis. Quaternary Science Reviews 30, (2011). 19731987.Google Scholar
Zheng, J., Wang, W.-C., Ge, Q., Man, Z., and Zhang, P. Precipitation variability and extreme events in eastern China during the past 1500 yr. Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 17, (2006). 579592.Google Scholar
Zhou, X. Asian monsoon precipitation changes and the Holocene methane anomaly. The Holocene 22, (2011). 731738.Google Scholar
Zhou, L.P., Oldfield, F., Wintle, A.G., Robinson, S.G., and Wang, J.T. Partly pedogenic origin of magnetic variations in Chinese loess. Nature 346, (1991). 737739.Google Scholar