Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T07:13:03.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Variation of the winter mid-latitude Westerlies in the Northern Hemisphere during the Holocene revealed by aeolian deposits in the southern Tibetan Plateau

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2021

Fuyuan Gao Open the ORCID record for Fuyuan Gao [Opens in a new window] ,
Junhuai Yang ,
Shuyuan Wang ,
Youjun Wang ,
Kaiming Li ,
Fei Wang ,
Zhiyong Ling  and
Dunsheng Xia
Fuyuan Gao*
Affiliation:
College of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou, 730070, China School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
Junhuai Yang
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Shuyuan Wang
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Youjun Wang
Affiliation:
College of Tourism and Environmental Resource, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, 277160, China
Kaiming Li
Affiliation:
College of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
Fei Wang
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Zhiyong Ling
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
Dunsheng Xia*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
*
*Corresponding authors. email addresses: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
*Corresponding authors. email addresses: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The mid-latitude Westerlies (MLW) are one of the most important atmospheric circulation systems in the Northern Hemisphere, exerting a huge influence on the climate of the region downwind, and thus on vegetation, water resources, and human wellbeing. However, the seasonal variation of the MLW during the Holocene is not yet been fully understood, especially when its contribution is the most important. Here, we used end-member (EM) modeling analysis of the grain-size distributions of a high-altitude aeolian sedimentary sequence (4452 m a.s.l.) from the Yarlung Zangbo River valley in the southern Tibetan Plateau to reveal variations in the winter MLW during the Holocene. Analysis of seasonal differences in modern atmospheric circulation suggests that the southern Tibetan Plateau was heavily influenced by the mid-latitude Westerlies at the 400, 500, and 600 hPa levels in winter, while it was seldom influenced at these levels in summer. Four grain-size end-members are identified, representing distinct aerodynamic environments, of which EM1 (modal grain size 8.1 μm) can be used as a proxy of the winter MLW. A reconstruction of the variation of the winter MLW during the Holocene based on EM1 revealed that a weaker winter MLW occurred during the Early to Middle Holocene, and a stronger winter MLW during the Middle to Late Holocene. Overall, we suggest that this change in the winter MLW was closely related to the insolation/temperature/pressure gradient between low and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.

Keywords

HoloceneClimate changeMid-latitude WesterliesEnd-member analysisGrain sizeAeolian sedimentary sequenceYarlung Zangbo River
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 107 , May 2022 , pp. 104 - 112
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2021

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.)

References

REFERENCES

An, C.B.., Lu, Y.B., Zhao, J.J., Tao, S.C., Dong, W.M., Li, H., Jin, M., Wang, Z.L., 2012. A high-resolution record of Holocene environmental and climatic changes from Lake Balikun (Xinjiang, China): Implications for central Asia. The Holocene 22, 43–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, F.H., Jia, J., Chen, J.H., Li, G.Q., Zhang, X.J., Xie, H.C., Xia, D.S., Huang, W., An, C.B., 2016. A persistent Holocene wetting trend in arid central Asia, with wettest conditions in the Late Holocene, revealed by multi-proxy analyses of loess-paleosol sequences in Xinjiang, China. Quaternary Science Reviews 146, 134–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, F.H., Chen, J.H., Huang, W., Chen, S.Q., Huang, X.Z., Jin, L.Y., Jia, J., et al. , 2019. Westerlies Asia and monsoonal Asia: spatiotemporal differences in climate change and possible mechanisms on decadal to sub-orbital timescales. Earth-Science Reviews 192, 337–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duan, F.T., An, C.B., Wang, W., Herzschuh, U., Zhang, M., Zhang, H.X., Liu, Y., Zhao, Y.T., Li, G.Q., 2020. Dating of a late Quaternary loess section from the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (Xinjiang, China) and its paleoenvironmental significance. Quaternary International 544, 104–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enzel, Y., Amit, R., Crouvi, O., Porat, N., 2010. Abrasion-derived sediments under intensified winds at the latest Pleistocene leading edge of the advancing Sinai-Negev erg. Quaternary Research 74, 121–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleitmann, D., Burns, S.J., Mangini, A., Mudelsee, M., Kramers, J., Villa, I., Neff, U., et al. , 2007. Holocene ITCZ and Indian monsoon dynamics recorded in stalagmites from Oman and Yemen (Socotra). Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 170–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, F.Y., Jia, J., Xia, D.S., Lu, C.C., Lu, H., Wang, Y.J., Liu, H., Ma, Y.P., Li, K.M., 2019. Asynchronous Holocene Climate Optimum across mid-latitude Asia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 518, 206–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hou, J.Z., D'Andrea, W.J., Wang, M.D., He, Y., Liang, J., 2017. Influence of the Indian monsoon and the subtropical jet on climate change on the Tibetan Plateau since the late Pleistocene. Quaternary Science Reviews 163, 84–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jia, J., Liu, H., Gao, F.Y., Xia, D.S., 2018. Variations in the Westerlies in Central Asia since 16 ka recorded by a loess section from the Tienshan Mountains. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 504, 156–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jin, L.Y., Schneider, B., Park, W., Latif, M., Khon, V., Zhang, X.J., 2014. The spatial-temporal patterns of Asian summer monsoon precipitation in response to Holocene insolation change: a model-data synthesis. Quaternary Science Reviews 85, 47–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karger, D.N., Conrad, O., Bohner, J., Kawohl, T., Kreft, H., Soriaauza, R.W., Zimmermann, N.E., Linder, H.P., Kessler, M., 2017. Climatologies at high resolution for the Earth's land surface areas. Scientific Data 4, 170122. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kumar, O., Ramanathan, A.L., Bakke, J., Kotlia, B.S., Shrivastava, J.P., Kumar, P., Sharma, R., Kumar, P., 2021. Role of Indian Summer Monsoon and Westerlies on glacier variability in the Himalaya and East Africa during Late Quaternary: Review and new data. Earth-Science Reviews 212, 103431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, S.J., Ding, Y.H., Zhao, N., Sun, Y., 2014. Analysis of the interdecadal changes of the wintertime surface air temperature over mainland China and regional atmospheric circulation characteristics during 1960–2013. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 38, 974–992. [in Chinese]Google Scholar
Ling, Z.Y., Jin, J.H., Wu, D., Liu, X.J., Xia, D.S., Chen, F.H., 2019. Aeolian sediments and their paleoenvironmental implication in the Yarlung Zangbo catchment (southern Tibet, China) since MIS3. Acta Geographica Sinica 74, 2385–2400. [in Chinese]Google Scholar
Ling, Z.Y., Yang, X.Y., Wang, Y.X., Wang, Y.R., Jin, J.H., Zhang, D.J., Chen, F.H., 2020. OSL chronology of the Liena archeological site in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley throws new light on human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau. The Holocene 30, 1043–1052.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, H., Shen, J., Chen, J., Tsukamoto, S., Yang, L.H., Cheng, H.Y., Frechen, M., 2017. Holocene moisture variations over the arid central Asia revealed by a comprehensive sand-dune record from the central Tian Shan, NW China. Quaternary Science Reviews 174, 13–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H.Y., An, Z.S., 1998. Pretreatment methods in loess-paleosol granulometry. Chinese Science Bulletin 43, 237–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLennan, S.M., 1993. Weathering and global denudation. The Journal of Geology 101, 295–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pye, K., 1987. Aeolian Dust and Dust Deposits. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Pye, K., 1995. The nature, origin and accumulation of loess. Quaternary Science Reviews 14, 653–667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiemann, R, Lüthi, D, Schär, C., 2009. Seasonality and interannual variability of the Westerly Jet in the Tibetan Plateau region. Journal of Climate 22, 2940–2957.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shen, W.S., Li, H.D., Sun, M., Jiang, J., 2012. Dynamics of aeolian sandy land in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin of Tibet, China from 1975 to 2008. Global and Planetary Change 86–87, 37–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Song, Y.G., Yang, S.L., Nie, J.S., Zan, J.B. Song, C.H., 2021. Preface (volume I): Quaternary paleoenvironmental changes in Central Asia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 568, 110319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, J.M., 2002. Source regions and formation of the loess sediments on the high mountain regions of northwestern China. Quaternary Research 58, 341–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, Z., Yuan, K., Hou, X.H., Ji, K.J., Li, C.G., Wang, M.D., Hou, J.Z., 2020. Centennial-scale interplay between the Indian Summer Monsoon and the Westerlies revealed from Ngamring Co, southern Tibetan Plateau. The Holocene 30, 1163–1173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tian, L.D., Yao, T.D., White, J.W., Yu, W.S., Wang, N.L., 2005. Westerly moisture transport to the middle of Himalayas revealed from the high deuterium excess. Chinese Science Bulletin 50, 1026–1031.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., 2013. Grain size of fine-grained windblown sediment: a powerful proxy for process identification. Earth-Science Reviews 121, 18–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, L.B., Jia, J., Zhao, H., Liu, H., Duan, Y.W., Xie, H.C., Zhang, D.D., Chen, F.H., 2019. Optical dating of Holocene paleosol development and climate changes in the Yili Basin, arid central Asia. The Holocene 29, 1068–1077.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, W., Feng, Z. D., Ran, M., Zhang, C. J., 2013. Holocene climate and vegetation changes inferred from pollen records of Lake Aibi, northern Xinjiang, China: A potential contribution to understanding of Holocene climate pattern in East-central Asia. Quaternary International 311, 54–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, Y., Cheng, H., Edwards, R L., He, Y.Q., Kong, X.G., An, Z.S., Wu, J.Y., Kelly, M.J., Dykoski, C.A., Li, X.D., 2005. The Holocene Asian Monsoon: links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science 308, 854–857.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, J.H., Xia, D.S., Gao, F.Y., Wang, S.Y., Chen, Z.X., Jia, J., Yang, S.L., Ling, Z.Y., 2020a. Aeolian deposits in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin, southern Tibetan Plateau: A brief review. Advances in Earth Science 35, 863–877. [in Chinese]Google Scholar
Yang, J.H., Xia, D.S., Wang, S.Y., Tian, W.D., Ma, X.Y., Chen, Z.X., Gao, F.Y., Ling, Z.Y., Dong, Z.B., 2020b. Near-surface wind environment in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin, southern Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Arid Land 12, 917–936.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, J.H., Xia, D.S., Gao, F.Y., Wang, S.Y., Li, D.X., Fan, Y.J., Chen, Z.X., et al. , 2021. Holocene moisture evolution and its response to atmospheric circulation recorded by aeolian deposits in the southern Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary Science Reviews 270, 107169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Gao et al. supplementary material

Gao et al. supplementary material

Download Gao et al. supplementary material(File)
File 22 KB