Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T23:19:48.938Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmental and Climatic Change as Recorded in Geological Sediments from the Arid to Semi-Arid Zone of China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Weijian Zhou ,
Wu Zhengkun ,
A J T Jull ,
G Burr ,
D D Donahue ,
Li Baosheng  and
J Head
Weijian Zhou*
Affiliation:
State key laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 17, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
Wu Zhengkun
Affiliation:
State key laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 17, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
A J T Jull
Affiliation:
NSF-AMS Facility, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
G Burr
Affiliation:
NSF-AMS Facility, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
D D Donahue
Affiliation:
NSF-AMS Facility, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
Li Baosheng
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Normal University of South China, Guangzhou 510631, China
J Head
Affiliation:
State key laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 17, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China School of Geosciences, University of Wollongong, North Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
*
Corresponding author. Email: weijian@llqg.ac.cn.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Stratigraphic investigations together with climatic proxy data measurements and reliable radiocarbon dating show a history of fluctuations of dry and wet environmental conditions in the arid to semi-arid zone of northern China since the late Pleistocene. Based on these data, we are able to reconstruct shifts of the desert margin in two period extremes, the last glacial maximum (21–15 ka) and the Holocene Optimum (9–5 ka). We have compared the present desert margin with that for the two extremes. The results indicate that a southward shift of the present margin of about 3 degrees in latitude might be caused by anthropogenic impact. Hence the influence of human activity must be taken into consideration for sustainable development and environment protection. Future research will be to find a two-way feedback existing between climate and anthropogenic impacts.

Type
I. Our ‘Dry’ Environment: Above Sea Level
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 43 , Issue 2B: Proceedings of the 17th International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 2 of 3), Conference Editors: Israel Carmi, Elisabetta Boaretto , 2001 , pp. 619 - 627
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

An, ZS, Kukla, GJ, Porter, SC, and Xiao, J. 1991. Magnetic susceptibility evidence of monsoon variation on the Loess Plateau of central China during the last 130,000 years. Quaternary Research 36:29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
An, ZS, Wu, XH, Lu, YC, Zhang, DR, Sun, XJ and Dong, GR 1992. Study on environment change in China since 20,000 years. Number 2. Science Press. p 1–26.Google Scholar
An, ZS, 2000. The history and variability of the East Asian paleomonsoon climate. Quaternary Science Review 19(1–5):171–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
An, ZM. 1987. The Neolithic age in western China. Archaeology Bulletin 2:133–51.Google Scholar
Alley, RB, Mayewski, PA, Sowers, T, Stuiver, M, Taylor, KC, Clark, TU. 1997. Holocene climate instability: a prominent, widespread event 8200 years ago. Geology 25:483–6.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, Z. 1986. History of the population of Shaanxi Province. Xi'an: San Qin Press. p 28–31.Google Scholar
Beck, JW, Gagan, M., Tudhope, S, Récy, J, Taylor, F, Edwards, RL, Cabioch, G. 1998. Abrupt changes in early Holocene tropical sea surface temperature from coral Sr/Ca, U/Ca and 18O thermometry. In: Matsumoto, E, editor. Proceedings of the third international marine science symposium. Tokyo: Japan Marine Science Foundation. p 40–9.Google Scholar
Dong, GR, Chen, HZ, Wang, GR, Li, XZ, Shao, YJ, Jing, J. 1995. The evolution of desert and sandy land in North China and their climatic change in the last 150ka. Science in China (B) 25:1303–12.Google Scholar
Du, NQ, Kong, ZC, Shan, FS. 1989. Spore pollen analysis from Lake Qing Hai core QH85-14C and the discussion of its paleoclimate and environment. Acta Botanic Sinica 31:803–14.Google Scholar
El-Moslimany, AR 1990. Ecological significance of commom nonarboreal pollen: examples from drylands of the Middle East. Review of Paleobotany and Palynology 64:343–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, Y. 1962. Maximum summer monsoon frequency – Problems related to the East Asian Monsoon. Beijing: Science Press. p 51–9.Google Scholar
member, GRIP 1993. Climate instability during the interglacial period recorded in GRIP ice core. Nature 364: 203–7.Google Scholar
Hakansson, S. 1985. A review of various factors influencing the stable carbon isotope ratio of organic lake sediments by the change from glacial to post glacial environmental conditions. Quaternary Science Review 4: 135–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Head, MJ, Zhou, WJ, Zhou, MF. 1989 Evaluation of the 14C ages of organic fractions from loess paleosol sequences near Xian China. Radiocarbon 31(3):680–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurrell, JW. 1995. Decadal trends in the North Atlantic oscillation: regional temperatures and precipitation. Science 269:676–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, Q. 1985. Study on ecological-economic problems. Shanghai: People's Press. p 193–209.Google Scholar
Maher, BA, Thompson, R. 1991. Mineral magnetic record of the Chinese loess and palaeosol. Geology 19:3–6.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[RCNRE] Research Center of Natural Resources and Environment in Western China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1994. The evolution of recent environment of Lake Qinghai and prediction. Beijing: Science Press. p 225–39.Google Scholar
Slota, PJ Jr, Jull, AJT, Linick, TW, Toolin, LJ. 1987. Preparation of small samples for 14C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO. Radiocarbon 29(2):303–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M, Reimer, B, Braziunas, T. 1998. High-precision radiocarbon age calibration for terrestrial and marine samples. Radiocarbon 40(3): 1127–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, SM, Ji, L. 1995. Lake Hulun: study on paleolimnology. Hefei. University of Science and Technology Press, China. p 87–93.Google Scholar
Wang, PX. 1995. The role of the West Pacific marginal seas in glacial aridification of China. Quaternary Sciences 1:32–42.Google Scholar
Wang, SY. 1985. Transition of agriculture and animal husbandry on the Ordos Plateau during historical periods and its influence on the natural environment. Historical Geography 5:11–24.Google Scholar
Wei, LY, Peng, G, Yan, FH, Yi, JH, Lu, YC, Liu, RM. 1997. The preliminary study of last deglaciation climate and environment change in Beijing. Quaternary Sciences 2:183–91.Google Scholar
Woodruff, S, Slutz, R, Jenne, R, Steurer, R. 1987. A comprehensive ocean-atmosphere data set. Journal of the American Meteorological Society 68:1239–50.Google Scholar
Wu, B, Ci, LJ. 1998. The developing situation and expanding causes of desertification in Mu Us sandy land since the 1950's. Quaternary Sciences 2:165–72.Google Scholar
Yie, DZ. 1992. Prestudy of global change in China. Beijing: Meteorological Press. p 1–18.Google Scholar
Zhou, WJ, Donahue, DJ, Porter, SC, Jull, AJT, Li, XQ, Stuiver, M, An, ZS, Matsumoto, E, Dong, GR. 1996. Variability of monsoon climate in East Asia at the end of the last glaciation. Quaternary Research 46:219–29.Google Scholar
Zhou, WJ, Head, MJ, Lu, XF, An, ZS, Jull, AJT, Donahue, DD. 1999. Teleconnection of climatic events between East Asia and polar, high latitude areas during the last deglaciation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 152:163–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhou, WJ, Donahue, D, Jull, AJT. 1997. Radiocarbon AMS dating of pollen concentrated from eolian sediments: implications for monsoon climate change since the late Quaternary. Radiocarbon 39(1): 19–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhou, WJ, An, ZS, Jull, AJT, Donahue, DJ, Head, MJ. 1998. Reappraisal of Chinese Loess Plateau stratigraphic sequences over the last 30,000 years. Radiocarbon 40(2):905–13.Google Scholar
Zhou, WJ, An, ZS, Head, MJ. 1994. Stratigraphic division of Holocene loess in China. Radiocarbon 36(1):37–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, ZD, Wang, T. 1992. The theory and practice of Chinese desert research. Quaternary Sciences 5: 97–106.Google Scholar
Zhu, ZD, Liu, S, Wu, Z, Di, XM. 1986. Desert in China. Lanzhou Institute of Desert Research, Academia Sinica Press. p 1–80.Google Scholar