Abstract
The loess and desert transitional zone of China responses sensitively to the Asian monsoon fluctuations. A high resolution loess-dust and aeolian sand-paleosols section records the climatic history of the Younger Dryas. Based upon AMS14C dating of pollen concentrates and proxy climate indices including magnetic susceptibilty, organic carbon content and grain size, it is demonstrated that the Asian monsoon climate manifests not only cooling as in other regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but also unusual oscillations in precipitation which were probably associated with atmospheric interactions between both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and atmospheric pressure anomalies of topic Pacific Ocean (ENSO).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lehman, S. J., Keigwen, L. D., Sudden changrs in North Atlantic circulation during the last deglaciation,Nature, 1992, 356(30): 757.
An Zhisheng, Porter, S., Zhou Weijianet al., Episode of strengthened summer monsoon climate of Younger bas age on the Loess Plateau of central China,Quaternary Research, 1993, 39: 45.
Kelts, K., Zau, C. K., Lister, G.et al., Geological fingerprints of climate history: a cooperative study of Qinghai lake. China,Ecologhd Ceol., Helv, 1989, 82: 167.
Gasse, F., Arnold, M., Fontes, J. C.et al., A 13 000 year climate record from western Tibet.Nature, 1991, 353: 742.
Zhou, W. J., Li, X. Q., Dong, G. R.et al., High-resolution records of monsoon climatic oscillations in Eastern Asia at the end of the last glaciation.Science in China (in Chinese), Ser.D, 1996, 26(4): 118.
Sun, D. H., Zhou, J., Jiang, F. C.et al., Preliminary study on the summer monsoon climate of Chinese Loess Plateau during the last interglacial period,Chinese Science Bulletin (in Chinese), 1995, 40(20): 1873.
An, Z. S., Kukla, G., Porter, S. C.et al., Magnetic susceptibility evidence of monsoon variation on the Loess Plateau of central China during the last 130 000 years,Quaternary Research, 1991, 36: 29.
Broecker, W. S., Bond, G., Klas, M., A salt oscillator in the glacial Atlantic?Paleoceanography, 1990, 5: 460.
Broecker, W. S., Denton, G.H., The role of ocean-atmosphere reorganizations in glacial cyclea,Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 1989, 53: 2465.
Porter, S. C., An, Z. S., Correlation between climate events in thr North Atlantic and China during the last glaciation,Nature. 1995. 375: 305.
Chappell, J., Polach, H., Post-glacial sea-level risp from a coral record at Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea.Nature, 1991, 349: 147.
Kutzbach, J. E., Steet-Perrott, F. A., Milankovitch forcing of fluctuations in the level of tropical lakes from 18-0 ky BP,Nature, 1985, 317: 130.
Lau, K. M., Sheu, P. J., Teleconnections in global ralinfall anomalies: seasonal to inter-decadal time scale, inTeleconnections Linking Worldwide Climate Anomalies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1991. 227–255.
Robert, C. T., Qingmin, M., Sea surface temperature of the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean during the Younger Dryas,Quaternary Research, 1996, 46: 72.
Leyden, B., Evidence of the Younger Dryas in Central.America,Quaternary Science Reviews, 1995, 14: 833.
Osbom, G., Clapperton, C., Davic, P.et al., Potential glacial evidence for the Younger Dryas event in the Cordillera of North and South America,Quaternary Science Reviews, 1995, 14: 823.
Deckker, P. D., Correge, T., Head, J., Late Pleistocene record of cyclic eolian activity from tropical Australia suggesting the Younger Dryas is not an unusual climatic event,Geology, 1991, 19: 602.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Zhou, J., Zhou, W., Chen, H. et al. Evidence for Asian summer monsoon precipitation instability of the Younger Dryas phase. Chin. Sci. Bull. 44, 849–852 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885035
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885035