Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical simulation of influence of Tibetan Plateau uplift on winter dust cycle in Asian arid regions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

While it is now generally believed that the source of Chinese Loess Plateau deposit is the deserts in northern China and Mongolia (CM), the source for the dust deposit in eastern China and neighboring seas are still under debate. Using the dust-coupled CAM5 this study simulates responses of Asian dust cycle under varying Tibetan Plateau (TP) heights. Dust activities originated from central Asia (CA: 50–70°E, 35–50°N) and northern China-southern Mongolia (CM: 85–110°E, 35–45°N) under full TP (TP), medium TP (mTP) and no TP (nTP) are analyzed. Results show that as TP uplifts stepwise, the dust mass concentration in CA weakens slightly from 78 (nTP) to 74 (mTP) to 69 μg/kg (TP), whereas that in CM strengthens noticeably from 10 to 22 to 37 μg/kg correspondingly, more than tripled. These opposite and disparate responses between CA and CM dust concentration are likely because TP uplifting blocks mid-latitude winter westerly, reducing the emission in CA region, whereas the TP uplift enhances Siberia High Pressure thereby drying the soil and promoting dust emission. Further experiments with and without CA and CM sources under contemporary TP terrain indicate that CA source mainly affects local dust concentration and East Asia mid-high latitudes, but CM source contributes to dust in mid-low latitudes extending to as far as northwestern Pacific. Turning off the CM source reduces mid-low latitude concentration by up to 70 %, implying the key role that Cenozoic TP uplifting in the CM source formation and dust load in Asia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albani S, Mahowald NM, Perry AT, Scanza RA, Zender CS, Heavens NG, Maggi V, Kok JF, Otto-Bliesner BL (2014) Improved dust representation in the community atmosphere model. J Adv Model Earth Syst 6:541–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • An ZS (2000) The history and variability of the East Asian paleomonsoon climate. Quat Sci Rev 19:171–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • An ZS, Kutzbach JE, Prell WL, Porter SC (2001) Evolution of Asian monsoons and phased uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau since Late Miocene times. Nature 411:62–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • An ZS, Colman SM, Zhou WJ, Li XQ, Brown ET, Timothy Jull AJ, Cai YJ, Huang YS, Lu XF, Chang H, Song YG, Sun YB, Xu H, Liu WG, Jin ZD, Liu XD, Cheng P, Liu Y, Ai L, Li XZ, Liu XJ, Yan LB, Shi ZG, Wang XL, Wu F, Qiang XK, Dong JB, Lu FY, Xu XW (2012) Interplay between the westerlies and Asian monsoon recorded in lake Qinghai sediments since 32 ka. Sci Rep 2:619. doi:10.1038/srep00619

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreae MO (1995) Climate effects of changing atmospheric aerosol levels. World Surv Climatol 16:347–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonan GB, Oleson KW, Vertenstein M, Levis S, Zeng X, Dai Y, Dickinson RE, Yang ZL (2002) The land surface climatology of the community land model coupled to the NCAR community climate model. J Climate 15:3123–3149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding ZL, Xiong SF, Sun JM, Yang SL, Gu ZY, Liu TS (1999) Pedostratigraphy and paleomagnetism of a similar to 7.0 Ma eolian loess-red clay sequence at Lingtai, Loess Plateau, north-central China and the implications for paleomonsoon evolution. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 152:49–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge JY, Dai Y, Zhang ZS, Zhao D, Li Q, Zhang Y, Yi L, Wu HB (2013) Major changes in East Asian climate in the mid-Pliocene: triggered by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau or global cooling? J Asian Earth Sci 69:48–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gent PR, Yeager SG, Neale RB, Levis S, Bailey DA (2009) Improvements in a half degree atmosphere/land version of the CCSM. Clim Dynam 79:25–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillette DA, Passi R (1988) Modeling dust emission caused by wind erosion. J Geophys Res 93:14233–14242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo ZT, Ruddiman WF, Hao QZ, Wu HB, Qiao YS, Zhu RX, Peng SZ, Wei JJ, Yuan BY, Liu TS (2002) Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China. Nature 416:159–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo ZT, Sun B, Zhang ZS (2008) A major reorganization of Asian climate regime by the early Miocene. Clim Past 4:153–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta SM (2010) Indian monsoon cycles through the last 12 million years. Earth Sci India 3:248–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Hulben EB, Eck TF, Slutsker I, Tanre D, Buis JP, Setzer A, Vermote E, Reagan JA, Kaufman YJ, Nkajima T, Lavenu F, Jankowiak I, Smirnov A (1998) AERONET—a federated instrument network and data archive for aerosol characterization. Remote Sens Environ 66:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iversen JD, White BR (1982) Saltation threshold on earth, mars, and venus. Sedimentology 29:111–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamitsu M, Ebisuzaki W, Woollen J, Yang SK, Hnilo JJ, Fiorino M, Potter GL (2002) NCEP-DOE AMIP-II reanalysis (R-2). Bull Am Meteor Soc 83:1631–1643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levis S, Bonan G, Kluzek E, Thornton P, Jones A, Sacks W, Kucharik C (2012) Interactive crop management in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1): seasonal influences on land-atmosphere fluxes. J Climate 25:4839–4859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li XZ, Liu XD (2007) Numerical experiments on the effects of deserts and semi-deserts in northwestern China on the airborne dust loading over East Asia. J Grad School Chin Acad Sci 24:630–635 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu TS, Ding ZL (1998) Chinese loess and the paleomonsoon. Ann Rev Earth PL SC 26:111–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu XD, Dong BW (2013) Influence of the Tibetan Plateau uplift on the Asian monsoon-arid environment evolution. Chin Sci Bull 58(34):4277–4291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu XD, Yin ZY (2002) Sensitivity of East Asian monsoon climate to the Tibetan Plateau uplift. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclim Palaeoecol 22(9):1075–1089

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu TS, Zheng MP, Guo ZT (1998) Initiation and evolution of the Asian monsoon system timely coupled with the ice-sheet growth and the tectonic movements in Asia. Chin Quat Sci 3:194–204 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Easter RC, Ghan SJ (2012) Toward a minimal representation of aerosols in climate models: description and evaluation in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5. Geosci Model Dev 5:709–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu HY, Wang X, Li L (2010) Aeolian sediment evidence that global cooling has driven late Cenozoic stepwise aridification in central Asia. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 342:29–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahowald NM, Muhs DR, Levis S, Rasch PJ, Yoshioka M, Zender CS, Luo C (2006) Change in atmospheric mineral aerosols in response to climate: last glacial period, preindustrial, modern, and doubled carbon dioxide climates. J Geophys Res 111:D10202. doi:10.1029/2005JD006653

    Google Scholar 

  • Martonchik JV, Diner DJ, Kahn R, Gaitley B, Holben BN (2004) Comparison of MISR and AERONET aerosol optical depths over desert sites. Geophys Res Lett 31:L16102. doi:10.1029/2004GL019807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meehl GA, Washington WM, Santer BD, Collins WD, Arblaster JM, Hu A, Lawrence DM, Teng H, Buja LE, Strand WG (2006) Climate change projections for the 21st century and climate change commitment in the CCSM3. J Climate 19:2597–2616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miao YF, Herrmann M, Wu FL, Yan XL, Yang SL (2012) What controlled Mid-Late Miocene long-term aridification in Central Asia?—Global cooling or Tibetan Plateau uplift: a review. Earth Sci Rev 112:155–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neale RB, Chen CC, Gettelman A, Lauritzen PH, Park S, Williamson DL, Conley AJ, Garcia R, Kinnison D, Lamarque JF, Marsh D, Mills M, Smith AK, Tilmes S, Vitt F, Cameron-Smith P, Collins WD, Iacono MJ, Rasch PJ, Taylor M (2010) Description of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5.0). NCAR Technical Note NCAR/TN-XXX + STR, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado. http://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models/cesm1.0/cam/

  • Okin G (2008) A new model of wind erosion in the presence of vegetation. J Geophys Res Earth Surf 113:10.1029/2007JF000758

    Google Scholar 

  • Prasad AK, Singh RP (2007) Comparison of MISR-MODIS aerosol optical depth over the Indo-Gangetic basin during the winter and summer seasons (2000–2005). Remote Sens Environ 107(1–2):109–119. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.09.026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qi YL, Ge JM, Huang JP (2013) Spatial and temporal distribution of MODIS and MISR aerosol optical depth over northern China and comparison with AERONET. Chin Sci Bull 58:2497–2506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiang XK, An ZS, Song YG, Chang H, Sun YB, Liu WG, Ao H, Dong JB, Fu CF, Wu F, Lu FY, Cai YJ, Zhou WJ, Cao JJ, Xu XW, Ai L (2011) New eolian red clay sequence on the western Chinese loess plateau linked to onset of Asian desertification about 25 Ma ago. Sci China Earth Sci 54:136–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi ZG, Liu XD (2011) Distinguishing the provenance of fine-grained eolian dust over the Chinese Loess Plateau from a modeling perspective. Tellus B 63(5):959–970. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0889.2011.00561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi ZG, Liu XD, An ZS, Yi BQ, Yang P, Mahowald N (2011) Simulated variations of eolian dust from inner Asian deserts at the mid-Pliocene, last glacial maximum, and present day: contributions from the regional tectonic uplift and global climate change. Clim Dynam 37:2289–2301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun JM (2002) Provenance of loess material and formation of loess deposits on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth Planet Sci Lett 203:845–859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun DH, Shaw J, An ZS, Cheng MY, Yue LP (1998) Magnetostratigraphy and paleoclimatic interpretation of a continuous 7.2 Ma Late Cenozoic eolian sediments from the Chinese loess plateau. Geophys Res Lett 25:85–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun YB, Clemens SC, An ZS, Yu ZW (2006) Astronomical timescale and palaeoclimatic implication of stacked 3.6-Myr monsoon records from the Chinese loess plateau. Quat Sci Rev 25:33–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun DH, Su RX, Bloemendal J, Lu HY (2008) Grain-size and accumulation rate records from Late Cenozoic aeolian sequences in northern China: implications for variations in the East Asian winter monsoon and westerly atmospheric circulation. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 264(1–2):39–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun JM, Ye J, Wu WY, Ni XJ, Bi SD, Zhang ZQ, Liu WM, Meng J (2010) Late Oligocene–Miocene mid-latitude aridification and wind patterns in the Asian interior. Geology 38:515–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun H, Pan ZT, Liu XD (2012a) Numerical simulation of spatial-temporal distribution of dust aerosol and its direct radiative effects on East Asian climate. J Geophys Res 117:D13206. doi:10.1029/2011JD017219

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun YB, Clemens SC, Morrill C, Lin XP, Wang XL, An ZS (2012b) Influence of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation on the East Asian winter monsoon. Nat Geosci 5:46–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang ZH, Ding ZL, White PD, Dong XX, Ji JL, Jiang HC, Luo P, Wang X (2011) Late Cenozoic central Asian drying inferred from a palynological record from the northern Tian Shan. Earth Planet Sci Lett 302:439–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uno I, Eguchi E, Yunmimoto K, Takemura T, Shimizu A, Uematsu M, Liu Z, Hara Y, Sugimoto N (2009) Asian dust transported one full circuit around the globe. Nat Geosci 2:557–560. doi:10.1038/NGEO1583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang PX (1990) Neogene stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclim Palaeoecol 77:315–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, Yue LP, Li JX (2012) Red clay deposits on the Chinese Loess Plateau during 11.0–2.6 Ma and its implications for long-term evolution of East Asian monsoon. Environ Earth Sci 66:2021–2030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshioka M, Mahowald N, Conley A, Collins W, Fillmore D, Coleman D (2007) Impact of desert dust radiative forcing on Sahel precipitation: relative importance of dust compared to sea surface temperature variations, vegetation changes and greenhouse gas warming. J Climate 20:1445–1467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zender CS, Bian H, Newman D (2003) Mineral Dust Entrainment and Deposition (DEAD) Model: description and 1990s dust climatology. J Geophys Res 108(D14):4416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XY, Arimoto R, An ZS (1997) Dust emission from Chinese desert sources linked to variations in atmospheric circulation. J Geophys Res 102:28041–28047

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang DF, Zakey AS, Gao XJ, Giorgi G, Solmon F (2009) Simulation of dust aerosol and its regional feedbacks over East Asia using a regional climate model. Atmos Chem Phy 9:1095–1110. doi:10.5194/acp-9-1095-2009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R, Jiang DB, Liu XD, Tian ZP (2012) Modeling the climate effects of different subregional uplifts within the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau on Asian summer monsoon evolution. Chin Sci Bull 57:4617–4626

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB03020601) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers: 41472162, 41290255, and 41475085). The constructive and insightful comments from the two anonymous reviewers are highly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, China

    Xinzhou Li & Xiaodong Liu

  2. CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, China

    Xinzhou Li & Xiaodong Liu

  3. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, 3642 Lindell, St. Louis, MO, 63026, USA

    Zaitao Pan

Authors
  1. Xinzhou Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zaitao Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaodong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zaitao Pan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, X., Pan, Z. & Liu, X. Numerical simulation of influence of Tibetan Plateau uplift on winter dust cycle in Asian arid regions. Environ Earth Sci 75, 601 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5403-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5403-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation