Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coastal environment of the past millennium recorded by a coastal dune in Fujian, China

  • Published:
Journal of Arid Land Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coastal dune is a common aeolian geomorphology in a sandy coast, which records the evolution process of the aeolian landscape system and reflects the complex interaction among land surface, atmosphere and ocean. Coast is a sensitive area to global climate change. Restricted by chronology, most previous researches in China focused only on the cause of formation of coastal dunes. In recent years, the development of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating provides a good method and acts as a carrier for coastal dunes to paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental studies. In this study, we selected an aeolian dune at the Anshan archaeological site, Fujian, China as the research object based on field observations. For determining their sedimentary stages and the primary influencing factors, we used the OSL dating method to construct a chronological framework for the aeolian dune. In addition, the sizes of grains were analyzed for identifying factors influencing the winter monsoon during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA) in this area. The results showed that the deposition of the aeolian dune was closely related to variations in the winter monsoon intensity. The changes of the winter monsoon were similar to the tendency of the East Asian winter monsoon, although there were several sub-fluctuations. From an overall perspective, the winter monsoon was strengthened during the MWP (1050–1300). The results of a power spectrum analysis showed that the intensity of the East Asian winter monsoon is correlated with sunspot activity.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blumer B E, Arbogast A F, Forman S L. 2012. The OSL chronology of aeolian sand deposition in a perched dune field along the northwestern shore of Lower Michigan. Quaternary Research, 77(3): 445–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong G R, Chen H Z, Wang G Y, et al. 1997. The evolution of deserts with climatic changes in China since 150 ka B.P. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 40(4): 370–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong Y X. 2000. Classification of coastal dunes in temperate zone in China. Journal of Desert Research, 20(2): 159–165. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong Y X. 2006. The coastal aeolian geomorphic types and their distribution pattern in China. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology, 26(4): 99–104. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörschner N, Reimann T, Wenske D, et al. 2012. Reconstruction of the Holocene coastal development at Fulong Beach in north-eastern Taiwan using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Quaternary International, 263: 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan X C, Cheng L, Liu G J, et al. 2014. The Anshan sand dunes archaeological sites of Bronze Age in Jinjiang, Fujian. Cultural Relic, 2: 4–16. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk R L, Ward W C. 1957. Brazos river bar: a study in the significance of grain size parameters. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 27(1): 3–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge Q S. 2011. Climate Change of Different Dynasties in China. Beijing: Science Press, 436–440. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge Q S. Zheng J Y, Hao Z X, et al. 2013. General characteristics of climate changes during the past 2000 years in China. Science China Earth Sciences, 56(2): 321–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin I D, Stables M A, Olley J M. 2006. Wave climate, sand budget and shoreline alignment evolution of the Iluka–Woody Bay sand barrier, northern New South Wales, Australia, since 3000 yr BP. Marine Geology, 226(1–2): 127–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan Q Y, Pan B T, Gao H S, et al. 2007. Instability characteristics of the East Asian Monsoon recorded by high-resolution loess sections from the last interglacial (MIS5). Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 50(7): 1067–1075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo T T, Gao W Y, Gao Y, et al. 2010. An analysis of the climate characteristics for Taiwan Strait. Marine Forecasts, 27(1): 53–58. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo Y H, Li B S, Wen X H, et al. 2012. Holocene climate variations on millennium-scale from grain-size record of CGS1 segment in the Badain Jaran Desert, China. Journal of Desert Research, 32(5): 1248–1255. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegerl G C, Crowley T J, Hyde W T, et al. 2006. Climate sensitivity constrained by temperature reconstructions over the past seven centuries. Nature, 440(7087): 1029–1032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu C Y, Henderson G M, Huang J H, et al. 2008. Quantification of Holocene Asian monsoon rainfall from spatially separated cave records. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 266(3–4): 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu F G, Li Z Z, Jin J H, et al. 2012. A primary research on multiphase development pattern of “old red sand” in Jingjiang coast of south east Fujian. Quaternary Sciences, 32(6): 1207–1220. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu F G, Li Z Z, Jin J H, et al. 2013. Coastal environment evolution record from Anshan coastal aeolian sand of Jinjiang, Fujian Province, based on the OSL dating. Acta Geographica Sinica, 68(3): 343–356. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z M, Liang J Y, Liu Z J. 1990. Characteristics of variation in South China climate for the past 500 years. Journal of Tropical Meteorology, 6(4): 332–339. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin J H, Li Z Z, Hu F G, et al. 2015. Mid-Holocene coastal environment and human activities recorded by a coastal dune in Fujian Province, China. Acta Geographica Sinica, 70(5): 751–765. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Z W, Li B S, Wang F N. 2011. A review on the research status of forming mechanism of coastal dunes. Journal of Desert Research, 31(2): 357–366. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Z Z, Ling Z Y, Chen X L, et al. 2010. Late Holocene climate changes revealed by grain-size cycles in Takemukul Desert in Yili of Xinjiang. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 30(4): 613–619. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu H Y, Li L P, Yi S W, et al. 2010. A perspective on deposition and erosion of the sand-loess system in North China. Earth Science Frontiers, 17(5): 336–344. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma S H, Ge F, Chen X G, et al. 2007. The spatial-temporal distribution of maximum instantaneous wind speed and the control of active dunes in Gurbantunggut Desert. Resources Science, 29(4): 46–53. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Man Z M. 2009. Climate Change Research in Chinese History. Jinan: Shandong Education Press, 229–239. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann M E, Jones P D. 2003. Global surface temperatures over the past two millennia. Geophysical Research Letters, 30(15): 1820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mann M E, Cane M A, Zebiak S E, et al. 2005. Volcanic and solar forcing of the tropical Pacific over the past 1000 years. Journal of Climate, 18(3): 447–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray A S, Olley J M. 2002. Precision and accuracy in the optically stimulated luminescence dating of sedimentary quartz: a status review. Geochronometria, 21: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng J, Dong Z B, Han F Q. 2016. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of sandy deposits from Gulang county at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert, China. Journal of Arid Land, 8(1): 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinhilber F, Beer J, Fröhlich C. 2009. Total solar irradiance during the Holocene. Geophysical Research Letters, 36(19): L19704, doi: 10.1029/2009GL040142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun S Q, Sun B M. 1995. The relationship between the anomalous winter monsoon circulation over East Asia and summer drought/flooding in the Yangtze and Huaihe river valley. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 53(4): 440–450. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamura T, Bateman M D, Kodama Y, et al. 2011. Building of shore-oblique transverse dune ridges revealed by ground-penetrating radar and optical dating over the last 500 years on Tottori coast, Japan Sea. Geomorphology, 132(3–4): 153–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S W, Ye J L, Gong D Y. 1998. Climate in China during the Little Ice Age. Quaternary Sciences, 1: 54–64. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S W. 2011. The Holocene Climate Changes. Beijing: China Meteorological Press, 126–176. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S W, Wen X Y, Huang J B. 2012. Will a new grand minimum of solar activity come soon? Progressus Inquisitiones de Mutatione Climatis, 8(2): 154–156. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y J, Cheng H, Edwards R L, et al. 2005. The Holocene Asian monsoon: links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science, 308(5723): 854–857.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wintle A G, Murray A S. 2006. A review of quartz optically stimulated luminescence characteristics and their relevance in single-aliquot re-generation dating protocols. Radiation Measurements, 41(4): 369–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z, Wu K G. 1987. Sedimentary structure and developing model of coastal dunes along the northeastern coast of Hainan Island, China. Acta Geographica Sinica, 42(2): 129–141. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z, Huang S, Hu S Z. 1995. Aeolian Geomorphology Research in South China. Beijing: Science Press, 29–53. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao D, Zhou X J, Zhao P. 2012. Numerical simulation study of temperature change over East China in the past millennium. Science China Earth Sciences, 55(9): 1504–1517.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yancheva G, Nowaczyk N R, Mingram J, et al. 2007. Influence of the intertropical convergence zone on the East Asian monsoon. Nature, 445(7123): 74–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X L, Chen F H, Yuan D X, et al. 2013. Climate change during Little Ice Age with high-resolution stalagmite record in the three-gorges reservoir area. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 33(5): 629–634. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang X P, Scuderi L, Paillou P, et al. 2010. Quaternary environmental changes in the drylands of China—a critical review. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30(23–24): 3219–3233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin Z Q, Ma L H, Han Y B, et al. 2007. Long-term variations of solar activity. Chinese Science Bulletin, 52(20): 2737–2741.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu M T, Lin Z S, Du J L, et al. 2009. Multi-Scale analysis of the Last Millennium climate variations in greenland derived from ice core oxygen isotope. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 31(6): 1037–1042. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu M T, Zhang H Y, Gong Z Q, et al. 2014. The monsoon components in Qingfeng old red sands and their formation epoch, Pingtan Island, Fujian Province. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 34(3): 352–357. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng C S, Chen J C, Wu Y G. 1997. A summary of “old red sand” research in coastal southeast China. Journal of Oceanography in Taiwan Strait, 16(3): 363–370. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W Q, Huang Z G. 2000. The Little Ice Age and its environmental effects in the tropical zone of China. Acta Geographica Sinica, 55(6): 744–750. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao P, Zhou X J, Liu K. 2011. Decadal-centennial-scale change in Asian-Pacific summer thermal contrast and solar activity. Chinese Science Bulletin, 56(28–29): 3012–3018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng J Y, Shao X M, Hao Z X, et al. 2010. An overview of research on climate change in China during the past 2000 years. Geographical Research, 29(9): 1561–1570. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou B T, Zhao P. 2009. Inverse correlation between ancient winter and summer monsoons in East Asia? Chinese Science Bulletin, 54(20): 3760–3767.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou H Y, Guan H Z, Chi B Q. 2007. Record of winter monsoon strength. Nature, 450(7168): E10–E11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X J, Zhao P, Liu G, et al. 2011. Characteristics of decadal-centennial-scale changes in East Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age and in the present day. Chinese Science Bulletin, 56(28): 3003–3011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Jianhui Jin, Zhizhong Li, Feng Jiang, Tao Deng & Fan’gen Hu

  2. Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Resources and Environment, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Jianhui Jin & Zhizhong Li

  3. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Fan’gen Hu

  4. Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China

    Zhiyong Ling

Authors
  1. Jianhui Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhizhong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Feng Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tao Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Fan’gen Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhiyong Ling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jianhui Jin or Zhizhong Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jin, J., Li, Z., Jiang, F. et al. Coastal environment of the past millennium recorded by a coastal dune in Fujian, China. J. Arid Land 8, 707–721 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-016-0053-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-016-0053-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation