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Evidence of a humid mid-Holocene in the western part of Chinese Loess Plateau

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Field works show that the wetland/swamp layers were distributed ubiquitously in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Universality of the wetland/swampy layer and the consistency of the age reveal that the layer was developed under the humid climatic condition. Dated between 9 and 3.8 kaBP, the wetland/swampy layer is full of aquatic mollusks and has the highest tree and shrub pollen, indicating a humid mid-Holocene. Variations of grain size suggest that winter monsoon weakened during 9-3.8 kaBP while climate change to humid and vegetation cover increased from 9 kaBP onward. After 5.9 kaBP, the humidity declined gradually. In 3.8 kaBP, summer monsoon sharply retreated, and the climate changed to dry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China

    Chengbang An & Zhaodong Feng

  2. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China

    Lingyu Tang

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  1. Chengbang An
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  2. Zhaodong Feng
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  3. Lingyu Tang
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Correspondence to Chengbang An.

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An, C., Feng, Z. & Tang, L. Evidence of a humid mid-Holocene in the western part of Chinese Loess Plateau. Chin.Sci.Bull. 48, 2472–2479 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1360/03wd0042

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/03wd0042

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