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Southwest monsoon changes indicated by oxygen isotope of ostracode shells from sediments in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

The δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sediments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake can be used as a better proxy to reflect monsoon changes. Low monsoon precipitation between 17.5 and 11 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values averaging 2.37‰. A fast shift in δ 18O from positive at 11 cal. ka BP to negative at 10 cal. ka BP indicates sharp increase of monsoon precipitation. An interval of generally high monsoon precipitation is observed between 10 and 6 cal. ka BP with δ 18O values averaging −2.15‰. Decrease of monsoon precipitation between 6 and 2.5 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values. δ 18O keeps positive values averaging 3.0‰ between 2.5 and 0 cal. ka BP suggesting low high monsoon precipitation. The climatic changes indicated by δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sediments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake and our broader regional comparison show that the climate in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial is probably controlled by southwest monsoon other than southeast monsoon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Liu XingQi, Shen Ji, Wang SuMin & Wang YongBo

  2. Graduate University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Wang YongBo

  3. Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Liu WeiGuo

Authors
  1. Liu XingQi
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  2. Shen Ji
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  3. Wang SuMin
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  4. Wang YongBo
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  5. Liu WeiGuo
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Correspondence to Liu XingQi.

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2004CB720200 and 2005CB422002)), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40373016) and the National Natural Science Foundation of Distinguished Young Scholars of China (Grant No. 40625007)

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Liu, X., Shen, J., Wang, S. et al. Southwest monsoon changes indicated by oxygen isotope of ostracode shells from sediments in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial. CHINESE SCI BULL 52, 539–544 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0086-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0086-3

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