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Holocene climatic and environmental changes recorded in Baahar Nuur Lake core in the Ordos Plateau, Inner Mongolia of China

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

A 5.3 m lake core was drilled in Baahar Nuur Lake in the Ordos Plateau, and measurements of mean grain size, organic δ 13C (δ 13Corg), organic carbon content (TOC), C/N, carbonate content, carbonate δ 13C (δ 13Ccar) and δ 18O (δ 18Ocar) were conducted for retrieving the Holocene chronosequence of climatic changes based on 15 AMS 14C dates. The record documented four major stages of climate change in the Ordos Plateau: (IV) a cold and dry condition before ∼7.65 14C ka BP; (III) a warm and humid stage between ∼7.65 and ∼5.40 ka BP; (II) a generally drier and cooler climate since ∼5.40 ka BP with two humid events occurring from ∼4.70 to ∼4.60 ka BP and from ∼4.20 to ∼3.70 ka BP, and (I) a dry climate characterized by complete desiccation of the lake after 3.70 ka BP. Stage III can be further divided into three sub-stages: (IIIa) a warm and humid episode from ∼7.65 to ∼6.70 ka BP, (IIIb) a warm and relatively dry episode from ∼6.70 to ∼6.20 ka BP, and (IIIc) the magthermal and maghumid episode of the Holocene from ∼6.20 to ∼5.40 ka BP.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Natural Disaster, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Guo LanLan & Liu LianYou

  2. MOE Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Feng ZaoDong

  3. Department of Geology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, 76798, USA

    Feng ZaoDong

  4. Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China

    Li XinQing

  5. Provincial Environmental Quality Monitoring Administration, Shenyang, 110031, China

    Wang LiXia

Authors
  1. Guo LanLan
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  2. Feng ZaoDong
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  3. Li XinQing
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  4. Liu LianYou
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  5. Wang LiXia
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Correspondence to Guo LanLan.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40025105, 40331102, 40421101 and 40671184), US National Science Foundation (Grant No. NSF-ESH04-02509), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. G2000048701) and National Geographic Ministry of Society (Grant No. NGS-6938-00)

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Guo, L., Feng, Z., Li, X. et al. Holocene climatic and environmental changes recorded in Baahar Nuur Lake core in the Ordos Plateau, Inner Mongolia of China. CHINESE SCI BULL 52, 959–966 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0132-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0132-1

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