Field investigations including lake shoreline measurement and 14 C chronology have been carried out on the Alxa Plateau to better understand the formation and evolution of the high lake levels in northwest China during the late Pleistocene. Comprehensive field investigations show that there are at least ten shorelines at different elevations at Juyan Lake, at least four on the northwest side of the Jilantai Salt Lake, and nine shorelines and one terrace on the northeast margin of Zhuye Lake. Stratigraphic correlations and chronological evidence indicate that the paleo-lakes have the highest lake levels in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Though the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) results which have been reported by some scholars do not support this view, the fact that the paleo-lakes have the highest lake levels in MIS 3 can not be denied. Differences between OSL and 14 C results from this work might indicate that high lake levels existed on the Alxa Plateau during two different periods. It also suggests that the high lake levels may exist in both MIS 5 and early MIS 3. This paper also provides the basic hydrological information for further water resources research in this arid region. Alxa Plateau, desert, MIS 3, MIS 5, high lake levels, late Quaternary Citation:Wang N A, Li Z L, Cheng H Y, et al. High lake levels on Alxa Plateau during the Late Quaternary.

The Shiyang River drainage basin is located in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon region. Previous studies reached different conclusions about Holocene climatic changes in the basin. Some studies suggested the Holocene climatic changes were mainly controlled by the Asian monsoon and that the climate was relatively humid during the early Holocene (11.6-7.1 cal ka BP). Other studies found the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum (7.0-5.0 cal ka BP), and this climate condition was similar to the Holocene westerly wind pattern in arid Central Asia. The modern climate is affected by the Asian monsoon and westerly wind in the drainage basin, and the Holocene climatic records showed two different Holocene climatic patterns-a westerly wind pattern and monsoonal pattern. However, it remains unclear what caused the two different Holocene climatic patterns to co-exist in the region. The palynological records are the main evidence for the Holocene climatic changes in the basin. This paper focuses on palynological records for different parts of the drainage basin. Among them, QTH02, QTL-03 and Sanjiaocheng records are located in the terminal lake, and the Hongshuihe record is located in the middle reaches of the basin. In the terminal lake, the palynological records of QTH02 and QTL-03 are similar, but the Sanjiaocheng record differs. The difference is mainly affected by the variable pollen assemblages in the different locations of the lake basin. From comparison and synthesis of the four palynological records, we concluded that the millennial-scale Holocene climatic changes were affected by the combined effects of the Asian monsoon and westerly wind in the drainage basin, which show the complicated Holocene climatic pattern in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon.