Holocene evolution of Huangqihai Lake in semi-arid northern China based on sedimentology and luminescence dating

Abstract

The pattern of Holocene palaeoclimatic change in arid-semiarid northern China is debated. The terminal Huangqihai Lake is located at the northern margin of the modern East Asian summer monsoon and sensitive to climate change. We present here a sedimentary section from Huangqihai lake basin which comprises lacustrine and fluvial deposits and is about 8–9 m above the present lake level. Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was employed to construct the chronology of the section. Based on the OSL chronology and the sedimentological and granulometric analysis, we conclude that (1) the Huangqihai Lake experienced a humid climate during the early part of the Holocene (from c. 10.2 ± 1.0 to 6.7 ± 0.7 ka) with a persistent and stable high lake level; (2) the lake level began to decline indicating aridification between 8.7 ± 0.8 ka and 6.7 ± 0.7 ka, and the climate was drier and variable after 6.7 ± 0.7 ka compared with that of before; (3) from 2.2 ± 0.2 to 0.93 ± 0.07 ka the climatic conditions were highly variable and continuously deteriorating, and the lake was turned into a playa for most of the time. In summary, the climate showed a general drying trend from the early Holocene to the late Holocene.

Timing of Late Quaternary palaeolake evolution in Tengger Desert of northern China and its possible forcing mechanisms

“…However, debate still continues on some issues, e.g. the timing of lake highstands on the Tibetan Plateau and north China (Lehmkuhl and Haselein, 2000;Shi et al, 2001;Madsen et al, 2008;Zhang et al, in press) and the Holocene moisture pattern in Asia Chen et al, 2008;Mischke et al, 2008;Long et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2011;Liu and Lai, 2012). Studies of Late Quaternary palaeohydrology of lake basins from East Asian monsoon (EAM) area have used a range of proxy-data to reconstruct past environmental and climatic conditions (e.g., Herzschuh, 2006;Chen et al, 2008;Mischke et al, 2008;Long et al, 2010;Mügler et al, 2010).…”

Lake level reconstruction of Huangqihai Lake in northern China since MIS 3 based on pulsed optically stimulated luminescence dating

“…More recently, Zhang et al . (, ) investigated three sedimentary sequences around Huangqihai Lake based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and lake evolution since marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 has been discussed. However, Huangqihai Lake water level changes during the period between MIS 3 and the early Holocene remain unknown.…”

The bounding-surfaces record of a barrier spit from Huangqihai Lake, North China: implications for coastal barrier boundary hierarchy

“…This lake is in a semiarid temperate climate which is cold and dry in winter and warm and humid in summer. The mean annual temperature in the area is about 4.5°C and the mean annual precipitation and evaporation are 362 mm and 1 927 mm respectively (Zhang et al, 2011(Zhang et al, , 2012. The coastal barrier system formed in an area where the gradient of the depositional coastlines is less than 2°.…”

“…Recently, the lake level evolution of Huangqihai Lake was determined using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and sedimentologic and stratigraphic analysis of profi les constructed from trenching that runs from the east to west shores of the lake (Chen et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2011Zhang et al, , 2012. The relationship between lake-level fl uctuations and this barrier evolution in the area was further explored using radar stratigraphy and sedimentary architecture analysis (Shan et al, 2015).…”