Increasing Spring Insolation in the Late Holocene Intensified Aeolian Activity in Dryland Asia

Abstract

The history and driving forces of aeolian activity in western Mongolia remain poorly understood due to the scarcity of geological archives. Here, we obtained a record of sediment grain size from Tolbo Lake in western Mongolia to reconstruct changes in aeolian activity since ∼14 ka. The results suggest that intensified aeolian activity in the late Holocene may mainly have been a response to stronger surface winds resulting from an increase in spring insolation and mountain snow. The stable weak aeolian activity appears to coincide with ice‐rafting events in the North Atlantic during the middle Holocene and may be a response to warming at northern high latitudes, increased humidity and vegetation coverage in western Mongolia, indicating that dust from western Mongolia would possibly contribute minimally to dust deposition in Greenland during this period. This study will help understand the atmospheric dust emissions and transport processes in the earth system.

Warmth Favored Dust Activities on the Northeastern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

“…As a “dust engine,” enhanced Westerly jets stream which remotely linked to the TSI and NAO influenced the near‐surface wind speed, providing the dynamic conditions and climatic context and triggering dust activities. This assumption is partially supported by previous studies on loess deposits in ACA, which indicate the global warming exacerbates the aridification from both paleoclimatological and geological perspectives (Y. Li et al., 2021; J. Zhang et al., 2022a). A similar circumstance is also observed in the modern sandstorms (Yin et al., 2021), which always occur in a dry spring.…”

“…This assumption is partially supported by previous studies on loess deposits in ACA, which indicate the global warming exacerbates the aridification from both paleoclimatological and geological perspectives (Y. Li et al, 2021;J. Zhang et al, 2022a).…”

“…The temperature and humidity in the source region can affect the source materials and hence the intensity of dust activity, furthermore, surface wind speed is also a crucial factor for the occurrence of dust storms in Asia (Tai et al., 2021; C. Wu et al., 2022; Yin et al., 2021; J. Zhang et al., 2022a). The surface wind is closely related to the larger air‐sea cycles on a spatial scale, which can also affect the temperature and precipitation changes in dust source areas.…”

“…The temperature and humidity in the source region can affect the source materials and hence the intensity of dust activity, furthermore, surface wind speed is also a crucial factor for the occurrence of dust storms in Asia (Tai et al, 2021;C. Wu et al, 2022;Yin et al, 2021;J. Zhang et al, 2022a).…”

“…The westerly‐dominated arid northwestern China is considered as a major source of dust in the Northern Hemisphere (Biscaye et al., 1997; F. Chen et al., 2013; Uno et al., 2009). Studies of modern sandstorms in northern China, traced through advanced observation technologies, have confirmed that the dust source originates from the Arid Central Asia (ACA) (Gao et al., 2003; Liang et al., 2022; Yin et al., 2021) and that these storms correlate with changes in weather systems, such as the Siberian High (SH), the Westerlies, and solar irradiance (F. Chen et al., 2013; He et al., 2015; Wyrwoll et al., 2016; Xie et al., 2021; J. Zhang et al., 2022a). Nevertheless, past dust activities are difficult to be quantified beyond instrumental time scale, whereas inferring past dust emissions and transport pathways is critical to understanding the regime of present and future dust activities.…”