Late Pleistocene and Holocene aeolian sedimentation in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Variability, processes, and climatic implications

Qiang, Mingrui; Jin, Yanxiang; Liu, Xingxing; Song, Lei; Li, Hao; Li, Fengshan; Chen, Fahu

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.11.010

Cited by 94 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 83 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For instance, Buylaert et al (2008) identified an important hiatus between c. 20 and c. 30 ka at the Tuxiangdao site on the margin of the northeast TP. Figure 9 summarizes the distribution of loess-palaeosol luminescence ages in the northeast TP (based on our data and data from K€ uster et al 2006;Lu et al 2011;Liu et al 2012Liu et al , 2013Liu et al , 2017Stauch et al 2012;Qiang et al 2013;Lehmkuhl et al 2014;Yu & Lai 2014;Zhang et al 2015a;Qiang et al 2016;Liu et al 2015). In our view an erosional hiatus in these sequences is a more likely explanation, similar to that found in our HB section (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…(Lu et al 2007), whereas the loess on the east TP, including the Ganze loess with an elevation of 3480 m a.s.l. Sporadic and discontinuous Last Glacial Period loess strata are distributed in Gonghe Basin and Qilian Mountain (Zhang et al 2015a;Qiang et al 2016), and some >70 ka loess is sandwiched between alluvial gravels Liu et al 2012). Most of the existing loess in the interior of Tibet, with a thickness of 1-3 m and lying above 3000 m a.s.l., has accumulated since the last deglaciation i.e.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…13-14 ka Kaiser et al 2010;Lu et al 2011;Liu et al 2012;Stauch et al 2012;Qiang et al 2013;Yu & Lai 2014;Zhang et al 2015a). Sporadic and discontinuous Last Glacial Period loess strata are distributed in Gonghe Basin and Qilian Mountain (Zhang et al 2015a;Qiang et al 2016), and some >70 ka loess is sandwiched between alluvial gravels Liu et al 2012). The lack of loess associated with full glacial conditions is believed to be a result of either sparse vegetation cover, or the erosion of loess during the beginning of each interglacial ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Hebei loess section in the Anyemaqen Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau: a high‐resolution luminescence chronology

Chongyi

Sohbati

Murray

et al. 2018

Boreas

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The extensive aeolian deposits of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) represent important environmental archives, recording information about the past interplay between the Asian monsoon and Westerlies and the link between dust accumulation and Quaternary glaciations. In the northeast TP, mantles of sandy loess form a distinct belt lying between 3500 and 4500 m a.s.l. on the east-facing slopes of the Anyemaqen Mountains. However, there is little chronological information about the loess deposits in this region. This study provides a detailed chronology for loess formation in the region using luminescence dating. A total of 29 samples were collected from an 8-m-thick homogeneous loess section at Hebei (HB) in order to date sand-sized (63-90 lm) quartz and K-feldspar fractions using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL and pIRIR) signals, respectively. The resulting quartz and feldspar ages are in good agreement over the last 40 ka; beyond this (i.e. D e >120 Gy), the quartz age is underestimated, and the pIRIR 170 feldspar ages are considered more reliable. The HB loess section records continuous environmental information from c. 50 to c. 30 ka, i.e. throughout Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Mass accumulation rates (MARs) varied considerably over this period with increased dust accumulation around c. 38 ka and afterc. 32 ka; in between, and at the beginning of MIS 3 (50-40 ka), the dust accumulation rate was 50% lower. Finally, the HB section also records a MIS 2 hiatus of c. 17 ka duration, probably resulting from deflation. This study implies that loess deposition on the TP is predominantly an interglacial/interstadial phenomenon and the TP may be deflating at the same time as the Chinese Loess Plateau is accumulating, at least during MIS 2.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Hebei loess section in the Anyemaqen Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau: a high‐resolution luminescence chronology

Chongyi

Sohbati

Murray

et al. 2018

Boreas

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…From 2 ka to present, we infer that the weakening of the summer monsoon led to decreased biomass production and increased decomposition of organic matter, which eventually resulted in the cessation of peatland development (Xu et al, ). Both the cessation of peatland development and aridification in the region appear to follow the trend in the late Holocene toward climatic deterioration across a large area, as evidenced, for example, by increased eolian activity in northern China (Chen et al, ; Jia et al, ; Lu et al, , ; Qiang et al, ; Xu et al, ). Nevertheless, the possible effect of human activity on peatland development in the Mu Us Desert cannot be excluded (Huang et al, ; Miao et al, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Peatlands in the Mu Us Desert, Northern China, Since the Last Deglaciation

Liu

et al. 2018

JGR Earth Surface

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climatic reconstruction from peat deposits is an important aspect of Quaternary research. Previous studies of the peatlands in the Mu Us Desert in northern China have focused on the processes of paleoclimatic evolution, but the history of peatland development remains unclear due to the absence of comparative studies. Here we present a synthesis of the available records documenting peatland development within the Mu Us Desert since the last deglaciation. We combine paleoclimatic records from profiles from two new sites with previously published results from 12 sites. Our aim is to reconstruct the temporal and spatial record of peatland development and to determine its driving forces. The results show that the peatlands developed in two phases: from ~15 ka until the early Holocene and from 6.5–3 ka when there was a significant expansion of their spatial extent. These phases correspond to two distinct types of paludification process, and both were closely related to changes in the East Asian monsoon. A final stage after 2 ka resulted from the significant weakening of the monsoon, during which peat accumulation ceased.

show abstract

“…(Liu, Jin, et al, ). The increased aeolian activity during the climate optimum may represent a response to decreased effective moisture availability, meaning that high evaporation induced by higher summer insolation decreased effective moisture, despite a contemporaneous increase in regional precipitation recorded by lacustrine sediments (Qiang et al, , ).…”

Section: History Of Aeolian Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐Altitude Aeolian Research on the Tibetan Plateau

Dong

Qian

et al. 2017

Reviews of Geophysics

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aeolian processes and their role in desertification have been studied extensively at low elevations but have been rarely studied at high elevations in areas such as the Tibetan Plateau, where aeolian processes were active in the geologic past and remain active today. In this review, we summarize research that improves our understanding of aeolian processes on the Tibetan Plateau, including the distribution, characteristics, and provenance of aeolian sediments; the history of aeolian activity; aeolian geomorphology; and wind‐driven land degradation. Contemporary aeolian processes primarily occur in dry basins, in wide river valleys, on lakeshores, on mountain slopes, and on gravel pavements. Sediment characteristics suggest a local origin and provide interesting contrasts with those of China's Loess Plateau. The history of aeolian activity and its paleoclimatic implications, reconstructed based on aeolian archives, is short (mostly since the Late Glacial) and shows wide regional differences. Aeolian geomorphology is simple and suggests short formation time. Wind‐driven land degradation is less severe than previously thought, driven by different factors in different areas, and exhibited complex interactions with freeze‐thaw processes. Aeolian research has been conducted within the general framework of aeolian science but addresses issues specific to the Tibetan Plateau that arise due to the low air temperature, low air density, and the presence of a cryosphere. We propose six priorities for future research: aeolian physics, the effect of freeze‐thaw cycles, comparisons with other areas, regional differences, effects of wind‐driven land degradation, and integrated observation and monitoring.

show abstract

Late Pleistocene and Holocene aeolian sedimentation in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Variability, processes, and climatic implications

Cited by 94 publications

References 83 publications

Hebei loess section in the Anyemaqen Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau: a high‐resolution luminescence chronology

Hebei loess section in the Anyemaqen Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau: a high‐resolution luminescence chronology

Evolution of Peatlands in the Mu Us Desert, Northern China, Since the Last Deglaciation

High‐Altitude Aeolian Research on the Tibetan Plateau

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About