Phased uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau inferred from a pollen record from Yinchuan Basin, northwestern China. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Xinling; Hao, Qingzhen; Wei, Mingjian; Andreev, Andrei; Wang, Junping; Tian, Yanyan; Li, Xiaolei; Cai, Maotang; Hu, Jianmin; Shi, Wei
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 7:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 10
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16915-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) significantly affected both regional and global climates. Although there is evidence that the Tibetan Plateau experienced uplift during the Quaternary, the timing and amplitude are poorly constrained. However, the increased availability of long sedimentary records of vegetation change provides an opportunity to reconstruct the timing of the uplift. Here, we present a well-dated, high-resolution pollen record for the last 2.6 Ma from the Yinchuan Basin, which was incised by the Yellow River with its source in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Variations in theArtemisia /Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratio of the reveal changes in moisture conditions in the Yinchuan Basin during glacial-interglacial cycles, as well as a gradual long-term aridification trend which is consistent with progressive global cooling. However, fluctuations in the percentages ofPicea andAbies differ from those of the A/C ratio and we propose that they reflect changes in the vegetation and environment of high elevation areas. ThePicea andAbies records reveal two phases of increased representation, at 2.1 and 1.2 Ma, which may indicate phases in the uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Thus, they provide independent evidence for the timing of the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary.