Holocene Monsoon Change and Abrupt Events on the Western Chinese Loess Plateau as Revealed by Accurately Dated Stalagmites. Issue 21 (5th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Liangcheng; Li, Yanzhen; Wang, Xiqian; Cai, Yanjun; Lin, Fangyuan; Cheng, Hai; Ma, Le; Sinha, Ashish; Edwards, R. Lawrence
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 47:Issue 21(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-11-05
• Subjects: Asian summer monsoon -- abrupt events -- speleothem -- Loess Plateau -- northern China -- Holocene; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1029/2020GL090273
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: Here we present, to date, the highest‐resolved (~5 years) and most precisely dated Holocene monsoon climate reconstruction for the western Chinese Loess Plateau based on five replicated stalagmite δ 18 O records from Wuya Cave, eastern Gansu, China. Our record suggests the wettest period occurred between 10, 500 and 6, 600 a BP in this region. After this period, the amplitude of Asian summer monsoon decadal‐scale variability progressively increased likely in response to increasing ENSO frequency since the middle Holocene. Our study reveals similar asymmetric centennial‐scale double‐plunging structures of the 8.2, 5.5, and 2.8 ka events in the western Chinese Loess Plateau, suggesting a possible role of solar activity whose impact was amplified around 8.2 ka BP by the meltwater flood. In contrast, the 4.2 ka event exhibit gradually declining monsoon rainfall with centennial‐ to decadal‐scale fluctuations. Key Points: A 5 year‐resolved Holocene Asian summer monsoon record was reconstructed for the western Loess Plateau based on speleothems The wettest period occurred between 10, 500 and 6, 600 a BP, after that, the amplitude of decadal‐scale monsoon variability increased Similar structures were observed during the 8.2, 5.5, and 2.8 ka weak monsoon events, which are different from the 4.2 ka event