Environmental Evolution of the South Margin of Qaidam Basin Reconstructed from the Holocene Loess Deposit by <i>n</i>-alkane and Pollen Records

Shuyuan Xiang; Fangming Zeng; Guocan Wang; Jianxin Yu

doi:10.1007/s12583-013-0320-7

Volume 24 Issue 2

Apr 2013

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Journal of Earth Science > 2013 > 24(2): 170-178.

Shuyuan Xiang, Fangming Zeng, Guocan Wang, Jianxin Yu. Environmental Evolution of the South Margin of Qaidam Basin Reconstructed from the Holocene Loess Deposit by n-alkane and Pollen Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2013, 24(2): 170-178. doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0320-7

Citation:

Shuyuan Xiang, Fangming Zeng, Guocan Wang, Jianxin Yu. Environmental Evolution of the South Margin of Qaidam Basin Reconstructed from the Holocene Loess Deposit by n-alkane and Pollen Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2013, 24(2): 170-178. doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0320-7

Citation:

Shuyuan Xiang, Fangming Zeng, Guocan Wang, Jianxin Yu. Environmental Evolution of the South Margin of Qaidam Basin Reconstructed from the Holocene Loess Deposit by n-alkane and Pollen Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2013, 24(2): 170-178. doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0320-7

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Environmental Evolution of the South Margin of Qaidam Basin Reconstructed from the Holocene Loess Deposit by n-alkane and Pollen Records

doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0320-7

Shuyuan Xiang^{1, 2
,
,},
Fangming Zeng^{3
,
,},
Guocan Wang¹,
Jianxin Yu¹

1.
Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
2.
Geological Survey of China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
3.
Laboratory of Salt Lake Geology and Environment, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China

Funds:

China Geological Survey 1212011121261

China Geological Survey 1212011121224

More Information

Corresponding author: Xiang Shuyuan, xshy@cug.edu.cn; Zeng Fangming, fmzeng@163.com
Received Date: 10 May 2012
Accepted Date: 18 Sep 2012
Publish Date: 01 Apr 2013

Abstract

Abstract

This study provides the n-alkane and pollen records of the Holocene loess at Balong (巴隆) Town, Dulan (都兰) County, Qinghai (青海) Province, and the environmental changes reconstructed from both records agreed well. Three stages of past climate change were deciphered by variations of the n-alkane and pollen proxies. Before 5 370 a BP, the climate was warm-dry but slightly humid, corresponding to the Mid-Holocene climatic optimum; 5 370–3 830 a BP, the climate changed alternatively between warm-dry slightly humid and warm-dry, indicating the transition from the Mid-Holocene climatic optimum to the Late Holocene cold period; after 3 830 a BP, the climate was mainly warm-dry. The warm cool and extremely dry climate during 3 040–2 600 a BP was recorded by both the n-alkane and pollen proxies, suggesting the environment evolved into desert or salt lake, in accordance with the cold and highly frequent natural disaster period in the Western Zhou Dynasty (ca. 2 996–2 721 a BP) in China.
- Qaidam Basin,
- Holocene,
- n-alkane,
- loess,
- environmental change

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References(41)

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