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535
584
2008-05-08
A major reorganization of Asian climate regime by the early Miocene
Z. T. Guo
ztguo@mail.iggcas.ac.cn
B. Sun
Z. S. Zhang
S. Z. Peng
G. Q. Xiao
J. Y. Ge
Q. Z. Hao
Y. S. Qiao
M. Y. Liang
J. F. Liu
Q. Z. Yin
J. J. Wei
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, 100029 Beijing, China
Shandong Institute and Laboratory of Geological Sciences, 250013 Jinan, China
Nansen-Zhu International Research Center, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029 Beijing, China
State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 17, 710075 Xian, China
The global climate system has experienced a series of drastic changes during
the Cenozoic. These include the climate transformation in Asia, from a zonal
pattern to a <i>monsoon-dominant pattern</i>, the disappearance of subtropical aridity related to a
planetary circulation system and the onset of <i>inland deserts</i> in central Asia. Despite of
the major advances in the last two decades in characterizing and
understanding these climate phenomena, disagreements persist relative to the
timing, behaviors and underlying causes.
<br><br>
This paper addresses these issues mainly based on two lines of evidence.
Firstly, we newly collected the available Cenozoic geological indicators of
environment in China to compile the paleoenvironmental maps of ten intervals
with a more detailed examination within the Oligocene and Miocene. In
confirming the earlier observation that a zonal climate pattern was
transformed into a monsoonal one, the new maps within the Miocene indicate
that this major change was achieved by the early Miocene, roughly consistent
with the onset of loess deposition in China. Although a monsoon-like regime
would have existed in the Eocene, it was restricted in the
tropical-subtropical regions. The observed latitudinal oscillations of the
climate zones during the Paleogene are likely attributable to the imbalanced
evolution of polar ice-sheets between the two hemispheres.
<br><br>
Secondly, we examine the relevant depositional and soil-forming processes of
the Miocene loess-soil sequences to determine the circulation
characteristics with special emphasis given to the early Miocene. Continuous
eolian deposition in the middle reaches of the Yellow River since the early
Miocene firmly indicates the formation of inland deserts, which has been
constantly maintained in the past 22 Ma. Inter-section grain-size gradients
indicate northerly dust-carrying winds and source location, as is regarded
as the main criteria of the Asian winter monsoon system. Meanwhile, the
well-developed Luvisols evidence the existence of circulations from the
ocean, which brought moisture to northern China. These imply the coexistence
of two kinds of circulations, one from the ocean as moisture carrier and
another from the inland deserts as dust transporter. The accretionary
properties of the early Miocene paleosols, resulted from interactive
soil-forming and dust deposition processes, evidence two seasonally
alternative circulations, i.e. a monsoonal climate regime. The much stronger
development of the early Miocene soils compared to those in the Quaternary
loess indicates significantly stronger summer monsoons.
<br><br>
These lines of evidence indicate a joint change in circulations and inland
aridity by the early Miocene, and suggest a dynamic linkage of them. Our
recent numerical experiments reconfirm the potential roles of Tibetan uplift
and Paratethys shrinkage in triggering this major climate reorganization, as
revealed in peer studies, but yielded more details about their combined
scenarios. These two factors would have coacted with the help of South China
Sea spreading. Although the realistic effects of each factor remain to be
further discriminated, probably through more paleoaltimetrical and tectonic
approaches, the Miocene loess record provides a vital insight that tectonics
had evolved to a threshold by the early Miocene to cause this major climate
reorganization in Asia.
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