Role of late glacial to mid-Holocene climate in catchment weathering in the central Tibetan Plateau

Jin, Z. D. and Wu, Y. and Zhang, X. and Wang, S. (2005) Role of late glacial to mid-Holocene climate in catchment weathering in the central Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary Research, 63 (2). pp. 161-170. DOI 10.1016/j.yqres.2004.09.012

PDF JinQuatQuatRes63(2005).pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (780kB)

Abstract

The lightness (L*) and concentrations of Rb, Sr and organic carbon (Corg) have been measured in the age-constrained lake sediment cores recovered from Co Ngoin in the central Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved Sr flux is a dominant control on the variation of Rb/Sr ratios in the sediments. Variations in color and geochemical proxies of Co Ngoin sediments display a continuous history of late glacial to mid-Holocene chemical versus physical weathering intensity in response to past climatic changes between approximately 13,500 and 4500 cal yr B.P. A lower chemical weathering under a late glacial climate was followed by a higher weathering during the Holocene Optimum. Weathering intensity in the central Tibetan Plateau catchment also responds to well-known climatic events, such as the Younger Dryas (YD), and possibly the Holocene Event 5 (HE-5). Although there are differences in time or duration of the climatic events, many of the well-known late glacial to mid-Holocene events occurred in high-elevation Co Ngoin where atmospheric circulation might play a hemispherical role in climatic forcing. The sediment hiatus since c. 4200 14C yr B.P. in the Co Ngoin indicates a period of desiccation that was probably associated with a sharp decrease in summer monsoon strength. Our lascustrine results not only imply catchment weathering variations in response to late glacial to mid-Holocene climatic conditions in the central plateau, but also provide further evidence for global connections between regional climates.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	2005 AREP IA46 IA48 2005 P
Subjects:	01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
Divisions:	01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
Journal or Publication Title:	Quaternary Research
Volume:	63
Page Range:	pp. 161-170
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.yqres.2004.09.012
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	02 Mar 2011 17:28
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 09:59
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1704

Actions (login required)

View Item