Variations in air temperature during the last 100 years revealed by δ^(18)O in the Malan ice core from the Tibetan Plateau

By comprehensive analyses, it was found that the variations in d 18O recorded in Malan ice core from theKekexili Region on the Tibetan Plateau could represent thechanges in air temperature during the summer half year (from May to October) over the Kekexili Region and the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The general increase trend in d18O in this ice core during the past century indicated climate warming, and it was estimated that air temperature during the summer half-year rose about 1.2C over there then. However, this ice core record documented that the study area has been cooling while most of the world has been dramatically warming since the late 1970s. A teleconnection was foundbetween the variations in d 18O in the Malan ice core and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Moreover, the variations in d 18O in this ice core were similar to that in the summer half-year air temperature over the southern Tibetan Plateau on thecenturial time scale, but opposite on the multidecadal timescale.

Decrease trend of dust event frequency over the past 200 years recorded in the Malan ice core from the northern Tibetan Plateau

By analyses of the dust layers in the Malan ice core from the northern Tibetan Plateau, it was found that dirty ratio in this core might be a good proxy for dust event frequency. The variations in the dirty ratio displayed a de- crease trend over the past 200 years, which implies that dust events became less frequent during the study period. The decrease trend in the variations in dust event frequency might be caused mostly by the natural processes, including increasing precipitation and weakening westerly which might be related with global warming. Furthermore, significant negative correlation was found between the dirty ratio and δ 18O in the Malan ice core. This is highly important for studying the effect of atmospheric dust on climate change.