The Climatic Fluctuation and Important Events of Holocene Megathermal in China

Data from various sources including the ice core, inland lakes , paleosols in loess and eolian sands, sea level fluctuations, paleozoological, archeological evidences especially palynology and bontanical studies of China are reviewed . Holocene Megathermal mainly appeared during 8. 5-3 ka BP and lasted for 5. 5 ka. There were several strong climatic fluctuations and cooling events during this period, e. g. it was an unstable temperature fluctuation phase during 8. 5-7. 2 ka BP and was accompanied with the increase of the precipitation as well as the northward and westward migration of the vegetation zone ; the rapid development of Neolithic Culture happened in this phase. It was a stable warm and wet phase from 7. 2 to 6 ka BP, i. e. Megathermal Maximum, when monsoon was rainfall almost throughout China, plants were unprecedentedly flourished, and the Yangshao Culture reached its climax. It is characterized by strong climatic fluctuation and adverse environment during 6-5 ka BP and the impact of strong cooling events on the culture development. After 5 ka BP, the climate and environment were better than those of the former phase, and there was a sharp increase on the number of archaeological sites. Around 4 ka BP, the climate deteriorated and catastrophic flood happened ; from then to 3 ka BP, the climate was still warm and humid.

Evolution of permafrost in Northeast Chinasince the Late Pleistocene

In Northeast China, permafrost advanced and retreated several times under the influences of fluctuating paleo-climatesand paleo-environments since the Late Pleistocene. During the last 60 years, many new data were obtained and studies wereconducted on the evolution of permafrost in Northeast China, but so far no systematic summary and review have been made.Based on sedimentary sequences, remains of past permafrost, paleo-flora and -fauna records, and dating data, permafrostevolution since the Late Pleistocene has been analyzed and reconstructed in this paper. Paleo-temperatures reconstructedfrom the remains of past permafrost and those from paleo-flora and -fauna are compared, and thus the southern limitof permafrost （SLP） in each climate period is inferred by the relationship of the permafrost distribution and the meanannual air/ground temperatures （MAAT/MAGT）. Thus, the evolutionary history of permafrost is here divided into fivestages： （1） the Late Pleistocene （Last Glaciation, or LG） （65 to 10–8.5 ka）, the Last Glaciation Maximum （LGM, 21–13 ka）in particular, the coldest period in the latest history with a cooling of about 6~10 °C, characterized by extensive occurrencesof glaciation, flourishing Mammathas-Coelodonta Faunal Complex （MCFC）, widespread aeolian deposits, and significantsea level lowering, and permafrost greatly expanded southwards almost to the coastal plains （37°N–41°N）; （2） the HoloceneMegathermal Period （HMP, 8.5–7.0 to 4.0–3.0 ka）, 3~5 °C warmer than today, permafrost retreated to about 52°N; （3） theLate Holocene Cold Period （Neoglaciation） （4.0–3.0 to 1.0–0.5 ka）, a cooling of 1~3 °C, some earlier thawed permafrost wasrefrozen or attached, and the SLP invaded southwards to 46°N; （4） the Little Ice Age （LIA, 500 to 100–150 a）, the latestcold period with significant permafrost expansion; and （5） climate warming since the last century, during which NortheastChina has undergone extensive permafrost degradation. The frequent and substantial expansions and retreats of permafrosthave greatly impacted cold-region environments in Northeast China. North of the SLP during the HMP, or in the presentcontinuous permafrost zone, the existing permafrost was largely formed during the LG and was later overlapped by thepermafrost formed in the Neoglaciation. To the south, it was formed in the Neoglaciation. However, many aspects ofpermafrost evolution still await further investigations, such as data integration, numerical reconstruction, and merging ofChinese permafrost history with those of bordering regions as well as collaboration with related disciplines. Of these, studies on the evolution and degradation of permafrost during the past 150 years and its hydrological, ecological, and environmentalimpacts should be prioritized.

Ice-wedge Pseudomorphs Showing Climatic Change Since the Late Pleistocene in the Source Area of the Yellow River, Northeast Tibet

The source area of the Yellow River is located in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and is a high-elevation region with the annual mean temperature of -3.9℃. The ice-wedge pseudomorphs discovered in this region are recognized as two types. One was found in sandy gravel beds of the second terrace of the Yellow River. This ice-wedge pseudomorph is characterized by higher ratio of breadth/depth, and are 1-1.4 m wide and about 1 m deep. The bottom border of the ice-wedge pseudomorph is round arc in section. Another discovered in the pedestal of the second terrace has lower ratio of width/depth, and is o.3-1.0 m wide and 1-2 m deep. Its bottom border is sharp. Based on the TL dating, the former was formed at the middleHolocene （5.69±0.43 ka BP and 5.43±0.41 ka BP）, that is, the Megathermal, and the latter was formed at the late Last Glacial Maximum （13.49±1.43 ka BP）. Additionally, the thawing-freezing folders discovered in the late Late Pleistocene proluvium are 39.83±3.84 ka BP in age. The study on the ice-wedge pseudomorphs showed that the air temperature was lowered by up to 6-7℃ in the source area of the Yellow River when the ice-wedge pseudomorphs and thawing-freezing folds developed.

Thermal Classification of Pakistan

This research work is designed to carry out the annual and seasonal thermal classification of Pakistan to provide better understanding to all the stake holders like farmers and scientists etc for obtaining maximum crop yield. The data of Climatic Normal’s (1971-2000) has been used to calculate Thornthwaites’s Thermal efficiency index for thermal classification of Pakistan. The results of annual thermal classification reveals that Pakistan’s northern half experiences Tundra to Microthermal climate type and southern half experiences all types of Mesothermal to Megathermal climate type. Seasonal analysis showed large variations like in winters the whole country ranges from Microthermal to Frost Type of climate except the extremely southern parts of the country which have Mild Mesothermal climate. In spring the northern half of the country lies between Tundra to Microthermal climate and southern half from Mesothermal to Megathermal climate. During summer and monsoon majority of the regions in the country experience Megathermal except Northern areas which show Moderate Mesothermal to Mesothermal climate. The autumn season mostly have Mild Mesothermal to Tundra climate excluding southern half which showed Moderate Mesothermal to Mesothermal climate.

Evaluation of the Production, Quality of Three Cultivars of Rhodes Grass （Chloris Gayana） and Viability of Seeds, Introduced in the Pampas

This paper describes how a research was carried out about Chloris gayana Kunth. The objective of the work was to agronomical characterize the best sowing date, establishment efficiency, first year management, persistence strategies, biomass production and seeds. The parameter evaluated was： morphological, quality and production of seeds of three commercial cultivars （Santana, Finecut and Recleimer）. Trial duration is December 2012 to December 2016 （33o S, 61o W） Argentina. Design three random blocks with three repetitions, plot 5 × 5 meter. The results were analyzed by ANOVA （Analysis of Variance）, and there was used Tukey Test （p 〈 0.05） for comparison of averages, to determine significant differences between the different ones that will be sown. It was determined that the ends of spring dates ensure better establishment. Although the data of morphology of the first year （length of pod, length of blade and number of leaves/plant） presented differences between the cv, they did not mark a tendency that ensures the best development of one. Recleimer with 598 and 1,026 accumulated degree days present the highest values in both measurements. The accumulation of biomass over the years shows that commercial cv show a very similar performance （12,000 kg DM （Dry Matter） per hectare per year）. The annual accumulation of DM would not vary significantly as monthly cuts are applied during the growing season or total accumulation without cuts would be allowed. In relation to quality parameters （gross protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber）, Recleimer has the lowest values. Santana and Finecut were best in quality. Production of the seed was highest in May for all cvs. However, viability was limited in all date but Finecut and Recleimer showed best performance. As expected, in the megathermal species, seed production being one of the critical points.

Paleoclimatological and paleoenvironmental records since 4 000 a B.P. in sediments of alpine lakes in Taiwan

The 3 310-m-high Chia-min Lake records the climatic history since 4 ka B. P. in Taiwan. The warm/wet period before 2.2 ka B.P. seemed to correspond to the later part of the Holocene Megathermal, and the cold/dry period during 0-2/2 ka B. P. corresponded to the Katathermal. Before the termination of the Megathermal, an especially warm and humid segment (2, 2-2. 4 ka B. P. ) emerged. The paleoclimatic records from Yuen-yang and Chi-tsai Lakes support the notion that the Megathermal in Taiwan terminated during 2-2. 3 ka B. P. A warm segment (820-1 320 AD) in the Katathermal could be considered the Medieval Warm Period. The climate turned cold and dry after 1 320 AD and this indicated the onset of the Little Ice Age. These paleoclimatic variations are also in good agreement with those recorded in Great Ghost Lake.

Temperature evolution from the δ ^(18)O record of Hani peat, Northeast China, in the last 14000 years

From the last deglaciation to the Holocene, the Greenland Ice Core (GISP2) δ 18O records as well as the records of ice-rafted debris on the surface of the North Atlantic have revealed a succession of sudden cooling events on the centennial to millennial scales. However, the temperature proxy records are rarely studied systematically and directly to ensure that this air temperature cooling pattern simultaneously existed in the East Asian Region, in addition to the repeated pattern occurring in the Greater Atlantic Region. A peat cellulose δ 18O temperature proxy record proximately existing for 14000 years was picked up from the Hani peat in Jilin Province, China. It suggests by comparison that the sudden cooling events, such as the Older Dryas, Inter-Allerφd, Younger Dryas, and nine ice-rafted debris events of the North Atlantic, are almost entirely reiterated in the temperature signals of Hani peat cellulose δ 18O. These cooling events show that the repeatedly occurring temperature cooling pattern not only appeared in the North Atlantic Region in the high latitudes, but also in the Northwest Pacific Region in the middle latitudes. The climate change events marking the start of the Holocene Epoch, the Holocene Megathermal, the "8.2 kyr" event, the "4.2 kyr" event, the Medieval Warm Period, and the Little Ice Age are further discussed. The sensitivity response of Hani peat cellulose δ 18O to the land surface temperature and the reason for the age accuracy of peat cellulose 14C are also discussed based on the characteristics of the peat bog environment.

Evolution of permafrost in China during the last 20 ka

The formation and evolution of permafrost in China during the last 20 ka were reconstructed on the basis of large amount of paleo-permafrost remains and paleo-periglacial evidence, as well as paleo-glacial landforms, paleo-flora and paleofauna records. The results indicate that, during the local Last Glacial Maximum(LLGM) or local Last Permafrost Maximum(LLPMax), the extent of permafrost of China reached 5.3×106-5.4×106 km2, or thrice that of today, but permafrost shrank to only0.80×106-0.85×106 km2, or 50% that of present, during the local Holocene Megathermal Period(LHMP), or the local Last Permafrost Minimum(LLPMin). On the basis of the dating of periglacial remains and their distributive features, the extent of permafrost in China was delineated for the two periods of LLGM(LLPMax) and LHMP(LLPMin), and the evolution of permafrost in China was divided into seven periods as follows:(1) LLGM in Late Pleistocene(ca. 20000 to 13000-10800 a BP)with extensive evidence for the presence of intensive ice-wedge expansion for outlining its LLPMax extent;(2) A period of dramatically changing climate during the early Holocene(10800 to 8500-7000 a BP) when permafrost remained relatively stable but with a general trend of shrinking areal extent;(3) The LHMP in the Mid-Holocene(8500-7000 to 4000-3000 a BP)when permafrost degraded intensively and extensively, and shrank to the LLPMin;(4) Neoglaciation during the late Holocene(4000-3000 to 1000 a BP, when permafrost again expanded;(5) Medieval Warming Period(MWP) in the late Holocene(1000-500 a BP) when permafrost was in a relative decline;(6) Little Ice Age(LIA) in the late Holocene(500-100 a BP), when permafrost relatively expanded, and;(7) Recent warming(during the 20 th century), when permafrost continuously degraded and still is degrading. The paleo-climate, geography and paleopermafrost extents and other features were reconstructed for each of these seven periods.

Climates and Environments of the Holocene Mega thermal Maximum in China

Based on data from palynology, paleosols, paleolimnology, ice core, archeology, sea levels, etc. , we reconstructed climates and environments of the Holocene Megathermal maximum (7. 2-6. 0 ka B. P. ), particularly vegetation zones, temperatures, precipitation and sea-level fluctuations. Annual mean temperature during that period was estimated at 1 ℃ higher than today for South China, 2 ℃ higher for the Changjiang River Valley, about 3℃ higher for North China, Northeast China and Northwest China and up to 4 - 5 ℃ higher for southern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Relative winter temperatures increased much more than average annual temperatures. The centennial-scale warming was accompanied by the expansion of summer monsoon and recession of winter cold currents as well as northward and westward shift of vegetation zones. Higher lake levels registered in all inland lakes of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Xizang indicated that precipitation increased to a certain extent. The Holocene highest sea level in East China about 1 -3 m higher than today, occurred within 6. 5 and 5. 0 kaB. P. and sea water covered coastal areas of about 7×104 km2, which was the Holocene greatest scope of transgression.