The evolution and driving mechanism of the Asian winter monsoon system are of great importance to understanding the present-day climate. Through high-resolution particle size analysis of the oldest loess-red clay sequ...The evolution and driving mechanism of the Asian winter monsoon system are of great importance to understanding the present-day climate. Through high-resolution particle size analysis of the oldest loess-red clay sequence known so far (with a basal age of about 8 Ma) and comparison of the results with oxygen isotope curves from North Atlantic marine sediments, 4 stages of the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon were clearly demonstrated. During the first stage, between about 8.1 and 4.3 Ma, there was no relation between Asian winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate inferred from marine sediments. A weak relation developed during the second stage, about 4.3 to 3.5 Ma. During the third stage (3.5 to 2.6 Ma) an Asian winter monsoon system similar to the present formed, initiating a stronger relation between the winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate. In the final stage (2.6 to 0 Ma) the present Asian winter monsoon system was展开更多
基金the CAS "Hundred Talents Project" (Renjiaozi [2000] 05), the Na-tional Key Project for Basic Research on Tibetan Plateau (Grant No. G1998040809) and the MOE Key Projects on Sci-Technologic Research.
文摘The evolution and driving mechanism of the Asian winter monsoon system are of great importance to understanding the present-day climate. Through high-resolution particle size analysis of the oldest loess-red clay sequence known so far (with a basal age of about 8 Ma) and comparison of the results with oxygen isotope curves from North Atlantic marine sediments, 4 stages of the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon were clearly demonstrated. During the first stage, between about 8.1 and 4.3 Ma, there was no relation between Asian winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate inferred from marine sediments. A weak relation developed during the second stage, about 4.3 to 3.5 Ma. During the third stage (3.5 to 2.6 Ma) an Asian winter monsoon system similar to the present formed, initiating a stronger relation between the winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate. In the final stage (2.6 to 0 Ma) the present Asian winter monsoon system was