Lake Qinghai, China 32,000 Year Leaf Wax Hydrogen Isotope Data Thomas, E.K.; Huang, Y.; Clemens, S.C.; Colman, S.M.; Morrill, C.; Wegener, P.; Zhao, J. Thomas, E.K. Huang, Y. Clemens, S.C. Colman, S.M. Morrill, C. Wegener, P. Zhao, J. Monsoon earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (number of samples,null,null,null,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth at sample start,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 2H,C28 n-alkanoic acid,one standard deviation,per mil VSMOW,null,paleolimnology,corrected,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,C28 n-alkanoic acid) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,composited,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (notes,null,null,null,null,paleolimnology,null,null,C,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 2H,C28 n-alkanoic acid,null,per mil VSMOW,null,paleolimnology,corrected,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,C28 n-alkanoic acid. Methyl hydrogen removed) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth at sample end,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (mass,dry sediment,null,meter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (notes,null,null,null,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Lake Qinghai>LATITUDE 37.058>LONGITUDE 100.303) Lake Qinghai, located on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau north of the modern maximum summer monsoon extent, is well situated to record northward advances of the summer monsoon. Existing paleoclimate records contain conflicting evidence for the timing of summer monsoon advance into this region: an early arrival pre-Younger Dryas or a late arrival at the beginning of the Holocene. A 30-kyr-long leaf wax hydrogen isotope (n-alkanoic acid, d2Hwax) record from Lake Qinghai helps to address this discrepancy by elucidating changes in the three main moisture sources in this region: southerly (summer monsoon), northwesterly, and local precipitation. Lake Qinghai d2Hwax indicates that the arid glacial period was dominated by northwesterly moisture. Extremely arid conditions prevailed from 15 to 14 ka, likely because westerly winds were weakening and the summer monsoon had not yet reached this region. This arid period ended by 13.6 ka when small amounts of summer monsoon precipitation reached Lake Qinghai. Summer monsoon moisture subsequently retreated off of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the Younger Dryas and re-advanced in the early Holocene. Summer monsoon precipitation decreased progressively throughout the Holocene in response to decreasing summer insolation, and the modern northwesterly- and local-dominated moisture regime was attained ca. 2.6 ka. Lake Qinghai d2Hwax demonstrates that the summer monsoon extent was dynamic during the past 30 kyr, responding dramatically to insolation and North Atlantic circulation changes. Moreover, Lake Qinghai d2Hwax demonstrates that local and northwesterly air masses are important moisture sources to the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and should be considered when reconstructing past hydroclimate in this region. STUDY NOTES: Hydrogen isotope (d2H) data of terrestrial leaf waxes from sediments collected in Lake Qinghai, China. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Thomas, E.K. Investigator : Huang, Y. Investigator : Clemens, S.C. Investigator : Colman, S.M. Investigator : Morrill, C. Investigator : Wegener, P. Investigator : Zhao, J. 2015-11-16 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19421 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/asia/china/qinghai2016d2h.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/asia/china/qinghai2016d2h.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19421 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/asia/china/qinghai2016d2h.txt Elizabeth K. Thomas, Yongsong Huang, Steven C. Clemens, Steven M. Colman, Carrie Morrill, Pamela Wegener, Jiangtao Zhao2016Changes in dominant moisture sources and the consequences for hydroclimate on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the past 32 kyrQuaternary Science Reviews131A157-16710.1016/j.quascirev.2015.11.003http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379115301694 START YEAR: 31602 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 24 cal yr BP 100.303 37.058 100.303 37.058