Chinese Loess Plateau 60KYr Grain Size Data Sun, Y.; Clemens, S.C.; Morrill, C.; Lin, X.P.; Wang, X.L.; An, Z. Sun, Y. Clemens, S.C. Morrill, C. Lin, X.P. Wang, X.L. An, Z. Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) Monsoon abrupt climate change earth science/paleoclimate/loess (magnetic susceptibility,loess,null,unspecified unit,null,loess,null,null,N,Gulang) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (depth,null,null,meter,null,loess,null,null,N,Jingyuan) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (age,null,null,calendar kiloyear before present,null,loess,null,null,N,Jingyuan OSL age) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (depth,null,null,meter,null,loess,null,null,N,Gulang) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (age,null,null,calendar kiloyear before present,null,loess,null,null,N,Gulang OSL age) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (magnetic susceptibility,loess,null,unspecified unit,null,loess,null,null,N,Jingyuan) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (grain size mean,loess,null,micrometer,null,loess,null,null,N,Jingyuan) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (grain size mean,loess,null,micrometer,null,loess,null,null,N,Gulang) earth science/paleoclimate/loess (Jingyuan>LATITUDE 36.35>LONGITUDE 104.6) (Gulang>LATITUDE 37.49>LONGITUDE 102.88) The last glacial period was characterized by abrupt, millennial-scale climate change. These climate fluctuations are particularly pronounced in records of the East Asian monsoon system, and seem to be linked to changes in North Atlantic circulation. Here we present records of grain size variations from the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau, dated using optically stimulated luminescence. We reconstruct changes in the strength of the East Asian winter monsoon over the past 60,000 years and find reconstructed millennial-scale variations that are broadly correlated with temperature variations over Greenland, suggesting a common forcing. We investigate the effect of a slow-down of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation on the monsoon system using a coupled climate model simulation with added freshwater flux into the northern North Atlantic, and find a strengthening winter monsoon circulation over the regions that supply dust to the Loess Plateau and a reduction in summer monsoon precipitation over East Asia. We conclude that Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is a driver of abrupt change in the East Asian winter and summer monsoon systems, and that the northern westerlies play a role in transmitting this signal from the North Atlantic to the Asian monsoon regions. STUDY NOTES: Grain size data for the past 60,000 years from 2 loess sections in the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau. 20-m sampling pits were excavated at Jingyuan and Gulang, with age models developed via 40 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements. Grain size was measured on 2000 samples taken at 2-cm. intervals. Grain size data is interpreted as a winter monsoon strength proxy. Jingyuan, Chinese Loess Plateau: 36.35°N, 104.6°E, 2210 m elev. Gulang, Chinese Loess Plateau: 37.49°N, 102.88°E, 2400 m elev. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Sun, Y. Investigator : Clemens, S.C. Investigator : Morrill, C. Investigator : Lin, X.P. Investigator : Wang, X.L. Investigator : An, Z. 2012-05-30 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/12971 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.xls English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/12971 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/loess/china/sun2012clp.xls Sun, Y.B., S.C. Clemens, C. Morrill, X.P. Lin, X.L. Wang, and Z.S. An. 2012. Influence of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation on the East Asian winter monsoon. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 5, pp. 46-49. DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1326 START YEAR: 60100 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 2000 cal yr BP 102.88 36.35 104.6 37.49