OSL chronology and palaeoclimatic implications of aeolian sediments in the eastern Qaidam Basin of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Aeolian sediments are widely distributed in the hyper-arid Qaidam Basin and are good palaeoclimatic records. Due to limited age control, aeolian processes and their relevance to palaeoclimatic change are poorly understood. In this study, we present 28 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages for...

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Published in:Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 2012-06, Vol.337-338, p.120-129
Main Authors: Yu, LuPeng, Lai, ZhongPing
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aeolian activity
Luminescence dating
Palaeoclimate during Deglaciation and Holocene
Qaidam Basin
Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)
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Summary:Aeolian sediments are widely distributed in the hyper-arid Qaidam Basin and are good palaeoclimatic records. Due to limited age control, aeolian processes and their relevance to palaeoclimatic change are poorly understood. In this study, we present 28 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages for both loess (14 samples) and aeolian sand (14 samples) from 8 profiles in eastern Qaidam Basin (EQB) in order to provide a detailed chronology for understanding the timing of aeolian processes and associated environmental conditions. We reconstructed the history of aeolian activity in the EQB since deglaciation by combining OSL chronologies, lithologic stratigraphy and grain-size analysis. The results indicate that (1) aeolian sand underlying the loess accumulated at ca. 12.4–11.5ka and 10–8ka, but not during the Last Glacial Maximum, (2) loess accumulation started at 10ka and lasted to 0.45ka at least, while most of the loess was deposited during 8–4.5ka, (3) palaeoclimates in the EQB are inferred to be arid during 12.4–11.5ka, (relatively) humid during 10–8ka, humid during 8–4.5ka and relatively arid during 4.5–0.45ka, and (4) evolution of aeolian sediments were mainly controlled by effective moisture, and also affected by local topography. ► We obtained 28 OSL ages for aeolian deposits in the eastern Qaidam Basin. ► Sand deposition started during the deglaciation at ca. 12.4ka and lasted to 8ka. ► Loess deposition started at ca. 10ka with major representation between 8 and 4.5ka. ► Loess deposition from 10 to 4.5ka indicates a more humid early and mid-Holocene. ► The climate was drier in the late Holocene between 4.5and 0.45ka.
ISSN:0031-0182
1872-616X
DOI:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.04.004