Palaeolimnological evidence for environmental change over the past millennium from Lake Qinghai sediments: a review and future research prospective

Henderson, A.C.G. (2009) Palaeolimnological evidence for environmental change over the past millennium from Lake Qinghai sediments: a review and future research prospective. Quaternary International, 194(1-2), pp. 134-147. (doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2008.09.008)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2008.09.008

Abstract

Lake Qinghai, on the NE Tibetan Plateau, is China's largest natural lake that lies at a triple junction of major climatic influences, making it sensitive to global climate change. As such, the sediments of Lake Qinghai have been the focus of numerous palaeoenvironmental studies spanning a range of timescales. However, as a result of uncertain age controls, uncertainties over interpretation of the proxies, the relative dearth of proxy calibration and lack of understanding of the modern lake system a coherent picture of climate over the NE Tibetan Plateau has yet to emerge from Lake Qinghai's sediment record. We review the state of knowledge for this important site, focusing on the last millennium. A comparison of the major proxy records show significant variability with a general pattern of change over the last 1000 years, notably those linked to the onset of the Little Ice Age, but due to poor chronological constraints a detailed picture of climate change cannot be established. Further, some of the proxy records produced from Lake Qinghai's sediments are open to alternative explanations. This compounds the sediment record as a palaeoenvironmental archive. To fully realise the potential of Lake Qinghai, future research must concentrate on defining a reliable old carbon effect for the lake, calibrating proxy records with climatic processes and understanding spatial variability of proxy records within this large lake.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Henderson, Dr Andrew
Authors: Henderson, A.C.G.
Subjects:Q Science > QE Geology
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
Journal Name:Quaternary International
ISSN:1040-6182
ISSN (Online):1873-4553
Published Online:31 October 2008

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