Abstract:

The Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, a notable global warming event that occurred during cooling in the Cenozoic period, is being considered as a potential analog for future climate conditions. Arid areas of inland Asia are representative of mid-latitude arid zones throughout the globe, and their desertification exerts the strongest and most direct impacts on human habitation environments. Against the backdrop of global warming, which is compounded by human activities, these arid zones become increasingly fragile, with their expansion or alteration directly impacting human survival and sustainable development. The exploration of the climatic evolutionary history of the arid areas of inland Asia during the Middle Miocene under a global warming scenario can provide crucial insights for the projection of climate changes in arid regions under future warming patterns. This study reviewed the existing research on the paleoclimatic evolution during the Middle Miocene in typical basins of arid areas of inland Asia. Through a comprehensive analysis of various climatic proxies, including environmental magnetic parameters, pollen, and isotopes, the findings indicate the prevailing trend is toward increased humidity in most regions during this period, although there were variations in the timing of humidification and some areas remained arid. However, significant controversy remains regarding the primary regulator of the formation of the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum: some scholars argue that eruptions of Columbia basalt are the primary factor; others propose that tectonic activity is the main driver. To address the aforementioned controversies, obtaining higher-resolution records with precise age control is essential to determine the onset response time of the Mid-Miocene warming event. Through the accurate interpretation of climatic proxies, especially pollen, which directly and sensitively responds to paleoclimatic changes, as well as environmental magnetic parameters and geochemical ratios encapsulating paleoenvironmental information, the various factors influencing climate change can be clarified to reveal the driving mechanisms behind the climatic evolution during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum in arid areas of inland Asia.

Key words: the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, global climate change, climate proxy indicators, driving mechanisms, study of environmental magnetism, arid areas of inland Asia