Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 10-20.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.01.02

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MIS3 climate change assessed according to loess deposition in the Linfen Basin, China

TIAN Qingchun1,2(),YIN Jianan1,HAO Xiaolong1   

  1. 1. College of Geographical Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, China
    2. Academy of Chinese Early Civilization, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2021-05-28 Revised:2021-10-08 Online:2022-01-15 Published:2022-01-24

Abstract:

The Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) climate problem has yet to be resolved; thus, further analysis of regional sedimentary records is needed. Loess is recognized as an excellent carrier of quaternary climate research. This study investigated the climate characteristics and changes in the Linfen Basin during MIS3 based on optically stimulated luminescence dating and measurements of magnetic susceptibility, total iron, total organic carbon, and particle size in a profile near the 54:100 site of the Dingcun palaeoanthropological site. Results suggested that climate change in the Linfen Basin during MIS3 can be divided into three stages: 56-45 ka BP, a weak-humid climate interval corresponding to the early stage of MIS3 (MIS3c); 45-41 ka BP, a short dry-cold interval corresponding to MIS3b; and 41-25 ka BP, a strong warm-humid interval corresponding to MIS3a. Comparative analysis of contemporaneous heterogeneous climate records from different regions throughout the world suggest that the climate of the Linfen Basin over MIS3 was generally warm and humid, although not as warm and humid as in the last interglacial period, which is consistent with other geological records. The significant regional variation in climate characteristics throughout the Linfen Basin over this time may be explained by the interaction between changes in the Northern Hemisphere ice sheet and solar radiation levels, respectively, rather than by regionally varying local drivers. These two mechanisms would have resulted in uneven distributions of heat and humidity throughout the region; thus, they can partly explain the regional differences observed in the data. However, the specific coupling mechanisms for these driving forces require further research.

Key words: Linfen Basin, loess deposition, Marine Isotope Stage 3 feature, climate change