•  
  •  
 

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Keywords

mid-latitude arid zone; Cenozoic long-term evolution; aridification; forcing mechanism

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The Asian interior is the largest mid-latitude arid zone in the Northern Hemisphere, being different from the other arid areas controlled by the Subtropical High. The present Asian mid-latitude situates in the heart of the Eurasia, being far away from any of the ocean's moisture sources. How exactly does the mid-latitude Asia become a vast arid area? What kinds of arid processes have been experienced? How is about the mechanism of its formation and evolution? All these issues are unsolved questions. Actually, the present desert environment of the mid-latitude Asia is not a result of short time evolution, but that of long-term stepwise aridification processes. The collision between the Africa Plate, Arabian Plate, and Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate, the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the shrinkage of the Neotethys, and the eustatic global sea-level decline driving by Cenozoic global cooling have all involved in the aridification processes. The mid-latitude experienced Eocene sub-humid, Oligocene sub-humid to semi-arid, and the arid to extreme arid climate since the latest Miocene.

First page

951

Last Page

958

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

References

DeCelles P, Kapp P, Gehrels G, et al. Paleocene-Eocene foreland basin evolution in the Himalaya of southern Tibet and Nepal:implications for the age of initial India-Asia collision. Tectonics, 2014, 33(5):824-849.

Wu F Y, Ji W Q, Wang J G, et al. Zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopic constraints of the onset time of India-Asia collision. American Journal of Science, 2014, 314:548-579.

Hu X, Garzanti E, Moore T, et al. Direct stratigraphic dating of India-Asia collision onset at the Selandian (middle Paleocene, 59±1 Ma). Geology, 2015, 43:859-862.

Liu X D, Dong B W, Yin Z Y, et al. Continental drift and plateau uplift control origination and evolution of Asian and Australian monsoons. Scientific Reports, 2017, 7:40344.

Shukla A, Mehrotra A C. Early Eocene (~50 Myr) legume fruits from Rajasthan. Current Science, 2016, 111:465-467.

Blakey R. Global paleogeography.[2017-09-13]. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/.

Ding L, Xu Q, Yue Y H, et al. The Andean-type Gangdese Mountains:Paleoelevation record from the Paleocene-Eocene Linzhou Basin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2014, 392:250-264.

Bosboom R E, Dupont-Nivet G, Grothe A, et al. Linking Tarim Basin sea retreat (West China) and Asian aridification in the late Eocene. Basin Research, 2014, 26:621-640.

Sun J M, Windley B F, Zhang Z L, et al. Diachronous seawater retreat from the southwestern margin of the Tarim Basin in the late Eocene. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2016, 116:222-231.

Carrapa B, DeCelles P G, Wang X, et al. Tectono-climatic implications of Eocene Paratethys regression in the Tajik basin of central Asia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2015, 424:168-178.

Burtman V S, Molnar P. Geological and geophysical evidence for deep subduction of continental crust beneath the Pamir. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 1993, 281:1-76.

Tapponnier P, Molnar P. Active faulting and Cenozoic tectonics of the Tien Shan, Mongolia and Baykal regions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1979, 84 (B7):3425-3459.

Zhang Z L, Shen Z Y, Sun, J M, et al. Magnetostratigraphy of the Kelasu section in the Baicheng depression, Southern Tian Shan, northwestern China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2015, 111:492-504.

新疆维吾尔自治区地质矿产局.新疆维吾尔自治区区域地质志.北京:地质出版社, 1993.

Sun J M, Windley B. Onset of aridification by 34 Ma across the Eocene-Oligocene transition in Central Asia. Geology, 2015, 43:1015-1018.

Deng T, Wang S Q, Xie G P, et al. Amammalian fossil from the Dingqing Formation in the Lunpola Basin, northern Tibet, and its relevance to age and paleo-altimetry. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2012, 57:261-269.

Sun J M, Xu Q H, Liu W M, et al. Palynological evidence for the latest Oligocene-early Miocene paleoelevation estimate in the Lunpola Basin, central Tibet. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2014, 399:21-30.

Jia G D, Bai Y, Ma Y J, et al. Paleoelevation of Tibetan Lunpola basin in the Oligocene-Miocene transition estimated from leaf wax lipid dual isotopes. Global and Planetary Change, 2015, 126:14-22.

Rowley D B, Currie B S, et al. Palaeo-altimetry of the late Eocene to Miocene Lunpola basin, central Tibet. Nature, 2006, 439:677-681.

Polissar P J, Freeman K H, Rowley D B, et al. Paleoaltimetry of the Tibetan Plateau from D/H ratios of lipid biomarkers. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2009, 287:64-76.

Guo Z T, Ruddiman W F, Hao Q Z, et al. Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China. Nature, 2002, 416:159-163.

Sun X J, Wang P X. How old is the Asian monsoon system? Palaeobotanical records from China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2005, 222:181-222.

Caves J K, Winnick M J, Graham S A, et al. Role of the westerlies in Central Asia climate over the Cenozoic. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2015, 428:33-43.

Cowgill E, Yin A, Harrison T M, et al. Reconstruction of the Altyn Tagh Fault based on U-Pb geochronology:Role of back thrusts, mantle sutures, and heterogeneous crustal strength in forming the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2003, 108:2346.

Sun J M, Ye J, Wu W Y, et al. Late Oligocene-Miocene midlatitude aridification and wind patterns in the Asian interior. Geology, 2010, 38:515-518.

Qiang X K, An Z S, Song Y G, et al. New eolian red clay sequence on the western Chinese Loess Plateau linked to onset of Asian desertification about 25 Ma ago. Science China Earth Science, 2011, 54:136-144.

Mouthereau F, Lacombe O, Vergés J. Building the Zagros collisional orogen:Timing, strain distribution and the dynamics of Arabia/Eurasia plate convergence. Tectonophysics, 2012, 532-535:27-60.

Gavillot Y, Axen G J, Stockli D F, et al. Timing of thrust activity in the High Zagros fold-thrust belt, Iran, from (U-Th)/He thermochronometry. Tectonics, 2010, 29(4):253-274.

Zachos J, Pagani M, Sloan L, et al. Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present. Science, 2001, 292:686-693.

Fu B H, Ninomiya Y, Guo J M. Slip partitioning in the northeast Pamir-Tian Shan convergence zone. Tectonophysics, 2010, 483:344-364.

Cao K, Wang G, van der Beek P, et al. Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the northeastern Pamir revealed by zircon and apatite fission-track thermochronology. Tectonophysics, 2013, 589:17-32.

Thompson J A, Burbank D W, Tao L, et al. Late Miocene northward propagation of the northeast Pamir thrust system, northwest China. Tectonics, 2015, 34:510-534.

Sun J M, Liu W G, Liu Z H, et al. Extreme aridification since the beginning of the Pliocene in the Tarim Basin, western China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2017 (in press).

Liu W G, Liu Z H, An Z S, et al. Late Miocene episodic lakes in the arid Tarim Basin, western China. PNAS, 2014, 111:16292-16296.

Fang X M, Lü L Q, Yang S L, et al Loess in Kunlun Mountains and its implications on desert development and Tibetan Plateau uplift in west China. Science China (Series D), 2002, 45:289-299.

Sun D H, Bloemendal J, Yi Z Y, et al. Palaeomagnetic and palaeoenvironmental study of two parallel sections of late Cenozoic strata in the central Taklimakan Desert:implications for the desertification of the Tarim Basin. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2011, 300:1-10.

Sun J M, Alloway B, Fang X, et al. Refuting the evidence for an earlier birth of the Taklimakan Desert. PNAS, 2015, 112:5556-5557.

Zheng H B, Wei X C, Tada R, et al. Late Oligocene-early Miocene birth of the Taklimakan Desert. PNAS, 2015, 112:7662-7667.

Sun J M, Liu T S. The age of the Taklimakan Desert. Science, 2006, 312:1621.

Chang H, An Z S, Liu W G, et al. Magnetostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental records for a late Cenozoic sedimentary sequence drilled from Lop Nur in the eastern Tarim Basin. Global Planetary Chang, 2012, 80-81:113-122.

Sun J M, Gong Z J, Tian Z H, et al. Late Miocene stepwise aridification in the Asian interior and the interplay between tectonics and climate. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2015, 421:48-59.

Chang M M, Wang X M, Liu H Z, et al. Extraordinarily thickboned fish linked to the aridification of the Qaidam Basin (northern Tibetan Plateau). PNAS, 2008, 105:13246-13251.

Caves J K, Bayshashov B U, Zhamangara A, et al. Late Miocene Uplift of the Tian Shan and Altai and Reorganization of Central Asia Climate. GSA Today, 2016, 27(2):doi:10.1130/GSATG305A.1.

Ding Z L, Sun J M, Liu T S, et al. Wind-blown origin of the Pliocene red clay formation in central Loess Plateau, China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1998, 161:135-143.

Ding Z L, Sun J M, Yang S L, et al. Preliminary magnetostratigraphy of a thick eolian red clay-Loess sequence at Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau. Geophysical Research Letters, 1998, 25:1225-1228.

Sun D H, Shaw J, An Z S, et al. Magnetostratigraphy and paleoclimatic interpretation of a continuous 7.2 Ma Late Cenozoic eolian sediments from the Chinese Loess Plateau. Geophysical Research Letters, 1998, 25:85-88.

An Z S, Kutzbach J E, Prell W L, et al. Evolution of Asian monsoons and phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau since Late Miocene times. Nature, 2001, 411:62-66.

Guo Z T, Peng S Z, Hao Q Z, et al. Late Miocene-Pliocene development of Asian aridification as recorded in an eolian sequence in northern China. Global and Planetary Changes, 2004, 41(3-4):135-145.

Download
Request a Copy

Share

COinS