This file was created by the TYPO3 extension publications --- Timezone: CEST Creation date: 2026-06-04 Creation time: 00:04:07 --- Number of references 56 article RN96 2024 10.22498/pages.32.2.104 Past Global Changes Magazine 32 104-105 2 Y. Sun Y. Song L. Ai X. Liu Z. An article Zeng2019126 2019 English 10009515 10.1111/1755-6724.14220 Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 93 John Wiley and Sons Inc 126-130 Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004; Institute of Earth and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061 S2 Cenozoic; clay mineral; detritus; lacustrine deposit; paleoclimate; paleoenvironment; sediment chemistry, China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85066462334&doi=10.1111%2f1755-6724.14220&partnerID=40&md5=42cb693a98bc1664b0536b820b62e4c0 cited By 0 M. Zeng Y. Song Y. Sheng article Xu20171 Continental scientific drilling can be regarded as "a telescope into the Earth's interior" because it provides process insight and uncompromised samples of rocks, fluids, and even sampled from the deep biosphere from the Earth's surface to great depths. As one of the three founding members of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), ICDP China has made great achievements in many scientific drilling-related research fields. Based on the ICDP participation it attracted global attention of scientists and set up not only the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) Program in 2001 but also a growing number of ambitious drilling projects in the country. The 5158m deep borehole of the CCSD project at Donghai County in the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terrain demonstrates that large amounts of crustal rocks of the South China Block have been subducted to at least 120 km, followed by rapid uplift. After successful completion of drilling at Donghai, several continental scientific drilling projects were conducted with funding of the Chinese government and partially with support of ICDP, resulting in a total drilling depth of more than 35 000 m. These projects encompass the Continental Environmental Scientific Drilling Program of China, the Scientific Drilling Project of Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone, the Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Cretaceous Songliao Basin, and the Program of Selected Continental Scientific Drilling and Experiments. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the ICDP and the 15th anniversary of the CCSD Program, this paper reviews the history and major progress of the CCSD Program. © Author(s) 2017. Article 2017 English 18168957 10.5194/sd-22-1-2017 Scientific Drilling 22 Copernicus GmbH 1 – 18 Earthquakes; Metamorphic rocks; Chinese Government; Continental scientific drillings; Drilling projects; Earth's interior; Scientific drilling; South China block; Ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic; Wenchuan Earthquake; Drilling fluids https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85020083040&doi=10.5194%2fsd-22-1-2017&partnerID=40&md5=d36b862aef8b48651b4d04158f792ecf Cited by: 2; All Open Access, Gold Open Access, Green Open Access Zhiqin Xu Jingsui Yang Chengshan Wang ZhiSheng An Haibing Li Qin Wang Dechen Su article Thomas2016157 Lake Qinghai, located on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau north of the modern maximum summer monsoon extent, is well situated to record northward advances of the summer monsoon. Existing paleoclimate records contain conflicting evidence for the timing of summer monsoon advance into this region: an early arrival pre-Younger Dryas or a late arrival at the beginning of the Holocene. A 30-kyr-long leaf wax hydrogen isotope (n-alkanoic acid, δ2Hwax) record from Lake Qinghai helps to address this discrepancy by elucidating changes in the three main moisture sources in this region: southerly (summer monsoon), northwesterly, and local precipitation. Lake Qinghai δ2Hwax indicates that the arid glacial period was dominated by northwesterly moisture. Extremely arid conditions prevailed from 15 to 14 ka, likely because westerly winds were weakening and the summer monsoon had not yet reached this region. This arid period ended by 13.6 ka when small amounts of summer monsoon precipitation reached Lake Qinghai. Summer monsoon moisture subsequently retreated off of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the Younger Dryas and re-advanced in the early Holocene. Summer monsoon precipitation decreased progressively throughout the Holocene in response to decreasing summer insolation, and the modern northwesterly- and local-dominated moisture regime was attained ca. 2.6 ka. Lake Qinghai δ2Hwax demonstrates that the summer monsoon extent was dynamic during the past 30 kyr, responding dramatically to insolation and North Atlantic circulation changes. Moreover, Lake Qinghai δ2Hwax demonstrates that local and northwesterly air masses are important moisture sources to the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and should be considered when reconstructing past hydroclimate in this region. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. 2016 English 02773791 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.11.003 Quaternary Science Reviews 131 Elsevier Ltd 157-167 Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States; Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China; Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812, United States; Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado and NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, Boulder, CO 80305, United States Incident solar radiation; Isotopes; Lakes; Moisture; Solar radiation, Holocenes; Hydrogen isotope; Monsoon; Tibetan Plateau; Westerlies; Younger Dryas, Atmospheric thermodynamics, Holocene; hydrogen isotope; moisture content; monsoon; paleoclimate; precipitation (climatology); Quaternary; wax; westerly, China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84946781112&doi=10.1016%2fj.quascirev.2015.11.003&partnerID=40&md5=3bf44a291215dd1c5784393eda57d2d3 cited By 75 E.K. Thomas Y. Huang S.C. Clemens S.M. Colman C. Morrill P. Wegener J. Zhao article Zhou2016279 We report here on a previously unpublished sediment core from Qinghai Lake, China, that preserves a continuous record of sedimentation for the past 40 ka. A striking feature of the record is a set of distinct meltwater events recorded at 35, 19 and 14 ka respectively. These events are manifest as distinct pulses of relatively old organic radiocarbon in the sediments. We interpret these as a signal of glacial melting in the Qinghai Lake watershed. The meltwater signals are closely correlated to temperature and precipitation records associated with deglaciation. The events at 19 ka and 14 ka correspond to well-established high latitude Melt Water Pulse (MWP) events during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2, and the 35 ka event corresponds to a period of pervasive high lake levels in western China during late MIS 3. We interpret these anomalous dates as the result of relatively old carbon that was destabilized by the glaciers, and released into the lake as the glaciers melted. The data indicate that this process takes thousands of years. We expect that the approach employed here to identify these events is generally applicable to any lake system with a significant glacial meltwater component. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd Article 2016 English 02773791 10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.08.005 Quaternary Science Reviews 149 Elsevier Ltd 279 – 287 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Carbon; Glacial geology; Organic carbon; Carbon effects; Lacustrine record; Meltwater event; Radiocarbon dating; Total Organic Carbon; core analysis; deglaciation; lacustrine environment; marine isotope stage; meltwater; precipitation assessment; radiocarbon dating; sedimentation; total organic carbon; watershed; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84981303285&doi=10.1016%2fj.quascirev.2016.08.005&partnerID=40&md5=f2586f125fd5e33150387a10864d0989 Cited by: 34 Weijian Zhou Taibei Liu Hao Wang ZhiSheng An Peng Cheng Yizhi Zhu G.S. Burr article Liu201641 Grain-size compositions of lake sediments can provide direct information on changes in transporting mechanism and sedimentary environment. Various grain-size parameters have been employed to reconstruct hydrological conditions within the lake and dust influx from outside the lake. Here we present the grain-size results of a 5-m core retrieved from Lake Qinghai, northeastern Tibetan Plateau in order to address the links between Holocene depositional process and climatic change. Our results indicate that two parameters (skewness and grain-size ratio of 8-50/2-8 μm) are sensitive to hydrodynamic changes in Lake Qinghai, which are further linked to the strength of the Asian summer monsoon. Variations of these two parameters reveal that summer monsoon intensity weakened gradually from early to late Holocene, superimposed by persistent centennial variability with dominant periods at 0.35, 0.23 and 0.12 kyr. Comparison of grain-size variations with solar activities and North Atlantic cooling events reveals that solar forcing likely plays an important role in driving centennial monsoon variability. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. Article 2016 English 00310182 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.02.005 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 449 Elsevier B.V. 41 – 51 Atlantic Ocean; Atlantic Ocean (North); China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; climate change; depositional environment; grain size; Holocene; hydrodynamics; lacustrine deposit; monsoon; reconstruction; solar activity https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84959227439&doi=10.1016%2fj.palaeo.2016.02.005&partnerID=40&md5=50164af5d344c1bcdc8fdf19b4f9a003 Cited by: 87; All Open Access, Bronze Open Access Xingxing Liu Jef Vandenberghe ZhiSheng An Ying Li Zhangdong Jin Jibao Dong Youbin Sun article Peng2016119 The morphology and ultrastructure of Gyrosigma peisonis var. major var. nov., a new variety of Gyrosigma peisonis found in Lake Qinghai (China), are described here on the basis of light and scanning electron microscopy. Most of the morphological features of this new variety are identical to those of the nominal variety Gyrosigma peisonis var. peisonis, but the variety major differs in its distinctly larger cell size and its higher value for the longitudinal/transverse stria density ratio, however. The seasonal variation of this taxon, which was investigated by a sediment-trap study is also discussed. © 2016 Magnolia Press. Article 2016 English 11793155 10.11646/phytotaxa.245.2.3 Phytotaxa 245 Magnolia Press 119 – 128 2 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84957587454&doi=10.11646%2fphytotaxa.245.2.3&partnerID=40&md5=178a1df0b6fccc53588b1d1084bda1df Cited by: 7 Yumei Peng Patrick Rioual Zhangdong Jin Frithjof A. S. Sterrenburg article Wan201511 Faithfully tracing sources of sediment and then quantifying the flux of each source are the first-order basis for reconstructing paleoclimate and paleoenvironment using lake sediments. The budget of various sources contributing to lake sediment in Lake Qinghai, the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau, is controversial. In the previous study, the flux of the dust deposition to the modern lake sediment was obtained through 2-year observations, but estimations of other sources have some uncertainties due to inadequate data. In this study our new estimations for the modern Lake Qinghai sediment using new measured data show (1) that contribution (22.1 ± 5.2 %) of the fluvial particulate matter is of second significance, only about one-third of the dust deposition, to the modern lake sediment, when its quick deposition near river mouths is not considered, (2) that lacustrine organisms contribute only 5.2 ± 1.1 % of the sediment, but account for ~70 % of the organic matter in sediment, and (3) that authigenic carbonates contribute 21.0 ± 8.6 % of the sediment and 63.6 % of the total carbonates in the lake sediment, respectively, which is due to a direct precipitation of both Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the modern Ca2+-limited lake. These quantifications are instructive to understand the particulate fluxes to sediment pools in Lake Qinghai under the present conditions and to reconstruct paleoclimate and paleoenvironment via physical and geochemical proxies using past sediments. © 2014, The Japanese Society of Limnology. Article 2015 English 14398621 10.1007/s10201-014-0434-3 Limnology 16 Springer Japan 11 – 20 1 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84939886590&doi=10.1007%2fs10201-014-0434-3&partnerID=40&md5=afe76c053e3e2eaea82f8ab4c138016d Cited by: 7 Dejun Wan Zhangdong Jin Fei Zhang Hongyun Chen Liumei Chen Lei Song Chao Song article Jin201563 Geochemistry of basin sediments from semi-arid regions is valuable to understand past hydroclimatic changes. Here, we investigate the links of sedimentary geochemistry (Rb, Sr, Ca/Zr, TOC, and %CaCO3), carbonate mineralogy and ostracod shell δ18O of Lake Qinghai, a basin proximal to major dust production centers at mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, to changes in depositional conditions and hydroclimate during the past 32ka. Surface lacustrine sediments are characterized by low-Rb, high-Sr, low-Rb/Sr, high-%CaCO3 and high-Ca/Zr values, in contrast to the chemical compositions of eolian loess (high-Rb, low-Sr, high-Rb/Sr, low-%CaCO3, and low-Ca/Zr). A direct comparison of soluble Ca and Sr in two short cores with instrumental water discharge data suggests that lacustrine precipitates in Lake Qinghai are dominated by authigenic aragonite formed under Ca2+-limited water conditions, and that the accumulation rate of aragonite dominantly depends on solute fluxes into the lake during the rainy seasons (late May to September). Our high-resolution down-core records show that sediments during the last glacial (~32-19.8ka) had high-Rb, low-Sr, low-%CaCO3, and low-Ca/Zr, indicating eolian dust (loess) accumulation in a desiccated basin under dry glacial conditions, further supported by grain size and pollen results. This type of sedimentation was maintained during the last deglacial (~19.8-11.5ka), but interrupted by episodic lacustrine precipitates with high-Sr, high-%CaCO3, high-Ca/Zr, and low-Rb. At ~11.5ka, sedimentary Rb/Sr, Ca/Zr, %CaCO3 and TOC show dramatic and permanent changes, implying an abrupt shift in the atmospheric circulation at the onset of the Holocene in the Lake Qinghai region. Lacustrine precipitates have persisted throughout the Holocene with a maximum during the early to mid-Holocene (~10.5-8.0ka). Since ~8.0ka, the gradual and significant decreases in aragonite and Sr accumulations in tandem with increasing dust deposit and more positive ostracod δ18O may be linked to a weakening of Asian summer monsoons during the mid-to-late Holocene. Overall, our records appear to show a high sensitivity of sediment development and geochemistry in Lake Qinghai to the regional hydroclimate changes since the last glacial. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. 2015 English 02773791 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.015 Quaternary Science Reviews 122 Elsevier Ltd 63-73 State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China; Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia; College Resources and Environmental Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China Animals; Arid regions; Calcium; Carbonate minerals; Dust; Geochemistry; Glacial geology; Lakes; Minerals; Precipitates; Rubidium; Sedimentology, Asian dust; Hydroclimate; Lake Qinghai; Lake waters; Sediment geochemistries, Sediments, aragonite; calcium carbonate; chemical composition; climate variation; eolian process; lacustrine deposit; Last Glacial; Northern Hemisphere; ostracod; paleoclimate; sediment chemistry; semiarid region; shell, China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake, Ostracoda https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84930932715&doi=10.1016%2fj.quascirev.2015.05.015&partnerID=40&md5=f8021dc85717cd55118558fb67b0115e cited By 74 Z. Jin Z. An J. Yu F. Li F. Zhang article Zhou2015399 There is ongoing debate over how the water level and composition of the water in Lake Qinghai changed in the past and might change in future. This study of the microchemistry of otoliths from ancient naked carp explores the chemistry of a relict lake isolated from Lake Qinghai during the Little Ice Age (LIA). A close correlation between the ages measured on fish bone and otoliths by AMS-14C, and by optically stimulated luminescence on overlying sediments, confirms a high water level in Lake Qinghai before 680-300years ago. The contrasting compositions of the ancient otoliths relative to modern otoliths and waters indicate that the relict lake became enriched in 18O, Mg, Li, B and to a lesser extent Ba, but depleted in 13C, owing to strong evaporation, authigenic carbonates precipitation, (micro-)organism activity, and less fresh water input after it was isolated. If there were long-term fresh water input, however, a reverse trend might occur. The most important observation is that, because the waters have been supersaturated with respect to carbonates, authigenic carbonate precipitation would result in low but consistent Sr/Ca ratios in the lakes, as recorded by both the ancient and modern otoliths. The geochemical records of ancient versus modern biogenic carbonates provide insights into the long-term hydroclimatic evolution processes of an inland water body. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2015 English 13679120 10.1016/j.jseaes.2015.02.006 Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 105 Elsevier Ltd 399 – 407 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84930962877&doi=10.1016%2fj.jseaes.2015.02.006&partnerID=40&md5=2b7da426d3250a2e696b1f7c2271adcd Cited by: 1 Ling Zhou Zhangdong Jin Chia-Hui Wang Fuchun Li Yujiao Wang Xulong Wang Fei Zhang Liumei Chen Jinhua Du article Chen2015113 To advance the understanding of the spatial variability of sediment composition and its controlling factors in a large hydrologically closed lake, the spatial distributions in the mineralogy and geochemistry of 18 surface sediment samples along three transects across the deepest part of Lake Qinghai on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were investigated. The data show (1) that the surface lake sediments are almost the same in the XRD patterns, (2) that the sediments do not have considerable changes in geochemical compositions along three transects and (3) that the standard deviations of the lake sediments are low in grain size, elemental abundances, δ13C and δ18O values of carbonates, and total organic carbon and nitrogen, with the exception of one sample (QH-11) from the westernmost part of the northern sub-basin. These characteristics indicate that the spatial variability of the surface sediment across Lake Qinghai is very low in geochemical and silicate mineralogical compositions, with limited differences in the chemical composition of carbonates associated with river water dilution. Sample QH-11 has anomalously high levels of MgO, a high carbonate content, and positive δ13C and δ18O values in bulk and fine-grained carbonates, probably because of the effect of calcareous tufa. Spatial uniformity in the mineralogical and geochemical compositions of surface sediments in Lake Qinghai can be attributed to the flat topography of the lakebed and stable sediment provenances, the latter dominated by dust deposition and authigenic carbonates. The spatial uniformity and dominance of dust and authigenic aragonite of surface sediments across Lake Qinghai provide a potential record of the hydroclimate in the past, which is associated with changes in the Westerlies and the summer monsoons. © 2015, The Japanese Society of Limnology. Article 2015 English 14398621 10.1007/s10201-015-0448-5 Limnology 16 Springer-Verlag Tokyo 113 – 125 2 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84939985199&doi=10.1007%2fs10201-015-0448-5&partnerID=40&md5=141a5dd4392cba0f68ad08f7eaeec239 Cited by: 8 Liu-Mei Chen Zhangdong Jin Dejun Wan Fei Zhang article Li201425 Lake Qinghai, the largest saline lake in China, is a closed-basin lake with a salinity of 16. g/L and is situated in the sensitive semi-arid zone between the Asian monsoon-controlled area and the westerly jet stream-influenced area. With the support of the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP), Lake Qinghai was drilled in 2005 using the ICDP GLAD800 drilling system. Two ostracod species, i.e., Limnocythere inopinata and Eucypris mareotica, were found only in the upper 5.15. m of the drilled core 1F, covering 12. ka, where the depths of 5.15 to 3.15. m (12.0-7.4. ka) are dominated by E. mareotica and the depths of 3.15 to 0. m (7.4. ka-present) are dominated by L. inopinata.The presence of the ostracod Eucypris mareotica was related to the high salinity of the water (exceeding 30g/L), and the dominant species of ostracod (Limnocythere inopinata) was related to the brackish water (3-16g/L) in the Lake Qinghai area (Li et al., 2010). The changes in the carbon isotope in the modern ostracod shells were related to the water salinity and productivity on the lake bottom in Lake Qinghai (Li et al., 2012). On this basis, this study evaluated the changes in lake salinity and productivity and their relation to climatic change using changes in the relative abundances of ostracod fossil species assemblages and the stable carbon isotope in ostracod shells from core 1F and other published data (e.g., total organic carbon content, δ13CTOC and ice core δ18O).The single occurrence of ostracod Eucypris mareotica and the highest average δ13C values (-0.2‰) in their shells indicated that the lake salinity and productivity were very high, a phenomenon that was related to the high temperature and low lake level (caused by intense evaporation even though the precipitation increased sharply) in the early Holocene. The deceased abundance of ostracod E. mareotica and the lowest average δ13C values (-2.0‰) in ostracod shells showed that the lake salinity and productivity decreased because of the increased lake level and decreased temperatures in the middle Holocene. Finally, the lake level decreased, but the water salinity and the lake productivity gradually increased because of the high E/I ratio related to the increased temperature in the late Holocene. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. Article 2014 English 00310182 10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.04.017 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 407 Elsevier 25 – 33 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; brackish water; carbon isotope; climate variation; drilling; fossil assemblage; Holocene; jet stream; lake level; monsoon; ostracod; primary production; saline lake; salinity; semiarid region; temperature effect; westerly https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84900791373&doi=10.1016%2fj.palaeo.2014.04.017&partnerID=40&md5=7f9dba28fcb82966946c694eea5a4757 Cited by: 38 Xiangzhong Li Weiguo Liu article Wang20142512 Otoliths are biogenic carbonate minerals in the inner ear of teleost fish, whose compositions can record the physical and chemical conditions of the ambient water environment inhabited by individual fish. In this research, the fishbones and otoliths of naked carp sampled near the Bird Island, offshore Lake Qinghai, were dated and analyzed for mineralogy and microchemical compositions. Comparing the microchemical compositions of ancient otoliths with those of modern otoliths, we conclude that the ancient naked carps inhabited a relict lake formed when the lake shrank from a high lake level, by combining with the AMS-14C ages of fishbones and otoliths, the stratigraphy and surrounding topography of the sample site. AMS-14C dating results of ancient fishbones and otoliths show that these naked carps lived from 680 to 300 years ago, i.e. during the Ming Dynasty of China. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns demonstrate that the ancient lapillus is composed of pure aragonite, identical to modern one, indicating that the mineral of lapillus didn’t change after a long time burial and that the ancient lapillus is suitable for comparative analysis thereafter. Microchemical results show that both ratios of Mg/Ca ((70.12±18.50)×10−5) and δ18O ((1.76±1.03)‰) of ancient lapilli are significantly higher than those of modern lapilli (average Mg/Ca=(3.11±0.41)× 10−5 and δ18O=(−4.82±0.96)‰). This reflects that the relict water body in which the ancient naked carp lived during the Ming Dynasty was characterized by higher Mg/Ca and δ18O ratios than modern Lake Qinghai, resulting from strong evaporation after being isolated from the main lake, similar to today’s Lake Gahai. Based upon the stratigraphy and altitude of naked carp remains, it can be inferred that the altitude of lake level of Lake Qinghai reached at least 3202 m with a lake area of 4480 km2 during the Ming Dynasty, approximately ∼5% larger than it is today. © 2014, Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Article 2014 English 16747313 10.1007/s11430-014-4836-1 Science China Earth Sciences 57 Science Press (China) 2512 – 2521 10 Carbonate minerals; Fish; Offshore oil well production; Stratigraphy; Topography; Water levels; Fishbone; Lake levels; Lake Qinghai naked carps; lapillus; Oxygen isotopes; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84920256247&doi=10.1007%2fs11430-014-4836-1&partnerID=40&md5=de1787606bcfaabf1dd3a960a02c1d8f Cited by: 10 Yujiao Wang Zhangdong Jin Ling Zhou Fuchun Li Fei Zhang Liumei Chen XinNing Qiu RuGui Qi article Peng2014061 A new medium-sized species of Hippodonta (Bacillariophyceae) is described from Lake Qinghai, China. The morphology and ultrastructure of Hippodonta qinghainensis sp. nov. are described using light and scanning electron microscopy. This new species is compared with similar species of Hippodonta using conventional and geometric morphometric analyses. Hippodonta qinghainensis can be separated from the other species of Hippodonta by a unique combination of characters that include an elliptic-lanceolate to rhombic-lanceolate valve shape, non protracted apices, the absence of fascia, relatively coarse, uniseriate striae and the presence of two rows of lineolae around the valves apices. © 2014 Magnolia Press. Article 2014 English 11793155 10.11646/phytotaxa.186.2.1 Phytotaxa 186 Magnolia Press 061 – 074 2 Bacillariophyceae; Bacillariophyta; Hippodonta https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84911460773&doi=10.11646%2fphytotaxa.186.2.1&partnerID=40&md5=210e013ef399cde944904833600071d1 Cited by: 13 Yumei Peng Patrick Rioual Zlatko Levkov David M Wiliams Zhangdong Jin article Sun20145 Continental scientific drilling is an important scientific and engineering project that has been attracting world-wide attentions. Since International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) was founded in 1996, great advances have been brought about in many fields of earth sciences by continental scientific drilling. As one of the three founding members of ICDP, China has also achieved a lot of developments in continental scientific drilling. This paper summarizes the continental scientific drilling projects in China, such as the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD), the Lake Qinghai Scientific Drilling Project(CESD), and the preliminary progresses of the third approved ICDP project of China--the Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project(SK-I,SK-II project). The implementing Wenchuan Fault Scientific Drilling Program (WFSD) is also included in the paper. Their scientific objectives, drilling and coring situations and drilling equipment used in the project are all introduced. © 2014 CAFET-INNOVA TECHNICAL SOCIETY. 2014 English 09745904 International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering 7 CAFET INNOVA Technical Society 5-15 College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China 1 Engineering; Industrial engineering, Continental scientific drillings; Coring situation; Engineering project; Lake Qinghai; Scientific drilling; Scientific objectives, Drilling equipment; Drilling equipment, Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project; deep drilling; Earth science; regional geology; Earth structure; equipment; international organization, China https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84905008009&partnerID=40&md5=a24aff634cb29c1752ae17c42c319ff9 cited By 1 Y.H. Sun J.S. Mao B.C. Liu X.P. Fan article Liu2014223 We inferred the climate history for Central Asia over the past 20,000 years, using sediments from core QH07, taken in the southeastern basin of Lake Qinghai, which lies at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Results from multiple environmental indicators are internally consistent and yield a clear late Pleistocene and Holocene climate record. Carbonate content and total organic carbon (TOC) in Lake Qinghai sediments are interpreted as indicators of the strength of the Asian summer monsoon. Warm and wet intervals, associated with increased monsoon strength, are indicated by increased carbonate and TOC content. During the glacial period (~20,000 to ~14,600 cal year BP), summer monsoon intensity remained low and relatively constant at Lake Qinghai, suggesting cool, dry, and relatively stable climate conditions. The inferred stable, cold, arid environment of the glacial maximum seems to persist through the Younger Dryas time period, and little or no evidence of a warm interval correlative with the Bølling-Allerød is found in the QH07 record. The transition between the late Pleistocene and the Holocene, about 11,500 cal year BP, was abrupt, more so than indicated by speleothems in eastern China. The Holocene (~11,500 cal year BP to present) was a time of enhanced summer monsoon strength and greater variability, indicating relatively wetter but more unstable climatic conditions than those of the late Pleistocene. The warmest, wettest part of the Holocene, marked by increased organic matter and carbonate contents, occurred from ~11,500 to ~9,000 cal year BP, consistent with maximum summer insolation contrast between 30°N and 15°N. A gradual reduction in precipitation (weakened summer monsoon) is inferred from decreased carbonate content through the course of the Holocene. We propose that changes in the contrast of summer insolation between 30°N and 15°N are the primary control on the Asian monsoon system over glacial/interglacial time scales. Secondary influences may include regional and global albedo changes attributable to ice-cover and vegetation shifts and sea level changes (distance from moisture source in Pacific Ocean). The abruptness of the change at the beginning of the Holocene, combined with an increase in variability, suggest a threshold for the arrival of monsoonal rainfall at the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Article 2014 English 09212728 10.1007/s10933-013-9721-y Journal of Paleolimnology 51 Kluwer Academic Publishers 223 – 240 2 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; climate conditions; deglaciation; environmental indicator; Holocene; paleoclimate; precipitation (climatology); sediment analysis; timescale https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84895068029&doi=10.1007%2fs10933-013-9721-y&partnerID=40&md5=21b8fffb1dd8fdd3f79c74e6ff901257 Cited by: 33; All Open Access, Green Open Access Xiuju Liu Steven M. Colman Erik T. Brown Andrew C.G. Henderson Josef P. Werne Jonathan A. Holmes article Zhou2014143 Radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques were used to date total organic carbon and plant seeds in the 1Fs core sequence (36°48′N, 100°08′E) from Qinghai Lake, China. This core was drilled ~18 m into Qinghai Lake sediments as part of an international cooperative research project, "Scientific Drilling at Qinghai Lake in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau: High-Resolution Paleoenvironmental Records of Eastern Asia Linked to Global Change," which began in 2004. Based on the differences in lithology and total organic content (TOC) in core 1Fs, the core was divided into 3 sections for age-modeling purposes: the upper ~499 cm lacustrine silty clay to clay; the middle unit of silty clay with silt layers from 499-901 cm; and the lower 901-1861 cm silty clay, loess-like silt, and fine sand layers. Three different approaches are applied to the reservoir age problem. First, a simple linear regression gives an offset of 1342 yr. If the core is divided into three sections, linear regressions can be applied separately for the three segments, which results in an age estimate for the average hardwater effect of ~135 yr BP for the surface section up to 499 cm. If extrapolated for deeper sections, these results imply a higher reservoir offset for those two sections, which may be as much as 1143 and 2523 yr, but this assumes that there are no discontinuities in the core. A third approach using a wiggle-matching approach gave an offset of 196 yr. This study concludes that the reservoir age of Qinghai Lake is complex, but these new data add to our understanding of the 14C chronology of Qinghai Lake for the last 32 ka. © 2014 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona. Article 2014 English 00338222 10.2458/56.16470 Radiocarbon 56 143 – 155 1 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; accelerator mass spectrometry; age determination; chronostratigraphy; lacustrine deposit; lake ecosystem; radiocarbon dating; reservoir; total organic carbon https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896900415&doi=10.2458%2f56.16470&partnerID=40&md5=49cabab88516f25a54abaf4a79dae488 Cited by: 43 Weijian Zhou Peng Cheng A.J. Timothy Jull Xuefeng Lu ZhiSheng An Hao Wang Yizhi Zhu Zhenkun Wu article Zeng20141846 Located at the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) in the Asian interior, the Lake Qinghai is sensitive to environmental change and thus an outstanding site for studying paleoenvironmental changes. Thick deposits in the Lake Qinghai provide important geological archives for obtaining high-resolution records of continental environmental history. The longest drilling core obtained from the Lake Qinghai, named Erlangjian (ELJ), reached about 1109 m and was investigated to determine its clay mineral assemblage and grain size distributions. Clay mineralogical proxies, including type, composition, and their ratios, as well as the illite crystallinity (KI) and chemical index (CI), in combination with grain size data, were used for reconstructing the history of paleoenvironmental evolution since the late Miocene in the Lake Qinghai Basin. The clay mineral records indicate that the clay mainly comprise detritus originating from peripheral material and has experienced little or no diagenesis. The proportion of authigenic origin was minor. Illite was the most abundant clay mineral, followed by chlorite, kaolinite, and smectite. Variations of clay mineral indexes reflect the cooling and drying trends in the Lake Qinghai region, and the grain size distribution is coincided with the clay minerals indexes. The paleoclimatic evolution of the Lake Qinghai Basin since the late Miocene can be divided into five intervals. The climate was relatively warm and wet in the early of late Miocene, then long-term trends in climate change character display cooling and drying; later in the late Miocene until early Pliocene the climate was in a short relatively warm and humid period; since then the climate was relatively colder and drier. These results also suggest multiple tectonic uplift events in the northeastern QTP. © 2014 Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Article 2014 English 16747313 10.1007/s11430-013-4817-9 Science China Earth Sciences 57 Science in China Press 1846 – 1859 8 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Clay minerals; Climate change; Grain size and shape; Kaolinite; Tectonics; Clay mineral assemblages; Grain size distribution; Lake Qinghai; Paleoclimates; Paleoenvironmental change; Qinghai Tibet plateau; Tectonic uplift; Weathering conditions; clay mineral; grain size; Miocene; paleoclimate; paleoenvironment; proxy climate record; sediment core; uplift; weathering; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84905008706&doi=10.1007%2fs11430-013-4817-9&partnerID=40&md5=6c0847132282106e1976de8b7a1e0a3d Cited by: 20 MengXiu Zeng YouGui Song ZhiSheng An Hong Chang Yue Li article Wang201369 The ratio of archaeol to caldarchaeol (the ACE index) has been proposed recently as an index for paleosalinity reconstruction and is based principally on archaeal core lipids (CLs) from coastal salt pans (Turich, C., Freeman, K.H., 2011. Archaeal lipids record paleosalinity in hypersaline systems. Organic Geochemistry 42, 1147-1157). We have examined possible relationships between salinity and ACE in both CLs and intact polar lipids (IPLs) from suspended particulate matter (SPM) and surface sediments of lakes and surrounding soils on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Our results showed that ACE values were positively correlated with salinity in all samples; however, CL ACE values were systematically higher than IPL ACE values, probably due to different degradation kinetics of intact polar (IP) archaeol and IP caldarchaeol. On the other hand, surface sediment ACE values from both CLs and IPLs were lower than SPM ACE values, probably due to enhanced production of caldarchaeol relative to archaeol in the sediment. Our results demonstrate that the ACE proxy reflects changes in salinity in diverse environments on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is promising for paleosalinity reconstruction; however, caution should be used when applying the salinity proxy before we have a better understanding of degradation kinetics of archaeal IPLs and in situ production of caldarchaeol and archaeol in sediments. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2013 English 01466380 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2012.09.011 Organic Geochemistry 54 69 – 77 China; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Archaea; Degradation; Lakes; Lipids; Sedimentology; Surficial sediments; Archaeal; Degradation kinetics; Hypersaline; In-situ production; Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; Organic geochemistry; Polar lipids; Qinghai-Tibetan plateau; Surface sediments; Surrounding soils; Suspended particulate matters; correlation; dehydration; in situ measurement; in situ test; lake water; lipid; organic geochemistry; paleosalinity; saline lake; sampling; upland region; Salinity measurement https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84868676037&doi=10.1016%2fj.orggeochem.2012.09.011&partnerID=40&md5=33ed6ac8cd50fa49a1c2985794e57d86 Cited by: 33 Huanye Wang Weiguo Liu Chuanlun L. Zhang Hongchen Jiang Hailiang Dong Hongxuan Lu Jinxiang Wang article Wang201375 The BIT index represents the relative abundances of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (bGDGTs) and the isoprenoid GDGT, crenarchaeol. While bGDGTs are produced mainly by soil (anaerobic) bacteria, crenarchaeol is known to be a biomarker for aerobic ammonia oxidation by chemolithoautotrophic Thaumarchaeota, particularly in the open ocean or lakes. Thus, the index in marine and lacustrine settings has been widely used as a proxy for soil input. Here, we have investigated GDGT distribution along two transects extending from the lake shore marsh to upland soils on the NE Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The results show that soil water content (SWC) correlates positively with concentration of bGDGTs and negatively with concentration of crenarchaeol; consequently, there is a significant positive correlation between SWC and the BIT index. Our study highlights a new potential application of BIT as a humidity proxy in loess/soil and peat deposits. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2013 English 01466380 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2013.03.011 Organic Geochemistry 59 75 – 81 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Aerobic bacteria; Glycerol; Lipids; Soil moisture; Wetlands; Aerobic ammonia oxidations; Chemolithoautotrophic; Lake Qinghai; Positive correlations; Qinghai-Tibetan plateau; Relative abundance; Soil water content; Upland soil; bacterium; biomarker; humidity; isoprenoid; loess; marsh; open ocean; paleolimnology; peat soil; relative abundance; shore (nonmarine); soil water; upland region; water content; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84877114687&doi=10.1016%2fj.orggeochem.2013.03.011&partnerID=40&md5=48639a55cef51983f2153a47b9e533cb Cited by: 35 Huanye Wang Weiguo Liu Chuanlun L. Zhang Zhonghui Liu Yuxin He article Lu201354 Isoprenoid GDGTs (iGDGTs), along with their constituent biphytanyl moieties, are biomarkers for archaea. In order to obtain more information on identifying the carbon source and potential carbon assimilation pathway of archaea in surface sediments of Lake Qinghai and the surrounding soils, the stable carbon isotopic composition of iGDGT-derived biphytanes as well as its relationship with δ13C values of total organic carbon (TOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was investigated. The δ13C values of iGDGT-derived biphytanes ranged from -42.7‰ to -20.3‰. For example, the values for acyclic biphytanes (BP-0), the most abundant, varied from -25.0‰ to -22.1‰ in offshore sediments, -30.5‰ to -25.4‰ in surrounding soils and -42.7‰ to -32.0‰ in nearshore sediments. The wider variation than that of δ13CTOC (-26.9‰ to -25.1‰) in offshore sediments and that in surrounding soils indicated that δ13C values of BP-0 may be a sensitive indicator for examining the depositional environments between terrestrial and lacustrine systems. With average δ13C values of -23.6‰, crenarchaeol-derived biphytanes (BP-cren) in offshore sediments were enriched in 13C (ca. 3.6‰) relative to TOC. In addition, the carbon isotopic fractionation between BP-cren and DIC was -21.3‰, consistent with that reported for marine Thaumarchaeota. The enrichment in 13C relative to TOC and the similar carbon isotopic fractionation indicated that Thaumarchaeota in offshore sediments of Qinghai Lake are autotrophic. With average δ13C values of -29.2‰, BP-cren in surrounding soils was depleted by 0.9‰ to 12.8‰ in 13C relative to DIC. The quite large scatter in carbon isotopic fractionation between BP-cren and DIC indicated that the biomass of soil Thaumarchaeota originated from inorganic and organic carbon sources, suggesting a mixotrophic lifestyle. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2013 English 01466380 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2013.04.012 Organic Geochemistry 60 54 – 61 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Isotopes; Lakes; Lipids; Microorganisms; Organic carbon; Sedimentology; Soils; Surficial sediments; Carbon assimilation; Carbon isotopic composition; Depositional environment; Dissolved inorganic carbon; Isotopic fractionations; Lacustrine systems; Sensitive indicator; Total Organic Carbon; biomarker; biomass; carbon isotope; depositional environment; eukaryote; isoprenoid; isotopic composition; lacustrine deposit; sediment pollution; soil pollution; Carbon https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84879352394&doi=10.1016%2fj.orggeochem.2013.04.012&partnerID=40&md5=5d5a89cb82b29a121935bd9a9fd41a31 Cited by: 5 Hongxuan Lu Weiguo Liu Huanye Wang Chuanlun L. Zhang article Zhang2013547 Water samples from the Buha and Shaliu Rivers, located on the semi-arid northeastern Tibetan Plateau, were collected weekly over a one year period. The major ionic compositions of water samples were measured and the daily contents of suspended particulate material (SPM) were monitored in both rivers in order to investigate the influence of lithology, climate and physical erosion on seasonal silicate weathering. In the Shaliu River, weathering of trace amounts of calcite contributes more than 50% of the Ca2+ and HCO3- to the river water. Through high-resolution variations of Ca2+ concentrations and elemental ratios, the signal of carbonate precipitation is captured at the end of monsoon in this river. The measured physical erosion rate is only 8.7-16.0mm/kyr in this semi-arid region, which is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that in the Himalaya and nearby regions.In contrast with several orders of magnitude in seasonal variations of silicate weathering rates in both catchments, the distinct lithology between the catchments only leads to a 15 times difference of annual net CO2 consumption. The correlation analysis shows that seasonal silicate weathering is strongly dependent on water discharge in the semi-arid area. The most important observation is that, unrecognized by the previous studies, both physical erosion rate and air temperature exhibit two distinct trends with silicate weathering rates (and net CO2 consumption) during the years. The two trends might suggest that temperature plays a more important role on the CO2 consumption rate before the mid-monsoon under a condition of low water discharge than that after the monsoon with a high water discharge. During the period before the mid-monsoon, the relationship between temperature and silicate weathering rate exhibits higher activation energy than after the mid-monsoon, suggesting a greater dissolution of uneasily weatherable minerals from groundwater, frozen soil, and/or dust input. The relationship between erosion and weathering during the period before the mid-monsoon indicates a faster increase of silicate weathering rate, because freezing erosion produces large amount of high surface area minerals. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2013 English 13679120 10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.11.004 Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 62 547 – 560 Buha River; China; Qinghai; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Shaliu River; carbon dioxide; climate effect; erosion; ionic composition; lithology; river water; seasonal variation; silicate; suspended particulate matter; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84872824962&doi=10.1016%2fj.jseaes.2012.11.004&partnerID=40&md5=f701a231b5636633d8b6b974197c542e Cited by: 18 Fei Zhang Zhangdong Jin Fuchun Li Jinmin Yu Jun Xiao article Xiao201362 Major ions, isotopic ratios of strontium (87Sr/86Sr), hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (δ18O) of groundwater samples were analyzed to decipher spatial variation, controlling factors, solute sources, and the rechargesource of shallow groundwaters within the Lake Qinghai catchment. Shallow groundwaters in this area are slightly alkaline, with 97% being fresh water of good quality, though there are high concentrations of nitrate and sulfide in Buha and lakeside groundwaters. Most of the shallow groundwatersare of the Ca2+-HCO3- type, whereas part of groundwaters surrounding the lake (LS) belongs to the Na+-Cl- type as lake water (QHL). Groundwater geochemistry is controlled by regional lithological association, ion exchange, and mineral precipitation. The dissolved Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary from 1.0 to 15.6μmol/L, and from 0.709859 to 0.715779, respectively. The first quantitative calculation in groundwater using a forward model shows that 40% of dissolved Sr is from carbonate weathering, 33% from evaporite dissolution, 17% from silicate weathering, and the remainder from atmospheric input for the whole catchment. Carbonate weathering dominates groundwater geochemistry in Shaliu (SL), Hargai (HG) and Buha (BH) samples, while evaporite dissolution dominates LS and Daotang (DT) samples. δD and δ18O data show that rain water is the major recharge source of both river water and shallow groundwater within the Lake Qinghai catchment. Qinghai Lake water is characterized by Buha-type water, but its Sr geochemistry is different from the shallow groundwater due to carbonate precipitation. Although shallow groundwater contributes ~5% of the dissolved Sr to the QHL, groundwater must be taken into account when the chemistry and budget of lake water are characterized. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. Article 2013 English 10406182 10.1016/j.quaint.2013.05.033 Quaternary International 313-314 62 – 73 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; carbonate; concentration (composition); groundwater; hydrochemistry; hydrogen isotope; ion exchange; isotopic composition; isotopic ratio; lake water; lithology; nitrate; oxygen isotope; rainwater; recharge; river water; solute; spatial variation; strontium isotope; sulfide; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84886722513&doi=10.1016%2fj.quaint.2013.05.033&partnerID=40&md5=21ae38872b6aef2119d5bf175149ef95 Cited by: 18 Jun Xiao Zhangdong Jin Fei Zhang article Fu2013875 Lake Qinghai, in North China, is the largest interior plateau lake in Central Asia, and is sensitive to climate change and the environmental effects of Tibetan Plateau uplift. We have obtained an almost continuous 626 m long sediment core from an in-filled part of the southern lake basin, which documents both the age of the origin of the lake and the evolution of the East Asian monsoon during the Late Cenozoic. High-resolution magnetostratigraphy provides a chronology back to ca. 5.1 Ma. Analysis of lithofacies and depositional environments reveal that the change from eolian to lacustrine facies occurred at ca. 4.63 Ma, corresponding to a shift from an arid or semi-arid to a more humid climate, which resulted in the origin of Lake Qinghai. Changes in sediment lithology and mean grain size indicate that the lake level fluctuated considerably, superimposed on a long-term trend from higher to lower levels in response to variations in the East Asian Monsoon. This archive is a significant additional source of information on regional and global environmental change, complementing the existing records from north China, which are mainly based on analysis of loess deposits. © 2013 Geological Society of America. Article 2013 English 19432682 10.1130/G34418.1 Geology 41 875 – 878 8 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Climate change; Geochronology; Lithology; Sediments; Tectonics; Depositional environment; East Asian monsoon; Global environmental change; High resolution; Long-term trend; Magnetostratigraphy; Mean-grain size; Tibetan Plateau; age determination; Cenozoic; chronology; climate variation; depositional environment; environmental change; grain size; lithofacies; lithology; loess; magnetostratigraphy; monsoon; paleoclimate; sediment core; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84888816690&doi=10.1130%2fG34418.1&partnerID=40&md5=9e35ea8a8946f8f5850ae4ff88fd0654 Cited by: 43 Chaofeng Fu ZhiSheng An Xiaoke Qiang Jan Bloemendal YouGui Song Hong Chang article Xu2013150 The quantification of carbon burial in lake sediments, and carbon fluxes derived from different origins are crucial to understand modern lacustrine carbon budgets, and to assess the role of lakes in the global carbon cycle. In this study, we estimated carbon burial in the sediment of Lake Qinghai, the largest inland lake in China, and the carbon fluxes derived from different origins. We find that: (1) The organic carbon burial rate in lake sediment is approximately 7.23gm-2a-1, which is comparable to rates documented in many large lakes worldwide. We determined that the flux of riverine particulate organic carbon (POC) is approximately 10 times higher than that of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Organic matter in lake sediments is primarily derived from POC in lake water, of which approximately 80% is of terrestrial origin. (2) The inorganic carbon burial rate in lake sediment is slightly higher than that of organic carbon. The flux of riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is approximately 20 times that of DOC, and more than 70% of the riverine DIC is drawn directly and/or indirectly from atmospheric CO2. (3) Both DIC and DOC are concentrated in lake water, suggesting that the lake serves as a sink for both organic and inorganic carbon over long term timescales. (4) Our analysis suggests that the carbon burial rates in Lake Qinghai would be much higher in warmer climatic periods than in cold ones, implying a growing role in the global carbon cycle under a continued global warming scenario. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2013 English 08832927 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.04.004 Applied Geochemistry 39 150 – 155 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Global warming; Sediments; Climatic periods; Different origins; Dissolved inorganic carbon; Dissolved organic carbon; Global carbon cycle; Inorganic carbon; Organic carbon burial rates; Particulate organic carbon; carbon budget; carbon cycle; global warming; lacustrine deposit; organic carbon; sediment chemistry; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84888295087&doi=10.1016%2fj.apgeochem.2013.04.004&partnerID=40&md5=9f1d604f396dffc4dfc34b5e5da7300e Cited by: 37 Hai Xu Jianghu Lan Bin Liu Enguo Sheng Kevin M. Yeager article Liu2013153 The isotopic compositions of total organic carbon (TOC) in lakes have been widely used to interpret paleoclimatic changes and the depositional environments of lake sediments. However, the main factors that affect the carbon isotopes of TOC (source of organic material, water condition and others) may vary in different lake sediment records, which have limited the applicability of organic carbon isotopes in explaining biogeochemical and environmental changes in lakes. In this study, the organic carbon isotopic compositions of aquatic plants and surface sediments from Lake Qinghai and the living terrestrial plants and surface soils around the lake were systematically investigated to identify the sources of TOC in the sediments and the significance of the organic carbon isotopes of sedimentary TOC. We found that the aquatic plants in the deep water areas (>10m) were primarily dominated by Cladophora, but submerged plants (Potamogeton and Ruppia L.) are the dominant species in shallow water (<10m). The Cladophora have negative δ13Corg values (-33.6‰ to -28.6‰) that are caused by C3-like photosynthesis, but the submerged plants have enriched δ13Corg values (-17.8‰ to -15.4‰) that are caused by C4-like photosynthesis. In addition, the δ13Corg values of Cladophora become more negative with increasing water depth because of the slow photosynthetic rate caused by the weak light intensity at depth. The isotopic data indicate that the carbon isotopes of organic material in the surface sediments are primarily controlled by the types of aquatic plant and that the δ13Corg values of TOC can be used to indicate the variation of the water depth (lake level). The organic carbon isotopic data from the 1F core showed that the water was shallow (<10m) because of intense evaporation related to high temperatures even though precipitation sharply increased in the warm period during the early-mid Holocene. The lake level reached its maximum level at 3ka. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. Article 2013 English 00092541 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.04.009 Chemical Geology 347 153 – 160 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Cladophora; Potamogeton; Ruppia; Carbon; Isotopes; Organic carbon; Photosynthesis; Sedimentology; Slow light; Surficial sediments; Carbon isotopic composition; Depositional environment; Isotopic composition; Lake levels; Lake Qinghai; Lake-sediment records; Qinghai Tibet plateau; Total Organic Carbon; carbon isotope; environmental change; green alga; isotopic composition; lacustrine deposit; lake level; precipitation (chemistry); sediment chemistry; total organic carbon; water depth; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84877333028&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemgeo.2013.04.009&partnerID=40&md5=68fa11bfb726dd364555465418cc4527 Cited by: 104 Weiguo Liu Xiangzhong Li ZhiSheng An Liming Xu article Xiao20121331 Conventional hydrochemical techniques and statistical analyses were applied to better understand the solute geochemistry and the hydrochemical process of shallow groundwater in the Qinghai Lake catchment. Shallow groundwater in the Qinghai Lake catchment is slightly alkaline, and is characterized by a high ion concentrations and low water temperature. The total dissolved solids (TDS) in most of the samples are <1,000 mg/L, i. e. fresh water and depend mainly on the concentration of SO 4 2-, Cl - and Na +. Groundwater table is influenced directly by the residents' groundwater consumption. Most of the groundwaters in the Qinghai Lake catchment belong to the Ca 2+(Na +) -HCO 3 - type, while the Qinghai Lake, part of the Buha (BHR) and the Lake Side (LS) samples belong to the Na +-Cl - type. The groundwater is oversaturated with respect to aragonite, calcite and dolomite, but not to magnesite and gypsum. Solutes are mainly derived from strong evaporite dissolution in Daotang, BHR and LS samples and from strong carbonate weathering in Hargai and Shaliu samples. Carbonate weathering is stronger than evaporite dissolution with weak silicate weathering in the Qinghai Lake catchment. Carbonate weathering, ion exchange reaction and precipitation are the major hydrogeochemical processes responsible for the solutes in the groundwater in the Qinghai Lake catchment. Most of the shallow groundwaters are suitable for drinking. More attention should be paid to the potential pollution of nitrate, chloride and sulfide in shallow groundwater in the future. © 2012 Springer-Verlag. Article 2012 English 18666299 10.1007/s12665-012-1576-4 Environmental Earth Sciences 67 1331 – 1344 5 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Carbonate minerals; Carbonation; Catchments; Chlorine compounds; Dissolution; Groundwater; Groundwater pollution; Gypsum; Hydrochemistry; Lakes; Runoff; Weathering; Carbonate weathering; Evaporite dissolution; Fresh Water; Ground water table; Groundwater consumption; Hydrochemical process; Hydrochemicals; Hydrogeochemical process; Ion concentrations; Ion exchange reactions; Low water; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai Tibet plateau; Shallow groundwater; Silicate weathering; Total dissolved solids; hydrogeochemistry; ion exchange; sampling; shallow water; solute; water table; water temperature; Groundwater geochemistry https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84867741285&doi=10.1007%2fs12665-012-1576-4&partnerID=40&md5=77b48ca485ebb07fc69a4286c7d9188f Cited by: 36 Jun Xiao Zhangdong Jin Fei Zhang Jin Wang article Xiao201221 Major ion compositions were analyzed in 65 groundwater samples to decipher water quality, solute geochemistry and sources of groundwater within the Qinghai Lake catchment, NE Tibetan Plateau. Groundwaters were slightly alkaline with pH varying from 7.2 to 8.7. The total dissolved solids (TDS) varied over two orders of magnitude from fresh (88%) to brackish (12%) with a mean value of 672mg/L, higher than river waters within the Qinghai Lake catchment and river waters draining the Himalayas and the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Most of the samples, approximately 80%, were the Ca 2+-Mg 2+-HCO3- type and suitable for drinking and irrigation. Some of the Lakeside, the Buha and the Qinghai Lake water were the Na +-Cl - type and not suitable for drinking and irrigation. Water quality of Hargai and Shaliu samples was better than the others. Rock weathering, ion exchange and precipitation are the major geochemical processes responsible for the solutes in the groundwater within the Qinghai Lake catchment. Anthropogenic input to the groundwater is minor. The forward models on the input of groundwaters from various sources showed that the contributions were 40.1% for carbonate weathering, 29.0% for evaporite dissolution, 16.8% for atmospheric input and 14.1% for silicate weathering of the total dissolved cations for the whole catchment. Evaporite dissolution was dominating in the Lakeside, the Buha and the Daotang samples, contributing 15.3-45.9%, 20.4-61.1% and 21.3-63.9% of the total dissolved cations, respectively. Carbonate weathering was dominated in the Shaliu and the Hargai samples, contributing 23.9-71.7% and 31.8-95.4% of the total dissolved cations, respectively. The result also demonstrated that carbonate weathering had higher contribution to the groundwaters than silicate weathering. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2012 English 13679120 10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.02.006 Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 52 21 – 30 China; Himalayas; Qinghai; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; catchment; dissolution; groundwater; ion exchange; ionic composition; river water; solute; water quality; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84860483091&doi=10.1016%2fj.jseaes.2012.02.006&partnerID=40&md5=47851048910a3429114320e950925e39 Cited by: 55 Jun Xiao Zhang Dong Jin Fei Zhang Jin Wang article Zhou2012983 Otoliths are biogenic carbonate minerals whose microstructure and microchemistry have been used for age determination, stock identification, life history and environmental tracing. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we have determined the mineral types and crystalline characteristics of three pairs of otoliths from naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii, the predominant fish in Lake Qinghai. The results indicate that the mineral of both lapillus and sagitta of the naked carp is aragonite, and that of asteriscus is vaterite. The aragonite of lapillus has prefect crystallization. Given the shape of lapillus and the sensitivity of its aragonite to water chemistry, lapillus was used to analyze temporal Sr/Ca ratios along the maximal growth axis by an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). Consistent variations of Sr/Ca ratios with a range of 1. 0×10-3-5. 0×10{combining triple dot above} on the long and short radii indicate that Sr/Ca ratios of lapillus potentially respond to the chemical compositions of the host waters during the period of the naked carp's growth and migration. Discontinuous (dark) zones of lapillus were formed during fall and winter when the naked carp grows slowly in Lake Qinghai, resulting in similar low Sr/Ca ratios to lake water, whereas incremental zones with higher Sr/Ca ratios respond to its migratory river waters during spring and summer. Various Sr/Ca ratios of incremental zones suggest that the migratory pattern of the naked carp may be much more flexible, rather than in a single river. Therefore, high-resolution otolith microchemistry of the naked carp can be used to trace its migratory behavior, which is of significance for determining its migratory pattern and life history of this precious species inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau. © 2012 Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Article 2012 English 16747313 10.1007/s11430-012-4403-6 Science China Earth Sciences 55 Science in China Press 983 – 990 6 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Asteriscus; Cyprinidae; Gymnocypris przewalskii; Sagitta; Carbonate minerals; Chemical analysis; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Minerals; X ray diffraction; aragonite; Environmental tracers; Lake Qinghai naked carps; migration; otolith; Sr/ca ratios; aragonite; biogenic mineral; calcium; chemical composition; crystallization; cyprinid; mineralogy; otolith; strontium; tracer; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84861666591&doi=10.1007%2fs11430-012-4403-6&partnerID=40&md5=00b3c2c0aeab241ef79bcd697cc5c87d Cited by: 7 Ling Zhou Zhangdong Jin Fuchun Li You Chen-Feng Wang Chia-Hui Miss Chen Huilun Xu Zhijie Iizuka Yoshiyuki Zhang Fei Jin Yu-an He Maoyong Shi Yuewei Qiu Xinning article Wan20121546 Located at the midpoint of the Asian " airborne dust corridor" , Lake Qinghai receives substantial dust annually, which may impact the biogeochemical cycles of the system. In order to determine quantitatively the flux and chemical contributions of dust to Lake Qinghai sediment, dust samples were collected monthly at two sites surrounding the lake from June 2009 to May 2011. The results demonstrate similar chemical compositions of dust samples to the local loess, implying strong representativeness of regional dust. The average dust deposition flux is 265.7±55.0g/m 2/a, constituting 56.6±11.7% of the modern sediment, approximating to previous estimates (~65%). Contributions of dust-derived elements in the sediment differ substantially, with a minimum of 16.7% for Sr and a maximum of 83.9% for Cu. Among these elements, the contribution of lithophile elements (Na, Al, K, Ti, Mn, Fe and Rb) is close to that of the bulk dust; the contributions of mobile elements (Mg, Ca and Sr) are low, only 16.7% (Sr)-26.1% (Mg), whereas potentially harmful metals (Cu, Zn and Pb) have high contributions (70.3-83.9%). Seasonal variations of elemental inputs indicate that springtime contributions dominate the annual dust fluxes for all elements into the sediment, in agreement with the high dust flux in spring. These observations not only quantify the contribution of dust to the sediment of Lake Qinghai, but also highlight the important role of dust in the accumulation of various elements in the sediment, especially for potentially harmful metals. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2012 English 08832927 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2012.03.009 Applied Geochemistry 27 1546 – 1555 8 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Copper; Lakes; Lead; Manganese; Rubidium; Sedimentology; Sediments; Sodium; Strontium; Airborne dusts; Biogeochemical cycle; Chemical compositions; Dust deposition; Dust flux; Dust samples; Eolian dust; Lake Qinghai; Lithophile elements; Mobile elements; Seasonal variation; biogeochemical cycle; eolian deposit; lacustrine deposit; quantitative analysis; seasonal variation; sediment chemistry; Dust https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862841047&doi=10.1016%2fj.apgeochem.2012.03.009&partnerID=40&md5=61d4298a77b15a48aaef2c97ea7d8a9c Cited by: 28 Dejun Wan Zhangdong Jin Yinxi Wang article An2012 Two atmospheric circulation systems, the mid-latitude Westerlies and the Asian summer monsoon (ASM), play key roles in northern-hemisphere climatic changes. However, the variability of the Westerlies in Asia and their relationship to the ASM remain unclear. Here, we present the longest and highest-resolution drill core from Lake Qinghai on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), which uniquely records the variability of both the Westerlies and the ASM since 32ĝ€...ka, reflecting the interplay of these two systems. These records document the anti-phase relationship of the Westerlies and the ASM for both glacial-interglacial and glacial millennial timescales. During the last glaciation, the influence of the Westerlies dominated; prominent dust-rich intervals, correlated with Heinrich events, reflect intensified Westerlies linked to northern high-latitude climate. During the Holocene, the dominant ASM circulation, punctuated by weak events, indicates linkages of the ASM to orbital forcing, North Atlantic abrupt events, and perhaps solar activity changes. Article 2012 English 20452322 10.1038/srep00619 Scientific Reports 2 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84866130315&doi=10.1038%2fsrep00619&partnerID=40&md5=d6e5a452d19a8e578eae4b3b0673bb14 Cited by: 594; All Open Access, Gold Open Access, Green Open Access ZhiSheng An Steven M. Colman Weijian Zhou Xiaoqiang Li Eric T. Brown A. J. Timothy Jull Yanjun Cai Yongsong Huang Xuefeng Lu Hong Chang YouGui Song Youbin Sun Hai Xu Weiguo Liu Zhangdong Jin Xiaodong Liu Peng Cheng Yu Liu Li Ai Xiangzhong Li Xiuju Liu Libin Yan Zhengguo Shi Xulong Wang Feng Wu Xiaoke Qiang Jibao Dong Fengyan Lu Xinwen Xu article Wang201236 Lake sediments generally contain a mixture of terrestrial and aquatic source inputs, and determining the major inputs is important for understanding geological records in paleoenvironment and paleoclimate research. In this study we describe the distribution of n-alkanes and n-fatty acids (FAs) in representative modern plants from around Lake Qinghai. We found a significant difference in the average length of n-FA carbon chains (ACL Fa 16-32) in terrestrial (23.3) and aquatic plants (18.6). The results reveal that ACL Fa 16-32 may essentially serve as a proxy for evaluating the major source inputs to lake sediments. Assessment of surface sediments from the lake showed that the FAs originated from a mixture of inputs, with the aquatic source input predominant at most sites.Additionally, the δD values of sediment mid-chain n-acids (C 22) showed a relationship with the ACL Fa 16-32 proxy: an increased Fa ACL corresponded to more negative hydrogen isotope ratio values. We suggest that different sources should be considered and ACL Fa 16-32 could be a potential calibration proxy before using δD values to extract reliable isotopic information from lake water. More attention should be paid to source inputs and their relationship to other geochemical proxies in future studies of lake sediments. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2012 English 01466380 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2012.06.015 Organic Geochemistry 50 36 – 43 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Carbon; Hydrogen; Isotopes; Paraffins; Sedimentology; Sediments; Aquatic plants; Average length; Carbon chains; Carbon-chain length; Geochemical proxies; Hydrogen isotope; Isotopic information; Lake Qinghai; Lake sediments; Lake waters; n-Alkanes; Paleo-environment; Paleoclimate research; Surface sediments; alkane; carbon; fatty acid; geological record; hydrogen isotope; lacustrine deposit; lake water; paleoclimate; paleoenvironment; sediment chemistry; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84864148208&doi=10.1016%2fj.orggeochem.2012.06.015&partnerID=40&md5=7f5f699a4c47fc2685b216f60c478295 Cited by: 54 Zheng Wang Weiguo Liu article Li201288 To further investigate the significance of carbon isotopes of lake carbonates in arid areas, we examined the carbon isotopic composition of ostracods, bulk carbonate, fine-grained carbonates, and associated water DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) from Lake Qinghai and several small lakes and ponds surrounding Lake Qinghai. We obtained three major results. 1) The carbon isotopic compositions of ostracods, bulk carbonate, and fine-grained carbonates in the lakes and ponds are clearly correlated with water δ 13C DIC values, which vary with water salinity in the Lake Qinghai area. 2) The variation in the δ 13C DIC values of lake water is mainly controlled by CO 2 exchanges between the atmosphere and lake waters in the Lake Qinghai area. 3) Ostracods, bulk carbonate and fine-grained carbonates show consistent trends of isotopic composition in the study area, and the differences in carbon isotopic composition between authigenic carbonates and ostracods may be explained by the differences in carbon isotopic composition between the DIC of surface water and that of the water near to the sediment-water interface as well as the 'vital offsets' of ostracods.Our results suggest that variations in the δ 13C values of carbonates in Lake Qinghai and other lakes in this arid, high-altitude area are primarily controlled by the carbon-isotope ratios of the lake water DIC, which in turn are related to water salinity. Therefore, changes in carbonate δ 13C values may be used to indirectly indicate changes in water salinity in the Lake Qinghai area. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.. Article 2012 English 00092541 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.01.010 Chemical Geology 300-301 88 – 96 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Ostracoda; Animals; Anoxic sediments; Arid regions; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Carbonation; Isotopes; Sedimentology; Arid area; Authigenic carbonates; Carbon isotopes; Carbon isotopic composition; Dissolved inorganic carbon; High altitude; Isotopic composition; Lake Qinghai; Lake waters; Ostracods; Qinghai Tibet plateau; Sediment water interface; Study areas; Water salinity; arid region; carbon isotope; carbonate sediment; dissolved inorganic carbon; isotopic composition; isotopic ratio; lacustrine deposit; ostracod; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862812819&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemgeo.2012.01.010&partnerID=40&md5=20aae3a39259236fa358383bfecff259 Cited by: 60 Xiangzhong Li Weiguo Liu Liming Xu article Liu20111693 Long-chain alkenones in lacustrine settings are potentially excellent biomarkers for the reconstruction of past terrestrial environmental conditions, and have been found in many different types of lakes around the globe. A wider range of factors influence the occurrence and distribution of alkenones in lake sediments and waters when compared to marine systems. Lake environmental conditions, such as temperature (in particular) and salinity, are among the key factors controlling alkenone distributions in lacustrine settings. Here we investigated alkenone distribution patterns in lakes of the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, and their possible relationship with environmental conditions, by analyzing paired samples of suspended particulate matter in surface waters and surface sediments. Salinity of investigated lake waters ranges from almost 0 to ∼100g/L, while temperature variation among the lakes is minimal, effectively eliminating temperature effects on the alkenone distribution patterns observed here. We show that (1) alkenone concentrations vary substantially between the lakes, yet controlling mechanisms remain elusive; (2) C37/C38 ratios are substantially lower in the lakes of the Qaidam Basin than in the Lake Qinghai region, probably indicating different alkenone producers in the two regions; and (3) large variations in %C37:4 (the percentage of the C37:4 alkenone), determined from both surface waters and sediments, are negatively correlated with salinity. We suggest that the %C37:4 index could be used as a salinity indicator at least on a regional scale, with careful considerations of other potentially complicating factors. However, potential reasons for why salinity could significantly affect %C37:4 values need further investigation. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2011 English 00167037 10.1016/j.gca.2010.10.029 Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 75 Elsevier Ltd 1693 – 1703 7 China; Qaidam Basin; Qinghai; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; alkenone; biomarker; concentration (composition); isotopic ratio; lacustrine deposit; lake water; paleoenvironment; salinity; suspended particulate matter; water temperature https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79952444657&doi=10.1016%2fj.gca.2010.10.029&partnerID=40&md5=96d7af4ad497d09cb99949198e065b7c Cited by: 66 Weiguo Liu Zhonghui Liu Huanye Wang Yuxin He Zheng Wang Liming Xu article Jin2011 River waters collected weekly over the whole year of 2007 from the Buha River draining to Lake Qinghai on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were analyzed for major ions and Sr isotopes. Dissolved loads in the river exhibit distinct seasonal variability in major cation ratios and Sr isotopes over the 1 year period, reflecting seasonal differences in relative inputs from various sources and weathering reactions in the catchment. Distinct geochemical signatures suggest that eolian dust may affect river water chemistry significantly, resulting in a twofold increase influx of dissolved loads during spring relative to winter. It is noticeable that both the lowest and the highest 87Sr/86Sr values of the Buha River waters occurred in the monsoon season, indicating a sensitive response of carbonate versus silicate weathering sources to hydrological forcing on a seasonal basis. A significant decrease in Na/cation, together with lower Sr isotope ratios, is consistent with a greater proportion f carbonate weathering relative to silicate weathering in the early monsoon season. High temperature and increased rainfall during the peak of the monsoon facilitate an increased proportion of ions derived from silicates, partly from groundwaters, to river water. In other seasons, elemental and 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary much less, indicating a constant ratio of silicate to carbonate weathering, consistent with limited variation in discharge. Our results highlight that in a semiarid region where climatic conditions vary seasonally, in addition to silicate and carbonate contributions, supply from eolian dust may also play a significant role in controlling seasonal variations in chemistry of river waters. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union. Article 2011 English 21699011 10.1029/2011JF002002 Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 116 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 4 Buha River; China; Qinghai; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; carbonate; catchment; groundwater; high temperature; monsoon; rainfall; river water; seasonal variation; strontium isotope; water chemistry; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80155130056&doi=10.1029%2f2011JF002002&partnerID=40&md5=a8dc1c26243de5615a29c76a06601b9c Cited by: 56; All Open Access, Bronze Open Access Zhangdong Jin Chen-Feng You Jimin Yu Lingling Wu Fei Zhang Hou-Chun Liu article Jin20101536 River waters play a significant role in supplying naturally- and anthropogenically-derived materials to Lake Qinghai, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. To define the sources and controlling processes for river water chemistry within the Lake Qinghai catchment, high precision ICP-MS trace element concentrations were measured in water samples collected from the Buha River weekly in 2007, and from other major rivers in the post-monsoon (late October 2006) and monsoon (late July 2007) seasons. The distributions of trace elements vary in time and space with distinct seasonal patterns. The primary flux in the Buha River is higher TDS and dissolved Al, B, Cr, Li, Mo, Rb, Sr and U during springtime than those during other seasons and is attributed to the inputs derived from both rock weathering and atmospheric processes. Among these elements, the fluxes of dissolved Cr, B and Rb are strongly influenced by eolian dust input. The fluxes of dissolved Li, Mo, Sr and U are also influenced by weathering processes, reflecting the sensitivity of chemical weathering to monsoon conditions. The anthropogenic sources appear to be the dominant contribution to potentially harmful metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn and Pb), with high fluxes at onset of the main discharge pulses due, at least partially, to a runoff washout effect. For other major rivers, except for Ba, concentrations of trace elements are higher in the monsoon than in the post-monsoon season. A total of 38.5 ± 3.1 tons of potentially harmful elements are transported into the lake annually, despite human activities within the catchment being limited. Nearly all river water samples contain dissolved trace elements below the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking water, with the exception of As and B in the Daotang River water samples collected in late July probably mobilized from underlying lacustrine sediments. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Article 2010 English 08832927 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2010.08.004 Applied Geochemistry 25 1536 – 1546 10 Buha River; China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Agricultural chemicals; Atmospheric thermodynamics; Barium; Catchments; Chromium; Copper; Dissolution; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Lakes; Lead; Molybdenum; Potable water; Rivers; Rubidium; Runoff; Sediments; Soil mechanics; Weathering; Zinc; Anthropogenic sources; Atmospheric process; Chemical weathering; Controlling process; Derived materials; Discharge pulse; Dominant contributions; Drinking water; Eolian dust; High flux; High precision; Human activities; Lacustrine sediments; Monsoon conditions; Post-monsoon; River water; River water samples; Rock weathering; Seasonal patterns; Tibetan Plateau; Time and space; Trace element concentrations; Water samples; Weathering process; World Health Organization; aluminum; anthropogenic source; catchment; chemical weathering; chromium; discharge; drinking water; human activity; lacustrine deposit; monsoon; plateau; pollutant source; river water; water chemistry; World Health Organization; zinc; Trace elements https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77957021510&doi=10.1016%2fj.apgeochem.2010.08.004&partnerID=40&md5=d876d53a77bca43f3ad0ebaf9ed2f94e Cited by: 33 Zhangdong Jin Chen-Feng You Tsai-Luen Yu Bo-Shian Wang article Xu2010621 We investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of 137Cs radioactivity in surface sediment of Qinghai Lake, and developed the spatial pattern of sedimentation rate. The 137Cs inventory is higher near the estuary/bank area, but lower at the central lake. On the other hand, the average 137Cs activity is lower near the estuary/bank area, but higher at the central lake. The mass accumulation rate (MAR) and the fluxes and contents of the terrestrial detritus (e.g. SiO2, Fe2O3, and Ti) are higher near the estuary/bank area, but lower at the central lake. The chemical/biogenic deposits (e.g. the autogenic carbonates) take up higher fractions at the central lake. These suggest that the spatial pattern of recent sedimentation rate is dominated by the deposition of terrestrial detritus. The average MAR (0.0337g cm-2a-1) was estimated based on those of different cores of Qinghai Lake and was verified by a Ca mass-balance method. The fluxes of total lake sediments, terrestrial detritus, and direct atmospheric deposits were also estimated. © Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009. Article 2010 English 18619541 10.1007/s11434-009-0580-x Chinese Science Bulletin 55 621 – 627 7 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77949303820&doi=10.1007%2fs11434-009-0580-x&partnerID=40&md5=3d2b125e0c9d2926a581215820875e2b Cited by: 46 Hai Xu Xiao Yan Liu Zhi Sheng An Zhao Hua Hou Ji Bao Dong Bin Liu article Xu2010 The Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments have been suggested as indicators of weathering intensity by increasing work. However, the geochemistry of Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments is variable between different lakes. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of Rb/Sr ratios, as well as those of other major elements in surface sediments of Lake Qinghai. We find that the spatial pattern of Rb/Sr ratios of the bulk sediments correlates well with that of the mass accumulation rate, and those of the terrigenous fractions, e.g., SiO2, Ti, and Fe. The temporal variations of Rb/Sr ratios also synchronize with those of SiO2, Ti, and Fe of each individual core. These suggest that Rb/Sr ratios of the surface sediments are closely related to terrigenous input from the catchment. Two out of eight cores show similar trends between Rb/Sr ratios and precipitation indices on decadal scales; however, the other cores do not show such relationship. The result of this study suggests that physical weathering and chemical weathering in Lake Qinghai catchment have opposite influence on Rb/Sr ratios of the bulk sediments, and they compete in dominating the Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments on different spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, it is necessary to study the geochemistry of Rb/Sr ratio of lake sediments (especially that on short term timescales) particularly before it is used as an indicator of weathering intensity of the catchment. © 2010 Xu et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Article 2010 English 14674866 10.1186/1467-4866-11-3 Geochemical Transactions 11 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; accumulation rate; catchment; lacustrine deposit; rubidium; sediment chemistry; spatial variation; strontium; surficial sediment; temporal variation; terrigenous deposit; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77954326037&doi=10.1186%2f1467-4866-11-3&partnerID=40&md5=eb1fbf6ed480ef6212c7ea1ef7f400b0 Cited by: 66; All Open Access, Gold Open Access, Green Open Access Hai Xu Bin Liu Feng Wu article Jin20101057 Strontium (Sr) concentrations and isotopic ratios have been measured in a series of water and rock samples from most of the major tributaries of the Lake Qinghai basin on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved Sr and 87Sr/86Sr show ranges of 488-12 240 nmol/l and 0·710497-0·716977, respectively. These data, together with measurements of major cations and anions in rivers and their tributaries and various lithologies of the catchment, were used to determine the contributions of Sr and its isotopic expense to rivers and lakes. Our results demonstrate that the chemical components and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the alkaline waters are derived from mixing of carbonate and silicate sources, with the former contributing 72 ± 18% dissolved Sr to rivers. The difference in tributary compositions stems from the lithology of different river systems and low weathering intensity under a semi-arid condition. Variation in 87Sr/86Sr ratios places constraint on the Sr-isotopic compositions of the main tributaries surrounding Lake Qinghai. The water chemistry of the Buha River, the largest river within the catchment underlain by the late Paleozoic marine limestone and sandstones, dominates Sr isotopic composition of the lake water, being buffered by the waters from the other rivers and probably by groundwater. However, the characteristic chemical composition of the lake itself differs remarkably from the rivers, which can be attributed to precipitation of authigenic carbonates (low-magnesium calcite, aragonite, and dolomite), though this does not impact the Sr isotope signature, which may remain a faithful indicator in paleo-records. Regarding the potential role of groundwater input within the Lake Qinghai systems in the water budget and water chemistry, we have also determined the Sr concentration and 87Sr/S6Sr ratio of groundwater from diverse environments. This has allowed us to further constrain the Sr isotope systematic of this source. A steady-state calculation gives an estimate for the groundwater flux of 0·19 ± 0·03 x 108 m3/yr, accounting for about 8% of contemporary lake Sr budget. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article 2010 English 10969837 10.1002/esp.1964 Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 35 1057 – 1070 9 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Budget control; Carbonate minerals; Catchments; Dissolution; Groundwater; Indicators (chemical); Isotopes; Lakes; Lithology; Magnesium; Precipitation (chemical); Rivers; Runoff; Silicates; Soil mechanics; Weathering; Alkaline water; Authigenic carbonates; Budget; Chemical component; Chemical compositions; Eastern Tibetan plateau; Groundwater fluxes; Isotope signatures; Isotopic composition; Isotopic ratios; Lake waters; Late Paleozoic; Magnesium calcite; River systems; Rivers and lakes; Rock sample; Semi-arid conditions; Sr fluxes; Tibetan Plateau; Water budget; Water chemistry; catchment; chemical weathering; concentration (composition); isotopic composition; isotopic ratio; strontium isotope; surface water; water budget; water chemistry; Strontium https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77954559864&doi=10.1002%2fesp.1964&partnerID=40&md5=4728a2b26b858b62bc9b13329e64fc80 Cited by: 28 Zhangdong Jin Sumin Wang Fei Zhang Yuewei Shi article Jin2010551 Two short sediment cores were recovered from sub-basins of Lake Qinghai, China and were analyzed for concentrations of Pb and 16 other elements to determine historic, regional atmospheric Pb deposition on the Tibetan Plateau. Core chronologies, dating back to the eighteenth century, were established using activities of 210Pb and 137Cs. The 17 elements were divided into three principal components. Variations in concentrations of PC1 elements (Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, and Ti) demonstrate different patterns between the two cores, and are attributed to different sediment sources in the two subbasins. PC2 elements (Ba, Ca, Na, and Sr) may be associated with the degree of catchment weathering and/or water chemistry. Four elements (Pb, Zn, P, and Co) are related to both PC1 and PC2, and reflect a mixture of natural and anthropogenic sources. The PC3 element is Mg in the north sub-basin, and is perhaps related to aragonite precipitation and/or increased farming. Elevated Pb concentrations in uppermost sediments of both cores signify a recent regional/global increase in anthropogenic Pb release into the environment. After subtracting lithogenic Pb, derived from rock weathering and/or dust and normalized to the background immobile element Ti, results suggest that excess, anthropogenic Pb is transferred to the lake and its sediments predominantly via the atmosphere. This anthropogenic atmospheric Pb is comparable in magnitude and displays similar variation patterns in the two cores, reflecting regional atmospheric deposition and local erosion. The average anthropogenic Pb deposition rate in Lake Qinghai since the 1960s has been ~12.2 ± 3.5 mg/ m2/a, comparable with atmospheric Pb fluxes reported for sites elsewhere in the northern hemisphere. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009. Article 2010 English 09212728 10.1007/s10933-009-9351-6 Journal of Paleolimnology 43 551 – 563 3 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; anthropogenic source; aragonite; atmospheric deposition; catchment; cesium isotope; chronology; concentration (composition); dust; eighteenth century; heavy metal; lacustrine deposit; lead isotope; magnitude; Northern Hemisphere; precipitation (chemistry); principal component analysis; sediment core; water chemistry; weathering https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77957019048&doi=10.1007%2fs10933-009-9351-6&partnerID=40&md5=09282cf5d575b9e5cb57a15a78de5af8 Cited by: 52 Zhangdong Jin Yongming Han Li Chen article Xu201035 Major ion concentrations were measured in lake water, river water, ground water, and rainfall water around the Lake Qinghai catchment. The dissolution of carbonate particles in dust has a strong impact on the chemical composition of rainfall as inferred from the Gibbs model and the ternary plots of the major ions. The chemical composition of the ground water can be divided into two groups, one influenced by river water and the other dominated by deeper aquifers. The chemical composition of lake water can be mainly ascribed to evaporation and crystallization. Total dissolved solid (TDS) of river waters during the wet periods is higher than during the dry periods. Calcium and bicarbonate are the dominant cations and anions of the river waters, and they have higher fractions during the wet periods than during the dry periods. Comparisons between (Mg2+ + Ca2+)/TZ+, (Mg2+ + Ca2+)/(Na+ + K+), HCO3-/Na+, and Cl-/Na+ suggest that the chemical composition of the river waters is mainly controlled by carbonate weathering and that the carbonate weathering is much stronger during the wet periods than during the dry periods. Seasonal melting may be one of the important factors that influence the seasonal variations of water chemistry of the rivers. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. Article 2010 English 10406182 10.1016/j.quaint.2008.11.001 Quaternary International 212 35 – 43 1 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; catchment; chemical composition; crystallization; evaporation; groundwater; lake water; rainwater; river water; water chemistry https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-73649146587&doi=10.1016%2fj.quaint.2008.11.001&partnerID=40&md5=db685964283f8109f10069bd3b9656b2 Cited by: 90 Hai Xu Zhaohua Hou ZhiSheng An Xiaoyan Liu Jibao Dong article Jin2010151 Water level and chemistry of Lake Qinghai are sensitive to climate changes and are important for paleoclimatic implications. An accurate understanding of hydrological and chemical budgets is crucial for quantifying geochemical proxies and carbon cycle. Published results of water budget are firstly reviewed in this paper. Chemical budget and residence time of major dissolved constituents in the lake are estimated using reliable water budget and newly obtained data for seasonal water chemistry. The results indicate that carbonate weathering is the most important riverine process, resulting in dominance of Ca2+ and DIC for river waters and groundwater. Groundwater contribution to major dissolved constituents is relatively small (4.2 ± 0.5%). Wet atmospheric deposition contributes annually 7.4-44.0% soluble flux to the lake, resulting from eolian dust throughout the seasons. Estimates of chemical budget further suggest that (1) the Buha-type water dominates the chemical components of the lake water, (2) Na+, Cl-, Mg2+, and K+ in lake water are enriched owing to their conservative behaviors, and (3) precipitation of authigenic carbonates (low-Mg calcite, aragonite, and dolomite) transits quickly dissolved Ca2+ into the bottom sediments of the lake, resulting in very low Ca2+ in the lake water. Therefore, authigenic carbonates in the sediments hold potential information on the relative contribution of different solute inputs to the lake and the lake chemistry in the past. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. Article 2010 English 10406182 10.1016/j.quaint.2009.11.024 Quaternary International 218 151 – 156 1-2 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; carbon cycle; carbonate; paleohydrology; residence time; solute; water budget; water chemistry; water level; weathering; wet deposition https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77952549606&doi=10.1016%2fj.quaint.2009.11.024&partnerID=40&md5=5a54daf69436718e730f297e67a84ee1 Cited by: 55 Zhangdong Jin Chen-Feng You Yi Wang Yuewei Shi article Li2010880 In order to interpret the climate-change data using the ecological characteristics of the ostracods from the drill cores in Lake Qinghai, the distribution of Recent ostracods was studied in Lake Qinghai area. A total of 34 species belonging to the Ostracoda class of Crustacea were collected from different bodies of water in the Lake Qinghai area, and the ecological information for Recent ostracod species was studied. Among these 34 species, Cypris pubera, Eucypris dulcifons, Ilyocypris sp. 1, Ilyocypris sp. 2, Fabaeformiscandona caudata, Fabaeformiscandona hyalina, Herpetocypris reptans, Prionocypris gansenensis, Potamocypris villosa, Potamocypris smaragdina, Paralimnocythere compressa and Subulacypris sp. were first reported by us in the Lake Qinghai area. Some of the species identified exhibited cosmopolitan distributions, at least in the Holarctic region, but P. gansenensis and Ilyocypris echinata appeared to be restricted to the cold regions in northwestern China. The ecological significance of the primary ostracod species in the Lake Qinghai area was described according to the observations made during our time in the field and according to data from a number of reports. Our results indicate that the species diversity and abundance of ostracods may be related to water salinity in the Lake Qinghai area. The ecological information for ostracods can be used to distinguish different water environments and types based on the characteristics of one species or of an assemblage of several species. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Article 2010 English 1470160X 10.1016/j.ecolind.2010.01.012 Ecological Indicators 10 880 – 890 4 China; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Caudata; Crustacea; Eucypris; Eurycypris pubera; Fabaeformiscandona; Herpetocypris reptans; Ilyocypris; Ostracoda; Paralimnocythere; Potamocypris smaragdina; Potamocypris villosa; Prionocypris; Animals; Climate change; Core drilling; Ecology; Salinity measurement; Stream flow; Associations; Cold regions; Crustacea; Drill core; Ecological characteristics; Ecological information; Northwestern China; Ostracoda; Paleolimnology; Species diversity; Water environments; Water salinity; abundance; climate change; community composition; Holarctic Region; lake water; ostracod; population distribution; salinity; species diversity; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77949275123&doi=10.1016%2fj.ecolind.2010.01.012&partnerID=40&md5=dc2256de39d6974edbfbdc711d389fa6 Cited by: 58 Xiangzhong Li Weiguo Liu Ling Zhang Zhencheng Sun article Su2010873 It has long been a dream for mankind to enter the deep Earth to sample and investigate the structures and inner geological progresses. Until now, scientific drilling has been the unique method in our understanding of the processes and structures of the Earth. This paper try to give a brief introduction of the history, the development, the mission, the structure and management, the membership, the project development scheme of International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP). Great advances have been brought about in many fields of earth sciences by continental scientific drilling in recent years. Based on the recent publications and website materials of ICDP, this paper summarize the main developments in Climate Dynamics and Global Environments, in the Study of Impact Craters, in the GeoBiospherc, in Active Volcanic Systems, in Active Faults, in Hotspot Volcanoes, in Convergent Plate Boundaries and Collision Zones, and in Natural Resources. Special introduction on the scientific results of ICDP drilling at Mt. Unzen, Japan and the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project (HSDP) is introduced in this paper. Fascinating discoveries such as the gouge layer of San Andreas Fault and the finding of talc in cuttings of SAFOD project are also introduced in this paper. As one of the three founding members of ICDP, China has also gained a lot of developments in continental scientific drilling; typical examples are the achievements of Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) and the progress of Lake Qinghai Scientific Drilling Project. The preliminary progresses . of the third approved ICDP project of China -the Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project and the development of ICDP-China are also summarized in this paper. 2010 Chinese 10009515 Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 84 873-886 Key Laboratory for Continental Dynamics of MLR, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100037, China 6 active fault; climate change; collision zone; crater; deep drilling; hot spot; mantle plume; natural resource; San Andreas Fault; talc, China; Hawaii [United States]; Japan; Kyushu; Nagasaki [Kyushu]; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; United States; Unzen Volcano https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-78649844329&partnerID=40&md5=732f4e363917ab0357a84117ef5aab8b cited By 9 D. Su J. Yang article Jin20091901 Sediments in Lake Qinghai archive important information about past environmental changes. In order to faithfully interpret the sediment records and constrain the elemental cycles, it is critical to trace various sources of sediments in the lake. The results show that the elemental input-output budgets are imbalanced for most major elements between riverine fluxes and mass accumulation rate (MAR) of Lake Qinghai sediments. A realistic model must include contributions of dry/wet atmospheric deposition that allow the major element mass balance for the lake to be defined. The budget estimation is based on mass balances of Si and Al, which are relatively immobile and carried to the lake via particulate forms. Estimated annual budget of dry atmospheric deposition is ∼1.3 ± 0.3 × 103 kt/a (accounting for ∼65% of the total inputs) to the lake sediments, assuming local loess within the catchment as a candidate for dry atmospheric deposition to the lake. The resultant flux of 300 ± 45 g/m2/a falls within the flux average of the desert area (400 g/m2/a) and the loess plateau (250 g/m2/a), consistent with the geographical setting of Lake Qinghai. The role of atmospheric deposition would be more significant if wet deposition via rainfall and snow were taken into account. This highlights the potential importance of dust as a significant source for sediment preservation flux for other catchments worldwide. The results also indicate that nearly all Ca input was preserved in the lake sediments under modern conditions, consistent with Ca2+ supersaturation of the lake water. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Article 2009 English 08832927 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.07.003 Applied Geochemistry 24 1901 – 1907 10 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Atmospheric chemistry; Atmospherics; Budget control; Calcium; Catchments; Deposition; Meteorological problems; Patient monitoring; Runoff; Sedimentology; Annual budget; Atmospheric depositions; Desert area; Environmental change; Input-output; Lake sediments; Lake waters; Loess Plateau; Major elements; Mass accumulation rates; Mass balance; Realistic model; Riverine flux; Tibetan Plateau; Wet deposition; atmospheric deposition; environmental change; geochemistry; lacustrine deposit; mass balance; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-70349186512&doi=10.1016%2fj.apgeochem.2009.07.003&partnerID=40&md5=d5bdf143864545b09dafe99027a8cbc6 Cited by: 32 Zhangdong Jin Chen-Feng You Jimin Yu article Zhang2009297 The major cation and anion compositions of waters from the Lake Qinghai river system (LQRS) in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were measured. The waters were collected seasonally from five main rivers during premonsoon (late May), monsoon (late July), and post-monsoon (middle October). The LQRS waters are all very alkaline and have high concentrations of TDS (total dissolved solids) compared to rivers draining the Himalayas and the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Seasonal variations in the water chemistry show that, except the Daotang River, the TDS concentration is high in October and low in July in the LQRS waters. The forward models were used to quantify the input of three main rivers (Buha River, Shaliu River, and Hargai River) from rain, halite, carbonates, and silicates. The results suggest that (1) atmospheric input is the first important source for the waters of the Buha River and the Shaliu River, contributing 36-57% of the total dissolved cations, (2) carbonate weathering input and atmospheric input have equal contribution to the Hargai River water, (3) carbonate weathering has higher contribution to these rivers than silicate weathering, and (4) halite is also important source for the Buha River. The Daotang River water is dominated by halite input owing to its underlying old lacustrine sediments. The water compositions of the Heima River are controlled by carbonate weathering and rainfall input in monsoon season, and groundwater input may be important in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. After being corrected the atmospheric input, average CO2 drawdown via silicate weathering in the LQRS is 35×103 mol/km2 per year, with highest in monsoon season, lower than Himalayas and periphery of Tibetan Plateau rivers but higher than some rivers draining shields. © Springer-Verlag 2009. Article 2009 English 18666299 10.1007/s12665-009-0027-3 Environmental Earth Sciences 59 297 – 313 2 China; Himalayas; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Atmospheric chemistry; Atmospheric thermodynamics; Carbonation; Dissolution; Geochemistry; Groundwater; Lakes; Positive ions; Rain; Sediments; Silicates; Sodium chloride; Soil mechanics; Water levels; Weathering; Anion composition; Atmospheric inputs; Carbonate weathering; Chemical weathering; Forward models; High concentration; Himalayas; Lacustrine sediments; Monsoon season; Post-monsoon; Pre-monsoon; River systems; River water; Seasonal variation; Silicate weathering; Tibetan Plateau; Total dissolved solids; Water chemistry; Water composition; carbon dioxide; chemical weathering; ionic composition; lacustrine deposit; river system; river water; seasonal variation; water chemistry; Rivers https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-70349180210&doi=10.1007%2fs12665-009-0027-3&partnerID=40&md5=93596875acdec828dfac96ecc1f49041 Cited by: 25 Fei Zhang Zhangdong Jin Guang Hu Fuchun Li Yuewei Shi article Henderson2009134 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. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. Article 2009 English 10406182 10.1016/j.quaint.2008.09.008 Quaternary International 194 134 – 147 1-2 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; climate change; Holocene; lacustrine deposit; paleoenvironment; paleolimnology; proxy climate record https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-58149116517&doi=10.1016%2fj.quaint.2008.09.008&partnerID=40&md5=ca0a28ff8690dbeafb547c2ac6dacd35 Cited by: 95 Andrew C.G. Henderson Jonathan A. Holmes article Liu2009126 The oxygen isotopic composition of carbonate in lakes has been used as a useful indicator in Palaeolimnological research, and has made some important contributions to our understanding of lacustrine systems. For modern lakes in arid or cold areas, however, there are few data available to test the effect of lake salinity and temperature on the oxygen isotopic composition of various carbonate sources such as ostracod, bulk carbonate, and fine-grained carbonate (< 60 μm). Here we examined the oxygen isotopic composition of ostracods, bulk carbonate, and fine-grained carbonates, as well as that of coexisting water from Lake Qinghai and the smaller surrounding lakes and ponds on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our investigation highlights three key effects. First, the oxygen isotopic composition of ostracods, bulk carbonate, and fine-grained carbonate in the lakes and ponds shows a clear response to lake water δ18O values, and these vary with water salinity. The relationship between lake water δ18O and salinity is not only dominated by the evaporation/freshwater input ratios, but is also controlled by the distance to the mouth of the major rivers supplying to the lake. Second, the ostracod, bulk carbonate, and fine-grained carbonate show similar isotopic change trends in the study area, and oxygen isotopic differences between ostracods and authigenic carbonate may be explained by the different water temperatures and very small 'vital offsets' of ostracods. Finally, the effect of water depth on temperature leads to increasing δ18O values in carbonates as water depth increases, both in benthic ostracods living on the lake bottom, as well as in bulk carbonate precipitated at the water surface. For arid, high-altitude Lake Qinghai, our results suggest that variations in the δ18O values of carbonate in Lake Qinghai are mainly controlled by the oxygen-isotope ratio of the lake water changing with water salinity. As a secondary effect, increasing water depth leads to cooler bottom and surface water, which may result in more positive δ18O values of ostracod and bulk carbonate. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Article 2009 English 00092541 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.08.004 Chemical Geology 268 126 – 136 1-2 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Ostracoda; arid environment; carbonate sediment; fine grained sediment; isotopic composition; lacustrine deposit; lake evolution; ostracod; oxygen isotope; salinity; water depth; water temperature https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-70349548779&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemgeo.2009.08.004&partnerID=40&md5=7f3ed1b3dd29b2b08257ae15264e4910 Cited by: 79 Weiguo Liu Xiangzhong Li Ling Zhang ZhiSheng An Liming Xu article Jin20092037 Lake water, river water, and groundwater from the Lake Qinghai catchment in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China have been analyzed and the results demonstrate that the chemical components and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the waters are strictly constrained by the age and rock types of the tributaries, especially for groundwater. Dissolved ions in the Lake Qinghai catchment are derived from carbonate weathering and part from silicate sources. The chemistry of Buha River water, the largest tributary within the catchment, underlain by the late Paleozoic marine limestone and sandstones, constrains carbonate-dominated compositions of the lake water, being buffered by the waters from the other tributaries and probably by groundwater. The variation of 87Sr/86Sr ratios with cation concentrations places constraint on the Sr-isotopic compositions of the main subcatchments surrounding Lake Qinghai. The relative significance of river-water sources from different tributaries (possibly groundwater as well) in controlling the Sr distribution in Lake Qinghai provides the potential to link the influence of hydrological processes to past biological and physical parameters in the lake. The potential role of groundwater input in the water budget and chemistry of the lake emphasizes the need to further understand hydrogeological processes within the Lake Qinghai system. © 2009 Springer-Verlag. Article 2009 English 14312174 10.1007/s10040-009-0480-9 Hydrogeology Journal 17 2037 – 2048 8 Asia; Buha River; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; catchment; chemical weathering; geochemistry; groundwater flow; hydrochemistry; hydrogeology; isotopic composition; lake water; limestone; river water; sandstone; strontium isotope; tributary; water budget; water chemistry https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-71049121503&doi=10.1007%2fs10040-009-0480-9&partnerID=40&md5=e4f2e19d3dda10f41ecbbaeae0ddc71b Cited by: 44 Zhangdong Jin Jimin Yu Sumin Wang Fei Zhang Yuewei Shi Chen-Feng You article Xu2008138 Temperature variations at Lake Qinghai, northeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau, were reconstructed based on four high-resolution temperature indicators of the δ18O and the δ13C of the bulk carbonate, total carbonate content, and the detrended δ15N of the organic matter. There are four obvious cold intervals during the past 600 years at Lake Qinghai, namely 1430-1470, 1650-1715, 1770-1820, and 1920-1940, synchronous with those recorded in tree rings at the northeast Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The intervals of 1430-1470, 1650-1715, and 1770-1820 are consistent with the three coldest intervals of the Little Ice Age. These obvious cold intervals are also synchronous with the minimums of the sunspot numbers during the past 600 years, suggesting that solar activities may dominate temperature variations on decadal scales at the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Article 2008 English 13646826 10.1016/j.jastp.2007.09.006 Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 70 138 – 144 1 Atmospheric composition; Carbonates; Meteorology; Solar energy; Decadal scales; Solar activity; Sunspot; Temperature variation; Atmospheric temperature https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-37349112200&doi=10.1016%2fj.jastp.2007.09.006&partnerID=40&md5=0402a93f2846f150d54ed72f20adcd14 Cited by: 18 Hai Xu Xiaoyan Liu Zhaohua Hou article Colman20072281 We review Late Cenozoic climate and environment changes in the western interior of China with an emphasis on lacustrine records from Lake Qinghai. Widespread deposition of red clay in the marginal basins of the Tibetan Plateau indicates that the Asian monsoon system was initially established by ∼8 Ma, when the plateau reached a threshold altitude. Subsequent strengthening of the winter monsoon, along with the establishment of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, reflects a long-term trend of global cooling. The few cores from the Tibetan Plateau that reach back a million years suggest that they record the mid-Pleistocene transition from glacial cycles dominated by 41 ka cycles to those dominated by 100 ka cycles. During Terminations I and II, strengthening of the summer monsoon in China's interior was delayed compared with sea level and insolation records, and it did not reach the western Tibetan Plateau and the Tarim Basin. Lacustrine carbonate δ18O records reveal no climatic anomaly during MIS3, so that high terraces interpreted as evidence for extremely high lake levels during MIS3 remain an enigma. Following the Last Glacial Maximum (LSM), several lines of evidence from Lake Qinghai and elsewhere point to an initial warming of regional climate about 14 500 cal yr BP, which was followed by a brief cold reversal, possibly corresponding to the Younger Dryas event in the North Atlantic region. Maximum warming occurred about 10 000 cal yr BP, accompanied by increased monsoon precipitation in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Superimposed on this general pattern are small-amplitude, centennial-scale oscillations during the Holocene. Warmer than present climate conditions terminated about 4000 cal yr BP. Progressive lowering of the water level in Lake Qinghai during the last half century is mainly a result of negative precipitation-evaporation balance within the context of global warming. © 2007. Article 2007 English 02773791 10.1016/j.quascirev.2007.05.002 Quaternary Science Reviews 26 2281 – 2300 17-18 Asia; Atlantic Ocean; Atlantic Ocean (North); China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai-Xizang Plateau; Qionghai Lake; Sichuan; Tarim Basin; Xinjiang Uygur; Carbonates; Glaciers; Global warming; Precipitation (meteorology); Sea level; carbonate; Cenozoic; climate change; climate conditions; comparative study; global warming; historical record; Holocene; ice sheet; Last Glacial Maximum; marginal basin; Northern Hemisphere; regional climate; Lake Qinghai; Tibetan Plateau; Climate change https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-35548973556&doi=10.1016%2fj.quascirev.2007.05.002&partnerID=40&md5=5e5e86695edeb8f4e08bc99baffd5f69 Cited by: 150; All Open Access, Green Open Access Steven M. Colman Shi-Yong Yu ZhiSheng An Ji Shen A.C.G. Henderson article Xu2007541 Knowledge of the variability of precipitation at Lake Qinghai and its relation to the Asian summer monsoons is helpful in constraining global climatic dynamics. Based on the high-resolution precipitation indicators of δ13C of the organic matter (δ13Corg), C/N atomic ratio, and the detrended total organic carbon content (TOCdetrended), we found that the trend of precipitation at Lake Qinghai is inversely correlated to that of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) inferred from layer thickness of a stalagmite (S3) in southern Oman on decadal/interdecadal scales. The Chinese Drought/Flood (D/F) indices, which can indicate the dryness/wetness over large geographic areas, are also used to indicate the intensity of the monsoon rainfall. The D/F index of Xining near Lake Qinghai is synchronous with those of the regions in northern China where the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) dominates; while it is anti-phase with those of southwestern China where ISM prevails. These materials suggest that, during the past 500 years, the source of moisture to Lake Qinghai on decadal/interdecadal scales is controlled mainly by the EASM, but not by the ISM. It is also suggested that the intensity of EASM is inversely related to that of the ISM on decadal/interdecadal scales. The decadal/interdecadal variability of ENSO may be responsible for the inverse relationship between the intensity of EASM and that of ISM. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Article 2007 English 00310182 10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.07.007 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 254 541 – 549 3-4 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; climate variation; global climate; organic matter; precipitation assessment; stalagmite https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34548855031&doi=10.1016%2fj.palaeo.2007.07.007&partnerID=40&md5=7fbdd74a5e5e0904dc02568a65c00593 Cited by: 74 H. Xu Z.H. Hou L. Ai L.C. Tan article An2006851 The intensive geophysical survey of Qinghai Lake reveals the buried depth of lake sediments and their distribution features. The result indicates that there are three important interphases of Qinghai Lake sediments: T1 is the rife interphase of the lake, above which sediments are spread all over the lake basin with roughly the same thickness; T5 is the interphase from which the neotectonic sedimentary cycle begins, and its above sedimentary environment is relatively stable; Tg is the base of the lake basin. Five west-northwest (WNW) fault belts defined the tectonic structure of Qinghai Lake basin: the central hunch around Haixin Shan with two subbasins both in its north and south. The thickness of the lake sediments varies at different places, the thickest sediments are found within the two subbasins. According to the depth that the Sparker System can reach, sediment in the northern subbasin is deeper than 560 m, while sediment in the southern subbasin is deeper than 700 m. The correlation between the seismic sequence stratigraph and the lithology of onshore core shows that Qinghai Lake sediments consist of muddy silt, clay silt, silty clay, gravel silty clay, etc. © Science in China Press 2006. Article 2006 English 18622801 10.1007/s11430-006-0851-1 Science in China, Series D: Earth Sciences 49 851 – 861 8 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; Clay; Geophysical prospecting; Lithology; Sedimentology; Sediments; Seismology; Stratigraphy; Tectonics; lacustrine deposit; lithology; neotectonics; sediment thickness; sedimentary sequence; sedimentary structure; seismic survey; Fault belts; Neotectonic sedimentary cycle; Lakes https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33751002352&doi=10.1007%2fs11430-006-0851-1&partnerID=40&md5=09fe92863bba5da92a78d00f1d98faac Cited by: 38 ZhiSheng An Ping Wang Ji Shen Yixiang Zhang Peizhen Zhang Sumin Wang Xiaoqiang Li Qianli Sun YouGui Song Li Al Yechun Zhang Shaoren Jiang Xingqi Liu Yong Wang article zhisheng2006lake 2006 https://doi.org/10.2204/iodp.sd.2.05.2006 Scientific Drilling 2 ICDP-IODP Göttingen, Germany 20-22 An Zhisheng Ai Li Song Yougui Steven M Colman article Xu2006262 Multi-proxy indices on annual/decadal scales during the past 600 years were developed from the surface sediments of Lake Qinghai based on 210Pb and 137Cs geochronology. The δ13Ccarb, δ18Ocarb, and total carbonate content are consistent with one another in trends and their variations have been mainly ascribed to regional temperature. It is suggested that the strong evaporation contributes in modifying δ18O of lake water and δ13C of the dissolved inorganic carbon of the surface water, and appears to be responsible for the covariance between δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb. Photosynthesis of the aquatic plants appears to have played a significant role in determining δ15N of organic matter. The discrimination of 14N and 15N during photosynthesis may have triggered a positive linkage between temperatures and δ15Norg (after removal of the stratigraphic trend). Variations of total organic carbon (TOC), C/N ratio, and δ13Corg have been ascribed to local precipitation. TOC (after removal of the stratigraphic trend) is positively correlated with the C/N ratio (r = 0.45, α < 0.01), and negatively correlated with δ13C of organic matter (δ13Corg) (r = - 0.55, α < 0.01); while δ13Corg is negatively correlated with the C/N ratio (r = - 0.48, α < 0.01). The climatic significance of these multi-proxy indices has been verified by comparing with the meteorological records and the climates inferred from tree rings in adjacent regions. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Article 2006 English 00092541 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2006.07.005 Chemical Geology 235 262 – 275 3-4 Asia; China; Eurasia; Far East; Qinghai; Qinghai Lake; carbon isotope; carbonate; climate conditions; dissolved inorganic carbon; lacustrine deposit; oxygen isotope; sediment chemistry; stable isotope; total organic carbon https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33750606431&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemgeo.2006.07.005&partnerID=40&md5=f7211d128d5f5926b2d0ae53f3072439 Cited by: 136 Hai Xu Li Ai Liangcheng Tan ZhiSheng An article Prokopenko20051 Editorial 2005 English 10406182 10.1016/j.quaint.2004.11.002 Quaternary International 136 Elsevier Ltd 1 – 4 1 SPEC. ISS. atmospheric circulation; lacustrine deposit; paleolimnology https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-17144415845&doi=10.1016%2fj.quaint.2004.11.002&partnerID=40&md5=494581e40df8cea2e69e731bf6ef6b25 Cited by: 3 A. Prokopenko N. Catto