Environmental & Analytical Toxicology

Millennial-Scale Climate Variations During the MIS3 in the North Piedmont of the Kunlun Mountains, China

Abstract

Fengnian Wang, Baosheng Li, Dongfeng Niu, Xiaohao Wen, Zhiwen Li, Yuejun Si, Yihua Guo, Zhiying Yang and Enbo Liu

According to the analyses of grain size and major element distribution in the Aqiang loess section AQS3 in the north piedmont of the Kunlun Mountains in China, the peaks and valleys in the loess and loess-like sandy sedimentary facies displayed clear variations in their mean particle diameter, standard deviation, SiO2, Al2O3, TOFE (Fe2O3+FeO), and (Al2O3+TOFE)/SiO2 ratio. Both grain size and major element distributions showed 19 cycles of alternation among the sedimentary facies. Results suggested that the observed cycles mainly resulted from fluctuations between the coldarid and warm-humid climates. Most warm periods in the AQS3 corresponded well to the D/O events recorded by the ice-core oxygen isotope in the GRIP during the MIS3. This study suggests that high-frequency climatic fluctuations on millennial scale occur in the north piedmont of the Kunlun Mountains, and they are regional responses to global climate changes during the MIS3.