Detecting the spatial-temporal pattern of moisture evolution on the Tibetan Plateau during the Holocene by model-proxy comparison

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is a key region for environmental and climatic research due to its significant linkages with large-scale atmospheric circulation. Understanding the long-term moisture evolution pattern and its forcing mechanisms on the TP during the Holocene may provide insights into the interaction between low-latitude climate systems and midlatitude westerlies. Here, we synthesized 27 paleoclimate proxy records covering the past 9500 years. The results of the rotated empirical orthogonal function analysis of the moisture variation revealed spatial-temporal heterogeneity, which was classified into 5 subregions. Proxy records were then compared with the results from the Kiel Climate Model and other paleorecords. The results showed that moisture evolution on the western-southern-central TP was controlled by the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). On the south-eastern TP, moisture change was affected by the interplay between the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the westerlies, as well as the ISM. With diverse patterns of circulation system precipitation, moisture changes recorded in the paleorecords showed spatial-temporal discrepancies, especially during the early to middle Holocene. Moreover, given the anti-phase pattern of summer precipitation in the EASM area under El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions and the unstable relationship between the ISM and ENSO, it is reasonable to conclude that relatively strong ENSO variability during the late Holocene has contributed to these discrepancies as Asian summer monsoon precipitation has declined.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Tibetan Plateau / Holocene / moisture evolution / model-proxy comparison

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Supplementary material

is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11707-022-1049-3 and is accessible for authorized users.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41775070).

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