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Evolution of Asian monsoons and phased uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau since Late Miocene times

Author

Listed:
  • An Zhisheng

    (State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • John E. Kutzbach

    (Center for Climatic Research, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Warren L. Prell

    (Brown University)

  • Stephen C. Porter

    (University of Washington)

Abstract

The climates of Asia are affected significantly by the extent and height of the Himalayan mountains and the Tibetan plateau1,2,3,4. Uplift of this region began about 50 Myr ago, and further significant increases in altitude of the Tibetan plateau are thought to have occurred about 10–8 Myr ago4,5, or more recently. However, the climatic consequences of this uplift remain unclear. Here we use records of aeolian sediments from China6,7 and marine sediments from the Indian8,9,10 and North Pacific oceans11 to identify three stages of evolution of Asian climates: first, enhanced aridity in the Asian interior and onset of the Indian and east Asian monsoons, about 9–8 Myr ago; next, continued intensification of the east Asian summer and winter monsoons, together with increased dust transport to the North Pacific Ocean11, about 3.6–2.6 Myr ago; and last, increased variability and possible weakening of the Indian and east Asian summer monsoons and continued strengthening of the east Asian winter monsoon since about 2.6 Myr ago. The results of a numerical climate-model experiment, using idealized stepwise increases of mountain–plateau elevation, support the argument that the stages in evolution of Asian monsoons are linked to phases of Himalaya–Tibetan plateau uplift and to Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

Suggested Citation

  • An Zhisheng & John E. Kutzbach & Warren L. Prell & Stephen C. Porter, 2001. "Evolution of Asian monsoons and phased uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau since Late Miocene times," Nature, Nature, vol. 411(6833), pages 62-66, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:411:y:2001:i:6833:d:10.1038_35075035
    DOI: 10.1038/35075035
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    Cited by:

    1. Libin Yan & Zhengyu Liu & Guangshan Chen & J. E. Kutzbach & Xiaodong Liu, 2016. "Mechanisms of elevation-dependent warming over the Tibetan plateau in quadrupled CO2 experiments," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 509-519, April.
    2. Hong Ao & Eelco J. Rohling & Ran Zhang & Andrew P. Roberts & Ann E. Holbourn & Jean-Baptiste Ladant & Guillaume Dupont-Nivet & Wolfgang Kuhnt & Peng Zhang & Feng Wu & Mark J. Dekkers & Qingsong Liu & , 2021. "Global warming-induced Asian hydrological climate transition across the Miocene–Pliocene boundary," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Jingxiang Meng & Jian-Feng Mao & Wei Zhao & Fangqian Xing & Xinyu Chen & Hao Liu & Zhen Xing & Xiao-Ru Wang & Yue Li, 2015. "Adaptive Differentiation in Seedling Traits in a Hybrid Pine Species Complex, Pinus densata and Its Parental Species, on the Tibetan Plateau," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Liping Liu & Esther Galbrun & Hui Tang & Anu Kaakinen & Zhongshi Zhang & Zijian Zhang & Indrė Žliobaitė, 2023. "The emergence of modern zoogeographic regions in Asia examined through climate–dental trait association patterns," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Yuqing Zhang & Hanlin Chen & Xuhua Shi & Rafael Almeida & Richard Walker & Xiubin Lin & Xiaogan Cheng & Hongdan Deng & Zhuxin Chen & Xiu Hu, 2023. "Reconciling patterns of long-term topographic growth with coseismic uplift by synchronous duplex thrusting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Zhenyu Qin & Xuefeng Sun, 2023. "Glacial–Interglacial Cycles and Early Human Evolution in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-26, August.
    7. Joachim Schmidt & Lars Opgenoorth & Steffen Höll & Ralf Bastrop, 2012. "Into the Himalayan Exile: The Phylogeography of the Ground Beetle Ethira clade Supports the Tibetan Origin of Forest-Dwelling Himalayan Species Groups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Zhengquan Yao & Xuefa Shi & Zhengtang Guo & Xinzhou Li & B. Nagender Nath & Christian Betzler & Hui Zhang & Sebastian Lindhorst & Pavan Miriyala, 2023. "Weakening of the South Asian summer monsoon linked to interhemispheric ice-sheet growth since 12 Ma," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Wan-Yi Zhao & Zhong-Cheng Liu & Shi Shi & Jie-Lan Li & Ke-Wang Xu & Kang-You Huang & Zhi-Hui Chen & Ya-Rong Wang & Cui-Ying Huang & Yan Wang & Jing-Rui Chen & Xian-Ling Sun & Wen-Xing Liang & Wei Guo , 2024. "Landform and lithospheric development contribute to the assembly of mountain floras in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Hong Ao & Diederik Liebrand & Mark J. Dekkers & Andrew P. Roberts & Tara N. Jonell & Zhangdong Jin & Yougui Song & Qingsong Liu & Qiang Sun & Xinxia Li & Chunju Huang & Xiaoke Qiang & Peng Zhang, 2024. "Orbital- and millennial-scale Asian winter monsoon variability across the Pliocene–Pleistocene glacial intensification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

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