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Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China

Author

Listed:
  • Z. T. Guo

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • William F. Ruddiman

    (Clark Hall, University of Virginia)

  • Q. Z. Hao

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • H. B. Wu

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • Y. S. Qiao

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • R. X. Zhu

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • S. Z. Peng

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • J. J. Wei

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • B. Y. Yuan

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

  • T. S. Liu

    (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 9825)

Abstract

The initial desertification in the Asian interior is thought to be one of the most prominent climate changes in the Northern Hemisphere during the Cenozoic era1,2,3,4. But the dating of this transition is uncertain, partly because desert sediments are usually scattered, discontinuous and difficult to date. Here we report nearly continuous aeolian deposits covering the interval from 22 to 6.2 million years ago, on the basis of palaeomagnetic measurements and fossil evidence. A total of 231 visually definable aeolian layers occur as brownish loesses interbedded with reddish soils. This new evidence indicates that large source areas of aeolian dust and energetic winter monsoon winds to transport the material must have existed in the interior of Asia by the early Miocene epoch, at least 14 million years earlier than previously thought3,5. Regional tectonic changes and ongoing global cooling are probable causes of these changes in aridity and circulation in Asia.

Suggested Citation

  • Z. T. Guo & William F. Ruddiman & Q. Z. Hao & H. B. Wu & Y. S. Qiao & R. X. Zhu & S. Z. Peng & J. J. Wei & B. Y. Yuan & T. S. Liu, 2002. "Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 416(6877), pages 159-163, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:416:y:2002:i:6877:d:10.1038_416159a
    DOI: 10.1038/416159a
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Hongming He & Claudio O. Delang & Jie Zhou & Yu Li & Wenming He, 2021. "Simulation of social resilience affected by extreme events in ancient China," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 1-23, June.
    3. 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.
    4. Feng Cheng & Carmala Garzione & Xiangzhong Li & Ulrich Salzmann & Florian Schwarz & Alan M. Haywood & Julia Tindall & Junsheng Nie & Lin Li & Lin Wang & Benjamin W. Abbott & Ben Elliott & Weiguo Liu &, 2022. "Alpine permafrost could account for a quarter of thawed carbon based on Plio-Pleistocene paleoclimate analogue," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Blake Stubbins & Andrew L. Leier & David L. Barbeau & Alex Pullen & Jordan T. Abell & Junsheng Nie & Marcelo A. Zárate & Mary Kate Fidler, 2023. "Global climate forcing on late Miocene establishment of the Pampean aeolian system in South America," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. 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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