Collaborative Research: Holocene Climatic Changes in the Mongolian Plateau

这一合作奖项的目的是制作蒙古高原过去2000年来全新世气候变化的高分辨率记录。蒙古高原是一个气候梯度陡峭、植被明显分带的地区，受西风、亚洲夏季风和冬季风三个环流系统的影响。这些环流系统的变化与全球气候系统中的大范围振荡(即厄尔尼诺南方涛动(ENSO)、北大西洋涛动(NAO)和北太平洋涛动(NPO))有着错综复杂的联系。这项研究将涉及地球物理指标(即磁粒度、粒度、灰度级)、地球化学指标(即铁地球化学、有机质和碳酸盐的碳同位素)和地球生物学指标(即花粉、硅藻、植硅石、木炭)的组合，以检查中亚地区中全新世气候最佳是否同步的问题。研究人员将利用现有湖泊岩心和黄土/古土壤剖面的数据，以及在该地区钻探两个湖泊(即齐盖努尔和乌拉尔努尔)来开发新的数据。该奖项将使美国科学家能够与来自发展中国家(即中国和蒙古)的一个国际科学家小组合作，以加强全球古气候研究网络中的伙伴关系。这项研究将有助于在国际机构之间建立合作，并促进美国和非美国机构的本科生和研究生教育。

The aim of this collaborative award is to produce Holocene high-resolution records of climate variability across the Mongolian Plateau over the past 2,000 years. The Mongolian Plateau, a region of steep climatic gradients and distinctively zoned vegetation, is influenced by three circulation systems: the Westerlies, the Asian Summer Monsoon, and the Winter Monsoon. Changes in these circulation systems are intricately linked to large-scale oscillations in the global climate system, (i.e., El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and North Pacific Oscillation (NPO)). The research will involve a combination of geophysical proxies (i.e., magnetic granulometry, grain size, gray scale), geochemical proxies (i.e., iron geochemistry, carbon isotopes of organic matter and carbonate), and geobiological proxies (i.e., pollen, diatoms, phytoliths, charcoal) to examine the question of whether the Middle Holocene Climatic Optimum was synchronous across Central Asia. The researchers will use data from existing lacustrine cores and loess/paleosol sections as well as drilling two lakes in the region (i.e., Qigai Nuur, Ulaal Nuur) to develop new data. This award will enable the collaboration of American scientists with an international group of scientists from developing countries (i.e., China and Mongolia) to enhance partnerships in a global network of paleoclimate research. The research will help establish collaborations among international institutions as well as promote undergraduate and graduate education in US and non-US institutions.