Collaborative Research: Holocene Climatic Changes in the Mongolian Plateau

该合作奖项的目的是制作蒙古高原过去2,000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、植被分区明显的地区，受西风带、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的大尺度振荡有着错综复杂的联系，厄尔尼诺南方涛动（ENSO），北大西洋涛动（NAO）和北太平洋涛动（NPO））。 这项研究将涉及地球物理代理的组合（即，磁性粒度测定、粒度、灰度）、地球化学代理（即，铁地球化学，有机物和碳酸盐的碳同位素），和地球生物学代用指标（即，花粉，硅藻，植硅体，木炭），以检查是否中全新世气候最佳是在中亚同步的问题。研究人员将利用现有的湖芯和黄土/古土壤剖面的数据，以及在该地区钻探两个湖泊（即，Qigai Nuur，Ulaal Nuur）开发新数据。 这一奖项将使美国科学家能够与来自发展中国家的国际科学家小组合作（即，中国和蒙古）加强在全球古气候研究网络中的伙伴关系。该研究将有助于建立国际机构之间的合作，并促进美国和非美国机构的本科和研究生教育。

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.