数值模拟认为，副特提斯海退缩是欧亚大陆中部干旱环境形成的重要原因，但现有地质证据显示，海退过程、干旱化时间及机制都有很大的不确定性。在古近纪，副特提斯海东端一度深入塔里木盆地，盆地周边巨厚新生代沉积物保存了海水进退和环境演化的直接记录。本项目选择位于副特提斯海－塔里木海水通道的巴什布拉克剖面，利用生物壳体的锶同位素和石膏的硫同位素，重建海水从塔里木盆地逐渐退出的过程。同时，选择濒临古近纪副特提斯海东缘的库车剖面，利用孢粉学和地球化学手段，恢复区域植被和地表环境对海退的响应。结合巴什布拉克剖面重建的海退历史，以库车剖面的环境记录为约束条件，利用HadCM3海气耦合环流模式评价副特提斯海分布变化对早渐新世以来塔里木盆地干旱气候形成，以及欧亚大陆气候的影响。

Numerical simulations suggested that the Paratethys retreat is a major contributor of the central Eurasian aridification, however,there exists much uncertainty as proposed by geologic evidence of drying events from the surroundings.The Cenozoic sediments in the Tarim basin trapped the trans-/regression history of the Paratethys, as well as regionally environmental responses to the retreat, as the intracontinental sea once extended into as far as the basin interior during the Palaeogene.We firstly select the Baxbulak section, located on the seaway connecting the Paratethys to the Tarim, to reconstruct in detail the retreat processes based on Sr isotope of shells and sulfur isotope of evaporites. Meanwhile, the terrestrial Kuqa section, next to the east shore of the sea during the Palaeogene, is selected to reconstruct the responses of regional vegetation and surface processes to the retreat. With these constraints,a fully coupled ocean-atmospheric circulation model HadCM3 is used to evaluate the impacts of the Paratethys on the Tarim aridity, as well as Eurasian climatic pattern.