Collaborative Research: Holocene Climatic Changes in the Mongolian Plateau

这一合作奖项的目的是制作过去2000年蒙古高原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、植被地带性明显的地区，受三个环流系统的影响：西风带、亚洲夏季风和冬季风。这些环流系统的变化与全球气候系统的大尺度振荡（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））有着复杂的联系。该研究将结合地球物理指标（如磁性粒度、粒度、灰度）、地球化学指标（如铁地球化学、有机物和碳酸盐的碳同位素）和地球生物学指标（如花粉、硅藻、植物岩、木炭）来研究中亚地区中全新世气候最佳期是否同步的问题。研究人员将利用现有湖泊岩心和黄土/古土壤剖面的数据，并在该地区钻探两个湖泊（即七盖湖、乌拉尔湖）来开发新的数据。该奖项将使美国科学家与一个由发展中国家（即中国和蒙古）科学家组成的国际小组合作，加强全球古气候研究网络中的伙伴关系。这项研究将有助于建立国际院校之间的合作，并促进美国和非美国院校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.