A compilation of early-Holocene terrestrial records from lacustrine sediments, ice cores, peat bog, palaeosols, stalagmites and flood sediments from China indicates that the early-Holocene climate was unstable and characterized by at least one centennial-scale (500—200 years) cooling event between 9.0 and 7.6 ka BP. The cold period recorded in different settings has been previously linked to the 8.2 ka event suggested by δ18O ice from Greenland ice cores, but the differences in time duration and regional climate conditions have been attributed to monsoon systems, inadequate age control and sampling resolution, and complex topography in China. However, our compilation indicates that it is premature to attribute the cold periods recorded at different locations in China simply to the 8.2 ka event, let alone to attribute the cause of those anomalies to a freshening of the North Atlantic Ocean circulation. Whether there was one synchronous event or not in China, where the climate is mainly affected by the monsoons and the westerlies, is open to discussion, because most of the records lack sufficient dating control to define clearly the nature of the cooling event. If a cooling event did occur, more evidence is required in multiple dimensions to characterize the time duration, magnitude and cause of the event, so much work remains to be done.
Alley, R.B.2000: Ice-core evidence of abrupt climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA97, 1331—34.
2.
Alley, R.B. and Ágústsdóttir, A.M.2005: The 8 k event: cause and consequences of a major Holocene abrupt climate change. Quaternary Science Reviews24, 1123—49.
3.
Alley, R.B., Mayewski, P.A., Sowers, T., Stuiver, M., Taylor, K.C. and Clark, P.U.1997: Holocene climatic instability: a prominent, widespread event 8200 yr ago. Geology25, 483—86.
4.
An, C.B., Feng, Z.D. and Barton, L.2006: Dry or humid? Mid-Holocene humidity changes in arid and semi-arid China. Quaternary Science Reviews25, 351—61.
5.
An, Z.S., Bott, S., Wu, X.H., Kutzbach, J.E., Wang, S.M., Liu, X., Li, X.Q., Wang, J., Zhou, W., Xiao, J.Y., Liu, J. and Lu, J.1993: Holocene optimum and east monsoon change in middle-east China. Chinese ScienceBulletin38, 1302—305 (in Chinese).
6.
An, Z.S., Porter, S.C., Kutzbach, J.E., Wu, X.H., Wang, S.M., Liu, X.D., Li, X.Q. and Zhou, W.J.2000: Asynchronous Holocene optimum of the East Asian monsoon . Quaternary Science Reviews19, 743—62.
7.
Barber, D.C., Dyke, A., Hillaire-Marcel, C., Jennings, A.E., Andrews, J.T., Kerwin, M.W., Bilodeau, G., McNeely, R., Southon, J., Morehead, M.D. and Gagnon, J.M.1999: Forcing of the cold event of 8,200 years ago by catastrophic drainage of Laurentide lakes. Nature400, 344—48.
8.
Beget, J.E.1983: Radiocarbon-dated evidence of worldwide early Holocene climate change. Geology11, 389—93.
9.
Broecker, W.S.1991: The great ocean conveyor. Oceanography4, 79—89.
10.
Chen, F.H., Zhu, Y., Li, J.J., Shi, Q., Jin, L. and Wünemann, B.2001: Abrupt Holocene changes of the Asian monsoon at millennial-and centennial-scales: evidence from lake sediment document in Minqin Basin, NW China. Chinese ScienceBulletin46, 1942—47.
11.
Chinese Academy of Sciences1984: Physical geography of China: climate. Science Press (in Chinese).
12.
Dahl, S.O. and Nesje, A.1994: Holocene glacier fluctuations at Hardangerjøkulen, central southern Norway: a high-resolution composite chronology from lacustrine and terrestrial deposits. The Holocene4, 269—77.
13.
—— 1996: A new approach to calculating Holocene winter precipitation by combining glacier equilibrium-line altitudes and pine-tree limits: a case study from Hardangerjøkulen, central southern Norway. The Holocene6, 381—98.
14.
Dansgaard, W.1987: Ice core evidence of abrupt climatic changes. In Berger, W.J. and Labeyrie, L.D., editors, Abrupt climatic change: evidence and implications. Reidel, 223—33.
15.
deMenocal, P., Ortiz, J., Guilderson, T. and Sarnthein, M.2000: Coherent high- and low-latitude climate variability during the Holocene warm period. Science288, 2198—202.
16.
Feng, Z.D., An, C.B. and Wang, H.B.2006: Holocene climatic and environmental changes in the arid and semi-arid areas of China: a review. The Holocene16, 119—30.
17.
Fontes, J.C., Gasse, F. and Gibert, E.1996: Holocene environmental changes in Lake Bangong basin (Western Tibet). Part 1: chronology and stable isotopes of carbonates of a Holocene lacustrine core. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology120, 25—47.
18.
Geyh, M.A. and Schleicher, H.1991: Absolute age determination. Springer .
19.
Geyh, M.A., Schotterer, U. and Grosjean, M.1998: Temporal changes of the 14C reservoir effect in lakes. Radiocarbon40, 921—32.
20.
Guo, Z.T., Petit-Maire, N. and Kröpelin, S.2000: Holocene non-orbital climatic events in present-day arid areas of northern Africa and China. Global and Planetary Change26, 97—103.
21.
He, Y., Theakstone, W.H., Zhang, Z., Zhang, D., Yao, T.D., Chen, T., Shen, Y. and Pang, H.2004: Asynchronous Holocene climatic change across China. Quaternary Research61, 52—63.
22.
Hong, Y.T., Hong, B., Lin, Q.H., Zhu, Y.X., Shibata, Y., Hirota, M., Uchida, M., Leng, X.T., Jiang, H.B., Xu, H., Wang, H. and Yi, L.2003: Correlation between Indian Ocean summer monsoon and North Atlantic climate during the Holocene. Earth and Planetary Science Letters211, 371—80.
23.
Hu, F.S., Slawinski, D., Wright, H.E., Jr, Ito, E., Johnson, R.G., Kelts, K.R., McEwan, R.F. and Boedigheimer, A.1999: Abrupt changes in North American climate during early Holocene times. Nature400, 437—40.
24.
Huang, Q.1988: A preliminary study on sedimentation rate and paleoclimatic change recorded in Qinghai lake sediments. Chinese ScienceBulletin22, 1740—44 (in Chinese).
25.
Ji, J.F., Shen, J., Balsam, W., Chen, J., Liu, L. and Liu, X.2005: Asian monsoon oscillations in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since the late glacial as interpreted from visible reflectance of Qinghai Lake sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters233, 61—70.
26.
Jiao, K., Yao, T. and Li, S.2000: Evolution of glaciers and environment in the west Kunlun Mountain during the past 32 ka. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology22, 250—56 (in Chinese with English abstract).
27.
Jin, Z.D., Shen, J., Wang, S.M. and Zhang, E.2003: An evidence for early Holocene cold event from lake sediments . Geological Journal of China Universities9, 11—18 (in Chinese with English abstract).
28.
Jin, Z.D., Wu, J., Cao, J., Wang, S., Shen, J., Gao, N. and Zou, C.2004: Holocene chemical weathering and climatic oscillations in north China: evidence from lacustrine sediments. Boreas33, 260—66.
29.
Jin, Z.D., Wu, Y., Zhang, X. and Wang, S.M.2005: Role of late glacial to mid-Holocene climate in catchment weathering in the Central Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary Research63, 161—70.
30.
Jung, S.J.A., Davies, G.R., Ganssen, G.M. and Kroon D.2004: Synchronous Holocene sea surface temperature and rainfall variations in the Asian monsoon system. Quaternary Science Reviews23, 2207—18.
31.
Kutzbach, J.E., Ruddiman, W.F. and Prell, W.L.1997: Possible effects of Cenozoic uplift and CO2 lowering on global and regional hydrology. In Ruddiman, W.F., editor, Tectonic uplift and climate change . Plenum, 149—70.
32.
Keigwin, L.D. and Pickart, R.S.1999: Slope water current over the Laurentian Fan on interannual to millennial time scale. Science286, 520—23.
33.
Lister, G.S., Kelts, K., Chen, K., Yu, J.Q. and Niessen, F.1991: Lake Qinghai, China: closed-basin lake levels and the oxygen isotope record for ostracoda since the last Pleistocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology84, 141—62.
34.
Liu, C.L., Wang, M., Jiao, P., Li, S. and Chen, Y.Z.2003: Holocene yellow silt layers and the paleoclimate event of 8200 a BP in Lop Nur, Xinjiang, NW China. Acta Geologica Sinica77, 514—18.
35.
Liu, X., Shen, J., Wang, S., Yang, X.D., Tong, G. and Zhang, E.2002: A 16000-year pollen record of Qinghai Lake and its paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. Chinese ScienceBulletin47, 1351—55 (in Chinese).
36.
Magny, M.1995: Successive oceanic and solar forcing indicated by Younger Dryas and early Holocene climatic oscillations in the Jura. Quaternary Research43, 279—85.
37.
Molnar, P., England, P. and Martiod, J.1993: Mantle dynamics, uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian monsoon development. Reviews ofGeophysics34, 357—96.
38.
Morrill, C. and Jacobsen R.M.2005: How widespread were climate anomalies 8200 years ago?Geophysical Research Letters32, L19701, doi:10.1029/2005GL023536.
39.
Morrill, C., Overpeck, J.T. and Cole, J.L.2003: A synthesis of abrupt changes in the Asian summer monsoon since the last deglaciation. The Holocene13, 465—76.
40.
Qin, J.M., Yuan, D., Cheng, H., Lin, Y.S., Zhang, M., Wang, F. and Wang, H.2004: Abrupt climatic events during the Younger Dryas and early to mid-Holocene: oxygen isotope records of Libo stalagmite, Guizhou Province . Science in China (Series D) 34, 69—74 (in Chinese).
41.
Renssen, H., Goosse, H. and Fichefet, T.2002: Modeling the effect of freshwater pulses on the early Holocene climate: the influence of high-frequency climate variability. Paleoceanography17, doi:10.1029/001PA000 649.
42.
Rohling, E.J. and Pälike, H.2005: Centennial-scale climate cooling with a sudden cold event around 8,200 years ago. Nature434, 975—79. Shi, Y.F., Kong, Z.C., Wang, S.M., Tang, L., Wang, F.B., Yao, T., Zhao, X., Zhang, P. and Shi, S.1992: Climatic fluctuant and great events during the Holocene in China. Science in China (Series B) 12, 1300—308 (in Chinese).
43.
Stager, J.C. and Mayewski, P.A.1997: Abrupt early to mid-Holocene climatic transition registered at the equator and the poles. Science276, 1834—36.
44.
Steig, E.J.1999: Mid-Holocene climate change. Science286, 1485—87. Stuiver , M., Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Burr, G.S., Hughen, K.A., Kromer, B., McCormac, G., Van der Plicht, J. and Spurk, M.1998: INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibration 24000—0 cal B.PRadiocarbon40, 1041—83.
45.
Thompson, L.G.2000: Ice core evidence for climate change in the tropics: implications for our future. Quaternary Science Reviews19, 19—35.
46.
van Campo, E. and Gasse, F.1993: Pollen- and diatom-inferred climatic and hydrological changes in Sumxi Co (Western Tibet) since 13,000 yr BP. Quaternary Research39, 300—13.
47.
von Grafenstein, U., Erlenkeuser, H., Müller, J., Jouzel, J. and Johnsen, S.1998: The cold event 8200 years ago documented in oxygen isotope records of precipitation in Europe and Greenland. Climate Dynamics14, 73—81.
48.
Wang, H., Hong, Y., Zhu, Y., Lin, Q., Leng, X. and Mao, X.2003: The peat humification records of Holocene climate change in Hongyuan region. GeologyGeochemistry31, 51—56 (in Chinese with English abstract).
49.
Wang, N.L., Yao, T.D., Thompson, L.G., Henderson, K.A. and Davis, M.E.2002: Evidence for cold events in the early Holocene from the Guliya ice core, Tibetan Plateau, China. Chinese Science Bulletin47, 1422—27.
50.
Wang, R.L., Scarpitta, S.C., Zhang, S.C. and Zheng, M.P.2002: Later Pleistocene/Holocene climate conditions of Qinghai—Xizang Plateau (Tibet) based on carbon and oxygen stable isotopes of Zabuye Lake sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters203, 461—77.
51.
Wang, S.M. and Li, J.R.1990: Lake sediment as an effective tool for historical climate: the case of Qinghai Lake and Daihai Lake. Chinese ScienceBulletin35, 54—56 (in Chinese).
52.
Wang, S.M. and Shi, Y.F.1992: Review and discussion on the late Quaternary evolution of Qinghai Lake. Journal of LakeSciences4, 1—9 (in Chinese with English abstract).
53.
Wang, Y.J., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., An, Z.S., Wu, J.Y., Shen, C.C. and Dorale, J.A.2001: A high- resolution absolute-dated late Pleistocene monsoon record from Hulu Cave, China. Science294, 2345—48.
54.
Wang, Y.J., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., He, Y., Kong, X., An, Z.S., Wu, J., Kelly, M.J., Dykoski, C.A. and Li, X.2005: The Holocene Asian Monsoon: links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science308, 854—57.
55.
Willemse, N.W. and Tornqvist, T.E.1999: Holocene century-scale temperature variability from West Greenland lake records. Geology27, 580—84.
56.
Wu, J.L., Shen, J., Wang, S., Jin, Z.D. and Yang, X.D.2005: Characteristics of an early Holocene climate and environment from lake sediments in Ebi Nur region, NW China. Science in China (series D) 48, 258—65.
57.
Xu, Y.Q.1998: Pollen assemblage and environmental change at the Bosten Lake in the Xinjiang region during the Holocene. AridGeography21, 43—49 (in Chinese with English abstract).
58.
Yao, T., Thompson, L.G. and Shi, Y.1997: Study of climate change recorded by Guliya ice core since the last interglacial period. Science in China27, 447—52 (in Chinese).
59.
Yu, S.Y., Zhu, C. and Wang, F.2003: Radiocarbon constraints on the Holocene flood deposits of the Ning-Zhen Mountains, Lower Yangtze River area of China. Journal ofQuaternary Science18, 521—25.
60.
Yuan, D., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Dykoski, C.A., Kelly, M.J., Zhang, M., Qing, J., Lin, Y., Wang, Y.J., Wu, J., Dorale, J.A., An, Z.S. and Cai, Y.2004: Timing, duration, and transitions of the last interglacial Asian monsoon. Science304, 575—78.
61.
Zhang, J.C. and Lin, Z.G.1992: Climate of China. Wiley, 376 pp. Zheng , B. and Ma , Q.1995: A study on the geomorphological characteristics and glaciations in paleo-Daocheng ice cap, western Sichuan. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology17, 23—32 (in Chinese).
62.
Zhong, W. and Shu, Q.2001: Palaeoclimatic and palaeohydrologic oscillations since about 12.0 ka BP at Bosten Lake, southern Xinjiang. Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica32, 213—20 (in Chinese with English abstract).
