Abstract
AbstractAuthigenic carbonate and evaporite minerals in lake sediments are widely used to qualitatively reconstruct climate. However, uncertainties still remain about their quantitative relationship to climate. Here we investigate 86 modern lakes in northern China to examine the relationships between mineral formation, lake water chemistry, and climate. The results show that from east to west, with increasing salinity and ionic concentration, calcite, dolomite, and evaporite minerals (gypsum and halite) occur in sequence. Their eastern boundaries approximate modern isohyets, and we define for the first time rainfall thresholds of 600 mm, 400 mm, and 350 mm for the formation of calcite, dolomite, and evaporite minerals, respectively. Since the 400 mm and 600 mm isohyets also coincide with vegetation boundaries, our findings enable a new approach for the quantitative reconstruction of paleoprecipitation and paleovegetation based on mineral analysis.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
