CLIMATE CHANGE OVER THE PAST 2200 YEARS IN THE SOUTHERN ATAI MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ASIA

A ~2200-year moisture history of the southern Altai Mountains (or Chinese Altai) was established based on peat Sphagnum δ¹³C_celluose values obtained at Yushenkule (YSKL) Peat. The moisture reconstruction from the southern Altai Mountains, with references to the temperature and precipitation reconstructions from Russian Altai, seems to lend supports to the “warm-dry/cool-wet” generalization. Generally speaking, the moisture record from YSKL Peat in the southern Altai Mountains exhibits a “cool-wet” DACP (Dark Age Cold Period from ~500 to ~800 AD), a “warm-dry” MWP (Medieval Warm Period from ~800 to ~1200 AD), a “cool-wet” LIA (Little Ice Age from ~1200 to ~1900 AD), and a “warm-dry” CWP (Current Warm Period since ~1900 AD). But, RWP (Roman Warm Period from prior to ~100 AD to ~500 AD) is an exception (“warm-wet”). However, if the heat-water combinations within those major temperature-change events are further examined, the “warm-dry/cool-wet” generalization collapses. Specifically, DACP-1 (from ~500 to ~600 AD) was “cool-dry” and DACP-2 (from ~600 to ~800 AD) “cool-wet”. And, LIA-1 spanning from ~1200 to ~1600 AD was “coo-dry” and LIA-2 spanning from ~1600 to ~1900 AD “cool-wet”. The results suggest that the precipitation was the dominant factor controlling the moisture in southern Siberia including the Altai Mountains and the precipitation variations were likely associated with the NAO variations. It implies that although the Sphagnum δ¹³C_celluose signature is an indicative of warm-season (i.e., growing-season) moisture, NAO-associated cold-season precipitation was the dominant factor controlling the moisture variations before ~1600 AD. The AMO-associated warm-season precipitation might have become more important in controlling the moisture variations after ~1600 AD. If our speculation about AMO involvements from ~1600 to ~1900 AD is acceptable, the AMO-associated warm-season precipitation might have become more important in controlling the moisture variations during that time period.