A High Resolution Record of the Asian Monsoon from Speleothems

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

The award supports the acquisition of high-resolution, absolute-dated speleothem records of the Asian Monsoon. Such records will lead to an understanding of the mechanisms that control the Asian Monsoon during all portions of glacial-interglacial cycles over the last 200,000 years. They will also constrain the relative timing of change in the Monsoon and the climate in other regions. This important new research effort builds upon previous work by the investigators that demonstrates a link between North Atlantic climate and the East Asian Monsoon, which originates from the warmest portion of the tropical oceans (the West Pacific Warm Pool). This research explores the links between tropical and high northern latitude climate and abrupt climatic shifts. For example, the end of the Younger Dryas is marked by a large and rapid change in East Asian Monsoon intensity. The change occurred in less than 10 years and is synchronous, within an error of approximately 100 years, with a similarly rapid rise in Greenland temperature. The assembled research team represents a strong international collaboration among American and Chinese researchers and institutions. Both the United States and China are partners in the research as both supply research funds and expertise to help the research succeed.