PI: Xiaomin Fang, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Period：2017-2019
Funded by Chinese Academy of Sciences

The evolution of the Asian inland aridity is a major scientific frontier，which is closely related to the uplift of Tibetan Plateau and global change. It is imperative to have a clear, continuous and complete arid climate change record with high resolution and high accuracy to tackle scientific questions involved in this field. Thanks to the efforts by scientists from China and Germany who pooled their funding, equipment and knowledge and know-hows, a 2400-meter drill core is obtained from Qaidam. The scientists will complete the core dating and the analysis of the climatic indicators, in an effort to obtain the most complete continuous arid climate change record ever with high resolution and high accuracy in Asian inland. Their research also plans to capture and establish major drought events sequence, so as to reveal the drought process in the Asian inland; by comparing the results with the uplift of Tibet Plateau and the global change record, this research will allow for better understanding of the region’s drying processes, uplift of the Tibet Plateau and their impact on global climate. The research can thus provide theoretical basis for the improvement of the ecological environment and construction in western China.