The evolution and coupling of the Indian monsoon and the aridification of the Asian interior is an important scientific question which is closely related to Tibet uplift processes and global climatic change. Theoretical consideration and numeric modelling have demonstrated that uplift of the Tibet Plateau may have caused the enhancement of the Indian monsoon to the south of the plateau and the Asian interior drying to the north of the plateau. Thus, times of rapid uplift of the Tibet Plateau would correlate with times of a synchronous enhancement of the Indian monsoon and inner Asia drying. Times of counteracting coupling between them would be caused by global climate changes through temperature modulating of heat-moisture masses in low and high latitudes. Based on this hypothesis, this proposal will continue former and on-going intensive Sino-German cooperation projects and expand the study areas to Nepal and Yunnan. We will carry out detailed correlations of late Cenozoic paleoclimatic records in the Nepal-Yunnan regions south and southeast of the plateau and the Qaidam basin in the Asian interior north of the Plateau to capture the major monsoon and drying events and to reveal their coupling relationships (simultaneous enhancements or just counteracting), and to analyse the impacts of Tibet uplift and global change. This would provide new clues and evidence to understand the evolution and mechanisms of the Asian monsoon and inner Asia arid system.
Principle Investigator：Fang Xiaomin
Project duration：2017.01 - 2021.12