Lake level and climate changes between 42,000 and 18,000 14C yr BP in the Tengger Desert, Northwestern China

Multiple lines of stratigraphic, geochemical, and fossil data suggest that fresh-mesohaline paleolakes were widespread in the Tengger Desert of northwestern China and underwent major fluctuations during the late Pleistocene. The paleolakes started to develop at ca. 42,000 C-14 yr B.P. The lake levels were the highest between 35,000 and 22,000 C-14 yr B.P., during which Megalake Tengger dominated the landscape. The climatic conditions at this time were unique for this area and have no modem analogue. After an episode of decline between 22,000 and 20,000 C-14 yr B.P. and an episode of rebound between 20,000 and 18,600 C-14 yr B.P., the paleolakes started to desiccate and completely disappeared around 18,000 C-14 yr B.P. The environmental proxy data indicate that the Megalake Tengger formed under warm-humid climates. The reconstructed climatic variations appear to be correlative with the abrupt climatic events reconstructed for the North Atlantic. (C) 2002 University of Washington.