High precision topographic data on Lop Nor basin＇s Lake ＂Great Ear＂ and the timing of its becoming a dry salt lake

High precision elevation measurements using DGPS were carried out along three representative tran-sects for the ＂Great Ear＂ area, a dry salt lake within the Lop Nor basin. Results indicate that the Lop Nor basin is only 5.2 m deep and its lowest point occurs at the center of the ＂Great Ear＂. In addition, the basin is asymmetric-steeper in the southwest （0.19‰） and gentler in the northeast （0.09‰）. Points along the same ＂Great Ear＂ ring were found to have an identical elevation value, but different when from different ones （lower towards the center）. The spacing of the ＂Great Ear＂ rings was found to be closely related with the surface steepness. The closer the ＂Great Ear＂ rings are spaced, the steeper the ground surface, and vice versa. These findings support the argument that the ＂Great Ear＂ rings are the former shoreline trails left behind by Lop Nor water during the last few episodes of recession towards its total dry up. A comprehensive analysis of the high precision elevation data, historical accounts, aerial and satellite photographs and imagery, and official topographic maps of the study area suggests that the ＂Great Ear＂ area in the Lop Nor basin was incorrectly mapped as being covered by a great body of water on the 1963 topographic maps. A re-interpretation of the 1958 aerial photographs and newer remote sensing imagery indicated that the ＂Great Ear＂ ring structure was already in place in 1958 and it continued to appear on the subsequent remote sensing data without any major changes. It is estimated that lake water in the ＂Great Ear＂ area of the Lop Nor basin disappeared between the late 1930s and early 1940s.     

Late Miocene–early Pleistocene paleoproductivity variations of the Lop Nor in the Tarim Basin and its implications on aridification in Asian Interior

Extensive lacustrine deposits in the eastern Tarim Basin provide records of climate change influenced by the westerly winds and the Asian monsoon. To char- acterize the evolution of climate change in this region, we analyze elemental concentrations of barium （Ba） from the Ls2 drill core of Lop Nor, a paleo-lakebed located in the eastern Tarim Basin. Biogenic Ba concentrations from this drill core display a large-amplitude oscillation that gener- ally follows a pattern similar to that of Artemisia content and ostracod assemblages, suggesting that is may serve as an index for climate change experienced in the basin. Our results indicate that biogenic Ba is especially sensitive to precipitation. All climatic proxies served in this study vary significantly over late Miocene to early Pleistocene time period. Strong aridification of eastern Tarim in the late Miocene to the early Pliocene may be attributed to a lati- tudinal shift in the westerly winds, which would have resulted in more moisture transported to southern and eastern Tibet. The growth of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau may have acted as an orographic barrier that blocked moisture sourced in the south from the northern margins of the plateau. We link weaker aridification in the late Pliocene to an increased intensity of the Indian Monsoon.     

Climatic difference in dry and wet season under effect of the Longitudinal Range-Gorge and its influence on transboundary river runoff

Based on observed data of transboundary river runoffs in the Longitudinal Range-Gorge Region （LRGR） and those of precipitation and air temperature fields in Yunnan, climatic variability in dry and wet seasons under the impact of LRGR and its influence on transboundary river runoff are studied by means of statistical analysis and wavelet transforms. Results show that latitude variations of high correlation center for precipitation field and corresponding transboundary river runoff are not so notable due to the underlying topography of LRGR, while longitude variations are highly marked. In dry season, greater precipitation and slighter relative deviation are observed in the eastern part as compared to those in the western part of LRGR; while lower average temperature and greater standard deviation are found in the eastern part. In wet season, greater precipitation and slighter relative deviation are ob- served in the western part, while lower average temperature and similar standard deviation are found in the eastern part. Either in dry or wet season, relative deviation of eastern runoff is always greater than that of the western one. LRGR＇s barrier action is stronger for southwest monsoon but weaker for northeast one. Under the effect of LRGR, precipitation variations in the eastern and western parts are primarily found in smaller timescales, and the variations tend to be insignificant as timescales increase; whereas slighter temperature variations are observed In recent years, precipitation in wet season tended to increase, which in turn resulted in the greater runoff of transboundary rivers. While in the past decade, air temperature showed a climbing trend in both dry and wet season in the LRGR.