Differentiation of Asian summer precipitation induced by the mountain building of the Tibetan Plateau and Central Asian Orogenic Belt

• Published in: Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 2023-06, Vol.619, p.111547, Article 111547
• Main Authors: Sha, Yingying, Shi, Zhengguo, Zhou, Peng, Lei, Jing, Mao, Xiyue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arid Asian interior; East Asian summer monsoon; Mongolian Plateau; Simulation; Tian Shan Mountains; Tibetan Plateau
• ISSN: 0031-0182; 1872-616X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111547

Geological records from the representative monsoon-aridity climate regimes, the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) and Tarim Basin (TB), demonstrate that the climate has experienced distinct reorganization since the late Oligocene/early Miocene. Meanwhile, incremental evidence indicates asynchronous growth of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Therefore, how the growth of these topographies affects the Asian climate regimes need further numerical examination. By successively including the main TP, Pamir Plateau (Pr), Tian Shan Mountains (TS) and Mongolian Plateau (MP) in our numerical experiments, the effects of the stepwise uplift are examined. For the arid interior, the main TP, Pr, TS and MP all cause significant reduction of precipitation and moisture, presenting a persistent aridification process. The most intense reduction is resulted by the main TP in warm season. The summer precipitation over the CLP experienced a persistent intensification with the uplift of the main TP, Pr and TS, indicating a persistent strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon. After that, the summer precipitation over the CLP is suppressed with the MP uplift, which is consistent with the MP-induced decrease over the arid inland. The annual mean precipitation change over the CLP resembles the change in summer. Therefore, the topography-induced precipitation evolution over the TB and CLP exhibits different processes. Meanwhile, the precipitation over the TB initially portrays a spring-winter dominant pattern as the TP significantly suppressed the precipitation in summer. The summer precipitation is then intensified with the inclusion of the Pr-TS and the precipitation seasonality is transformed to peak in summer. The results indicate the differentiation of Asian climate regimes affected by the main TP, Pr-TS and MP. The results might provide new support for the evolution of mid-latitude deserts and Neogene Red Clay and Quaternary loess-paleosol deposits on the CLP since the late Oligocene. •Central Asian Orogenic Belt growth intensified the aridity in inner Asia.•Pamir-Tian Shan enhanced the summer precipitation in the Chinese Loess Plateau.•Mongolian Plateau suppressed the summer precipitation over the Chinese Loess Plateau.•Tian Shan turned the precipitation pattern in Tarim Basin from winter to summer.•Tibet intensified inner Asia’s aridity and Chinese Loess Plateau’s summer rainfall.