By measuring Sr/Ca ratios of the ostracod shells (Limnocthere cf. inopinata) in sediments of the Daihai Lake, and combined with Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios of the lake water, this paper obtained paleosalinity of the lake water. Vaporizing experiment of the lake water in laboratory showed that there was a quantitative relationship between salinity and oxygen isotope. Using this relationship, oxygen isotope values of the paleo-lake water were calculated. By measuring the oxygen isotope of the authigenic carbonate in the lake’s sediments, and in combination with the oxygen isotope values of the paleo-lake water, the paleotemperature of the lake water was calculated. Finally, based on these proxies, the paleoclimate in the lake basin was explored.

The systemic analyses have been carried out in this paper to the paleolake shorelines, paleolake sediments and paleoclimatic proxies of 20 lakes, in which there were 12 kaBP dating data on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that the paleolake level had apparently risen during 14-11 kaBP, the glaciers melting period, in the Tibetan area and Northwest China. Especially, much more increasing amplitude supplied by thawy glaciers water occurred than in the best period of Holocene. The temperate-humid climate around 12 kaBP appeared in the Tibetan area and even in the whole China. This event may be compared with the Bolling/Allerod warm period which was reflected by Europe and Greenland ice core records. It showed that the B/A event was not a regional one in the North Atlantic area.

The sequences of climatic evolution are reconstructed by the analyses of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O of carbonate from core RM in the Zoige Basin since 140 kaB. P. During the Last Glaciation there existed at least seven warm climatic fluctuations and five cold events correlated with the records of ice core and deep sea, and during the preceding last interglacial period there were two cold climatic variations coinciding with the record of ice core GRIP. These results de-pict climatic instability in east Qinghai-Xizang Plateau over the last interglacial period. In addition, the environmental proxies of the carbonate content and pigments indicate the similar results to the stable isotope record from core RM.

Low magnetic susceptibility, low Sr content and hence high Rb/Sr ratio in the lake sediment sequence indicate a weak chemical weathering process under arid and cold climate of the Little Ice Age in a single closed lake watershed. According to different geochemical behavior between rubidium and strontium in earth surface processes, variation of Rb/Sr ratios in the lake sediment sequence can be used as an effective geochemical proxy with definite climatic significance of chemical weathering in watershed. Unlike chemical weathering process in tropic zone and modern temperate-humid climate, concordant changes in both Sr content and magnetic susceptibility with δ¹⁸O values of Dunde ice core suggest that the weak chemical weathering was controlled by air temperature during the Little Ice Age maximum. After the Little Ice Age, chemical weathering intensity was controlled also gradually by precipitation with increasing in temperature.

The chronology of a gravity core sediment from Longgan Lake center was defined by²¹⁰Pb, combining with historic events recorded by document and sediment. The relationship between vegetation, soil erosion and lake nutrient state was discussed based on pollen, magnetic parameters, diatoms, phosphorus and pigments. The results show that the lake has undergone twice obvious transformations from oligotrophic to mesotrophic condition. Two eutrophications occurring at about 1768AD and the beginning of the 20th century respectively were related to external nutrient loading increase resulting from the enhanced human activities in the lake catchment. It is probable that strength of human actions in historic periods was influenced more or less by climatic changes. The lake eutrophication presented a more serious tendency because of the wide use of chemical fertilizer, reclamation of wetland and wetland vegetation destruction around the lake in the last 40 years.

The changes of magnetic susceptibility(κ) are correlated with those of corresponding sedimentological, geochemical, mineralogical and biological results, which verifies thatκ can be taken as one of the environmental proxies. However, usually the exact origin of magnetic signal is poorly understood, and is difficult to relate with the environmental evolution. Magnetic properties of material derived from the catchment and sedimentary environment may affect the accumulation, preservation, or authigenesis and diagenesis of magnetic minerals. In the Lake Hulun region in Inner Mongolia, it is found that muddy sediments, deposited during high water level period (corresponding to humid climate), have comparatively highκ values. In contrast, the sandy sediments, deposited during low water level period (corresponding to arid climate), have lowκ values. Detailed rock magnetic investigation confirms that detrital magnetite derived from volcanic rocks in the catchment exists in both muddy and sandy sediments. During high water level period, secondary ferrimagnetic iron sulphide was produced in muddy sediments under relatively reductive conditions. Ferrimagnetic iron sulphide, coexisting with detrital magnetite, predominates the magnetic properties of muddy sediments, resulting in increasingκ. This paper reveals the significance of authigenic ferrimagnetic iron sulphide produced after sediment deposition.

Based on multi-proxy analysis of pollen, carbonate, TOC, TN and δ ¹³C of organic matters, a high-resolution climatic evolution of Qinghai Lake since the Late Glacial Age is reconstructed. The results indicate that the boundary between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Late Glacial Age is at about 18.2 cal.ka BP. The warm and wet period, which began at about 15.4 cal.ka BP, culminated at 7.4 cal.ka BP and came to its end at about 4.5 cal.ka BP. After that, the climate gradually became cold and dry. The multi-proxy analysis indicates that the climate fluctuated greatly during the transitional period from the Late glacial Age to the Holocene, and this is in good accordance with that reflected by deep sea cores of North Atlantic, ice cores of Greenland, lake sediments in Europe, loess sequences and Guliya ice core in China. The climatic evolutional characteristic of the Qinghai Lake since the Late Glacial Age shows that the driving force of the East-Asia Monsoon correlates with solar radiation on the ten-thousand-year scale.

Living ostracod and hydrochemical samples were collected synchronously from more than 50 lakes and small water body in the eastern edge area of the Tibetan Plateau, Northern Tibetan, Southern Tibet and mid-Tibet. The comparison of the adult body length ofLimnocythere inopinata and hydrochemical parameters of their habitats shows that a quantitative relationship exists between the adult body length and salinity expressed as conductivity. An empirical formula to reconstruct paleosalinity is suggested first and applied to salinity reconstruction of CE-2 core from Cuoe Lake, Tibet. The method is verified by comparing its outcome with results of other environment reconstruction methods.

The Zoige Basin is located in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, in which two cores, RH and RM, have been drilled, with the depths of 120 m and 310 m respectively. The former with the bottom age of 826 kaB. P. has been divided into 21 stages according to the multi-proxy analysis, which could be basically compared with the oxygen isotope record of deep-sea core. The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental process of the Zoigê Basin over the past 900 kaB. P. is reconstructed, and the comparison of core RH with the Luochuan Loess record is made.