Affiliations: Department of Geography, Justus-Liebig-University,
Senckenbergstr. 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany | Department of Geography & Urban Planning,
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh WI 54901, USA | Department of Urban & Resources Sciences, Nanjing
University, Nanjing, 210093, P.R. China | Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences Nanjing, 210008, P.R. China
Abstract: The paleoclimate of the Yangtze River's lower reaches for the past
14,000 years is investigated by sediment records from the Linfengqiao section,
a location near Nanjing. Therefore grain size and geochemical analyses as well
as ^{14}C and biostratigraphical dating were carried out. The authors have come to the conclusion that the Holocene at the
lower Yangtze was not characterized only by a warm and humid climate. In fact,
the warm and humid climate was interrupted by two periods of extreme coldness
and aridity with temperature and humidity pessima at about 2500 yr B.P. and
8200 yr B.P. There were also two extremely warm and humid periods recorded in
which heavy precipitation led to the occurrence of several floods. The
temperature and humidity maxima were dated at about 2000 yr B.P. and about 8000
yr B.P. Moreover, large amounts of gravel-grade sedimentary material indicates
that the last deglaciation happened at about 11,000 yr B.P.
Keywords: Paleoclimate, sediment records, Lower Yangtze, Holocene, late Pleistocene
