Atmospheric dust from a shallow ice core from Tanggula: implications for drought in the central Tibetan Plateau over the past 155 years

The dustiness on the remote Tibetan Plateau and its trend within the ongoing global warming perspective are not well understood. In this study, we present the detailed dust history from 1850 to 2004 AD on an annual timescale from a shallow ice core from Tanggula, central Tibetan Plateau. Two periods of strong dustiness, one at the end of the Little Ice Age (1860–1874) and the other during the period 1930–1954, occurred during low oxygen isotope stage, which is correlated with temperature on multi-year and decadal timescales. The extremely high level of dust flux between 1860 and 1874 was unique – this level has not occurred again during the past century, and the 1930s' dustiness was characterized more by strong wind and dust storms rather than drought, as shown by great grain size but low dust flux. We have used the composite analysis of modern meteorological data to study the possible dustiness mechanism and found that strengthened high-level westerlies over the Tibetan Plateau and intensified low pressure activities in the upward potential source regions, such as Tarim Basin, are the possible causes for high dust flux in Tanggula. Those results have revealed that although the dustiness on the Tibetan Plateau normally occurs in cold conditions, pronounced warming since the 1960s can change the dust pattern and strengthen the dustiness in this remote and high-altitude region, and can thus induce associated environmental issues by creating dustier conditions.

► We provide the Tanggula ice core record during 1850–2004 A.D.
► The 1860–1874 and 1930–1954 are two high dust flux periods.
► Dust flux increased since 1960 within warming perspective.
► High dust is correlated with strengthened westerlies over the Tibetan Plateau and low pressure in the source regions.
► Warming seems make Tibetan Plateau dustier.