230Th/234U and 36Cl dating of evaporite deposits from the western Qaidam Basin, China: Implications for glacial-period dust export from Central Asia (1993)

Research Article| December 01, 1993 230Th/234U and 36Cl dating of evaporite deposits from the western Qaidam Basin, China: Implications for glacial-period dust export from Central Asia FRED M. PHILLIPS; FRED M. PHILLIPS 1Geoscience Department, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico 87801 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar MAREK G. ZREDA; MAREK G. ZREDA 1Geoscience Department, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico 87801 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar TEH-LUNG KU; TEH-LUNG KU 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar SHANGDE LUO; SHANGDE LUO 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar QI HUANG; QI HUANG 3Salt Lakes Institute, Academica Sinica, Xining, Qinghai, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar DAVID ELMORE; DAVID ELMORE 4Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar PETER W. KUBIK; PETER W. KUBIK 4Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar PANKAJ SHARMA PANKAJ SHARMA 4Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1993) 105 (12): 1606–1616. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1993)105<1606:TUACDO>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation FRED M. PHILLIPS, MAREK G. ZREDA, TEH-LUNG KU, SHANGDE LUO, QI HUANG, DAVID ELMORE, PETER W. KUBIK, PANKAJ SHARMA; 230Th/234U and 36Cl dating of evaporite deposits from the western Qaidam Basin, China: Implications for glacial-period dust export from Central Asia. GSA Bulletin 1993;; 105 (12): 1606–1616. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1993)105<1606:TUACDO>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The western Qaidam Basin contains numerous hydrologically closed lakes and playas. We have measured uranium, thorium, and chlorine radioisotopes in sediments from drill cores at two of these, Gasikule Lake and Dalangtan dry playa, in order to date cycles of high and low lake level. The sediment chronologies from the two sub-basins are generally concordant, and the U/Th ages indicate transitions from high to low lake levels at 302 ± 56 ka, at 138 ± 6 ka, and at 16.3 ± 2.2 ka. These ages indicate that high lake stands in the Qaidam Basin were terminated at the end of continental glacial maxima. This result is unexpected because previously the large eolian dust fluxes out of Central Asia during glacial maxima have been considered to be associated with increased aridity in the region, not increased humidity. The lacustrine evidence, combined with previous data from ice cores, suggests instead that the persistence of strong winds may have played a more important role in enhanced dust fluxes than did variations in dust availability due to changes in aridity. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this article.