Abstract:

Abstract:  Simulation has been an important method in research on Cretaceous paleoclimate, but some boundary conditions have not been confirmed yet. In this study, we have constrained the distribution of land and ocean and the paleotopography in the Cretaceous using continental sedimentary records in China. During the Early Cretaceous, the Karakorum Gulf lay in the southwest of Xinjiang and the Wusuli Gulf was located to the east of Songliao Basin, Northeast China. During the Late Cretaceous, the global sea level rose, which made the Tethyan Ocean extend northward; the southwest Tarim Gulf and Karakorum Gulf lay in the west of Xinjiang; and the Wusuli Gulf had retreated from Northeast China. In the aspect of paleotopography, the Da Hinggan Mountains, Tianshan Mountains, Qilian Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, QinlingDabie Mountains, West Sichuan Plateau, and Yungui Plateau had already existed and may have reached some altitude. It is pointed out that the existence of East Plateau and Southeast Ridge would have been of significant influence on Cretaceous climate conditions in China. Furthermore, we have discussed the significance of making validation and comparison between paleoclimate simulation and sedimentary records in reconstruction of Cretaceous paleoclimate.

Key words: Key words: sedimentary records; Cretaceous; paleoclimate; boundary conditions; constraints