Abstract:

 The midlatitude Asian continent can be roughly divided into two distinct climatic regions: the humid easternsouthern part of Asia mainly controlled by monsoon circulation and inland arid Asia (including the coldarid northern Tibetan Plateau) in the western part dominated by the midlatitude westerlies. Based on the extensive review of recently published literatures, we found that a dry early Holocene, a wettest midHolocene, and a moderately wet late Holocene dominated in arid central Asia (ACA), while a strong summer monsoon and humid climate characterized the early Holocene, and a weakened summer monsoon and drier climate prevailed during the late Holocene. During the past millennium, ACA experienced a dry Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and a humid Little Ice Age (LIA). In contrast, it is indicated by a speleothem proxy record from Wanxiang Cave that the monsoon precipitation was generally high during the MWP and generally low during the LIA. Over the last 100 or 50 years, moisture has increased in arid NW China, while climate in monsooninfluenced semiarid NW China and North China has become drier. In addition, antiphase relationship in precipitation changes between the northern Tibetan Plateau (climatically controlled by westerlies) and southern Tibetan Plateau (mainly influenced by Indian monsoon circulation) exists on decadal to centennial timescale. In summary, moisture variability in ACA and northern Tibetan Plateau has showed major difference from monsoon evolution on various timescales in the Holocene. It is thus proposed that there is a westerlydominated climate model in midlatitude Asia during the modern interglacial period.

Key words: midlatitude Asia; Holocene; MWP; LIA; climate change; westerlydominated climate model