Palynological Evidence From the Altai Mountains for the Links Between the Asian Westerly Jet Streams and Monsoon System During the Holocene

The Asian westerly jet streams in the upper troposphere play a pivotal role in shaping precipitation patterns, sustaining the diverse but fragile ecosystems in arid Central Asia. Despite their significance, the evolution history of these jet streams and their synergistic effects with the monsoon systems on regional climate change in Asia during the Holocene remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we present a continuous pollen record since 8.6 cal ka BP from Lake Shuang in the Altai Mountains. The first two principal components of the pollen data are employed to track regional changes in vegetation, summer moisture, and winter temperature. Meanwhile, the pollen data and the TraCE-21ka simulation results were compared to reveal the dynamic mechanism of regional climate change. Results indicate a humid phase spanning the interval similar to 8 to 5 cal ka BP in this region, which broadly coincides with the intensification of the Indian Summer Monsoon. This temporal correlation is potentially linked to the poleward shift of the Asian jet, as suggested by simulation results. Furthermore, our data show a consistent winter warming trend throughout the Holocene, indicated by changes in the dominant tree pollen taxa and a reduction of cold-resistant-taxa. This trend is associated with the weakening of the East Asian Winter Monsoon, influenced by increasing winter solar insolation and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Overall, our research provides strong paleoclimatological evidence highlighting the interconnected meteorological roles of the Asian jet and monsoon systems in shaping regional climates.

Automated summary

This study presents a pollen record from Lake Shuang in the Altai Mountains, providing insights into the evolution of Asian westerly jet streams and their synergistic effects with monsoon systems on regional climate change in Asia during the Holocene. The research reveals a humid phase coinciding with the intensification of the Indian Summer Monsoon and a consistent winter warming trend throughout the Holocene. These findings highlight the interconnected meteorological roles of the Asian jet and monsoon systems in shaping regional climates.