Decadal/multi-decadal temperature discrepancies along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Knowledge of the synchronicity and discrepancy of temperature variations along the Eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (ETP) is critical in understanding the driving forcing of regional temperature variations. In this study, we established delta N-15 timeseries in organic matter and delta C-13 timeseries in ostracod shells from sediments of Lake Lugu and attributed their variations to decadal/multi-decadal temperature variations. We compared temperature variations along the ETP transect during the past four centuries based on our presently developed and previously developed temperature proxy indices, as well as temperature variations reconstructed by other researchers. We found that: (1) Over the north ETP area (N-ETP), the decadal/multi-decadal variations in temperature correlate well with each other. (2) Over the south ETP area (S-ETP), temperature variations correlate not so well with each other; while those at south to west portion of the Tibetan Plateau are rather local. (3) The decadal variations in temperature are generally synchronous with those in precipitation over the N-ETP area, and they are broadly antiphase/out-of-phase with the corresponding ones over the S-ETP area. (4) The long term temperature and precipitation trends are coupling over the N-ETP but decoupling over the S-ETP. We speculate that because the N-ETP is located at the frontier of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) region, temperature variations there are not as strongly influenced by the ASM; they are most likely dominated by changes in solar activities, and show general similarity to the average of the Northern Hemisphere. Over the S-ETP area, decadal temperature variations are obviously influenced by precipitation. Because the decadal/ multi-decadal precipitation variations are anti-phase and/or out-of-phase between the N-ETP and SETP, the decadal/multi-decadal temperature variations between these two regions are also anti-phase and/or out-of-phase. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.