Section 2 Appearance and Formation of Modern Geographical Environment

1. Section 2 Appearance and Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Relationship of Natural Events in Quatemary Period(Holocene and Pleistocene ) in China Global event:Alternation of ice age and interglacial stage Evolution’s trend in three natural zones Formation of modern monsoon Alternation of cold and warm period Accumulation and erosion of loess Trend of drought Withdraw and invasion of sea Uplift of Tibetan Plateau Appearance and development of ancient human Regional event:serious new tectonic movement Demonstrate by CAI

2. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment The pattern and extent of the uplift of Tibetan plateau Two levels of platform are remained, which is the evident of land’s periodical ascending in the tertiary period High planation surface altitude 5200-5300m Low planation surface altitude 4500-5000m (modern altitude) The uplift is accelerating in the quartemary period Mid term of Middle Pleistocene(1200-1800 000 a.B.P) Reached 3000m-critical altitude Late term of Middle Pleistocene reached 3500-4000m Everest was 4500m Late Pleistocene reached 4500m Everest was 6000m Holocene reached modern altitude 全程CAI演示讲解

3. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Tendency of regional drought in northwest Current descending 全程CAI演示讲解

4. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Tendency of regional drought in the cold and arid regions inside the Tibetan plateau Trend in coldness and drought in the Tibetan Plateau Water vapor from Atlantic Vapor from the Pacific Ocean Vapor from the Indian Ocean 全程CAI演示讲解

5. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Tendency of regional drought in Inner Mongolia and North China Winter monsoon Trend in coldness and drought in the Tibetan Plateau Water vapor from Atlantic

6. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Formation of modern monsoon The uplift of Tibetan Plateau’s influence on air current As the uplift reaches the 3000 meters critical height, it has dynamic influence Embranchment of winter and summer monsoon Embranchment of western monsoon in winter Stop the entrance of vapor from the Indian Ocean 全程CAI演示讲解

7. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Alternation of cold and warm periods in China Oxygen isotope Sequence of environmental transition Annual average temperature Annual average precipitation stratum section age Desert Steppe Forest Steppe Malan Loess Climate change Reflected from the loess sequence 2.4 million years ago in Luochuang, Shaanxi Top part of Lishi Loess Bottom part of Lishi Loess Weak weathered loess Middle weathered loess Strong weathered loess Dark loessial soil Carbonate drab soil Drab soil Alfisols drab soil Brown drab soil 全程CAI演示讲解

8. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Geology period Climate period Cold Warm Dry Wet Alternation of cold(dry) and warm(wet) periods in China 9 8 Gyration of climate in the quartemary period in China Warm period Annual average temperature of the whole country was the same or higher than that of modern times. Cold period Annual average temperature was much lower than that of modern times. Northwest and northeast temperature was lower 10-12ºC,reduced temperature was smaller in low latitude area, no more than 5ºC in South China. North climate fluctuation represented alternation of cold dry period and warm wet period; south represented alternation of non-rainfall period and rainfall period. 7 6 5 4 3 2 cold warm 全程CAI演示讲解 1

9. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Alternation of cold and warm periods in China Relationship between sea level and natural zones in special periods in China Pleniglacial Kataglacial Post-glacial period Highest sea level Lowest sea level Change of Sea Level in the 200 Thousand Years in China 全程CAI演示讲解

10. Natural Zone of the Pleniglacial in Esipleistocene (15 thousand a.B.P) Cool temperate zone Temperate zone Warm temperate zone Subtropics Frigid zone in plateau 全程CAI演示讲解 Sea level

11. Natural Zone in the Period with Proper Climate in Holocene Epoch Cold temperate zone in plateau Temperate zone in plateau Temperate and warm temperate zones Wet and warm zone/subtropical zones Subtropical zone/ tropical zone Tropical zone 全程CAI演示讲解 Sea level

12. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Appearance and development of ancient human The origin of human and their culture are very complicated issues. We not only study the nature of materials and also research on natural environment of that time. The origin of mankind? Neither on Mongolia Plateau nor in the southern part of East Asia Continent, that is east of Pakistan and the vast southwestern regions. In Pakistan, India and Yunnan Province had discovered a component of the ape-human ancestor fossils. "Yuanmou Homo Erectus" found in 170 years ago, as far as I know, is the world's first ancient human. Paleoanthropologists Jia Lanpo 全程CAI演示讲解

13. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Birthplace of ancient human in China Yuanmou County Yuanmou Homo Erectus Site Tooth fossil in Pleistocene stratum,1700 thousand a.B.P, was found in Yuanmou basin 全程CAI演示讲解

14. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment One explanation about the ancient human Forest habitat It suddenly became cold in the ice age, resulting the decrease of forest. The new tectonic movement was rather active and intense. With the complex landform, types of life environment increased Ape-man reserved Basin, forest and plain habitat Ape-man climbed down the trees, evolved into human being. Cold habitat 全程CAI演示讲解 Ape-man died out.

15. Formation of Modern Geographical Environment Tendency of three natural zones’ evolution Tendency Original background Major influence Enlargement of winter monsoon towards south Larger annual temperature range and more precipitation in summer Typical monsoon in the east Land-sea monsoon, relatively wet The west wind is somewhat controlling the movement of monsoon, especially in October and May Monsoon temperature graph moved towards south, compared with others in the same latitude. Far from the sea, relatively dry, sparse plain, desertification Cold current descends Drought In the northwest Vapor from oceans is impeded Atmosphere subsidence and evaporation increase More serious drought, with larger scale Coldness and drought in the Tibetan plateau Become drought insides as lack of vapor Subtropical forest plain Temperature decreases Plateau monsoon was form 全程CAI演示讲解

16. Complementarity Tibetan Plateau and Global Change(Influence as the Third Pole in the World) 1. Glacial Source in the Low and Mid Latitude Series of global change is established through the accumulation of ice and snow.The ice-core rock could be compared with the south and north poles. 2. Function of Pre-Forecasting Ground temperature change（15,20,100 CM） Forecast temperature change in 15-20 years 3.A Huge Region with Little Human Activities &A Perfect Place for Research on Land Ecological System

17. 4.Driver for Atmosphere Circumstance in the Northern Hemisphere Formation of plateau monsoon and modern monsoon Series of environmental evolution: wet in the subtropics, drought in northwest, formation of loess, appearance of ancient human • 5.Magnifier of Environmental Evolution Sensitive to environmental change, especially the temperature E.g. change of snowline, glacier, frozen earth, and natural zone • 6.An Extreme Environment with Low Temperature and Rare Oxygen • Extinct resource: ice snow, coldness, light, wind, terrestrial heat, biology, • and extreme ecology adaptation