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Rapid Bølling-Allerød Interstadial deglaciation in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from 10Be chronology of the glacially polished bedrock surfaces in the Haizishan Plateau

  • CAS - Institute of Earth Environment
  • Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research
  • Xi’an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The timing and pattern of abrupt climatic events during the last glacial termination, particularly the Bølling-Allerød (B-A) Interstadial, are critical for understanding rapid climate transitions under global warming. Well-preserved glacial landforms on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) provide valuable insights into past climate change, yet glacier responses to the B-A Interstadial remain poorly constrained due to limited chronological data. Here, we report ten new 10Be surface exposure ages from glacially polished bedrock along the main ice-flow path in the Lahaku Valley, Haizishan Plateau (HZSP), southeastern TP. The results cluster tightly between 15.1±0.9 ka and 13.7±0.9 ka, with a mean of 14.3±0.5 ka, indicating a rapid deglaciation at the onset of the B-A Interstadial. These ages, combined with published 10Be ages in the HZSP, provide robust evidence for B-A deglaciation on the TP. Furthermore, this rapid deglaciation aligns with similar events observed across the Northern Hemisphere, pointing to a common hemispheric-scale climatic forcing. Comparative analysis of glacial and climatic records indicates that the primary driver was likely abrupt warming, linked to ocean-atmosphere processes associated with a reinvigorated Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1483-1499
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Geographical Sciences
Volume36
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2026
Externally publishedYes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

  • Be surface exposure dating
  • Bølling-Allerød Interstadial
  • deglaciation
  • glacial landforms
  • Tibetan Plateau

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