Resolving Cenozoic climate pattern debate in East Asia: Insights from orbital-scale oscillations

Paleoclimate reconstruction and aeolian deposits in China indicate a major environmental reorganization – the formation of a nonzonal monsoon-dominated climate pattern – in East Asia in the late Oligocene and the early Miocene. In contrast, a zonal planetary-wind-dominated climate pattern has prevailed during the Paleocene and Eocene. However, this classical paradigm describing the climate transition has been questioned by recent studies. Here, our study emphasizes the importance of considering orbital-scale climate oscillations to better understand and reassess the paradigm. By examining the halite and mudstone sequence in the Jianghan Basin and conducting numerical experiments using the Norwegian Earth System model, we propose the concept of a “green Yangtze” phenomenon, which utilizes orbital-scale climate oscillations to reconcile the wet and dry environmental indicators in Eastern China during the Paleogene. It is essential to differentiate the Paleogene climate, characterized by intense orbital-scale wet and arid oscillations, from the Neogene monsoon-dominated climate. The classic paradigm remains valuable in understanding the long-term mean environment, albeit without capturing the orbital-scale details. Future research should focus on uncovering orbital-scale variations to enhance our understanding of climate evolution and dynamics in East Asia during the Cenozoic. •The paradigm of Paleogene zonal and Neogene nonzonal climate patterns captures Cenozoic East Asian climate evolution.•Orbital-scale oscillations are crucial in differentiating the climate during the Paleogene and Neogene.•A green Yangtze phenomenon reconciles Paleogene wet and dry environmental indicators in Eastern China.