Middle Miocene evolution of East Asian summer monsoon precipitation in the northeast part of the Tibetan Plateau based on a quantitative analysis of palynological records

Characterized by elevated pCO2 levels and global warmth, the mid-Miocene climate is a valuable analogue for investigating how the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) may evolve at different time scales. In this paper, we present a quantitative EASM precipitation record with a temporal resolution of ∼14 kyr during the mid-Miocene (∼15.97 to 13.64 Ma) by applying the probabilistic CREST (Climate Reconstruction Software) method to palynological records from the northeast part of the Tibetan Plateau. Reconstructed mid-Miocene EASM precipitation (∼860 mm) was almost twice that of today (∼450 mm), indicating much stronger EASM intensity. The reconstruction shows a gradual long-term decline on which was superimposed a stronger EASM period (∼15.97–14.54 Ma) followed by a relatively stable period (∼14.54–13.84 Ma) and a short period of reduced precipitation (∼13.84–13.64 Ma). The correspondence of EASM precipitation changes with the mid-Miocene climate optimum and west-east thermal gradients in equatorial Pacific suggests these two factors were the main driving forces for EASM evolution from ∼15.97 to 14.54 Ma, whereas the combined impact of global cooling and the northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone is probably responsible for the slight decline of the EASM from ∼14.54 to 13.84 Ma. The weaker EASM between ∼13.84 and 13.64 Ma was most likely a response to the global significant cooling event Mi-3. On orbital time scales, the precipitation records exhibit a dominant ∼400 kyr periodicity, indicating EASM changes were mainly paced by eccentricity via the modulation of precessional amplitude, and the East Antarctic Ice Sheet variations were probably another important driving force. •A high-resolution, quantitative mid-Miocene EASM precipitation record was obtained.•The mean mid-Miocene MAP of ∼860 mm was almost 2 times that of today in NE TP.•Global temperature played key role in long-term mid-Miocene EASM evolution.•West-east thermal gradients in EP, ITCZ are also vital drivers in some intervals.•Orbitally, mid-Miocene EASM variability was dominated by eccentricity forcing.