Climatic Change In Zhoukoudian During The Early Pleistocene

The geochemical records in the cave sediments play a great role in the reconstruction of the paleoclimate because of its relative closed system and continuum. There are many cave sediments deposited in Zhoukoudian of Beijing, which is also a place with diverse research. The paleoclimate records were abundant from the Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene, however, the Early Pleistocene records were not well. In order to reconstruct paleoclimate of the Zhoukoudian during the Early Pleistocene, we study further with Loc. 18, the east cave, the west cave and Loc.9 in Zhoukoudian.Based on geochemic, mammalian fossil, and pollen records from Zhoukoudian of Beijing, this thesis study the characteristics and reasons of the climatic changes during the Early Pleistocene.The mammalian fossils in Loc 18 suggested that the climate during forepart Early Pleistocene, in contrast with Pliocene, was arider and cooler, and the temperature was extremely lower in Zhoukoudian.The oxide, calcium carbonate, organic carbon, magnetic susceptibility in the east cave sediments showed that the climate was between the warm-humid and the dry-cold, which is consisted with the previous data of pollen and mammal fossils. The records indicated the warmest and wettest period of this section was the 12th stratum deposited, but slight climatic fluctuations still appeared. This stratum may be correlated with the loess-paleosol sequences S₂₃-S₁₅ stages and the deep sea δ ¹⁸O from stage 55 to stage 39. The coldest period of this section was the period from the 11 th stratum to the 9th stratum deposited, but not the one of which ice-wedge was formed.The west cave and Loc.9 recorded the climatic changes of Zhoukoudian during late Early Pleistocene. The mammal fossils and deposits in the west cave showed that the climate was extraordinary drier and the temperature was approximately or slightly higher than nowadays in Zhoukoudian. The mammal fossils of Loc.9 in Zhoukoudian reflected climatic characteristic of burning hot.