Fig. 1: Site location map and field photograph.
From: Global warming-induced Asian hydrological climate transition across the Miocene–Pliocene boundary
a Topographic map of Asia with important geographic landmarks mentioned herein. Dominant winds and mean annual precipitation (mm, 1979 to 2007 average) are shown as arrows and dashed contour lines, respectively. Red and blue stars mark locations that shifted to drier and wetter conditions across the Miocene–Pliocene boundary (MPB), respectively. South and East Asia receive high Asian summer monsoon precipitation. Central Asia is a low precipitation region that is influenced mostly by the Westerlies. b Field photograph (taken by H. Ao) of the Shilou red clay sequence (with horizontal bedding) from the eastern Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP, monsoonal region). The upper sequence (Pliocene) has a more saturated red colour than the lower part (late Miocene), which is consistent with enhanced pedogenesis and increased summer monsoon precipitation across the MPB.
