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Although the ideology of pro-work conservatism prevails in East Asia, scholars have largely overlooked its discursive construction in media communication from a linguistic perspective. This paper examines the discursive construction of pro-work conservatism in 3,000 Weibo posts with the most "likes" in response to China's implementation of the three-child policy. Using the sociosemantic approach as an analytic framework, the paper finds that three dominant themes underpin the discourse of pro-work conservatism: women's sacrifice in the labour market, the high cost of raising children, and gender-essentialist norms. This discourse is articulated in the posts via a number of discursive strategies, including authorization, morality, and rationalisation. This paper sheds light on the influence of the one-child policy and the awakening of feminist consciousness in the new era and highlights the implications of language use in shaping gender-role ideologies to influence public perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China played an irreplaceable role in population migrations and cultural exchanges in East Asia during the Paleolithic. This paper collected 182 archaeological sites to analyse the characteristics of spatial-temporal variations of Paleolithic human activities in Northeast China, and explored the driving mechanisms behind these variations in combination with the paleoenvironmental and archaeological studies. During the Lower Paleolithic, constrained by the relatively cold-dry climate and blocked by the Songnen paleo-lake basin, the population was sparse and distributed only near 40° N at the southern end of Northeast China. Upon entering the Middle Paleolithic, as humans developed greater tolerance to cold climates and adopted more sophisticated survival strategies with the application of small lithic tools, their numbers increased and geographical distribution expanded northward to 45° N at the central region of Northeast China. The Upper Paleolithic saw a considerable increase in population and expansion across almost all of Northeast China except for the eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. We speculated that 50 ka and 30 ka BP were two key points, both of which may be associated with a significant increase in the frequency of migrations and communications among humans, and the widespread popularity of highly mobile microblade technology, respectively. In addition, the environmental analysis of archaeological sites revealed a continuous spread of Paleolithic humans to areas with higher elevations, steeper slopes, and lower temperatures. Meanwhile, they were becoming less reliant on water resources and were more widely conducting activities in open-air areas, showing that the environmental adaptability had been continuously improving over time. This study can provide a reference for the reconstruction of the migration history of early humans in East Asia, and is also of great significance for a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary process of early human-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entertainment industry is driven to sell certain commodities transnationally, particularly in a world where borders are becoming increasingly diffused through the access afforded by the Internet. Media content is easily consumed, making cultural exporting fast and easy. Similar tropes and plot have been replicated in the East Asian film and TV industry, perhaps in hopes of replicating the success. This paper looks at the manufacture of ideal masculinities within East Asia, particularly China. From ex-members of K-pop group EXO to the successful TV series, cross-influence of East Asian popular culture is prominent. Through this paper, I look at the influence of K-dramas on the Chinese TV industry and particularly the manufacturing of a militarized masculinity on Chinese TV. Far from portraying brute and fearsome soldiers, ideal masculinity on TV is portrayed as "steely exterior but gentle internally" and thus desirable romantic partners to heterosexual women. By exploring the basic conception of Chinese masculinity, I then discuss representations of militarized masculinity on the silver screen (Wolf Warrior II) and C-dramas, with particular focus on the series, You Are My Hero (2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multiple observational and reanalysis data, this paper investigates the impact of the interdecadal shift in summer Arctic Oscillation (AO) on precipitation in East Asia, by removing ENSO influences. The results indicate that the lower-layer activity center of summer AO in Atlantic shifted eastward after the mid-1980s. This regime shift of summer AO has a significant impact on precipitation in East Asia. Before the mid-1980s, the key regions in which precipitation was affected by AO in East Asia were northern East Asia and Northeastern China and adjacent regions. After the mid-1980s, the key regions in which precipitation was affected by AO in East Asia were central Inner Mongolia and Southern China. The mechanism of precipitation changes can be attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation and water vapor transport related to AO changes. After the mid-1980s, the influence of AO on geopotential height over northern East Asia weakened; meanwhile, the impact of AO on geopotential height over China increased. Consistent with the changes in atmospheric circulation, water vapor transport in East Asia also underwent interdecadal changes before and after the mid-1980s. The differences in atmospheric circulation and water vapor transport in East Asia can be traced back to the North Atlantic. Before the mid-1980s, wave activity flux related to summer AO tended to propagate in high latitudes and subtropics; after the mid-1980s, the wave activity flux changed in its subtropical path and propagated eastward from the North Atlantic through the Middle East to China, significantly affecting the summer precipitation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many types of atmospheric heat engines in land-air systems. The accurate definition, calculation and interpretation of the efficiency of atmospheric heat engines are key to understanding energy transfer and transformation of land-air systems. The atmosphere over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) in summer can be regarded as a positive heat engine. The study of the heat engine efficiency is helpful to better understand land-air interaction and thermal-dynamic processes on the QTP. It also provides a new perspective to explain the impact of the QTP on the climate of China, East Asia and even the world. In this paper, we used MOD08 and ERA5 reanalysis data to calculate the atmospheric heat engine efficiency, surface heat source and atmospheric heat source on the QTP in summer (May to September) from 2000 to 2020. The average atmospheric heat engine efficiency on the QTP in summer from 2000 to 2020 varies between 1.2% and 1.5%, which is less than 1.6%; the heat engine efficiency in summer is higher than that in June, July and August; the Qaidam Basin is the region with the highest atmospheric heat engine efficiency, followed by the western QTP. The mean surface heat source on the QTP in summer from 2000 to 2020 is 96.0 W m−2, the atmospheric heat source is 90.7 W m−2, and the release of precipitation condensation latent heat is the most important component of the atmospheric heat source on the QTP in summer. There is a strong and significant positive correlation between the atmospheric heat engine efficiency and the surface heat source on the QTP in summer. The precipitation con densation latent heat is the most important component of the atmospheric heat source in summer and can reflect the precipitation process. There is a strong and significant negative correlation between the atmospheric heat engine efficiency and the atmo spheric heat source on the QTP in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observed variations in intense geomagnetic flux lobes have a significant impact on regional geomagnetic fields, and produce unique geomagnetic characteristics. To investigate the time‐dependent effect of the Siberian flux lobe on the geomagnetic field in East Asia, we reconstructed a stacked full‐vector paleomagnetic secular variation record (since 2000 BCE) from three sediment cores collected in the Bohai Sea, China. Age models of the studied cores were established through a combination of radiocarbon 14C dating and inter‐profile correlation of mass‐normalized magnetic susceptibility. Rock magnetic results indicate that fine‐grained magnetite is the primary remanent carrier. We found that the paleomagnetic field records in the Bohai Sea correspond more closely with those from the middle latitudes, rather than the low latitudes. This was primarily attributed to the variation of the Siberian flux lobe. This study provides a better understanding of the contrasting patterns of regional geomagnetic fields in East Asia, and emphasizes the significant role played by the Siberian flux intensity lobe in shaping their formation. Plain Language Summary: The Earth's magnetic field is in a constant state of flux, both temporally and spatially, and plays a crucial role in protecting our planet from solar wind and cosmic rays. The long‐term variation of the Earth's magnetic field is closely linked with the magnetic flux patch situated at the core‐mantle boundary. However, our understanding of the evolution of magnetic flux patches has been limited by the use of short‐term instrumental data and discrete archeomagnetic data. In this paper, we reconstruct a ∼4,000‐year high‐resolution full‐vector paleomagnetic record from sediments in the Bohai Sea, China. Our findings reveal a clear contrast in the paleomagnetic variations between the middle and low latitudes of East Asia. We proposed that the Siberian flux intensity lobe likely played an important role in the observed paleomagnetic behavior discrepancy between the low‐ and mid‐latitudes of East Asia. Key Points: A multi‐decadal resolution paleomagnetic record spanning approximately 4,000 years has been derived from sediments in the Bohai Sea, ChinaThe paleomagnetic behavior differs between middle and low latitudes across East Asia, indicating the variation of the Siberian flux lobeThe disparity in inclination between the Chinese and Levantine spikes implies that these spikes arise from separate magnetic flux patches [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, e-commerce allows consumers access to a wide range of products on the global market, quick and convenient selection, purchase, ordering, and payment of products. Consumers expect to receive the products they bought online, very quickly, at favorable prices and delivery conditions. However, it is often not possible, because global supply chains are realized over large geographical distances, with a whole range of disruptions and challenges that need to be successfully overcome. With the aim of efficiently delivering products and meeting consumer expectations, retailers often leave this job to specialized and resilient logistics companies better known as fourth-party logistics (4PL) providers. On this occasion, it is necessary to conduct a very thorough evaluation of the logistics provider based on appropriate scientific approaches and models. In this paper, a new hybrid approach for the evaluation of resilient 4PLs was proposed, with the aim of providing appropriate support for the decision-making system on product delivery in e-commerce. The hybrid approach is based on the fuzzy full consistency method (FUCOM), evidence theory (ET), rule-based transformation (RBT), and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) methods. The proposed model was tested and applied to an example of an online retailer, which sells and delivers products originating from China and the countries of the Far East to the market of the Western Balkans and Southeastern Europe. Five 4PL providers were evaluated and ranked according to 10 criteria. According to the results, the most important criterion was IT capabilities, while the least important was cooperation. Additionally, sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine whether the final ranking will change. The obtained results showed that the proposed methodology represents a valuable decision support tool that can be used for solving not only the problem described in this paper but also similar problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-2000s, the Russian Far East (RFE) has seen a revival of agriculture accompanied by rapid agrarian transformation that has taken a unique form because of the area's proximity to China. However, the existing literature either does not recognize Chinese presence or only studies it in terms of capitalist relationships transplanted directly from China and isolated from local realities. This paper seeks to remedy this oversight by exploring the influence of the multifaceted Chinese presence on RFE agriculture. We use the concept of social topology to demonstrate how different forms of economic life have not evolved as "Russian" or "Chinese," but instead present a bundle of capitalist and non-capitalist relationships that are continuously changing and rewriting themselves. We also explain the observed effect of China's simultaneous presence and absence in RFE's agriculture: Chinese agricultural practices are tightly embedded in local social networks and are loosely tethered to local infrastructure, but the Chinese presence also manifests in perceptions and imaginaries that influence and determine the strategies of the Russian state, agroholdings, and Russian farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, production in China’s television sector have reshaped media cultures across the country as well as the geocultural region of East Asia. Through analysis of licensed reality television programs such as China’s Got Talent, this paper examines transnational television formats and their circulation and replication in contemporary China, challenging the traditional concept that television format trade falls within a West-Rest narrative. While highlighting the cultural and media phenomena of interactive ‘glocalization’ of cultural products, this paper calls for de-westernization in approaching Chinese and East Asian media studies. It does so by pointing out unique imitating and adaptive practices of Chinese unscripted television programs, which serve as case studies to the existing literature of television business and cultures. The practice of licensing formats provides a unique perspective into analyzing China’s media strategies in a globalized industry and reviewing the current scholarship on media globalization. With a comparative analysis, the paper attempts to reconceptualize the spatiality of East Asian media production and consumption. I also include my observations while working on the production teams for these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early summer 2020, eastern China was hit by record-breaking Meiyu rainfall. The anomalous western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) played a crucial role in this event. This paper exposes the abnormal features of the WPSH and its related vertical circulations and reveals its dynamical causes in this period, from the perspective of the three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation (3P-DGAC). Analyzing the anomalous spatial patterns of the three stream functions R, H, and W of the horizontal, meridional, and zonal circulations defined by the 3P-DGAC, we discovered that the WPSH described by R at 850 hPa was intensified and westward from the horizontal circulation. For the vertical circulations, the local meridional circulation along East Asia expressed by H manifested an abnormal downdraft at 20° N, which was beneficial to strengthening the WPSH. The zonal circulation in the tropical Pacific represented by W was anomalously far to the west, which was related to the westward extension of the WPSH. Then, to uncover the causes of the anomalous WPSH from the dynamics, we used the vorticity equation based on the 3P-DGAC and found that the negative relative vorticity advection anomaly over the western Pacific played a key role in this event. Due to the positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly and enhanced convection over the Maritime Continent (MC), local vertical circulations at low latitudes were significantly activated. The intense local meridional circulation along East Asia carried the relative vorticity from the MC to the western Pacific and strengthened the WPSH. The ascending branch of the zonal circulation in the tropical Pacific moved westward, which may favor the westward extension of the WPSH. This study represents a promising step in revealing the three-dimensional (3D) structure and internal dynamics of anomalous WPSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the thread-legged bug genus Ademula McAtee & Malloch, 1926 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae: Emesini, formerly Ploiariolini) from China, A. callipennis, new species, and A. corniculata, new species, are described and illustrated in the present paper. COI barcodes of these two new species and an updated key to the Oriental species of Ademula are provided. The distribution of Ademula in East and Southeast Asia is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do African migrants become stuck-in-place and experience stuckedness in China? This article interrogates the concepts of stuckedness and social navigation to examine what it means to be 'stuck-in-place' using the stories of four Nigerians—a woman and three men—in Guangzhou City. Two modes of stuckedness were observed: 'truncational stuckedness' and 'identity stuckedness'. While the former resulted from being spatially stuck in Guangzhou on their way to South Korea and Hong Kong, the latter was a product of identity appropriation, where a migrant uses the passport of another country. Despite the constraint of stuckedness and the precarity that those without valid immigration papers faced, migrants managed to reinterpret their situations and stayed put while being opened to emplacement in Guangzhou—albeit a transitory kind. In calibrating their practice of 'moving on' in Guangzhou, however, economic integration, the local and transnational networks of migrants, hope, prolonging one's stay and management of micro-mobilities of the everyday were deployed singly or in combination with one another. The article advances debates in China-African relations and Afro-mobilities in East Asia while also contributing to discourses on migrant trajectories, stuckedness, and mobilities studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian developmentalism is often depicted as a derivative ideology with its origins in the diffusion of Western thought to the region, first to Japan after the 1868 Meiji Restoration and then to the rest of the region in the twentieth century following the Japanese example. Recent scholarship has challenged that perspective by highlighting important endogenous roots of the developmentalist ideology of Meiji Japan. This paper shows that Chinese developmentalism also has deep local origins in China's own intellectual history that long predated the importation of Western (and Japanese) political economy to the country in the early twentieth century. It also demonstrates that locally-originated Chinese developmentalist ideology diffused beyond China's borders in ways that influenced the emergence of 'developmental mindsets' elsewhere in the East Asia region in the nineteenth century, including in Meiji Japan. Rather than being a laggard in the regional embrace of developmentalist ideology diffusing from the West, China was a key source and exporter of this ideology to the region. For these reasons, Chinese thinkers deserve a more prominent place in histories of the origins of East Asian developmentalism, and of developmentalist thought in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For forty years, the East Asian regional order has delivered widespread peace and prosperity. That order faces possible upending by an economically and militarily more powerful China and a decreasingly robust and engaged United States. While accepting the possibility that such structural shifts could upend the regional order, this paper contends that three powerful counterweights are working to counter disruptive conflicts and to foster peaceful change, namely strong and rising economic interdependence, expanding institutionalization, and active preservation efforts by number of other Asian states, particularly the region's middle powers. This article analyzes the contribution of these three forces to creating the existing order and to their roles in its continuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is located in the southeast of the Eurasian Plate and is subject to the effects of subducting, squeezing and collision by the Pacific Plate, Philippine Plate and Indian Ocean Plate. It has exceptional geotectonic structure. Based on the satellite gravity data with high precision, high resolution and ample geophysical information, combined with geological data, by using satellite gravity potential field and its full tensor gradient, this paper studies the distribution characteristics of gravity anomalies and the identification of tectonic boundaries in East Asia. Results suggest that the Bouguer gravity anomaly in eastern China reduces gradually from east to west, mostly in the direction of NNE; in the western, it reduces gradually in a wave mode from north to south, mainly in the directions of NW and NWW. In general, the stress field reduces gradually from west to east, and the tectonic of stress field in western China is complex. The change in eastern China is relatively simple. In addition to the above study results, we update the extension route of Red River fault zone and deduce the tectonic unit boundary between the North China and South China active tectonic block regions. This paper identifies in East Asia 6 primary active tectonic blocks, 22 secondary active tectonic blocks, 7 tertiary active tectonic blocks, and the 20 active tectonic block boundary zones. The results of this study can improve the understanding of gravity anomalies and boundary structures in China and surrounding regions, and provide certain geophysical supports for geological structure analysis and crustal dynamic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early summer (June) of 2022, the spatial mean precipitation in northeast China (NEC) was 62% higher than normal and broke the historical record since 1951. Based on the precipitation data of 245 meteorological stations in NEC and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis, this paper analyzes the role of large-scale circulation and sea-surface temperature (SST) associated with anomalous precipitation over NEC in June using singular value decomposition (SVD), correlation analysis, regression analysis, and composite analysis methods, and further investigates the possible cause of the abnormal precipitation in June 2022. Results show that the northeast China cold vortex (NCCV) accompanying the blocking high in the Okhotsk Sea (BHOS) has been the primary mid-to-high latitude atmospheric circulation pattern affecting NEC precipitation in June since 2001. This circulation pattern is closely related to the tripole SST pattern over the North Atlantic (NAT) in March. In June 2022, the NAT SST anomaly in March stimulates eastward-propagating wave energy, resulting in the downstream anomalous circulation pattern in which the NCCV cooperates with the BHOS in the mid-high latitudes of East Asia. Under this background atmospheric circulation favorable for precipitation, the Kuroshio region SST anomaly in June led to a more northward and stronger anomalous anticyclone in the northwestern Pacific through local air–sea interaction, which provides more sufficient water vapor for NEC, resulting in unprecedented precipitation in June 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the formation of networked ceramic factories before the mid-eighteenth century in early modern China. Enquiring into the role of the state and private entrepreneurs in production innovation and design, it explores the notion of a 'factory'. In the context of large scale traditional production in East Asia, I periodize the evolving organizational structure of China's model of ceramic production and discuss two aspects of the state's negotiation with regional commercial kilns: 1) the impact on kiln structures and the exploitation of raw materials such as porcelain stones and colour pigment, and 2) an early modern design system which simultaneously regulated aesthetic forms, technological experiments, and fiscal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese monk Yixing 一行 (673–727) is unique in being an early architect of the Mantrayāna tradition (Esoteric Buddhism) in East Asia in addition to featuring as a significant individual within the history of astronomy and calendrical science in China. His legacy in the Buddhist world is well known, but the enduring appreciation of his scientific work in later centuries is less understood. The present paper will document the achievements of Yixing's work in astronomy while also discussing the perception and appreciation of his work in subsequent centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qiu Jun of Ming China, with the aim of "rendering the Zhuzi jiali both accessible and practicable for ordinary folks," compiled the Jiali yijie. Among the annotations of Jiali in the Ming dynasty, Jiali yijie gained the widest popularity and greatest influence, and was regarded as a new classic, on par with the Jiali itself. In the 16th century, Jiali yijie was also introduced to Joseon Korea, where it was regarded as "an important supplement to the Zhuzi jiali" by Korean scholars, attaining a high level of popularity. This paper draws on 23 versions of the Jiali yijie from the Ming dynasty and 33 from the Qing. Historically, the Jiali yijie was introduced to the Joseon dynasty from China by Kim Anguk in 1518. Through the comparison of these four Joseon print versions and their Chinese counterparts, we are led to the conclusion that it was the Yingtian prefecture's print, dated the twelfth year of the Zhengde Era, that Kim Anguk brought back to Joseon from Ming China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discriminating the provenance of fine-grained sediments is crucial for reconstructing paleogeography, sedimentary processes, and paleoclimate. In this paper, we investigate the South Bohai Coast to better understand source-to-sink systems in East Asia. This region is influenced by both distant sources such as the large-scale Yellow River and small local river sources flowing from the Luzhong Mountain area. Two Holocene sedimentary cores, dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C chronology, were used to investigate the provenance of the fine-grained sediments over the last 7 kyrs. Clay mineralogy and relevant non-linear modeling were employed for provenance discrimination. The results show that the fine-grained sediments along the South Bohai Coast were mainly derived from the Yellow River during the periods of 7.0–5.4 ka and 4.5–2.6 ka, respectively, while the input from the Luzhong Mountain-derived rivers was greater during 5.4–4.5 ka and 2.6–0.2 ka, respectively. Fluvial activities and marine-terrestrial interaction driven by climate factors such as East Asian winter monsoon, temperature, and precipitation in river basins, dominantly influenced the provenance of fine-grained sediments from 7.0 to 2.6 ka. Anthropogenic impact on provenance increased after 2.6 ka. The chronology of the two cores showed extremely rapid sedimentation rate transitions at 5.2 ka and 1.5 ka, respectively, very likely attributed to anthropogenic-induced rapid progradation. Our study provides a model for better understanding the paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic evolution of a coastal area where multiple sources exist. • Anthropogenically high sedimentation rate in the South Bohai Coast in late Holocene. • Provenance discrimination of the fine-grained sediments in the South Bohai Coast since the mid-Holocene. • The major source of the fine-grained sediments in the South Bohai Coast changed episodically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a cyprinid species, widely living in the freshwater on the plain area of East Asia. The fish has characteristic comb-like pharyngeal teeth, an adaptation to their typical vegetarian feeding habit. This paper deals with fossil pharyngeal teeth that related to grass carp, found from about 20 localities, ranging from the lower Oligocene to Holocene. Based on the morphology of the teeth, we established two new genera and species related to the genus Ctenopharyngodon (Dezaoia saintjaquensis, Eoctenopharyngodon liui) and two new species of Ctenopharyngodon (C. xiejiaensis and C. orientalis). The first recognized C. idella pharyngeal teeth were from the lower Pliocene of Yushe, Shanxi, and many others from 11 Pleistocene to Holocene localities. Judged from the materials and their occurrences, the grass carp may have originated from the western part of China during the early Oligocene. Throughout the Miocene, the grass-carp-like pharyngeal teeth were discovered from a vast area in China, indicating an appropriate atmosphere for the grass carp to develop, although the climate in the western part of China was possibly drier than that in the eastern part. From the beginning of the Pliocene, as the consequence of a considerable uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the large rivers in East Asia finally formed, created favorable conditions for the Recent grass carp to thrive. Most teeth were collected in association with fossil mammals. Therefore, we are using the associated fossil mammals as the checking reference against which to test our interpretation of the surrounding environment of the water system in which the grass carp lived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zooarchaeological research on the early Bronze Age in the Central Plain of North China has been focused mainly on two periods: the Erlitou culture (ca. 1900–1500 BC) and the late Shang Dynasty (ca. 1250–1046 BC). In this paper, our research on the animal bone assemblage from the Wangjinglou site, a walled city of the Erligang culture (ca. 1600–1400 BC), allows us to explore the use of animal resources and husbandry specializations during the time period between Erlitou and the late Shang. Domesticated animals, especially pigs and cattle, were dominant species in the faunal assemblage, while wild animals, mainly deer, were small in number. Moreover, the percentages of cattle and sheep were higher in prosperous phases at Wangjinglou and lower in the later phase during the site's decline. Analysis of the estimated death ages for various taxa suggests that pigs were raised for meat consumption, while sheep were used for secondary products. This research on Wangjinglou shows the varied nature of the animal economy at an early Bronze Age City in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, stable isotope (δ 13C, δ 18O) analyses of five equid species from the Linxia Basin, northwestern China, were conducted to investigate dietary niche turnover during a critical Pliocene-Pleistocene phase in the evolution of Old World Equidae. In the Early Pliocene Shilidun fauna, Proboscidipparion pater is inferred to have mainly fed on C 3 grasses in open grasslands as indicated by their relatively high δ 13C values (−9.1 ± 0.4‰, five teeth, n = 61), whereas Cremohipparion licenti and Sivalhippus platyodus were possibly mixed feeders inhabiting woodlands and grasslands because of their comparatively low δ 13C values (−10.8 ± 0.6‰, seven teeth, n = 36; −10.6 ± 0.6‰, nine teeth, n = 35). Inhabiting the same environments, both C. licenti and S. platyodus went extinct, possibly, because climatic changes led to a decline in woodlands resulting in greater competition. In the Early Pleistocene Longdan fauna, Proboscidipparion sinense had higher δ 13C values (−9.1 ± 0.5‰, four teeth, n = 23) than coexisting Equus eisenmannae (−10.2 ± 0.5‰, eight teeth, n = 57), implying that P. sinense had a stronger grazing preference compared to E. eisenmannae. Ecomorphological analyses (body size, tooth crown height, and enamel surface complexity) reveal that P. pater and P. sinense had dental characteristics consistent with a strong grazing preference. Therefore, P. pater might have been preadapted to open grasslands during the warm and humid Early Pliocene, which helped its descendent P. sinense persist into the Pleistocene. The results of this study reveal distinct dietary niches for these equids for the first time and shed light on some aspects of the evolutionary history of Equidae in East Asia. • Dietary niche partitioning of five fossil equids were reconstructed through stable isotopes in East Asia for the first time. • Preadaption to open grasslands of Proboscidipparion pater during the Pliocene helped this genus persist into Pleistocene. • Cremohipparion licenti and Sivalhippus platyodus went extinct due to interspecific competition on habitats in Pliocene. • Early Pleistocene hipparion Proboscidipparion sinense occupied more open environments than coexisting Equus eisenmannae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on monthly rainfall station data from the National Climate Prediction Center of China Meteorological Administration, reanalysis monthly data from NCEP/NCAR including the monthly mean and long-term mean values for geopotential height, winds of multi-levels, NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) monthly Sea Surface Temperature (ERSSTV5), the causes of anomalous excessive precipitation in 2021/2022 winter over South China (SC) are investigated by Liang-Kleeman information flow, composite and wave flux methods. The results show that the winter precipitation over SC in 2021/2022 DJF is far more than normal, and the associated circulation patterns are obviously different from those induced by traditional La Niña, especially in the Atlantic and East Asia areas south to Lake Baikal. In 2021/2022 DJF, the Tibet Plateau (TP) exists anomalous cyclone with strong ascending motion, which directly affects the circulation patterns in Eastern China and thus the precipitation in SC. It is a significant causal relationship for the earlier season velocity potential at 850 hPa (related to the anomalous SST) over the tropical Atlantic to later DJF anomalous vertical motions over TP. Especially when the anomalies in tropical Atlantic leads one month before, the relationship is closest. The anomalies of the tropical Atlantic can stimulate the Rossby wave train which propagates downstream, corresponding to the abnormal cyclonic circulation over TP. In the early autumn to winter of 2021/2022, the 850 hPa potential velocity anomalies in the tropical Atlantic were significant with positive phase. The Rossby wave train excited by the potential velocity anomalies and then propagated along the great circle path and global jet stream (GJT) over South Asia (SA), formed an anomalous cyclonic with ascending motion over TP and lead more precipitation over SC in winter of 2021/2022. Winter rainfall, usually accompanying with lower temperature, will bring severely bad influence on traffic, power supply, communication, agriculture and people's lives. The results of this paper can provide a reference for further understanding the causes and mechanism of DJF rainfall over SC. • The winter precipitation over SC in 2021/2022 DJF is extremely more than normal, and the associated circulation patterns are obviously different from those induced by La Niña, especially in the Atlantic and East Asia areas south to Lake Baikal. • Strong ascending motion over TP(Tibet Plateau) affects the circulation patterns directly in eastern China and lead to the excessive precipitation in SC during 2021/2022 DJF. • The anomalies over the tropical Atlantic can stimulate the Rossby wave train and propagate downstream, and the Rossby wave trains allow energy to propagate to TP area with wave flux convergent, contributing certainly to the anomaly cyclone circulation there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding coastal flooding processes in response to centennial-scale sea-level rise is essential in preparing for the challenge of present-day global warming. Mid-Holocene sea-level rise induced widespread coastal flooding along the East China coast and precipitated the collapse of the Neolithic Liangzhu Culture, the earliest known prehistoric state in East Asia. This paper presents multi-proxy analyses of sedimentology, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), and alkaline-earth metals extracted by acetic acid (HAc) of a dated sediment core, ZK07, collected from Liangzhu City, with the aim of revealing the detailed progression of coastal flooding phases and the response of prehistoric people at the end of the associated Liangzhu Culture. A three-step succession of coastal flooding processes between ca. 4.6–4.3 cal kyr BP, brought about by relative sea-level rise, is evident in core ZK07. Initially, an increase in the local water level in response to the first phase of sea-level rise is indicated by a gradual increase in TOC at ca. 4630 cal yr BP. Subsequently, at ca. 4520 cal yr BP, a second phase of increased local water-level, consistent with further sea-level rise and salinity intrusion, is suggested by higher Sr concentrations accompanied by a sharp increase in TOC. Thirdly, at ca. 4480–4315 cal yr BP, low TOC content, high - but strongly fluctuating - Sr and Ba concentrations and coarser sediment grain size are all indicative of coastal inundation caused by both storm surges and river flooding associated with typhoon events that correspond with a concurrent phase of accelerated sea-level rise. Considering the evidence of cultural deposits preserved at Liangzhu City, it appears that the Liangzhu people were forced to respond rapidly to the inundation by abandoning the city at ca. 4480 cal yr BP. We suggest that relative sea-level rise and coastal flooding at the terminal stage of the Liangzhu Culture was the regional response to global climate warming and eustatic sea-level rise at that time. Given evidence that a contemporaneous cultural transition took place in the lower Yellow River basin, we further propose that global climate change around 4.5 cal kyr BP had a widespread impact on Neolithic cultural evolution in East China. Furthermore, the rise in local water levels and associated salinity intrusions may be considered as an early warning signal in monitoring future coastal flooding risk. • A three-step succession of coastal flooding was recognized at the end of Liangzhu Culture. • Rise in local water level and salinity intrusion could be early warning of coastal flooding. • Global climate warming and eustatic sea-level rise at ca. 4.5 ka was the major mechanism. • Contrasting Neolithic cultural evolution occurred in the lower reaches of two large rivers in East China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asia is exceptionally rich in diverse geological phenomena related to processes of major global significance in Earth history. Its tectonic evolution is closely related to the subduction of the Izanagi and Pacific plates and the India-Eurasia collision. Thus, this domain presents a vast natural laboratory within which some of the most topical and fundamental problems in Pacific-Asian Tectonics can be addressed. Recent breakthroughs in understanding the tectonic evolution of East Asia have been achieved, involving intraplate deformation, plate fragmentation, plate boundary processes, orogenic collapse, and craton destruction. These advances have been achieved via multidisciplinary work including structural geology, basin research, land and marine geophysics, thermochronology, numerical modeling, geochemistry and classical field geology. In the current context of research in East Asia the time is ripe for a thematic volume of review papers. This special issue is focused on the theme "Pacific-Asian Tectonics". It describes interdisciplinary methods adopted to study Meso-Cenozoic basin-forming mechanisms and evolutionary processes, unravels the timing and characteristics of major intraplate deformation, depicts the spatial-temporal distribution of Meso-Cenozoic igneous rocks, discusses the deep lithospheric structures overlying the subducting oceanic plates, and probes the natures and fates of subduction or collision processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are one of the most significant carbon reservoirs in the terrestrial ecosystem. Understanding past peatland carbon accumulation processes and their responses to varying external and internal forcing factors would help reveal the general development patterns of peatland ecosystems and provide useful insights into projecting the fate of carbon reservoirs into the future. In this paper, the basal ages of 17 peat cores were used to explore the lateral expansion processes of the Laolike peatland, northeast China. Two cores were selected to calculate carbon accumulation rates (CAR) and reconstruct moisture/precipitation records based on δ13C and grain size analyses. The basal ages show that the peatland was initiated at 12.1 cal kyr BP, then laterally expanded with its fastest rate occurring during the early Holocene, and reached its largest area around 6 cal kyr BP. The time-weighted mean CAR in the Laolike peatland ranged from 31.1 to 52.9 g C/m2/yr (with an average of 42 g C/m2/yr) during the Holocene. The peatland experienced a high CAR of 52.5 g C/m2/yr from 11.7 to 5 cal kyr BP, followed by a low CAR of 35.1 g C/m2/yr after 5 cal kyr BP. Both lateral expansion and vertical accretion are consistent with the summer insolation, climate seasonality, and the strength of the East Asia summer monsoon (EASM) over multi-millennium timescales, where the CAR correlated well with δ13C and grain size, implying moisture/precipitation might be the primary factors controlling carbon accumulation over millennium timescales. Local conditions, such as topography and hydrology, also played an important role in the process of peatland initiation and lateral expansion, as well as the discrepant CAR within the peatland. This study reveals the roles of climate and local conditions in peatland initiation, expansion, and CAR during the Holocene. In addition, we provide a window for a better understanding of the driving factors of peatland development in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. • Climate conditions are the primary control on the lateral expansion and vertical accretion of Laolike peatland over multi-millennium timescales. • Moisture/precipitation affects carbon accumulation of Laolike peatland over millennium timescales. • Local conditions play an important role in the lateral expansion and the internal differences of carbon accumulation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yue et al. (2021) have proposed a model of two Upper Palaeolithic industries in Northeast China called the "Initial Microblade Industry" and the "Northern Microblade Industry", with the latter originating from the former, and its spread to the neighbouring regions of Northeast Asia. We have found several inconsistencies in their factual data and methodology, and therefore the conclusions reached by Yue et al. (2021) cannot be accepted at face value. Using the most reliable evidence, the oldest true microblade assemblages are known from the Korean Peninsula. We suggest that this region is the more probable centre of diffusion of microblade technology in mainland Northeast Asia, including China and the Russian Far East. • Yue et al. (2021) published paper on microblades in Northeast China. • They have several inconsistencies in factual data and methodology. • We address the most debatable issues related to Yue et al. (2021). • The earliest true microblades originated in Korea and not in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]