Beschreibung: The data were collected for a joint detrital zircon and detrital rutile provenance study of the late Neogene aeolian Baode Red Clay, located on the northern part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. The data consist of detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the 4.04–2.64 Ma Baode Red Clay (four samples from the Pliocene Jingle Formation and one sample from the 2.64 Ma Transitional Unit), and detrital rutile trace element geochemistry of the 6.91–2.64 Ma Baode Red Clay (three samples from the Miocene Baode Formation, five samples from the Pliocene Jingle Formation, and one sample from the Transitional Unit) and 14 potential sedimentary source areas in Central-East Asia. The data were collected using Nu Plasma AttoM single collector ICP-MS (Nu Instruments Ltd., Wrexham, UK) connected to an Analyte Excite 193 ArF laser ablation system (Photon Machines, San Diego, USA) at the Geological Survey of Finland. The rutiles were analysed for Li, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Pb, Th, and U. The grain size fractions of the analysed grains were mostly 30–90 μm for the Red Clay zircons and rutiles, and 20–500 μm for the potential source area rutiles.

Beschreibung: The data consist of detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the 4.04–2.64 Ma Baode Red Clay (four samples from the Pliocene Jingle Formation and one sample from the 2.64 Ma Transitional Unit). The data were collected using Nu Plasma AttoM single collector ICP-MS (Nu Instruments Ltd., Wrexham, UK) connected to an Analyte Excite 193 ArF laser ablation system (Photon Machines, San Diego, USA) at the Geological Survey of Finland.

Beschreibung: The data consist of detrital rutile trace element geochemistry of the 6.91–2.64 Ma Baode Red Clay (three samples from the Miocene Baode Formation, five samples from the Pliocene Jingle Formation, and one sample from the Transitional Unit) and 14 potential sedimentary source areas in Central-East Asia. The data were collected using Nu Plasma AttoM single collector ICP-MS (Nu Instruments Ltd., Wrexham, UK) connected to an Analyte Excite 193 ArF laser ablation system (Photon Machines, San Diego, USA) at the Geological Survey of Finland. The rutiles were analysed for Li, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Pb, Th, and U. The grain size fractions of the analysed grains were mostly 30–90 μm for the Red Clay zircons and rutiles, and 20–500 μm for the potential source area rutiles.

Beschreibung: Pedogenic carbonate carbon isotope data, occluded organic matter carbon isotope data, and bulk magnetic susceptibility data are from the Jiaxian section of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Samples were collected from the field in July, 2017. Between 1 and 16 discrete pedogenic carbonate nodules were collected from 121 different depths over a 58-meter section. Separate bulk loess samples were collected every 10 cm for magnetic susceptibility analyses. 697 individual nodules were drilled and their carbonate δ13C values were measured at the University of Texas Stable Isotope Laboratory. Between 1 and 16 nodules were analyzed for each respective depth. When enough material was available (668 nodules), splits of the samples were acidified and rinsed before being analyzed for the δ13C values of occluded organic matter at the University of Texas Stable Isotope Laboratory. 17 and 109 replicate analyses are also included for carbonate and occluded organic matter, respectively. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were conducted at Nanjing University. Magnetic susceptibility data were used to correlate to previously published age models for the Jiaxian section that were based on paleomagnetic reversals.

Beschreibung: Highlights: • We compare proxy moisture records in Northeast Asia with the results from a transient simulation. • An east–west antiphasing of summer precipitation in Northeast Asia during the Holocene is found. • The East Asian summer monsoon circulation and mid-latitude westerlies caused the zonal precipitation contrast. Abstract: The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is a complex system that brings precipitation to East Asia showing considerable spatiotemporal variations. This study explored the zonal differences of summer precipitation in Northeast Asia at orbital timescales during the Holocene by comparing proxy records with simulation results. At orbital timescales, there was generally an east–west antiphasing of summer precipitation in Northeast Asia during the Holocene. Model–proxy comparison revealed that the driest interval occurred during the late Holocene in western Northeast Asia and during the early to middle Holocene in eastern Northeast Asia. Changes of summer precipitation in western Northeast Asia were mainly influenced by precession-driven EASM circulation. On the one hand, a weaker EASM circulation during the late Holocene weakened water vapor transport from the North Pacific Ocean to Northeast Asia, and on the other hand it was associated with anomalous downward motions in western Northeast Asia. Both factors were in favor of a reduction of summer precipitation in western Northeast Asia during the late Holocene. In contrast, anomalous downward motions prevailed in eastern Northeast Asia during the early to middle Holocene, which were probably related to stronger western Pacific subtropical high and weaker westerlies. The effect of the anomalous downward motions overwhelmed the enhanced water vapor transport, leading to a dry climate in this area from the early to middle Holocene. This study suggests that special care should be taken when discussing the meridional shift of the Holocene climatic optimum in the EASM region due to the zonal precipitation contrast.