Lakes and Palaeolakes in Mongolia and Northwestern China

The Pleistocene lake level and climate development is described by proxies from sediment, pollen and diatom records in Mongolia and Northwest-China. It could be proved that higher lake levels seem to have existed during the old and mid Pleistocene period interpreted on the base of geomorphological and sedimentological reords. They are dated in a relativ time scale. The lake basins are filled up to 300 m by limnic deposits, which foused on a constant water balance of more than 700.000 years. Late Glacial and Holocene lake level fluctuations and climate changes can be proved by biostratigraphic records pointing to dry and wet phases. Only for the youngest history desiccation of some lakes are related to human impact.