In the current study, cryoconite samples were collected from six glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau to analyze n-alkanes and n-alkenes. The findings revealed that the concentrations of n-alkanes and n-alkenes varied from 40.1 to 496.1 mu g g(-1) and from 4.6 to 13.8 mu g g(-1), respectively. The carbon preference index of the long-chain n-alkanes ranged from 3.3 to 8.4, and the average chain length ranged from 28.7 to 29.3. Moreover, the delta C-13 of the n-alkanes in cryoconites were within the range of C-3 plants, demonstrating that the n-alkanes in cryoconites were only derived from vascular plants. However, the delta D-mean were more negative than that of C-3 plants, which could be caused by dry and humid conditions of glaciers. Unlike n-alkanes, n-alkenes ranged from C-17:1 to C-30:1 and showed a weak even-over-odd carbon number preference in the Dongkemadi, Yuzhufeng, Laohugou and Tianshan glacier, but a weak odd carbon preference in the Qiyi glacier. The n-alkenes in the YL Snow Mountains showed an obvious odd-over-even carbon number predominance from C-17:1 to C-22:1 with C-max at C-19:1, and the even-over-odd carbon number preference from C-23:1 to C-30:1 with C-max at C-28:1. This demonstrated that the n-alkenes of cryoconites may be mainly derived from in situ production in glaciers.

The influence of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and mid-latitude westerlies on the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the Holocene, particularly during the mid-Holocene, is still unclear, limiting our understanding of past climate change in this region. Cuona Lake, located on the central TP, is a transitional zone of atmospheric circulation that is well situated for investigations on the interplay between the ISM and mid-latitude westerlies. In this study, multiple proxies of lacustrine sediments from Cuona Lake were measured, including total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), delta C-13(org), n-alkanes, and their hydrogen isotopes, to reconstruct the evolution of climate on the central TP over the past 13 cal kyr BP. Decreased TOC/TN ratios, dominant short-chain n-alkanes/alkanoic acid C-15/16/17, and lower values of n-alkane indicator ratios (carbon preference index and average chain length) throughout the investigated period suggest that the organic matter of the lake essentially originated from aquatic algae, and was weakly affected by terrestrial input. The historic variations in the delta D, TOC, and delta C-13(org) values revealed cold-wet conditions during 12.4-11.4 cal kyr BP, warm-wettest environments during the early Holocene (from 11.4 to 8.2 cal kyr BP), cool-wet conditions in the mid-late Holocene (from 5 to 3 cal kyr BP), and warm-dry conditions since 3 cal kyr BP. The reconstructed climatic variability in the Cuona area agrees well with previous indexes in south-central TP, indicating that the climatic pattern of the studied area is basically controlled by the monsoonal circulation from the late part of the last deglaciation to the early Holocene, with the ISM reaching the north-central TP at similar to 11 cal kyr BP. During the mid-late Holocene, the humid conditions coincided with an enhanced influence of westerlies, providing strong evidence for the contribution of westerlies-delivered moisture to the central TP. Based on a comparison of paleoclimate records, the Cuona region displays a transitional phase between monsoon circulation and westerly jets during the Holocene.