Climate and Topographic Controls on Paleo-Drainage Network Evolution in Semi-Arid Eastern Mongolia
Keywords:
Paleo-drainage , Quantitative geomorphology, Morphometric analysis, Fluvial system change, River basinAbstract
This study reconstructs paleo-drainage basins in Eastern Mongolia using Digital Elevation Models -based geomorphological analysis and compares their morphometric and environmental characteristics with those of modern river basins. Two major paleo-drainage systems were identified, originating from the Greater Khingan Mountains, Nukht Davaa, and the Dariganga Volcanic Plateau, and forming extensive networks of shallow valleys and interconnected lacustrine basins. Morphometric analysis indicates that these paleo-basins exhibit lower slopes, reduced local relief, and more planar surfaces than active basins, suggesting reduced hydrological efficiency and potentially limited capacity to sustain perennial flow under present climatic conditions. Environmental indicators, including precipitation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Land Surface Temperature, and Evapotranspiration, show that paleo-basins are largely located in low-precipitation, low-relief areas, reinforcing the inference of limited water supply. Comparison with regional paleoclimate records indicates that humid conditions during the mid-late MIS 3 period (~43,800-29,500 cal BP) likely supported more extensive hydrological networks, whereas increasing aridity during MIS 2 and the Holocene contributed to reduced flows and system fragmentation. The results demonstrate that paleo-drainage evolution in semiarid Eastern Mongolia is governed by climate-driven hydrological thresholds interacting with topographic constraints. The findings highlight the importance of non-linear hydrological responses to climatic variability, particularly in low-relief semi-arid systems. This study provides a process-based framework for understanding hydrological disconnection and offers broader implications for paleo-drainage reconstruction across Central and Eastern Asian regions.
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