Coupled temperature variations in the Huguangyan Maar Lake between high and low latitude

Model simulations and proxy-based reconstructions of the global temperature evolution from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present show significant discrepancies. To resolve this discrepancy is critical for understanding how climate evolves and also for evaluating current global warming. Here we report a branched GDGTs-based mean annual air temperature (MAAT) reconstruction from the sediments of Huguangyan Maar Lake in southeast China and validate it using historical documentary evidence and instrumental data. The reconstructed MAAT indicates distinct changes during the last deglaciation (Oldest Dryas, Bølling-Allerød, Younger Dryas). During the Holocene, temperatures gradually increased from the end of the Younger Dryas to ∼7.0 cal ka BP, followed by a stepped decrease until present. This terrestrial temperature record differs with model simulations and proxy sea surface temperature records of the Holocene, suggesting that our study reveals a regional climate pattern that was not adequately documented in previous research.