Dust from interior Asia can be transported to a vast down-wind area by the Westerlies, exerting great influence on global climate and human health. However, the relative roles of natural climatic and anthropogenic processes on dust activity in interior Asia remain ambiguous. Here, we present new climatic records from an accurately dated aeolian sequence in the southern Tarim Basin (TB), an important location along the ancient Silk Road, and a source region for dust emission. In combination with analyses of historical documents within the TB and modern-day metrological data, we found that dust activity in the TB is controlled by climatically-related environmental change in this region after at least 4 ka, expressed by high correlation between dust activity records and newly obtained humidity and temperature proxy records from the same section. This high correlation is further supported by our analysis of modern meteorological data in central Asia. Human activities in this region, modulated by both natural climate-environment change and socio-political reasons, accelerated the process of environment deterioration and increased dust activity, especially after ~2 ka. We subsequently suggest that dust activity in central Asia during the last 4 ka is governed primarily by variations of the intensity and relative position of the Northern Hemisphere Westerly jet, based on records comparison and analysis on modern-day dust storm events. These observations provide important boundary conditions for the accurate prediction and numerical simulation of dust activity.

来自亚洲内陆的尘埃可以被西风带带到广阔的下风区，对全球气候和人类健康产生重大影响。然而，自然气候和人为过程对亚洲内陆尘埃活动的相对作用仍然不明确。在这里，我们提供了来自塔里木盆地南部（TB）的准确年代风成序列的新气候记录，这是古代丝绸之路沿线的重要位置，也是扬尘源区。结合对TB内历史文献和现代计量资料的分析，我们发现TB中的沙尘活动受该地区气候相关环境变化的控制至少在4 ka之后，表现为沙尘活动记录之间的高度相关性并从同一剖面新获得的湿度和温度代理记录。我们对中亚现代气象数据的分析进一步支持了这种高度相关性。该地区的人类活动，受自然气候环境变化和社会政治原因的双重影响，加速了环境恶化的进程，沙尘活动增加，尤其是在~2ka之后。根据对现代沙尘暴事件的记录比较和分析，我们随后提出，过去 4 ka 中亚的沙尘活动主要受北半球西风急流的强度和相对位置的变化影响。这些观测为沙尘活动的准确预测和数值模拟提供了重要的边界条件。受自然气候环境变化和社会政治原因的调节，加速了环境恶化和沙尘活动增加的过程，尤其是在~2 ka之后。根据对现代沙尘暴事件的记录比较和分析，我们随后提出，过去 4 ka 中亚的沙尘活动主要受北半球西风急流的强度和相对位置的变化影响。这些观测为沙尘活动的准确预测和数值模拟提供了重要的边界条件。受自然气候环境变化和社会政治原因的调节，加速了环境恶化和沙尘活动增加的过程，尤其是在~2 ka之后。根据对现代沙尘暴事件的记录比较和分析，我们随后提出，过去 4 ka 中亚的沙尘活动主要受北半球西风急流的强度和相对位置的变化影响。这些观测为沙尘活动的准确预测和数值模拟提供了重要的边界条件。根据对现代沙尘暴事件的记录比较和分析，我们随后提出，过去 4 ka 中亚的沙尘活动主要受北半球西风急流的强度和相对位置的变化影响。这些观测为沙尘活动的准确预测和数值模拟提供了重要的边界条件。根据对现代沙尘暴事件的记录比较和分析，我们随后提出，过去 4 ka 中亚的沙尘活动主要受北半球西风急流的强度和相对位置的变化影响。这些观测为沙尘活动的准确预测和数值模拟提供了重要的边界条件。