Temperature Control on Silicate Weathering Intensity and Evolution of the Neogene East Asian Summer Monsoon

Accurately reconstructing the evolution of the Asian monsoon is predicated on understanding the impact of temperature, precipitation, and tectonic paleogeography on silicate weathering proxies over million year timescales. We find that decreasing trends in chemical weathering proxies in both the northern and southern Tibetan Plateau match those from benthic oxygen isotope and sea surface temperature stacks since the late Miocene. In contrast, a synthesis of magnetic parameter-based records and marine clastic flux records reveals stronger monsoon precipitation during both the warm middle Miocene and cool late Miocene, supporting model simulations showing that both paleogeography and atmospheric CO₂ content are important in controlling the summer monsoon. This trend of increasing monsoon precipitation contrasts with the record of decreasing chemical weathering, suggesting that chemical weathering proxies are mainly regulated by temperature at million year timescales, rather than precipitation. These findings clarify reconstructions of the Cenozoic evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon.