Long‐Period Astronomical Forcing of Westerlies' Strength in Central Asia During Miocene Climate Cooling

The continental expression of global cooling during the Miocene Climate Transition in Central Asia is poorly documented, as the tectonically active setting complicates the correlation of Neogene regional and global climatic developments. This study presents new geochemical data (CaSO4 content, carbonate δ13C and δ18O) from the endorheic alluvial‐lacustrine Aktau succession (Ili Basin, south‐east Kazakhstan) combined with findings from the previously published facies evolution. Time series analysis revealed long‐eccentricity forcing of the paleohydrology throughout the entire succession, split into several facies‐dependent segments. Orbital tuning, constrained by new laser ablation U‐Pb dates and a preexisting magnetostratigraphy, places the succession in a 5.0 Ma long interval in the middle to late Miocene (15.6 to 10.6 Ma). The long‐term water accumulation in the Ili Basin followed the timing of the Miocene Climate Transition, suggesting increased precipitation in the catchment area in response to climate cooling and stronger westerly winds. This was paced by minima of the 2.4 Ma eccentricity cycle, which favored the establishment of a discharge playa (~14.3 Ma) and a perennial lake (12.6 to 11.8 Ma). Furthermore, low obliquity amplitudes (nodes) caused a transient weakening of the westerlies at ~13.7 to 13.5 Ma and at ~12.7 Ma, resulting in negative hydrological budgets and salinization. Flooding of the windward Ili Basin coeval with aridification in the leeward basins suggests that the Tian Shan was a climate boundary already in the middle Miocene. Our results emphasize the impact of climate fluctuations on the westerlies' strength and thus on Central Asian hydrology.Plain Language Summary: The global climate changed from an exceptional warm to a colder state in the middle Miocene epoch, representing a milestone in the evolution of today's climate. This study focuses on the, so far fragmentary, understanding of the Central Asian climate response to this global climate transition by investigating deposits of a former (salt) lake in the Ili Basin, southeast Kazakhstan. Regular sediment alternations represent cycles of low and high water level, overprinted by a long‐term lake expansion. Time series analysis of climate sensitive geochemical and environmental parameters, together with the determination of absolute rock ages, enabled the identification of sedimentary cycles (405 ka and 1.2 Ma long), which are equivalent to climate influencing variations of the Earth's orbit and tilt angle. We conclude that water level maxima are linked to periods of low seasonal climate differences reoccurring every 405 ka. The lake expansion is caused by more precipitation due to strengthened westerly winds, in response to global cooling. Westerly winds were transiently weakened during periods of low variability of the Earth's tilt angle, promoting high evaporation and salinization. Our results emphasize the impact of climate change on the westerlies' strength and thus on Central Asian moisture supply.Key Points: The endorheic Miocene Ili Basin features orbital control of its hydrological budget by long eccentricity and obliquity amplitude modulation. Obliquity amplitude modulation affected the westerlies' strength during the Miocene Climate Transition. The Miocene global cooling led to strengthening of the westerlies reflected by groundwater accumulation and lake expansion in the Ili Basin.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/50110000165