The literatures about the climate and environment changes of Gonghe basin in northeastern Tibetan Plateau indicate that the climate was cold and dry in the Last Glacial Maximum before the 14 ka BP (¹⁴C age) or the 16 ka cal BP, with the stratum deposit consisted of aeolians and loess, well-developed periglacial landform and vegetation dominated by the arid desert and desert steppe. During the last Deglaciation period (14 ka BP ¹⁴C age) or 16 ka cal BP to the Younger Dryas Event, abbreviated as the YD), the climate became warm and wet, with obviously risen lake level and well-developed paleosol. The warm and cold climate information (the BØlling-AllerØd and the YD) was found and the vegetation was dominated by the desert steppe. The warm and humid degree increased in Holocene before 8.5 ka BP ¹⁴C age, accompanying with higher lake level and developed paleosol. The vegetation was dominated by the desert steppe or the dry steppe. The climate was cold and dry in the First Neoglaciation in Holocene from 8.5 to 7.0 ka BP. The development of palesol was interrupted and the aeolian sand was formed. The optimum warm and humid degree was found in 7.0~3.0 ka BP, but cold events of millennial-centennial scale also can be seen, that is, the Second Neoglaciation in Holocene, accompanying with prominently developed paleosol, higher lake level and dry steppe vegetation. Climate has become arid and cools (cold) since 3.0 ka BP (¹⁴C ages). The primary driving force is the variation of the external factors, e.g., the solar radiation and, as a result, induced the interaction of different circles in earth system. Meanwhile, the existing problems are discussed and the future research direction of the climate change is proposed.

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