On February 27, 2023, Prof. Gou Xiaohua and Prof. Yang Xiaoyan from the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Lanzhou University and the Key Laboratory of Western Environment of the Ministry of Education were invited by Academician Chen Fahu and Dr. Duan Yanwu from the Institute of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences to visit the university. During the visit, Academician Chen Fahu gave a lecture titled "Holocene warming pattern and continuous warming pattern: record-model comparison problems and its research outlook".The report was held in Conference Room 502 of Qilian Hall, and a branch session was opened in Conference Room 501. The report was hosted by Professor Gou Xiaohua, Dean of the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and more than 130 teachers and students from the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Geological Sciences and Mineral Resources, Lanzhou University, and Northwest Institute of Ecological and Environmental Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences attended the report.

Taking the relationship between temperature change and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration at different time scales during the geological history as the starting point, Academician Chen Fahu systematically introduced the progress of temperature change research in the Holocene during the latest interglacial period (~11700 years). He explained in detail the classical theory of the global and Chinese Holocene warm period and its problems, the Holocene temperature puzzle with large differences between different indicators and between indicators and models and its possible causes. He emphasized that since the Holocene temperature puzzle was proposed, a series of significant advances have been made in the problems of the seasonality of temperature reconstruction by proxy indicators, regional differences in temperature changes, the uneven spatial distribution of temperature records, and uncertainties in temperature changes simulated by climate models, but there is still a big debate on whether the Holocene temperature shows an early-middle Holocene warming pattern or a continuous warming pattern. Further research is needed in the future. Finally, Dr. Duan Yanwu addressed the uncertainties of the current indicator records, the potential shortcomings of climate models, and the key issues of record-model integration.

The presentations by Academician Chen Fahu and Dr. Duan Yanwu were in-depth and systematic, showing the frontier research results and hot scientific issues of Holocene temperature change to the participating students and faculty. After the meeting, academician Chen Fahu had a full discussion with the participating students and faculty members on the academic issues related to environmental change and gave an outlook on the future development direction of climate change from many perspectives. The exchange deepened the understanding of our faculty and students in the field of Holocene climate change research, and further strengthened the cooperation between the Institute of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Lanzhou University in the field of climate change.

The research review of Chen Fahu's team on the Holocene warming pattern and continuous warming pattern is detailed below.