Abrupt uplift of Tibetan Plateau a t the end of early Pleistocene and Australasian impact event

The latest sharp uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent mountains occurred at the end of the early Pleistocene. The uplift of the Plateau resulted from Late Mesozoic－Cenozoic comp ressional structure due to the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Asian continent. This event definitively effected the formation of basin-mountain relief, Cenozoic basin deformation, large scale aridity and desertification of western China. The Australasian meteorites impact event happened ca. 0.8 Ma ago, located in the triangle area of the Indian Ocean ridge (20°S/67°E) . The impact may have resulted in an acceleration of speeding of the Indian Ocean ridge pushing the Indian Plate to subduct rapidly northward. Thus, the impact event can give reasonable explanation for the dynamic background of the latest rapid uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the continental deformation of western China and even of the Middle Asia.     

Last glaciation and maximum glaciation in the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau: A controversy to M. Kuhle’s ice sheet hypothesis

Since the late 1950’s, many Chinese scientists have explored the remains of the Quaternary glaciation in the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and its surrounding mountains. In the main, 3–4 glaciations have been recognized. The largest one occurred in the Late Middle Pleistocene with piedmont glaciers, ice caps and trellis valley glaciers in many high peak regions. But here is no evidence of a unified ice sheet covering the whole plateau as described by M. Kuhle. Due to the further uplifting of the Himalayas and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau the climate became progressively driver, diminishing the extension of glaciers during the Late Pleistocene. The elevation of the snow line during the Last Glaciation was about 4,000 m on the south, east and northeast edges of the plateau and ascended to 5500 m on the hinder northwest of the plateau. The thermal effect of the big plateau massif, the sharp increase of aridity from the southeast rim to the northwest inland area and the abrupt decrease of precipitation during the Ice Age largely account for the distribution of the Quaternary glaciers in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The neglect of Chinese literature may be one of the causes accounting for M. Kuhle’s misinterpretation on the environment of the Quaternary glaciations in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.     

夏季青藏高原“湿池”变化特征的小波分析

采用1948-2007年共60年的NCEP/NCAR资料,计算了夏季青藏高原地区的可降水量,并采用小波分析方法对可降水量的变化特征进行分析.结果表明:夏季青藏高原上有一个明显的"湿池",湿池有3个可降水量中心,分别位于高原西南部、高原南侧和高原东南部.湿池3个中心的可降水量变化有着明显的年代际特征,高原西南部以13.9a的周期变化最为明显,高原南侧9.2a的周期变化最为明显,高原东南部时间尺度2.6a的周期变化最为明显.趋势分析表明,高原西南部的可降水量可能开始增加,而高原南侧和高原东南部的可降水量应该依然处于偏少的阶段.     

Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene vegetation and climatic change of Tibetan Plateau

A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine evergreen sclerophyllous forest in the southeastern part of the plateau; from alpine steppe to alpine desert in the central, western and northern part; and from alpine meadow to alpine steppe in the eastern and southern plateau regions during the Holocene. These records show that increases in precipitation began about 9 ka from the southeast, and a wide ranging level of increased humidity developed over the entire of the plateau around 8-7 ka, followed by aridity from 6 ka and a continuous drying over the plateau after 4-3 ka. The changes in Holocene climates of the plateau can be interpreted qualitatively as a response to orbital forcing and its secondary effects on the Indian Monsoon which expanded northwards     

基于卫星观测的两例青藏高原低涡结构的初步分析

应用风云2C卫星云图和配有云顶亮温的MTSAT卫星红外云图,描述了两例青藏高原低涡形成、发展及消亡过程,云图清晰显示了高原低涡具有涡眼和暖心结构的特征,并利用水汽图分析揭示了缺乏水汽供应是导致这类低涡不能进一步发展并移出高原的重要原因.最后用1°×1°NCEP分析资料对高原低涡形成眼结构时的基本物理场进行了诊断计算.结果表明:低涡整体为上升气流,而涡眼区在近地层为下沉气流,上层为相对涡区较弱的上升气流;低层辐合,高层辐散.进而印证了动力学研究工作得出的高原低涡具有与热带气旋类低涡(TCLV, tropical cyclone-like vortices)类似的涡眼和暖心结构特征的结论.     

Sandy Desertification Status and its Driving Mechanism in North Tibet Plateau

As the main body of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, North Tibet Plateau is one of three major sandy desertification regions in China and also a representative sandy desertification zone of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Accordingly, it is an important region for the study of recent sandy desertification processes and formation mechanism. From such aspects as desertified land types, areas and distributions etc., this paper analyses in detail the sandy desertification status on North Tibet Plateau, and qualitatively and quantitatively deals with the main factors that affect recent sandy desertification processes and the driving mechanism. Research results show that North Tibet Plateau is an important sandy desertificafion region in China characterized with large desertified land areas, diversified types, high severity, extensive distributions and serious damages. Sandy desertification occurrence and development resulted from combined effects of natural factors, anthropogenic factors, natural processes and man-made processes, of which climatic change is the main driving force.     

VARIATIONS IN CRUSTAL THICKNESS OF THE KANE TRANSFORM IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

A new approach was taken to investigate the crustal stucture of the Kane transform and its aseismic extension, using high quality bathymetry and gravity data. The gravity signatures associated with variations in crustal thickness of the transform were isolated from the observed free-air anomaly,was continued downward to the mean depth of the crust/mantle interface and converted on to the relief onthat surface. The crustal thickness of the transform was then calculated by subtracting seawater depth from the depth of the gravity-inferred crust/mantle interface. 3-D gravity investigation results indicate that the Kane transform and adjacent areas are associated with a crust thinner than normal oceanic crust. The transform trough is largely underlain by a crust less than 4.5kin thick and in the nodal basins the crust may be as thin as 3 kin. The crust beneath the fracture zone valley is 4 - 5.5 km thick. The rift valleys on the spreading segments are also characterized by thin crust (4 - 5 km thick). Thin oceanic crust extends to 20-30 km from the transform axis,except for some localized places such as the inside comerhighs adjoining the ridge-transform intersections. These gravity-inferred results match fairly well with limited published seismic results. Thinning of the crust is mainly attributable to a thin layer 3, which in turn may be explained by the combined effects of reduced magma supply at the ends of the spreading segments and tectonic activities in the region.     

STREAMFLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EASTERN QINGHAI-XIZANG PLATEAU

The eastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau is the headwater area for many large Asian rivers. Permafrost occurs above 4,200 m a.s.l. and glaciers occupy the summits and high valleys of the east-west trending mountain chains. Annual runoff generally increases with precipitation which is augmented southward by the rise in topography. Rainfall, snow melt, glacier melt and groundwater are the primary sources of stream flow, and the presence of permafrost enhances the flashiness of runoff response to rainfall and snowmelt events. Peak flows are concentrated between June and September. And winter is low flow season. Three types of runoff patterns may be distinguished according to their primary sources of water supply: snowmelt and rainfall, glacier melt and snowmelt, and groundwater. Large rivers generally drain more than one environments and their runoff regime reflects an integration of the various flow patterns on the plateau.     

扬马延微陆块构造特征及火山型被动陆缘远端带构造演化模式

随着全球油气勘探的不断深入,北大西洋极地逐渐成为油气勘探研究的前沿领域,而扬马延矿区勘探程度极低。基于中海油冰岛矿区新采集的地震及重磁资料,结合其他有关扬马延微陆块最新的研究资料,开展了扬马延微陆块的地层和构造特征分析,以及与共轭盆地的对比,建立了扬马延火山型被动陆缘远端带的构造演化模式。研究表明:位于北大西洋格陵兰与挪威之间海域的扬马延微陆块,与北大西洋两侧陆架盆地古生代-中生代地层具有共轭特征;构造呈NE-SE向展布,发育拆离断裂体系,与挪威西部陆架盆地中生界拆离断裂体系具有相似性;构造内部受岩浆侵入及喷出等强烈影响,发育向海倾斜反射层(SDR)及岩浆溢流相沉积。在上述研究基础上,探讨了扬马延微陆块与格陵兰古陆和波罗的海古陆拉断分离的构造演化过程,认为扬马延在古生代-中生代与格陵兰古陆和波罗的海古陆为一体,在经历了古生代-中生代陆内碰撞、弱伸展到陆内裂谷和陆内热沉降后,受北大西洋拉开影响,经历了古近纪和新近纪火山型被动陆缘远端带的形成演化过程,在55 Ma第一次洋中脊扩张期,与波罗的海古陆挪威陆缘盆地分离,在25 Ma第二次洋脊跃迁时期,新生洋脊扩张导致扬马延微陆块与格陵兰古陆分离,在沉积与构造上开始与北大西洋火山型被动陆缘盆地产生分异,最终扬马延微陆块成为孤立在洋壳上的一个"弃子"。本次关于扬马延微陆块的研究揭示了火山型被动陆缘远端带在岩浆活动、拆离断裂作用下,减薄-破裂的残余陆壳及内部新生洋壳的构造面貌及板块构造背景下的演化过程。      

大陆岩石圈的增厚及对流剥离对青藏高原隆升的影响

伴随着印度板块对欧亚板块南缘的碰撞、挤压,青藏高原地壳及下伏地幔岩石圈的厚度增加了１倍。增厚岩石圈热结构的变化可导致高原海拨下降约１５００ｍ。其对流剥离并被较热的软流圈物质替代可用以解释青藏高原自８百万年或３百万年前开始的快速隆升。大陆岩石圈的增厚及热结构变化和对流剥离可能是青藏高原自９百万年前开始的夷平—快速隆升过程的主导控制因素。     

多尺度视角下的青藏高原水资源短缺估算及空间格局

青藏高原水资源总量丰富,但由于水资源量与用水量在空间上分布不均衡,部分人口、城镇密集地区水资源短缺严重。本研究在多源数据的基础上,通过空间分析、降尺度处理等,建立了青藏高原省区、市域、县域空间尺度的水资源与用水量数据集。通过比较5、10、20、30年重现期多空间尺度的水资源短缺程度,分析水资源短缺在青藏高原的尺度效应,揭示青藏高原水资源短缺格局与特征,识别面临水资源短缺的人口与面积。结果表明,青藏高原在省区尺度无水资源短缺;在15个市域单元中,有3个市域出现水资源短缺;在115个县域单元中,有29个县域呈现出不同程度的水资源短缺,水资源短缺县域主要集中在青海省的河湟谷地、柴达木盆地与西藏自治区的一江两河流域等人口、城镇密集区域。总体而言,由于较大空间尺度地理单元内部各县域用水强度差异,在县域尺度面临水资源短缺的人口与面积大于市域与省区尺度面临水资源短缺的人口与面积。以县域为基本单元,发现青海省与西藏自治区30年重现期面临水资源短缺的人口占总人口的56.4%,出现水资源短缺的面积占总面积的10.4%。县域之间水资源短缺指数秩相关系数计算结果显示,省区内部各县域同时出现水资源短缺的可能性较大,而省区之间各县域同时出现水资源短缺的可能性相对随机。研究结果为制定青藏高原水资源短缺管理对策、促进区域城镇化与资源环境协调发展提供科学依据。     

LAST GLACIATION AND MAXIMUM GLACIATION IN THE QINGHAI-XIZANG (TIBET) PLATEAU: A CONTROVERSY TO M. KUHLE,S ICE SHEET HYPOTHESIS

Since the late 1950's, many Chinese scientists have explored the remains of the Quaternary glaciation in the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and its surrounding mountains. In the main, 3-4 glaciations have been recognized. The largest one occurred in the Late Middle Pleistocene with piedmont glaciers, ice caps and trellis valley glaciers in many high peak regions. But here is no evidence of a unified ice sheet covering the whole plateau as described by M. Kuhle. Due to the further uplifting of the Himalayas and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau the climate became progressively drier, diminishing the extension of glaciers during the Late Pleistocene. The elevation of the snow line during the Last Glaciation was about 4,000 m on the south, east and northeast edges of the plateau and ascended to 5500 m on the hinder northwest of the plateau. The thermal effect of the big plateau massif, the sharp increase of aridity from the southeast rim to the northwest inland area and the abrupt decrease of precipitation during the     

Planation surfaces on the Tibet Plateau, China

A planation hypothesis is proposed to explain landform evolution of the Tibet Plateau. A denudation threshold （T）, the maximum potential denudation rate for a certain type of rock, is introduced to explain the combined effects of lithology and tectonics on landform evolution. If the tectonic uplifting rate （U） is equal to or less than the threshold rate （U ≤ T）, the tectonic uplifting and terrain denudation are in dynamic equilibrium, and landforms are in a steady state. The end product should be planation surfaces whether the original landforms are flat plains or deeply dissected mountains. If U 〉 T, uplift and denudation are not able to reach a dynamic equilibrium state. The plateau surface is mostly underlain by soft rocks, such as the Mesozoic epimetamorphic argillites and Tertiary sedimentary rocks, while the mountain ranges comprise hard rocks, such as granite, gneiss and limestone. In soft rock regions, hills are low with a relative relief of mostly less than 100 m and the slopes are gentle at a gradient of 〈200. In contrast, hills can maintain steep slopes in hard rock regions. The Tibet Plateau has been under an equilibrium condition between tectonic uplifting and denudation except for the mountain ranges. The plateau might have reached the present altitudes before the Quaternary.     

中亚造山带西段俯冲起始时限及机制探讨

中亚造山带是世界上最大的显生宙增生型造山带,是研究增生造山过程和大陆地壳生长的绝佳场所,其形成记录了新元古代—早中生代古亚洲洋发展演化历程,主要由一系列微陆块、岛弧、海山/大洋高原、增生杂岩及蛇绿混杂岩构成。中亚造山带西段蛇绿混杂岩物质组成基本一致,除了典型的蛇绿岩组分外,大多发育典型的海山岩石组合,即枕状玄武岩、火山角砾岩、礁灰岩、滑塌堆积岩、陆源碎屑岩。蛇绿混杂岩中基性岩在地球化学上可明显分为两类:一类为洋中脊玄武岩型,属于拉斑系列,显示俯冲带特征;另一类为洋岛玄武岩型,属于碱性玄武岩系列,形成于海山/大洋高原环境。中亚造山带西段蛇绿混杂岩和变质岩的时代、属性及空间分布,表明古亚洲洋俯冲起始时限不晚于新元古代早期,位置应在西伯利亚南缘,并逐渐向南发展。在古亚洲洋发育早期,地幔柱诱发俯冲起始占主导地位,后期可能由于海山/大洋高原阻塞俯冲通道,导致俯冲极性翻转和跃迁,从而发生俯冲起始。实际上,新俯冲带如何起始一直是地球科学领域的难点问题,主要原因是俯冲起始是一个极其短暂的过程,缺少直接的地质记录,并且现今地球上鲜有正在发生的俯冲起始案例。因此,需要地质学家共同努力去揭秘古亚洲洋的前世今生,破解板块俯冲起始的奥秘。     

黄土高原沟谷地貌发育演化研究进展与展望

黄土沟谷是黄土地貌中最有活力、最具变化、最富特色的对象单元,黄土高原千沟万壑的地貌形态以及触目惊心的侵蚀状态也让区域内沟谷地貌的形成、发育及演化问题成为研究中焦点及前沿性科学问题。近年来,诸多学者采用地学测年法、特征表达法、监测模拟法力图实现对黄土沟谷发育演化进程中“过去-现代-未来”的科学认知。这些研究在相当程度上丰富了黄土沟谷发育过程的认知。本文梳理了黄土高原沟谷地貌演化相关研究的现状,并从黄土高原地貌演化、黄土沟谷发育、基于DEM的沟谷信息提取与表达等研究进行了系统的回顾、梳理与分析。此外,本文提出“黄土沟道剖面群组”概念与方法,试图从新的视角审视黄土沟谷地貌发育演化过程。沟道剖面在黄土沟谷发育演化进程中传递物质能量和累积地形动力,并通过径流节点的串联实现剖面群的连接与组合,形成独特的剖面“群组”模式;该沟道剖面群组是集黄土沟谷地貌特征与过程于一体的综合信息集成体,其三维空间结构是对黄土沟谷地貌发育演化的高度抽象与映射,并可望进一步丰富黄土高原数字地形分析理论与方法体系,为黄土高原黄土地貌成因机理与空间分异格局带来创新的认识。     

青藏高原典型植被生长季遥感模型提取分析

物候变化是衡量全球气候变化最直接、敏感的指示器,针对青藏高原这个独特地域单元上特殊的高寒植被进行关键物候期遥感提取模型及植被物候时空变化的研究具有重要的意义。本文首先以反距离加权空间插值算法与Savitzky-Golay滤波算法相结合的数据重建模型获得高质量2003-2012年青藏高原MODIS归一化植被指数(NDVI)数据。在此数据基础上,分别利用动态阈值法、最大变化斜率法、logistic曲线拟合法3种遥感植被生长季提取模型,对青藏高原地区两种典型植被的生长季(SOS生长季开始期,EOS生长季结束期,LOS生长季长度)进行提取。通过对3种模型提取结果的对比分析,并结合日均温模型对提取结果的验证发现,动态阈值法为青藏高原地区典型植被生长季的最优遥感提取模型。该模型对近10 a的高分辨率典型高寒植被物候参量的反演及时空变化特征分析表明,受青藏高原水热及海拔梯度的影响,青藏高原植被物候变化呈现出从东南向西北的空间分异规律,随春季温度的升高,近10 a来青藏高原高寒草地总体呈现生长季开始期(SOS)提前(0.248 d/a)的趋势。     

Magnitude and forming factors of mass elevation effect on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Mass elevation effect(MEE) refers to the thermal effect of huge mountains or plateaus, which causes the tendency for temperature-related montane landscape limits to occur at higher elevations in the inner massifs than on their outer margins. MEE has been widely identified in all large mountains, but how it could be measured and what its main forming-factors are still remain open. This paper, supposing that the local mountain base elevation(MBE) is the main factor of MEE, takes the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) as the study area, defines MEE as the temperature difference(ΔT) between the inner and outer parts of mountain massifs, identifies the main forming factors, and analyzes their contributions to MEE. A total of 73 mountain bases were identified, ranging from 708 m to 5081 m and increasing from the edges to the central parts of the plateau. Climate data(1981–2010) from 134 meteorological stations were used to acquire ΔT by comparing near-surface air temperature on the main plateau with the free-air temperature at the same altitude and similar latitude outside of the plateau. The ΔT for the warmest month is averagely 6.15℃, over 12℃ at Lhatse and Baxoi. A multivariate linear regression model was developed to simulate MEE based on three variables(latitude, annual mean precipitation and MBE), which are all significantly correlated to ΔT. The model could explain 67.3% of MEE variation, and the contribution rates of three independent variables to MEE are 35.29%, 22.69% and 42.02%, respectively. This confirms that MBE is the main factor of MEE. The intensive MEE of the QTP pushes the 10℃ isotherm of the warmest month mean temperature 1300–2000 m higher in the main plateau than in the outer regions, leading the occurrence of the highest timberline(4900 m) and the highest snowline(6200 m) of the Northern Hemisphere in the southeast and southwest of the plateau, respectively.     

Topographic characteristics for the geomorphologic zones in the northwestern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Based on geomorphologic and digital elevation model （DEM） data, the topographic characteristics of the northwestern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are analyzed. Five representative peaks are first determined according to the topographic profile maps for the ridge and piedmont lines, and then the topographic gradient characteristics are analyzed according to the representative topographic profile acquisition method. Based on the geomorphologic database data, the regions between the ridge and the piedmont lines are divided into four geomorphologic zones; and the topographic characteristics are finally analyzed for the different geomorphologic zones regions using the DEM data. The research results show that from the piedmont to the ridge, there exist four geomorphologic zones： arid, fluvial, periglacial and glacial. The arid has the lowest elevation, topographic gradient, relief and slope characteristics. The fluvial has lower elevation and the highest topographic gradient, but with lower relief and slope characteristics. With higher elevation, the periglcial has lower topographic gradient, but the highest relief and slope characteristics. The glacial has the highest elevation with higher topographic gradient, relief and slope characteristics.     

Characteristics of Spatial and Temporal Variations of Monthly Mean Surface Air Temperature over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

1 Introduction The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the highest plateau with the most complex topography in the world, covers an area of more than 200km2, with a mean elevation of more than 4000m a.s.l. (Ye and Gao, 1979). Surrounded by the Earth’s highest mountains, such as the Himalayas, Pamir, Kunlun Mountains, the plateau plays a significant role in climate change in China even in the world, thus attracted great attention of researchers. Up to now, many achievements have been gained by…     

Three-Dimensional Mantle Flow and Temperature Structure Beneath the Shatsky Rise Ridge-Ridge-Ridge Triple Junction

The Shatsky Rise ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction is an ancient triple junction in the Western Pacific Ocean whose initial geodynamic process is poorly understood and can only be inferred based on indirect geological and geophysical constraints. In this paper, we present three-dimensional numerical models that simulate the Shatsky Rise triple junction and calculate its coupled mantle flow and temperature structure. The mantle flow velocity field shows several distinctive features: 1) stronger mantle upwelling closer to the ridge axis and triple junction; 2) greater upwelling velocity at the faster-spreading ridges; and 3) the most significant increase in upwelling velocity for the slowest-spreading ridge toward the triple junction. The calculated mantle temperature field also reveals distinctive characteristics: 1) sharp increases in the mantle temperature with depth and increases toward the spreading ridges and triple junction; 2) the faster-spreading ridges are associated with higher temperatures at depth and identical distances from the triple junction; and 3) the slowest-spreading ridge shows the greatest increase in the along-ridge-axis temperature toward the triple junction.Compared to many present-day triple junctions with slower spreading rates, the along-ridge-axis velocity and thermal fields of the Shatsky Rise are more altered due to the presence of the triple junction.