渭河盆地末次冰盛期以来沉积环境变化研究

研究过去气候快速变化能为当前极端气候分析和未来环境预测提供自然背景理解。亚洲季风在北半球乃至全球的第四纪气候变化中扮演着重要角色,其演化是全球气候变化背景下的典型区域响应。然而,不同地质载体及不同指标所记录的亚洲冬、夏季风变化存在着较大差异,产生差异的原因及受到的动力机制是值得深入研究的科学问题。渭河盆地位于黄土高原和古三门湖沉积交叠的区域,是研究第四纪亚洲季风演化的理想场所。在盆地西南部西安市户县和长安县获取了两个黄土沉积钻孔,户县ZZC孔长4 m,长安县XFC孔长3 m,两孔的年代均超过25 ka。通过两钻孔的粒度和元素地球化学等代用指标研究,对比分析不同指标对气候变化的敏感度差异,反演了末次冰盛期(LGM)以来的区域沉积环境变化,并尝试探讨该时期发生的气候突变事件及反映的季风强度变化。结果表明,两钻孔的平均粒径从LGM到中全新世逐渐变细,中全新世之后少许变粗,空间上表现出一致性,总体反映了末次冰盛期以来的冬季风强度演化;Ca/Ti反映了与季风降水相关的淋溶强度,从LGM到全新世暖期夏季风逐渐减弱,并记录了若干次气候快速变化。粒度和元素比值变化表明,渭河盆地沉积良好地记录了末次冰盛期至全新世的大幅冷干-暖湿波动及若干次持续时间较短的快速水文变化事件,主要是受到太阳辐射和冰量等因素调控的影响。由于渭河盆地有上千米的新生代沉积,未来开展高分辨率研究有望揭示不同时间尺度季风变化特征及其与区域和全球变化的联系。     

Mollusk record of millennial climate variability in the Loess Plateau during the Last Glacial Maximum

A high-resolution terrestrial mollusk record from the Loess Plateau of China has been studied to characterize climate variability during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The rapid successions in mollusk taxa in the Weinan loess sequence reveal that climate changes occurred at least four times in this period. In the loess region, millennia-scale climate fluctuations existed, as documented in the grain size and weathering intensity records. Our results show such millennia-scale fluctuations reflecting changes in both temperature and precipitation, rather than a simple cold and warm alternation. Changes in temperature and precipitation were not in phase during the LGM. Temperature varied earlier than precipitation, which could have been the effect of winter and summer monsoon interactions. Our data also reveal that the East Asian summer monsoons could reach the southeast part of the Loess Plateau during the whole of the LGM. The intensification of winter monsoons during the LGM led to short duration of summer monsoons annually impacting on the Loess Plateau, but the intrinsic intensity of summer monsoons would not have changed significantly, thus providing the thermo-hydrological conditions for temperate-humidiphilous mollusks to persistently grow and develop in the glacial age.     

Asian monsoon climate during the Last Glacial Maximum: palaeo‐data–model comparisons

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (23–19 ka BP) in the Asian monsoon region is generally described as cool and dry, due to a strong winter monsoon. More recently, however, palaeo‐data and climate model simulations have argued for a more variable LGM Asian monsoon climate with distinct regional differences. We compiled, evaluated, and partly re‐assessed proxy records for the Asian monsoon region in terms of wet/dry climatic conditions based on precipitation and effective moisture, and of sea surface temperatures. The comparison of the palaeo‐data set to LGM simulations by the Climate Community System Model version 3 (CCSM3) shows fairly good agreement: a dry LGM climate in the western and northern part due to a strengthened winter monsoon and/or strengthened westerly winds and wetter conditions in equatorial areas, due to a stronger summer monsoon. Data–model discrepancies are seen in some areas and are ascribed to the fairly coarse resolution of CCSM3 and/or to uncertainties in the reconstructions. Differences are also observed between the reconstructed and simulated northern boundaries of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The reconstructions estimate a more southern position over southern India and the Bay of Bengal, whereas CCSM3 simulates a more northern position. In Indochina, the opposite is the case. The palaeo‐data indicate that climatic conditions changed around 20–19 ka BP, with some regions receiving higher precipitation and some experiencing drier conditions, which would imply a distinct shift in summer monsoon intensity. This shift was probably triggered by the late LGM sea‐level rise, which led to changes in atmosphere–ocean interactions in the Indian Ocean. The overall good correspondence between reconstructions and CCSM3 suggests that CCSM3 simulates LGM climate conditions over subtropical and tropical areas fairly well. The few high‐resolution qualitative and quantitative palaeo‐records available for the large Asian monsoon region make reconstructions however still uncertain.     

Testing the consistency of Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum spatial correlations in temperature proxy records

Holocene temperature proxy records are commonly used in quantitative synthesis and model-data comparisons. However, comparing correlations between time series from records collected in proximity to one another with the expected correlations based on climate model simulations indicates either regional or noisy climate signals in Holocene temperature proxy records. In this study, we evaluate the consistency of spatial correlations present in Holocene proxy records with those found in data from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Specifically, we predict correlations expected in LGM proxy records if the only difference to Holocene correlations would be due to more time uncertainty and more climate variability in the LGM. We compare this simple prediction to the actual correlation structure in the LGM proxy records. We found that time series data of ice-core stable isotope records and planktonic foraminifera Mg/Ca ratios were consistent between the Holocene and LGM periods, while time series of Uk'37 proxy records were not as we found no correlation between nearby LGM records. Our results support the finding of highly regional or noisy marine proxy records in the compilation analysed here and suggest the need for further studies on the role of climate proxies and the processes of climate signal recording and preservation.     

欧亚大陆湖泊记录和两万年来大气环流变化

159个湖泊地质记录提供了欧亚大陆两万年来大气环流变化信息。盛冰期北欧低湖面而地中海地区高湖面,反映冰流反气旋控制和西风带南迁。随着晚冰期冰流高压减弱、西风带回迁,南欧为低湖面而北欧低湖面范围减小。全新世早中期北欧阻塞高压发展,干燥炎热;南欧地区性季风环流加强,气旋雨增加。中国青藏高原至东西伯利亚高湖面,反映东亚季风扩张、季风雨以及高原对流雨增加。晚更新世以来湖泊所反映的西风带和季风环流变化,揭示了辐射异常和北半球冰流消长的动力控制。     

Holocene temperature fluctuations in the northern Tibetan Plateau

Arid Central Asia (ACA) lies on a major climatic boundary between the mid-latitude westerlies and the northwestern limit of the Asian summer monsoon, yet only a few high-quality reconstructions exist for its climate history. Here we calibrate a new organic geochemical proxy for lake temperature, and present a 45-yr-resolution temperature record from Hurleg Lake at the eastern margin of the ACA in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Combination with other proxy data from the same samples reveals a distinct warm–dry climate association throughout the record, which contrasts with the warm–wet association found in the Asian monsoon region. This indicates that the climatic boundary between the westerly and the monsoon regimes has remained roughly in the same place throughout the Holocene, at least near our study site. Six millennial-scale cold events are found within the past 9000 yr, which approximately coincide with previously documented events of northern high-latitude cooling and tropical drought. This suggests a connection between the North Atlantic and tropical monsoon climate systems, via the westerly circulation. Finally, we also observe an increase in regional climate variability after the mid-Holocene, which we relate to changes in vegetation (forest) cover in the monsoon region through a land-surface albedo feedback.     

Post-glacial landform evolution in the middle Satluj River valley,India: Implications towards understanding the climate tectonic interactions

Late Quaternary landform evolution in monsoon-dominated middle Satluj valley is reconstructed using the fragmentary records of fluvial terraces, alluvial fans, debris flows, paleo-flood deposits, and epigenetic gorges. Based on detailed field mapping, alluvial stratigraphy, sedimentology and optical chronology, two phases of fluvial aggradations are identified. The older aggradation event dated between ～13 and 11 ka (early-Holocene), occurred in the pre-existing topography carved by multiple events of erosion and incision. Climatically, the event corresponds to the post-glacial strengthened Indian summer monsoon (ISM). The younger aggradation event dated between ～5 and 0.4 ka (mid- to late-Holocene), was during the declining phase of ISM. The terrain witnessed high magnitude floods during transitional climate (～6.5–7 ka). The fluvial sedimentation was punctuated by short-lived debris flows and alluvial fans during the LGM (weak ISM), early to mid-Holocene transition climate and mid- to late-Holocene declining ISM. Based on the terrace morphology, an event of relatively enhanced surface uplift is inferred after late Holocene. The present study suggests that post-glacial landforms in the middle Satluj valley owe their genesis to the interplay between the climate variability and local/regional tectonic interactions.     

Monsoon variability and chemical weathering during the late Pleistocene in the Goriganga basin, higher central Himalaya, India

Stable isotope analysis along with radiocarbon and luminescence dating of late Pleistocene lacustrine deposits at Burfu in the higher central Himalaya are used to interpret hydrologic changes in the lake basin. From 15.5 ka to ~ 14.5 ka the Burfu lake was largely fed by melting glaciers. A warming event at 14.5 ka suggests an enhanced monsoon and increased carbonate weathering. From ~ 13.5 ka to ~ 12.5 ka the isotopic data suggest large-amplitude climate variability. Following this, the isotope data suggest a short-lived, abrupt cooling event, comprising a ~ 300-yr intense cool period followed by a ~ 500-yr interval of moderate climate. A shift in isotope values at ~ 11.3 ka may signify a strengthening monsoon in this region. The inferred climatic excursions appear to be correlative, at least qualitatively, with global climatic events, and perhaps the Burfu lake sequence provides regional evidence of globally recorded excursions. This study also suggests a potential use of radiocarbon ages in specific environments as a paleoenvironmental proxy.     

末次盛冰期黄土高原蜗牛化石记录的气候快速变化及其影响机制

本文通过对渭南黄土剖面末次盛冰期地层较高分辨率的蜗牛化石记录研究，发现这一时期特征蜗牛种类峰值的演替反映了古气候的演化过程和温，湿度的组合关系。气候变化显示出百年-千年尺度波动的特征，温度的变化明显地要早于湿度（降水）的变化1000-2000a，表现为变冷-冷湿-冷干-温干-温湿的气候过程，研究认为造成这一气候特点的原因是东亚冬，夏季风共同作用的结果，可喜温湿蜗牛种类的研究，揭示出东亚夏季风在这一时期至少能够持续地影响到黄土高原的东南部地区，这个时期冬季风强化的结果之一是影响了夏季风在这一地区滞留的时间，加大了季节性的差异，分析表明尽管夏季风在这一地区滞留的时间缩短，但维持了它固有的强度，提供了适量的水热条件供喜温湿蜗牛种类在这一寒冷阶段持续地生长和发育。     

Timing and style of Late Pleistocene glaciation in the Queer Shan,northern Hengduan Mountains in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Glacial landforms and sediments provide evidence for the existence of two Late Pleistocene major glacial advances in the Queer Shan, northern Hengduan Mountains in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. In the current study, optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dating results reveal that the two glacial advances occurred during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in MIS 2, respectively. Geomorphic evidence shows that the glacial advance during MIS 3 was more extensive than that in MIS 2. This glacial advance is synchronous with other glaciated areas in the Himalaya and Tibet, but contrasts with global ice volumes that reached their maximum extent during the LGM. Glaciers in the Queer Shan are of the summer accumulation type and are mainly fed by precipitation from the south Asian monsoon. Palaeoclimate proxies show that during MIS 3 the south Asian monsoon strengthened and extended further north into the Tibetan Plateau to supply more precipitation as snow at high altitudes. This in turn led to positive glacier mass balances and caused glaciers to advance. However, during the LGM, despite cooler temperature than in MIS 3, the weakened south Asian monsoon and the associated reduced precipitation were not as favourable for glacier expansion as in MIS 3. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paleohydrological Changes in the Western Tibetan Plateau over the Past 16,000 years Based on Sedimentary Records of n‐Alkanes and Grain Size

Both monsoons and westerlies have exerted influence on climate dynamics over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) since the last deglaciation, producing complex patterns of paleohydroclimatic conditions. Diverse proxy records are essential to forge a robust understanding of the climate system on the TP. Currently, there is a general lack of understanding of the response of inland lakes over the TP to climate change, especially glacier‐fed lakes. Paleohydrological reconstructions of such lakes could deepen our understanding of the history of lake systems and their relationship to regional climate variability. Here we use records of n‐alkanes and grain size from the sediments of Bangong Co in the western TP to reconstruct paleohydrological changes over the past 16,000 years. The Paq record (the ratio of non‐emergent aquatic macrophytes versus emergent aquatic macrophytes and terrestrial plants) is generally consistent with the variations in summer temperature and precipitation isotopes. The changes in grain‐size distributions show a similar trend to Paq but with less pronounced fluctuations in the early‐middle Holocene. The new data combined with previous results from the site demonstrate that: 1) Bangong Co experienced relatively large water‐level fluctuations during the last deglaciation, with a steadily high lake‐level during the early‐middle Holocene and a decreasing lake‐level in the late Holocene; 2) The lake level fluctuations were driven by both high summer temperatures via the melting water and monsoon precipitation. However, the dominant factor controlling lake level changed over time. The lake‐level history at Bangong Co deduced from the n‐alkanes and grain‐size records reveals the past hydrological changes in the catchment area, and stimulates more discussion about the future of glacier‐fed lakes under the conditions of unprecedented warming in the region.     

Holocene vegetation and climate histories in the eastern Tibetan Plateau: controls by insolation-driven temperature or monsoon-derived precipitation changes?

The climates on the eastern Tibetan Plateau are strongly influenced by direct insolation heating as well as monsoon-derived precipitation change. However, the moisture and temperature influences on regional vegetation and climate have not been well documented in paleoclimate studies. Here we present a well-dated and high-resolution loss-on-ignition, peat property and fossil pollen record over the last 10,000 years from a sedge-dominated fen peatland in the central Zoige Basin on the eastern Tibetan Plateau and discuss its ecological and climatic interpretations. Lithology results indicate that organic matter content is high at 60–80% between 10 and 3 ka (1 ka = 1000 cal yr BP) and shows large-magnitude fluctuations in the last 3000 years. Ash-free bulk density, as a proxy of peat decomposition and peatland surface moisture conditions, oscillates around a mean value of 0.1 g/cm³, with low values at 6.5–4.7 ka, reflecting a wet interval, and an increasing trend from 4.7 to 2 ka, suggesting a drying trend. The time-averaged mean carbon accumulation rates are 30.6 gC/m²/yr for the last 10,000 years, higher than that from many northern peatlands. Tree pollen (mainly from Picea), mostly reflecting temperature change in this alpine meadow-forest ecotonal region, has variable values (from 3 to 34%) during the early Holocene, reaches the peak value during the mid-Holocene at 6.5 ka, and then decreases until 2 ka. The combined peat property and pollen data indicate that a warm and wet climate prevailed in the mid-Holocene (6.5–4.7 ka), representing a monsoon maximum or “optimum climate” for the region. The timing is consistent with recent paleo-monsoon records from southern China and with the idea that the interplays of summer insolation and other extratropical large-scale boundary conditions, including sea-surface temperature and sea-level change, control regional climate. The cooling and drying trend since the mid-Holocene likely reflects the decrease in insolation heating and weakening of summer monsoons. Regional synthesis of five pollen records along a south–north transect indicates that this climate pattern can be recognized all across the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The peatland and vegetation changes in the late Holocene suggest complex and dramatic responses of these lowland and upland ecosystems to changes in temperature and moisture conditions and human activities.     

Role of late glacial to mid-Holocene climate in catchment weathering in the central Tibetan Plateau

The lightness (L*) and concentrations of Rb, Sr and organic carbon (C_org) have been measured in the age-constrained lake sediment cores recovered from Co Ngoin in the central Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved Sr flux is a dominant control on the variation of Rb/Sr ratios in the sediments. Variations in color and geochemical proxies of Co Ngoin sediments display a continuous history of late glacial to mid-Holocene chemical versus physical weathering intensity in response to past climatic changes between approximately 13,500 and 4500 cal yr B.P. A lower chemical weathering under a late glacial climate was followed by a higher weathering during the Holocene Optimum. Weathering intensity in the central Tibetan Plateau catchment also responds to well-known climatic events, such as the Younger Dryas (YD), and possibly the Holocene Event 5 (HE-5). Although there are differences in time or duration of the climatic events, many of the well-known late glacial to mid-Holocene events occurred in high-elevation Co Ngoin where atmospheric circulation might play a hemispherical role in climatic forcing. The sediment hiatus since c. 4200 ¹⁴C yr B.P. in the Co Ngoin indicates a period of desiccation that was probably associated with a sharp decrease in summer monsoon strength. Our lascustrine results not only imply catchment weathering variations in response to late glacial to mid-Holocene climatic conditions in the central plateau, but also provide further evidence for global connections between regional climates.     

中更新世全球最大冰期与中国沙漠扩张

位于青藏高原和西北干旱区交界带的沙沟黄土剖面, 详细记录了0.8 Ma BP以来东亚季风系统和沙漠演化的历史. L6黄土层中, 中值粒径和砂粒含量表明当时冬季风极端强盛, 沙漠大规模扩张, 其范围仅次于末次冰期最盛期. 在0.6～0.7 Ma BP以前(即深海氧同位素MIS16阶段), 北半球高纬度大陆冰盖大规模扩展, 全球冰量达到最大, 并且西伯利亚冰盖的扩展, 还使得西伯利亚高压增强; 同时, 青藏高原上也发育了最大规模的冰川, 从而强化了西风和东亚冬季风. 其结果造成了中国季风边缘区的沙漠扩张. 虽然全球冰量和青藏高原是影响沙漠演化的重要因素, 但在不同的时段其机制可能有所不同, 也不能忽略其它因素的影响.     

川西甘孜地区黄土的磁性地层学研究

川西高原位于青藏高原的东南边缘, 气候主要受印度洋季风、高原季风的影响。广泛分布于川西高原的黄土-古土壤序列是高原周缘地区连续的古气候记录类型之一, 记录了上述环流系统的演化过程及其与青藏高原阶段性演化的关系, 对探讨高原隆升的环境响应具有重要意义。对川西甘孜地区甘孜-A剖面进行了系统的磁性地层学研究。结果表明, B/M界线出现在L₇的底部, 并且在剖面下部出现了松山负向期的贾拉米洛正向极性亚带。以古地磁界限点作为时间控制点外推该剖面典型风尘沉积的底界年龄约为1.16 Ma BP。      

东北印度洋源汇过程及古环境与古季风演化

东北印度洋地理位置独特,其沉积物记录了青藏高原隆升及孟加拉扇的“源-汇”过程、印度季风与东亚季风的“海-气”交互作用、印-太暖池热传输的演变与高纬气候之间的相位关系等关键信息,是喜马拉雅地区“构造-气候-沉积”耦合演化的良好记录载体,是探讨多圈层相互作用、探索古气候与古环境演化的理想“窗口”。本文系统总结了近年来有关东北印度洋季风与表层环流特征、沉积物组成及物源、气候环境演化以及环境磁学记录等方面的研究进展。分析表明,东北印度洋为典型的季风风场,表层环流受季风影响强烈,夏季和冬季环流差异明显。沉积物类型丰富,包括河流输运而来的陆源碎屑、钙质和硅质为主的生物沉积以及火山物质等。但目前对于该区域的沉积物的具体组成、“源-汇”过程、迁移历史、季风演化与青藏高原隆升、高纬气候变化之间相互关系等方面的认识尚存在较大的分歧。同时,受样品获取难度大、磁学信号稀释严重等因素的限制,环境磁学作为一种在示踪沉积物物质来源、恢复古气候和古环境等方面被普遍认可的技术手段,在东北印度洋区并没有得到充分的发挥与应用。因此,未来需要在前人研究的基础上,将目光向东北印度洋更南、更深处延伸,对其“源-汇”过程进行全面分析。在研究方法上进一步拓展,采用更高精度的技术手段提取磁学信号,加大环境磁学的应用,寻找有效的替代性指标,解决该地区季风演化、古海洋环境变化等气候环境问题,为该地区环境气候研究提供新认识。并尝试开展地磁场长期变化(paleosecular variation, PSV)研究,建立东北印度洋的PSV记录,辅助修正全球地磁场模型,探究地球深部动力过程。     

黑海西北部多瑙河峡谷北侧陆坡沉积特征及其与古气候的关系

【研究目的】在末次冰期，全球气候变化以千年尺度的快速、大幅度温度波动旋回为特征，这种波动变化在两极冰芯、深海沉积、中国黄土和洞穴石笋等诸多地质样品中均有记录。黑海位于北大西洋与东亚季风区过渡带，具有极有代表性的沉积记录。本文旨在通过对黑海沉积序列的研究，建立起其区域环境变化与北大西洋及东亚季风气候域气候变化的联系。【研究方法】研究对取自黑海西北部罗马尼亚陆坡区多瑙河峡谷北侧GAS-CS12钻孔的长22.0 m的岩芯样品，进行了粒度、矿物成分、主量元素、有机碳、总氮及碳氮同位素等分析。【研究结果】揭示出该段岩芯沉积于末次冰期中后期“Neoeuxine”湖相阶段，可划分为5个沉积单元，对应于北大西洋H4、H3、H1气候变化事件、末次冰盛期（LGM）及Bolling-Allerod气候变暖事件。【结论】建立起了其沉积序列及区域环境变化与北大西洋及东亚季风气候域气候变化的联系，印证了末次冰期千年尺度的气候变化事件在北大西洋、东亚季风区及两者过渡带上具有高度的一致性。创新点：建立了黑海西北沉积序列与区域环境变化的关系；补充了北大西洋与东亚季风区两者过渡带上气候波动事件的可靠时标。     

New estimates of carbon transfer to terrestrial ecosystems between the last glacial maximum and the Holocene

Ice core records of atmospheric CO₂ show an ≈ 80 ppm rise between the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the mid-Holocene during a corresponding world-wide expansion of the terrestrial biomass and changes in ocean chemistry. Therefore, the absolute amount of carbon transferred to the atmosphere, probably from the oceans, remains uncertain. To address this issue, I evaluated changes in terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage and isotopic fractionations between the LGM and the mid-Holocene using a process-based terrestrial carbon cycle model forced with two general circulation model (GCM) simulations of each interval. The results indicate that global carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems (vegetation and soils) increased by 668 Gt C during the last glacial–interglacial transition, a value within the range obtained from a revised global carbon isotope mass-balance analysis (550–680 Gt C), and consistent with independent estimates from the marine isotopic record.     

Late Quaternary hydrological dynamics in the Middle Kalahari: Forcing and feedbacks

The Kalahari region has become a major source of Quaternary palaeoenvironmental data derived primarily from the analysis of geomorphological proxies of environmental change. One suite of data, from palaeolacustrine landforms, has recently provided a new record of major hydrological changes in the last 150 ka [Burrough, S. L., Thomas, D. S. G., Bailey, R. M., 2009. Mega-Lake in the Kalahari: A Late Pleistocene record of the Palaeolake Makgadikgadi system. Quaternary Science Reviews, in press.]. Here we present an improved analysis of the drivers and feedbacks of lake level change, utilising information from three main sources: data from the lake system itself, from analyses of other late Quaternary records within the region and from climate modelling. Simulations using the Hadley Centre coupled climate model, HadCM3, suggest that once triggered, the lake body was large enough to potentially affect both local and regional climates. Surface waters and their interactions with the climate are therefore an important component of environmental dynamics during the late Quaternary. Through its capacity to couple Middle Kalahari environments to distant forcing mechanisms and to itself force environmental change, we demonstrate that the existence or absence of megalake Makgadikgadi adds a new level of complexity to the interpretations of environmental proxy records in southern Africa's summer rainfall zone.