中国黄土的物质来源及其粉尘的产生机制与搬运过程

长期以来,黄土高原的物质来源被笼统认为来自包括西北三大内陆盆地(准噶尔、塔里木、柴达木)在内的广阔的沙漠、戈壁地区,而且中国黄土被看作“沙漠”黄土的典型代表。但我们最新的研究揭示出,源自准噶尔和柴达木盆地的粉尘主要由低空气流搬运,受下风方向的山脉阻挡,就近堆积成山麓黄土。源自塔里木盆地的粉尘如果被近地面风搬运,则不可能移出盆地,而是堆积在昆仑山北麓,但如果被飙升到高空,则被西风急流携带,移出盆地而降落在北太平洋地区,无论哪种情况,该盆地的粉尘都不可能对黄土高原有重要贡献。因此,西北三大内陆盆地并非黄土高原的重要物源,而蒙古国南部及与之相邻的包括巴旦吉林、腾格里、乌兰布和、库布其、毛乌素等在内的戈壁、沙漠地区才是黄土高原的主要物质来源区,且主要由近地面风(基本在3000m以下)从上述戈壁、沙漠地区搬运而来。中国黄土并不能简单看作“沙漠”黄土,包括冰川研磨作用、山体剥蚀作用、山前冲洪积作用等在内的“高山过程”,才是产生大量粉土级物质的原因,戈壁、沙漠、黄土的带状分布,只不过是近地面风对山前冲、洪积物质的风力分异而已。     

Sand dunes as a major proximal dust source for late Pleistocene loess in the Negev Desert, Israel

Grain size analyses of three hilltop, primary eolian loess sequences in the Negev desert, southern Israel, show a bimodal grain-size distribution at 50-60 μm and 3-8 μm. Using analyses of mineralogy and OSL ages we demonstrate that the coarse mode is composed mostly of quartz grains and its relative magnitude increases regionally with time, suggesting an enhancement of a time-transgressive proximal dust source compared to a distal, Saharan fine-grain dust. The only proximal dust source for large amount of coarse silt quartz grains is the sands that advanced into Sinai and the Negev concurrently with the loess accretion during the late Pleistocene as a result of the exposure of the Mediterranean shelf. We therefore propose that the coarse silt quartz grains were formed through eolian abrasion within the margins of an advancing sand sea. This relationship between desert sand seas as a source for proximal coarse dust and desert margin loess deposits can be applicable to other worldwide deserts such as Northern Africa, China and Australia.     

Australian dust deposits: modern processes and the Quaternary record

Dust raising and transport are common and important processes in Australia today. The aridity of the Australian continent and high climatic variability result in widespread dust raising in the arid and semi-arid areas and transport to the humid margins and surrounding oceans. The supply of erodible particles appears to be the greatest limitation on total flux of transported dust. Dust raising is greatest in the Lake Eyre Basin, including the Simpson Desert, and Murray-Darling Basin where internal drainage renews supplies of fine particles to the arid zone. In the west and northwest dust entrainment is low, despite considerable aridity. The marine record of dust flux shows at least a threefold increase in dust flux, compared with the Holocene, in the last glacial maximum in both tropical and temperate Australia, driven by weakened Australian monsoon rains and drier westerly circulation, respectively. Despite the widespread confirmation of aeolian dust deposits in southeastern and southwestern Australia, dated or quantified records are extremely rare. The dominant model of Australian dust deposits, the clay-rich ‘parna’, is shown to be poorly substantiated while modern and ancient dust deposits examined in detail are shown to bear a strong similarity to conventional definitions of loess.     

有关中国黄土高原黄土物质的源区及其输送方式的再评述

仅通过对黄土的研究来认识黄土物质的源地和输送方式、沉降过程往往需要假设和推测一些问题,不够直接和全面,借助对沙漠和大气中沙尘粒子本身的研究则可以更清晰地认识它们.文章在以往对黄土物质源区、输送和沉积过程研究的基础上,对有关这些问题的研究进展,特别是2000～2006年以来的进展给出了进一步的评述.结果表明:蒙古源区、以塔克拉玛干沙漠为主体的中国西部沙漠源区和以巴丹吉林沙漠为中心的中国北部沙漠源区贡献了亚洲沙尘释放总量的约70%,它们可视为亚洲沙尘的3个贡献量最大的源区,也可视为是黄土高原黄土物质的主要源地;有关亚洲沙尘的输送,在接近其源区的区域其沙尘浓度峰值在1km及其以下,在中国内陆其峰值通常在1～3km高度,在日本等东亚区域在2～4km高度,在太平洋中部峰值位于4～5km高度,在美国西部在5～7km的位置.通常,亚洲沙尘的区域尺度输送主要受近地面层东亚冬季风的控制,沙尘穿越太平洋的跨洲输送模式与全球尺度的大气环流变化紧密相关,特别是受中纬度西风带的影响.关于黄土高原黄土物质的沉降和堆积,近地面层东亚冬季风起到的是控制性的作用,沙尘在黄土高原的沉降以干沉降为主.晚第四纪黄土-古土壤中的90%以上是亚洲沙尘粒子的沉积物,不到10%受到了再作用过程的影响.     

亚洲粉尘的源区分布、释放、输送、沉降与黄土堆积

根据亚洲粉尘关键区域(中国沙漠、黄土高原、青藏高原和中国历史降尘区)大气气溶胶中15～28种元素的浓度-粒度分布、沉降速率和通量分析,以及元素示踪系统的进一步解析,发现中国北方沙漠存在两个粉尘地-气交换较活跃区域,即中国西部沙漠和北部沙漠高粉尘区,且证明这两个区域及其邻区是亚洲粉尘和黄土高原黄土主要源区的中心区域;通过对5个亚太区域粉尘沉降量的模式估算,得出亚洲粉尘释放总量每年约为800Tg,约相当于全球沙漠排放总量的一半;粉尘与黄土的对比表明,亚洲粉尘区域尺度输送受季风环流控制,但间冰期时并不取决于尘暴过程,而全球尺度输送主要由高空西风完成,无论冰期、间冰期均受尘暴过程控制;粉尘通量的结果表明干沉降是粉尘在黄土区沉降的主要过程,且晚第四纪粉尘沉积的再改造份额不超过其沉积总量的10%;元素示踪系统应用于风成黄土,发现在间冰期北部沙漠源区输出的粉尘量增加,而在冰期西部源区输出的粉尘量增加.这种晚第四纪亚洲粉尘“源区摆动”的快速变化其实是全球千年尺度气候变化的一环,并可视为过去北半球大气环流长期变化的代用序列.     

末次冰期以来中国季风区西北边缘沙漠演化研究

我国季风区西北边缘的沙漠是全球中纬度敏感带的重要组成部分.本文选取区内的毛乌素沙地、共和沙地和腾格里沙漠,通过对末次冰期以来地层年代学、沉积相和地层空间分布的研究,重点探讨了末次冰期和全新世时期两个特征时段的沙漠演化.其中末次冰期是沙漠的持续发展、扩张期,奠定了沙漠的空间格局;全新世早期沙漠总体趋于固定、缩小,中期沙漠大部处于固定、缩小状态,晚期沙漠有所扩大,但未达到末次冰期的最大规模.     

Last Glacial Maximum to Early Holocene Wind Strength in the Mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere from Aeolian Dust in the Tasman Sea

Dust transported by Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude westerly winds from Australia and deposited in the Tasman Sea shows no evidence for stronger winds during the last glacial maximum (LGM), compared to the Holocene. Features of the particle-size distributions of the dust do, however, indicate enhanced dry deposition of dust in the LGM changing to rainfall scavenging during deglaciation and the early Holocene as climate ameliorated. From these results it appears that activation of desert dunefields over 40% of Australia during the LGM was the result of a reduction in stabilizing vegetation and more frequent episodes of sand movement rather than of increased wind strength. The LGM climate of inland Australia must have been considerably more stressful for plants as a result of lower precipitation and/or carbon dioxide stress to achieve the implied levels of surface destabilization. Enhanced atmospheric dust loads in the Southern Hemisphere and deposition over Antarctica were most likely the result of greatly expanded source areas in the mid-latitude southern continents and a weaker hydrological cycle rather than greater entrainment or more efficient transport by stronger winds. During the LGM wind strength appears to have varied regionally, and predominantly in high latitudes, rather than uniformly for all zonal winds.     

Late Pleistocene Environments of the Central Ukraine

The Vyazivok loess sequence from the Dnieper Plain, Ukraine, documents regional environmental changes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Pedological and palynological analyses and low-field magnetic susceptibility document changes from dense temperate forest during the last interglacial maximum to open, harsh, loess–steppe during the latest Pleistocene. The Vyazivok section overlies hillwash derived from a lower Pleistocene terrace and consists of two stratified soil complexes (Kaydaky and Pryluky; marine isotope stage [MIS] 5 equivalent) separated by a layer of eolian dust (Tyasmyn silt). The lower soils in both complexes formed within forest. These soils are overlain by the Uday (MIS4) and Bug (MIS2) loess units, which are separated by boreal soils of the Vytachiv (MIS3) complex. The coldest conditions within the record occurred in the youngest loess. Holocene soils cap the Bug loess. The Vyazivok section shows remarkable similarities with other classical loess sequences in western Europe, the Czech Republic, and Austria. The Kaydaky, Pryluky, and Vytachiv deposits, correlate with the PKIII, PKII, and PKI soil complexes, respectively, of the Czech Republic. The Tyasmyn and Prylyky silt layers correspond to marker horizons from central Europe.     

Late pleistocene and holocene loess deposits of the Southeastern Buenos Aires province,Argentina

The Late Pleistocene and Holocene loess deposits of the SE Buenos Aires province are composed of four allostratigraphic units that represent four episodes of loess deposition. The first and the second episodes occurred in Late Pleistocene times. The second episode was followed by a soil forming interval (Early Holocene to Mid-Holocene times). The third episode took place at about 5000 yr BP, after the Holocene sea-level maximum when marine regression began. The fourth episode constitutes a historical event of only local significance.Loess shows a fairly constant granulometric and mineralogical composition. The modal fraction consists of very fine sand and coarse silt (3 to 5 phi). They are classified as sandy silts or silty sands. Three grain-size subpopulations are differentiated: coarse, medium and fine. The medium-size subpopulation, which is the most important, consists of most of the very fine sand and coarse silt. It is thought to be transported by modified saltation and short-term suspension during local dust-storms.The mineralogical composition of loess consists of a volcaniclastic assemblage derived mainly from reworked pyroclastic deposits, primary tephras and volcaniclastic sediments. The source area of these materials was located in the lower Colorado river valley about 400 km SW of the studied area. There was also a direct supply by volcanic ash falls.     

The perisaharan loess: Sedimentological characterization and paleoclimatical significance

The occurrence of peridesert loess in the N Saharan margin (with the well known Matmata loess, S Tunisia) and in a S belt (10–13°N) of W and central Tropical Africa is related to past main deposition of Saharan dusts (especially during the Upper Pleistocene). The sedimentological data of these deposits seem comparable (with particular references to Matmata and N Nigeria regions) and the loess are often coarser than present Saharan dust because of the nearness of some of their desert sources. On the past desert margins, the loess deposition occurred in a peridesert “pluvial” paleoenvironment. This implies that the N perisaharan loess were deposited during a desert retreat (relatively to the present arid bioclimatical conditions of their location), particularly during the Upper Pleistocene “Soltanian” Pluvial; and that, owing to its low latitude, the “tropical” loess deposition took likely place during a desert S advance (Late Pleistocene “Ogolian” period?) nearest to their location in the present wetter tropical zone.     

Hydrological indications of aeolian salts in mid-latitude deserts of northwestern China

Large sandy deserts in middle latitude of northwestern China were studied on salt variations in modern and ancient aeolian sediments, aiming to explore their hydrological indications at the present and past. Globally, sulphate is rich in arid to semi-arid deserts, including the aeolian loess sediments in China and soils in low-latitude deserts, but is less common in the aeolian sediments from the mid-latitude deserts in this study. The compositional differences between aeolian salts and local natural waters is evident, indicating the chemistry of aeolian salts and the associated parent brines may be significantly different than that predicted for hydrologically closed systems. The formation of aeolian salts in the studied deserts is strongly controlled by earth surface processes in a large scale but not in a local scale. Vertical changes in facies and salinities are abrupt in the studied palaeo-aeolian sediment samples, which were interbedded by lacustrine/fluvial sediments with OSL and ¹⁴C ages ranging between 40 and 2 ka BP, reflecting rapid high-amplitude changes in hydrological settings during late Pleistocene to later Holocene in these ancient playa systems. A great difference in salt composition between aeolian and lacustrine sediments suggests that the inorganic salt is a latent geoproxy in revealing local hydrological variations and climate change in the desert areas. But the environmental indications could be amphibolous for the sedimentary sequences with dual/multiple depositional end-members; under this situation an increase in sequence salinity does not always represent an enhanced environmental aridity. Ancient playas are arid or humid at the same time based on several sporadic records is not a valid approach to correlation of salt deposits in adjacent saline playa basin in the studied areas. Effects of earth surface processes including erosion, deposition and other processes on sediment properties will bias the hydrological implications of sediment salinity.     

乌鲁木齐河流域的黄土研究

本文较详细地论述了乌鲁木齐河流域的黄土,对部分黄土样品进行了粒度分析和矿物鉴定,利用¹⁴C和热释光方法做了年龄测定,指出这个地区的黄土大部分是在晚更新世中晚期干旱、寒冷的气候条件下形成的,与马兰黄土相当,有一些后来受流水改造成为次生黄土。分布在河源末次冰期冰碛上的黄土主要形成于全新世,属于天山“托木尔型”黄土。     

末次间冰期以来源自中亚的粉尘记录的对比

中亚干旱区是全球重要的粉尘源区, 粉尘经过不同的大气环流系统的搬运和具体的沉积条件, 在其传输路径上沉积于不同的介质中, 如冰芯、黄土、湖泊和深海. 在前人所做工作的基础上, 以古里雅冰芯、宝鸡黄土剖面、琵琶湖风尘沉积、北太平洋风尘沉积和格陵兰冰芯等记录进行对比, 初步讨论近130 ka BP以来上述记录所反映的中亚粉尘的产生、搬运和沉积. 这些记录既表现出一致性, 也存在某些差异, 显示了搬运过程、沉积过程以及区域性因素对粉尘记录的影响.     

黄土高原风尘沉积的物质来源研究:回顾与展望

黄土高原风尘沉积是青藏高原构造隆升和东亚季风系统共同影响下的产物。由于风尘物质的来源变化,不仅反映了亚洲内陆的干旱化过程,而且同过去大气环流格局变迁关系密切,因而,风尘物质来源的示踪一直是黄土研究的热点问题之一。文章首先回顾黄土来源的示踪方法、黄土物质的可能源区以及黄土物源在构造和轨道时间尺度上的变化特征3个方面取得的研究进展,然后探讨目前物源研究存在的问题及未来的研究展望。     

近13万年来黄土高原干湿气候的时空变迁

第四纪时期，黄土高原粉尘物质的搬运、沉积及其后的成土过程受控于干湿气候的变化。对黄土高原这一特定地区而言，风成沉积序列在地域上的差异主要与东亚地区的季风环流在时间和空间上的变化有关。本文的研究揭示出，近１３万年里，最为显著的成壤期有６期，与这６个成壤期对应的时段也应当是夏季风环流加强、气候温湿的时期；在空间上，全新世适宜期及末次间冰期中与深海氧同位素阶段５ａ，５ｃ，５ｅ对应的时期，夏季风足可以深入到毛乌素沙漠腹地，并具有占优势的环境效应。在阶段３的早、晚期及５ｂ时期夏季风虽然也能深入沙漠－黄土边界带，但其环境效应在黄土高原北部及毛乌素沙漠南缘已不再显著。在阶段２、阶段４及阶段３的中期夏季风已不能深入沙漠－黄土边界带。     

山东庙岛群岛全新世黄土

庙岛群岛横跨渤海海峡,在这些岛屿上发育了第四纪各个阶段的黄土地层。在该区的马兰黄土之上普遍发育了全新世黄土。两者间有一清楚的侵蚀面相隔。全新世早期以浅棕黄色的黄土为特征,粒度较粗,其堆积时间约在10000—8000aB.P.之间。黄土层底部有零星散布的海相砾石和海螺化石。全新世中期为黑垆土发育期,其时间从8000aB.P.持续到2500aB.P。黑垆土厚约1.5m。全新世晚期又以砂质黄土堆积为特征,厚约30cm。     

晚第四纪风尘物质成分的变化及其环境意义

对长武和宜川晚第四纪黄土-古土壤序列的高分辨率铁含量分析表明,不同时期的风尘在化学成分上具有较明显的区别。在排除成壤过程中CaCO₃淋溶和淀积的相对影响后,研究剖面的铁含量基本反映了原始风尘的铁含量。已有研究表明,西部源区的气溶胶和现代地表流沙中铁的相对含量显著高于东部源区。本文认为,风尘铁含量的变化反映了西部沙漠风尘对黄土堆积的相对贡献。由于西风带北支是西部源区风尘的主要搬运者,风尘中全铁含量可能反映了西风带北支气流的强度,并明显存在着千年尺度的变化。     

中国东部陆架黄土成因的新探索

晚更新世末期出露了的陆架平原成为北半球沙漠带的最东端,并在那里出现了面积不等的沙漠一黄土堆积系列。许多研究者已经发现陆架沙漠－黄土堆积群中普遍含有有孔虫、放射虫、海绿石和粒度组成较粗等特点,大多数黄土沉积都属于近源沉积,真正能随高空气流进行洲际输送的黄土物质,是一些非常细粒的尘埃。中更新世期间,苏北宿迁一带的第三纪紫红一红色粘土就已经出露地表,并经常受到风暴的侵蚀。当紫红－红色粘土被搬运到丘陵一带时,就形成了下蜀土沉积;当它落在湖相环境时,就形成了岩芯中所见到的杂色粘土。因此,下蜀土也属于近源沉积。     

晚更新世末期北方陆架区沙漠-黄土堆积群的初步研究

晚更新世末期,强劲古季风活动的结果,在中国西部形成沙漠-黄土堆积群(黄土高原及其以西或西北的沙漠区),当它到达陆架区以后,风蚀作用继续存在,会产生同样的地质效果,因而在中国东部陆架区,形成两个新的沙漠-黄土堆积群。其一为渤海沙漠-黄土堆积群,包括渤海海底、渤海海岸一带的古沙漠活动区和辽东半岛西岸、庙岛群岛以及山东蓬莱以西的含有孔虫的黄土沉积。其二为黄海沙漠-黄土堆积群,包括苏北浅滩和长江三角洲地区全新世以前的沙漠活动区和南京一带的下蜀黄土。      

黄土粉尘搬运过程的动力学物理模型

通过对黄土粉尘重力沉降过程的动力学分析,给出了黄土粉尘粒度分布的数学表达,讨论了粉尘沉积通量随搬运距离、粒径变化的物理过程,首次确定了估算粉尘搬运距离和风力强度的计算方法,为区分粉尘搬运距离和风力强度对粒度的影响及其它们在冰期间冰期中的差异提供了物理学的判别依据。分析结果表明： 1)在重力沉降作用下,粉尘沉降通量随搬运距离的变化服从几何分布,具有沉降通量随搬运距离的增加迅速减小,越粗的粉尘颗粒其沉降通量初值越大,同时下降速度也越迅速的特点; 2)如果用携粉尘气流的水平通量作代表风力强度,则粉尘搬运距离与粒度分布曲线上重力沉降部分最高点的粉尘沉降通量成反比,风力强度与该点对应粒径的平方和粉尘搬运距离成正比。因此,根据该点的粉尘沉降通量和对应粒径,可以估算粉尘的搬运距离和风力强度。根据上述理论对渭南阳郭中学S0～L1黄土－古土壤剖面进行了粉尘搬运距离和风力强度的估算： 首先,从粒度分布中提取出3个对数正态分布的独立组份; 然后利用粗粒组份的参数计算粉尘搬运距离和风力强度。分析结果表明粉尘搬运距离具有冰期近、间冰期远的特点,风力强度的变化则具有冰期弱、间冰期强的特点,LGM时段的风力强度比MIS 3阶段大,但小于全新世适宜期,而LGM时期粉尘搬运距离并未明显减小,因此,可能黄土粒度的变化并非反映了冬季风的变化,而是反映了夏季风的变化,夏季风是通过影响粉尘源区来影响粉尘粒度的变化。