大洋碳循环与气候演变的热带驱动

20世纪气候演变研究的最大突破,在于地球轨道变化驱动冰期旋回的米兰柯维奇理论。然而近年来学术界对热带过程和大气CO2浓度变化的研究进展,暴露了传统的轨道驱动理论存在着对低纬区和碳循环在全球气候系统中作用估计不足的严重缺陷。国家重点基础研究发展计划项目"大洋碳循环与气候演变的热带驱动"拟以南海与西太平洋暖池的深海记录为依据,进行全球性对比和跨越地球圈层的探索,通过观测分析结果与数值模拟的结合、地质记录与现代过程的结合,检验和论证大洋碳储库长周期变化机制的假说,对于不同时间尺度上低纬过程如何通过碳循环在全球气候环境演变中的作用,实现理论上的突破。同时简要介绍了该项目的目的、科学意义、关键科学问题及预期目标等。     

甘肃张掖白垩纪早Aptian期黑色页岩揭示的气候岁差驱动及其意义*

白垩纪中期是温室气候的典型代表,在该时期地球经历了深刻的环境变化。有研究表明白垩纪中期欧洲低纬(约20°~30°N)地区海相地层的黑色页岩呈现斜率信号,同一时期同样纬度的中国地区以陆相沉积为主,但陆相低纬黑色页岩的轨道尺度周期研究较少。因此本研究选择甘肃张掖南台子白垩纪早Aptian期下沟组黑色页岩(古纬度约23°N)作为研究对象,以CaCO₃含量作为高分辨率古气候替代性指标,利用平均频谱拟合差和年代标尺优化法分析了南台子早Aptian期下沟组黑色页岩段的轨道周期变化,并利用频谱分析方法对调谐后的时间域序列进行分析。结果显示南台子下沟组黑色页岩段以岁差周期为主导,与欧洲低纬地区相关研究显著不同。这一气候变化的探索不仅提供了中国西北地区白垩纪轨道尺度气候变化的新证据,而且也有助于更全面认识白垩纪中期低纬地区气候变化的驱动机制。     

甘肃张掖白垩纪早Aptian期黑色页岩揭示的气候岁差驱动及其意义*

白垩纪中期是温室气候的典型代表,在该时期地球经历了深刻的环境变化。有研究表明白垩纪中期欧洲低纬(约20°~30°N)地区海相地层的黑色页岩呈现斜率信号,同一时期同样纬度的中国地区以陆相沉积为主,但陆相低纬黑色页岩的轨道尺度周期研究较少。因此本研究选择甘肃张掖南台子白垩纪早Aptian期下沟组黑色页岩(古纬度约23°N)作为研究对象,以CaCO₃含量作为高分辨率古气候替代性指标,利用平均频谱拟合差和年代标尺优化法分析了南台子早Aptian期下沟组黑色页岩段的轨道周期变化,并利用频谱分析方法对调谐后的时间域序列进行分析。结果显示南台子下沟组黑色页岩段以岁差周期为主导,与欧洲低纬地区相关研究显著不同。这一气候变化的探索不仅提供了中国西北地区白垩纪轨道尺度气候变化的新证据,而且也有助于更全面认识白垩纪中期低纬地区气候变化的驱动机制。     

西太平洋暖池区古海洋学研究

热带西太平洋对现代全球气候系统有举足轻重的影响,其中"西太平洋暖池"区的变异对调节全球气候发挥着极为重要的作用。越来越多的证据表明在轨道—亚轨道尺度上暖池对全球古气候的变化也有着重要的调控作用,低纬热带西太平洋已成为近十几年来古海洋学研究的重点地区之一。从表层海水古温度和古生产力记录、千年尺度的快速气候变化、厄尔尼诺—南方涛动(El Nio-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)式变化以及暖池强弱变动及其位移等角度梳理了西太平洋暖池区古海洋学研究的现状,综述了目前对暖池区海洋环境演化及其气候效应的已有认识,针对目前暖池区古环境研究的状况探讨了未来工作中应重视的科学问题。     

甘肃西峰红粘土地层中蜗牛化石记录的古气候变化周期

米兰科维奇理论从地球轨道要素周期性变化驱动气候波动的角度出发,对第四纪时期古气候的周期性特征做出了成功的解释。近年来对更长尺度的贝加尔湖古气候记录的研究结果表明,晚中新世-上新世的气候变化具有40ka的周期性变化,气候环境演变和太阳辐射量的变化密切相关^[1,2]。古气候的周期性演化研究要求研究材料具有较准确的时间标尺、连续记录的地层和较高的样品分辨率。中国黄土高原地处中纬度地区,对太阳辐射的变化比较敏感,保存连续完整的晚第三纪风成沉积为研究长尺度的气候变化周期提供了可能,但限于一些气候代用指标在晚第三纪地层中的适用性,古气候变化周期方面的研究还比较少。蜗牛对气候的变化非常敏感,蜗牛化石是风成沉     

从晚古生代冰室到早中生代温室的气候转变:兼论东特提斯低纬区的沉积记录与响应

地球在晚古生代晚期—中生代早期经历最近一次从冰室到温室的气候转变,是理解未来地球冰川消融、全球变暖等气候转变的重要窗口。这一时期的沉积记录和气候模型研究揭示,冰川活动、大气pCO₂和气候状态间存在复杂的耦合和反馈机制,同时伴随发生陆表植被更替和生物迁移。随冰川消融、大气pCO₂升高和全球变暖,低纬大陆区干旱化趋势和季节性降雨增强,出现季风气候并在冰室之后的三叠纪温室盛行。华南和华北是位于东特提斯低纬区的主要大陆,其石炭—二叠系在沉积和生物特征上与Pangea超大陆西侧热带区差异显著,蕴含有丰富的深时气候变化信息。基于前人成果,在简述石炭—三叠纪全球气候变化的基础上,对东特提斯低纬区石炭—三叠纪沉积记录进行总结,阐明其深时古气候研究意义和研究前景。     

中亚黄土沉积与西风区末次冰期快速气候变化

气候快速变化过程与机制一直是古气候研究的热点科学问题,随着不同地区高分辨率地质记录的增多,年代学方法的改进,此类快速气候变化事件的区域差异性日益突出,对比和认识这些区域之间的变化细节,有助于认识快速气候变化的规律和驱动机制。文章以中亚黄土为主要研究对象,根据黄土沉积特征与现代气候特征,将中亚黄土分为西部、北部和东部3个亚区,在总结中亚西风区黄土古气候研究进展的基础上,回顾了近年来中亚地区末次冰期西风区气候突变事件研究现状与问题,初步探讨了在亚轨道尺度上末次冰期快速气候变化发生过程和机制。结果表明,粒度、矿物学、地球化学等指标均指示中亚这3个黄土亚区末次冰期确实存在千年尺度的快速气候波动信号,但在年代和变率上存在区域差异,这种差异除了缺乏精确的年代学控制外,还与区域水热组合和区域地形结构有关。这些冷暖的快速气候变化与北大西洋高纬地区冰盖收缩扩张、西伯利亚高压强度和范围的变化导致风动力变化和西风带南北迁移有关。今后需进一步加强高分辨率年代序列的建立,进一步遴选中亚黄土中有效的、能够独立反映风力强度、源区信息、古温度、古降水等代用指标,并结合古气候模拟试验研究其驱动机制。     

快速气候变化与高分辨率的深海沉积记录

通过高分辨率海洋古气候序列研究快速气候变化的机制是大洋钻探ODP及相关的国际海洋古全球变化研究IMAGES的重要贡献。研究发现,千年、百年尺度的古气候事件具有全球性,不仅见于冰芯和北大西洋高纬区,也发生在热带太平洋等其它海区和地球的其它部分;不仅见于末次冰期,也发生在全新世和早、中更新世。尽管这些快速气候变化的原因和机理尚无定论,但至少说明存在有别于冰期／间冰期冰盖体积变化的因素（如热带过程、太阳活动等）在起作用,从根本上改变了学术界对地球气候环境系统历史的认识。     

深海记录中的热带过程及其周期性

地球运行轨道参数包括偏心率、斜率和岁差, 在地质时期分别具有413ka和100ka、41ka、23ka和19ka的周期, 它决定地表太阳辐射在不同纬度和季节的周期性变化.太阳辐射变化中, 岁差周期最为明显, 斜率周期在中高纬度比较明显, 而偏心率周期本身作用微弱, 主要通过调控岁差周期的变幅影响气候.传统的地球轨道驱动理论认为, 北半球高纬的太阳辐射决定全球冰量和地表的气候变化, 轨道周期可能线性地反映到气候变化的周期中去.实际的深海记录反映的情况并非如此, 尤其在热带海区, 气候替代性指标的周期性与太阳辐射的周期性既存在相似性, 也存在较大区别.相似性在于, 热带海区的气候替代性指标均表现出较强的岁差和斜率周期, 而且通常情况下岁差周期的强度要高于斜率周期的强度, 说明热带海区的气候变化受控于岁差调控的太阳辐射的变化; 区别性在于, 热带海区气候替代性指标通常表现出较强的不容忽视的100ka、413ka的偏心率周期和10ka左右的半岁差周期, 而且100ka、413ka的偏心率周期还是季风系统的典型周期, 说明热带海区的气候变化并不是简单的线性响应太阳辐射的变化, 也不完全受北半球高纬的控制, 而是具有自身的特性.      

西藏昌都崩勒溶洞石笋7 ka BP以来高分辨δ18O、δ13C记录的气候变化

通过对青藏高原崩勒溶洞石笋进行高精度的230 Th测年和C、O同位素分析,建立了中全新世7ka BP以来西藏昌都地区高分辨率的古气候变化记录。石笋C、O同位素记录揭示出,西藏昌都地区中全新世(约7ka BP)以来的气候演化大致可分为3个气候阶段:7000~4500aBP为暖期阶段,气候总体处于高温暖湿,伴随缓慢降温;4500~2300aBP为降温期阶段,出现持续降温,气候变得干旱;2300aBP至今为升温期阶段,气温及降水均出现波动上升。石笋C、O同位素记录的研究结果表明,中全新世以来研究区存在高温暖湿、快速降温干旱以及后期气候强烈震荡升温的气候过程。通过与董歌洞石笋同位素记录对比表明,崩勒溶洞石笋δ18 O同位素曲线变化的斜率、震荡幅度都要明显高于董歌洞石笋记录,揭示出青藏高原东部季风区的气候波动与全球性冷暖变化具有一致性,但高原石笋同位素记录对气候变化更加敏感。昌都石笋同位素反映的气候变化趋势与低纬地区夏季太阳辐射强度变化正相关,表明太阳辐射强度变化是高原季风影响区气候变化的重要驱动因素。     

地球圈层相互作用中的深海过程和深海记录（II）：气候变化的热带驱动与碳循环

地球轨道变化驱动冰期旋回的理论是气候演变研究在20世纪的最大突破。然而以65°N太阳辐射量为准的传统轨道理论，忽视了低纬区和碳循环的作用。本项目以“西太平洋暖池”为重点，通过地质资料和气候数值模拟的结合，揭示了“西太平洋暖池”和东亚季风发育的阶段性，发现了暖池海区冰消期表层水升温超前于北半球冰盖的融化。在南沙海区发现了碳同位素有40~50万年长周期，经过全球对比和对意大利上新世地层的实测与分析，证明这是世界大洋碳储库对于地球运行轨道偏心率长周期的响应，并推测是通过浮游植物群改变有机碳在海洋碳沉积中的比例所致。研究表明热带驱动和碳循环在气候演变中重要性，其正确认识是预测气候长期演变趋势的前提。是“深海973”项目总结报道之后的续篇，对上述成果作专题讨论。     

新生代的气候节律:赤道太平洋IODP320、321航次

新生代以来,地表气候在大趋势上逐渐变冷,并呈现出冷暖交替的变化节律.影响气候变化的因素主要包括太阳辐射量和地内气候系统的反馈效应.揭示气候变化的最终规律需要更准确的天文计算和更长、更可靠的气候替代性指标的重建.综合大洋钻探计划IODP 320、321航次在东赤道太平洋钻取了一系列保存完好、连续的深海沉积钻孔,为揭示新生代气候演变的规律提供了良好的研究材料.从全球视野的角度研究古海洋学和古气候学问题是揭示气候演变规律的良好方法,值得中国研究者借鉴.     

A unified approach to orbital,solar, and lunar forcing based on the Earth’s latitudinal insolation/temperature gradient

Widespread empirical evidence suggests that extraterrestrial forcing influences the Earth’s climate, but how this could occur remains unclear. Here we describe a new approach to this problem that unifies orbital, solar and lunar forcing based on their common control of the Earth’s latitudinal insolation gradient (LIG). The LIG influences the climate system through differential solar heating between the tropics and the poles that gives rise to the latitudinal temperature gradient (LTG), which drives the Earth’s atmospheric and (wind driven) ocean circulation. We use spectral analysis of recent changes in the Earth’s LTG to support earlier work on orbital timescales (Davis and Brewer, 2009) that suggests the climate system may be unusually sensitive to changes in the LIG. Identification of LIG forcing of the LTG is possible because the LIG varies according to seasonally specific periodicities based on obliquity in summer (41 kyr orbital and 18.6 yr lunar cycle), and precession (21 kyr orbital cycle) and total solar irradiance (11 yr solar cycle) in winter. We analyse changes in the Northern Hemisphere LTG over the last 120 years and find significant (99%) peaks in spectral frequencies corresponding to 11 years in winter and 18.6 years in summer, consistent with LIG forcing. The cross-seasonal and multi-frequency nature of the LIG signal, and the diffuse effect of the LTG driver on the climate system may account for the complexity of the response to extraterrestrial forcing as seen throughout the climatic record. This hypersensitivity of the LTG to the LIG appears poorly reproduced in climate models, but would be consistent with the controversial theory that the LTG is finely balanced to maximise entropy.     

晚古生代全球古气候特征及其研究方法

相对第四纪而言,人们对史前全球古气候的研究还比较薄弱,在方法学方面也需要进一步探讨。本文归纳了古气候演变原因,初步总结了全球晚古生代古气候特征,探讨了古气候的研究方法。一方面,可以据此进一步细化对史前古气候的研究,另一方面旨在古为今用,加强区域和全球不同尺度气候环境的预测,趋利避害,更好地服务于人类。     

Orbital forcing of climate over South Africa: A 200,000-year rainfall record from the pretoria saltpan

Late Pleistocene variations in rainfall in subtropical southern African are estimated from sediments preserved in the Pretoria Saltpan, a 200000 year-old closed-basin crater lake on the interior plateau of South Africa. We show that South African summer rainfall covaried with changes in southern hemisphere summer insolation resulting from orbital precession. As predicted by orbital precession geometry (Berger, 1978), this South African record is out of phase with North African palaeomonsoon indices (Street and Grove, 1979; Rossignol-Strick, 1983; McIntyre et al., 1989); the amplitude of the rainfall response to insolation forcing agrees with climate model estimates (Prell and Kutzbach, 1987). These results document the importance of direct orbital insolation forcing on both subtropical North and South African climate as well as the predicted antiphase sensitivity to precessional insolation forcing.     

古气候数值模拟:进展评述

数值模拟是古气候研究的一个重要内容。过去30年来,古气候数值模拟研究在相当程度上深化了我们对古气候变化机制的理解。在轨道尺度上,数值模拟证明了冰后期气候系统变化主要是对地球轨道参数变化的响应,同时揭示了温室气体、植被、海洋、冰盖等反馈因子的重要性。针对短尺度气候变化,数值模拟揭示出大洋传送带对北大西洋淡水注入的敏感性。在构造尺度上,数值模拟揭示了气候系统对于高原抬升、海道开合、大陆漂移导致的古地理变化、大气CO2浓度变化和太阳常数变化等的响应,揭示了气候系统突变对驱动因子阈值的敏感性。目前,古气候模拟研究中还存在分辨率不高、模拟结果与记录不完全吻合、模拟的边界条件不清楚等诸多问题。今后古气候模拟研究的改进有赖于模式的改进和计算机运算速度的提高,也有赖于对变化机制的更深理解和对边界条件更精确的重建。     

气候演变中的冰和碳

地质历史上充满着冰盖消长 (“暖室期”和“冰室期” ,“冰期”和“间冰期”)与大气CO2 增减的周期性变化 ,而两者之间的关系并不清楚。由于冰盖变化的地质标志比大气CO2 变化的标志容易认识 ,长期以来古气候研究侧重“冰” ,而对“碳”即碳循环的研究不足 ,通常将碳循环的变化解释为冰盖变化的结果。近年来越来越多的发现表明 ,单纯用水循环的物理过程不能解释冰盖演变的许多现象 ,而且大气CO2 变化往往领先于冰盖。揭示碳循环变化对冰盖演变的影响 ,认识生物地球化学过程在冰期旋回中的作用 ,将不同纬区对地球轨道驱动全球气候的影响区分开来 ,才有可能正确预测未来气候的演变方向。     

Orbital forcing recorded in subtidal cycles from a Lower Miocene siliciclastic–carbonate ramp system (Central Italy)

Metre-scale siliciclastic–carbonate cycles are the basic depositional motif of the lower Miocene Guadagnolo Formation outcropping in the central Apennines. The mechanisms which formed the mixed-lithology cycles are still a matter of debate. The mixed siliciclastic–carbonate system discussed in this paper provides a new case study to illustrate the role of orbital forcing in controlling the facies evolution and cyclic stacking of small-scale sequences deposited on the outer sector of a ramp. Two sections are discussed that display mixed siliciclastics and carbonates arranged in upward-shallowing cycles. Each cycle shows an upward decrease in the terrigenous input and a parallel increase in benthic fauna. Time-series analyses indicate the cyclic carbonate-terrigenous pattern to be largely controlled by orbital forcing in the Milankovitch frequency band. Coupling of climate change and sea-level fluctuations in tune with orbital cycles are proposed as driving mechanisms.     

Towards an understanding of the response of southern European vegetation to orbital and suborbital climate variability

In recent years, the generation of high-resolution terrestrial and marine long pollen sequences with improved chronological control has provided new insights into the vegetation response in southern Europe to orbital and suborbital climate variability. Here a synthesis of our current understanding of the phase and amplitude relationships between climate forcing and vegetation changes is presented. What emerges is that on orbital frequencies the timing of interglacial forest expansion is closely linked to the summer insolation maximum, but does not have a fixed lag relative to the mid-point of the deglaciation, which may vary from one Termination to another. For the closing phases of interglacials, the available evidence suggests that forest in southern Europe usually extends into the interval of ice growth. However, suborbital variability may override the diachronous relationship between glacial inception and forest decline, leading to a premature ending of forest periods. During glacial intervals, there is a close correspondence between tree-population size and ice volume extent, while during temperate intervals, the extent of forest development is closely related to the amplitude of insolation and associated climate regimes, but may diverge from the extent of residual ice volume. On suborbital frequencies, changes in tree-population size are in phase with climate forcing, while the amplitude of these changes is modulated by geographical position and local factors. Finally, orbital mean state can lead to the modulation of the amplitude of suborbital-scale variability. Examination of additional climatic cycles and increased resolution (better than 200 years) are needed to test further these preliminary conclusions.     

Mega-monsoon variability during the late Triassic: Re-assessing the role of orbital forcing in the deposition of playa sediments in the Germanic Basin

The formation of the supercontinent Pangaea during the Permo–Triassic gave rise to an extreme monsoonal climate (often termed ‘mega-monsoon’) that has been documented by numerous palaeo-records. However, considerable debate exists about the role of orbital forcing in causing humid intervals in an otherwise arid climate. To shed new light on the forcing of monsoonal variability in subtropical Pangaea, this study focuses on sediment facies and colour variability of playa and alluvial fan deposits in an outcrop from the late Carnian (ca 225 Ma) in the southern Germanic Basin, south-western Germany. The sediments were deposited against a background of increasingly arid conditions following the humid Carnian Pluvial Event (ca 234 to 232 Ma). The ca 2·4 Myr long sedimentary succession studied shows a tripartite long-term evolution, starting with a distal mud-flat facies deposited under arid conditions. This phase was followed by a highly variable playa-lake environment that documents more humid conditions and finally a regression of the playa-lake due to a return of arid conditions. The red–green (a*) and lightness (L*) records show that this long-term variability was overprinted by alternating wet/dry cycles driven by orbital precession and ca 405 kyr eccentricity, without significant influence of obliquity. The absence of obliquity in this record indicates that high-latitude forcing played only a minor role in the southern Germanic Basin during the late Carnian. This is different from the subsequent Norian when high-latitude signals became more pronounced, potentially related to the northward drift of the Germanic Basin. The recurring pattern of pluvial events during the late Triassic demonstrates that orbital forcing, in particular eccentricity, stimulated the occurrence and intensity of wet phases. It also highlights the possibility that the Carnian Pluvial Event, although most likely triggered by enhanced volcanic activity, may also have been modified by an orbital stimulus.