Luminescence chronology of the Upper Pleistocene loess record at Kurtak in M iddle Siberia

The loess/palaeosol sequence of Kurtak, situated at the western bank of the upper Yenisei in Middle Siberia, represents one of the best developed Middle and Upper Pleistocene sediment records in Yenisei Siberia. More than 40 m thick loess and loess-like sediments intercalated by at least four pedocomplexes are exposed at a steep erosional slope at the bank of the Krasnoyarsk Water Reservoir. Infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dating techniques have been applied on 38 fine grain samples from the upper 23 m of the profile, representing the penultimate and last interglacial–glacial cycle. The IRSL and TL age estimates are in good agreement with the geological estimates up to the last interglacial soil horizon (oxygen isotope substage (OIS) 5e). The luminescence ages show that the lowermost truncated palaeosol of kastanosjem-type is likely to have formed during the penultimate interglacial upon subaerial deposits. Three weak reddish brown palaeosols intercalated by reworked loess-like sediments correlate with early Upper Pleistocene interstadials (OIS5dion of -a), and a succession of humic horizons alternated by cryoturbation processes (Kurtak pedocomplex) is linked with OIS 3. Thick loess deposits between the pedocomplexes show now significant age increase with depth, indicating high accumulation rates at around 23 ka (OIS 2) and 60 ka (OIS 4).     

Landscape development in response to climatic change during Oxygen Isotope Stage 5 in the southern Siberian loess region

Two high-resolution loess-palaeosol sections from the Ob Loess Plateau (Iskitim) and the Minusinsk Basin (Kurtak 33) provide new detailed information on the last interglacial climate variations and landscape development in the parkland-steppe zone of southern Siberia. The complete last interglacial sensu lato (130-74 ka BP) records of the two sites, documented by magnetic susceptibility, grain-size, CaCO ₃ and organic carbon content as proxy climatic data, and supplemented by thin-section studies, indicate several short warm and very cold intervals correlated with OIS 5e-5a. A strongly continental warm climate culminated around the peak of the last interglacial sensu stricto (OIS 5e) and cooler conditions occurred during the following interstadial stages (OIS 5c and 5a), corresponding to shifts in palaeolandscape development with gradual replacement of parkland-steppe and mixed southern taiga by boreal forest. During stadial stages (OIS 5d and 5b), the palaeolandscape was transformed into a cold arid periglacial tundra-steppe. Evidence for a major cooling in Siberia during OIS 5d, corroborating the palaeolimnological record from Lake Baikal, is provided by deep frost-wedge casts distorting the OIS 5e chernozemic palaeosol, suggesting formation of permafrost shortly after the last interglacial climatic optimum. The pedosedimentary record, reflecting the effects of syndepositional pedogenic processes, attests to a dynamic climate pulsation during the last interglacial stage.     

陇西黄土高原马兰黄土划分与末次冰期气候快速变化研究

陇西黄土高原马兰黄土内存在９个弱成壤组（层），记录末次冰期内多达２２个间冰段气候的环境状况。马兰黄土中部古土壤是末次冰期大间冰段的记录，共有上、中、下３层古土壤，含１１个亚层，尤以下层古土壤发育最好，表明当时气候较温暖湿润。     

中国黄土研究新进展 (二)古气候与全球变化

本文扼要介绍最近几年来在中国黄土高分辨率气候地层、第四纪古气候演化型式以及冷期和暖期中黄土高原古气候空间格局研究方面的一些新进展。根据土壤地层学与地球化学、地球物理学手段的结合,2.5 Ma来的中国黄土系列可划分出37个大的气候旋回,其中含74个气候阶段,这74个气候阶段又可细分为110个次级阶段。第四纪气候振荡的幅度受气候周期长短所控制。从冷期到暖期的气候转换具有突变性,从暖期到冷期的气候转换具有渐变性。冷期堆积的黄土与暖期形成的土壤在性状上都有地带性分布的特征。     

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。     

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。     

Middle to Late Pleistocene loess record in eastern Nebraska,USA, and implications for the unique nature of Oxygen Isotope Stage 2

New subsurface data reveal a nearly continuous stratigraphic record of Middle to Late Pleistocene loess sedimentation preserved beneath upland summits in eastern Nebraska, USA. Thickness and grain size trends, as well as pedologic evidence, indicate significant changes in loess sources, accumulation rates, and depositional environments. The newly defined Kennard Formation accumulated in the Middle Pleistocene, and may represent multiple thin increments of distal loess from nonglacial sources on the Great Plains. The overlying Loveland Loess, up to 18 m thick and deposited during Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 (OIS 6) (Illinoian glaciation), probably records the emergence of the Missouri River valley as a major glaciogenic loess source. The prominent Sangamon Geosol formed through long-term pedogenic alteration of the upper Loveland Loess during OIS 5 and 4. Thin loess of the Gilman Canyon Formation records slow loess accumulation and pedogenic alteration in OIS 3. The Peoria Loess (OIS 2) is similar in thickness to Loveland Loess, but may have accumulated more rapidly in an environment less favorable to bioturbation. More importantly, comparison of Peoria and Loveland loess thickness trends indicates much greater influx of nonglaciogenic loess from the Great Plains during OIS 2 than in OIS 6, suggesting colder and/or drier conditions in the Midcontinent during OIS 2 than in earlier glacial stages.     

Composition,properties and radiocarbon age of humus in paleosols

The paper presents methods for the study of the organic matter content (OM) of Pleistocene and Holocene paleosols. Paleosols of various age from the Russian Plain and Western Siberia were studied for their humus composition and physico-chemical properties. The permanent features of humus in paleosols useful for paleogeographical reconstruction and geoecological monitoring are separated from those criteria which are typical of the natural evolution of OM on the geological timescale.     

黄土高原全新世黄土-古土壤演替及气候演变的再研讨

文章从黄土-古土壤的演替规律、黄土再沉积与古土壤埋藏后的次生成壤特殊性,揭示了第四纪生物气候演变的实质。对黄土高原具代表性的现代耕种土壤壤土和黑垆土的研究,揭示了土壤剖面内伏形成环境较现代暖湿的古土壤层;对于土壤剖面上部的覆盖层,证实不仅是人为施加土粪的堆积物,且包含新的黄土沉积物;从土壤发生学观点,埃土与黑垆土称之耕种埋藏型古土壤较合适;通过分辨古土壤剖面层内干旱草原和暖湿型森林植被孢粉共存的矛盾实质,证实黄土高原全新世曾存在茂密的森林和森林草原植被及森林型土壤的发育,并延续到人类历史时期。在第四纪研究中,通常把黑垆土作为全新世代表地层,以S0表示,我们的研究补充提出,根据黄土高原生物气候地带性的分异规律,自南而北,S0应以埃土与黑垆土分别表示,并应在S0层上部划分出Lx,说明气候冷干化的趋向及新一轮黄土沉积期已悄然来临。以上问题的再研讨,对第四纪生态环境演变和当前黄土高原生态环境建设的战略部署,具有重要的理论和实际意义。     

The rare earth element compositions of sediments from the loess tableland in the Liyang Plain,southern China: implications for provenance and weathering intensity

To identify the weathering intensity and to deduce the provenance of sediments (black-brown soil and loess) from the loess tableland in the Liyang Plain is of great importance for understanding the development and origin of civilization of this critical region in China. The geochemical results show similar REE distribution patterns among sediments sampled from the YC profile in the Liyang Plain, reticulated red soils from the Dongting lake area, Xiashu loess in Zhenjiang, and loess from the Loess Plateau in China. These similarities imply a single provenance, from dust storms. REEs, especially the LREE/HREE ratio and Eu anomaly, can trace weathering intensity. Higher LREE/HREE ratios, and remarkably Eu anomalies, are present in the top loess (L₀), Lower LREE/HREE ratios and insignificant Eu anomalies are present in black-brown soil (S₀*) from the Liyang Plain. These demonstrate that the black-brown soils have undergone a lower intensity of weathering than the loess of YC profile. Moreover, CIA values for sediments from the YC profile provide powerful evidence to support the above result. Comparisons of analyses of the REE contents of sediments from the YC profile, of reticulated red soils from the Dongting Lake area, Xiashu loess from the Yangtze River, and loess from the Loess Plateau, clearly show the weathering intensity decreases according to the following sequence: reticulated red soil from the Dongting Lake area > sediments of YC profile from the Liyang Plain, which formed from dust storms ≈ Xiashu loess from lower reach of the Yangtze River > loess from the Loess Plateau.     

中国黄土中古土壤的发生学研究

应用形态学、微形态学、化学和矿物学研究了中国黄土中古土壤的发生学性状和成土过程。离石黄土(中更新世)中古土壤为发育程度(碳酸盐淋溶和粘化)不同的褐土型土壤。马兰黄土(晚更新世)中为生草过程强和粘化过程稍弱的灰褐土型土壤。全新世黄土中为碳酸盐淋溶和粘化过程均弱的弱度发育的碳酸盐灰褐土型土壤。午城黄土(早更新世)中可能是棕褐土。本文还探讨了黄土中古土壤在时间和空间上的演替和分类问题。     

Paleorainfall Reconstructions from Pedogenic Magnetic Susceptibility Variations in the Chinese Loess and Paleosols

The rock magnetic properties of the Chinese loess and paleosols constitute a unique and sensitive record of East Asian paleoclimate through the Quaternary Period. Systematic variations in the concentration and grain size of the magnetic minerals in these sediments have produced systematic variations in the magnetic susceptibility signal, which can be easily and rapidly measured at many sites across the Loess Plateau. Variations in many other rock magnetic properties can be used to identify the key shifts in ferrimagnetic grain size, but magnetic susceptibility alone is sufficiently sensitive to record stadial and interstadial climate stages, as well as glaciations and interglaciations. Past changes in rainfall and monsoon activity for this region are reconstructed from the susceptibility variations. The susceptibility record is calibrated using the modern relationship between rainfall and pedogenic susceptibility on the Loess Plateau. Our rainfall reconstructions identify enhanced summer monsoonal activity in the Chinese Loess Plateau region in the early Holocene and the last interglaciation. In the presently semiarid western area of the plateau, annual precipitation in interglacial times was up to 80% higher than at present; in the more humid southern and eastern areas, values were up to 20% higher than today's levels. During the last glaciation, precipitation decreased across the entire plateau, typically by 25%. The relationship between pedogenic susceptibility, climate, and weathering age was examined over the Northern Hemisphere temperate zone and the observed positive correlation between rainfall and susceptibility indicates that climate, rather than soil age, is the predominant factor that controls pedogenic susceptibility enhancement in loess soils.     

Sources and paleoclimatic significance of Holocene Bignell Loess, central Great Plains, USA

This paper reexamines the stratigraphy, sources, and paleoclimatic significance of Holocene Bignell Loess in the central Great Plains. A broadly similar sequence of loess depositional units and paleosols was observed in thick Bignell Loess sections up to 300 km apart, suggesting that these sections record major regional changes in the balance between dust deposition and pedogenesis. New optical ages, together with previously reported radiocarbon ages, indicate Bignell Loess deposition began 9000–11,000 yr ago and continued into the late Holocene; some Bignell Loess is <1000 yr old. There is little evidence that Holocene Loess was derived from flood plain sources, as previously proposed. Instead, thick Bignell Loess occurs mainly near the downwind margins of inactive dune fields, particularly atop escarpments facing the dunes. Thus, the immediate loess source was dust produced when the dunes were active. Previous work indicates that widespread episodes of dune activity are likely to have resulted from drier-than-present climatic conditions. The regionally coherent stratigraphy of Bignell Loess can be interpreted as a near-continuous record of climatically driven variation in dune field activity throughout the Holocene.     

中国黄土中的风化壳研究

据野外调查和室内鉴定,在布容期 0.78～ 0MaBP形成的黄土剖面中确定了三个时期的风化壳,它们主要发育在黄土高原东南部。黄土中的风化壳是红褐色古土壤在特定的气候条件下转变而成的,厚度在 3～ 6m之间,风化壳剖面常由 3个层次构成,发育时间为 5～ 10万年不等。风化壳上部是发育好的红色古土壤,中部是褐黄色强风化破碎黄土,下部是棕黄色弱风化黄土。粘土矿物分析表明,黄土中的风化壳为伊利石-蒙脱石型。黄土中风化壳发育时的年均降水量在 90 0～ 10 0 0mm之间,是黄土高原降水丰富的气候事件的显示。黄土高原东南部和中部风化壳的发育证明黄土中有些古土壤确属淋溶型森林土壤,当时亚热带气候至少迁移到了黄土高原中部.     

Holocene loess deposition and soil formation as competing processes, Matanuska Valley, southern Alaska

Although loess–paleosol sequences are among the most important records of Quaternary climate change and past dust deposition cycles, few modern examples of such sedimentation systems have been studied. Stratigraphic studies and 22 new accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon ages from the Matanuska Valley in southern Alaska show that loess deposition there began sometime after 6500 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and has continued to the present. The silts are produced through grinding by the Matanuska and Knik glaciers, deposited as outwash, entrained by strong winds, and redeposited as loess. Over a downwind distance of 40 km, loess thickness, sand content, and sand-plus-coarse-silt content decrease, whereas fine-silt content increases. Loess deposition was episodic, as shown by the presence of paleosols, at distances >10 km from the outwash plain loess source. Stratigraphic complexity is at a maximum (i.e., the greatest number of loesses and paleosols) at intermediate (10–25 km) distances from the loess source. Surface soils increase in degree of development with distance downwind from the source, where sedimentation rates are lower. Proximal soils are Entisols or Inceptisols, whereas distal soils are Spodosols. Ratios of mobile CaO, K₂O, and Fe₂O₃ to immobile TiO₂ show decreases in surface horizons with distance from the source. Thus, as in China, where loess deposition also takes place today, eolian sedimentation and soil formation are competing processes. Study of loess and paleosols in southern Alaska shows that particle size can vary over short distances, loess deposition can be episodic over limited time intervals, and soils developed in stabilized loess can show considerable variability under the same vegetation.     

黄土中蜗牛壳Mn^2＋的EPR研究及其古气候意义

对黄土高原陕西省洛川和甘肃省西峰剖面中黄土－古土壤层中的蜗牛壳进行了EPR波谱分析，同时对洛川地区的现代蜗牛壳也进行了测定。结果显示：（1）不同种类的蜗牛壳具有相近的EPR信号强度，表明不同种类的蜗牛对Mn^2+的吸收没有差异性。（2）黄土层中蜗牛壳的EPR信号强度远大于占土壤中的，即黄土中蜗牛壳所含的Mn^2+远大于古土壤中的蜗牛壳的Mn^2+的含量，说明前者生活在比较还原的条件下，后者形成环境的氧化性较高。因此本认为为蜗牛壳中Mn^2+的含量可反映其生长环境中Mn^2+的含量和氧化还原条件，对古气候的重建具有重要意义。     

Microstructure characteristics and forming environment of late Quaternary Period loess in the Loess Plateau of China

Since the late Quaternary Period, the rapid rising of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has greatly changed the East Asian climate and formed different regional monsoon climates. Various microstructures of the loess in northern China have formed under a variety of climatic conditions. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy spectrum analysis are used in this paper to study the relationship between the indexes of loess microstructures and the forming climates, and the indexes include the diameter of sand grains, Ca/Fe value and the characteristic shapes of the loess from SEM microstructures pictures. In terms of their respective climatic circumstances, the major microstructures of regional loess may be classified into nine categories according to their forms and particle sizes, such as loess formed in near-sand source, loess of granule sand dropping, and loess formed in hot and rainy places, i.e. with the loess SEM pictures, climates of about 15 ka b.p. in different places may be evaluated. In conclusion, the clear and distinguishable loess microstructures and their indexes in the Loess Plateau of China can also deduce the evolution of climate, such as warm or cold and wet or dry, and even sandstorm activities when the loess is deposited.     

黄土高原的地理信息系统(GIS)试研究

黄土高原水土流失举世瞩目,现在的侵蚀继承和发展了古代的侵蚀,受自然和社会双重因素制约.随着人类社会进步和历史演进,自然与社会因子影响侵蚀的比例不断发生改变.本文从数字黄土高原的角度研究黄土的分布特征和堆积、侵蚀过程,建立了地貌、地质、黄土剖面、水文等空间数据库,研制数字黄土分布图件,展示黄土分布特点,构建黄土的三维分布模型,模拟主要地质时期黄土分布,探讨了侵蚀过程和人类活动对侵蚀的影响.     

最近130ka来黄土物质化学风化的空间观察

选取黄土高原48个末次间冰期以来沉积剖面中的248个黄土、古土壤和弱发育土壤层的代表性样品,对它们的酸不溶物进行了主量元素的分析。结果表明,在已有的几个不受粒度影响的化学风化指标中,(CaO MgO Na2O)/TiO2比值对气候条件变化具有相对较高的敏感性,且受沉积速率的影响较小。在源区风化状况相对稳定的前提下,它是一个反映夏季风变化较为有效的指标。根据该指标在黄土高原上的空间等值线图,发现其从北到南间冰期的变幅大于冰期,这可能表明间冰期时夏季风降水在黄土高原的变化梯度要大于冰期。     

川西高原甘孜黄土地层学

本文初步研究了甘孜黄土地层，实测了甘孜县城西南郊新市区和满地两剖面，它们分别厚２３．７ｍ和２６．０ｍ。根据岩性、磁性地层特征、磁化率、ＣａＣＯ３质量分数测定和热释光测年结果，甘孜黄土可划分为冰后期Ｓ０复合古土壤，末次冰期Ｌ１复合黄土和末次间冰期Ｓ１复合古土壤等３个地层单位。布莱克反向极性亚时记录于底部Ｓ１ＬＬ１黄土中。甘孜黄土沉积始于晚更新世早期，大约为１２０ｋａＢＰ。甘孜黄土的磁化率变化反映了最近１２０ｋａ来的高原季风演化和气候环境变迁，６个磁化率高值段指示了６个夏季风环流增强的时段，６个磁化率低值段则