Last glacial terrestrial vegetation record of leaf wax n-alkanols in the northern South China Sea: Contrast to scenarios from long-chain n-alkanes

Long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes in core sediments from the northern South China Sea (SCS) were measured to make a comparison during terrestrial vegetation reconstruction from ~42 ka to ~7 ka. The results showed that terrestrial vegetation record from long-chain n-alkanes matched well with previous studies in nearby cores, showing that more C₄ plants developed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and C₃ plants dominated in the interglacial period. However, these scenarios were not revealed by terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanols, which showed C₃ plant expansion during the LGM. The discrepancy during the interglacial period could be attributed to the aerobic degradation of functionalized long-chain n-alkanols in the oxygen-rich bottom water, resulting in poor preservation of terrestrial vegetation signals. On the other hand, the different advantages of functionalized n-alkanols and non-functional n-alkanes to record local and distal vegetation signals, respectively, may offer a potential explanation for the contradiction during the LGM when the SCS was characterized by low-oxygen deep water. Nevertheless, large variations on n-alkyl lipid compositions in C₃/C₄ plants could play a part in modulating sedimentary long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes toward different vegetation signals, thereby suggesting that caution must be taken in respect to the terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanes and long-chain n-alkanols.     

Last glacial emplacement of methane-derived authigenic carbonates in the Sea of Japan constrained by diatom assemblage,carbon-14, and carbonate content

We studied diatom assemblages and CaCO₃ contents of methane-derived authigenic carbonates from the eastern margin of the Sea of Japan and assessed the formation time of these samples. Radioactive ¹⁴C date was determined in selected samples to obtain the maximum age of the time. The results of our study suggest mass formation of carbonate nodules in a glacial period within ∼40 ky, consistent with a published U/Th dating result of carbonate nodules in the study area. Diatom assemblages and contents in the carbonate nodules (abundance of ∼10⁶/g, dominance of neritic-littoral species, warm/cold water species ratio lower than ∼25) differ from the near-seafloor sediments in the study area, which have characteristics of Holocene sediments in the Sea of Japan, and suggest cementation of glacial sediments. Laminated sediments in some nodule samples are glacial sediments because laminations are records of a low sea level period in the semi-enclosed ocean. Similarity of diatom assemblages and contents in all carbonate samples is another evidence of glacial sediments in nodules. Glacial sediments with oceanic cold water species as low as Holocene sediments restricts the sediment age to before 20 cal. ky BP. Carbonate contents higher than 78 wt% suggest the cementation of poorly compacted sediments near the seafloor, and the date of carbonate cementation is, therefore, close to that of the cemented sediments. Most carbonate nodule samples in this study were formed in a glacial period and detection of ¹⁴C restricts this period to within ∼40 ky.     

The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) in PMIP2 simulations of the last glacial maximum

The increasing trend of the Southern Annular Mode （SAM） in recent decades has influenced climate change in the Southem Hemisphere （SH）.How the SAM will respond increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the future remains uncertain.Understanding the variability of the SAM in the past under a colder climate such as during the Last Glacial Maximum （LGM） might provide some understanding of the response of the SAM under a future warmer climate.We analyzed the changes in the SAM during the LGM in comparison to pre-industrial （PI） simulations using five coupled ocean-atmosphere models （CCSM,FGOALS,IPSL,MIROC,HadCM） from the second phase of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project （PMIP2）.In CCSM,MIROC,IPSL,and FGOALS,the variability of the simulated SAM appears to be reduced in the LGM compared to the PI simulations,with a decrease in the standard deviation of the SAM index.Overall,four out of the five models suggest a weaker SAM amplitude in the LGM consistent with a weaker SH polar vortex and westerly winds found in some proxy records and model analyses.The weakening of the SAM in the LGM was associated with an increase in the vertical propagation of Rossby waves in southern high latitudes.     

Bayesian modelling the retreat of the Irish Sea Ice Stream

We present an 8000‐year history spanning 650 km of ice margin retreat for the largest marine‐terminating ice stream draining the former British–Irish Ice Sheet. Bayesian modelling of the geochronological data shows the ISIS expanded 34.0–25.3 ka, accelerating into the Celtic Sea to reach maximum limits 25.3–24.5 ka before a collapse with rapid marginal retreat to the northern Irish Sea Basin (ISB). This retreat was rapid and driven by climatic warming, sea‐level rise, mega‐tidal amplitudes and reactivation of meridional circulation in the North Atlantic. The retreat, though rapid, is uneven, with the stepped retreat pattern possibly a function of the passage of the ice stream between normal and adverse ice bed gradients and changing ice stream geometry. Initially, wide calving margins and adverse slopes encouraged rapid retreat (～550 m a^?1) that slowed (～100 m a^?1) at the topographic constriction and bathymetric high between southern Ireland and Wales before rates increased (～200 m a^?1) across adverse bed slopes and wider and deeper basin configuration in the northern ISB. These data point to the importance of the ice bed slope and lateral extent in predicting the longer‐term (>1000 a) patterns and rates of ice‐marginal retreat during phases of rapid collapse, which has implications for the modelling of projected rapid retreat of present‐day ice streams. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of environmental magnetic measurements to validate the vertical extent of ice masses at the Last Glacial Maximum

Analysis of soil samples from above and below trimlines representing the upper limit of glacial erosion at the Last Glacial Maximum demonstrates that soils with prolonged weathering histories above such trimlines yield significantly different mineral magnetic signatures from soils below trimlines. The nature of the contrast is conditioned by lithology. Basalt soils above the trimline yield significantly higher values of concentration‐dependent magnetic parameters (χ, χ_arm, IRM_3T, soft IRM and hard IRM) than those below the trimline, due probably to transformation of non‐magnetic iron‐bearing minerals into magnetic forms. Conversely, for sandstone soils most magnetic parameters yield significantly lower values for above‐trimline samples, probably reflecting loss of ferrimagnetic minerals by dissolution and oxidation to aniferrimagnetic forms. These significant contrasts represent a new approach to validating high‐level weathering limits as periglacial trimlines cut at the Last Glacial Maximum. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards a climate event stratigraphy for New Zealand over the past 30 000 years (NZ‐INTIMATE project)

It is widely recognised that the acquisition of high‐resolution palaeoclimate records from southern mid‐latitude sites is essential for establishing a coherent picture of inter‐hemispheric climate change and for better understanding of the role of Antarctic climate dynamics in the global climate system. New Zealand is considered to be a sensitive monitor of climate change because it is one of a few sizeable landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere westerly circulation zone, a critical transition zone between subtropical and Antarctic influences. New Zealand has mountainous axial ranges that amplify the climate signals and, consequently, the environmental gradients are highly sensitive to subtle changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Since 1995, INTIMATE has, through a series of international workshops, sought ways to improve procedures for establishing the precise ages of climate events, and to correlate them with high precision, for the last 30 000 calendar years. The NZ‐INTIMATE project commenced in late 2003, and has involved virtually the entire New Zealand palaeoclimate community. Its aim is to develop an event stratigraphy for the New Zealand region over the past 30 000 years, and to reconcile these events against the established climatostratigraphy of the last glacial cycle which has largely been developed from Northern Hemisphere records (e.g. Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Termination I, Younger Dryas). An initial outcome of NZ‐INTIMATE has been the identification of a series of well‐dated, high‐resolution onshore and offshore proxy records from a variety of latitudes and elevations on a common calendar timescale from 30 000 cal. yr BP to the present day. High‐resolution records for the last glacial coldest period (LGCP) (including the LGM sensu stricto) and last glacial–interglacial transition (LGIT) from Auckland maars, Kaipo and Otamangakau wetlands on eastern and central North Island, marine core MD97‐2121 east of southern North Island, speleothems on northwest South Island, Okarito wetland on southwestern South Island, are presented. Discontinuous (fragmentary) records comprising compilations of glacial sequences, fluvial sequences, loess accumulation, and aeolian quartz accumulation in an andesitic terrain are described. Comparisons with ice‐core records from Antarctica (EPICA Dome C) and Greenland (GISP2) are discussed. A major advantage immediately evident from these records apart from the speleothem record, is that they are linked precisely by one or more tephra layers. Based on these New Zealand terrestrial and marine records, a reasonably coherent, regionally applicable, sequence of climatically linked stratigraphic events over the past 30 000 cal. yr is emerging. Three major climate events are recognised: (1) LGCP beginning at ca. 28 000 cal. yr BP, ending at Termination I, ca. 18 000 cal. yr BP, and including a warmer and more variable phase between ca. 27 000 and 21 000 cal. yr BP, (2) LGIT between ca. 18 000 and 11 600 cal. yr BP, including a Lateglacial warm period from ca. 14 800 to 13 500 cal. yr BP and a Lateglacial climate reversal between ca. 13 500 and 11 600 cal. yr BP, and (3) Holocene interglacial conditions, with two phases of greatest warmth between ca. 11 600 and 10 800 cal. yr BP and from ca. 6 800 to 6 500 cal. yr BP. Some key boundaries coincide with volcanic tephras. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Luminescence dating reveals a rapid response to climate change of fluvial terrace formation along the Ani River,northeastern Japan,during the last glacial period

Fluvial terraces along the middle reaches of many Japanese rivers were formed during the last glacial period as a result of changes in sediment discharge related to cooler temperatures and/or reduced water discharge because of lower precipitation. The influence of climate change on these fluvial terraces is not yet fully understood because most previous studies lacked detailed reconstructions of the chronology of terrace development. This study provides a detailed luminescence chronology of fluvial terrace deposits along the Ani River, northeastern Honshu, Japan, and compares that chronology to paleoclimatic records. Eight samples for luminescence dating were obtained from an outcrop of terrace deposits (∼10 m thick) in the Ani River valley. The fading-corrected infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) ages are consistent with the fading-corrected post-IR IRSL ages for some samples, which suggests that fading corrections were effective despite the higher fading rates of the IRSL signal. However, for the other samples, the post-IR IRSL ages are significantly older than the fading-corrected IRSL ages due to incomplete bleaching. The pulsed IRSL signals are close to field saturation for older samples, which might have resulted in a greater variation of the ages. Fading-corrected IRSL ages demonstrate periods of rapid aggradation during 105–90 ka and 75–60 ka. Comparison of terrace development with paleoclimatic records indicates that the two periods of fluvial deposition correspond to decreases in precipitation caused by weakened East Asian summer monsoon precipitation and possibly decreases in temperature. The results of this study show that the Ani River responded rapidly to climate change on a time scale of a few tens of thousands of years during the last glacial period.     

Push moraines in the upper valley of Santa Cruz river,southwest Argentina. Structural analysis and relationship with Late Pleistocene paleoclimate

The upper cliff of the Santa Cruz River was used to assess the proglacial environments of the Argentino Glacier outlet of Late Pleistocene age. These cliffs show glaciolacustrine, fluvioglacial and till deposits, where only the first one are deformed. Glacial landforms in the area and these structures suggest that the ice mass advanced, topographically controlled, towards the east from the Patagonian Ice Sheet pushing up the proglacial sediments.The spatial arrangement of thrusts and overturned folds, the drumlins-flutes moraine directions and the end moraines shape, allow inferring the dynamic and the Argentino glacier profile. Detailed analyses of the glaciotectonic structures indicate that these have two origins: load in the north with stress transfer to the southeast, and push from the west. Through the analysis of deformed sediments, their thickness and their sedimentary and structural features, three zones of deformations were recognized. Each of these zones was associated to glacial advances because of changes of the regional climate conditions.     

南海北部天然气水合物远景区末次冰期以来底栖有孔虫稳定同位素特征及其影响因素

底栖有孔虫碳同位素负偏移是地质记录中天然气水合物释放的重要证据之一.对南海北部西沙海槽和东沙陆坡等天然气水合物远景区XH-27PC和DS-4PC柱状样分别进行顶空气甲烷含量分析、有机碳含量分析、粒度分析和有孔虫氧碳同位素分析.结合碳酸盐含量及AMS 14C测年,揭示研究区末次冰期以来底栖有孔虫的稳定同位素特征.结果显示:西沙海槽BSR区沉积物中甲烷含量较低;底栖有孔虫碳同位素负偏不明显,与顶空气甲烷含量呈弱正相关(R=0.32),与有机碳含量有强负相关(R=-0.82),说明低通量甲烷不足以引起底栖有孔虫碳同位素显著偏移,在无甲烷或甲烷轻微渗漏的环境中有机碳的厌氧氧化是影响底栖有孔虫碳同位素组成的主要因素.东沙陆坡BSR区沉积物中含有大量的甲烷气体;底栖有孔虫氧同位素记录在末次冰期异常偏重,可能与天然气水合物的分解释放有关;同时可识别出多期碳同位素快速负偏事件,其成因很可能是末次冰期海平面下降导致海底沉积物的温度、压力条件发生变化,从而引发水合物甲烷失稳分解,底栖有孔虫吸收富12C的甲烷源碳致使壳体碳同位素负偏移.     

Last Glacial Maximum Sea Surface Temperatures: A Model-Data Comparison

In this study,the authors investigated changes in Last Glacial Maximum(LGM)sea surface temperature(SST)simulated by the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project(PMIP)multimodels and reconstructed by the Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean Surface(MARGO)project,focusing on model-data comparison.The results showed that the PMIP models produced greater ocean cooling in the North Pacific and Tropical Ocean than the MARGO,particularly in the northwestern Pacific,where the modeldata mismatch was larger.All the models failed to capture the anomalous east-west SST gradient in the North Atlantic.In addition,large discrepancies among the models were observed in the mid-latitude ocean,particularly with models in the second phase of the PMIP.Although these models showed better agreement with the MARGO,the latest models in the third phase of the PMIP did not show substantial progresses in simulating LGM ocean surface conditions.That is,improvements in the modeling community are still needed to describe SST for a better understanding of climate during the LGM.