Climatic influence upon early to mid‐Holocene fire regimes within temperate woodlands: a multi‐proxy reconstruction from the New Forest,southern England

A combined pollen, charcoal and climatic record is presented from Cranes Moor, southern England, covering the period c. 10 500–5850 cal a BP. It is shown that the occurrence of burning is closely related to natural processes, including prevailing climatic conditions and vegetation composition. These burning events are often linked to an increase in the summer moisture deficit, implying that the timing of burning events is linked to periods of warmer/drier climate during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (c. 11 000–5000 cal a BP). These events play an important role in the vegetation composition and succession around the site. The nature of the burning recorded at the site shows strong similarities with other records from northern Europe. This study throws caution on suggestions that fire in the Holocene record from areas such as the British Isles is linked only to human activity, and enhances the possibility that natural fire incidence played an important role in natural woodland structure dynamics.     

新疆于田阿什库勒火山群若干新的野外地质证据

位于青藏高原北缘的新疆于田阿什库勒火山群地区是中国大陆现代火山和地震活动最活跃的构造区之一,是研究青藏高原演化的重要窗口,但由于地处高海拔(4700~5600m.a.s.l.)无人区,研究程度还很低,甚至还不曾开展过系统详细的野外地质调查。本文报道最近在这一地区的一次野外考察结果,在前人鲜为涉足的阿什库勒盆地北部发现了苏贝稀1号、苏贝稀2号和托甫热三个火山口,并且在前人有争议的盆地南部高台山地区找到确凿的证据,重新认定高台山火山的存在。我们还在高台山和椅子山火山之间考察了前人未曾报道的小黑沟火山。由小黑沟流向乌鲁克库勒湖的火山熔岩流动和冷却过程中形成的熔岩冢等火山地质景观在严酷的荒漠环境中迄今仍然保存完好,表明小黑山火山很可能是一座全新世的火山,是本次考察到的最年轻的火山。     

白洋淀地区晚冰期以来的气候和环境演变

华北平原晚冰期以来气候环境演变研究对该地区社会发展、灾害风险评估和科学应对未来全球增温背景下极端降水和洪涝事件具有重要意义。本文以华北平原中部白洋淀地区高阳剖面（BG-2019）为研究对象,通过高精度AMS¹⁴C、OSL定年技术和高分辨率孢粉组合、粒度组分分析,恢复和重建了白洋淀地区晚冰期以来（距今13710 a—今）区域植被演替和气候环境变化历史。结果显示：BG-2019剖面在距今10270~13710 a和距今4630~5400 a发育湖相沉积,距今3470~3700 a发育沼泽相沉积;距今7130~8000 a发育河流—入湖三角洲相沉积,距今3700~4630 a和距今3230~3470 a发育河流相沉积;距今8000~10270 a和距今5400~7130 a存在明显的沉积间断/地层缺失;表明采样剖面所在位置缺乏连续的湖相地层。晚冰期白洋淀为局地小湖沼;中全新世湖沼较发育、范围广,但也不是连续广袤的湖相沉积;晚全新世湖泊范围收缩。晚冰期和全新世白洋淀流域植被景观存在显著差异;晚冰期气候寒冷干燥,平原发育以蒿属、藜亚科、禾本科和菊科等为主的草地,周围山地森林覆盖度低;中全新世气候温暖湿润,平原大部仍发育以蒿属、藜亚科和禾本科为主的草地,湖区水蕨和水生植物繁盛,周围山地生长松属、栎属为主的针阔混交林,森林覆盖度增高;晚全新世气候温和偏干,平原仍是以蒿属、藜亚科和禾本科等为主的草地,西部山地生长以松属为主的针阔混交林,森林覆盖度较高。     

Timing and extent of Holocene glaciations in the monsoon dominated Dunagiri valley (Bangni glacier), Central Himalaya,India

Field stratigraphy and optical and radiocarbon dating of lateral moraines in the monsoon dominated Dunagiri valley of the Central Himalaya provide evidence for three major glaciations during the last 12 ka. The oldest and most extensive glaciation, the Bangni Glacial Stage-I (BGS-I), is dated between 12 and 9 ka, followed by the BGS-II glaciation (7.5 and 4.5 ka) and the BGS-III glaciation (∼1 ka). In addition, discrete moraine mounds proximal to the present day glacier snout are attributed to the Little Ice Age (LIA). BGS-I started around the Younger Dryas (YD) cooling event and persisted till the early Holocene when the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) strengthened. The less extensive BGS-II glaciation, which occurred during the early to mid-Holocene, is ascribed to lower temperature and decreased precipitation. Further reduction in ice volume during BGS-III is attributed to a late Holocene warm and moist climate. Although the glaciers respond to a combination of temperature and precipitation changes, in the Dunagiri valley decreased temperature seems to be the major driver of glaciations during the Holocene.     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater from the two main aquifers in the Red River Delta,Vietnam

In the Red River Delta, situated in the northern part of Vietnam, nearly its entire population depends solely on groundwater for daily water consumptions. For this reason, groundwater quality assessments must be carefully carried out using hydrogeochemical properties, to ensure effective groundwater resource planning for the Delta’s present and future groundwater use. In this study, the spatial and seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the two main aquifers of the RRD were investigated by analyzing the physicochemical data obtained in 2011 from 31 conjunctive wells in the Delta’s Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) and Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) using the Piper diagram and the Gibbs diagram. Results of the data analysis show that the groundwater in both aquifers in the upstream area of the delta is dominated by the [Ca²⁺–HCO₃⁻] water-type, while the [Na⁺–Cl⁻] dominates along the middle-stream and downstream areas. Seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical facies in both aquifers, comparing the results for the dry and the rainy seasons, were detected in about one third of the sampling wells, which were mainly located at the upstream portion of the Delta. The hydrogeochemical facies of HUA were different from that of PCA by about 45% of the sampling wells in both the dry and the rainy seasons, which were found mostly in the upstream and middle-stream areas.     

青海玉树地区探槽和剖面揭露的全新世含炭地层及其气候环境意义

对青藏高原东南部青海玉树地区的39个泥炭和含炭砂土样品进行了AMS14C年龄测试,这些样品来自于为研究玉树断裂开挖的2个探槽和2个剖面。通过分析泥炭层及其他含炭地层的宏观岩性及其中样品的AMS14C年龄,将玉树地区的全新世含炭地层的沉积过程划分为4个阶段:阶段Ⅰ:早全新世,10100~6000a BP,非常适宜泥炭的形成;阶段Ⅱ:中—晚全新世,6000~3500a BP,较不适宜泥炭的稳定形成,沉积物中含炭量相对减少,碎屑增加,颜色变浅;阶段Ⅲ:晚全新世阶段,3500~1500a BP。该阶段的气候总体变的更加干旱和凉爽,基本上不能形成泥炭,碎屑沉积在持续增加;阶段Ⅳ:1500a BP以来:自1500~1100a BP,气候可能更加干冷,沉积物中主要为碎屑沉积;1100a BP以来,受中世纪暖期气候变化影响,在本区许多地貌单元近地表形成一层灰黑色的炭质层。这4个阶段与红原泥炭所反映的全新世气候变化波动趋势能较一致。气候、地貌和构造因素三者共同控制本区域内泥炭和炭质层的发育和形成。     

佛塔剖面10.84kaB.P.以来的环境变迁

新疆楼兰佛塔剖面（40°30.980′N,89°54.849′E）深度6m,以5cm间距采样,共采121个样,进行了粒度、总碳、无机碳、有机碳、氮含量分析,根据光释光年龄结果内插得出剖面时间跨度为10.84～4.69kaB.P.,剖面气候环境可划分为3个阶段: 10.84～10.13kaB.P. 为高湖面湿润时期; 10.13～7.45kaB.P.沉积间断,气候干旱;7.45～4.69kaB.P.罗布泊气候相对湿润,其间湖泊存在多次的收缩与扩张,湖面扩张是短时间快速完成的,湖面衰退是逐渐变化的。楼兰佛塔剖面顶部年龄为469kaB.P.,此区发现的石器基本为地表采集,年代不会早于4.69kaB.P.。

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No significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins during the past 4500 yr at Rauer Group, East Antarctica

The history of glacial advances and retreats of the East Antarctic ice sheet during the Holocene is not well-known, due to limited field evidence in both the marine and terrestrial realm. A 257-cm-long sediment core was recovered from a marine inlet in the Rauer Group, East Antarctica, 1.8 km in front of the present ice-sheet margin. Radiocarbon dating and lithological characteristics reveal that the core comprises a complete marine record since 4500 yr. A significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins therefore did not occur during this period.     

Evidence for progressive Holocene aridification in southern Africa recorded in Namibian hyrax middens: Implications for African Monsoon dynamics and the ‘‘African Humid Period’’

Presented here are stable nitrogen isotope data from a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) middens from northwestern Namibia that record a series of rapid aridification events beginning at ca. 3800 cal yr BP, and which mark a progressive decrease in regional humidity across the Holocene. Strong correlations exist between this record and other terrestrial and marine archives from southern Africa, indicating that the observed pattern of climate change is regionally coherent. Combined, these data indicate hemispheric synchrony in tropical African climate change during the Holocene, with similar trends characterising the termination of the ‘African Humid Period’ (AHP) in both the northern and southern tropics. These findings run counter to the widely accepted model of direct low-latitude insolation forcing, which requires an anti-phase relationship to exist between the hemispheres. The combined dataset highlights: 1) the importance of forcing mechanisms influencing the high northern latitudes in effecting low-latitude climate change in Africa, and 2) the potential importance of solar forcing and variations in the Earth's geomagnetic shield in determining both long-term and rapid centennial-scale climate changes, identifying a possible mechanism for the variations marking the AHP termination in both the southern and northern tropics.     

Holocene valley-floor deposition and incision in a small drainage basin in western Colorado, USA

The valley floor of a 33.9 km² watershed in western Colorado experienced gradual sedimentation from before ∼ 6765 to ∼ 500 cal yr BP followed by deep incision, renewed aggradation, and secondary incision. In contrast, at least four terraces and widespread cut-and-fill architecture in the valley floor downstream indicate multiple episodes of incision and deposition occurred during the same time interval. The upper valley fill history is atypical compared to other drainages in the Colorado Plateau.One possible reason for these differences is that a bedrock canyon between the upper and lower valley prevented headward erosion from reaching the upper valley fill. Another possibility is that widespread, sand-rich, clay-poor lithologies in the upper drainage limited surface runoff and generally favored alluviation, whereas more clay-rich lithologies in the lower drainage resulted in increased surface runoff and more frequent incision. Twenty-two dates from valley fill charcoal indicate an approximate forest fire recurrence interval of several hundred years, similar to that from other studies in juniper-piñon woodlands. Results show that closely spaced vertical sampling of alluvium in headwater valleys where linkages between hillslope processes and fluvial activity are relatively direct can provide insight about the role of fires in alluvial chronologies of semi-arid watersheds.