Centennial-scale Asian monsoon variability during the mid-Younger Dryas from Qingtian Cave,central China

The regional climate correlation within the Northern Hemisphere in the cold/dry mid-Younger Dryas event (YD) remains elusive. A key to unraveling this issue is sufficient knowledge of the detailed climate variability at the low latitudes. Here we present a high-resolution (3-yr) δ¹⁸O record of an annually laminated stalagmite from central China that reveals a detailed Asian monsoon (AM) history from 13.36 to 10.99 ka. The YD in this record is expressed as three phases, characterized by gradual onsets but rapid ends. During the mid-YD, the AM variability exhibited an increasing trend superimposed by three centennial oscillations, well-correlated to changes in Greenland temperatures. These warming/wetting fluctuations show a periodicity of ~ 200 yr, generally in agreement with centennial changes in cosmogenic nuclides indicated by the ¹⁰Be flux from the Greenland ice. This relationship implies that centennial-scale climate changes during the mid-YD are probably caused by solar output and rapidly transported over broad regions through atmosphere reorganization.     

Décollement folds in Redbank area,northern territory

The structural deformation which produced more than 80 Jura‐type folds each of an axial length exceeding 1 km, in the Redbank Area, N.T., involved only a 360‐to 400‐m thick blanket of sediments. This thin skin of sediments and volcanic rocks, belonging to the Lower Proterozoic Tawallah Group, consists from bottom to top of the Wollogorang Formation, Gold Creek Volcanics, and Pungalina beds. Folding did not involve the underlying Settlement Creek Volcanics or Aquarium Formation. It is postulated that the cause of this detachment and shearing off along the bottom of the thin blanket of sediments is the infiltration of carbonated, K‐rich hydrothermal fluids under high pressure. This occurred during a period of igneous activity related to a postulated deep‐seated alkaline magma thought to be responsible for the many breccia pipes in the area. Thus the folds result from a décollement triggered by high fluid pressure, and from the accompanying gravity gliding and gravitational induced deformation of the thin skin of sediments along a gentle slope.     

南京汤山葫芦洞地质雷达勘探洞穴堆积研究

通过对南京汤山葫芦洞内部东侧地质雷达勘探资料的分析,根据经验值计算,东部洞穴基岩埋深在10m左右,可能为水平状的红色岩系。特殊的地质基础导致葫芦洞成为汤山地区已知规模最大的洞穴。其上的洞穴埋藏堆积可以分为上、中、下三个角砾层,可能反映了该洞穴曾经历过三次较大的崩塌堆积过程。上角砾层可能含有动物化石,是今后古人类考古值得关注的堆积层。     

Very high-frequency and seasonal cave atmosphere PCO2 variability: Implications for stalagmite growth and oxygen isotope-based paleoclimate records

Cave air P_CO2 at two Irish sites varied dramatically on daily to seasonal timescales, potentially affecting the timing of calcite deposition and consequently climate proxy records derived from stalagmites collected at the same sites. Temperature-dependent biochemical processes in the soil control CO₂ production, resulting in high summer P_CO2 values and low winter values at both sites. Large Large-amplitude, high-frequency variations superimposed on this seasonal cycle reflect cave air circulation. Here we model stalagmite growth rates, which are controlled partly by CO₂ degassing rates from drip water, by considering both the seasonal and high-frequency cave air P_CO2 variations. Modeled hourly growth rates for stalagmite CC-Bil from Crag Cave in SW Ireland reach maxima in late December (0.063 μm h^− 1) and minima in late June/early July (0.033 μm h^− 1). For well-mixed ‘diffuse flow’ cave drips such as those that feed CC-Bil, high summer cave air P_CO2 depresses summer calcite deposition, while low winter P_CO2 promotes degassing and enhances deposition rates. In stalagmites fed by well-mixed drips lacking seasonal variations in δ¹⁸O, integrated annual stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O is unaffected; however, seasonality in cave air P_CO2 may influence non-conservative geochemical climate proxies (e.g., δ¹³C, Sr/Ca). Stalagmites fed by ‘seasonal’ drips whose hydrochemical properties vary in response to seasonality may have higher growth rates in summer because soil air P_CO2 may increase relative to cave air P_CO2 due to higher soil temperatures. This in turn may bias stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O records towards isotopically heavier summer drip water δ¹⁸O values, resulting in elevated calcite δ¹⁸O values compared to the ‘equilibrium’ values predicted by calcite–water isotope fractionation equations. Interpretations of stalagmite-based paleoclimate proxies should therefore consider the consequences of cave air P_CO2 variability and the resulting intra-annual variability in calcite deposition rates.     

Temporal and spatial variations in the discharge and dissolved organic carbon of drip waters in Beijing Shihua Cave,China

To detect the causal relationship between cave drip waters and stalagmite laminae, which have been used as a climate change proxy, three drip sites in Beijing Shihua Cave were monitored for discharge and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Drip discharges and DOC were determined at 0 to 14‐day intervals over the period 2004–2006. Drip discharges show two types of response to surface precipitation variations: (1) a rapid response; and (2) a time‐lagged response. Intra‐annual variability in drip discharge is significantly higher than inter‐annual variability. The content of DOC in all drip waters varies inter‐ and intra‐annually and has good correlation with drip water discharge at the rapid response sites. High DOC was observed in July and August in the three years observed. The flushing of soil organic matter is dependent upon the intensity of rain events. The DOC content of drip water increases sharply above a threshold rainfall intensity (>50 mm d^?1) and shows several pulses corresponding with intense rain events (>25 mm d^?1). The DOC content was lower and less variable during the dry period than during the rainy period. The shape of DOC peak also varies from year to year as it is influenced by the intensity and frequency of rainfall. The different drip sites show marked differences in DOC response, which are dominated by hydrological behaviour linked to the recharge of the soil and karst micro‐fissure/porosity network. The results explain why not all stalagmite laminae are consistent with climate changes and suggest that the structure of the rainy season events could be preserved in speleothems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

湖北清江和尚洞洞穴温度对气候变化的响应

对湖北清江流域和尚洞内、洞外气温进行同步高频监测,发现洞穴温度响应洞外气温的变化,但由于受到洞穴的“缓冲作用” ,由外及里的温度变化幅度变小,时间滞后,且响应的快慢具有明显的季节性。2003- 2008年度监测的数据统计表明,在150m 洞深处,洞内日温度的变化幅度仅0. 2℃ ,明显低于洞外气温变化幅度( 6. 9℃ ) ;同样,洞内夏、冬季节温差变化( 6. 9℃ )也小于洞外( 31. 8℃ )。比较洞内外温度的时间序列,发现日尺度上,洞内气温滞后洞外0～ 2小时,而在季节尺度上则滞后10～ 40天,其中降温阶段滞后小,升温阶段滞后大。此外,一年四季中,洞内温度对外界气温变化的响应呈现慢( 2- 4月)→快( 5- 7月)→较快( 8- 10月)→较慢( 11- 1月)的特点,可能与不同季节下洞穴“缓冲作用”的强弱变化有关。      

云南寻甸地区全新世中期气候变化模式研究

通过对云南寻甸白石岩仙人洞1号石笋(XR1)进行TIMS-U系测年和氧碳同位素分析,揭示了该区全新世中期氧碳同位素气候演化的模式。依据石笋不同时段有机碳含量的变化,重建了基于石笋有机碳指标的气候变化模式。通过对比,发现这两种指标所记录的寻甸地区古气候变化过程几乎完全一致。云南寻甸地区全新世中期的气候演化可分为3个气候期:1)8 000—5 600 aBP为温暖湿润期,气温较高,降水丰沛,石笋的氧碳同位素偏负,有机碳含量偏高;2)5600—4500 aBP为气候突变期,气候由温湿变为冷干,石笋氧碳同位素持续偏正,有机碳含量持续降低;3)4500—2100 aBP为冷干气候期,该期气候稳定,氧同位素和有机碳含量变化不大,均维持在较低水平。     

26Al/10Be埋藏测年及其在洞穴沉积年代学研究中的应用

长期暴露于地表的石英砂被快速搬入洞穴或埋藏,不再接受宇宙射线辐射,埋藏前所积累的陆地宇生核素26 Al 和10 Be 随时间指数衰减。据此用加速器质谱计测定沉积物中石英样品现存的26 Al /10 Be可计算其埋藏年代。用此方法本文对周口店第一地点的下部地层年代作了初探。此次研究表明自第10层以下的沉积物其年代很可能≥ 1 Ma。      

湖北清江和尚洞石笋的高分辨率碳氧同位素及古气候研究

通过对湖北清江和尚洞HS - 2号石笋的沉积特征及碳、氧同位素特征分析, 利用U系法定年, 获取了湖北地区19.0~6.9ka的古气候、古环境信息(平均分辨率为17a, 局部分辨率达到7a).得出如下结论: (1) 19.0~16.6ka, C, O同位素偏轻, 气候冷湿; (2) 16.6~11.1ka, C, O同位素偏重, 气候干热; (3) 11.1~10.3ka干热时期中的突然回冷事件对应于新仙女木事件; (4) 10.3~6.9ka气候温和, 雨量较丰, 后期逐渐变冷.反映了历史时期湿冷、干热、温暖交替变化的气候趋势, 得出了千年级和百年级的一些气候变化趋势      

洞穴石笋沉积速率研究中值得注意的几个问题

众多大型石笋纵剖面观测、测年和纹层沉积计率(沉积速率计算)表明,速率差异是石笋沉积特征的重要数据,也是古气候环变化的重要反映,但以往诸多资料不好引用、无从对比。通过筛选石笋的全(正)心纵剖面,沿纹层轴(中)部采样,测年值和计率可信度大,具时空对比意义。为提高精度和分辨率,提倡按石笋沉积特征段,特别是纹层组测年计率。