Glacier fluctuations in the southern Peruvian Andes during the late‐glacial period,constrained with cosmogenic 3He

The occurrence of pronounced climate reversals during the last glacial termination has long been recognised in palaeoclimate records from both hemispheres and from high to low latitudes. Accurate constraint of both the timing and magnitude of events, such as the Younger Dryas and Antarctic Cold Reversal, is vital in order to test different hypotheses for the causes and propagation of abrupt climate change. However, in contrast to higher‐latitude regions, well‐dated records from the Tropics are rare and the structure of late‐glacial tropical climate remains uncertain. As a step toward addressing this problem, we present an in situ cosmogenic ³He surface exposure chronology from Nevado Coropuna, southern Peru, documenting a significant fluctuation of the ice margin during the late‐glacial period. Ten tightly clustered ages from a pair of moraines located halfway between the modern glacier and the Last Glacial Maximum terminus range from 11.9 to 13.9 ka and give an arithmetic mean age of 12.8 ± 0.7 ka (1σ). These data constitute direct evidence for a readvance, or prolonged stillstand, of glaciers in the arid Andes of southwestern Peru. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Provenance discrimination of fine sediments by mid-infrared spectroscopy: Calibration and application to fluvial palaeo-environmental reconstruction

Determining sediment provenance allows a better understanding of fluvial palaeo-dynamics, and identifying involved watersheds, at broad spatio-temporal scales. Conventional approaches for source identification are usually based on the physical, mineralogical, geochemical, magnetic or isotopic properties of sediments. Rapid, non-destructive and, in well-established contexts, highly accurate, mid-infrared spectroscopy is an alternative method for investigating sediment sources. The present research objectives are: (i) to use the mid-infrared spectroscopy method to discriminate the provenance of fine sediments, by applying discriminant analysis on a large set of reference samples from three different watersheds in the Upper Rhine area (associated with the Rhine, Ill and Vosges tributaries); (ii) to clarify whether the provenance spectra signatures are influenced by riverine depositional contexts (bars versus banks) and, to some extent, by grain size and/or high organic matter content; and (iii) to apply the mid-infrared spectroscopy – discriminant analysis method to a study of fluvial palaeo-dynamics and determine the provenance of palaeo-channel infillings. Three main sedimentary sources, divided into eight sub-categories, have been characterized by 196 modern reference samples from 78 collecting sites. Discriminant analysis displayed a strong separating power by classifying correctly the origin of samples without any inter-group overlap, independently from the geomorphological context (bar or bank) and associated slight changes in organic matter contents or grain size. Mid-infrared spectroscopy – discriminant analysis investigations of the palaeo-channel infill, complemented by radiocarbon dates and mineralogical data, allowed reconstructing general trends for the local morpho-sedimentary dynamics over the last ca 12 millennia.     

Palaeogeographical changes in response to glacial–interglacial cycles,as recorded in Middle and Late Pleistocene seismic stratigraphy,southern North Sea

Offshore stratigraphic records from the North Sea contain information to reconstruct palaeo-ice-sheet extent and understand sedimentary processes and landscape response to Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. We document three major Middle to Late Pleistocene stratigraphic packages over a 401-km² area (Norfolk Vanguard/Boreas Offshore Wind Farm), offshore East Anglia, UK, through the integration of 2D seismic, borehole and cone penetration test data. The lowermost unit is predominantly fluviatile [Yarmouth Roads Formation, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 19–13], including three northward-draining valleys. The middle unit (Swarte Bank Formation) records the southernmost extent of tunnel valley-fills in this area of the North Sea, providing evidence for subglacial conditions most likely during the Anglian stage (MIS 12) glaciation. The Yarmouth Roads and Swarte Bank deposits are truncated and overlain by low-energy estuarine silts and clays (Brown Bank Formation; MIS 5d–4). Smaller scale features, including dune-scale bedforms, and abrupt changes in cone penetration test parameters, provide evidence for episodic changes in relative sea level within MIS 5. The landscape evolution recorded in deposits of ~MIS 19–5 are strongly related to glacial–interglacial cycles, although a distinctive aspect of this low-relief ice-marginal setting are opposing sediment transport directions under contrasting sedimentary process regimes.     

Evolution of anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions of air pollutants at global and regional scales during the 1980�C2010 period

Several different inventories of global and regional anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions are assessed for the 1980?C2010 period. The species considered in this study are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and black carbon. The inventories considered include the ACCMIP historical emissions developed in support of the simulations for the IPCC AR5 assessment. Emissions for 2005 and 2010 from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are also included. Large discrepancies between the global and regional emissions are identified, which shows that there is still no consensus on the best estimates for surface emissions of atmospheric compounds. At the global scale, anthropogenic emissions of CO, NO_x and SO₂ show the best agreement for most years, although agreement does not necessarily mean that uncertainty is low. The agreement is low for BC emissions, particularly in the period prior to 2000. The best consensus is for NO_x emissions for all periods and all regions, except for China, where emissions in 1980 and 1990 need to be better defined. Emissions of CO need better quantification in the USA and India for all periods; in Central Europe, the evolution of emissions during the past two decades needs to be better determined. The agreement between the different SO₂ emissions datasets is rather good for the USA, but better quantification is needed elsewhere, particularly for Central Europe, India and China. The comparisons performed in this study show that the use of RCP8.5 for the extension of the ACCMIP inventory beyond 2000 is reasonable, until more global or regional estimates become available. Concerning biomass burning emissions, most inventories agree within 50?C80%, depending on the year and season. The large differences between biomass burning inventories are due to differences in the estimates of burned areas from the different available products, as well as in the amount of biomass burned.     

The Zn abundance and isotopic composition of diatom frustules,a proxy for Zn availability in ocean surface seawater

We have developed cleaning methods for extracting diatomopal from bulk marine sediment samples, for measurement of both zinc (Zn) abundance and isotope composition. This cleaning technique was then applied to a set of Holocene core-top samples from the Southern Ocean. The measured δ⁶⁶Zn (reported relative to the JMC_Lyon standard) and Zn/Si ratios from the Southern Ocean diatom_opal samples range from 0.7 to 1.5‰, and from 14 to 0.9 μmol/mol, respectively. The Zn abundance and isotope composition data show a clear correlation with opal burial rates and other oceanographic parameters. In common with previous work, we interpret the systematic changes in the Zn/Si ratio to be linked to the variability in the concentrations of bioavailable Zn in the ambient surface seawater where the diatom opal is formed. This variability is likely to be primarily controlled by the degree to which Zn is taken up into phytoplankton biomass. The observed systematic pattern in the δ⁶⁶Zn compositions of the diatom_opal core-top samples is, similarly, likely to reflect changes in the δ⁶⁶Zn composition of the ambient Zn in the surface waters above the core-top sites, which is progressively driven towards isotopically heavier values by preferential incorporation of the lighter isotopes into phytoplankton organic material. Thus, the systematic relationship between Zn isotopes and abundance observed in the core-top diatom_opal samples suggests a potential tool for investigating the biogeochemical cycling of Zn in the past surface ocean for down-core diatom_opal material. In this respect, it may be possible to test hypotheses that attribute variations in atmospheric CO₂ on glacial–interglacial timescales to the degree to which trace metals limited primary productivity in HNLC zones.     

Uncoupled transport of chlorofluorocarbons and anthropogenic carbon in the subpolar North Atlantic

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) 11 and 12 transports across the transoceanic World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) A25 section in the subpolar North Atlantic are derived from an inverse model using hydrographic and ADCP data (Lherminier et al., 2007). CFC and anthropogenic carbon (C_ANT) advective transports contrary to expected are uncoupled: C_ANT is transported northeastwards (82±39 kmol s^?1) mainly within the overturning circulation, while CFC-11 and CFC-12 are transported southwestwards (?24±4 and ?11±2 mol s^?1, respectively) as part of the large-scale horizontal circulation. The main reason for this uncoupled behaviour is the complex CFC vs. C_ANT relation in the ocean, which stems from the contrasting temperature relation for both tracers: more C_ANT dissolves in warmer waters with a low Revelle factor, while CFC’s solubility is higher in cold waters. These results point to C_ANT and CFC having different routes of uptake, accumulation and transport within the ocean, and hence: C_ANT transport would be more sensitive to changes in the overturning circulation strength, while CFC to changes in the East Greenland Current and Labrador Sea Water formation in the Irminger Sea. Additionally, C_ANT and CFCs would have different sensitivities to circulation and climate changes derived from global warming as the slowdown of the overturning circulation, increase stratification due to warming and changes in wind stress.     

Understanding geomorphic responses to environmental change: a 19 000‐year case study from semi‐arid central Texas,USA

Understanding the impact of past climatic changes on landscape stability is crucial in order to predict and mitigate the effects of future changes. However, in arid and semi‐arid environments, reconstructions are often hampered by a poor understanding of the relationship between sediment deposition and climate. We present here data from central Texas, a region that is sensitive to environmental change but has received relatively little attention. The study integrates a chronology of 29 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from six sedimentary sites in a range of depositional contexts with a 19 000 a climate record derived from pollen extracted from the adjacent Boriack Bog. By comparing the two records, we aimed to assess the relationship between climate change and geomorphic activity. Data show that extensive aeolian and colluvial deposition occurred during the mid to late Holocene, with sedimentation generally increasing during more arid phases. However, a number of depositional events on slopes were associated with moister episodes, and sediment was also deposited in a summit setting immediately after phases of increased precipitation. Linkages between climate change and geomorphic response were therefore complex, being controlled by both sediment supply and transport energy. The climatic fluctuations identified in the Boriack Bog record highlight the sensitivity of central Texas to environmental change, while disparities in conditions recorded between it and other palaeoenvironmental sites in the southern USA emphasise the need for further work in order to enhance understanding of landscape sedimentary response to climate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The price of spice: Ethnic minority livelihoods and cardamom commodity chains in upland northern Vietnam

The northern uplands of Vietnam are witness to rapidly developing commodity markets for a range of forest and agricultural products. Since the early 1990s the cultivation of black cardamom (Amomum aromaticum) has become a source of cash income for a growing number of ethnic minority households in these uplands. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, and utilizing a commodity chain and livelihoods approach, this article investigates the contemporary dynamics surrounding the cultivation, harvesting and trade of dried cardamom fruit from Hmong cultivators in Lao Cai province to consumers elsewhere in Vietnam and beyond to China and the global market. We analyse the spatial and social structures of these commodity chains, drawing attention to a range of mechanisms of access. We find that these mechanisms are reliant upon specific ethnic relations as well as different forms of capital that together sustain economic advantages for particular actors. While focusing on the ethnic minority cultivators active in these commodity chains, we also call for more nuanced understandings of how the trade in forest products fits within local agricultural systems and household livelihood decision making processes in the Vietnam uplands.     

Chronology building using objective identification of annual signals in trace element profiles of stalagmites

Determination of annual lamination provides important additional constraints to radiometric dates on speleothems, both for dating the duration of specific growth intervals and optimizing growth models. In the absence of visible laminae, however, speleothem age models are reliant upon curve fitting through discretely dated points and are therefore inherently more uncertain than annual chronologies from laminae. Given that the impact of seasonality on speleothems is expected to be strong enough to generate an annual pulse in trace element chemistry regardless of whether or not visible or fluorescent growth laminae are visible, we demonstrate the potential for deriving high-resolution stalagmite chronologies from non-laminated samples using annual chemical variations in stalagmites from two Alpine caves (Obir, Austria and Ernesto, NE Italy). Trace element data were obtained by ion microprobe analyses for H, P, Mg, Na, Sr and Ba and the annual signal was sought using spectral and wavelet analysis. An automated chemical peak-counting software tool was developed in MATLAB^©. It counts significant annual peaks using criteria of minimum amplitude in relation to the local standard deviation of signal variation and minimum separation between peaks determined by the thickness of the preceding layers. Verification of the tool using visibly laminated samples suggests the software is a reliable and accurate method of chronology building, with hit ratios greater than 0.93 and less than 0.75% false alarm occurrences. Used in conjunction with other dating methods such as radiocarbon, U–Th and sulphur peak dating, the automated chemical laminae chronology-building approach provides a more meaningful alternative to simple age-depth curve fitting for non-laminated samples.