Holocene precipitation and temperature variations in the East Asian monsoonal margin from pollen data from Hulun Lake in northeastern Inner Mongolia,China

Wen, R. L., Xiao, J. L., Chang, Z. G., Zhai, D. Y., Xu, Q. H., Li, Y. C. & Itoh, S. 2009: Holocene precipitation and temperature variations in the East Asian monsoonal margin from pollen data from Hulun Lake in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00125.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Quantitative palaeoclimatic reconstruction with the weighted averaging partial least squares method was applied to the pollen profile from Hulun Lake in northeastern Inner Mongolia. The data provide a detailed history of variations in precipitation and temperature over the northeastern margin of the East Asian summer monsoon during the Holocene. A warm and dry climate prevailed over the lake region until c. 8000 cal. BP. During the period c. 8000–4400 cal. BP, precipitation increased markedly and temperature gradually declined. The interval between c. 4400 and 3350 cal. BP was marked by extremely dry and relatively cold conditions. Precipitation recovered from c. 3350 to 1000 cal. BP, with temperatures rising c. 3350–2050 cal. BP and dropping c. 2050–1000 cal. BP. During the last 500 years, the climate of the lake region displayed a general trend of warming and wetting. While Holocene temperature variations in the mid‐high latitude monsoonal margin were controlled by changes in summer solar radiation in the Northern Hemisphere, they could also be related to the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon. The lack of precipitation during the early Holocene could be attributed to the weakened summer monsoon resulting from the existence of remnant ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere. Changes in the monsoonal precipitation during the middle to late Holocene would have been associated with the ocean–atmosphere interacting processes occurring in the western tropical Pacific.     

Origin of Low-K Intermediate Lavas at Nekoma Volcano, NE Honshu Arc, Japan: Geochemical Constraints for Lower-Crustal Melts

Extremely low-K basaltic andesite to andesite lavas at Nekomavolcano, situated in the frontal volcanic zone of the NE Honshuarc, were produced from melts that originated in the lower crust.Multiple incompatible trace element model calculations suggestthat extremely low-K basalt found in the same arc is a naturalanalog for the source composition. However, fractional crystallization,magma mixing, and crustal contamination models of primary low-Kbasalt cannot reproduce the Nekoma chemical composition. Derivationof melts from an extremely low-K amphibolitic lower-crustalrock with the residual mineral phases hornblende, olivine, pyroxenes,plagioclase, and magnetite is plausible. Major element compositionsof Nekoma lavas are very similar to those of experimental meltsof amphibolite dehydration melting, which further support theproposal. Light rare earth elements are slightly enriched, buttotal rare earth element abundances are relatively low, suggestinga high degree of partial melting of the source. Ba/Th ratiosare low for frontal arc lavas, reflecting modification of theratio during partial melting. Zr/Hf and Nb/Ta ratios are significantlygreater than is usual for arc lavas, suggesting an anomaloussource composition. Markedly low K, Rb, Cs contents in the extremelylow-K lavas are attributed to an extremely low-K source. Underplatingof an extremely low-K basalt originating from a hydrous depletedmantle wedge could form such an amphibolite. In contrast, Ndand Sr isotope ratios fall close to Bulk Earth values, indicatingan isotopically enriched source. Hornblende-bearing rocks maypredominate in the lower crust of the NE Honshu arc, based onthe observation of crustal xenoliths. The presence of largelow-V_p regions at lower-crustal depths beneath the frontal arcis suggested by geophysical observations. These observationsfurther support lower-crustal melting beneath Nekoma as theorigin of the intermediate low-K lavas. KEY WORDS: amphibolite source; crustal melting; low-K andesite; Sr–Nd isotopes; trace element     

米仓山楔入冲断构造模型低温热年代学证据及其意义

基于低温热年代学特征的构造重建（或解译）与浅部地表过程模型在诠释盆-山结构与演化过程中受到越来越广泛的重视与应用.青藏高原东缘米仓山-川北前陆盆山系统楔入冲断构造模型与浅部地貌建造（非）耦合的检验校正为米仓山造山带构造变形及其动力学模型研究提供了契机.基于稳态楔入冲断构造低温热年代学模型研究表明,米仓山-川北前陆盆-山结构带盆山地貌的建造和低温热年代学（磷灰石裂变径迹和（U-Th）/He）特征具有明显的耦合性,二者统一于（盆地向）具~4°古地貌斜坡的楔入冲断构造模型.现今米仓山地区低温热年代学不具有明显的海拔高程和年龄线性关系,但当古地貌具有~4°坡度时低温热年代学与古地貌具有明显的线性相关性,揭示晚白垩世米仓山东西段具有一致（或相似）的稳态抬升剥露特征,东西段剥露速率分别为0.05 mm/a 和0.03 mm/a.古地貌坡度与古地温梯度具有较好的相关性（R²=95%~98%）,相关古地温梯度（25~35 ℃/km）符合米仓山稳态剥露地质结构特征.米仓山造山带楔入冲断构造模型的发育可能受控于多套滑脱层系（尤其是深部和浅部滑脱层系）和扬子板块能干性基底对造山带盆地向扩展变形过程的阻挡作用.     

Denudation history of the Kiso Range,central Japan,and its tectonic implications: Constraints from low‐temperature thermochronology

Fission‐track (FT) and (U–Th–Sm)/He (He) analyses are used to constrain the denudation pattern and history of the Kiso Range, a Japanese fault‐block mountain range which has been uplifted since ca 0.8 Ma. We obtained nine zircon FT ages ranging 59.3–42.1 Ma, 18 apatite FT ages ranging 81.9–2.3 Ma, and 13 apatite He ages ranging 36.7–2.2 Ma. The apatite FT and He ages are divided into an older group comparable to the zircon FT age range and a younger group of <18 Ma. The younger ages are interpreted as a reflection of uplift of the Kiso Range because they were obtained only to the east of the Seinaiji‐touge Fault, and the event age estimated from apatite FT data is consistent with the timing of the onset of the Kiso Range uplift. On the basis of the distribution of the younger ages, we propose westward tilting uplift of the Kiso Range between the boundary fault of the Inadani Fault Zone and Seinaiji‐touge Fault, which implies a model of bedrock uplift that is intermediate between two existing models: a pop‐up model in which the Kiso Range is squeezed upward between the two faults and a tilted uplift model which assumes that the Kiso Range is uplifted and tilted to the west by the Inadani Fault Zone. The original land surface before the onset of uplift/denudation of the Kiso Range is estimated to have been uplifted to an elevation of 2700–4900 m. We estimated denudation rates at 1.3–4.0 mm/y and maximum bedrock uplift rates at 3.4–6.1 mm/y since ca 0.8 Ma. The Seinaiji‐touge fault is interpreted as a back thrust of the west‐dipping Inadani Fault Zone. The older group of apatite FT and He ages is interpreted to reflect long‐term peneplanation with a probable denudation rate of <0.1 mm/y.     

Simulation of CO<Subscript> <Emphasis Type="Bold">2</Emphasis> </Subscript> concentrations at Tsukuba tall tower using WRF-CO<Subscript> <Emphasis Type="Bold">2</Emphasis> </Subscript> tracer transport model

Simulation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) at hourly/weekly intervals and fine vertical resolution at the continental or coastal sites is challenging because of coarse horizontal resolution of global transport models. Here the regional Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with atmospheric chemistry is adopted for simulating atmospheric CO₂ (hereinafter WRF-CO₂) in nonreactive chemical tracer mode. Model results at horizontal resolution of 27 × 27 km and 31 vertical levels are compared with hourly CO₂ measurements from Tsukuba, Japan (36.05°N, 140.13 ^oE) at tower heights of 25 and 200 m for the entire year 2002. Using the wind rose analysis, we find that the fossil fuel emission signal from the megacity Tokyo dominates the diurnal, synoptic and seasonal variations observed at Tsukuba. Contribution of terrestrial biosphere fluxes is of secondary importance for CO₂ concentration variability. The phase of synoptic scale variability in CO₂ at both heights are remarkably well simulated the observed data (correlation coefficient >0.70) for the entire year. The simulations of monthly mean diurnal cycles are in better agreement with the measurements at lower height compared to that at the upper height. The modelled vertical CO₂ gradients are generally greater than the observed vertical gradient. Sensitivity studies show that the simulation of observed vertical gradient can be improved by increasing the number of vertical levels from 31 in the model WRF to 37 (4 below 200 m) and using the Mellor–Yamada–Janjic planetary boundary scheme. These results have large implications for improving transport model simulation of CO₂ over the continental sites.     

Exploring CO pollution episodes observed at Rishiri Island by chemical weather simulations and AIRS satellite measurements: long-range transport of burning plumes and implications for emissions inventories

The summer of 2003 was an active forest fire season in Siberia. Several events of elevated carbon monoxide (CO) were observed at Rishiri Island in northern Japan during an intensive field campaign in September 2003. A simulation with a global chemistry-transport model is able to reproduce the general features of the baseline levels and variability in the observed CO, and a source attribution for CO in the model suggests that the contribution from North Asia dominated, accounting for approximately 50% on average, with contributions of 7% from North America and 8% from Europe and 30% from oxidation of hydrocarbons. With consideration of recent emission estimates for East Asian fossil fuel and Siberian biomass burning sources, the model captures the timing and magnitude of the CO enhancements in two pollution episodes well (17 and 24 September). However, it significantly underestimates the amplitude during another episode (11–13 September), requiring additional CO emissions for this event. Daily satellite images from AIRS reveal CO plumes transported from western Siberia toward northern Japan. These results suggest that CO emissions from biomass burning in western Siberia in 2003 are likely underestimated in the inventory and further highlight large uncertainties in estimating trace gas emissions from boreal fires.     

Chemical Diversity of the Ueno Basalts, Central Japan: Identification of Mantle and Crustal Contributions to Arc Basalts

The Ueno Basalts of central Japan comprise a monogenetic volcaniccone complex that was active between 2·76 and 1·34Ma. Basalts were erupted at more than 14 centers scattered overa region 40 km in diameter. Alkali basalt was erupted first,followed by sub-alkaline basalt. Quasi-concentric expansionof eruption centers coinciding with uplift and with decreasingalkalinity of the lavas suggests that Ueno magmatism originatedfrom a mantle diapir as it mushroomed at the base of the lithosphere.Depleted asthenospheric mantle (alkali basalt), enriched lithosphericmantle (sub-alkaline basalt), and crustal components are identifiedas chemical end-members in the petrogenesis of the Ueno Basalts.Incompatible trace element abundances indicate that the Uenoalkali basalts are typical within-plate basalts, whereas thesub-alkaline basalts show strong affinities with normal arclavas. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions indicate thatthe mantle source of the alkali basalts was more depleted thanthat of the sub-alkaline basalts. About 7% melting of asthenosphericmantle in the garnet-lherzolite stability field produced theprimitive alkali basalts and 12% melting of spinel lherzolitewithin the subcontinental lithosphere produced the primitivesub-alkaline basalts. Isotopic compositions and fluid mobile/immobileelement ratios broadly covary with SiO₂ contents in the sub-alkalinesuite, and increasing silica content is associated with strongerEMII (Enriched Mantle II) isotope affinities and fluid mobileelement abundances. A progressive AFC (assimilation–fractionalcrystallization) model assuming assimilation of a low-K silicicmelt reproduces the chemical variations observed in the sub-alkalinesuite. Melting of a flattening mantle diapir at the base ofthe lithosphere is the dominant cause of Ueno magmatism, accompaniedby the assimilation of older arc crust. KEY WORDS: arc basalt; crustal assimilation; mantle heterogeneity; Ueno Basalts