Distribution of Palygorskite in the Lingtai Profile of Chinese Loess Plateau: Its Paleoclimatic Implications

Palygorskite is a typical indicator mineral of the arid and strong evaporation environment. Distribution of palygorskite in loess-red clay sequences may act as an important indicator for reconstruction of the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate. In this paper, field emission scanning electron microscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscope observations on the red clay-loess-paleosol of the Renjiapo profile at Lingtai, Gansu Province indicate that palygorskite occurs widely in red clay sequences formed before 3.6 Ma, but no occurrence has been found in eolian sediments since 3.2 Ma. Micromorphological features and microstructure of palygorskite show that it is an autogenic mineral formed during pedogenesis, and transformed from iilite-montmorilionite under the pore water action. In the Lingtai profile, the disappearance horizon of palygorskite is consistent with those of increasing magnetic susceptibility, dust flux and depositional rate. The distribution of palygorskite in the profile indicates that the interval of around 3.6 Ma was an important transformation period of the East Asian paleomonsoon, when changes took place in the East Asia paleoclimate pattern, i.e. a high-frequency strong fluctuation alternative evolution of the environment. Therefore, palygorskite is a key indicator mineral of the East Asian paleomonsoon evolution of that time.     

甘肃灵台黄土-红粘土序列中坡缕石的分布及其古气候意义

坡缕石是典型的干旱、强蒸发环境的指示矿物,黄土-红粘土序列中坡缕石的分布对古气候和古环境重建具有重要的指示意义。本文对灵台任家坡剖面中黄土、古土壤和红粘土代表性样品进行了场发射扫描电镜和高分辨透射电镜观察,结果发现,在3.6Ma以前沉积的红粘土中存有大量的自生坡缕石,而在3.2Ma以来沉积的红粘土及其上覆黄土古土壤序列没有坡缕石。剖面样品扫描电镜原位观察形貌特征和微观结构显示,坡缕石属于成壤作用自生矿物,系由伊蒙矿物在富镁孔隙液作用下转化形成。灵台剖面中坡缕石消失的层位与红粘土磁化率升高和粉尘通量及沉积速率增加的层位相一致。坡缕石在剖面中的分布指示3.6～3.2Ma前后是东亚季风的重要转型期,东亚古气候格局发生改变,由连续干暖的夏季风占主导向干冷冬季风和暖湿夏季风高频强波动交替环境演化。     

甘肃灵台新近纪红粘土磁组构特征的沉积学意义

对第四纪典型风成马兰黄土、受成壤作用影响较大的第五层古土壤、新近纪红粘土、埋藏化石的红粘土围岩层的磁组构分析表明:新近纪红粘土的磁组构参数P、F值界于马兰黄土—第五层古土壤与经流水改造的化石围岩之间,L均值与风成黄土相当, Q均值接近于水成红粘土化石围岩,而在事件性沉积方面又类似于风成马兰黄土、第五层古土壤;磁组构参数F-L、P-Q组合图位于马兰黄土—第五层古土壤与经流水改造的化石围岩过渡带。反映红粘土沉积物既具有风成原地堆积物的磁组构参数特征,又有经历了后期流水改造的化石围岩的特点,是风成原地堆积与风动力搬运而来的母质颗粒经后期流水改造共同作用的产物。     

Distribution of Palygorskite in the Lingtai Profile of Chinese Loess Plateau： Its Paleoclimatic Implications

Palygorskite is a typical indicator mineral of the arid and strong evaporation environment. Distribution of palygorskite in loess-red clay sequences may act as an important indicator for reconstruction of the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate.In this paper,field emission scanning electron microscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscope observations on the red clay-loess-paleosol of the Renjiapo profile at Lingtai,Gansu Province indicate that palygorskite occurs widely in red clay sequences formed before 3.6 Ma,but no occurrence has been found in eolian sediments since 3.2 Ma.Micromorphological features and microstructure of palygorskite show that it is an autogenic mineral formed during pedogenesis,and transformed from illite-montmorillonite under the pore water action.In the Lingtai profile,the disappearance horizon of palygorskite is consistent with those of increasing magnetic susceptibility,dust flux and depositional rate.The distribution of palygorskite in the profile indicates that the interval of around 3.6 Ma was an important transformation period of the East Asian paleomonsoon,when changes took place in the East Asia paleoclimate pattern,i.e.a high-frequency strong fluctuation alternative evolution of the environment. Therefore,palygorskite is a key indicator mineral of the East Asian paleomonsoon evolution of that time.     

Clay mineralogy of a red clay–loess sequence from Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) comprises an extensive record of eolian deposition that contains important information about climate change. The objective of this study is to investigate if mineralogy can provide more insight into the long-term evolution of the East Asian monsoon. Comparisons between mineralogy and other paleoclimatic records (grain size and magnetic susceptibility) from the CLP have been made to evaluate the efficacy of mineralogy as a paleoclimatic tool.Here we present data from a mineralogical study of a red clay–loess sequence at Lingtai, central Chinese Loess Plateau. Changes related to source area(s), transport processes and weathering regime over time are recorded in mineral variation.Higher average concentrations of kaolinite, chlorite and quartz in the red clay, together with abrupt changes in relative mineral abundances across the red clay–loess boundary suggest a change of source area at 2.6 Ma. From 2.6 Ma to about 1.7 Ma the summer monsoon influence increases, destroying chlorite and contributing fine illite particles to the sediment. At around 1.7 Ma the mineralogy becomes relatively constant, suggesting that the monsoon was fairly stable during this period. At 0.7–0.5 Ma an increase of both summer monsoon and winter monsoon activity is inferred from illite, kaolinite, chlorite and plagioclase concentrations. Over the last 0.5 Ma mineralogy suggests an aridification of source area(s) as chlorite and plagioclase concentrations increase where illite concentration decreases. The last major change occurred around 0.07 Ma and indicates reducing summer monsoon influence as chlorite and quartz concentrations increase and illite concentration, as well as the < 2 μm size fraction, decreases. The mineralogical trends and differences between loess and paleosols units suggest different source areas in the last 0.5 Ma.     

灵台红粘土—黄土—古土壤序列频率磁化率的古气候意义

通过对甘肃灵台晚新生代红粘土－黄土－古土壤序列的磁化率测量和频率磁化率分析，发现红粘土及黄土－古土壤的磁化率和频率磁化率化率存有良好的正相关关系，表明两套沉积在成壤过程中由生物作用或化学作用而形成的超顺磁性矿物含量，对磁化率和频率磁化率增大有重要的贡献。相比化率而言，受影响因素较少的频率磁化率变化，反映了不同气候条件下形成的超顺磁粒级铁磁矿物的相对含量，能更真实、敏感地记录不同时间尺度的古气候波动。灵台红粘土－黄土－古土壤序列的频率磁化等在2．6MaBP前后不同的变率特征，揭示了大冰期来临前后黄土高原的冷暖、干湿反差产生了显著变化，而与此相关的冬、夏季风变迁则表现出不同的组合特征。     

甘肃省灵台县地质灾害特征分析

在综合把握灵台县地质环境的基础上,进行了详细的野外地质灾害调查,查明了该地区滑坡、崩塌、泥石流、不稳定斜坡四类主要地质灾害的分布、成因及发育规律,并对典型的地质灾害成因与现状进行了具体分析。研究表明：该县地质灾害十分发育、分布较广、危害性强,严重制约着社会经济发展,威胁着人民生命财产安全。