Evidence for high water levels in the Erie basin during the Younger Dryas chronozone

A high water phase in the Lake Erie basin is identified from a variety of evidence for the period 11.0 ka to 10.5 ka. It is believed to correspond to the first Agassiz inflow to the upper Great Lakes (Main Lake Algonquin phase) when Agassiz waters discharged in both catastrophic and equilibrium modes to Lake Superior. After allowing for differential isostatic rebound, a computational model is used to estimate the lake levels in the Erie basin needed to generate Agassiz-equivalent discharges out of the basin into Lake Ontario. Computations suggest that Lake Tonawanda spillways would be re-activated by the high lake levels needed to sustain Agassiz-equivalent discharges. Existing published evidence from the Erie basin, Niagara River, and western New York (including ¹⁴C dates), is consistent with this interpretation. Additional evidence from the Niagara Peninsula (pollen spectra and geomorphology) supports the inference that extensive flooding of the southern Niagara Peninsula (Lake Wainfleet) occurred due to high water levels in the Erie basin. In the Niagara Peninsula, very shallow washover spillways would only operate when standard hydrologic variations of lake level in the Erie basin coincided with short term high levels driven by catastrophic inflows to the Great Lakes from Lake Agassiz. We support the view of Lewis & Anderson (1992) that a meltwater flux from Agassiz inflows reached Lake Erie.     

YD事件突变特征及其前兆信号

气候突变前兆信号对研究气候突变爆发方式、特征、细节过程以及未来气候预测有着极为重要的学术价值及社会意义．青天洞具有年纹层特征的石笋δ^18O记录显示,在新仙女木（YoungerDryas,YD）事件结束期间,季风约在11年内完成转型,但在结束前（11．64ka BP-11．54kaBP）,季风变化存在2个数十年尺度次级波动,历时约97±7年．该期季风强度颤动与此前YD内部季风变化相比呈现低幅、高频特征,在整个过程中季风强度总体保持上升．且在11．59kaBP后显示出自相关增强．这些特征与最近洱海湖泊生态系统突变前频繁波动特征类似,说明高频、低幅波动可能反映不同动力系统接近其临界值,可作为突变的前兆信号．     

新仙女木期黄河晋陕峡谷古风成沙层年代及其物质来源

通过对黄河晋陕峡谷壶口至龙门段开展广泛细致的野外考察,发现了典型的晚更新世以来黄土—土壤层夹古风成沙层剖面—北桑峪剖面（BSY）。结合不同类型沉积物的野外宏观特征、磁化率、粒度成分、石英颗粒表面特征和地球化学元素的对比分析,确定黄河晋陕峡谷壶口至龙门段BSY剖面中所夹古风成沙层的性质为中沙质细沙,是在干旱多风环境下形成的沙质沉积物。基于光释光（OSL）测年数据,确定其沉积年代为12.5-11.6 ka,记录了黄河中游发生在末次冰消期的极端干旱事件,其与相邻区域沙漠/黄土过渡带中湖沼沉积和风成黄土—古土壤剖面记录的新仙女木事件相对应。该剖面中古风成沙沉积物的物质来源,主要来自黄河晋陕峡谷的古河床相沙层物质。这是因为该河段处于干旱半干旱季风气候区,在新仙女木时期,黄河晋陕峡谷处于极端干冷的环境之中,冬季风强盛、夏季风衰弱,黄河水位下降明显,河漫滩和江心洲将大面积出露,大量的沙物质在风力作用下向岸边输移,成为河谷两侧缓坡台地上古风成沙沉积层出现的主要沙源地。这个研究成果对于进一步揭示黄河中游流域极端干旱事件发生的时间性规律及其与季风气候变化的关系,具有重要的科学意义。     

Younger Dryas Glaciation in Söderåsen, South Sweden: An Analysis of Meteorologic and Topographic Controls

In Söderåsen, South Sweden, various geomorphological investigations indicate that small, local glaciers were initiated at very low altitudes within the Skäralid rock canyon during the Younger Dryas period. Wind polish on boulders indicates that this period was characterised by easterly winds and drifting snow. Some new field observations are presented and the Söderåsen Younger Dryas reglaciation hypothesis is tested by means of empirical knowledge on glacier equilibrium line climate and an analytic geographical information system (GIS) experiment. The GIS analysis demonstrates that the deeply incised rock canyon represents a pronounced radiation shelter, while the empirical analysis emphasises the importance of strong snow drift from the east during the winter. Together, the two analyses indicate that the inferred Söderåsen Younger Dryas reglaciation is possible from a palaeoclimatic point of view, although conditions for glaciation may have been marginal to those of rock glacier initiation.     

Magnetic characteristics of lake sediments in Qiangyong Co Lake,southern Tibetan Plateau and their application to the evaluation of mercury deposition

Heavy metals,one of the most toxic classes of pollutants,are resistant to degradation and harmful to the biological environment.The lakes that have developed on the Tibetan Plateau are ideal regions to investigate historic heavy metal pollution,particularly through the use of the reliable 210 Pb dating technique.Environmental magnetism has been successfully applied to estimate heavy metal pollution in different environmental systems due to its characteristics of simple processing steps,good sensitivity,and non-destructibility.However,it has not yet been applied to assess heavy metal pollution in lake sediments on the Tibetan Plateau.A series of environmental magnetic investigations of Qiangyong Co Lake sediments(southern Tibetan Plateau) was therefore conducted to explore the relationship between magnetic minerals and mercury(Hg) concentrations.The results showed that the magnetic mineral species in lake sediments remained stable,with similar levels of four different components from 1899 to 2011.However,the proportion of component 1(C1,hematite) increased continuously with the corresponding decrease in the proportion of C2(goethite),while the proportions of C3 and C4(magnetite) did not change significantly.As a result,the bulk magnetic signals(e.g.,SIRM and clf) were unsuitable for the evaluation of the Hg concentration;however,the proportion of hematite had a strong positive correlation with the Hg concentration.It is possible that the Qiangyong Glacier(the main water supply for Qiangyong Co Lake) has experienced faster melting with global and local warming,and the Hg trapped in cryoconite and ice was released.Hematite,with a large specific surface area,has a strong capacity for absorbing Hg,and both materials are ultimately transported to Qiangyong Co Lake.The proportion of hematite in a sample is therefore a suitable semi-quantitative proxy that can be used to evaluate the Hg concentration in Qiangyong Co Lake sediments.This study confirmed that the variation of magnetic minerals can provide a new method to estimate the variation of Hg concentrations and to study the process of Hg deposition in lakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau on the basis of a detailed environmental magnetic analysis.