Age of the fossil Dali Man in north-central China deduced from chronostratigraphy of the loess–paleosol sequence

Dali Man, an archaic type of early Homo sapiens, is of great significance to the origin of Homo sapiens. Achievements have been made during the past decades in the understanding of the fossil human skull as well as the accompanying mammalian fossils and stone artifacts. However, the absolute age of the fossil Dali Man still remains unclear. Based on the magnetic susceptibility of loess sediments and the relationship of terracing process with climatic condition, we correlated the loess sequence and the subjacent terrace alluvium at the Dali Man site with the well-studied loess–paleosol sequence at Luochuan in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. The correlation indicates that the loess–paleosol sequence at the Dali Man site extends down to the paleosol S2, and the underlying fluvial deposits correspond to the loess L3. Because the Dali Man skull appears in the basal gravel layer of the terrace, and because the deposition of the terrace gravels would occur during the transition from S3 paleosol formation to L3 loess accumulation, the age of the fossil Dali Man is inferred to be ca 270 ka, which is equivalent to the age of the boundary between the loess L3 and paleosol S3 on the magnetic susceptibility time series of the Luochuan loess–paleosol sequence.     

川西漳腊黄土地层与气候变化

川西高原风成黄土广泛分布,其中漳腊盆地黄土剖面厚约9.5 m。根据磁化率、粒度和地层特征,并通过与金川黄土和甘孜黄土剖面的对比,可将漳腊黄土地层划分为冰后期S0古土壤、末次冰期L1复合黄土、末次间冰期S1复合古土壤、倒数第二冰期L2黄土等4个地层单位,其中L1复合黄土可细分为L1L1、L1S1、L1L2、L1S2和L1...     

Magnetic signature of heavy metals pollution of sediments: case study from the East Lake in Wuhan,China

Detailed magnetic measurements and geochemical analyses were performed on 114 sediment samples collected from the East Lake, Wuhan city, China, to establish a possible link between the enhanced concentration of anthropogenic magnetic particles and heavy metals with known sources. Relatively higher magnetic susceptibility values (mass-specific, χ, >150 × 10⁻⁸ m³ kg⁻¹) were observed for samples near the pollution sources: e.g. the Wuhan Iron and Steel Company (WISC), the Qingshan Thermal Power Plant (QTPP), the banks (driveways) of the lake and near the sightseeing route of yachts on the lake. Moreover, χ is positively correlated to the concentration of Pb (correlation coefficient r = 0.682), but negatively or weakly correlated with both Zn and Cu. In contrast, anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) is significantly correlated with these major heavy metals (r = 0.645 for Zn–ARM, 0.699 for Pb–ARM and 0.841 for Cu–ARM, respectively), which indicate that ARM serves a better indicator for the pollution of heavy metals in this lake. Thermomagnetic analysis combined with magnetic hysteresis measurements revealed that magnetites in the pseudo-single-domain/multidomain grain-size regions are dominant. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray examinations of the magnetic extracts showed that these Fe-rich particles have different morphologies: orange-peel structure, hollow structure with adhered smaller particles, Zr-rich melted-like irregular particles, pear-shaped spherules and spherules with slick surfaces. These features are typical for particles produced by anthropogenic activities. Because of the genetic relationship between the environmental setting of the East Lake and the nearby pollution sources, this study suggests that in situ magnetic surveys are sensitive to evaluate the environmental pollution on the lake bottom.     

浑善达克沙地南缘晚更新世黄土-古土壤序列的高分辨率磁性气候记录

浑善达克沙地处于季风边缘区,目前对该区域末次间冰期以来的古气候演化历史及其动力学机制尚不清楚。文章以浑善达克沙地南缘山间低洼地带北沟剖面总厚度4.72 m(未见底)的黄土-古土壤序列为研究对象,开展了光释光测年和精细的岩石磁学、环境磁学、地球化学和漫反射光谱分析。结果表明:1)该剖面记录了末次间冰期以来完整的风成堆积历史,并通过东亚夏季风指标(Rb/Sr及χARM/χ)与深海氧同位素曲线的对比建立了13万年来该黄土-古土壤序列精细的年龄模式;2)在黄土高原上常规的用来指示成壤强度和夏季风强度的磁参数并不完全适用于干旱-半干旱地区(400 mm等降水线附近)的风成黄土,而地球化学指标在指示季风边缘区的地球化学风化过程上表现出一定的合理性,北沟剖面复杂的磁信号可能是对末次冰期季风边缘区显著减弱的夏季风的阈值响应;3)在末次间冰期东亚夏季风可以延伸到内蒙古中东部,北沟剖面记录了浑善达克沙地南缘末次间冰期以来区域古季风的演化历史。     

川西高原理县黄土磁学特征及其影响因素

川西高原河谷阶地和断陷盆地广泛分布厚层风成黄土-古土壤序列,目前对其磁学性质变化机制及古气候意义研究还很薄弱。文章对该区理县黄土-古土壤剖面进行了系统的岩石磁学研究,确定了其磁性矿物种类、含量和颗粒大小的特征及其变化规律。通过结合粒度、色度与地球化学参数,进一步探讨了理县黄土-古土壤磁性的主控因素。结果表明:1)理县剖面同时含有强磁性矿物(为磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿)以及弱磁性矿物(为赤铁矿和针铁矿);2)相对黄土层,古土壤层含有更高比例的亚铁磁性矿物;3)成土过程中生成的大量细小强磁性矿物颗粒,是古土壤层S1磁化率增加的主导因素,该模式与黄土高原相似;4)结合色度以及磁学性质,可以较为明确地区分成壤强度;(5)理县黄土剖面物源复杂,磁学特征受到沉积物来源、后期流水和气候的共同作用,利用单一磁学性质(比如磁化率)进行古气候研究会造成多解性。     

黄土和古土壤中磁性矿物的粒度分布

磁化率是一种重要的环境替代性指标，对中国黄土中古土壤磁性增强已有不少讨论．本文对采自吉县、西峰和西宁的S₁和L₂的代表性样品进行了粒度分离，并测量了各个不同粒级的磁性参数，对所获得的结果就不同粒级的颗粒对磁化率的贡献、黄土和古土壤中磁性矿物颗粒的粒度和古土壤磁性增强的原因进行了初步的探讨，指出古土壤形成过程中并没有像一些学者所认为的那样，有大量超顺磁颗粒生成，它们对古土壤磁化率增大的作用有限。     

河北坝上丰宁黄土剖面记录的230 ka BP以来的环境演化*

河北坝上地区位于东亚季风气候边缘区,对气候变化响应敏感。丰宁黄土剖面为研究该区域长时间尺度的环境演化提供了理想材料。通过丰宁黄土剖面地球化学元素和磁化率分析,结合光释光测年结果,恢复了该地区230,ka BP以来的环境演化历史; 通过野外观察,识别出了S₁古土壤之下发育的风化淋滤黄土层,探讨了S₁古土壤发育时期的风化淋滤特征及其所揭示的气候变化问题。结果表明: (1)230,ka BP以来的磁化率记录可与深海氧同位素3—8阶段进行细节上的对比,表明丰宁黄土堆积区对全球气候变化有着积极的响应;(2)S₁古土壤发育时期,由于受到强降水的影响,土壤中元素受到强烈淋溶从而向下迁移到L₂黄土中,造成L₂上部地球化学记录与磁化率的差异;(3)从S₁古土壤顶部到钙结核层之间土壤属于酸性淋溶土,可能相当于现今中国北亚热带的黄棕壤,其剖面由土壤层、风化淋滤黄土层和CaCO₃淀积层构成;(4)S₁古土壤发育时期的温度和降水量与现今江苏泗洪和六合地区相当,表明当时研究区为亚热带气候。     

Magnetic Fabric Studies of High-Grade Metamorphic Rocks from the Juiz de Fora Complex,Ribeira Belt,Southeastern Brazil

Granulite from 66 sites along the Além-Paraiba dextral shear zone were collected for magnetic analyses. The rocks were affected by the Braziliano orogeny, which was responsible for the present structural pattern. Magnetic fabrics were determined applying anisotropy of low—field magnetic susceptibility (AMS, all sites) and anisotropy of remanence magnetization (ARM, in 21 sites). The ferromagnetic minerals are magnetite, titanohematite, and in some samples, minor pyrrhotite. Hysteresis curves show that both para— and ferromagnetic minerals are the carriers of AMS. Thus AMS is due to the preferred crystallographic orientation of paramagnetic matrix minerals and titanohematite, to the shape anisotropy of magnetite grains, or to a combination of all three. ARM was performed imposing both anhysteretic remanence (AAR) and isothermal remanence (AIRM). The AMS, AAR, and AIRM fabrics are coaxial and are tectonic in origin. Their parallelism indicates that both ferromagnetic and paramagnetic minerals recorded the same metamorphic event. A passive—marker model is suggested for ferromagnetic minerals at the outcrop scale. The magnetic foliation is very close to the strike of the Além Paraíba shear zone, suggesting that this generated the local rock fabrics during the Braziliano orogeny.     

Climatic sub-cycles recorded by the fourth paleosol layer at Luochuan on the Loess Plateau

The Chinese loess–paleosol succession, deep-sea sedimentary sequences and ice cores are the three types of paleoclimatic records. Measurements were made of the ancient climatic proxies of magnetic susceptibility, median diameter of grain size and content >40 μm, and the CaCO₃ content of samples collected at 1 cm depth intervals in the fourth paleosol layer of the Luochuan loess-paleosol section on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Wavelet analysis of the data identified cycles of climate change, which were compared to the marine δ¹⁸O record of SPECMAP. The results showed that: (1) when the fourth paleosol layer was forming, the paleoclimate was relatively stable but five extreme climatic events were identifiable as occurring around 408, 381, 376, 368 and 361 kaBP; (2) two of these regional events differed from the global trend; (3) during marine isotope stage (MIS)11, the fourth paleosol layer of the Luochuan loess section recorded a regional quasi-19 ka climatic sub-cycle and (4) this sub-cycle was also reflected globally in the SPECMAP data indicating that, during MIS11, this sub-cycle was regionally and globally synchronized.     

Mineral magnetic record of paleoclimate variation in loess and paleosol from the Buenos Aires formation (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Environmental magnetic techniques were applied to a loess–paleosol sequence of the Chacopampean plain (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Mineral magnetic carriers and their grain size were identified in order to detect magnetic mineral fluctuations associated with climatic changes. Multidomain magnetite of detrital origin dominates the record. In paleosols, a high coercivity fraction was identified. Horizons with no visual evidence of pedogenesis, but showing magnetic behavior analogous to that of paleosols were observed and are thought to represent environmental conditions similar to those prevailing during paleosol formation.The results suggest that the magnetic signal yielded by paleosols in these South American loess deposits is different from that in the Chinese loess. This may be due to differences in parent materials, diagenetic processes and/or differences in paleoclimatic conditions in both regions.     

大荔人头骨化石产地地层的再研究

1978年发现大荔人头骨化石以来 ,都认为该化石是产自中更新世晚期的地层中 ,一些学者一直认为其年龄是 180～ 2 0 0 ka B.P.,也有个别研究者认为是 2 30 ka、大于 2 5 0 ka、30 8ka B.P.的。实际上 ,不仅对化石的年龄有不同数据 ,对化石产地地层也有不同的划分与对比。经再研究 ,该区晚新生代地层从上上新统直到全新统都有发育。沉积类型有湖相 ,河流相和风成黄土—古土壤沉积。人类化石层应是上中更新统的下部或下中更新统的上部 ,或更靠下。     

新疆伊犁黄土元素地球化学特征及古环境意义

通过对新疆伊犁波马剖面黄土-古土壤序列常量、微量元素及相关参数分析研究,讨论末次冰期以来伊犁黄土常量元素分异规律及古环境意义.结果表明,伊犁波马剖面S1以来黄土-古土壤序列各层常量元素含量均呈现出SiO2>Al2O3>CaO>Fe2O3>MgO>K2O>Na2O变化特征,剖面序列中常量元素含量及相关参数变化,与黄土、古土壤层相互交替叠置不具对应性,明显有别于黄土高原.末次冰期以来黄土和古土壤形成时干冷程度强于黄土高原黄土,更高于古土壤,淋溶差异程度不及黄土高原.S1以来伊犁黄土物质来源基本相同,古土壤形成时环境条件不相同,以干冷或湿冷为特征,即使同一古土壤地层单元不同层位其水热组合条件也存在差异,波马剖面黄土-古土壤元素地球化学记录末次冰期以来沉积气候环境总体相对干旱.     

Application of the chemometric approach to evaluate the spatial variation of water chemistry and the identification of the sources of pollution in Langat River, Malaysia

The current study presents the application of selected chemometric techniques—hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA)—to evaluate the spatial variation of the water chemistry and to classify the pollution sources in the Langat River. The HCA rendered the sampling stations into two clusters (group 1 and group 2) and identified the vulnerable stations that are under threat. Group1 (LY 1 to LY 14) is associated with seawater intrusion, while group 2 (LY 15 to LY 30) is associated with agricultural and industrial pollution. PCA analysis was applied to the water datasets for group 1 resulting in four components, which explained 85 % of the total variance while group 2 extracted six components, explaining 88 % of the variance. The components obtained from PCA indicated that seawater intrusion, agricultural and industrial pollution, and geological weathering were potential sources of pollution to the study area. This study demonstrated the usefulness of the chemometric techniques on the interpretation of large complex datasets for the effective management of water resources.     

用黄土地层学方法研究丁村组的时代

通过野外的宏观研究、室内的化学、磁化率分析及年代测定 ,认为“丁村组”上覆黄土层的堆积大约从 7万年前才开始 ,“丁村组”的堆积时代在距今 14— 7万年之间 ,与 S1 古土壤的发育期一致     

土壤腐殖物质特征及其对有机碳长时间尺度稳定性的指示：以陕西洛川黄土剖面为例

在长时间尺度上研究土壤中腐殖物质的组成和腐殖化特征对于正确评价土壤有机质的稳定性具有重要意义。文中对洛川黄土/古土壤剖面S8以上的17个黄土和古土壤样品中的胡敏酸（HA）、富里酸（FA）和胡敏素（HM）进行定量研究,并对HA和FA的E465、E665值等进行了测定。结合该课题组对矿物组成、总有机碳（TOC）及其各组分含...     

东秦岭地区黄土堆积的岩石磁学特征及磁化率增强机制探索

对东秦岭地区洛南盆地的上白川、刘湾和丹江上游的二龙山黄土剖面进行了岩石磁学研究。结果表明,大部分黄土和古土壤样品的磁性矿物以磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿为主,古土壤中亚铁磁性矿物的含量比黄土的多,极少数黄土样品以反铁磁性矿物为主。亚铁磁性矿物和反铁磁性矿物的含量随成土作用增强而增加,成土作用形成的细粒亚铁磁性矿物包括超顺磁性和单畴（似单畴）颗粒,但以单畴和（或）似单畴为主。古土壤磁化率增强与这些土壤成因的细粒亚铁磁性矿物含量有关,显示出受气候变化控制的特点。东秦岭地区黄土岩石磁学性质与黄土高原地区的相似,但也存在一定差异,而且三个剖面之间磁化率值整体差别较大。温湿的气候和复杂的山区地形可能是导致这种差异的原因。     

南京下蜀土的岩石磁学特征

对南京附近的下蜀土进行了岩石磁学测定，通过磁化率各向异性测量研究了它的沉积磁性组构特征，下蜀土的各异向性很不明显，各向异性废Ｐ小于水成岩的Ｐ值（＞１．０２），且与困面理度Ｆ高度相关，与磁线理度Ｌ相关不明显，这种特征与中国中部风成黄土极相似。对新生圩剖面进行的磁化率测量发现用化率曲线上有７个旋回的波峰、波谷变化，这与剖面中的古土壤－黄土系列相一致，说明下蜀土的剖面磁化率同样可以作为地层划分与对比，反映古气候冷暧变化的物理参数。对典型下蜀土样品进行的低温磁化率测量揭示出古土壤和黄土的成颗粒的构成不同，古土壤以超顺磁质为主，黄土以顺磁质为主。细小磁颗粒在古土壤中的积聚可能与古土壤的发育及古气候的暧湿程度有关。     

丰宁黄土-古土壤剖面常量元素地球化学特征

丰宁滦河上游的河谷地带有多处黄土堆积,由于该地区黄土分布零星、厚度较小,在以往的研究中却很少引起人们的关注,然而该地区黄土堆积是河北坝上地区环境演化和气候变化的重要地质记录.为了探讨该地区黄土的成因、物源以及化学风化强度,选取代表性的黄土-古土壤剖面77个样品进行了常量元素分析,并与已知典型风成堆积物的地球化学元素特征进行对比.结果表明:(1) 丰宁剖面的主要常量元素(SiO₂、Al₂O₃和Fe₂O₃)之和以及UCC(Upper Continental Crust)标准化曲线均与典型风成堆积物具有较好的相似性, 表明丰宁黄土和古土壤为风成成因;(2) 丰宁黄土处于初等化学风化阶段,古土壤则进入了中等化学风化阶段.与典型风成堆积物相比,化学风化强度序列为:宣城风成红土＞＞西峰红黏土、镇江下蜀土＞丰宁古土壤、洛川古土壤＞洛川黄土＞丰宁黄土;(3) 常量元素迁移特征表明丰宁黄土和古土壤的化学风化已完成了早期去Na、Ca阶段,并进入到了中期去K阶段;(4) 丰宁黄土、古土壤的K₂O/Al₂O₃和Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃比值与洛川黄土、洛川古土壤、镇江下蜀土、西峰红黏土较为接近,表明这些风成堆积物可能具有相似的源区.而TiO₂/Al₂O₃比值小于其他风成堆积物, 指示丰宁剖面具有其他物源.      

Soils and stratigraphy of the laddie creek site (48BH345), an altithermal-age occupation in the big horn mountains,wyoming

Haploborolls and Ustifluvents with A-C horizonation characterize Holocene soil development in alluvium and colluvium of the Laddie Creek valley. Cumulic soils with overthickened A horizons, including those of Altithermal age, have formed along the valley walls under the influence of spring activity from the Amsden Formation (Mississippian-Pennsylvanian). Soil texture, mineralogy, and to some extent color, are inherited largely from sediment derived from the Amsden and Tensleep (Pennsylvanian) Formations. The valley was able to support human occupation during Altithermal time (ca. 7500-4000 B.P.) because of springs emanating from the valley walls. Past spring locations are identified from soil morphology and stratigraphy. Springs are still active along the valley, although they have shifted positions many times in the past. The association of spring soils with Altithermal-age occupation at the site (ca. 6600-5700 B.P.) does not coincide with the caliche concept of the Altithermal paleosol in Holocene alluvial valleys in Wyoming basins as identified by Leopold and Miller. Nevertheless, early man of Altithermal time probably sought higher elevations within mountains of the region where springs offered water and the environs provided food and shelter—thus enabling human groups to survive the drought, and possible high temperatures, which seemingly prevailed in the basins and plains.     

Water quality assessment and the investigation of the relationship between the River Delice and the aquifer systems in the vicinity of Yerköy (Yozgat,Turkey)

The aim of this study was to investigate the pollution parameters relating to surface and groundwaters and to establish an interaction between these for the area near Yerköy. Three characteristic facies were determined based on the results of hydrochemical analyses: (1) Na⁺-Cl^- facies were greater the deeper the aquifer, (2) Na⁺-SO₄^2- facies were the greater portion of the shallow alluvium aquifer, and (3) Na⁺-HCO₃^- (SO₄^2-) facies represented the western portion of the shallow alluvium aquifer. Based on field and laboratory observations it was found that the water of the River Delice is suitable for irrigation and domestic use whereas the water from the shallow aquifer is extremely saline and considered to have been polluted by local lithological units. Active groundwater circulation and dilution between the alluvium aquifer and the River Delice was observed. Because of the short residence time of the groundwater in this area, the hydrogeochemical concentration and the salinity were found to be low. The other portions of the alluvium aquifer bear higher concentrations of soluble ions.