Processes of the deposition and vicissitude of Mu Us Desert, China since 150 ka B.P.

“Milanggouwan stratigraphical section” named lately takes down 27 cycles of alternately evolutionary histories of desert depositions in the Mu Us area with the fluviolacustrine facies and palaeosols since 150 ka B. P. Studies show that the sedimentary form was induced by the growth and decline and confrontation each other between the winter monsoon and the summer monsoon of East Asia in the past 150 ka. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49473192).     

孢粉-气候对应分析重建上海西部地区8.5 ka B.P.以来的气候

利用现代和化石孢粉资料,借助于对应分析方法,进行了古气候定量重建尝试,取自中国东部区域的表土层孢粉数据被用来建立孢粉－气候转换函数,对取自上清青浦县赵巷有^14C测年的钻孔孢粉数据进行转换,重建了上海地区8．5kaB.P.以来年年温度和降雨量系列,结果表明：约8．5kaB.P.以来,本区温度和降雨量持续升高,约8．2－6．0kaB.P.期间为全新世气候适宜期,年均温和降水量值平均高于现今值0．9℃和160mm,约8．0kaB.P.达到最高值（湿度和降雨量为18．5℃和1575mm);但气候波动剧烈;约6．0－4．0kaB.P.期间为温凉干燥期,气候波动平缓,年均温度和降雨量平衡低于现今值,最低值为13．5℃和827mm(4.1kaB.P.);约4．0－2．0kaB.P.,期间温度和降水回升,但暖湿程度远不及全新世大暖期。2．0kaB.P.以来温度和降雨又呈下降趋势。8．0kaB.P.、7．6kaB.P.和27kaB.P.前后的出现高温高湿峰值,7．5kaB.P.、7．3kaB.P.和4．0kaB.P.前后出现低温低湿谷值。气候变化对本区古文化的发展可能有重要影响。     

Environmental evolution of Zoigê Basin since 900 kaB.P. and comparison study with Loess Plateau

The Zoige Basin is located in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, in which two cores, RH and RM, have been drilled, with the depths of 120 m and 310 m respectively. The former with the bottom age of 826 kaB. P. has been divided into 21 stages according to the multi-proxy analysis, which could be basically compared with the oxygen isotope record of deep-sea core. The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental process of the Zoigê Basin over the past 900 kaB. P. is reconstructed, and the comparison of core RH with the Luochuan Loess record is made.     

Impact of climatic change on streamflow in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River,China

Abstract

Characteristics of hydroclimatic change in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River are analysed using data collected over the past 50 years. The effect of autocorrelation of time series on trend analysis is removed by adopting a pre-whitening technique. Long-term hydrometeorological trend and abrupt changes are analysed by the Mann-Kendall test. The results were validated by the linear trend and Spearman methods. Correlations between runoff change with air temperature and with precipitation were studied with the Pearson method. The results clearly show that average air temperature in the upper reaches of the river is increasing, and precipitation decreasing, with differences in spatio-temporal distribution. Runoff change has a clear positive correlation with precipitation. Meteorological change, especially in precipitation, is the key governing influence of runoff volume. The annual runoff decrease, especially the decrease of inflow in spring and autumn and earlier appearance and longer duration of the low-flow season, will impact greatly on irrigation and municipal water supply. Therefore, relevant measures and further study are necessary.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor Q. Zhang

Citation Huang, X.R., Zhao, J.W., Li, W.H., and Jiang, H.X., 2013. Impact of climatic change on streamflow in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (1), 154–164.     

Microgastropod records in paleoceanographical environment of southern shelf of South China Sea since 14 ka

Very diversified and abundant benthic microgastropods and planktonic microgastropods (pteropods) from core NS93-12-25 could provide a glance of change of the sea level in the south continental shelf of the South China Sea since last 14 ka. Research shows that general sea level changes of this sea area were rising and later rising after a short period of falling in this period. In the range from the bottom of the core to the core depth of 200 cm, individuals in big size are common in microgastropods and Turritella filiola is very rich, signifying the environment of the inner continental shelf in the last deglaciation stage. In the core depth range of 200–150 cm the continuously getting light of the δ¹⁸O, the regularly decreasing of the percentage content of T. filiola and the high diversification of microgastropods indicate the rising of the sea level. Especially at the core depth range of 175–150 cm the pteropods became dominant, making sure the fact that the high sea level possibly occurred in the early Holocene. Channels of surrounding straits connecting the adjacent sea thus were opened. But at the core depth of about 100 cm T. filiola became very rich again. This possibly implies that there was a short term of the sea level falling, resulting in the temporal closure of the channels. In the core depth range of 55–50 cm the Scaliola’s representatives relatively develop and this may be inferred to the cooling of climate.     

Effect of climatic change on snowmelt runoffs in mountainous regions of inland rivers in Northwestern China

Snow is one of the most active natural elements of snow cover through its high albedo, variation of the the cryosphere on the earth surface. Its unique proper- snow cover distribution and frozen soils in regional ties, such as areal extent, surface albedo, and snow scales not only affect local climate and environments, depth are important parameters in global energy bal- but also feedback to large-scale, or even global cli- ance models. On global and terrestrial scales, a large matic change th…     

Temporal trends of hydro‐climatic variables and runoff response to climatic variability and vegetation changes in the Yiluo River basin,China

The Yiluo River is the largest tributary for the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River below Sanmenxia Dam. Changes of the hydrological processes in the Yiluo River basin, influenced by the climatic variability and human activities, can directly affect ecological integrity in the lower reach of the Yellow River. Understanding the impact of the climatic variability and human activities on the hydrological processes in the Yiluo River basin is especially important to maintain the ecosystem integrity and sustain the society development in the lower reach of the Yellow River basin. In this study, the temporal trends of annual precipitation, air temperature, reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) and runoff during 1961–2000 in the Yiluo River basin were explored by the Mann‐Kendall method (M‐K method), Yamamoto method and linear fitted model. The impacts of the climatic variability and vegetation changes on the annual runoff were discussed by the empirical model and simple water balance model and their contribution to change of annual runoff have been estimated. Results indicated that (i) significant upwards trend for air temperature and significant downwards trend both for precipitation and ET₀ were detected by the M‐K method at 95% confidence level. And the consistent trends were obtained by the linear fitted model; (ii) the abrupt change started from 1987 detected by the M‐K method and Yamamoto method, and so the annual runoff during 1961–2000 was divided into two periods: baseline period (1961–1986) and changeable period (1987–2000); and (iii) the vegetation changes were the main cause for change of annual runoff from baseline period to changeable period, and climatic variability contributed a little to the change of annual runoff of the Yiluo River. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relative effects of multi-decadal climatic variability and changes in the mean and variability of climate due to global warming: future streamflows in Britain

Climate change impact assessments conventionally assess just the implications of a change in mean climate due to global warming. This paper compares such effects of such changes with those due to natural multi-decadal variability, and also explores the effects of changing the year-to-year variability in climate as well as the mean. It estimates changes in mean monthly flows and a measure of low flow (the flow exceeded 95% of the time) in six catchments in Britain, using the UKCIP98 climate change scenarios and a calibrated hydrological model. Human-induced climate change has a different seasonal effect on flows than natural multi-decadal variability (an increase in winter and decrease in summer), and by the 2050s the climate change signal is apparent in winter and, in lowland Britain, in summer. Superimposing natural multi-decadal variability onto the human-induced climate change increases substantially the range in possible future streamflows (in some instances counteracting the climate change signal), with important implications for the development of adaptation strategies. Increased year-to-year variability in climate leads to slight increases in mean monthly flows (relative to changes due just to changes in mean climate), and slightly greater decreases in low flows. The greatest effect on low flows occurs in upland catchments.     

Exploring the dynamics of agricultural climatic resource utilization of spring maize over the past 50 years in Northeast China

Exploring the dynamics of the utilization of agricultural climatic resources (i.e., environmental factors that affect crop productivity such as light, temperature, and water) can provide a theoretical basis for modifying agricultural practices and distributions of agricultural production in the future. Northeast China is one of the major agricultural production areas in China and also an obvious region of climatic warming. We were motivated to analyze the utilization dynamics of agricultural climatic resource during spring maize cultivation from 1961 to 2010 in Northeast China. To understand these dynamics, we used the daily data from 101 meteorological stations in Northeast China between 1961 and 2010. The demands on agricultural climatic resources in Northeast China imposed by the cultivation of spring maize were combined and agricultural climatic suitability theory was applied. The growth period of spring maize was further detailedly divided into four stages: germination to emergence, emergence to jointing, jointing to tasseling, and tasseling to maturity. The average resource utilization index was established to evaluate the effects. Over the past five decades, Northeast China experienced increases in daily average temperature of 0.246 °C every decade during the growing season (May–September). At the same time, strong fluctuating decreases were observed in average total precipitation of 8.936 mm every decade and an average sunshine hour of 0.122 h every decade. Significant temporal and spatial changes occurred in K from 1961 to 2010. The K showed decreasing trends in Liaoning province and increasing trends in Jilin and especially in Heilongjiang province, which increased by 0.11. Spatial differences were visible in different periods, and the most obvious increase was found in the period 2001–2010. The areas with high values of K shifted northeastward over the past 50 years, indicating more efficient use of agricultural climatic resources in Northeast China.     

Cretaceous desert cycles,wind direction and hydrologic cycle variations in Ordos Basin: Evidence for Cretaceous climatic unequability

Whether climate under greenhouse condition in geological history, especially in Cretaceous, was eq-uable or not has been acutely debated for a long time. Early studies[1—8] show that the subtropical zones then expanded northwards and southwards to the latitudes about 65S and 65N, while the temperate zones oc-cupied the latitudes of 65—90S and 65—90N. Con-sequently, the two poles were ice-free, equator-to-pole surface temperature gradient was obviously reduced, amplitude of climatic change…     

近30年三江源地区湖泊变化图谱与面积变化

以近30年的40景Landsat MSS/TM/ETM+、CBERS CCD遥感影像为数据源,采用植被指数法结合人工目视解译,分为四个时期对三江源地区湖泊进行了遥感水体检测.选取面积在15km2以上、总面积占研究区湖泊总面积的90%左右的24个湖泊作为典型湖泊,建立该地区湖泊的变化图谱,并引入湖泊萎缩强度指数对湖泊的面积变化及空间分布特征进行分析.结果表明,以第三时期(1999-2002年)为界,这24个湖泊总体上经历了先萎缩后扩张的过程,且萎缩的程度大于扩张的程度,近30年来湖泊总面积缩小了65.76km2.本文研究结论可为三江源地区对气候变化响应研究提供参考,并对区域水资源合理利用提供科学依据.     

Conodont evolution and stratotype sign of carboniferous Tournaisian-Visean boundary in South China

Sediment-successive strata of the Carboniferous Tournaisian-Visean period, i.e. Aikuanian-Datangian, are widespread in South China, where it is most possi- ble to establish the GSSP of the T\V boundary. Owing to a global drop of sea-level in the period, when the dropping-range could reach to 150 m[1], sedimentary interruptions, sudden changes of facies and disjunc- tions of organic-evolutionary chains occurred com- monly and cause sharp conflicts on division and cor- relation of the bound…     

青海湖地区环境变化对动物区系演变影响的探讨

青海湖地区近百年来由于气候干暖化趋势增强,湖周植被、土地退化,人类经济活动加剧,湖区青藏高原动物成分的种类和数量减少,但蒙新及华北动物区系成分则有增加趋势,致使该区动物区系成分发生显著变化。从青海湖地区动物区系形成来看,决定动物区系演变的原因主要是气候、生物等生态因子的综合作用,人为因子影响仅在近30年来才日益突出。     

Evidence for natural fire and climate history since 37 ka BP in the northern part of the South China Sea

The history of natural fire since 37 kaBP and its relationship to climate for the northern part of the South China Sea are revealed from the statistic study of charcoal particles and associated pollen data from deep sea core 17940 (20° 07’N, 117° 23’E, 1 727 m in water depth). Our study indicates that, during the last glaciation, the concentration of charcoal and the ratio of con centration between charcoal and terrestrial pollen are much higher than that of the Holocene. This can be explained as the relatively high strength and frequency of natural fire during glaciation which is probably due to the drier climate; during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the substantial rising of the concentration of large and medium charcoal particles probably suggests the local source area of the natural fires, i.e. the exposed continental shelf; moreover, the correlation between charcoal concentration with different size and pollen percentage may elucidate different transport dynamics. During the glacial time, almost all the peak concentrations of small particles correspond with the peak pollen percentage ofArtemisia, an indicator of comparatively dry climate, while for large particles, their concentrations always lag behind small particles and thus change with pollen percentage of montane conifers implying relatively cold and humid climate. So, it is possible to assume that small particles reflect regional emissions under drier climate and were brought over by strengthened winter monsoon. When the climate became relatively humid, the increasing precipitation carried the large particles accumulated on continental shelf before under arid condition to the studied area.     

塔里木盆地南缘8.5 ka以来的黄土岩石磁学特征及其磁化率变化机制

黄土岩石磁学参数是古气候研究中的重要指标,其中磁化率应用最为广泛,并在黄土高原地区取得重大进展,其受控于成壤作用的变化机制也被普遍接受.然而在黄土高原外缘的新疆地区,磁化率的变化机制仍不明确,导致磁化率的古气候意义在该区存在较大争议.本文选取塔里木盆地南缘具有精确年代控制的典型黄土剖面（羊场剖面）开展岩石磁学和高分辨率磁化率研究,利用交叉小波分析方法并结合剖面粒度、矿物及元素特征对该地区磁化率变化机制进行初步探讨.结果显示,羊场剖面的岩石磁学性质主要由粗颗粒软磁性矿物所控制,同时也表现出一定的顺磁性特征.根据载磁矿物和磁化率变化特征可将剖面进一步划分为两个阶段：阶段Ⅰ（8.5~2.5 ka）,载磁矿物以亚铁磁性的磁铁矿为主,磁化率值整体较高;阶段Ⅱ（2.5~0.2 ka）,亚铁磁性矿物依然占据主导地位,但硬磁性矿物和以黄铁矿为代表的顺磁性矿物相对增多,磁化率值显著降低.相关性研究和交叉小波分析表明：阶段Ⅰ磁化率与粗颗粒组分的变化具有一致性,符合"风速论"模式;阶段Ⅱ磁化率不仅与粗颗粒组分具有明显的正相关关系,而且与指示成壤作用强度的频率磁化率百分含量呈现出显著的负相关关系,暗示了阶段Ⅱ的磁化率变化可能受到"风速论"和"还原性成壤"模式的共同影响.本文拓宽了对新疆地区黄土岩石磁学特征及其磁化率变化机制的深入理解,也为利用磁化率恢复新疆及中亚地区全新世以来的古气候变化历史提供了新的线索.     

中全新世以来杭州湾古气候、环境变迁及对良渚文化的可能影响

利用在杭州湾西部良渚古城遗址附近获取的沉积物岩芯,试图通过高精度加速器质谱(AMS)测年以及多气候、环境代用指标的分析来揭示中全新世以来良渚地区的气候、环境变迁历史,进而讨论其与良渚文化消亡的可能联系.对沉积物的有孔虫分析显示:在大约7500 5200 cal a B.P.期间,研究区为富含有孔虫的潮滩相沉积环境;而约5200 cal a B.P.以来,有孔虫逐渐消失,反映了研究区逐渐脱离海水影响成陆的过程.孢粉记录显示:研究区在约5200 5000 cal a B.P.期间以常绿、落叶阔叶植被为主,伴有少量针叶植被,气候总体上相对暖湿.而在大约5000 4000 cal a B.P.期间,针叶植被的相对增加总体反映了趋于凉湿的气候.在约4000 1500 cal a B.P.期间,虽然常绿阔叶植被重新占据相对优势,但总体呈现逐渐减少的趋势,同时落叶阔叶类植被增加,表明了趋暖偏干的气候;同时,该段水生草本、蕨类植被和藻类的相对增加或许反映了研究区下垫面开始沼泽、湿地化的趋势.约1500 400 cal a B.P.期间,木本植被整体呈减少趋势,陆生草本植被则大量增加,针叶植被进一步减少,表明气候进一步趋干;同时,水生草本和藻类的急剧增加,可能反映了湿地化加剧的状况.最近约400 cal a B.P.以来,针叶植被急剧增加,常绿阔叶植被减少,可能反映了气候突然变冷的过程.岩芯下段禾本科孢粉(40μm)的出现与研究区脱海成陆的时间相吻合,这表明良渚时期(大约5000 4000 cal a B.P.)研究区水稻种植已有一定规模.但在大约4000 cal a B.P.前后的良渚文化末期,禾本科孢粉浓度一度出现降低,这可能反映了研究区人类活动强度的减弱,其与良渚文明衰落的时间基本吻合.总体上看,这一变化发生在趋干的气候背景以及沼泽化、湿地化加剧的下垫面条件下,暗示了气候、环境因素对良渚文明的衰落可能具有重要影响.     

Effects of adjusting cropping systems on utilization efficiency of climatic resources in Northeast China under future climate scenarios

Quantitatively evaluating the effects of adjusting cropping systems on the utilization efficiency of climatic resources under climate change is an important task for assessing food security in China. To understand these effects, we used daily climate variables obtained from the regional climate model RegCM3 from 1981 to 2100 under the A1B scenario and crop observations from 53 agro-meteorological experimental stations from 1981 to 2010 in Northeast China. Three one-grade zones of cropping systems were divided by heat, water, topography and crop-type, including the semi-arid areas of the northeast and northwest (III), the one crop area of warm–cool plants in semi-humid plain or hilly regions of the northeast (IV), and the two crop area in irrigated farmland in the Huanghuaihai Plain (VI). An agro-ecological zone model was used to calculate climatic potential productivities. The effects of adjusting cropping systems on climate resource utilization in Northeast China under the A1B scenario were assessed. The results indicated that from 1981 to 2100 in the III, IV and VI areas, the planting boundaries of different cropping systems in Northeast China obviously shifted toward the north and the east based on comprehensively considering the heat and precipitation resources. However, due to high temperature stress, the climatic potential productivity of spring maize was reduced in the future. Therefore, adjusting the cropping system is an effective way to improve the climatic potential productivity and climate resource utilization. Replacing the one crop in one year model (spring maize) by the two crops in one year model (winter wheat and summer maize) significantly increased the total climatic potential productivity and average utilization efficiencies. During the periods of 2011–2040, 2041–2070 and 2071–2100, the average total climatic potential productivities of winter wheat and summer maize increased by 9.36%, 11.88% and 12.13% compared to that of spring maize, respectively. Additionally, compared with spring maize, the average utilization efficiencies of thermal resources of winter wheat and summer maize dramatically increased by 9.2%, 12.1% and 12.0%, respectively. The increases in the average utilization efficiencies of precipitation resources of winter wheat and summer maize were 1.78 kg hm⁻² mm⁻¹, 2.07 kg hm⁻² mm⁻¹ and 1.92 kg hm⁻² mm⁻¹ during 2011–2040, 2041–2070 and 2071–2100, respectively. Our findings highlight that adjusting cropping systems can dominantly contribute to utilization efficiency increases of agricultural climatic resources in Northeast China in the future.     

Paleoenvironments indicated by the fossil mammalian assemblages from red clay-loess sequence in the Chinese Loess Plateau since 8.0 Ma B.P.

1 Introduction and methods Many geoscientists have agreed[1-29] that the wind blown dusty sediments appeared in China since about 8.0 Ma B.P. The eolian earthy deposits are the red clays of the middle-late of the Late Miocene and those of Pliocene as well as the loess-paleosol sequence of the Pleistocene and Holocene. These eolian earthydeposits are distributed chiefly in northwestern China, mostly corresponding in area to the modern Loess Plateau. The Neogene red clay was deposited unco…     

Investigation of Biosorption Behavior of Methylene Blue on Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm.

The effect of varying parameters such as dye concentration, adsorbent dose, pH and temperature on the adsorption capacity of Pleurotus ostreatus is investigated. The commonly available white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus is investigated as a viable biomaterial for the biological treatment of synthetic basic methylene blue effluents. The results obtained from the batch experiments reveal the ability of the fungus to remove methylene blue. The performance is dependent on the dye concentration, pH, and fungal biomass. The equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption are investigated and the Langmuir equation is used to fit the equilibrium isotherm. The adsorption isotherm of methylene blue follows only the Langmuir model with a correlation coefficient of ca. 0.96–0.99. The maximum adsorption capacity is ca. 70 mg of dye per g of dry fungus at pH 11, 70 mg L^–1 dye, and 0.1 g L^–1 fungus concentration, respectively. This study demonstrates that the fungus could be used as an effective biosorbent for the treatment of dye‐containing wastewater streams.     

Textual research of Wudu earthquake in 186 B.C. in Gansu Province, China and discussion on its causative structure

On the basis of the textual research on the historical earthquake data and the field investigation of Wudu earth- quake occurred in 186 B.C., we suggest that the earthquake parameters drawn from the present earthquake catalogs are not definite and amendments should be made. The heavily-damaged area of this earthquake should be located between Jugan township of Wudu County and Pingding township of Zhouqu County. Its epicenter should be in the vicinity of Lianghekou in Wudu County with a magnitude of about 7~7 41 and an intensity of about IX~X. The major axis direction of the heavily-damaged area should be in the WNW direction that is approximately consistent with the strike of the middle-east segment of Diebu-Bailongjiang active fault zone, and the origin time should match up to that of the latest paleoearthquake event [before (83±46) B.C.] obtained by the trench investigation. Certain seismic rupture evidences are still preserved on this fault segment. Therefore, we propose on the basis of comprehensive analysis that the causative structure of the M 7~7 4/1 Wudu earthquake in 186 B.C. should be in the middle-east segment of Diebu-Bailongjiang active fault zone.