白洋淀地区晚冰期以来的气候和环境演变

华北平原晚冰期以来气候环境演变研究对该地区社会发展、灾害风险评估和科学应对未来全球增温背景下极端降水和洪涝事件具有重要意义。本文以华北平原中部白洋淀地区高阳剖面（BG-2019）为研究对象,通过高精度AMS¹⁴C、OSL定年技术和高分辨率孢粉组合、粒度组分分析,恢复和重建了白洋淀地区晚冰期以来（距今13710 a—今）区域植被演替和气候环境变化历史。结果显示：BG-2019剖面在距今10270~13710 a和距今4630~5400 a发育湖相沉积,距今3470~3700 a发育沼泽相沉积;距今7130~8000 a发育河流—入湖三角洲相沉积,距今3700~4630 a和距今3230~3470 a发育河流相沉积;距今8000~10270 a和距今5400~7130 a存在明显的沉积间断/地层缺失;表明采样剖面所在位置缺乏连续的湖相地层。晚冰期白洋淀为局地小湖沼;中全新世湖沼较发育、范围广,但也不是连续广袤的湖相沉积;晚全新世湖泊范围收缩。晚冰期和全新世白洋淀流域植被景观存在显著差异;晚冰期气候寒冷干燥,平原发育以蒿属、藜亚科、禾本科和菊科等为主的草地,周围山地森林覆盖度低;中全新世气候温暖湿润,平原大部仍发育以蒿属、藜亚科和禾本科为主的草地,湖区水蕨和水生植物繁盛,周围山地生长松属、栎属为主的针阔混交林,森林覆盖度增高;晚全新世气候温和偏干,平原仍是以蒿属、藜亚科和禾本科等为主的草地,西部山地生长以松属为主的针阔混交林,森林覆盖度较高。     

Hypsometric Analysis of Headwater Rock Basins in the Dolomites (Eastern Alps) Using High‐Resolution Topography

Hypsometric curves and integrals are effective tools for rapid quantitative assessments of topography. High‐resolution digital terrain models derived from airborne LiDAR data have been analysed to study the hypsometry of small headwater rock basins (drainage areas up to 0.13 km²) in three study areas in the Dolomites (Eastern Alps) that have similar lithologies and climatic conditions. Hypsometric curves in the studied rocky headwaters display a variety of shapes and present remarkable differences between neighbouring basins. Hypsometric integrals show generally high values in the three study areas (>0.42, mean values between 0.51 and 0.65). The extent of the scree slopes located at the foot of rock basins in the three study areas is larger in the area with lower hypsometric integrals and indicates consistency between the development of basin erosion, which is shown by the hypsometric integral, and debris yield, represented by the extent of scree slope. No clear relations were observed between the hypsometric integrals and basin area and shape. When extending the analysis to larger basins, which encompass rocky headwaters and downslope soil‐mantled slopes, a negative correlation is found between the hypsometric integral and catchment area, suggesting that the scale independency of the hypsometric integral occurs essentially in headwater rock basins. Geomorphometric indices (residual relief and surface roughness) have contributed to interpreting the variability of surface morphology, which is related to the geo‐structural complexity of the catchments.     

Response of small mid-mountain rivers to human impact with particular reference to the last 200 years; Eastern Sudetes, Central Europe

In the mid-mountains of Central Europe relict forms of periglacial morphogenesis occur, including debris slope covers. However, the Holocene forest succession limited sediment transfer towards valley systems.The eastern, mid-mountain part of the Sudetes, characterised by a dense stream network and by the local occurrence of metallic and gold ores, was already settled by humans in early medieval times. Timber from the forested slopes was used to produce charcoal and streams acted as energy sources for smelting plants and smithies. Agriculture developed on less inclined slopes. Temporal clearances on steep slopes and replacement of primeval beech forest by spruce trees, influenced water circulation on slopes. The exposed slope covers were transferred to valley floors during high precipitation events. Consequently, they were selectively redeposited within the floodplain, changing the former channel pattern, especially at confluences. The introduction of cultivation on slopes triggered intense soil erosion so that agricultural terraces were built in order to prevent surface wash. The terraces are often strengthened with stone walls up to 4.5 m high. Terraces acted as ‘sediment traps’, storing the washed material within the slope. The layers of fine-grained colluvial sediments, which can be linked with agriculture, cover the older, debris slope covers. The colluvium is especially thick at the terrace edges. Despite the protective role of terracing, part of the washed material was transferred to valleys, often becoming overbank deposits, covering older gravel and boulder alluvium. The decline of iron ore exploitation and processing, at the beginning of the 19th century, together with agricultural withdrawal, which was especially radical after the 2nd World War, resulted in successive renaturalisation of the environment being followed by slope stabilisation and deepening of bigger river channels.The results led to the conclusion that a strong human impact on the slope–valley system in the mid-mountain part of the Eastern Sudetes influenced changes in the dynamics and morphology of small rivers to a much higher extent than the climate variations, especially during the Little Ice Age.     

Observations on the distribution of paraglacial reworking of glacigenic drift in western Norway

This paper presents new data on the extent of and controls on paraglacial reworking of glacigenic drift by debris flows and snow avalanches at eight localities in western Norway. At sites around Jostedalsbreen, gully density is in the order of c. 10-100 gullies per km. Drift slopes at the sites in the Jotunheim massif are generally much less extensively modified by paraglacial processes (gully density nowhere exceeds 8 km^-1 in either site). Factors controlling paraglacial drift modification include gradient, sediment availability and water supply. Gully density generally exceeds 20 gullies per km where drift is steeper than c. 30° and thicker than c. 10 m, and where the void ratio of unreworked sediment exceeds c. 0.35. Widespread gullying is also favoured at sites of high and focused water input, in particular where melting snow and ice are involved. A significant implication of these findings concerns the preservation of glacigenic sediments and landforms in different paraglaciated landscapes. Understanding the detailed constraints on paraglacial processes is essential for realistically assessing the geomorphological significance of paraglaciation in a range of environments.     

Holocene debris-flow deposits and their implications on the climate in the upper Jinsha River valley, China

Major debris-flow deposits occur along the xerothermic valley of the upper Jinsha River. The debris-flow deposits, ranging in thickness from 1 to 20 m, invariably occupy gently inclined piedmont slopes. The sediments are presently deeply dissected by gullies, and the process of mass movement has almost ceased. Detailed textural, stratigraphical, and geochemical studies reveal the formation processes of the debris flows. Seven debris-flow incidents are noted based on the unit combination characteristics of debris-flow deposits. The age estimates of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) show that the occurrence of debris flows started at around 10.6 kyr BP and weakened until 4.5 kyr BP, corresponding to the obvious strengthened phase of the summer monsoons in the region. The ages of the debris-flow deposits indicate that the occurrence of a mass of debris flows was a response to the intensified summer monsoon in the SE fringe of the Tibetan Plateau since the early Holocene.     

Lake and catchment response to Holocene environmental change: spatial variability along a climate gradient in southwest Greenland

The Kangerlussuaq area of southwest Greenland is a lake-rich landscape that covers a climate gradient: a more maritime, cooler and wetter coastal zone contrasts with a dry, continental interior. Radiocarbon-dated sediment sequences (covering ~11,200?C8,300?cal?year) from paired lakes at the coast and the head of the fjord were analysed for lithostratigraphic variables (organic-matter content, bulk density, Ti, Ca). Minerogenic and carbon accumulation rates from the four lakes were compared to determine catchment and lake response to Holocene climatic variability. Catchment erosion at the coast was dominated by cryonival processes, with considerable sediment production due to the limited vegetation cover and exposed rock faces. Input of minerogenic sediment at one site (AT4) was high (>1?gDW?cm^?2?year^?1) during the period 5,800?C4,000?cal?year BP, perhaps reflecting intensification of cryogenic processes on northeast-facing slopes and rapid delivery to the lake. This period of erosional activity was not observed at the nearby, higher elevation site (AT1) due to the lower catchment relief; instead, there was an abrupt decline in carbon and minerogenic accumulation rates at ~5,800?cal?year BP. Sediment accumulation rates at the inland sites were much lower (<0.005?gDW?cm^?2?year^?1) reflecting greater catchment stability (more extensive vegetation cover), lower relief and substantially lower precipitation, but synchronous increases in mineral accumulation rates from ~1,200 to 1,000?cal?year BP may reflect wind erosion associated with regional cooling and local aridity. Carbon-accumulation-rate profiles were similar at the two inland sites, with higher-than-average accumulation (~6?C8?g?C?m^?2?year^?1) during the early Holocene and a subsequent decline after ~6,000?cal?year BP. At the inland lakes, both mineral and carbon accumulation rates exhibited a stronger link to climate, driven by trends in effective precipitation and regional aeolian activity. Catchment differences (relief, altitude) lead to more individualistic records in both erosion history and lake productivity at the coast.     

Impacts of Holocene climatic variations on alluvial fan activity below snowpatches in subarctic Québec

In the Lake Guillaume-Delisle area of subarctic Québec, storm-generated alluvial fans have been active sporadically throughout the Holocene. In this study, we propose that the persistence of late-lying snowpatches in fan catchments during Holocene cold episodes promoted alluvial fan activity by lowering the precipitation threshold required to trigger a torrential event. This hypothesis was tested by characterizing the depositional processes responsible for alluvial fan formation below snowpatches, and by reconstructing the Holocene alluvial fan activity. Stratigraphic and sedimentary analyses conducted on seven alluvial fans revealed that they were deposited by torrential activity leading to waterlaid, transient, or hyperconcentrated deposition. The chronology of the storm-generated alluvial fans — based on 22 radiocarbon dates — indicates that torrential activity was enhanced during the cooler Late Holocene (i.e., after ca. 3500 cal. yr BP). Snowier winters and cooler summers were beneficial to nival activity, allowing the persistence of larger snowpatches throughout the summer and fall seasons. Rainfall-induced thaw of such snowpatches during rainstorm events is inferred to have contributed to alluvial fan activity by increasing water availability. Three peaks of alluvial activity occurred during the Late Holocene (2950–2750, 1900–1400, and 800–300 cal. yr BP) and are indicative of increased storminess resulting in higher fan activity. Increased fan activity during cooler episodes was concurrent with increased runoff activity in the immediate pronival area. This stresses the importance of nivation below snowpatches and pinpoints the role of nivation in enhancing geomorphological activity during period of cooler and more humid climate in subarctic environments.     

The influence of temperature, moisture, and eolian activity on Holocene lake development in West Greenland

Holocene paleolimnological records (diatoms, organic content, spectrally inferred sediment chlorophyll-a) from three West Greenland lakes (~67°N) situated along a transect from the outer coast to a nunatak at the periphery of the Greenland Ice Sheet are used to explore the nature of regional postglacial lake development and its relationship to Holocene climate evolution. The lakes were deglaciated asynchronously by approximately 4?ka (earliest on the coast) and thus their sediment records document different starting points of Holocene ontogeny, both temporally and paleoclimatically. Despite similar time-transgressive characteristics of the diatom stratigraphies, overarching climatic factors, principally effective moisture, and eolian inputs, govern individual lake development. The transition to Neoglaciation between 5.6 and 4?ka BP marks a shift toward a cooler, moister, windier climate from the aridity and higher temperatures of the mid-Holocene (8?C6?ka BP). A shift toward increased aridity, windiness, and eolian activity is documented in the interior lakes over the last 500?years. These lake records demonstrate the sensitivity of freshwater lakes in arid regions to changes in effective moisture and highlight the role of wind and eolian activity in Arctic lake environments.     

The alpine geomorphology of the Mt Anne Massif,south‐western Tasmania

The Mt Anne massif is characterised by spectacular erosional landforms of glacial origin. Evidence of at least two separate Pleistocene glaciations is preserved in valleys that extend east and south of the massif, and also on nearby Schnells Ridge. There is evidence of a much older glaciation beneath the western slopes of the Mt Anne massif. Dense vegetation in the eastern valleys has inhibited mapping of the Quaternary geology there. These glaciations have influenced postglacial evolution of the landscape, including the advent of prominent karst features and Holocene landslip activity.     

Paleolimnological evidence for increased landslide activity due to forest clearing and land-use since 3600 cal BP in the western Swiss Alps

Schwarzsee is located in the western Swiss Alps, in a region that has been affected by numerous landslides during the Holocene, as evidenced by geological surveys. Lacustrine sediments were cored to a depth of 13 m. The vegetation history of the lake's catchment was reconstructed and investigated to identify possible impacts on slope stability. The pollen analyses record development of forest cover during the middle and late Holocene, and provide strong evidence for regional anthropogenic influence such as forest clearing and agricultural activity. Vegetation change is characterized by continuous landscape denudation that begins at ca. 4300 cal. yrs BP, with five distinct pulses of increased deforestation, at 3650, 2700, 1500, 900, and 450 cal. yrs BP. Each pulse can be attributed to increased human impact, recorded by the appearance or increase of specific anthropogenic indicator plant taxa. These periods of intensified deforestation also appear to be correlated with increased landslide activity in the lake's catchment and increased turbidite frequency in the sediment record. Therefore, this study gives new evidence for a strong influence of vegetation changes on slope stability during the middle and late Holocene in the western Swiss Alps, and may be used as a case study for anthropogenically induced landslide activity.     

Responses of diatoms to the Younger Dryas climatic reversal in a South Carpathian mountain lake (Romania)

A high-resolution paleolimnological study from Lake Brazi, a small mountain lake in the Southern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, shows distinct diatom responses to late glacial and early Holocene climate change between ca. 15,750 and 10,000?cal?year BP. Loss-on-ignition, titanium, sulphur, phosphorus, biogenic silica content, and diatom assemblage composition were used as proxies for past environmental changes. Total epilimnetic phosphorus (TP) concentrations and lakewater pH were reconstructed quantitatively using diatom-TP and pH transfer functions. The most remarkable changes in the aquatic ecosystem were found at ca. 12,870 and 10,400?cal?year BP. Whereas the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD) climatic reversal was conspicuous in our record, the beginning of the Holocene was not well marked. Two diatom assemblage zones characterize the YD in Lake Brazi, suggesting a bipartite division of this climatic oscillation. The diatom responses to the YD cooling were (1) a shift from Staurosira venter to Stauroforma exiguiformis dominance; (2) a decrease in overall diatom diversity; (3) a decrease in lake productivity, inferred from DI-TP, organic matter, and biogenic silica content; and (4) a lowering of the DI-pH. Compositional change of the diatom assemblages suggested a sudden shift towards more acidic lake conditions at 12,870?cal?year BP, which is interpreted as a response to prolonged ice cover and thus shorter growing seasons and/or enhanced outwash of humic acids from the catchment. Taking into account the chironomid-based inference of only moderate July mean temperature decrease (<1?°C), together with the pollen-inferred regional opening of the forest cover and expansion of steppe-tundra, our data suggest that ecosystem changes in the Southern Carpathians during the YD were likely determined by strong seasonal changes.     

Processes and rates of rock fragment displacement on cliffs and scree slopes in an amba landscape, Ethiopia

Distinct rock fragment displacements occur on the ambas, or structurally determined stepped mountains of the Northern Ethiopian Highlands. This paper describes the rock fragment detachment from cliffs by rockfall, quantifies its annual rate, and identifies factors controlling rock fragment movement on the scree slopes. It further presents a conceptual model explaining rock fragment cover at the soil surface in these landscapes. In the May Zegzeg catchment (Dogu'a Tembien district, Tigray), rockfall from cliffs and rock fragment movement on debris slopes by runoff and livestock trampling were monitored over a 4-year period (1998–2001). Rockfall and rock fragment transport mainly induced by livestock trampling appear to be important geomorphic processes. Along a 1500-m long section of the Amba Aradam sandstone cliff, at least 80 t of rocks are detached yearly and fall over a mean vertical distance of 24 m resulting in a mean annual cliff retreat rate of 0.37 mm y^− 1. Yearly unit rock fragment transport rates on scree slopes ranged between 23.1 and 37.9 kg m^− 1 y^− 1. This process is virtually stopped when exclosures are established. Corresponding mean rock fragment transport coefficients K are 32–69 kg m^− 1 y^− 1 on rangeland but only 3.9 kg m^− 1 y^− 1 in densely vegetated exclosures. A conceptual model indicates that besides rockfall from cliffs and argillipedoturbation, all factors and processes of rock fragment redistribution in the study area are of anthropogenic origin.     

陕西扶风黄土台塬全新世成壤环境变化研究

通过对陕西扶风全新世黄土剖面的土壤学和地层学研究、磁化率、酸碱度和粒度测定分析, 揭示了周原地区全新世成壤环境演变过程。黄土剖面中的埋藏古土壤S₀形成于全新世大暖期的温湿环境中, 古土壤S₀中黄土夹层(L_x)的存在, 表明6000aBP前后季风气候发生转折, 在6000~5000aBP出现一个干旱阶段, 并使得全新世大暖期分裂成为两个主要的温湿阶段。大约从3100aBP开始, 受全球降温过程的影响, 季风气候朝向干旱化方向发展, 全新世大暖期的成壤作用被黄土堆积所取代。现代表土大约从1500aBP开始发育。     

Paraglacial Modification of Glacigenic Sediment

The sedimentological characteristics of in situ and paraglacially reworked till are compared at recently deglaciated sites in Norway. Glacigenic deposits reworked by debris flows are shown to retain many of the characteristics of the parent sediments, and cannot readily be distinguished from in situ till in terms of fabric strength or type, clast imbrication, shape, angularity or texture, matrix granulometry or packing. Paraglacially re-worked sediments appear to differ from in situ tills only in terms of preferred clast orientation (down flow rather than downvalley) and their structural and lithofacies characteristics. These criteria are employed to differentiate paraglacial sediments from unre-worked tills exposed in valley-side sections. The stratigraphic relations between these indicate glacial reworking of earlier paraglacial sediments as well as paraglacial remobilisation of glacigenic deposits, indicating cyclic alternation of glacial and paraglacial sediment transport.     

Midge- and diatom-based palaeosalinity reconstructions for Mahoney Lake, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Salinity fluctuations in lakes of semi-arid regions have long been recognised as indicators of palaeoclimatic change, and have provided a valuable line of evidence in palaeo-climatic reconstruction. In the present study, fossil remains of diatoms and midges were used to reconstruct salinity changes at Mahoney Lake from the early postglacial, through the early, mid and late Holocene. A transition from midges typical of a freshwater community (Protanypus, Sergentia, Heterotrissocladius, Cladopelma, Dicrotendipes) during the early postglacial, to those indicative of saline environments (Cricotopus/Orthocladius, Tanypus) occurred in the early Holocene. The midge-inferred salinity values reflected the shift from freshwater (0.031 g/L) immediately after deglaciation, to saline water (2.4 to 55.2 g/L) in subsequent periods. A less saline period was found to have occurred after 1000 yr BP, suggesting a cooler or wetter period. The diatom record indicates similar trends, with freshwater taxa (e.g.,Cyclotella bodanica var. aff.lemanica) dominating near the bottom of the core. Diatom-inferred salinities indicate that saline conditions (about 30 g/L) prevailed throughout subsequent Holocene time, although relatively fresh conditions are indicated following deposition of the Mazama Ash, and from about 1500 yr BP until the present day. Midge and diatom-inferred salinity reconstructions for Mahoney Lake compare favorably with each other, and with climate trends inferred from earlier palynological evidence. The palaeosalinity record thus contributes new data relevant to past climatic conditions, in a region where little data have previously been collected.     

Postglacial environmental change in the valley of Malye Chily River (the basin of Lake Teletskoye), northeastern Russian Altai

The evolution and current state of landscapes around Lake Teletskoye have not previously been studied in detail. In the valley of the Malye Chily River, which flows into Lake Teletskoye, the timing of dam failure and draining of two moraine-dammed lakes has been identified. Botanical analysis, ash content determination, and radiocarbon dating of two peat profiles provide insight into postglacial evolution of wetlands related to this landscape. We found clear evidence of the disappearance from the peat of higher vascular species that, today, grows mostly in the plains of Siberia. Correlation of the data obtained with the accepted chronology of the Holocene events in the Russian Altai suggests the following stages of postglacial environmental change in the Malye Chily River valley: (1) the continuation of the Late Würm glaciation degradation (before 7000?cal. yr BP); (2) Holocene Climate Optimum (7000–5000?cal. yr BP); (3) Akkem cooling (5000–4200?cal. yr BP); (4) warm period (4200–3700?cal. yr BP); and (5) Historical cooling (3700–1600?cal. yr BP).     

Human impacts on headwater fluvial systems in the northern and central Andes

South America delivers more freshwater runoff to the ocean per km² land area than any other continent, and much of that water enters the fluvial system from headwaters in the Andes Mountains. This paper reviews ways in which human occupation of high mountain landscapes in the Andes have affected the delivery of water and sediment to headwater river channels at local to regional scales for millennia, and provides special focus on the vulnerability of páramo soils to human impact. People have intentionally altered the fluvial system by damming rivers at a few strategic locations, and more widely by withdrawing surface water, primarily for irrigation. Unintended changes brought about by human activities are even more widespread and include forest clearance, agriculture, grazing, road construction, and urbanization, which increase rates of rainfall runoff and accelerate processes of water erosion. Some excavations deliver more sediment to river channels by destabilizing slopes and triggering processes of mass-movement.The northern and central Andes are more affected by human activity than most high mountain regions. The wetter northern Andes are also unusual for the very high water retention characteristics of páramo (high elevation grass and shrub) soils, which cover most of the land above 3000 m. Páramo soils are important regulators of headwater hydrology, but human activities that promote vegetation loss and drying cause them to lose water storage capacity. New data from a case study in southern Ecuador show very low bulk densities (median 0.26 g cm^− 3), high organic matter contents (median 43%), and high water-holding capacities (12% to 86% volumetrically). These data document wetter soils under grass than under tree cover. Effects of human activity on the fluvial system are evident at local scales, but difficult to discern at broader scales in the regional context of geomorphic adjustment to tectonic and volcanic processes.     

Hillslope gullying in the Solway Firth — Morecambe Bay region, Great Britain: Responses to human impact and/or climatic deterioration?

In the Solway Firth — Morecambe Bay region of Great Britain there is evidence for heightened hillslope instability during the late Holocene (after 3000 cal. BP). Little or no hillslope geomorphic activity has been identified occurring during the early Holocene, but there is abundant evidence for late Holocene hillslope erosion (gullying) and associated alluvial fan and valley floor deposition. Interpretation of the regional radiocarbon chronology available from organic matter buried beneath alluvial fan units suggests much of this geomorphic activity can be attributed to four phases of more extensive gullying identified after 2500–2200, 1300–1000, 1000–800 and 500 cal. BP. Both climate and human impact models can be evoked to explain the crossing of geomorphic thresholds: and palaeoecological data on climatic change (bog surface wetness) and human impact (pollen), together with archaeological and documentary evidence of landscape history, provide a context for addressing the causes of late Holocene geomorphic instability. High magnitude storm events are the primary agent responsible for gully incision, but neither such events nor cooler/wetter climatic episodes appear to have produced gully systems in the region before 3000 cal. BP. Increased gullying after 2500–2200 cal. BP coincides with population expansion during Iron Age and Romano-British times. The widespread and extensive gullying after 1300–1000 cal. BP and after 1000–800 cal. BP coincides with periods of population expansion and a growing rural economy identified during Norse times, 9–10th centuries AD, and during the Medieval Period, 12–13th centuries AD. These periods were separated by a downturn associated with the ‘harrying of the north’ AD 1069 to 1070. The gullying episode after 500 cal. BP also coincides with increased anthropogenic pressure on the uplands, with population growth and agricultural expansion after AD 1500 following 150 years of malaise caused by livestock and human (the Black Death) plagues, poor harvests and conflicts on the Scottish/English border. The increased susceptibility to erosion of gullies is a response to increased anthropogenic pressure on upland hillslopes during the late Holocene, and the role of this pressure appears crucial in priming hillslopes before subsequent major storm events. In particular, the cycles of expansion and contraction in both population and agriculture appear to have affected the susceptibility of the upland landscape to erosion, and the hillslope gullying record in the region, therefore, contributes to understanding of the timing and spatial pattern of human exploitation of the upland landscape.     

青海湖湖东沙地河湖-风成沉积记录的中晚全新世以来环境变化

青海湖盆地因其独特的地理位置和气候环境,对气候变化响应敏感,是研究环境变化重要的场所。本研究在青海湖湖东沙地获取两个剖面,采用AMS¹⁴C测年,结合岩性、粒径组分和常量元素氧化物及其比值等多指标分析方法,重建了湖东沙地8.4 ka BP以来的环境演变过程。结果表明：除少量沉积物处于中等化学风化阶段外,大部分沉积物处于物理风化和初级化学风化阶段,说明自8.4 ka BP以来研究区气候环境总体上相对寒冷干燥。在千年尺度上,研究区不同时间段的气候环境存在较大的差异。8.4—4.2 ka BP气候相对温暖湿润;其中,8.4—6.2 ka BP河湖相和风成相沉积互层,表明存在明显的百年尺度气候波动;6.2—4.2 ka BP化学风化和淋溶作用较强,表明季风降水较多,径流较强,发育了较为稳定的湖泊沉积环境。4.2 ka BP以来湖泊消失,化学风化和淋溶作用减弱,沉积物从砾石转变为砂质黄土,显示气候较为冷干且波动较大。对比分析表明,中晚全新世以来青海湖湖东沙地的气候变化特征与东亚季风边缘区其他区域基本一致,并主导了区域沉积环境的演变过程。     

毛乌素沙地东南缘全新世气候不稳定性

毛乌素沙地处于中国季风区的西北边缘,对气候变化敏感,是古气候演化和古环境变迁研究的理想场所。全新世气温回暖期,气候整体稳定但存在暖湿冷干的次级波动,不同类型沉积相组成的地层序列记录了全新世千年、百年尺度的气候不稳定性。对毛乌素沙地不同沉积序列的研究表明:(1)毛乌素沙地东南缘的沙漠/黄土边界带DLT、NB剖面粒度及Rb/Sr比值可作为气候变化的代用指标。>63 μm砂含量增加,Rb/Sr比值降低,揭示东亚冬季风增强,风成砂堆积,风沙活动加剧,气候干冷;反之,东亚夏季风增强,降水增多,风化成壤程度加大,气候暖湿。(2)毛乌素沙地东南缘沙漠/黄土边界带及低洼沟谷区年代概率密度函数的分析显示,全新世早期~8\^5 ka BP风成砂堆积,风沙活动加剧,气候表现为干冷;全新世中期8\^5 ka~3\^0 ka BP地势较高处古土壤广泛发育,地势低洼处发育湖沼相/泥炭层,但在6.0 ka BP左右存在气候转冷过程;全新世晚期3\^0 ka BP以来气候波动频繁。(3)毛乌素沙地气候变化与北大西洋冰筏冷事件、董哥洞石笋、季风边缘区湖泊、东部沙地等记录具有可对比性和相对一致性,反映出全新世千年和百年尺度上的气候变化主要受全球变化的影响,这对预测和模拟未来气候变化具有借鉴意义。