Holocene palaeoflood events recorded by slackwater deposits along the lower Jinghe River valley,middle Yellow River basin,China

Palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs), are the natural record of overbank flooding and are often found within aeolian loess‐soil profiles along the river valleys of the middle Yellow River basin. These pedo‐stratigraphic sequences are studied using a multi‐disciplinarily approach to reconstruct Holocene hydro‐climatic variations. Our field investigations along the lower Jinghe River valley have identified palaeoflood SWDs at several sites along the riverbanks based on sedimentological criteria. Analytical results, including magnetic susceptibility, particle‐size distribution and concentrations of chemical elements, indicate that these well‐sorted palaeoflood SWD beds were deposited from the suspended sediment load in floodwaters. We identify two episodes of extraordinary palaeoflood events along the Jinghe River valley. These hydro‐climatic events were dated to 4200–4000 and 3200–2800 a BP, by using the optically stimulated luminescence method in combination with archaeological dating of retrieved anthropogenic remains, and with pedo‐stratigraphic correlations with the previously studied Holocene pedo‐stratigraphy in the Jinghe River drainage basin. The flooding events are therefore considered to be a regional expression of known climatic events in the northern hemisphere and demonstrate Holocene climate was far from stable. This study provides important data in understanding the interactions between regional hydro‐climatic systems and global change in semi‐arid and sub‐humid regions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene extreme hydrological event records from slackwater flood deposits of the Ankang east reach in the upper Hanjiang River valley,China

This paper reports an investigation into palaeoflooding along the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River valley, China. Based on the sedimentary evidence of the palaeohydrological regime, two bedsets of palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs) were identified interbedded within the Holocene loess–soil sequence along the riverbanks of the Ankang east reach. Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating and stratigraphical correlation with previously dated sites were used to reconstruct the chronology of the palaeoflood events. The results show that the palaeoflood events represented by SWD1 occurred between 13 000 and 12 400 a, coincident with the climatic transition from the Bølling–Allerød (BL+AL) stage to the Younger Dryas (YD) event. The palaeoflood events recorded by SWD2 were dated to 1000–800 a, corresponding to the later stages of the North Song Dynasty (AD 960–1127) and the subsequent South Song Dynasty (AD 1127–1279), which was a time of climatic decline according to historical documents. Palaeoflood discharges were estimated using the step‐backwater method, and the peak discharges were estimated to be in the range 35 200–47 400 m³ s^?1. These results are of significance to our understanding of the regional hydrological response to global climatic change, the utilization of water resources, hydraulic engineering, flood control and disaster reduction.     

Impact of monsoonal climatic change on Holocene overbank flooding along Sushui River,middle reach of the Yellow River,China

In the semiarid loess regions, slackwater deposition of overbank flooding over the piedmont alluvial plains was episodic and alternated with dust accumulation and soil formation throughout the Holocene. The records of past hydrological events are therefore preserved within the architecture of loess and soils and are protected from subsequent erosion and destruction. Several Holocene loess–soil sequences with the deposits of overbank flooding over the semiarid piedmont alluvial plains in the southeast part of the middle reaches of the Yellow River drainage basin were investigated by field observation, OSL and C¹⁴ dating, measurement of magnetic susceptibility, particle-size distribution and chemical elements. This enables the reconstruction of a complete catalog of Holocene overbank flooding events at a watershed scale and an investigation of hydrological response to monsoonal climatic change as well. During the Holocene, there are six episodes of overbank flooding recorded over the alluvial plain. The first occurred at 11,500–11,000 a BP, i.e. the onset of the Holocene. The second took place at 9500–8500 a BP, immediately before the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum. After an extended geomorphic stability and soil formation, the third overbank flooding episode came at about 3620–3520 a BP, i.e. the late stage of the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum, and the floodwater inundated and devastated a Bronze-age town of the Xia Culture built on the alluvial plain, and therefore the town was abandoned for a period of ca 100 years. During the late Holocene, the alluvial plain experienced three episodes of overbank flooding at 2420–2170, 1860–1700 and 680–100 a BP, respectively. The occurrence of these overbank flooding episodes corresponds to the anomalous change in monsoonal climate in the middle reaches of the Yellow River drainage basin when rapid climate change or climatic decline occurs. During at least the last four episodes, both extreme floods and droughts occurred and climate departed from its normal condition, which was defined as a balanced change between the northwestern continental monsoon and southeastern maritime monsoon over time. Great floods occurred as a result of extreme rainstorms in summers caused by rare intensive meridianal airflows involving northwestward moving tropical cyclone systems from the Pacific. These results could be applied to improve our understanding of high-resolution climatic change, and of hydrological response to climatic change in the semiarid zones.     

Ancient landslide-dam events in the Jishi Gorge,upper Yellow River valley,China

Some scholars have argued that the formation and outburst of an ancient dammed lake in the Jishi Gorge at ca. 3700 cal yr BP resulted in the destruction of Lajia, the site of a famous prehistoric disaster in the Guanting Basin, upper Yellow River valley, China. However, the cause of the dammed lake and the exact age of the dam breaching are still debated. We investigated ancient landslides and evidence for the dammed lake in the Jishi Gorge, including dating of soil from the shear zone of an ancient landslide, sediments of the ancient dammed lake, and loess above lacustrine sediments using radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods. Six radiocarbon dates and two OSL dates suggested that the ancient landslides and dammed lake events in the Jishi Gorge probably occurred around 8100 cal yr BP, and the ancient dammed lake was breached between 6780 cal yr BP and 5750 cal yr BP. Hence, the outburst of the ancient dammed lake in the Jishi Gorge was unrelated to the ruin of the Lajia site, but likely resulted in flood disasters in the Guanting Basin around 6500 cal yr BP.     

Multidisciplinary characterization of the middle Holocene eolian deposits of the Elsa River basin (central Italy)

In temperate regions, eolian deposits of different natures are often pedogenically-altered and mixed with underlying sediments. The research reported in this paper identifies for the first time the presence of eolian deposits in soils of central Tuscany and investigates the characteristics and origin. Five relict, polycyclic paleosol profiles were studied. P1 was situated in a natural dust trap, a doline on top of an isolated limestone hill; P2 and P3 were both situated on a limestone plateau, and P4 and P5 on a mid- and foot slope on schist. The profiles were sampled for routine analyses, iron forms, heavy minerals, major and trace elements, and pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs. Undisturbed samples were taken for micromorphological and SEM analyses. Nine soil horizons were sampled for OSL dating. Eolian deposits were dominant or abundant in the first layers of P1, P2 and P3. OSL age determinations of soil horizons deriving from eolian parent material were middle Holocene. Chemical and heavy mineral analyses indicated different possible sources, including bare slopes, alluvial fans and wide channels, coming from the nearby streams that drain the Middle Tuscany ridge and the Mounts of Chianti; marginal contribution of volcanic ashes was only found in P1.The research demonstrated that wind soil erosion accompanied water erosion and colluvial deposition during the middle Holocene in the Elsa River basin. Pollen spectra, in particular, indicated that soil degradation occurred in an environment showing signs of incipient desertification, resulting from an increase of aridity in a land already strongly influenced by humans. Although central Italy is currently considered to be only marginally affected by wind soil erosion, a climate change, which would imply increased arid conditions, could trigger a new cycle of slope denudation, wind erosion and loess deposition.     

Holocene loess in the middle reaches of the Yellow River

Holocene loess in the middle reaches of the Yellow River can be subdivided into three formations, which are composed commonly of upper loess and lower dark loessial soil (a kind of paleosol): the Xifeng Formation of Late Holocene, the Longxi Formation of Middle Holocene and the Luochuan Formation of Early Holocene. The layers of dark loessial soil at similar stratigraphic levels in different localities show such a change in age that samples from south are older than those from north, indicating a northward shift of the climate belt during pedogenesis.     

Luminescence chronology of late Holocene extreme hydrological events in the upper Penner River basin,South India

Field stratigraphy, sedimentology and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating have been used to reconstruct the southwest monsoon variability in the semi‐arid region of southern India during the late Holocene. Facies architecture and OSL dating of the water‐lain sediment suggest prevalence of a weak hydrological regime around 3 ka. Following this, a progressive strengthening of monsoon occurred till 2 ka. After 2 ka and until 1 ka fluvial activity was nearly dormant, indicating weakening of the monsoon. Presence of high‐magnitude flood deposits, overbank sedimentation and pedogenesis during 1–0.6 ka indicate intensification of the southwest monsoon in the basin. The onset of aridity was associated with episodic storm surge events that are manifested in the pond sedimentation and localised aeolian accretion. This phase is bracketed between 0.5 ka and 0.2 ka. A renewed phase of monsoonal activity was observed in the form of floodplain aggradation between 180 and 90 years ago. In the past 70 years no significant change in the monsoon performance has been observed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

内蒙古达里湖沉积记录的中晚全新世干旱事件

最近20年位于东亚夏季风北部边缘的我国北方半干旱区遭遇更为频繁、更为严重的干旱事件。然而,有关该区域过去不同时间尺度气候干旱事件的特征及机制仍知之甚少。文章详细分析了内蒙古中东部达里湖DL04岩芯上部6.5 m沉积物中 < 38 μm碳酸盐的Ca和Mg含量、δ¹⁸O和δ¹³C值以及全样有机质TOC和TN含量、TOC/TN（C/N）比值,基于高精度的AMS¹⁴C年代标尺,恢复了最近6000年（日历年）湖区的水文、气候变化详细过程。结果表明：达里湖 < 38 μm碳酸盐主要为湖泊水体沉淀的内生方解石,其Ca和Mg含量、δ¹⁸O和δ¹³C值增大反映湖水蒸发量超过补给水量,进而指示湖区干旱事件。TOC和TN含量减少以及C/N比值减小总体反映地表径流减弱引起的陆生有机质入湖减少以及湖泊初始生产率下降。达里湖沉积内生碳酸盐和有机质地球化学数据表明,在6000~5300 cal.a B.P.、3200~2800 cal.a B.P.、1650~1150 cal.a B.P.和650~300 cal.a B.P.,流域地表径流显著减弱、湖面显著降低、湖泊生产率显著下降、湖区气候显著变干、东亚夏季风显著减弱。最近6000年东亚夏季风显著减弱事件在定年误差范围内与北大西洋冰漂碎屑事件一致,而与热带西太平洋海表温度变化和太阳活动变化相关性较差,表明千、百年尺度东亚夏季风突变主要受控于北半球高纬气候变冷。

     

长江中下游地区铁、铜等成矿规律研究

本文反映了国家重点科技攻关项目75-55-02-01专题的地质研究成果,论文探讨了长江中下游区域成矿的地质背景和构造演化,提出燕山期本区为大陆板块内部的断块与裂陷交织的构造-岩浆-成矿带。燕山早期,以NWW—EW向为主的岩石圈断裂,控制了铜、钼、(金)矿带的分布;燕山晚期,以NNE—NE为主的岩石圈断裂,主要控制了铁及铁-铜矿带的分布。矿带内各矿田的位置,受基底构造和盖层构造的联合控制。根据环形构造、线性构造与侵入岩体的关系,建立了本区矿田构造垂直分带的“三层结构”模式。首次研究了主要赋矿层位——石炭系、二叠系、三叠系地球化学,包括有机碳含量及与金属成矿的关系。对中生代侵入岩的岩石化学和含矿性进行了系统研究,划分了3个成岩成矿亚系列。在综合研究区域构造、沉积、岩浆、成矿等作用演化的基础上,提出本区存在两个成矿系列,即沉积成矿系列(古生代为主)和岩浆成矿系列(燕山期为主),后者是本区主要的金属成矿系列。两个系列的叠加复合是本区区域成矿的一个特色,是造成矿床多样性和复合性的重要原因。论文讨论了铁矿带和铜矿带的区域分布及二者的相互关联,并论述了长江中下游成矿带在环太平洋矿带中的地位和特色。     

二连盆地中部古河道砂岩型铀矿综合地球物理响应特征研究

二连盆地是我国北方重要的产铀盆地,近年来盆地中部相继发现一批古河道型砂岩铀矿床,预示该区域具有明显的找铀前景.结合该区铀成矿与地层结构、断裂、砂体、氧化还原过渡带等因素密切相关的地质认识,利用多种地球物理方法对成矿地质环境进行综合探测试验研究,分析研究成矿有利区平面上的重力异常、磁异常、放射性异常特征,以及剖面上的地震...     

Lower and Middle Pleistocene human settlements recorded in fluvial deposits of the middle Loire River Basin,Centre Region,France

This paper records the findings from c. 80 prehistoric sites that have been discovered in the alluvial deposits of the rivers Creuse, Cher, and Loir, tributaries of the middle Loire River, over the period since 1981. These deposits comprise river terrace aggradations formed during successive glacial–interglacial cycles which have recorded climate and environment during Quaternary time. The systematic dating of these river deposits by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) applied to optically bleached sedimentary quartz has resulted in the establishment of a chronological framework for the evolution of these rivers during Lower and Middle Pleistocene (between 1.7 Ma and 130 ka). Evidence for Early Palaeolithic (Mode 1) industries with an in situ context (workshops, soils) in the highest aggradations indicates that Hominins were present in the study area, near the geographical centre of France (47°N), around 1.1 Ma. Examination of the sites indicates that Human occupations were located along valley bottom sites during temperate episodes. Subsequently, after a gap of several hundred thousand years industries with handaxes appear in the Middle Loire Basin in the interval between 700 and 600 ka, and then continuously from 400 ka. These two phases of settlement produced industrial assemblages with clear differences in their responses to the supplies of raw materials and in the modes of making flakes.     

东天山黑沟流域冰川沉积序列及OSL测年研究

黑沟源于东天山最大现代冰川作用中心博格达峰的南坡. 在第四纪冰期与间冰期旋回中,该流域的冰川均发生过多次规模较大的进退,在谷中留下了较为完整的冰川沉积序列. 这些冰川地形包含有重要的古气候变化信息,对其研究可重建黑沟流域的冰川演化史. 应用OSL对该流域的冰川沉积物进行定年,测定结果表明冰水沉积物（沙质透镜体）比冰碛物更适宜应用单片再生剂量（SAR）测年技术进行测定. 基于测得的年龄并结合地貌地层学原理可初步得出：晚第四纪期间,黑沟流域共发生了5次规模较大的冰川作用,分别为全新世期间的小冰期（16世纪以来冷期的冰进）与新冰期（距今3~4 ka的冰进）,末次冰期晚冰阶（MIS 2）与早冰阶（MIS 4）以及倒数第二次冰期（MIS 6）.     

长江中下游金属矿找矿前景与找矿方法

本文论述了长江中下游地区金属矿床的地质、地球物理和地球化学特点,提出今后深部找矿的主要对象是：找隐伏含矿岩体及有关的各类矿体,找岩体中的大型斑岩型矿床,找受岩体和五通砂岩联合控制的层状矿;讨论了地球物理和地球化学方法应用中要注意解决的几个主要问题,强调应发挥包括重力、磁法、激发极化法、电磁法、岩性探测仪及多种天然地震法和化探方法等综合方法的作用,并与地质矿床成矿规律研究密切结合;讨论了方法应用试验中要注意的几个问题。文章最后一部分是从本区大地构造的演化探讨了区域构造岩浆活动与成矿前景,认为这一地区是扬子板块与华北板块陆-陆碰撞挤压造山带及其前陆区,在岩石圈强烈挤压下形成地壳增厚和深部物质的挤出折返,使深部的高压和超高压变质岩层推到地壳浅部;深部生成的柯石英等高压超高压矿物及地幔熔融岩浆同时上侵;生成大量钙碱性岩浆并存储在中地壳部位,通过长期与中下地壳金属物质进行交换,形成矿液的集中优势,通过后期出现的张性断裂构造而进入地壳表层,再经过与围岩发生物理化学成矿作用后沉淀成矿。归纳出扬子板块与华北板块陆-陆碰撞造山带一种新的构造模式。     

鄂陵湖晚全新世沉积物记录的黄河源区气候环境变化

通过对青藏高原黄河源区鄂陵湖35cm长的沉积物岩芯（NR-1）中总有机碳含量（TOC）、总氮含量（TN）、碳氮比值（C_org/N_tot）以及有机碳同位素（δ¹³C_org）和总氮同位素（δ¹⁵N_tot）等地球化学指标的分析,并结合青海地区文献资料记载的人口数量变化以及高原湖泊水位记录,对研究区近1500a以来的气候环境变化进行了深入探讨。结果表明：近两百多年以来鄂陵湖沉积物中TOC和TN指标呈现明显上升的趋势,与青海东部地区人口数量变化趋势一致,表明近代人类活动已经对青藏高原最大淡水湖生态系统产生了显著的影响;而沉积物中δ¹³C_org值变化与青海湖水文环境重建指标具有可比性,说明高原大型淡水湖泊沉积物δ¹³C_org值可指示湖泊水位波动;此外δ¹⁵N_tot值变化趋势与青藏高原东北部已有的古温度记录总体一致,推测鄂陵湖沉积物δ¹⁵N_tot值可能响应了湖泊水体营养状态的变化,间接指示了湖泊夏季表层水温的波动。本研究为青藏高原腹地高海拔现代湖泊沉积物中有机碳和总氮含量及其同位素指标的解译提供了全新的思路。

     

Holocene offset and seismicity along the panamint valley fault zone, western basin-and-range province, California

Holocene right-slip along the central segment of the Panamint Valley totals 20 m and dip-slip is somewhat less. The most recent offset, about 2 m right-slip, probably occurred at least several hundred years ago. If a comparable amount of slip occurred during earlier earthquakes, mean seismic recurrence intervals would have been about 700–2500 years during the Holocene.     

环境变化对黄河中游汾河径流情势的影响研究

20世纪70年代后我国许多河流的径流量呈下降的趋势.在这些趋势变化中,如何区分人类活动及气候变化的影响是当前流域水文研究的热点和难点.提出了区分人类活动和气候变化影响的分析思路以及定量计算方法.介绍了SIMHYD概念性降水径流模型,并应用黄河中游汾河流域"天然"时期的水文、气象资料率定了模型参数,通过水文模拟还原了人类活动影响期间的天然径流量,进而分析了汾河流域径流情势的变化原因.结果表明:SIMHYD降水径流模型对汾河流域天然月径流过程具有良好的模拟效果;就1970-1999年的平均状况而言,气候因素和人类活动对径流的影响量分别占径流减少总量的35.9%和4.1%,人类活动是汾河流域径流减少的主要因素.     

Palaeoecological study on the Holocene valley development of the River Main, southern Germany

Tree-ring studies carried out on subfossil oak trunk deposits within the Holocene valley fills of the River Main can reconstruct phases of increased fluvial activities. These phases have been dated on the base of two absolutely tree-ring dated chronologies and in addition by ¹¹C-datings of eleven floating tree-ring scries of subfossil oaks.
Geological-pedological investigations reveal an alternation between increased and reduced fluvial activity during the Holocene.
Periods of increased gravel redeposition are dated by dendrochronology, and by ¹⁴C and cultural findings. Increased fluvial activity becomes more frequent towards Modern Times with culminations in the Middle Atlantic, the Subboreal, the Iron-Roman Age, the Main Middle Ages till earliest Modern Times, and in the last century.
On the sequence of Holocene river deposits there developed specific soil types as indicators for the age of the river deposits since the Last Glacial.
Among other palaeoecological results an important finding is the correlation between tree-ring width, flood-loam sedimentation, and soil development.