Methane Concentration and Emission in Dominant Landscapes of Typical Tundra of Western Yamal

Doklady Earth Sciences - Methane concentration in dominant landscapes of typical tundra of Western Yamal has been measured. The highest methane content in the active layer was measured in tundra...     

Reinjected ice stocks in sediments of the western Yamal peninsula

Doklady Earth Sciences -     

Late Quaternary Stratigraphy, Glacial Limits, and Paleoenvironments of the Marresale Area, Western Yamal Peninsula, Russia

Stratigraphic records from coastal cliff sections near the Marresale Station on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia, yield new insight on ice-sheet dynamics and paleoenvironments for northern Eurasia. Field studies identify nine informal stratigraphic units from oldest to youngest (the Marresale formation, Labsuyakha sand, Kara diamicton, Varjakha peat and silt, Oleny sand, Baidarata sand, Betula horizon, Nenets peat, and Chum sand) that show a single glaciation and a varied terrestrial environment during the late Pleistocene. The Kara diamicton reflects regional glaciation and is associated with glaciotectonic deformation from the southwest of the underlying Labsuyakha sand and Marresale formation. Finite radiocarbon and luminescence ages of ca. 35,000 to 45,000 yr from Varjakha peat and silt that immediately overlies Kara diamicton place the glaciation >40,000 yr ago. Eolian and fluvial deposition ensued with concomitant cryogenesis between ca. 35,000 and 12,000 cal yr B.P. associated with the Oleny and the Baidarata sands. There is no geomorphic or stratigraphic evidence of coverage or proximity of the Yamal Peninsula to a Late Weichselian ice sheet. The Nenets peat accumulated over the Baidarata sand during much of the past 10,000 yr, with local additions of the eolian Chum sand starting ca. 1000 yr ago. A prominent Betula horizon at the base of the Nenets peat contains rooted birch trees ca. 10,000 to 9000 cal yr old and indicates a >200-km shift northward of the treeline from the present limits, corresponding to a 2° to 4°C summer warming across northern Eurasia.     

Quaternary deposits in southwestern Afghanistan

Geologic evidence in the closed Seistan Basin of southwestern Afghanistan and adjacent parts of Iran and Pakistan indicates that a lake as much as 65,000 sq km in size occupied this closed depression during Pleistocene time. The deposits consist mostly of lacustrine silt and clay and have a maximum observed thickness of about 250 m. A layer of alluvial gravels overlies the sequence. The deposits are probably early or middle Pleistocene in age; they are old enough to have sustained nearly 300 m of erosion over large areas but are not faulted or detectably folded in the central part of the basin although they are upwarped along the west edge of the basin.Sand dunes cover extensive areas of the basin. Dune orientation shows that the strong surface winds enter the basin blowing toward the south-southeast and then are deflected to the east, apparently as a response to mountains bordering the basin on its south side. The Gawdezereh, a large deflation depression, may be a result of an augmented excavation ability of winds that oc urs where turbulence is created along a zone of deflection.     

Fast-decaying inductive IP in frozen ground

Effects of induced polarization (IP) often appear in TEM data collected in Yakutia and elsewhere in permafrost areas. Inversion of transient responses using the Cole–Cole model of frequency-dependent conductivity shows fast decaying induced polarization in the shallow subsurface (within 100 m). Frozen ground within these depths has the chargeability (m) in the range from 0.2 to 0.85 (mostly 0.2–0.5); the relaxation time constant (τ) varies from 35 to 250 μs being 50–100 μs on average, and the exponent c is little variable, unlike m and τ (from 0.8 to 1).The latter fact (c ≈ 1) is indicative of a narrow range of relaxation times fitting the Debye relaxation model. Conversion of the complex conductivity into relative low-frequency dielectric permittivity results in values of the order of tens of thousands or a few hundred thousand. These exceptionally high permittivities have no other plausible explanations than electrochemical polarization of unfrozen water that remains bound on the surface of mineral grains at subzero temperatures. The effects of electrochemical polarization are described and interpreted in terms of frequency-dependent surface conductivity, which is controlled by surface-to-volume ratio.     

Alkanes in Quaternary deposits of the Laptev Sea

The distribution and genesis of n-alkanes in sediments from the 38-m sequence obtained during core boring in the Ivashkina lagoon were studied. Sediments were formed in the Holocene as a result of thermokarst and penetration of seawater. The sequence mostly includes permafrost rocks partially molten in the upper horizons and covered by Quaternary deposits, which are mostly the products of thermoabrasion.     

Quaternary geology and sapphire deposits from the BO PHLOI gem field,Kanchanaburi Province,Western Thailand

One of the most famous blue sapphire deposits in Thailand and SE Asia is from the Bo Phloi District, Kanchanaburi Province, Western Thailand. This paper presents the results of our gemstone investigation as well as establishing the Bo Phloi depositional sequence as one of the Quaternary Type Sections in the region. Relationships among the sedimentology, depositional sequences and geomorphology were investigated in order to understand the gemstone depositional features. Sedimentary structures and textures of the sequences show that the deposition of gemstones is related genetically to fluvial processes. Gemstones are recognized in floodplain and low terrace deposits where gemstone paystreaks concentrate mostly inside layers of gravel beds and foreset-bedded gravels lithofacies. C-14 dating of wood and peat within gemstone-bearing layers indicated that the deposit formed during the middle to late Pleistocene. The gemstone-bearing gravel bed defines a north–south trend along the incised palaeo-channel of an ancient braided river system in the middle part of the basin.     

Quaternary alluvial deposits in the central plateau of Mexico

Of the two post-Tertiary alluvial fills found throughout the southern part of the Central Plateau of Mexico, the older (whose deposition came to an end about 5000 B. C.) was laid down by shortlived floods. The younger (which dates from A. D. 500–1700) reflects equable stream regimes. The fluctuations in the seasonal distribution of rainfall indicated by the fills are analogous to regional trends observed in the area during the period of record.

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Zusammenfassung Im südlichen Teil des Zentralplateaus von Mexico wurden zwei post-tertiäre Alluvialfüllungen festgestellt, von denen die ältere (deren Ablagerung ungefähr vor 7000 Jahren beendet war) durch kurzzeitige Überflutungen entstand, während die jüngere (die auf die Zeit von 500–1700 unserer Zeitrechnung zurückgeht) gleichförmige Zustände widerspiegelt. Die erforderlichen Schwankungen in der jahreszeitlichen Verteilung der Regenfälle entsprechen den regionalen Tendenzen, die während der Zeit der Aufzeichnungen in dem Gebiet beobachtet wurden.

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Résumé Deux phases post-tertiaires de comblement alluvial ont eu lieu dans le sud du Plateau Central méxicain. La plus ancienne s'acheva vers 5000 ans a. C. et témoigne de l'action de crues spasmodiques; la plus jeune, qui date de 500–1700, est le reflet des régimes fluviatiles réguliers. Elles indiquent des oscillations dans la répartition saisonière des pluies qui trouvent leurs parallèles dans des tendances régionales plus récentes.

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Lithogenetic characteristics of Quaternary deposits of Vitim plateau

Stratigraphic differentiations and reconstruction of sedimentation cycles (three, in all) show that development of gold placers occurs in early stages of every one of them and that the placer gold is dissipated in the constratal phase of the alluviation. V.P. Sokoloff.     

Nature and origin of ground ice,Sandhills Moraine,southwest Banks Island,Western Canadian Arctic

The Sandhills Moraine is a Late Wisconsinan lateral moraine complex on southwest Banks Island. The occurrence of ice-ablation landforms, ground ice slumps, kettle lakes and catastrophic lake drainage in winter suggests the presence of substantial bodies of massive ground ice. The distinctive hummocky topography of the Sandhills Moraine is thought to reflect partial melt-out of this ice. Stratigraphic observations indicate that the ice is overlain irregularly and unconformably by glacigenic sediments, notably pebbly clay (till) and/or sandy gravels (outwash), while the ice itself possesses numerous and variable mineral inclusions, faults and foliations. Petrofabric analyses indicate a strongly preferred orientation to the ice crystals. It is suggested that these characteristics are best explained if the ground ice is interpreted as relict glacier ice.     

Seismic studies of frozen ground in Arctic areas

Seismiv surveys have been applied to investigate the structure of frozen ground, to identify and contour natural and man-caused unfrozen layers in permafrost (taliks), to constrain the position of the permafrost table in the Arctic inner shelf, and to study the related coastal stability. They are the classic methods common in shallow seismic exploration and new techniques specially designed at the Institute of Earth’s Cryosphere (Tyumen’) for different wave components. The joint use of compressional and shear waves provides a higher-quality interpretation of seismic data in permafrost applications. In the case of a single wave component, shear waves are advantageous over P waves.     

Quaternary sea-level changes in Western Scotland

In recent years, major advances have been made in our understanding of Late Quaternary sea-level changes in western Scotland. In particular, new hypotheses have been advanced to explain the ages and origins of high-level rock platform fragments and high-level marine shell beds. Certain raised shorelines in Islay and Jura, SW Argyll and Wester Ross have been related to former margins of the last ice sheet and are associated with drops in the Lateglacial marine limit. In some areas the decline in Lateglacial sea-level took place in association with a stationary ice margin while in others the fall in sea-level occurred in conjunction with considerable ice retreat.During the Lateglacial Interstadial, relative sea-level fell rapidly between ca. 13 and ca. 12 ka BP and thereafter more slowly until ca. 11 ka BP. Renewed marine erosion during the cold climate of the Loch Lomond (Younger Dryas) Stadial (ca. 11-10 ka BP) resulted in the production of the Main Lateglacial Shoreline, which declines in altitude to the W, SW and S away from the centre of glacio-isostatic uplift in the W Highlands. The shoreline has a maximum altitude of 10–11 m O.D. in the Oban area and passes below sea-level in NE Islay, Ardnamurchan, Colonsay, W Mull, Kintyre and Arran.During the early Holocene a pronounced marine transgression took place, probably culminating between 6.6 and 7.0 ka BP. The culmination of the transgression is represented by the Main Postglacial Shoreline that reaches a maximum altitude of ca. 14 m in the Oban area and declines gently in altitude away from the centre of glacio-isostatic uplift. Reconstruction of the uplift isobases for this shoreline appears to indicate a slight eastward migration of the uplift centre since the Younger Dryas. In peripheral areas of western Scotland the Main Postglacial Shoreline is not present owing to the effect of Holocene submergence.     

Origin of Calcium carbonate granules found in buried soils and Quaternary deposits

The ovoid calcium carbonate granules of less than 2 mm in size commonly found by molluscan specialists and soil micromorphologists are usually interpreted as coming from either earthworms or arionid slugs, or both. In this paper the granules are examined in detail, with a view to better understanding their origins and dynamics. Through collection and experiments, it is shown conclusively that both animals produce calcium carbonate granules of the right size range. The two types have distinctive morphologies, however, and most of the granules observed in soils and sediments are clearly identifiable as coming from earthworms. This arises from a far greater production rate: worms are capable of shedding granules at the rate of 1–3 per week, whereas Arion ater only yields around 40 granules < 250 μm on death. The granules survive digestive processes, so heavy predation of earthworms by various animals and birds means that there is a constant recycling of the granules in the biosphere.     

我国季节性冻土区公路路基冻害及其防治研究进展

近年来,季节性冻土区公路路基冻害研究已取得了长足的进步,但是,因受气候、环境、冻融循环等不同因素的影响,季节性冻土区公路路基冻害问题依然突出.随着国家公路规划网的逐步实施,将有更多的公路工程向季节性冻土区推进,为了将已有的研究成果更好地应用于工程实践,需对其进行综合评述.基于前期的研究基础,总结我国季节性冻土区公路路基冻害的主要破坏形式及分布区域,讨论影响路基冻害的几个主要因素,分析和总结已有公路路基冻害防治措施的研究现状,提出季节性冻土区公路工程面临的问题和研究建议,为深化季节性冻土区公路路基冻害及其防治研究提供新思路.     

Palaeolatitude of glacial deposits and palaeogeography of Neoproterozoic ice ages

At the end of the Neoproterozoic, the Earth may have experienced important environmental changes, with a transition between two supercontinents (from Rodinia to Gondwana), extensive glaciations with ice caps reaching the Equator and the beginning of metazoan diversification. In such a context, the palaeomagnetic record can be used to constrain both the palaeogeography and the palaeoclimate (palaeolatitudinal distribution of glacial deposits). Here we present an up-to-date geochronological and palaeomagnetic database for the Neoproterozoic glacial deposits, including poles recently obtained on ‘cap carbonates’ from China, Oman, and Amazonia. The database comprises ten poles (from eight different cratons), obtained directly on the glacial deposits or on the overlying ‘cap carbonate’, and two other palaeolatitudes derived from reference poles coeval to well-dated glacial units in the same craton. The occurrence of glacial deposition at low latitudes (<30 °) is attested by some good-quality poles, two of them well dated at ∼740 and ∼635 Ma. Based on these poles and on reference poles obtained on igneous rocks, tentative palaeogeographic reconstructions for ∼750, ∼620, and ∼580 Ma (ages for which the database has limited but still sufficient entries) were performed in order to investigate the tectonic context within which the glacial events were produced.     

Australian dust deposits: modern processes and the Quaternary record

Dust raising and transport are common and important processes in Australia today. The aridity of the Australian continent and high climatic variability result in widespread dust raising in the arid and semi-arid areas and transport to the humid margins and surrounding oceans. The supply of erodible particles appears to be the greatest limitation on total flux of transported dust. Dust raising is greatest in the Lake Eyre Basin, including the Simpson Desert, and Murray-Darling Basin where internal drainage renews supplies of fine particles to the arid zone. In the west and northwest dust entrainment is low, despite considerable aridity. The marine record of dust flux shows at least a threefold increase in dust flux, compared with the Holocene, in the last glacial maximum in both tropical and temperate Australia, driven by weakened Australian monsoon rains and drier westerly circulation, respectively. Despite the widespread confirmation of aeolian dust deposits in southeastern and southwestern Australia, dated or quantified records are extremely rare. The dominant model of Australian dust deposits, the clay-rich ‘parna’, is shown to be poorly substantiated while modern and ancient dust deposits examined in detail are shown to bear a strong similarity to conventional definitions of loess.