Subsistence strategies of prehistoric hunter-gatherers on the Tibetan Plateau during the Last Deglaciation

The study of prehistoric hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies on the Tibetan Plateau is important for understanding the mechanisms and processes of human adaption to high altitude environments.But to date,only a few Paleolithic sites have been found on the Tibetan Plateau with clear stratigraphy and reliable dating.These sites are mainly distributed in the Qinghai Lake Basin on the northeastern part of the plateau,and the sporadic fauna and flora remains excavated provide limited information about the subsistence strategies of hunter-gatherers.In 2014,relatively abundant animal remains were unearthed in the Lower Cultural Layer (LCL,15400-13100 cal yr BP) of the"151 site"located in the Qinghai Lake Basin,providing important information about human subsistence strategies on the Tibetan Plateau during the Last Deglaciation.Zooarchaeological analysis of these faunal remains indicates that hunter-gatherers at the"151 site"mainly targeted large ungulates of Bos and wild horse/ass,and only brought back the most nutritious parts of animal carcasses including upper and intermediate limb bones,heads,and trunks (ribs and vertebrae).People then processed and consumed the carcasses around single hearths.Our comprehensive analyses of contemporaneous sites in the Qinghai Lake Basin show that a subsistence strategy involving opportunistic hunting of ungulates,high mobility,and short occupation of campsites was used by terminal Pleistocene huntergatherers to adapt to the high-altitude environment on the Tibetan Plateau.This subsistence strategy may have been a first step of gradual hunter-gatherer adaptation to the extreme conditions on the Tibetan Plateau after the Last Glacial Maximum,and laid the foundation for the widespread distribution of hunter-gatherers on the plateau during the Holocene.     

The earliest prehistoric pottery in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its archaeological implications

Remains of prehistoric human activity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were often found exposed in the surface due to strong erosion. Thus, archaeological sites containing continuous and integral cultural remains within stratigraphic layers are rare in the plateau. The Jiangxigou site, located in the south of Qinghai Lake basin and in the northeastern margin of the plateau, are such a site with ages ranging from the early to late Holocene, i.e. from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Our excavation disclosed remains including more than 700 pieces of microliths, 14 pottery pieces, and other cultural relics. The oldest pottery fragments were found at the depth of 75 cm in the section, and in particular, a painted pottery piece was found at the depth of 61 cm. In this study, both luminescence (TL and OSL) and radiocarbon dating were employed to establish the chronology for these remains. Two pieces of pottery were dated using thermoluminescence (TL), another two pieces of pottery were dated by OSL, and three charcoal samples by AMS ¹⁴C. TL age of pottery piece P14 from the depth of 75 cm is 7.06 ± 0.51 ka, making it the earliest pottery in the Tibetan Plateau. The AMS ¹⁴C age of charcoals from the same depth of 75 cm is 6805 ± 95 Cal a BP, in agreement with TL age of P14. OSL age of pottery P12 from the depth of 60–70 cm is 6.50 ± 0.47 ka, and OSL age of pottery P9 from 54 cm is 4.97 ± 0.25 ka. Thus, the age of the painted pottery piece at the depth of 61 cm should be ∼5.50 ka by interpolation, making it the earliest painted pottery in the QTP. The pottery P14 has many common features similar to that of the Yangshao culture in China. We suggest that, before 7 ka, hunters using microlithic had been living in the northeastern margin of the QTP. Since 7 ka, these native microlithic hunters had been affected by the Neolithic Yangshao culture from the Loess Plateau, which was characterized by well-developed pottery. Agricultural growers migrated from the lower elevation of the Loess Plateau to the east of the QTP, leading to profound cultural exchanges with highland native microlithic hunters.     

Underestimated ~(14)C-based chronology of late Pleistocene high lake-level events over the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas: Evidence from the Qaidam Basin and Tengger Desert

The palaeolake evolution across the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas has been extensively studied, but the timing of late Pleistocene lake highstands remains controversial. Robust dating of lacustrine deposits is of importance in resolving this issue. This paper presents 14 C or optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) age estimates from two sets of late Quaternary lacustrine sequences in the Qaidam Basin and Tengger Desert(northeastern Tibetan Plateau). The updated dating results show:(1) the radiocarbon dating technique apparently underestimated the age of the strata of >30 ka BP in Qaidam Basin;(2) although OSL and 14 C dating agreed with each other for Holocene age samples in the Tengger Desert area, there was a significant offset in dating results of sediments older than ~30 ka BP, largely resulting from radiocarbon dating underestimation;(3) both cases imply that most of the published radiocarbon ages(e.g., older than ~30 ka BP) should be treated with caution and perhaps its geological implication should be revaluated; and(4) the high lake events on the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas, traditionally assigned to MIS 3a based on 14 C dating, are likely older than ~80 ka based on OSL chronology.     

THE NORTHWARD GROWTH OF THE NORTHEASTERN TIBETAN PLATEAU IN LATE CENOZOIC: IMPLICATIONS FROM APATITE (U-Th)/He AGES OF LONGSHOU SHAN

Longshou Shan, located at the southern edge of the Alxa block, is one of the outermost peripheral mountains and the northeasternmost area of the northeastern Tibetan plateau. In recent years, through geochronology, thermochronology, magnetic stratigraphy and other methods, a large number of studies have been carried out on the initiation time of major faults, the exhumation history of mountains and the formation and evolution of basins in the northeastern Tibet Plateau, the question of whether and when the northeastward expansion of the northeastern Tibet Plateau has affected the southern part of the Alxa block has been raised. Therefore, the exhumation history of Longshou Shan provides significant insight on the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan plateau and their dynamic mechanism. The Longshou Shan, trending NWW, is the largest mountain range in the Hexi Corridor Basin, and its highest peak is more than 3 600m(with average elevation of 2800m), where the average elevation of Hexi Corridor is 1 600m, the relative height difference between them is nearly 2200m. This mountain is bounded by two parallel thrust faults: The North Longshou Shan Fault(NLSF)and the South Longshou Shan Fault(SLSF), both of them trends NWW and has high angle of inclination(45°~70°)but dips opposite to each other. The South Longshou Shan Fault, located in the northern margin of the Hexi Corridor Basin, is the most active fault on the northeastern plateau, and controls the uplift of Longshou Shan.Due to its lower closure temperature, the lower-temperature thermochronology method can more accurately constrain the cooling process of a geological body in the upper crust. In recent years, the low-temperature thermochronology method has been used more and more in the study of the erosion of orogenic belts, the evolution of sedimentary basins and tectonic geomorphology. In this study, the apatite (U-Th)/He(AHe) method is used to analyze the erosion and uplift of rocks on the south and north sides of Longshou Shan. 11 AHe samples collected from the south slope exhibit variable AHe ages between~8Ma and~200Ma, the age-elevation plot shows that before 13~17Ma, the erosion rate of the Longshou Shan is very low, and then rapid erosion occurs in the mountain range, which indicates that the strong uplift of Longshou Shan occurred at 13~17Ma BP, resulting in rapid cooling of the southern rocks. In contrast, 3 AHe ages obtained from the north slope are older and more concentrated ranging from 220Ma BP to 240Ma BP, indicating that the north slope can be seen as a paleo-isothermal surface and the activity of the north side is weak. The results of thermal history inverse modeling show that the South Longshou Shan Fault was in a tectonic quiet period until the cooling rate suddenly increased to 3.33℃/Ma at 14Ma BP, indicating that Longshou Shan had not experienced large tectonic events before~14Ma BP.
We believe that under the control of South Longshou Shan Fault, the mountain is characterized by a northward tilting uplift at Mid-Miocene. Our results on the initial deformation of the Longshou Shan, in combination with many published studies across the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau, suggest that the compression strain of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau may expand from south to north, and the Tibetan plateau has expanded northeastward to the southern margin of the Alxa block as early as Mid-Miocene, making Longshou Shan the current structural and geomorphic boundary of the northeastern plateau.     

Erosion history of the Tibetan Plateau since the last interglacial: constraints from the first studies of cosmogenic 10Be from Tibetan bedrock

The cosmogenic ¹⁰Be exposure histories of in situ bedrock surfaces from the Tibetan Plateau indicate low erosion rates of <30 mm/ka in southern and central Tibet during the last interglacial–glacial cycle that contrast strongly with unusually rapid erosion rates (60–2000 mm/ka) for Kunlun in northern Tibet during the Holocene, comparable with published values from the Himalaya. By comparing apatite fission-track ages with cosmogenic data, erosion rates in southern Tibet appear to be decelerating since the Miocene, whereas in the Kunlun, erosion rates have accelerated over the same timescale. Such secular changes suggest that the southern and central regions of the plateau had formed their present flat relief by the Pleistocene. Unusually high erosion rates along the northern margin of the plateau may reflect intense tectonic activity during the Holocene. These findings indicate that over much of the high plateau erosion rates are exceptionally low, and therefore the sources of detritus carried by the great Asian rivers that rise in Tibet lie overwhelmingly in bedrocks at lower altitudes. This study illustrates the potential of cosmogenic studies for unraveling the most recent phase of the erosion/exhumation history of orogenic belts that cannot be resolved by either Ar-isotope or fission-track thermochronometers.     

青藏高原北缘三危山断裂东北段的古地震事件

三危山断裂位于青藏高原北缘,为阿尔金断裂带的一条重要分支,研究其晚更新世以来的活动特征,可为全面地把握青藏高原北缘的地震活动规律提供基础资料。在对三危山断裂东北段(十工口子西-双塔)进行遥感资料解译、野外地质地貌调查和探槽开挖,并分析探槽内揭露的断层、地层和楔状堆积三者之间关系的基础上,结合相关堆积物的光释光断代研究,最终利用逐次限定法分析了古地震事件发生的年代。研究发现该断裂段上晚更新世以来发生了3次古地震事件:距今最远的一次事件E1发生在约5.3万年前,接近5.3万年;第二次事件E2发生于距今约4万年之前,5.3万年之后,更接近4万年;最近的一次事件E3发生于距今7.42—2.47ka。由于晚更新世以来探槽开挖地点地层沉积的不连续,或地层沉积之后发生的侵蚀作用,导致探槽内揭露出的古地震事件存在严重缺失。但可以确定的是,在晚更新世中晚期和全新世,三危山断裂东北段上确有破裂地表的古地震事件发生。     

Sedimentary evolution of a foreland basin from the northeastern Qilian Mountains based on the integration of geomorphological and luminescence dating of alluvial conglomerates and fluvial terrace sediments

Sedimentary deposits in the foreland basin of the northeastern Qilian Mountains are crucial documents recording tectonic activity and climate changes on the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, luminescence dating was used to date alluvial conglomerates and fluvial terrace sediments collected from the Beida River in the Jiuquan Basin, a foreland basin in the Hexi Corridor, northeastern Qilian Mountains. Detailed sedimentology and luminescence ages reveal that alluvial conglomerates accumulated from before 620 ka to 12 ka and that sediment accumulation rates increased at ∼330 ka and ∼35 ka, coinciding with the dates of two tectonic events (∼350 and ∼50 ka) and followed by climate cooling (from marine isotope stage (MIS) 9 to MIS 8 and from MIS 3 to MIS 2). This reveals that variations in the sediment accumulation rates are controlled by the coupling of tectonic uplift and climate cooling. The highest terrace (T7) that developed on the alluvial conglomerate base formed at ∼ 12 ka. The incision rate in the early Holocene was ∼2.1 mm/yr and increased to ∼14.6 mm/yr during the middle and late Holocene. The variations in the river incision rate provide geomorphic evidence for Holocene climate patterns in arid and semiarid areas. Luminescence dating offers a credible temporal framework for the deposits and reveals climate and tectonic effects on the evolution of the foreland basin, northeastern Qilian Mountains.     

Climate changes in East China since the Late-glacial inferred from high-resolution mountain peat humification records

High-resolution peat humification records were obtained from Dajiuhu of the Shennongjia Mountains and Qianmutian of the Tianmu Mountains to study climate changes in East China. The analyses of pollen, organic matters, TOC, and Rb/Sr indicate a high degree of peat humification and thus strong decomposition of organic matter when climate was dry. Conversely, when climate was humid, the degree of humification is low because peat was preserved in a waterlogged condition. Peat humification from Dajiuhu occurred not only during the Younger Dryas (about 11.4–12.6 cal ka BP), the Bølling-Allerød Warm Period (12.6–15.2 cal ka BP), and the Oldest Dryas (about 15.2–16.0 cal ka BP), but also during the early Holocene (about 11.4–9.4 cal ka BP), the 8.2 cal ka BP cold event, and the Holocene Optimum (about 7.0–4.2 cal ka BP). Both peat humification records since nearly 5 ka BP are consistent, showing that mountain peatland has synchronous responses to the East Asia monsoon-induced precipitation. The LOI data confirm the above observation. The monsoon precipitation since nearly 5 ka BP recorded in these two peat profiles can be divided into three phases. During 4.9–3.5 ka BP, precipitation amount was high but fluctuated greatly. During 3.5–0.9 ka BP, precipitation amount was low. During 0.9–0 ka BP, degree of humification reduced gradually, indicating the increase of monsoon precipitation. Contrast to other high-resolution records from East China monsoon region shows that the monsoon precipitation records of the two peat profiles since nearly 16 ka BP are controlled by a common forcing mechanism of summer solar radicalization in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Early millet use in West Liaohe area during early-middle Holocene

It is generally recognized that millet agriculture originated in northern China. However, the domestication process of foxtail millet(Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet(Panicum miliaceum) is still poorly understood. Based on statistical and morphological analyses of ancient millet starch grains, a tangible hypothesis has been proposed for the long-term domestication of green foxtail millet(S. viridis). However, the hypothesis requires validation by evidence from more regions and more archaeological finds. The West Liaohe region is one of the earliest regions of millet cultivation. Here, we report ancient starch grains recovered from 12 stone grinding tools from eight sites of the Xiaohexi culture(before 8.5 ka BP), Xinglongwa culture(8.2–7.4 ka BP), Zhaobaogou culture(7.0–6.4 ka BP), and Hongshan culture(6.5–5.0 ka BP) in the West Liaohe region of China. Our results indicate that the proportion of millet starch grains with wrinkled surfaces and rough edges, which are diagnostic of wild millet grasses, decreased from 13.0% to 3.4% from the Xiaohexi culture to the Hongshan culture. Millet starch grains measuring 16.8 ?m, a size class recorded only in domesticated foxtail millet, increased from 55.0% to 62.1%. These millet data imply that the process of millet domestication in the West Liaohe region began in the Xiaohexi period and continued up to the Hongshan period.     

香山-天景山断裂活动时代的光释光测年

在青藏高原东北隅发育一系列向北东凸出的弧形断裂带．其中最主要的三条断裂带从北到南分别为牛首山-罗山断裂带、香山-天景山断裂带和天祝一海原断裂带。香山-天景山断裂带从上世新以来一直有过活动,并在1709年发生了中卫南7t／2级地震。近期,宁夏地震局在孟家湾村南开挖了一个探槽．揭露出石炭纪的煤系地层逆冲于晚更新世风成沙之上．根据风成沙光释光测年结果表明。此探槽显示的断裂活动时代在距今约26．14±1．08ka．极有可能为22．09±0．4ka与26．14±1．08ka之间．     

青藏高原东北缘祁连山与酒西盆地结合部深部地壳结构及其构造意义

青藏高原地壳变形加厚机制一直是地学界研究争论的热点问题.青藏高原目前仍然处在持续向外扩张之中,因此青藏高原的边界地带作为高原向外扩张的最前缘地区代表了高原最新的变形状态,是研究青藏高原地壳变形加厚的关键地区.本文以一条穿过青藏高原东北缘祁连山与酒西盆地结合部的深地震反射剖面为基础,结合前人地质、地球物理资料,通过细致的地质构造解译,获得青藏高原东北缘祁连山与酒西盆地结合部位地壳变形以壳内滑脱带为界上、下解耦.滑脱带位于壳内低速层的顶部,深度14~24 km.滑脱带之上的地壳部分以一系列南倾、北冲,并向下终止于滑脱带的逆冲断裂变形为主,指示了青藏高原向北的扩张方式;滑脱带之下的地壳以Moho面作为变形标志,指示了复杂的挤压缩短变形.据此我们推测上、下地壳的解耦缩短变形对青藏高原东北缘地壳的变形加厚起到了决定性的作用,甚至在整个青藏高原地壳的变形加厚过程中都起到了重要作用.     

Late Cenozoic magnetic polarity stratigraphy in the Jiudong Basin,northern Qilian Mountain

Late Cenozoic sediments in the Hexi Corridor, foreland depression of the Qilian Mountain preserved reliable records on the evolution of the Northern Tibetan Plateau. Detailed magnetic polarity dating on a 1150 m section at Wenshushan anticline in the Jiudong Basin, west of Hexi Corridor finds that the ages of the Getanggou Formation, Niugetao Formation and Yumen Conglomerate are >11-8.6 Ma, 8.6-4.5 Ma and 4.5-0.9 Ma respectively. Accompanying sedimentary analysis on the same section suggests that the northern Tibetan Plateau might begin gradual uplift since 8.6-7.6 Ma, earlier than the northeastern Tibetan Plateau but does not suppose that the plateau has reached its maximum elevation at that time. The commencement of the Yumen Conglomerate indicates the intensive tectonic uplift since about 4.5 Ma.

     

THE SLIP RATE AND PALEOEARTHQUAKES OF THE YUMEN FAULT IN THE NORTHERN QILIAN MOUNTAINS SINCE THE LATE PLEISTOCENE

The Yumen Fault lies on the west segment of the north Qilian Fault belt and adjacent to the Altyn-Tagh Fault,in the north margin of the Tibet Plateau.The tectonic location of the Yumen fault is special,and the fault is the evidence of recent activity of the northward growth of Tibetan plateau.In recent twenty years,many researches show the activity of the Yumen Fault became stronger from the early Pleistocene to the Holocene.Because the Yumen Fault is a new active fault and fold belt in the Qilian orogenic belt in the north margin of the Tibet Plateau,it is important to ascertain its slip rate and the recurrence interval of paleoearthquakes since the Late Pleistocene.Using the satellite image interpretation of the Beida river terrace,the GPS measurement of alluvial fans in front of the Yumen Fault and the trench excavation on the fault scarps,two conclusions are obtained in this paper.(1) The vertical slip rate of the Yumen Fault is about 0.41~0.48mm/a in the Holocene and about 0.24~0.30mm/a in the last stage of the late Pleistocene.(2) Since the Holocene epoch,four paleoearthquakes,which happened respectively in 6.12~10.53ka,3.6~5.38ka,1.64~1.93ka and 0.63~1.64ka,ruptured the surface scarps of the Yumen Fault.Overall,the recurrence interval of the paleoseismic events shortens gradually and the activity of the Yumen Fault becomes stronger since the Holocene.Anther characteristic is that every paleoearthquake probably ruptured multiple fault scarps at the same time.     

Luminescence chronology of aeolian deposits from the Qinghai Lake area in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its palaeoenvironmental implications

Qinghai Lake, on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is the largest extant closed-basin lake in China, and has been the subject of numerous palaeoclimatological and palaeoenvironmental studies. In this study, 32 samples of aeolian sand, loess and palaeosol at six sites, and 1 sample of shoreline deposits underlying aeolian deposits were dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Where available, OSL ages are in agreement with previously published ¹⁴C ages. Our dating results, in combination with previous published ages on aeolian deposits showed that: (1) The oldest aeolian deposits around Qinghai Lake are in excess of 165 ka. (2) Aeolian deposition then began at ∼14 ka in the Qinghai Lake area. Periods of palaeosol formation occurred at ∼16.9 ka, ∼12.2–11 ka, ∼10–9 ka, ∼5.2–4 ka, and ∼3.9–0.7 ka. (3) The accumulation intervals of palaeosols are generally consistent with drilling-core-based environmental change proxies, indicating that palaeosols were formed during wet periods with higher vegetation cover. (4) A depositional hiatus period of ∼40–50 ka exists between the surface mantle aeolian deposits and underlying gravel deposits. (5) Lake levels during the Holocene did not exceed 3205.2 m elevation (11.8 m above recent lake level of April, 2010).     

Lake level changes of Nam Co since 25 ka as revealed by OSL dating of paleo-shorelines

Many lakes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) experienced dramatic lake level changes in the late Quaternary, as suggested by well-preserved paleo-shorelines up to ∼200 m above present lake levels. These relic shorelines provide direct geomorphic record to reconstruct past lake level fluctuation history and water volume changes, linked closely to variations in paleo-climatic controls including Asian monsoon, westerlies and glacial meltwater. In this study, 27 near-shore sediment samples from three of eight paleo-shorelines at north of Nam Co were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) technique, using coarse grains of quartz and potassium feldspar.Our results indicate that: 1) S1 is the highest/most developed shoreline (+26 m). Sediment from upper part of S1 has a consistent age of ∼25 ka (nine samples from 3 gullies), suggesting a high lake level of Nam Co occurred around 25 ka. An overflow point west of Nam Co has a close elevation to that of S1 and thus limits the presence of higher lake levels; 2) sediment profile from the slightly lower S2 (+22 m) contains two parts, silty sand (6.9–8.9 ka) at the bottom and shoreline deposits atop (∼2.3 ka), suggesting Nam Co maintained a relative high lake level in the early Holocene and such lake level occurred again at about 3.0–2.0 ka; 3) In contrast to the swift variations of monsoon precipitation and glacial meltwater in the late Quaternary, water level of Nam Co remained relatively stable during the period from ∼25 ka to about early Holocene (from +26 m to +22 m), implying a continuous outflowing stage and lake infill constantly exceeds evaporation; 4) S5 (+11 m) has an age of 0.7–1.4 ka. Nam Co showed a much accelerated pace of shrinkage since about 2.0 ka in the late Holocene in roughly two steps: it dropped from +22 m to +11 m from ∼2.0 ka to 1.4 ka, and subsequently dropped another 11 m after 0.7 ka.     

200-kg large explosive detonation facing 50-km thick crust beneath west Qinling,northeastern Tibetan plateau

It is difficult to acquire deep seismic reflection profiles on land using the standard oil-industry acquisition parameters. This is especially true over much of Tibetan plateau not only because of severe topography and rapid variation of both velocity and thickness of near-surface layer, but also strong attenuation of seismic wave through the thickest crust of the Earth. Large explosive sources had been successfully detonated in US, but its application in Tibetan plateau rarely has an example of good quality. Presented herein is the data of a 200-kg single shot we recorded in west Qinling, northeastern Tibetan plateau. The shot gather data with phenomenal signal-to-noise ratios illustrate the energy of the PmP phase. Although the observations are only limited to the northeastern Tibetan plateau and thus cannot comprise an exhaustive study, they nevertheless suggest that large explosions may be a useful exploration tool in Tibetan Plateau where standard seismic sources and profiling methods fail to produce adequate data of low crust.     

Receiver function structures beneath the Haiyuan fault on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau

We performed a receiver function analysis on teleseismic data recorded along two dense seismic profiles and from 4 broadband regional seismic stations across the northeastern Tibetan plateau. The crustal thickness and v_P/v_S ratio were measured by the H-κ domain search algorithm. The Moho discontinuity across the Haiyuan arc fault zone was also revealed by common conversion point (CCP) imaging. Our study results show that the crustal thickness and the v_P/v_S ratio were 42–56 km and 1.60–1.88, respectively. The crustal thickening on the northeastern margin indicates that the crust is shortening or that there was a superimposition of crusts during the collision of the Tibetan plateau with Eurasian block. Our results suggest that Haiyuan fault likely resulted from the interactions of high temperature and pressure conditions during the collision of the Indian and Asian continents. The Moho beneath the Haiyuan tectonic region exhibits an obvious offset and a vague discontinuity according to CCP imaging. This study suggests that the Haiyuan arc fault zone is a trans-crustal fault that cuts through the Moho in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, there are indications of strong deformation in the intensive crustal extrusion from the interior of the Tibetan Plateau to its northeastern margin.     

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF PALEOEARTHQUAKES ON THE MIDDLE-EASTERN SEGMENT OF JINTA NANSHAN FAULT

Hexi Corridor is located at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau. Series of late Quaternary active faults are developed in this area. Numerous strong earthquakes occurred in history and nowadays. Jinta Nanshan fault is one of the boundary faults between the Qinghai-Tibet block and the Alxa block. The fault starts from the northwest of Wutongdun in the west, passes through Changshan, Yuanyangchi reservoir, Dakouzi, and ends in the east of Hongdun. Because the Jinta Nanshan fault is a new active fault in this region, it is important to ascertain its paleoearthquakes since late Pleistocene for the earthquake risk study. Previous studies were carried out on the western part, such as field geomorphic investigation and trench excavation, which shows strong activity in Holocene on the western segment of Jinta Nanshan fault. On the basis of the above research, in this paper, we carried out satellite image interpretation, detailed investigation of faulted landforms and differential GPS survey for the whole fault. Focusing on the middle-eastern part, we studied paleoearthquakes through trench exploration on the Holocene alluvial fan and optical luminescence dating. The main results are as follows:Early Pleistocene to late Pleistocene alluvial strata are widely developed along the fault and Holocene sediment is only about tens of centimeters thick. The Jinta Nanshan fault shows long-lasting activity since late Quaternary and reveals tens of centimeters of the lowest scarp which illustrates new strong activity on the middle-east segment of this fault. Since late Pleistocene, 4 paleoearthquakes happened respectively before(15.16±1.29) ka, before(9.9±0.5) ka, about 6ka and after(3.5±0.4) ka, revealed by 4 trenches, of which 2 are laid on relatively thicker Holocene alluvial fan. Two events occurred since middle Holocene, and both ruptured the whole fault.     

Holocene climate change in the Central Tibetan Plateau inferred by lacustrine sediment geochemical records

Multi-proxies of lacustrine sediments, such as total carbon (TC), total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulfur (TS), hydrogen index (HI), oxygen index (OI) and stable carbon isotopic composition of organic matter (δ 13Corg), were analyzed using a 7.3 m core from Zigê Tangco. The source of the organic matter in the sediment was mainly from autochthonous phytoplankton, therefore the significances of proxies can be interpreted as that high TOC, TOC/TS, HI and δ13Corg values, low TC, TIC values corresponded to warm and wet climatic condition, and vice versa. The process of climatic development in the Zigê Tangco region was hence recovered. During the early and Mid-Holocene, the climate was warm and wet and intensive cold events occurred during the periods of 8600 to 8400 cal a BP and 7400 to 7000 cal a BP. In the second half of Holocene, the climate became cold and dry gradually. The palaeoclimatic process during Holocene in Zigê Tangco region matched well with that in Co Ngoin region which is ca 40 km to the south-east. Therefore this palaeoclimatic process represents the Holocene climatic feature in the Central Tibetan Plateau which has the same pattern in the Northern Tibetan Plateau, but the time and duration of some climatic events might be different. We can conclude that in Holocene solar insolation controlled the climatic pattern on the central Tibetan Plateau.     

STUDY ON PALEOEARTHQUKES ALONG THE FODONGMIAO-HONGYAZI FAULT,GANSU PROVINCE

The Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault is a Holocene active thrust fault, belonging to the middle segment of northern Qilianshan overthrust fault zone, located in the northeastern edge of the Tibet plateau. The Hongyapu M7(1/4) earthquake in 1609 AD occurred on it. A few paleo-seismology studies were carried out on this fault zone. It was considered that four paleoearthquakes occurred on the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault between(6.3±0.6) ka BP and(7.4±0.4) ka BP, in(4.3±0.3) ka BP, in(2.1±0.1) ka BP and in 1609 AD. The occurrences of the earthquakes suggested the quasi-periodic characteristic with a quasi-periodic recurrence interval between 1 600~2 500a(Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau, Lanzhou Institute of Seismology, State Seismological Bureau. 1993; Liu et al., 2014). There was no direct evidence for the Hongyapu M7(1/4) earthquake in 1609 AD from trench research in the previous studies. Great uncertainty exists because of the small number of the chronology data, as a few TL and OSL measurement data and several¹⁴ C data, and it was insufficient to deduce the exact recurrence interval for the paleoearthquakes. Five trenches were excavated and cleared up respectively in the eastern segment, middle segment and western segment along the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault. After detail study on the trench profiles, the sedimentary characteristics, sequence relationship of the stratigraphical units, and fault-cuts in different stratigraphical units were revealed in these five trenches. Four paleoearthquakes in Holocene were distinguished from the five trenches, and geology evidences of the Hongyapu M7(1/4) earthquake in 1609 AD were also found. More accurate constraint of the occurring time of the paleo-earthquakes since Holocene on the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault is provided by the progressive constraining method(Mao and Zhang, 1995), according to amounts of ¹⁴ C measurement data and OLS measurement data of the chronology samples from different stratigraphical units in the trenches. The first paleoevent, E4 occurred 10.6ka BP. The next event, E3 occurred about 7.1ka BP. The E2 occurred about 3.4ka BP. The last event, E1 is the Hongyapu M7(1/4) earthquake in 1609 AD. Abounds of proofs for the occurrences of the events of E1, E2 and E3 were found in the trench Tc1, trench Tc2, trench Tc4 and trench Tc3, located in the eastern, middle and western segments of the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault accordingly. It's considered that the events E1, E2 and E3 may cause whole segment rupturing according to the proofs for these three events found together in individual trenches. The event E4 was only found in the trench Tc5 profile in the west of the Xiaoquan village in the eastern segment of the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault. The earthquake rupture characteristics of this event can't be revealed before more detailed subsequent research. The time intervals among the four paleoearthquakes are ca 3.5ka, ca 3.7ka, and ca 3.0ka. The four events are characterized by ca 3.4ka quasi-periodic recurrence interval.