Late Quaternary chronology of major dune ridge development in the northeast Rub' al-Khali, United Arab Emirates

The northeastern sector of the Rub' al-Khali desert in the eastern United Arab Emirates (UAE) is dominated by large NE-SW trending dune ridges orientated perpendicular to the currently prevailing northwesterly wind regime. In this study, extensive use has been made of artificially exposed sections through these major dune ridges that reveal internal sedimentary structures and allow an intensive, high-resolution sampling programme to be carried out. Here, we present the optical dating results for samples from 7 sections. The results indicate that dune activity and preservation occurred within the periods 7-3 ka, 16-10 ka and 22-20 ka with evidence of earlier preservation during marine oxygen isotope stages MIS 3 and 5, with net accumulation rates in the range 2.2-25 m.ka^− 1. In several instances, hiatuses in the preserved record of dune accumulation coincide with stratigraphic bounding surfaces visible in the exposed section profiles with associated truncation of internal sedimentary structures. Caution must be exercised when interpreting such gaps in the recorded accumulation chronologies of these dunes since these may simply constitute phases of low preservation potential rather than phases of low aeolian activity. Other factors such as sediment supply and availability in relation to sea-level dynamics may be significant and are also considered.     

Eustatic and climatic controls on the development of the Wahiba Sand Sea, Sultanate of Oman

Aeolian sand sea accumulations can serve as valuable archives of climate change in continental environments. The Wahiba Sand Sea is situated at the northern margin of the area presently affected by Indian Summer Monsoon Circulation and it records environmental changes associated with this major climatic boundary over the last 160 000 years. The internal stratigraphy and evolution of the sand sea is investigated using a combination of outcrop, borehole, seismic and luminescence data. Proximity to the Indian Ocean means that the sand sea succession shows the influence of sea level changes on the sedimentary architecture and composition of the dune deposits. During the last two glacial periods, low global sea level was associated with a high input of bioclastic grains, reflecting the significance of subaerially exposed shelf areas as one of the main sources of aeolian sediment. The onset of aeolian sediment transport and deposition was related to the breakdown of stabilizing vegetation during arid periods that equate with sea level lowstands. The preservation of aeolian sediments by the formation of supersurfaces and associated palaeosoils took place during times of increased wetness and elevated groundwater tables. This interplay of constructive and destructive periods greatly influenced the sedimentary architecture. Oscillations of wet and dry periods between 160 000 and 130 000 years and 120 000–105 000 years ago are attributed to the evolution of a wet aeolian system. Younger periods of aeolian deposition around and after the last glacial maximum were characterized by dry aeolian conditions. No soil horizons developed during these times.     

Cosmogenic radionuclide dating of glacial landforms in the Lahul Himalaya,northern India: defining the timing of Late Quaternary glaciation

The timing of glaciation in the Lahul Himalaya of northern India was ascertained using the concentrations of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al from boulders on moraines and drumlins, and from glacially polished bedrock surfaces. Five glacial stages were identified: Sonapani I and II, Kulti, Batal and Chandra. Of these, cosmogenic exposure ages were obtained on samples representative of the Batal and Kulti glacial cycles. Stratigraphical relationships indicate that the Sonapani I and II are younger. No age was obtained for the Chandra glacial advance. Batal Glacial Stage deposits are found throughout the valley, indicating the presence of an extensive valley glacial system. During the Kulti Stage, glaciers advanced ca. 10 km beyond their current positions. Moraines produced during the Batal Stage, ca. 12–15.5 ka, are coeval with the Northern Hemisphere Late‐glacial Interstadial (Bølling/Allerød). Deglaciation of the Batal Glacial Stage was completed by ca. 12 ka and was followed by the Kulti Glacial Stage during the early Holocene, at ca. 10–11.4 ka. On millennial time‐scales, glacier oscillations in the Lahul Himalaya apparently reflect periods of positive mass‐balance coincident with times of increased insolation. During these periods the South Asian summer monsoon strengthened and/or extended its influence further north and west, thereby enhancing high‐altitude summer snowfall. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

利用拉分盆地和错断河流阶地定量评估康西瓦断裂晚第四纪平均左旋走滑速率

康西瓦断裂为青藏高原西北缘的一条大型左旋走滑断裂。目前,不同学者对康西瓦断裂晚第四纪的平均走滑速率仍存在较大争议。文章以青藏高原西北缘喀拉喀什河谷段一处冲洪积扇上发育的一个小型拉分盆地以及该冲洪积扇上发育的一个错断河流阶地为研究对象,基于拉分盆地演化的两种简单模式,分别利用拉分盆地的长边和斜边限定对应冲洪积扇的水平位错位量和错位量的上限值,而通过光释光定年技术约束该冲洪积扇的形成年代,结合相关数据,分别估算出康西瓦断裂晚第四纪以来的平均左旋走滑速率为小于或等于8.6±1.0 mm/a和小于约12.4 mm/a。与此同时,利用该冲洪积扇上发育的错断河流阶地的水平位错和对应阶地的放弃年龄,估算出康西瓦断裂晚第四纪以来的平均左旋走滑速率为8.4±1.0 mm/a。

     

Sedimentological analysis of a Late Quaternary coastal dune system: An example from Gopnath,south‐east Saurashtra,Western India

Coastal dune systems consisting of allochemical grains are important sedimentary archives of Pleistocene age in both of the hemispheres between the latitudes of 20° to 40°. The south Saurashtra coast in western India exhibits a large section of Middle Pleistocene aeolianites in the form of coastal cliffs, which is famous as ‘Miliolite’. Miliolites of Gopnath in south‐east Saurashtra are the oldest known coastal aeolianite deposits (age >156 ka which corresponds to Marine Isotope Stage 6) in western India. Aeolian deposits of similar ages have also been reported from the Thar Desert in north‐west India and from Southern Arabia which were largely controlled by the south‐west monsoon wind system that affects the entire belt corresponding to Sahara–Sahel, the Arabian Peninsula and north‐western India. Miliolite deposits in Gopnath are characterized by grainfall, grainflow and wind ripple laminations. At least three types of aeolian bounding surfaces have been identified. Five major facies have been identified which represent the dune and interdune relationship within the coastal aeolian system. The major dune bodies are identified as transverse dune types. The Gopnath aeolianites were deposited under dominantly dry aeolian conditions. Facies association reveals two different phases of aeolian accumulation, namely initiation of aeolian sedimentation after a prolonged hiatus and the establishment of a regularized aeolian sedimentation system. While initiation of aeolian sedimentation is marked by vast stretches of sheet sand with occasional dune bodies, the overlying thick, tabular, laterally extensive cross‐stratified units manifest regular aeolian sedimentation. However, the dune building events in Gopnath were interrupted by development of laterally extensive palaeosol horizons. Eustasy and climate exerted the major allogenic controls on the aeolian sedimentation by affecting the sediment budget as well as influencing the sedimentation pattern.     

Late Quaternary fluvial aggradation and incision in the monsoon‐dominated Alaknanda valley,Central Himalaya,Uttrakhand, India

The present study aims to explain the spatial and temporal variability in phases of aggradation/incision in response to changes in climate and seismicity during the late Quaternary in the Alaknanda River valley (a major tributary of the river Ganges or Ganga). Geomorphology, stratigraphy and optical dating of the fluvial sediment reveal that the oldest fluvial landforms preserved in the south of the Main Central Thrust are debris flow terraces developed during the early part of pluvial Marine Isotopic Stage 3. Following this, a period of accelerated incision/erosion owing to an increase in uplift rate and more intense rainfall occurred. In the Lesser Himalaya, three phases of valley fill aggradation around 26 ± 3 ka, 18 ± 2 ka and 15 ± 1 ka and 8 ± 1 ka occurred in response to changes in monsoon intensity and sediment flux. The last phase was regionally extensive and corresponds to a strengthening of the early Holocene Indian Summer Monsoon. A gradual decline in the monsoon strength after 8 ± 1 ka resulted in reduced fluvial discharge and lower sediment transport capacity of the Alaknanda River, leading to valley fill incision and the development of terraces. The study suggests that fluvial dynamics in the Alaknanda valley were modulated by monsoon variability and the role of tectonics was subordinate, limited to providing accommodation space and post‐deposition modification of the fluvial landforms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Late Cretaceous theropod caudal vertebra from the Sultanate of Oman

A caudal vertebra collected from conglomerates of the Al-Khod Formation (Late Cretaceous) in the Al-Khod area, Sultanate of Oman, is assigned to a medium-sized theropod dinosaur. The Al-Khod discovery represents one of the very few dinosaur records from the Middle East.     

Colluvial deposits in northwest Deccan,India: their significance in the interpretation of Late Quaternary history

The Deccan Trap region exhibits an erosional landscape over a relatively ancient and stable Deccan shield. The Quaternary history of the area has been reconstructed on the basis of evidence from alluvial deposits occurring along the major rivers. However, recent investigations have revealed that evidence for geo-environmental change during the Quaternary Period is also contained in the colluvial deposits that occur in the foothill zones. The colluvial deposits, ranging in thickness from 1 to 10 m, invariably occupy gently inclined pediment slopes. The sediments are presently deeply dissected by gullies, and the process of colluviation has almost ceased. These deposits are best preserved in the semi-arid parts of the region. Detailed textural, geochemical and stratigraphical studies at four different sites reveal similar input processes, the slight variations being attributed to local environmental factors. Scanning electron microscopy studies of some grains indicate marginal contribution of aeolian processes at the time of deposition. Mesolithic artefacts and a few U/Th dates indicate that the colluviation took place during the Late Quaternary. The properties of the deposits suggest relatively high energy conditions as well as a remarkable variability in the intensity of hillslope processes. These properties are indicative of semi-arid conditions during which the regolith was stripped from devegetated hillslopes and was deposited on the pediments. A variety of evidence indicates that the period of colluviation coincided with arid conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum. The geomorphological and archaeological evidence also indicates that incision by gully systems was initiated during the early Holocene humid phase. The environmental conditions deduced for the study area are similar to those reported for other parts of the intertropical zone. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Quaternary stratigraphic development in the lower Luni,Mahi and Sabarmati river basins,western India

This study reviews the Quaternary alluvial stratigraphy in three semi-arid river basins of western India i.e., lower Luni (Rajasthan), and Mahi and Sabarmati (Gujarat alluvial plains). On the basis of OSL chronologies, it is shown that the existing intra-valley lithostratigraphic correlations require a revision. The sand, gravel and mud facies are present during various times in the three basins, however, the fluvial response to climate change, and the resulting facies associations, was different in the Thar desert as compared to that at the desert margin; this makes purely lithostratigraphic correlations unviable. It is further shown that the rivers in the Thar desert were more sensitive to climate change and had small response times and geomorphic thresholds as compared to the desert-margin rivers. This is illustrated during the early OIS 1, when the Luni river in the Thar desert was dynamic and showed frequent variations in fluvial styles such as gravel bedload braided streams, sand-bed ephemeral streams and meandering streams, all followed by incision during the early Holocene. The coeval deposits in Sabarmati, however, only show a meandering, floodplain-dominated river. Late Quaternary alluvial deposits in these basins unconformably overlie some older deposits that lack any absolute chronology. Based on the facies types and their associations, and the composition and architecture of the multistoried gravel sheets in the studied sections, it is suggested that older deposits are of pre-Quaternary age. This hypothesis implies the presence of a large hiatus incorporating much of the Quaternary period in the exposed sections     

First evidence for episodic flooding events in the arid interior of central Saudi Arabia over the last 60 ka

Although evidence for Quaternary environmental changes in the Arabian Peninsula is now growing, research has mostly been conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in the Sultanate of Oman. There have been virtually no recent studies in Saudi Arabia, especially in the central region such as around Al‐Quwaiayh. In this area there are a series of outwash plains developed along the eastern edge of the Arabian Shield that formed in the late Quaternary. Four sedimentary sections, which are representative of the deposits that have accumulated, have been studied and five luminescence ages obtained. These are the first luminescence ages acquired from Quaternary sediments in central Saudi Arabia. The preserved fluvial deposits in the study area have formed during humid events at ca. 54 ka, ca. 39 ka and ca. 0.8 ka. In more recent times aeolian sands have been encroaching on to the distal parts of the outwash plains. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Quaternary lake-level changes of Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Siberia

Lake El'gygytgyn is situated in a 3.6 Ma old impact crater in northeastern Siberia. Presented here is a reconstruction of the Quaternary lake-level history as derived from sediment cores from the southern lake shelf. There, a cliff-like bench 10 m below the modern water level has been investigated. Deep-water sediments on the shelf indicate high lake levels during a warm Mid-Pleistocene period. One period with low lake level prior to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 has been identified, followed by a period of high lake level (10 m above present). In the course of MIS 2 the lake level dropped to − 10 m. At the end of MIS 2 the bench was formed and coarse beach sedimentation occurred. Subsequently, the lake level rose rapidly to the Holocene level. Changes in water level are likely linked to climate variability. During relatively temperate periods the lake becomes free of ice in summer. Strong wave actions transport sediment parallel to the coast and towards the outlet, where the material tends to accumulate, resulting in lake level rise. During cold periods the perennial lake ice cover hampers any wave activity and pebble-transport, keeping the outlet open and causing the lake level to drop.     

天津滨海新区南部海岸带晚第四纪沉积物工程地质特性研究

天津滨海新区位于渤海湾西岸泥质海岸带地区,中晚更新世以来历经海陆变化,形成了海相和陆相交替出现的地层。本文通过对30余眼钻孔岩心的沉积相分析和沉积物物理力学性质测试,讨论了天津滨海新区南部海岸带地区中晚更新世以来不同沉积相沉积物的物理力学性质,并对其工程地质特性进行了评价。结果显示,研究区中晚更新世以来沉积地层中,陆相地层致密硬塑,具有含水率低、孔隙比低、压缩性小、承载力高的特点;海相地层中粉土或粉砂层段也有孔隙比低、压缩性小的特点,但粘性土层段大多有含水率高、孔隙比高、压缩性大、承载力低的特点。     

Late Quaternary evolution of Lake Urana,New South Wales,Australia

Lake Urana is a well-preserved relict lake in the semi-arid Riverine Plain of southeastern Australia. A compound lunette at its eastern shoreline consists of a quartz-sand-dominated unit (Bimbadeen Formation), thermoluminescence (TL) dated at 30 ka to 12 ka, and a clay and sand facies unit (Coonong Formation), dated at 55 ka to 35 ka. The intervening period indicates a phase of periodically exposed lake floor and soil formation. The older wet phase conforms well with similar environments recorded from the same period at Lake Mungo. However, the return to high water levels from 30 ka to 12 ka departs sharply from the generally accepted palaeoclimatic model from Australia, which demands severe glacial maximum desiccation and widespread construction of clay lunettes. Although hydrological budgets calculated for Lake Urana and nearby Lake Cullivel require high glacial maximum water levels they do not support higher precipitation.     

Late Quaternary speleothem pollen in the British Isles

As with many terrestrial areas, the British Quaternary sequence is characterised by incomplete, fragmentary records, whose correlation is based on stratigraphic or biostratigraphic techniques due to the lack of radiometric ages beyond the ～40 kyr limit of ¹⁴C dating. Speleothems (secondary cave calcite deposits) offer a significant advantage over many sources of palaeoenvironmental information; they can be dated to a high precision and accuracy by uranium‐thorium (²³⁸U‐²³⁰Th) thermal ionisation and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry in the time period back to 500 kyr. They may also contain sufficient well‐preserved pollen representative of contemporary vegetation above the cave to allow palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. This study adopts the novel approach of combining pollen and thermal ionisation mass spectrometric (TIMS) U‐Th dating of British speleothems to produce well‐constrained palaeoenvironmental records. We report for the first time precisely dated records of pollen assemblages from speleothems suggesting the presence of thermophilous arboreal species in phases previously considered to have been consistently cool or cold and devoid of trees. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

浙江杭州地区孝丰-三门湾断裂晚第四纪活动性研究

北西走向的孝丰—三门湾断裂是浙北地区一条重要的断裂。该断裂第四纪以来表现为左旋走滑,并水平断错了北东走向的萧山—球川断裂和东西走向的昌化—普陀断裂。这三条断裂交汇于杭州地区并造成了钱塘江的拐弯。在孝丰—三门湾断裂与北东走向断裂的交汇处曾有多次地震发生。通过在孝丰—三门湾断裂（杭州段）上布设的4 个探槽,发现该断裂附近存在一系列近于东西走向及北东走向的晚更新世活动断裂。这些断层活动可能是由孝丰—三门湾主干断裂的活动引起的,并调节着孝丰—三门湾主干断裂的活动,减弱断裂附近应力,降低区域地震危害性。采用了光释光（OSL）测年方法来限定断层活动时代,并采用孢粉测年对OSL 年龄进行验证。依据OSL 年龄,探槽所揭露的断层活动均发生距今1.65 万年之前,存在两次断层活动,分别发生于1.65~1.97 万年和4.2~5.12 万年。孝丰—三门湾断裂在晚更新世有所活动的认识对于杭州地区乃至整个浙北地区未来的地震危险性评价具有重要的意义。     

Late Quaternary solifluction sheets in the British uplands

Solifluction sheets are large-scale and extensive valley-floor and valley-side landforms developed widely in the British Isles from mass-wasting of glacial and periglacial sediments during late-glacial times. We describe their geographical distribution and review the processes that have led to their development. We use data from the Cheviot Hills, the one site in the British Isles where sedimentology and optically stimulated luminescence dating have been combined, to assess their age and nature of deposition. We also present data from central Wales where a new mapping and resistivity survey has reconstructed the nature of valley-side solifluction sheets. We explore the relative lack of recent research on these landforms and argue that solifluction sheets represent a clear example of how upland geomorphological systems have responded to late-glacial climate change. We end by identifying a number of areas where research on these enigmatic features could be focussed, including better understanding of their distribution, sedimentology and age.