A REVIEW OF LICHENOMETRIC DATING OF GLACIAL MORAINES IN ALASKA

In Alaska, lichenometry continues to be an important technique for dating late Holocene moraines. Research completed during the 1970s through the early 1990s developed lichen dating curves for five regions in the Arctic and subarctic mountain ranges beyond altitudinal and latitudinal treelines. Although these dating curves are still in use across Alaska, little progress has been made in the past decade in updating or extending them or in developing new curves. Comparison of results from recent moraine-dating studies based on these five lichen dating curves with tree-ring based glacier histories from southern Alaska shows generally good agreement, albeit with greater scatter in the lichen-based ages. Cosmogenic surface-exposure dating of Holocene moraines has the potential to test some of the assumptions of the lichenometric technique and to facilitate the development of a new set of improved lichen dating curves for Alaska.     

LICHENOMETRIC DATING (LICHENOMETRY) AND THE BIOLOGY OF THE LICHEN GENUS RHIZOCARPON: CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Lichenometric dating (lichenometry) involves the use of lichen measurements to estimate the age of exposure of various substrata. Because of low radial growth rates and considerable longevity, species of the crustose lichen genus Rhizocarpon have been the most useful in lichenometry. The primary assumption of lichenometry is that colonization, growth and mortality of Rhizocarpon are similar on surfaces of known and unknown age so that the largest thalli present on the respective faces are of comparable age. This review describes the current state of knowledge regarding the biology of Rhizocarpon and considers two main questions: (1) to what extent does existing knowledge support this assumption; and (2) what further biological observations would be useful both to test its validity and to improve the accuracy of lichenometric dates? A review of the Rhizocarpon literature identified gaps in knowledge regarding early development, the growth rate/size curve, mortality, regeneration, competitive effects, colonization, and succession on rock surfaces. The data suggest that these processes may not be comparable on different rock surfaces, especially in regions where growth rates and thallus turnover are high. In addition, several variables could differ between rock surfaces and influence maximum thallus size, including rate and timing of colonization, radial growth rates, environmental differences, thallus fusion, allelopathy, thallus mortality, colonization and competition. Comparative measurements of these variables on surfaces of known and unknown age may help to determine whether the basic assumptions of lichenometry are valid. Ultimately, it may be possible to take these differences into account when interpreting estimated dates.     

当前国际第四纪研究概述

第四纪时期万年尺度的气候振荡是由地球轨道要素（偏心率、地轴倾斜、岁差，简称ＥＰＴ）变化所导致。然而，最近几年在极地冰岩芯及北大西洋深海沉积中发现了一序列轨道尺度以下的气候振荡，这些百年或千年尺度的气候颤动显然不能用米兰柯维奇的地球轨道理论加以解释，也由此传统的第四纪古气候理论面临新的挑战。     

湘江干流水体元素背景值的初步研究

用原子吸收分光光度等分析方法,测定了湘江水和河床沉积物中的20种元素的背景浓度。江水和沉积物中元素的背景浓度及其在分配上的不同,前者主要受区域气候、岩性和水化学因素等的制约,后者更多的受区域地质环境和后生地球化学等作用的影响。     

近30年北极海冰异常变化趋势

在过去30年间,北极气候发生了前所未有的异常变化,北极海冰变化更是经历了令人瞩目的、从平缓到突变的缩减过程,因此,北冰洋及其海冰的研究得到广泛的重视。综述当前国内外有关北极海冰快速变化的研究工作,对这些大气的现场观测和卫星遥感资料的分析,以及一些全球和区域气候模拟的结果,基本上一致地指出了近3O年来北极海冰的快速衰减趋势,尤其是夏季北极海冰正以每lO年超过10％的变化幅度快速减少。从海冰的基本物理特征、与大气海洋相互作用的物理过程、及其对全球和北极气候变化的响应和反馈机制,研究形成这种快速变化的因子--海表面气温增暖,太平洋与大西洋人流的热盐性质变化,以及大气环流模态的影响等。     

近年来我国地面反射率的若干重要特征

本文利用１９８６－１９９０年我国１４个具有地理、气候代表性的日射观测的实测资料，分析了我国地面反射率的若干最新特征，为认识和研究我国地理和气候变化提供了某些依据。     

青藏高原自然地理研究的进展

本文综述青藏高原自然地理研究所取得的主要进展,诸如晚新生代以来高原剧烈抬升引起的自然环境巨大变化,上新世的古地理环境和高原隆起,湖泊和水系的演变,第四纪冰川作用,全新世古地理环境演化以及高原隆起对自然环境和过程的影响等。指出了青藏高原具有的独特自然环境类型和特征,阐述了山地垂直自然带谱类型的比较研究,三维空间的地域分异,自然区划以及对独特地生态现象和区域的研究成果。     

新疆第四纪环境演变研究近期的几点重要进展

本文评述了近年来新疆地区第四纪环境演变研究在晚更新世晚期以来内陆西风型环境演变主末次冰盛期以来地冰川进退序列的建立，晚冰期气候突变事件及小冰期环境特征和西域砾岩下限磁性地层学年代的获得及第四纪沉积年代学进展等方面的进展，同时还指出了目前仍存在的一些问题和不足，并对此地区第四纪研究的未来进行了展望。     

STUDIES ON THE GROWTH OF RHIZOCARPON GEOGRAPHICUM IN NW SCOTLAND, AND SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR LICHENOMETRY

Scotland, a maritime subpolar environment (55–60°N), has seen relatively few applications of lichenometry – even though it offers much potential. Perhaps surprisingly, direct measurements of Rhizocarpon geographicum growth rates in Scotland are so far lacking. This study reports on the growth of this crustose areolate species from two sites in Assynt, NW Scotland, between 2002 and 2009. Repeat photography of 23 non-competing thalli growing under identical environmental conditions on a single vertical surface over 5 years at Inchnadamph showed growth rates to be a function of size – with larger thalli (10–30 mm) growing significantly faster than the smallest thalli (<10 mm). Mean diametral growth rates in thalli >10 mm are 0.67 mm yr⁻¹ (s.d. = 0.16). Studies on a second vertical surface near Lochinver, over 7 years, yielded complex growth data on a more mature population of R. geographicum thalli (<50 mm in diameter). Here, mean diametral growth rates in the larger thalli (>10 mm) are slower (0.29 mm yr⁻¹; s.d. = 0.12) than those at Inchnadamph. However, at this site, competition with other species rules out any meaningful comparison of growth rates between the two sites. Other growth processes were monitored over the five to seven-year study period, including hypothallus growth, areolae development, thallus coalescence, and inter-species competition – all have important implications for the use of Rhizocarpon species in lichenometry.     

RADIOCARBON DATING OF A PEAT DEPOSIT IN THE CUCAMONGA FAULT ZONE,CALIFORNIA*

A sequence of peat beds was deposited in a small sag pond along the Cucamonga fault zone during late Holocene. The stratigraphic section of this deposit is described; several beds have been radiocarbon dated. Comparison of radiometric and stratigraphic chronologies allows reconstruction of the geomorphic history of the sag pond, which extends back 3000 years, and establishes evidence that the fault has been active within the very recent geologic past.     

中国南方第四纪红土的形成时代

通过对目前中国南方红土的不同测年方法和测年结果的详细对比和总结,得出南方第四纪红土不同层次的年代序列.上覆黄土沉积时间小于100kaBP;均质红土介于100～400kaBP;网纹红土400～80kaBP;下伏砾石层年龄大于800 ka BP.     

新疆湖泊的近期变化

三十年来,新疆湖泊发生了较大的变化,按湖泊水面变化可分为干涸、基本干涸、缩小、变化不明显和扩大等五种类型,本文简要分析了湖泊变化的原因,湖泊变化和自然环境之间的关系。     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF TALUS ACTIVITY – A LICHENOMETRIC APPROACH IN THE STUBAIER ALPS,AUSTRIA

Lichenometric measurements using Rhizocarpon ssp. were carried out on 20 talus slopes in the cirques of the Finstertal valley (Austria) at an elevation of 2300–3000 m a.s.l. The aim was to assess activity patterns on selected slopes and between the slopes of the study area, to find evidence of rockfall pulses in the last centuries and to calculate rockwall retreat rates. A calibration curve was derived from five sites of known age and adapted to the prevailing size of talus boulders. We measured the five largest lichens on more than 300 boulders and the percentage coverage of Rhizocarpon‐free clasts on more than 1000 test fields. Most of the investigated talus cones are characterized by moderate rockfall supply, with the apex being more active than the talus foot and moderate redistribution by avalanche and debris flows. Considerably enhanced activity was found under rockwalls influenced by permafrost, particularly on the north faces at an elevation of >2600 m a.s.l. At currently moderately active sites, boulder falls seem to have been slightly more frequent in the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. In positions where permafrost is expected in the rockwalls, a weak maximum in the late nineteenth century and highly active present‐day conditions were found, the latter being assigned to current permafrost melt. Rockwall retreat rates derived from lichen coverage are between 400 and 1500 mm/ka which is in good concurrence with talus volume assessments, but higher than the rates derived from direct rockfall measurements. The rates derived from lichen coverage have to be taken with caution as the effects of debris redistribution are hard to quantify.     

A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FREEZE HAZARD IN NEW YORK STATE

Thirty years of data are examined for the last spring freeze and first autumn freeze at freeze thresholds of 0°C, -2.2°C, and -4.4°C. Four statistical conclusions of a 1958 Iowa freeze hazard study are tested in New York. The time series of freeze dates are random and normally distributed. Spring and autumn freeze dates are independent at a station. The variances of autumn freeze dates are homogeneous throughout New York and variances of spring freeze dates are homogeneous within each of three regions of similar climate. Statistical properties of the freeze date time series should be examined locally before results of studies in other regions are used. (Key words: freeze, frost, climatology, growing-season, New York, statistical methods.)     

近年来我国文化地理学研究的进展

作为人文地理学重要分支之一的文化地理学,在我国出现晚但发展快。纵观十余年来的发展情况,可大致概括为：（１）文化地理学理论从引进到消化进而有了较大的发展,（２）区域文化地理的研究从宏观走向微观,（３）历史文化地理的研究从断代走向区域,（４）专题性文化地理的研究从单一走向多元,（５）综合性文化地理的研究从核心扩展到边缘。其总趋势是逐渐走向具体化、区域化、综合化。     

近46年来昆明市日照变化特征分析

分析了昆明市1961~2006年日照时数变化特征及与日照百分率、总云量、低云量、水汽压和地面定时能见度之间的关系。结果表明：日照时数呈减少趋势,日照时数的减少幅度为115 h/10 a,其中又以春、夏季减少最快。年日照时数存在突变现象,突变点在1980年。日照百分率与日照时数变化趋势相一致。年低云量、总云量、水汽压略呈增加趋势,总云量和水汽压与日照时数变化呈显著的负相关,是昆明市日照时数减少的主要因素。地面能见度呈下降趋势,表明大气气溶胶含量上升,影响日照时数变化,但不是主要因素。