XVI INQUA Congress

The XVI Congress of INQUA (International Quaternary Research Association) was held at the Reno Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, July 23-30, 2003. Held every four years, the INQUA Congress is the largest single gathering of scientists studying the Quaternary Era. The XVI Congress attracted 1059 attendees from 46 countries, together with 13 exhibits from publishers and suppli-     

Effects of lithology,time and exposure on the stabilization of loess matled slopes. A comparative study

The stabilization of side-slopes in the small valleys of two major loess regions, the American Midwest and E Transdanubia in Hungary, were studied based upon the field measurements of 224 relatively stabilized slope profiles; for comparison, 97 profiles were also measured in non-loessic areas near the American loess region. Data from the field measurements were then subjected to frequency distribution analyses according to various groupings and the mean values were compared in terms of slope declivity and angularity.The effect of lithology on slope development is demonstrated by the finding that the valley side-slopes in loess are steeper by 6° and more angular by about 7° than those in non-loess. Also, the valleys in loess tend to be more symmetrical than those in non-loess. A comparison of the upper and lower sections of the valleys that were subjected to a double-cycle of erosion into the same sediment within the same region, i.e., into loess in the American Midwest, indicate the effect of time. The lower, which are also younger, sections of these valleys are steeper by 10° and more angular by 9° than their upper ones; thus the model of reclining slope retreat seems to be confirmed here. A moderate effect of exposure on slope development is indicated by the slightly steeper and more angular (by 1° – 2°) slopes exposed to the N-NE-E versus those exposed to the S-SW-W.Because of the complex and interrelated dynamic processes involved in slope evolution there are probably many factors which are responsible for the stabilization of the valley side-slopes of the study areas; some explanations are offered in this paper. It was also found that differences in lithology, time and exposure influence primarily the youngest, which are also the relatively least stable, components of the slope.Most of the results of this research were presented at the XI INQUA Congress in Moscow, USSR, 1982.     

当前第四纪研究的进展和任务——ⅩⅢ届INQUA大会报告集锦第一部分全球环境变化INQUA对全球变化研究的贡献:研究现状

过去五年间,INQUA成员对参加全球变化研究的呼吁做出了积极的响应。全球变化研究旨在理解地球岩石圈与生物圈相互作用的动力学过程。通过运用不同学科对全球不同地区进行研究,INQUA目前正成为IGBP计划的主要参与者,因为不同学科间的交叉有助于我们完整地理解第四纪时期全球水分平衡、气候波动、大气成分、大洋环流和生物过程间的相互关系。     

尹赞勋教授和第四纪研究

尹赞勋教授是我国杰出的地质学家,他一生工作涉及地质学的许多分支学科。除了在古生物地层学领域的突出贡献外,他还是我国第四纪研究的先驱和开拓者。他回国后早期的研究工作很多是第四纪研究课题,如１９３２年对大同火山的研究。这些成果至今仍是我国第四纪地质的重要文献。晚年他再次赴大同火山区考察(１９７５年),以第四纪研究为他毕生最后一次野外工作。尹赞勋先生关心和支持中国第四纪研究委员会的成立和它的活动,他倡导中国第四纪研究人员与国外交流,扩大国际影响,中国第四纪能在今天走向世界,得益于尹赞勋先生的教诲。     

尚未完成的地质年代表--第四纪悬而未决的前程

第四纪是以气候变化、人类出现和现生生物物种占优势为特征的最新地质时期。第四纪的地层多以松散沉积物为主,是人类赖以生存居住的主要场所。鉴于第四纪研究对地质学,地球系统科学和全球变化科学的贡献,近几十年来学术界和公众对其产生极大兴趣和更加重视。为了回应2 0 0 4年春国际地层委员会提出的“国际地层表”( 2 0 0 4 ) ,详细地介绍了国际第四纪联合会为争取第四纪在地质年表中的合理地位所作的努力以及目前争论的结果:今年比利时最终定论。呼吁我国广大的第四纪工作者积极加入到支持国际第四纪联合会保留第四系作为独立地层单元的行列中。同时简略地介绍了第四纪(系)术语的来由,国内外关于第四纪下限研究的历史和现状     

The INQUA Loess Commission as a Central European Enterprise

The International Union of Quaternary Research (INQUA) organized the study and consideration of the Quaternary Period (the last 2.6 million years in Earth’s history) via a set of commissions, sub-commissions, working groups, projects and programmes. One of the most successful and best records was the Loess Commission (LC) which functioned assub-commission and then commission from 1961 to 2003, resulting in 40 years of useful activity. The history of the LC can be divided into three phases: 1, from 1961–1977 when the President was Julius Fink; 2, from 1977–1991, with President Marton Pecsi; 3, from 1991–2003 with Presidents An Zhi-Sheng and Ian Smalley. Fink, from Vienna, and Pecsi, from Budapest, gave the LC a distinctly Central European aspect. The nature of loess in Central Europe influenced the nature of the LC but the settings for phases 1 and 2 were quite distinct. Phase 1 was a small scale academic operation, carried out in German. As phase 2 began in 1977 the scope expanded and Central Europe became a base for worldwide loess studies. where the LC language changed to English. Phase 2 was run from a National Geographical Institute and demonstrated a different approach to loess research, although the basic programmes of continent-wide mapping and stratigraphy remained the same. The Commission benefited from this change of style and emphasis. In phase 3 the administration moved away from Central Europe but the Finkian ethos remained solid.     

中国黄土研究新进展(一)黄土地层

本文扼要介绍最近几年中国黄土研究中的土壤地层学、磁性地层学、气候地层学、第四纪下界及海陆古气候对比等方面的新进展。根据新发现的黄土剖面,中国黄土中共可区分出37个土壤地层单位。中国黄土底界的古地磁年龄为2.5MaB.P.。2.5Ma以来,中国北方共经历了37次大的冷暖交替。2.5MaB.P.前后,全球气候出现了一次大的转型事件,它可作为第四纪的开始。中国黄土-古土壤系列同深海氧同位素记录在1.7Ma至今的时段上可以很好的对比;2.5Ma至1.7MaB.P.的气候变化,以黄土记录较为明确。     

Water resource development and protection in loess areas of the world: a summary to the thematic issue of water in loess

Loess is mainly distributed in arid and semiarid areas of the world, and water is essential and precious in the loess areas. Water is also an important factor inducing various geohazards and soil erosion in the loess areas. The thematic issue of Environmental Earth Sciences was edited to reflect the latest research on water and water-related themes in the loess areas of the world, especially on the Chinese Loess Plateau. This editorial introduced the background and initiative of editing this thematic issue, and it also introduced briefly the water environment projects currently underway on the Chinese Loess Plateau such as the grain for green project, the huge land creation project, and the sponge city project. The papers included in the thematic issue were also introduced to give readers a general understanding of their main research points. Finally, some suggestions to boost further water environment research in the loess areas were put forward. All the papers included in the thematic issue will scientifically support the sustainable socio-economic development in the loess areas of the world.     

Collapsibility and deformation characteristics of deep-seated loess in China

Lin, Z.G. and Wang, S.J., 1988. Collapsibility and deformation characteristics of deep-seated loess in China. Eng. Geol., 25: 271–282.

As part of a comprehensive research program, laboratory tests were conducted on samples of deep-seated loess from different locations of the loessial regions of northern China, including Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi and Honan Provinces. The information thus acquired on some aspects of the engineering properties of the samples, such as the unit collapse-pressure relationships, the initial collapse pressure versus the “preconsolidation pressure” and deformation–pressure characteristics, is interesting and may prove useful to geotechnical engineers who work on projects on water-poor plateaux or high river terraces in loessial regions throughout the world.     

Loess in Europe—its spatial distribution based on a European Loess Map,scale 1:2,500,000

The paper focuses on the concept, mapping and discussion of loess distribution in Western, Central and Eastern Europe at a scale of 1:2,500,000. The research work is based on studies and data compilation primarily carried out in the 1970s and 1980s [Fink, J., Haase, G., Ruske, R., 1977. Bemerkungen zur Lößkarte von Europe 1:2,5 Mio. Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 2(77), 81–94; Fink, J., 1969 Les progres de l’ etude de loess en Europe. Bulletin de l’ Association française pour l’ etude du Quarternaire 3–12. Haase, G., Ruske, R., Fink, J., 1983. Conception, preparation and some results of the Loess Map of Europe on a scale 1:2,5 Million. INQUA Newsletter 1983(1), 7–10] and completed recently by additional material and literature references. Reference is also made to recent GIS-based data processing and visualisation techniques that were utilised for the final version of the European Loess Map.The paper provides an overview of the history of the conceptualisation of the map as well as on the loess study in Europe, and than considers the cartographic data on loess sediment formation and distribution in Europe. The classification of loess and loess-like sediments and their distribution throughout Europe as reproduced in the map are discussed [Haase, G., Lieberoth, I., Ruske, R., 1970. Sedimente und Paläoböden im Lössgürtel. In: Richter, H., Haase, G., Lieberoth, I., Ruske, R. (Eds.), Periglazial-Löß-Paläolithikum om JUngpleistozän der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik; Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 274, 99–212]. The paper illustrates the final state of the loess distribution map of Europe at a scale of 1:2,500,000 and the digital data references on which it is based. Some applications of the map are suggested.     

黄土作为西北地区填埋场覆盖层的可行性及设计厚度分析

中国西北地区气候以干旱和半干旱为主,黄土广泛分布。首先介绍了西北地区3个代表性城市近50 a的气候条件和3类黄土的粒径分布及储水能力,在此基础上利用Chen、Benson等提出的水量平衡分析方法对黄土土质覆盖层在我国西北地区应用的可行性进行了探讨,并计算分析了单一型黄土覆盖层的设计厚度。分析结果表明: 西北地区夏季高温多雨植被生长茂盛而冬季降雨较少,降水和腾发作用有较好的同步对应关系,适合土质覆盖层的应用。采用黄土作单一型土质覆盖层的设计厚度在0.54～1.92 m之间,从干旱、半干旱到半湿润气候区,设计厚度逐渐变厚,其具体设计厚度与气候条件和黄土种类密切相关;在同一气候区采用粉性黄土所需厚度最薄,而采用砂性黄土则最厚。西北地区采用黄土作填埋场终场土质覆盖层具有技术可行性和良好的经济效益,值得进一步开展工程实践和更深入的研究。     

马兰黄土孔隙结构特征——以赵家岸地区黄土为例

颗粒间的孔隙分布特征从本质上控制着马兰黄土的宏观结构,影响马兰黄土的强度特性。马兰黄土的微观结果分析已逐渐成为研究黄土基本特性的一个新方向。本文通过固结实验、扫描电镜和ImageJ图像分析软件对赵家岸滑坡地区马兰黄土的孔隙分布和变形特性进行分析。首先确定了适合ImageJ图像分析的扫描电镜二维照片的阈值和图像拍摄最佳倍数;获取了原状马兰黄土在不同含水量固结试验前后的孔隙数量和孔隙面积的分布特征;揭示了大、中架空孔隙为黄土固结过程中的主要变形区;建立了马兰黄土孔隙中大架空孔隙、中架空孔隙和小架空孔隙的逐步破坏模式;明确了水对孔隙破坏的促进作用,当含水量增加到液限范围时,大、中型架空孔隙会出现加速的破坏现象。     

宁夏黑城至海原高速公路沿线湿陷性黄土特性分析

黄土作为一种特殊性岩土,具有特殊的工程地质性质。在黄土地区的公路建设中,过去人们常常对黄土重视程度不足,未对黄土地基进行处理,加之排水设施不完善,造成了工程建成后病害不断。黄土在宁夏回族自治区广泛分布,随着高速公路向宁南山区的延伸,高速公路也逐渐进入宁夏回族自治区的黄土地区,对该地区黄土的工程性质进行深入分析很有必要。     

中国东部主要黄土分布区的Sr-Nd同位素物源示踪研究

不同地质背景物质的Sr-Nd同位素组成往往差异巨大,同时Sr-Nd同位素组成在搬运和沉积过程中相对元素组分更 难被改变,因此是物源示踪研究最常用和有效的手段之一。该研究测试了中国东部代表性黄土堆积的Sr-Nd同位素组成, 包括山东半岛、黄河下游沿岸黄土和下蜀黄土,发现与黄土高原黄土的Sr-Nd同位素特征存在明显差异,指示不同的物质 来源。同时发现,中国东部主要黄土分布区的来源物质可能主要来自其附近的干旱区具有近源性。山东半岛及其滨海黄土 主要来自黄泛平原和冰期暴露陆架的黄河沉积物;黄河下游沿岸黄土可能直接来自黄河河漫滩;下蜀黄土的细颗粒组成物 源还没有定论,需要进一步研究。中国东部局部区域黄土的形成可能与中更新世革命以来冰期气候条件下的荒漠化有关。     

Stratigraphy and palaeoclimatic significance of Late Quaternary loess–palaeosol sequences of the Last Interglacial–Glacial cycle in central Alaska

Loess is one of the most widespread subaerial deposits in Alaska and adjacent Yukon Territory and may have a history that goes back 3 Ma. Based on mineralogy and major and trace element chemistry, central Alaskan loess has a composition that is distinctive from other loess bodies of the world, although it is quartz-dominated. Central Alaskan loess was probably derived from a variety of rock types, including granites, metabasalts and schists. Detailed stratigraphic data and pedologic criteria indicate that, contrary to early studies, many palaeosols are present in central Alaskan loess sections. The buried soils indicate that loess sedimentation was episodic, or at least rates of deposition decreased to the point where pedogenesis could keep ahead of aeolian input. As in China, loess deposition and pedogenesis are likely competing processes and neither stops completely during either phase of the loess/soil formation cycle. Loess deposition in central Alaska took place before, and probably during the last interglacial period, during stadials of the mid-Wisconsin period, during the last glacial period and during the Holocene. An unexpected result of our geochronological studies is that only moderate loess deposition took place during the last glacial period. Our studies lead us to conclude that vegetation plays a key role in loess accumulation in Alaska. Factors favouring loess production are enhanced during glacial periods but factors that favour loess accumulation are diminished during glacial periods. The most important of these is vegetation; boreal forest serves as an effective loess trap, but sparsely distributed herb tundra does not. Thus, thick accumulations of loess should not be expected where tundra vegetation was dominant and this is borne out by modern studies near the treeline in central Alaska. Much of the stratigraphic diversity of North American loess, including that found in the Central Lowlands, the Great Plains, and Alaska is explained by a new model that emphasizes the relative importance of loess production factors versus loess accumulation factors.     

Proposal to redefine the Quaternary

The following proposal has been circulated, via the Executive of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), to all INQUA members for discussion. It also appears on the ICS web site (www.stratigraphy.org). Comments may be sent to John Clague, President of INQUA (jclague@sfu.ca), and Brad Pillans(brad.pillans@anu.edu.au).     

兰州九洲台黄土沉积年代的综合研究

据上、下粉砂层在剖面上出现的位置、黄土-古土壤地层层序、14C、热释光（TL）和裂变径迹年龄以及古地磁测量结果,兰州九洲台黄土仅仅是距今140-150万年以来才沉积而成的,因而距今220-240万年以来形成的结论不能成立.     

西安地区地裂缝带Q3原状黄土流变特性试验研究

汾渭盆地是我国乃至世界上地裂缝最为发育、灾害最为严重的地区。考虑在漫长的地质历史过程中黄土的流变特性对地裂缝破裂扩展模式的影响,采用分级循环加卸载方式,对西安地区长安地裂缝（fc1）带Q3原状黄土进行了不同围压下的固结不排水三轴流变特性试验,得到了地裂缝带Q3原状黄土的蠕变加、卸载曲线和应变速率与时间关系曲线。试验结果表明,不同围压下地裂缝带Q3原状黄土表现为低应力下为减速蠕变,高应力下为减速蠕变和等速蠕变的特征。并基于统一流变力学模型理论,建立了适用于西安地区地裂缝带Q3原状黄土的三维蠕变本构模型,获得了相应的本构模型参数。该成果为研究隐伏地裂缝破裂扩展模式及其力学机制奠定了基础。     

李希霍芬与黄土的风成学说

第四纪古气候重建在最近半个世纪的时间里取得了前所未有的进展,这在很大程度上与对陆相黄土地层,特别是中国黄土-古土壤序列的研究,以及对深海沉积氧同位素的研究密不可分。现在我们已经可以在黄土-古土壤序列的基础上,建立起260万年来地球轨道尺度的古气候变化。一个不容否认的事实是,这些进展都是在黄土风成成因的基础上,结合土壤地层学、年代学、磁性地层学、古生物学等方面的进展逐渐发展起来的。只有解决了黄土的风成成因,才可能将堆积于各地的黄土,通过搬运粉尘的风力系统与区域、甚至全球的古气候变化联系起来。文章回忆了黄土的早期研究历史,回顾了黄土风成成因的奠基人李希霍芬教授在黄土成因方面的杰出贡献以及其后黄土成因的完善与发展。     

黄土与古季风

中国黄土的古季风记录研究，揭示了东亚季风区的环境变迁历史是来自中、高纬大陆的偏北冬季风与来自中、低纬海洋的偏南夏季风的环境效应优势期相互交替的历史。文中简要介绍了有关黄土高原黄土与古季风研究的重要进展，侧重讨论了中原地区末次冰期高分辨率黄土所记录的冬季风和夏季风变迁的特征，最后就今后全球变化计划中的黄土与古季风研究提出了几点意见。