Shoreline development,longshore transport and surface wave dynamics,Pleistocene Lake Bonneville,Utah

Point of the Mountain spit and Fingerpoint spit are two of the largest geomorphic features of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville of the western Great Basin, USA. The spits and their associated shorelines show distinctly different geomorphic expression and genesis; this is a function of their positions within the lake and the dynamics of the waves and storms that formed them. Mapping of geomorphic features, geometry of erosional features, and detailed lithologic analysis of shoreline deposits are used to determine dominant modes of sediment erosion and deposition. The Point of the Mountain spit, located in the eastern portion of the basin, was formed as a result of highly fractured bedrock in a salient of the Wasatch Front being exposed to wave trains that approached from the north‐northwest causing north‐to‐south longshore sediment transport. Shoreline development and sediment transport on the southern portion of the spit were minimal. The Fingerpoint spit, located on an island in the northwest portion of the basin, was formed by bidirectional longshore sediment transport as the result of waves that approached from both the north‐northeast and the south‐southwest. Spit development is a function of surface wave energy and direction which in turn is the integrated result of wind direction, wind intensity, and fetch. Wave transport direction determined from ?eld measurements at Point of the Mountain spit corresponds very well to the direction of maximum fetch (c. 200 km). For the Fingerpoint spit, the hypothesized wave transport direction from the south corresponds with the direction of maximum fetch (c. 350 km). However, wave energy transport from the north had limited fetch (c. 100 km), implying that wind intensity from the north was relatively large. The geometry of the two large Bonneville spits suggests the predominant wind direction from storms during the Pleistocene was from the north and points the way for future studies that can aid in further understanding the nature of Pleistocene wind ?elds in the Great Basin. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upper Pleistocene‐Holocene geomorphic changes dictating sedimentation rates and historical land use in the valley system of the Chifeng region,Inner Mongolia,northern China

This study focuses on the late Quaternary landscape evolution in the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia, China, its relations to the history of the Pleistocene‐Holocene loess accumulation, erosion and redeposition, and their impact on human occupation. Based on 57 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of loess sediments, fluvial sand and floodplain deposits accumulated on the hill slopes and floodplains, we conclude that during most of the Pleistocene period the region was blanketed by a thick layer of aeolian loess, as well as by alluvial and fluvial deposits. The loess section is divided into two main units that are separated by unconformity. The OSL ages at the top of the lower reddish loess unit yielded an approximate age of 193 ka, roughly corresponding to the transition from MIS 7 to 6, though they could be older. The upper gray loess unit accumulated during the upper Pleistocene glacial phase (MIS 4–3) at a mean accumulation rate of 0·22 m/ka. Parallel to the loess accumulation on top of the hilly topography, active fans were operating during MIS 4–2 at the outlet of large gullies surrounding the major valley at a mean accumulation rate of 0·24 m/ka. This co‐accumulation indicates that gullies have been a long‐term geomorphic feature at the margins of the Gobi Desert since at least the middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, the erosion of the Pleistocene loess on the hills led to the burial of the valley floors by the redeposited sediments at a rate that decreases from 3·2 m/ka near the hills to 1–0·4 m/ka¹ in the central part of the Chifeng Valley. This rapid accumulation and the frequent shifts of the courses of the river prevented the construction of permanent settlements in the valley floors, a situation which changed only with improved man‐made control of the local rivers from the tenth century AD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nannofossil age constraints for the northern KwaZulu-Natal shelf-edge wedge: Implications for continental margin dynamics, South Africa, SW Indian Ocean

Samples collected from the shelf-edge wedge using surface grab samples and the Jago submersible constrain the KwaZulu-Natal shelf-edge wedge to a late Pliocene age on the basis of the absence of Gephyrocapsa oceanica s.l. and Discoaster brouweri, and the presence of Calcidiscus macintyrei. This correlates with proposed Tertiary sea-level curves for southern Africa and indicates relative sea-level fall during the late Pliocene coupled with hinterland uplift. Exposed failure scarps in the upper portions of submarine canyons yield sediment samples of early Pleistocene ages, indicating the uppermost age of deposition of clinoform topsets exposed in the scarp walls. Partially consolidated, interbedded silty and sandy deposits of similar age outcrop in the thalweg of Leven canyon at a depth of 150 m. These sediments provide an upper age limit of the shelf-edge wedge of early Pleistocene, giving a sedimentation rate of this wedge of 162–309 m/Ma. The distribution of widespread basal-most Pleistocene sediments on the upper slope indicates that these sediments escaped major reworking during sea-level falls associated with Pleistocene glaciations and remain as relict upper slope veneers. The absence of more recent sediments suggests that this area has been a zone of sediment bypass or starvation since the early Pleistocene. Areas where younger sediments mantle deposits of early Pleistocene ages represent areas of offshore bedload parting, re-distributing younger Holocene sediment offshore and downslope.     

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.     

近30年来太湖流域湖泊岸线形态动态变化

湖泊的岸线特征是表征湖泊形态特征的一项重要内容．本文应用分形理论中的计盒维数,基于岸线长度与面积 关系的分形维数及岸线发育系数,对太湖流域主要湖泊的湖泊岸线变化进行了研究．结果表明,分形维数可以更好的对 湖泊岸线进行量化描述,太湖流域主要湖泊的岸线具有自相似性;近30年来,太湖流域湖泊的岸线曲折度降低,岸线长度 减少,岸线结构趋于单调．     

砂岩风化晕厚度在广东晚更新世测年中的应用

广东地区河流阶地和冲积扇沉积物中砂岩砾石风化晕随时间增厚。风化晕生长速度呈指数衰减,并拟合于下列公式:T 1485D4.13这里T=时间,以年表示,D=沉积物表部约50块砾石风化晕厚度的加权平均值,以毫米表示。利用风化晕厚度确定出广东地区河流第一和第二级阶地分别为1000—13300年和8600—26500年,肇庆盆地北部山前地带第Ⅰ和第Ⅱ级冲积扇分别为51500年和24400年。同时,在构造地貌变形分析的基础上,估算出本区三条主要北东向断裂带在晚更新世—中全新世的垂直断层作用速度为0.6—1.6毫米/年,中全新世甚或晚更新世晚期以来的活动速度极小     

Catastrophic rock avalanche 3600 years BP from El Capitan,Yosemite Valley,California

Large rock slope failures from near‐vertical cliffs are an important geomorphic process driving the evolution of mountainous landscapes, particularly glacially steepened cliffs. The morphology and age of a 2·19 × 10⁶ m³ rock avalanche deposit beneath El Capitan in Yosemite Valley indicates a massive prehistoric failure of a large expanse of the southeast face. Geologic mapping of the deposit and the cliff face constrains the rock avalanche source to an area near the summit of ～8·5 × 10⁴ m². The rock mass free fell ～650 m, reaching a maximum velocity of 100 m s^?1, impacted the talus slope and spread across the valley floor, extending 670 m from the base of the cliff. Cosmogenic beryllium‐10 exposure ages from boulders in the deposit yield a mean age of 3·6 ± 0·2 ka. The ～13 kyr time lag between deglaciation and failure suggests that the rock avalanche did not occur as a direct result of glacial debuttressing. The ～3·6 ka age for the rock avalanche does coincide with estimated late Holocene rupture of the Owens Valley fault and/or White Mountain fault between 3·3 and 3·8 ka. The coincidence of ages, combined with the fact that the most recent (AD 1872) Owens Valley fault rupture triggered numerous large rock falls in Yosemite Valley, suggest that a large magnitude earthquake (≥M7.0) centered in the south‐eastern Sierra Nevada may have triggered the rock avalanche. If correct, the extreme hazard posed by rock avalanches in Yosemite Valley remains present and depends on local earthquake recurrence intervals. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

A flight of marine terraces along the Cuban coast records Quaternary sea‐level highstands and a general slowly uplifting trend during the Pleistocene. U/Th dating of these limestone terraces is difficult because fossil reef corals have been affected by open system conditions. Terrace ages are thus often based on geological and geomorphological observations. In contrast, the minimum age of the terraces can be constrained by dating speleothems from coastal mixing (flank margin) caves formed during past sea‐level highstands and carving the marine limestones. Speleothems in Santa Catalina Cave have ages >360 ka and show various cycles of subaerial–subaqueous corrosion and speleothem growth. This suggests that the cave was carved during the MIS 11 sea‐level highstand or earlier. Some stalagmites grew during MIS 11 through MIS 8 and were submerged twice, once at the end of MIS 11 and then during MIS 9. Phreatic overgrowths (POS) covering the speleothems suggest anchialine conditions in the cave during MIS 5e. Their altitude at 16 m above present sea level indicates a late Pleistocene uplift rate of <0.1 mm/ka, but modelling also shows uplift to have been insignificant over a long timespan during the middle Pleistocene since the cave was carved. Our study shows that some flank margin caves in the region of Matanzas are older than commonly believed (i.e. MIS 11 rather than MIS 5). These caves not only can be preserved but are good markers of interglacial sea‐level highstands, more reliable than marine abrasion surfaces. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geo-botanical evidence of late quaternary mass wasting in block field areas of Virginia

Studies of block fields at Massanutten Mountain, Virginia, document and provide information on the magnitude and frequency of mass movement on these coarse-grained slopes. Block fields, which traditionally have been considered relicts of Pleistocene climate, occur on and downslope from resistant Massanutten Sandstone in Passage Creek basin. Slopes are strewn with boulders and vegetative cover on the open block fields is absent to sparse. Several block fields were investigated for evidence of recent movement using the degree of lichen growth, differences in block weathering, and rock-fall damaged trees. Temporal and spatial aspects of geomorphic processes can be inferred through dendrogeochronology. Corrasion scars and stem ages infer a minimum age for a geomorphic or hydrologic event. High flows on Passage Creek coincided with tree-ring determined dates of block-field movement. Although, Pleistocene periglacial climate may have facilitated original formation of block fields, some block fields now continue to spread downslope during intense runoff events. Present block-field mass wasting may be the principal erosional process in these areas of resistant rock.     

The thin blue line: A review of shoreline dynamics across time scales and environments

A major thread of theoretical research on the response of shorelines to changing boundary conditions has adapted the moving-boundary approach from heat transfer and solidification/melting. On sufficiently short time scales, shorelines respond to changes in relative sea level in a simple, geometrically predictable way. On longer time scales, their behaviour becomes far more complex and interesting, because the surface over which the shoreline moves is itself continually modified by morphodynamics that depend sensitively on shoreline location. This makes the shoreline the archetype of moving-boundary problems in morphodynamics, and subject to potentially counterintuitive behaviours over time scales on which the sediment surface modifies itself as relative sea level changes. We review existing moving-boundary theories and propose two significant extensions to allow inclusion of first-order effects of waves and tides. First, we show how wave effects can be included via planform diffusion linked to river-mouth location, which results in shoreline smoothing during delta-lobe growth and localized transgression after channel abandonment. Tides produce a low-gradient region in which the sea and land overlap; we show how this can be treated in a moving-boundary framework by replacing the shoreline with a ‘mushy region' so that the handoff from land to water occurs over a zone rather than a line. We also propose that the moving-boundary approach can be readily generalized to other dynamic moving boundaries, such as those separating different regimes of river transport. The shoreline thus serves as a prototype for modelling dynamic facies boundaries along the whole source–sink system. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Application and evaluation of multiple-centres ESR dating of Pliocene-Quaternary fluvial sediments: A case study from the Zhoulao core from the Jianghan Basin,middle Yangtze River basin,China

Multiple-centres electron spin resonance (MC-ESR) dating of quartz grains has been commonly applied to fluvial and lacustrine deposits and can provide a precise chronological framework for depositional histories. However, the reliability of this method for quartz grains obtained from sediments of boreholes, which are usually deposited continuously and record information regarding basin evolution and climate change, has not yet been assessed. In this study, we have initially applied the MC-ESR dating method to borehole sediments from the Zhoulao core (ZLC), located in the depocenter of the Jianghan Basin, middle Yangtze River, China. Dating of quartz grains from the ZLC using MC-ESR yields estimated ages that are generally consistent with the established paleomagnetic chronological framework. For Middle Pleistocene samples (i.e., 0.7–0.3 Ma), the Ti–Li centre provides more accurate ages than those of Al centre, which are overestimated. For Early Pleistocene samples (i.e., 2.3–0.8 Ma), both the Al centre and Ti–Li centre give highly consistent estimate ages, indicating that this is a favorable dating range for MC-ESR. Overall, the Al centre shows promise for dating Pliocene samples, whereas the Ti–Li centre is more suitable for Middle-Early Pleistocene (2.3–0.3 Ma) sediments. In addition, the deposition rate of depth ＜170 m in the ZLC is greater than those of depth ＞170 m sediments; however, the specific tectonic, climatic, or geomorphic mechanism for this change in sedimentation rate is still unclear.     

Magnetostratigraphy of late neogene glacial, interglacial, and preglacial sediments in the Saskatoon and Regina areas, Saskatchewan, Canada

Two new records of glacial stratigraphy obtained from borecores collected in southcentral Saskatchewan are compared to previously published records from Wellsch Valley and Swift Current Creek in southern Saskatchewan. The comparisons are based on magnetostratigraphy and tephrochronology, and describe preglacial, glacial, and interglacial deposits. The new stratigraphy is compared to the composite global marine oxygen isotope record. Although the ages and extents of late Pleistocene continental glaciations are relatively well constrained, they are less well defined for the middle and early Pleistocene. Data presented here highlight recent studies carried out from borecores and outcrops of extensive pre-Illinoian (pre-Saalian) glacial deposits. Based on this new data, at least seven Laurentide (continental) glaciations are recognized in Saskatchewan, and these records are the most extensive to date in the Northern Interior Plains of Canada. The magnetostratigraphic records from the Sutherland Overpass and Wascana Creek sites provide the first evidence of reversely magnetized glacial deposits in the Canadian Prairies. These deposits can be assigned to the latest Matuyama (MIS 20) and indicate that Laurentide (continental) glaciations did not impact southern Saskatchewan until the late Early Pleistocene.     

Overview of Recent Coastal Tectonic Deformation in the Mexican Subduction Zone

Holocene and Pleistocene tectonic deformation of the coast in the Mexico subudction margin is recorded by geomorphic and stratigraphic markers. We document the spatial and temporal variability of active deformation on the coastal Mexican subduction margin. Pleistocene uplift rates are estimated using wave-cut platforms at ca. 0.7?C0.9?m/ka on the Jalisco block coast, Rivera-North America tectonic plate boundary. We examine reported measurements from marine notches and shoreline angle elevations in conjunction with their radiocarbon ages that indicate surface uplift rates increasing during the Holocene up to ca. 3?±?0.5?m/ka. In contrast, steady rates of uplift (ca. 0.5?C1.0?m/ka) in the Pleistocene and Holocene characterize the Michoacan coastal sector, south of El Gordo graben and north of the Orozco Fracture Zone (OFZ), incorporated within the Cocos-North America plate boundary. Significantly higher rates of surface uplift (ca. 7?m/ka) across the OFZ subduction may reflect the roughness of subducting plate. Absence of preserved marine terraces on the coastal sector across El Gordo graben likely reflects slow uplift or coastal subsidence. Stratigraphic markers and their radiocarbon ages show late Holocene (ca. last 6?ka bp) coastal subsidence on the Guerrero gap sector in agreement with a landscape barren of marine terraces and with archeological evidence of coastal subsidence. Temporal and spatial variability in recent deformation rates on the Mexican Pacific coast may be due to differences in tectonic regimes and to localized processes related to subduction, such as crustal faults, subduction erosion and underplating of subducted materials under the southern Mexico continental margin.     

FIRST REPORT OF BERO ZECO ACTIVE FAULT IN GÊRZÊ, NORTHERN TIBET

In the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, the active tectonics are primarily marked by conjugate strike slip faults and north-trending rifts, which represent the E-W extension since late Cenozoic of the plateau. The conjugate faults are mainly composed of NE-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults in Qiangtang terrane and NW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults in Lhasa terrane. While, the rifts mainly strike N, NNW and NNE within southern Tibet. However, it is still a debate on the deformational style and specific adjustment mechanism of E-W extension. One of key reasons causing this debate is the lack of detailed investigation of these active faults, especially within the northwestern plateau. Recently, we found a 20km long, NNW-trending active fault at Bero Zeco in northwestern Tibet. This fault is presented as fault sag ponds, channel offsets and fault scarps. Displacement of channels and geomorphic features suggested that the Bero Zeco Fault(BZF)is a dextral strike-slip fault with a small amount of normal slip component, which may result from the E-W extensional deformation in the interior of Tibet. BZF strikes N330°~340°W, as shown on the satellite image. The main Quaternary strata in the studied area are two stages alluvial fans around the Bero Zeco. From the satellite images, the old alluvial fans were cut by the lake shoreline leaving many of lake terraces. And the young fans cut across the lake terraces and the old fans. By contrasting to the "Paleo-Qiangtang Huge Lake" since late Quaternary, these old alluvial fans could be late Pleistocene with age ranging from 40ka to 50ka. And the young fans could be Holocene. The sag ponds along the BZF are distributed in the late Pleistocene alluvial fans. Also, the BZF displaced the late Pleistocene fans without traces within Holocene fans, suggesting that the BZF is a late Pleistocene active fault. The fault scarps are gentler with the slope angle of around 10° and the vertical offset is about 2m by field measurement. Reconstruction of the offset of channels suggested that the accumulated dextral offset could be about 44m on the late Pleistocene alluvial fans. Therefore, we infer that the dextral slip-rate could be around 1mm/a showing a low-rate deformation characteristic. The angle between the strike of BZF and principal compressive stress axis(σ₁)is around 30°, which is significantly different to the other faults within the conjugate strike-slip fault zones that is 60°~75°. Now, the deformation mechanisms on these conjugate faults are mainly proposed in the studies of obtuse angle between the faults and σ₁, which is likely not applicable for the BZF. We infer that the BZF could be the northward prolongation of the north-trending rifts based on the geometry. This difference suggests that the conjugate strike-slip faults may be formed by two different groups:one is obtuse angle, which is related to block extrusion or shear zones in Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes possibly; the other is acute angle, which may represent the characteristics of new-born fractures. And more studies are needed on their deformation mechanisms.     

Shoreline change at an infinite jetty for wave time series

Future shoreline changes on a sandy beach with a structure such as a jetty or groin can be estimated when wave time series is known (i.e. sequence of wave height, period, and direction). This paper presents an extension of an existing solution (Pelnard-Considere, 1956) for the linearized partial differential equation for shoreline change at an infinite jetty where waves are time varying and when the angle of the shoreline is small with respect to the waves breaking at the shoreline. The novel solution provided in this paper allows the previous constant wave condition solution to be extended to the case where wave properties (i.e. wave direction, wave height, and wave period) are time varying. Example usage of the method presented shows that shorelines may be of different final plan form shape for time varying wave conditions even though the sediment transport along adjacent beaches is not spatially varying (i.e. spatially constant) from time step to time step. Although this difference in shape may have been known previously using numerical models, it could not be proved analytically. Reversals of wave height, period, and direction time series are shown to provide different final shoreline shapes even though the time series consists of the same waves although in different ordered time. The solution provided will allow one line numerical shoreline models to be tested using an analytic solution.     

Holocene lake-level changes of Linggo Co in central Tibet

Lake-level changes are important environmental events. The paleoshorelines of a lake reflect past water levels and record information on paleoclimatic changes. Dating these events places the climatic changes in a time sequence. From shorelines ∼1, ∼4, and ∼6 m above current lake level on the eastern shore of Linggo Co, central Tibet, we collected eight samples for optically stimulated Luminescence dating. Two stratigraphic units, distinguished on the basis of color and sedimentology, were recognized beneath each shoreline. The ages obtained were 0.9 ka (upper layer) and 3.1 ka (lower layer) for lowest shoreline, 1.9 ka (upper layer), and 6.1–9.0 ka (bottom layer) for middle shoreline, and 9.6 ka for high shoreline. Two dates were considered to be unreliable due to incomplete bleaching. We attribute the higher lake levels to increased precipitation brought by the Indian monsoon in the Holocene.     

广东深圳断裂带活动性的第四纪地质和地貌研究

深圳断裂带分布着一系列第四纪盆地,发育了以晚更新世河流相为主的沉积物,其厚度一般小于10—15米。它们的出现与断裂破碎带、岩溶地层分布及断裂早期活动有关。但是,未见错动了第四纪沉积物的断层。从约180万年以来,断裂带内发育了四级夷平面和三级河流阶地。不同时期地壳相对升降平均速率估计为约0.04毫米/年至0.2毫米/年。 在第四纪地质时期,深圳断裂带总体处于区域性的间歇性抬升过程,断裂活动不明显     

鄂尔多斯北缘断裂托克托段晚第四纪活动特征

鄂尔多斯北缘断裂作为河套断陷带和鄂尔多斯地块的边界断裂,研究其晚第四纪活动特征,对于科学评价黄河流域内蒙古河套段的地震危险性具有重要意义。本文利用野外地质调查、微地貌测量、浅层人工地震勘探及钻孔联合剖面探测相结合的方法,综合地层年代样品测试结果,确定了该断裂托克托段的准确位置和最新活动特征。研究结果表明,鄂尔多斯北缘断裂托克托段沿线构造地貌不发育,推测断裂的最新活动可能尚未达到地表,地表的地貌陡坎应为河流侵蚀成因。断裂在深、浅地震反射剖面上表现为“Ｙ”字形的张性断裂系,主断裂倾向北,分支断裂倾向南,整体上陡下缓,具有多个地堑式分布的特点。跨断裂钻孔联合剖面上显示,单个分支断裂的同震垂直位移量为2～2.5 m,最新活动时代为43.5～70 ka。鄂尔多斯北缘断裂是一条晚更新世活动的深大断裂,具有一定的地震危险性。     

Calibration of decomposition of serine to alanine in Bithynia opercula as a quantitative dating technique for Middle and Late Pleistocene sites in Britain

The concentration ratio of the amino acids alanine and serine in calcite opercula of freshwater gastropods of genus Bithynia has been assessed as an age proxy for British Middle and Late Pleistocene sites. Due to decomposition of peptide-bound serine within intra-crystalline protein molecules, alanine/serine ratios increase with sample age, enabling resolution of the marine oxygen-isotope stage of almost all sites and substage resolution for some sites. However, slight overlaps are evident in alanine/serine ratios between some sites from late in one temperate stage and early in the next; this effect results from the low decomposition rates during cold stages, combined with an evident slight dependence of decomposition rates on site conditions. The technique, which can be extended to the Early Pleistocene without technical refinements, is amenable to quantitative calibration using a first-order rate equation, making it feasible in future to present results as numerical ages, subject to an assumed temperature history. Most Pleistocene sites investigated are shown using this technique to have the same ages as previously deduced using biostratigraphy. However, the serine–alanine ages obtained preclude glaciation of southeast England during MIS 16 or of central England during MIS 10.     

Active Fault and Volcanic Activity in the Longhai-Zhangpu Coastal Area, Fujian Province

INTRODUCTION TheLonghai ZhangpucoastalareaofFujianProvinceliesonthesouthernsideoftheoutletofthe JiulongjiangRiver.Tectonically,itislocatedonthesouthernsegmentoftheChangle Zhao’anfault zone.Previously,alotofseismogeologicresearchworkhasbeencarriedoutinthi…