Changes in grain-size and sedimentation rate of the Neogene Red Clay deposits along the Chinese Loess Plateau and implications for the palaeowind system

In recent years, the Red Clay deposits underlying Quaternary loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau (north China) have attracted more attention because they show a direct and continuous record of past atmos- pheric circulation and palaeoclimatic change. Investiga- tions on Red Clay deposits through multidisciplinary methods have demonstrated an aeolian origin for the Red Clay, like the overlying Quaternary loess. The Red Clay formed during the Miocene and Pliocene[1―13]. However, the type o…     

Preliminary study of mollusk fossils in the Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence in western Chinese Loess Plateau

The Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence (~22―6.2 Ma)[1] discovered from the Gansu Group[2] several years ago extends the well-known Quaternary loess-soil sequence and the late Tertiary Red Clay se-quence of the Loess Plateau to early Miocene epoch. Most recently, the Dongwan late Miocene–Pliocene loess-soil sequence (~7.1―3.5 Ma)[3] further extends the upper limit of the reported Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence into the Pliocene. These extensions have great potentials for the study o…     

Cenozoic tectonic and geomorphic evolution of the Longxi region in northeastern Tibetan Plateau interpreted from detrital zircon

The Longxi region contains different kinds of Cenozoic sediments, including eolian deposits, reworked loess, fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The provenance evolution of these sediments is of great significance in exploring the uplift, tectonic deformation and associated with geomorphic evolution of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we used the single-grain zircon provenance analysis to constrain the provenances for the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates and for the Neogene fluvial-lacustrine sediments, and compared them with results from the loess deposits since the Miocene. The results show that: (1) the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates contain a large number of detrital zircons ranging from 560 to 1100 Ma that were derived from the Yangzi Block. However, the sediments of early Miocene have much fewer zircons of this age span, which are characterized by an abundance of zircon ages in the ranges of 200–360 Ma. This indicates that the Paleogene alluvial conglomerates mainly come from the middle and/or southern West Qinling, and the early Miocene sediments are primarily from the northern West Qinling; (2) Late Neogene fluvial sediments (11.5 Ma onward) in Tianshui-Qinan region are dominated by zircon ages of 380–450 Ma. This zircon population is similar to that of the exposed intrusive rocks of southern part of the Liupan Mountains, implying that the southern part of Liupan Mountains probably had already uplifted by 11.5 Ma; (3) Late Miocene lacustrine sediments in Tianshui region have a zircon age spectra that is remarkably different from coeval fluvial deposits, but is similar to the zircon age distributions of the Miocene loess in Qinan region, late Miocene-Pliocene Hipparion red clay and Quaternary loess. This indicates that fine particles within these Miocene lacustrine sediments in Tianshui region may be dominated by aeolian materials. This study reveals that provenance changes of Cenozoic sediments in Tianshui-Qinan region and its geomorphic evolution are closely related to the multi-stage uplift of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. In particular, the major uplift of the Northern Tibetan Plateau during late Oligocene-early Miocene may have not only provided the source areas and wind dynamic conditions for the deposits of the Miocene loess, but also provided the geomorphic conditions for its accumulation.     

Grain-size features of a Miocene loess-soil sequence at Qinan: Implications on its origin

In northern China, the Quaternary loess-soil se-quences[1] and the Hipparion Red-Earth Formation in the eastern Loess Plateau[2―6] provide a continental climate record for the past 8 Ma. The recently reported Miocene[7] and Pliocene[8] loess-soil sequences near Qinan constitute an eolian record of the western Loess Plateau from 22 to 3.5 Ma. Earlier studies[9] place the Miocene loess deposits into the so-called Gansu Sys-tem. Our investigations show that the Gansu System contains inde…     

Magnetostratigraphy and palaeoclimate of Red Clay sequences from Chinese Loess Plateau

Two Red Clay profiles near Xi’an and Xifeng were investigated in an attempt to determine magnetostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic records. The results show that aeolian dust accumulation and the related East Asia palaeomonsoon system had begun by 6.5 Ma, and it is deduced that the Tibetan Plateau had reached a significant elevation at that time. The late Tertiary palaeoclimatic history of the Red Clay as reflected by magnetic susceptibility is reconstructed during the period of 6.5–2.5 Ma. Stepwise increase in susceptibility of aeolian dust accumulation appears to have a close correlation to the uplift processes of the Tibetan Plateau. The remarkable increase of aeolian dust accumulation at 3.2 Ma appears to be due to the influence of global ice volume on the East Asia monsoon. Palaeomonsoon variation during the late Tertiary as recorded in the Red Clay sequences from the Chinese Loess Plateau can be regarded as the product of a number of interacting factors, such as uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, solar radiation, global ice volume, etc. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Foundation of Xi’an Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Pleistocene magnetic susceptibility and paleomagnetism of the Tibetan loess and its implications on large climatic change events

Ganzi loess represents the oldest Tibetan loess, its formation is the key to determining the readjustment of Tibetan atmospheric circulation and the relationship between Tibetan uplift and global climatic change. Detailed magnetostratigraphic study shows that the Ganzi loess was formed at about 1.13 MaBP. It also reveals that there are two notable climatic events occurring in 0.95–0.92 Ma and 0.65–0.5 Ma respectively. The both demonstrate that the Tibetan atmospheric circulation was readjusted and the Tibetan Plateau entered the cryosphere at 21.13 Ma, and the Tibetan glaciation might reach its maximum at ∼0.65–0.5 Ma.

     

兰州地区晚第三纪磁性地层与古环境意义

兰州地区位于黄土高原和青藏高原的过渡带,其第三纪地层对研究风尘沉积发育和青藏高原隆升都有着特殊的意义.本研究以0.5 m间距对兰州盆地皋兰山剖面240 m的晚第三纪地层进行古地磁样品采集,古地磁样品共计422个;以50 ℃为间隔从室温至500 ℃用热退磁仪和超导磁力仪完成了皋兰山剖面样品的系统热退磁和剩磁测量.结果表明皋兰山剖面上部地层的实测极性柱出现2个负极性大段中间夹着4个正极性小段,其特点与Gilbert时的典型特征完全一致,并且两端未完全出露的正极性分别与Chron2A.3n和Chron3An.1n相对应,最终确定皋兰山剖面的年代为6～3.5 Ma.由此推断,皋兰山剖面顶部的五泉砾岩形成大约开始于3.5 Ma,五泉砾岩底界年代的确定,为青藏高原的A幕运动提供了地质证据.皋兰山剖面深度602 m处出现由河湖相砂岩向以风成红粘土为主常夹有薄层砂岩的地层转变,通过岩性地层及年代的推断,兰州地区的风尘序列堆积发育的年代至少为7 Ma,与黄土高原风尘序列堆积底界8～7 Ma基本一致,说明了兰州地区与黄土高原在风尘序列堆积过程中具有统一性.     

Tectonic-climatic events in eastern Qilian Mountains over the past 0.83 Ma

The eastern part of Qilian Mountains experienced strong tectonic uplift during the late Quaternary, and climate record there was influenced by Tibetan Plateau to some extent. Based on studies on the fluvial terrace series and eolian loess deposition, we find that the tectonic uplifts of the Tibetan Plateau had coupled with climatic changes in our studied region and others since the mid-Pleistocene. The uplift that occurred at 0.83 Ma corresponded to significant desert expansion in L6 and periodic variation since MIS16, while the 0.14Ma one to the further drying in northwest China. Those coupled events may indicate that tectonic uplift drove climatic changes, and the Tibetan Plateau has important impacts on East Asian Monsoon system.     

临夏盆地新生代沉积物粒度记录与亚洲内陆干旱化

临夏盆地毛沟剖面高分辨率粒度记录研究表明,29-7.4Ma间,临夏盆地的古气候一直保持相对稳定,而其中短暂的沉积相的改变是盆地对该期间青藏高原构造隆升事件的响应;从7.4Ma开始,流域外的风尘物质开始逐步被带人盆地,并经过了6.4Ma和5.3Ma的两次加速过程,揭示了我国西北内陆干旱气候可能从7.4Ma左右开始,且在6.4Ma和5.3Ma左右经过两次加强.通过与青藏高原构造隆升事件记录和全球气候记录对比。揭示高原在9-7Ma开始的逐步隆升和期后的阶段性加速隆升以及同期开始的全球变冷,尤其北极冰盖的形成和扩张可能是亚洲内陆干旱化的重要驱动机制.     

塔里木盆地东北缘晚新生代钻孔岩心磁性地层年代学及其构造意义

塔里木盆地的高分辨率沉积记录对于理解青藏高原隆升、亚洲内陆干旱化乃至全球气候变化至关重要.建立可靠的地层年代标尺对于研究塔里木盆地晚新生代沉积环境演化、构造运动及古气候变化具有重要意义.本文对塔里木盆地东北缘库尔勒地区的两个全取心钻孔ZK3（深500 m）、ZK5（深300 m）进行详细的磁性地层学研究,结果表明,ZK3孔中更新统底界为54.8 m,下更新统底界为167.0 m,上新统底界为432.0 m,钻孔底部年龄约为6.2 Ma,属上中新统上部;ZK5孔中更新统底界为64.7 m,下更新统底界为241.5 m,钻孔底部年龄约为3.2 Ma,属上上新统.基于上述磁性地层年代标尺,通过沉积速率分析发现ZK3孔在3.0—3.6 Ma之间沉积速率明显增大,反映了塔里木盆地北部天山在此期间的快速隆升.通过东西部多个盆地地质剖面沉积速率的对比分析发现,这期构造活动在区域上具有准同期活动特征,在时代上与晚中新世以来青藏高原快速隆升的时代一致,可能与青藏高原的隆升扩展效应有关.     

Constraining the stepwise migration of the eastern Tibetan Plateau margin by apatite fission track thermochronology

Granites sampled from Garzê-Litang thrust, Longmen Shan thrust, Garzê and Litang strike-slip faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau have been analyzed with apatite fission track thermochronological method in this study. The measured fission track apparent ages, combined with the simulated annealing mod- eling of the thermal history, have been used to reconstruct the thermal evolutionary histories of the samples and interpret the active history of the thrusts and faults in these areas. Thermal history mod- eling shows that earlier tectonic cooling occurred in the Garzê-Litang thrust in Miocene (~20―16 Ma) whereas the later cooling occurred mainly in the Longmen Shan thrust since ~5 Ma. Our study sug- gests that the margin of eastern Tibetan Plateau was extended by stages: through strike-slip faults deformations and related thrusts, the upper crust formed the Garzê-Litang margin in the Miocene epoch and then moved to the Longmen Shan margin since ~5 Ma. During this process, the deformations of different phases in the eastern Tibetan Plateau were absorbed by the thrusts within them and conse- quently the tectonic events of long-distance slip and extrusion up to hundreds of kilometers have not been found.     

Grain-size records at ODP Site 1146 from the northern South China Sea: Implications on the East Asian monsoon evolution since 20 Ma

273 samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for grain-size distributions using grain-size class vs. standard deviation method and end-member modeling algorithm (EMMA) in order to investigate the evolution of the East Asian monsoon since about 20 Ma. 10–19 μm/1.3–2.4 μm, the ratio of two grain-size populations with the highest variability through time was used to indicate East Asian winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The mass accumulation rate of the coarsest end member EM1 (eolian), resulting from EMMA, can be used as a proxy of winter monsoon strength and Asian inland aridity, and the ratio of EM1/(EM2 EM3) as a proxy of winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The combined proxies show that a profound enhancement of East Asian winter monsoon strength and winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon occurred at about 8 Ma, and it is possible that the summer monsoon simultaneously intensified with winter monsoon at 3 Ma. Our results are well consistent with the previous studies in loess, eolian deposion in the Pacifc, radiolarians and planktonic foraminifera in the SCS. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 8 Ma and 3 Ma.     

Changes in sand fractions of Binggou section and the expansion and contraction of the Tengger desert during 50–30 ka

Signs of the evolutionary process are well preserved in the aeolian deposits of desert margins and enable reconstruction of desert expansion and contraction. The sand content (percentage >63 µm) of loess in the loess–desert transitional zone was used as a proxy indicator for determining the proximity of the desert margin. According to the dominant wind direction, generally NW–SE in the northwest Chinese Loess Plateau, a transect was projected to observe spatial changes in sedimentological characteristics of aeolian deposits during the Last Glacial Period. The transect consists of 12 loess sections, starting at Shapotou in the transitional region between the Loess Plateau and the Tengger Desert and ending at Tianshui, which is located at the north foot of the Western Qinling Mountains in the southernmost part of the Loess Plateau. It shows the properties of temporal and spatial distribution of the Malan loess, with reduced sand content from northwest to southeast. A linear correlation model of sand content and distance was obtained, which was similar to the east of the Chinese Loess Plateau. According to this model, and on the basis of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating from Binggou section, a detailed and quantificational expansion and contraction for the Tengger Desert was established. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

风成沉积物磁组构与中国黄土区第四纪风向变化

通过对黄土高原几个剖面黄土样品磁化率各向异性的初步研究，发现了风成沉积物中的磁组构特征，且它的形成受沉积作用控制并与黄土高原形成时的古风场有关，即风成沉积物磁化率椭球体主轴方向及各轴比值与磁性颗粒分布排列方式亦即与空气动力条件相关．阐明了风成沉积物磁组构形成机制及其与古风向的关系，提出一种能够定量研究黄土高原形成时古风场的方法，为研究黄土高原形成演化和第四纪以来气候变化提供了基础数据．     

Eolian sedimentary records for the evolution of monsoon and westerly circulations of northern China in the last 2.6 Ma

Atmospheric circulation for transportation and deposition of eolian sediments of northern China has been an important palaeoclimatic issue of loess research. The first approach to the issue clarified the role of westerly circulation on transportation and sedimentation of loess[1]. The pa- leomonsoon theory interpreted the loess-paleosol sequences as the products of Asian monsoon circulation[2,3]. The source areas, passage way and deposition areas of eolian dust of northern China are signi…     

Flexural subsidence by 29 Ma on the NE edge of Tibet from the magnetostratigraphy of Linxia Basin, China

This study provides a detailed magnetostratigraphic record of subsidence in the Linxia Basin, documenting a 27 Myr long sedimentary record from the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Deposition in the Linxia Basin began at 29 Ma and continued nearly uninterruptedly until 1.7 Ma. Increasing rates of subsidence between 29 and 6 Ma in the Linxia Basin suggest deposition in the foredeep portion of a flexural basin and constrain the timing of shortening in the northeastern margin of the plateau to Late Oligocene–Late Miocene time. By Late Miocene–Early Pliocene time, a decrease in subsidence rates in the Linxia Basin associated with thrust faulting and a 10° clockwise rotation in the basin indicates that the deformation front of the Tibetan plateau had propagated into the currently deforming region northeast of the plateau.     

过去2．5百万年间黄土与深海古气候变化周期的对比分析

过去２．５Ｍａ间宝鸡黄土粒度记录和深海氧同位素曲线的Ｆｏｕｒｉｅｒ功率谱分析结果表明：在１．６Ｍａ以上部分，两者的周期性相当一致；但在２．５-１．６Ｍａ时段，两者的周期记录差异很大．深海氧同位素曲线记录的全球大陆冰量变化周期以与地轴倾斜度有关的０．０４１Ｍａ为主，而黄土粒度曲线记录的内陆风力强度变化周期则以与偏心率有关的０．４Ｍａ和０．１Ｍａ为主．造成这种异同的原因是：在２．５-１．６Ｍａ时段，内陆风力强度变化主要受地球轨道变化驱动，而从１．６Ｍａ前开始，转而主要受全球大陆冰量变化驱动．     

Tectonics of the offshore Red River Fault recorded in the junction of the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins

Science China Earth Sciences - The Red River Fault, which originated from the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, has a great significance for obtaining a further understanding of the...     

Chemical weathering history of the southern Tajikistan loess and paloclimate implications

Major chemical elements and Rb, Sr, Ba abundances were measured for loess samples from Chashmanigar loess-soil sequence in southern Tajikistan. And the degree of element loss and intensity of weathering of the samples were calculated. From these calculations we found that the paleosol horizons of the Chashmanigar section were chemically weathered to some extent and the weathering intensity of the soils is stronger than that of loess horizons, indicating that paleosols in southern Tajikistan were deposited in relatively warm and humid interglacial ages. In addition, the southern Tajikistan loess deposited before 0.9Ma BP was more intensely weathered than that deposited after 0.9Ma BP, which may imply the intensification of aridity in this area since 0.9Ma BP.     

Chemical weathering history of the southern Tajikistan loess and paleoclimate implications

In recent years, the loess deposits in Central Asia have attracted increasing attention of Qua-ternary paleoclimate researchers[1—8]. The centre of the loess deposits in this area is located in southern Tajikistan, where thick and continuous loess sectio…