黄河源区第四纪地质研究的新进展

通过对黄河源区的钻孔、自然露头的研究, 建立了黄河源区的第四纪地层层序。第四纪地层可划分为下更新统、中更新统、上更新统和全新统。下更新统为河湖相沉积; 中更新统主要有湖积物、冰碛物和冰水沉积物; 上更新统主要有湖积物、冰碛物、冰水沉积物、洪积物和河流沉积物; 全新统主要由河流沉积物、洪积物和湖积物构成。黄河源区的冰期可划分为3期, 即末次冰期、倒数第二次冰期、倒数第三次冰期, 末次冰期又可分为2个冰阶。黄河源区的湖泊演化可划分为早更新世、中更新世和晚更新世—全新世3个阶段: 早更新世的湖泊范围小; 中更新世的湖泊范围明显扩大, 在位置上也较早更新世的湖泊南移; 晚更新世的湖泊经历了两次的扩张—收缩变化, 到了全新世, 除现今还发育的几个湖泊外, 大多数地区的湖水已退出, 基本上转变为河流环境。在晚更新世末期到全新世初期, 封闭黄河源区的多石峡被切开, 湖水外泄, 现今的黄河形成了, 同时发生了袭夺长江水系的水流。     

贡嘎山第四纪冰川遗迹及冰期划分

在对贡嘎山现代冰川和古冰川考察研究的基础上，结合定位观测分析，对该区第四纪冰川遗迹进行了深入讨论，划分出三次冰期，即中更新世早期的倒数第三次冰期，中更新世晚期的倒数第二次冰期和晚更新世的末次冰期，以及全新世的新冰期和小冰期。提出在早更新世时，由于山体未达到当时冰川发育的雪线高度，所以未发育冰川；中更新世早期的冰期冰川为半覆盖式冰川类型，规模不大；中更新世晚期的冰期冰川是本区最大冰川作用时期，形成网状山麓冰川，东坡冰川曾达磨西台地；晚更新世冰期冰川以山谷冰川为主，以后规模逐次缩小。     

Holocene and latest Pleistocene alpine glacier fluctuations: a global perspective

Alpine glacier fluctuations provide important paleoclimate proxies where other records such as ice cores, tree rings, and speleothems are not available. About 20 years have passed since a special issue of Quaternary Science Reviews was published to review the worldwide evidence for Holocene glacier fluctuations. Since that time, numerous sites have been discovered, new dating techniques have been developed, and refined climatic hypotheses have been proposed that contribute to a better understanding of Earth's climate system. This special volume includes 12 papers on Holocene and latest Pleistocene alpine glacier fluctuations that update the seven review papers from 1988.Major findings of these 12 papers include the following: many, but certainly not all, alpine areas record glacier advances during the Younger Dryas cold interval. Most areas in the Northern Hemisphere witnessed maximum glacier recession during the early Holocene, with some glaciers disappearing, although a few sites yield possible evidence for advances during the 8.2 ka cooling event. In contrast, some alpine areas in the Southern Hemisphere saw glaciers reach their maximum post-glacial extents during the early to middle Holocene. In many parts of the globe, glaciers reformed and/or advanced during Neoglaciation, beginning as early as 6.5 ka. Neoglacial advances commonly occurred with millennial-scale oscillations, with many alpine glaciers reaching their maximum Holocene extents during the Little Ice Age of the last few centuries. Although the pattern and rhythm of these glacier fluctuations remain uncertain, improved spatial coverage coupled with tighter age control for many events will provide a means to assess forcing mechanisms for Holocene and latest Pleistocene glacial activity and perhaps predict glacier response to future impacts from human-induced climate change.     

Geoarchaeological investigations of henson creek: A low-order tributary in Central Texas

A complex late Quaternary alluvial history was documented along Henson Creek, a low order tributary on the Fort Hood Military Reservation in central Texas. Three Quaternary alluvial landforms were recognized: terrace 2 (T2), terrace 1 (T1), and the modern floodplain (T0). The late Pleistocene T2 terrace may contain an array of sites spanning the entire known cultural record, while T1 may have sites spanning the last 5000 years only. Five fluvial units, three colluvial facies, two alluvial fan facies, and two buried paleosols were also recognized. Fluvial deposition was occurring approximately 15,000 yr B.P., 10,000-8000 yr B.P., 7000–4800 yr B.P., 1650-600 yr B.P., and during the last 400 years. Colluvial deposition was ongoing mainly in the early and middle Holocene, while alluvial fan aggradation was proceeding primarily in the middle Holocene. Because of erosional unconformities, there is minimal potential for recovering buried sites dating to intervals between depositional eposides for most of the drainage basin. Preservation potentials for buried sites are greatest in fine-grained fluvial deposits dating to the late Pleistocene, early Holocene, and parts of the late Holocene, and in fine-grained colluvial deposits dating to the early and middle Holocene. This investigation demonstrates that within the study area, and perhaps throughout much of central Texas, a greater continuum of sediments and preservation potentials exists in late Quaternary alluvial deposits of rivers than in low-order tributaries.     

Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Himalaya and Tibet

The timing and extent of latest Pleistocene and Holocene alpine glacier fluctuations in the Himalaya and Tibet are poorly defined due to the logistical and political inaccessibility of the region, and the general lack of modern studies of the glacial successions. Nevertheless, renewed interest in the region and the aid of newly developing numerical dating techniques have provided new insights into the nature of latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier oscillations. These studies provide abundant evidence for significant glacial advances throughout the Last Glacial cycle. In most high Himalayan and Tibetan regions glaciers reached their maximum extent early in the Last Glacial cycle. However, true Last Glacial Maximum glacier advances were significantly less extensive. Notable glacier advances occurred during the Lateglacial and the early Holocene, with minor advances in some regions during the mid-Holocene. There is abundant evidence for multiple glacial advances throughout the latter part of the Holocene, although these are generally very poorly defined, and were less extensive than the early Holocene glacier advances. The poor chronological control on latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacial successions makes it difficult to construct correlations across the region, and with other glaciated regions in the world, which in turn makes it hard to assess the relative importance of the different climatic mechanisms that force glaciation in this region. The Lateglacial and Holocene glacial record, however, is particularly well preserved in several regions, notably in Muztag Ata and Kongur, and the Khumbu Himal. These successions have the potential to be examined in detail using newly developing numerical dating methods to derive a high-resolution record of glaciation to help in paleoclimatic reconstruction and understanding the dynamics of climate and glaciation in the Himalaya and Tibet.     

重庆地区第四纪气候的初步研究

早更新世时,重庆地区生活着巫山人;中更新世时,生存有盐井沟动物群和歌乐山动物群;晚更新世—全新世时,合川三汇坝动物群繁衍,以水杉、红椿木和枫杨为代表的植物群遍及全区,并有水杉、银杉等孓遗植物存在。整个第四纪时期,重庆地区的气候属亚热带温暖湿润气候,没有发生过冰川活动。     

他念他翁山中段第四纪冰川作用ESR定年初步研究

他念他翁山中段地处青藏高原东南部和云贵高原过渡地带,海拔4 200 m以上保存着确切的第四纪冰川遗迹.对其进行深入研究,不仅可以重建横断山脉冰川作用的演化历史,还能够为青藏高原的隆升机制提供重要依据.采用野外地貌调查与电子自旋共振测年（ESR）相结合的方法,查明他念他翁山第四纪冰川发育的地貌特点,并初步对研究区的冰期系列进行划分.结果显示,他念他翁山中段古冰川类型主要为山麓冰川、山谷冰川和冰斗冰川.晚第四纪以来至少经历了4次冰川作用,分别为倒数第二次冰期（MIS 6）,年代为（192±51）~（207±45）ka;末次冰期中期（MIS 3）,年代为（55±8）~（54±9）ka;末次冰盛期（MIS 2）,年代为（25±1）~（38±6）ka,以及全新世新冰期/小冰期（MIS 1）.     

现代珠江三角洲地区QZK4孔第四纪沉积年代

在地质环境变迁迅速的现代珠江三角洲地区,对于第四纪沉积的年代存在多种认识。结合南中国海的海平面变化记录,通过AMS14C和光释光测年发现,珠江三角洲腹地QZK4孔第四纪岩心底部最老年龄约为43.71ka BP。岩心记录的第四纪环境对南中国海海平面变化有着良好的响应:岩心下部陆相河流沉积和暴露风化层发育于末次冰期至早全新世的低海平面时期,上部滨海—河口湾沉积发育于早中全新世以来的高海平面时期。根据钻孔岩心的环境分析,推测现代珠江三角洲地区第四纪的底界可能较本钻孔记录的更老。     

Isotopic Stratification and Its Implications in Groundwater of Northern China

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＭａｎｙｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｆｇｌｏｂａｌｃｈａｎｇｅｓｓｈｏｗｔｈａｔｔｈｅｈｙｄｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｃｙｃｌｅｏｆａｃｏｎｔｉｎｅｎｔａｌｓｃａｌｅｃａｎｂｅｒｅｌａｔｅｄｔｏｃｌｉｍａｔｉｃｃｈａｎｇｅｓ(Ａｎｄｅｒｓｏｎｅｔａｌ.,2 0 0 1;ＫａｒｅｎａｎｄＤａｒａ,2 0 0 1;ＭｉｃｈａｅｌａｎｄＭｉｃｈａｅｌ,1999;Ｈｕｇｏｅｔａｌ.,1996 ;Ｌａｒｒｙｅｔａｌ.,1996 ) .Ｃｕｒ ｒｅｎｔｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｐａｔｔｅｒｎｓｏｆｄｅｕｔｅｒｉｕｍａｎｄｏｘｙｇｅｎ 18ｃｏｎｃｅｎ …     

世界自然遗产黄龙钙华景观的地质分析

四川省松潘县黄龙是世界自然遗产,以秀美的自然景色、巨型的钙华堆积闻名于世.黄龙所处的岷山地区位于喜马拉雅期是构造活动地区,更新世以来不断隆起,成为现代隆起高山区.在更新世,山岳冰川广布全区,进入全新世,区内发育现代冰川,因而留下了冰蚀地貌和大量冰积物.黄龙的钙华来源于大气降水下渗形成的喀斯特水,该地下水以断层泉方式转为地表迳流,在沿沟向下流动过程中形成了钙华堆积,正是这种不断变化的钙华堆积呈现出绚丽的钙华风貌.钙华的堆积地貌有钙华池、钙华滩和钙华瀑布,溶蚀地貌有钙华洞穴,其钙华景观至今仍是处于不断变化中.     

中国北方第四系地下水同位素分层及其指示意义

中国北方第四系地下水中的D, 18O, 3H和14C含量存在明显的分层现象, 这种现象与末次冰期以来的古气候变化有着较好的对应性, 反映了全新世和末次冰期气候条件的差别以及地下水不同的形成机制.深层地下水为晚更新世末次冰期时期形成, 其δ(D) 和δ(18O) 值与全新世补给形成的浅层地下水相比, 分别贫4× 10-3~ 16× 10-3和1× 10-3~ 2× 10-3, 说明末次冰期时期年均气温较低.古地下水中D和18O的大陆梯度与全新世以来地下水中的梯度基本相同, 说明在过去30000a来尽管气温发生变化, 但中国北方大陆的大气循环模式没有发生实质性的改变.地下水同位素分层现象反映了3种不同的补给机制及参与现代水循环程度.这些信息对大陆尺度上的水循环研究和地下水的可持续开发利用有着重要的意义.      

新疆塔县石头城一带中更新世冰碛物的发现及地质意义

笔者首次在塔县的老兵站、石头城和加油站等3处发现了古冰碛物,均呈残留冰碛台地分布,台地高程约为3 100m,表面可见大量正长岩漂砾。漂砾风化穴的主要类型为边墙形、蜂巢型和底穴型。在侵蚀切割该古冰碛物的砂砾层中,得到(62.07±2.44)ka的光释光年龄。同时与附近墓士塔格山和公格尔山古冰川的对比研究,表明该冰碛物时代可能为中更新世倒数第二次冰期,为塔县县城西侧斯顿古冰川向东冰进的产物。该冰碛物的发现具有重要的地质意义:可将斯顿山第四纪冰川遗迹划分为中更新世的倒数第二次冰期、晚更新世的末次冰期,以及全新世的新冰期和小冰期;进一步指示塔什库尔干断裂的左行走滑正断层性质;更新世,斯顿古冰川与墓士塔格冰川各自有明确的界线,不可能形成一个统一的冰盖。     

Quaternary climate,environment, and the human occupation of the south-central Andes

This paper reviews the paleoenvironmental context for Paleoindian and Early Archaic settlement of the south-central Andes. I attempt to reconcile proposals for late-glacial and early Holocene environmental changes that have originated in several Quaternary sciences. Most useful are the records of changing lake levels, geomorphological indicators of glacial advance and retreat, changes in vegetation as seen through pollen stratigraphy, the record of large mammal extinctions, and the archaeological settlement pattern itself. High lake stands in the central and south-central Andes, c. 12,500 to 11,000 B.P., seem to correspond to glacial retreat. Palynological studies also suggest higher temperatures, coincident with greater summer precipitation from 11,500 B.P. to perhaps 10,000 B.P., followed by some reduction in temperatures and then widespread aridity from about 8500 to 5000 B.P. Environmental change at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary was at least a major contributing factor to the extinction of horse and sloth around 10,000 B.P. Archaeology of the salt puna and Punta Negra region conforms well with the environmental record, showing human entry by the Early Archaic (11,000-8000 B.P.), subsequent depopulation and perhaps abandonment, then readaptation to more localized resources in the Late Archaic (5500-4000 B.P.).     

青藏高原唐古拉山口第四纪冰碛层划分及其地质环境意义

在对唐古拉山口现代冰川和古冰川考察研究的基础上，结合定位观测资料和TL、^10B-^26Al-^21Ne及^14C测年数据，对区内第四纪冰川遗迹进行了深入讨论，划分出二次冰期(即中更新世晚期的倒数第二次冰期、晚更新世中一晚期的末次冰期)和二次全新世冰进(即新冰期和小冰期)。提出在早更新世时，由于山体未达到当时冰川发育的雪线高度，所以未发育冰川。但在唐古拉山口地区，截止目前还未找到中更新世早期的倒数第三次冰期的冰川遗迹，由于高原隆升的滞后性和冰川发育的延滞效应及“亚洲干极”的耦合，推测仍只发育局部冰川作用。进一步研究表明，古今雪线由高原边缘向腹地升高，唐古拉山地区高出边缘1500m左右，生动表现了“亚洲干极”的作用；广泛分布的湖群说明羌塘地区是一个大江大河尚未伸入的内流地区，意味着青藏高原是个年青的高原。由于青藏高原的隆升，对高原腹地引起的干旱化过程和水分严重不足，使唐古拉山地区的冰川自倒数第二次冰期以来，冰川规模一次比一次明显地减小。     

The late Quaternary climate of coastal California: Evidence for an ice age refugium

The present Mediterranean climate of coastal California is unique in North America and reflects the interaction of several important synoptic controls, principally the North Pacific semipermanent anticyclone, and to a lesser extent the Aleutian low-pressure system and the cool California oceanic current. These synoptic climatic controls, key parts of the global air-sea circulation, were probably operative throughout late Quaternary time as shown by paleoecologic evidence. The thick accumulations of sediments in basins of offshore California indicate that while variable sedimentation regimes reflect changing climatic and oceanographic conditions, the Quaternary climate was probably semiarid as now, even during glacial maxima. Late Quaternary coastal dunes preserve former wind directions and show that prevailing late Quaternary winds were directionally equivalent to modern winds, which are controlled by the North Pacific anticyclone and by interactions between the North Pacific high and the interior basin low. These sand dunes contain buried, datable, carbonate-rich soils. Precipitation then, like the present rainfall regime, was not enough to leach the carbonates from the soils. Charcoal in buried dunes and soils shows that fire was environmentally important throughout the Quaternary, just as it is today. Fossil plants indicate that sclerophyllous vegetation and forest stands of conifers, adapted to a Mediterranean climate, were widely distributed during late Quaternary time. Fossil pollen in the Sierra Nevada indicates the influence of the North Pacific high. The historical precipitation record overlaps a late Holocene tree-ring record permitting extrapolation of the precipitation curve back nearly 600 years. Well-defined wet and dry trends in the precipitation pattern characterized this time span, and provide a possible analog to the earlier Holocene and Pleistocene precipitation regime. The paleoecologic record shows that the late Quaternary climate of coastal California was characterized by regimes similar to those prevailing today. The persistence of a Mediterranean climate in California during the last glaciation contrasts with dramatic climatic changes experienced in glaciated parts of North America. California thus was an Ice Age refugium for animals and cold-sensitive plants.     

Last Interglacial peopling of Siberia: the Middle Palaeolithic site Ust''-Izhul'', the upper Yenisei area

Multidisciplinary Quaternary investigations in the Minusinsk Basin in the upper Yenisei River region and other southern Siberian continental depressions have produced evidence of prehistoric peopling pre‐dating the last glacial stage (>100 ka BP). Abundant ‘pebble tools’ and bone artefacts exposed from eroded alluvia of the Yenisei River terraces indicate repeated occupation of this territory since the Middle Pleistocene. A new stage of expansion of the early human occupation habitat occurred around the last interglacial (OIS 5e) by a Middle Palaeolithic (Neanderthaloid?) population characterized by a core and flake stone industry and open‐air occupation sites. The key camp/kill‐processing site at Ust‘‐Izhul’, dated to c. 125 ka BP and documenting complex behavioural activities, is so far the most complete in situ pre‐Late Palaeolithic site found in Siberia. This unique record provides new insights into the timing and the palaeoenvironmental conditions of the Pleistocene colonization of north‐central Asia.     

南迦巴瓦峰西北坡末次冰期以来的冰川变化

本区自晚更新世以来的冰川变化可分为距今25000—10000年的末次冰期、距今3500—1000年的新冰期和距今400—200年的小冰期,冰川面积逐次减小,雪线上升,与气候变化具同步性。     

The last 30,000 years of faunal history within the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The vertebrate fauna of the last 30,000 radiocarbon years in the Grand Canyon is reviewed. Faunas accompanied with 92 ¹⁴C dates have been analyzed from nine cave sites (four systematically excavated) and 50 packrat middens. Reasonably precise chronological and environmental data of late Pleistocene and Holocene age were obtained through dung studies in Rampart, Muav, and Stanton's Caves; from the numerous packrat middens; and from a ringtail refuse deposit in Vulture Cave. The desert tortoise, 8 species of lizards, 12 species of snakes, 68 species of birds, and 33 species of mammals are identified. Extinct animals include the avian carrion feeder, Teratornis merriami, and the mammalian herbivores, Oreamnos harringtoni, Camelops cf. hesternus, Equus sp., and Nothrotheriops shastense. There is no apparent abrupt end to the late Pleistocene as observed in the Grand Canyon fossil faunal or floral record. Animal and plant taxa of the Grand Canyon responded individually to the changes in climate of the last 30,000 yr. Both animal and plant fossil assemblages indicate that a pre-full glacial, a full glacial, and a late glacial woodland community with many less dominant desert taxa were slowly replaced by a Holocene desert community. All woodland taxa were absent from the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon by 8500 yr B.P.     

对中国第四系中统划分方案的回顾与讨论

国内地层规范中规定第四系划分为两个统,即全新统和更新统,后者又分为下、中、上３个阶。这３个阶大部分第四纪地质工作者习惯称为下、中、上更新统。本文仍暂用此名。下、中更新统的界线一般以Ｂ／Ｍ为界,年龄为０．７８ＭａＢ．Ｐ,但从泥河湾组、午城组顶界看,可能要到１００～１．２０ＭａＢ．Ｐ．;中、上更新统界线,一般以０．１２８ＭａＢ,Ｐ为界,代表末次冰期的开始,但从黄土高原Ｓ１底界、萨拉乌苏组底界和小渡口组顶界看,其年龄为０．１２８ＭａＢ,Ｐ,或０．１４ＭａＢ Ｐ或０．２０ＭａＢ,Ｐ．;上更新统与全新统的界线,其年龄基本上集中在０．０１０～０．０１１ＭａＢ,Ｐ,代表冰期结束,温暖期开始。