Climatic change and human activities of northeastern sahara in Holocene

Chronology establishment and dating data analyses on lacustrine deposits in northeastern Sahara show that vast fresh lakes existed over there between 9900–2400 a B. P. Especially, great continuous lakes developed and got their maximum extent during the period from 9800 a B. P. to 6450 a B. P. From 6000 a B. P. to 3600 a B. P., the evolution of the lakes experienced a new stage with a property of drastic fluctuations and a periodicity of 600 years, which was the response to the climatic environment changes. On the aspect of the relation between natural environment and the human, the warm-humid period in the Holocene was not only a very important time for human development and evolution, but also was a moment for human reproduction and division. On the other hand, this warm-humid period was also a distinguished time to natural environment changes, the accumulation of the strong weathered debris and fine materials formed the basements for the formation of the Sahara Desert. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, German Research Foundation and Gansu Provincial Natural Science Foundation.     

Environmental evolution of Gongwang Mountains during Holocene in northeastern Yunnan, China

This paper presents the study on two continuous glacio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits, Laotanfang (3 597 m) and Shibantang (3 689 m) located on the southern and northern sides of Hulifang peak in Yunan, China. Environmental change indexes are constructed for each deposit, based on grain size, geochemical and pollen analysis, environmental magnetic susceptibility, and 14C dating. The study of climatic environmental change since the Holocene epoch in this region shows that the climate fluctuated at different stages during the early Holocene, that is, the climate was cool and wet during 8 4-7 7 ka, cold and wet during 7 7-6 5 ka, cold and dry during 6 5-4 7 ka, cool and wet during 4 7-2 1 ka, warm and wet during 2 1-1 0 ka, and warmer and wet since 1 ka. These findings reflect the overlapping influences of the southwest and southeast monsoons in different times during the Holocene in the north part of southwestern China are in accord with other Holocene climate change models in this part of China.     

Environmental evolution of Gongwang Mountains during Holocene in northeastern Yunnan, China

This paper presents the study on two continuous glacio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits, Laotanfang （3 597 m） and Shibantang （3 689 m） located on the southern and northern sides of Hulifang peak in Yunan, China. Environmental change indexes are constructed for each deposit, based on grain size, geochemical and pollen analysis, environmental magnetic susceptibility, and 14C dating. The study of climatic environmental change since the Holocene epoch in this region shows that the climate fluctuated at different stages during the early Holocene, that is, the climate was cool and wet during 8.4-7. 7r ka, cold and wet during 7.7-6. 5 ka, cold and dry during 6. 5-4.7 ka, cool and wet during 4.7-2. 1 ka, warm and wet during 2. 1-1.0 ka, and warmer and wet since 1 ka. These findings reflect the overlapping influences of the southwest and southeast monsoons in different times during the Holocene in the north part of southwestern China are in accord with other Holocene climate change models in this part of China.     

Abrupt climate changes of Holocene

This paper is a review of studies of abrupt climate changes(ACCs) during the Holocene published during the past ten years.North Atlantic cold events are indicators of ACCs.As indicated by North Atlantic ice-rafted debris(IRD),there were nine confirmed cold events during the Holocene,occurring at 11.1 kyr,10.3 kyr,9.4 kyr,8.1 kyr,5.9 kyr,4.2 kyr,2.8 kyr,1.4 kyr,and 0.4 kyr respectively according to most representative results from Bond et al.(1997).However,the identification of chronology has been made with some uncertainties.Considerable climatic proxy data have shown that,during the cold events,substantial climate abnormalities have occurred widely across the globe,particularly in the areas surrounding the North Atlantic.These abnormalities were in the form of high-latitude cold in the both hemispheres,expansion of the Westerlies to low latitudes,drought in the monsoon regions,recession of summer monsoons,and intensification of the winter monsoons.Studies have indicated that the four ACCs occurring in the early Holocene may be related to freshwater pulses from ice melting in the northern part of the North Atlantic,and the other five ACCs that occurred during the middle and late Holocene may be related to the decreased solar activity.     

Holocene climate cycles in northwest margin of Asian monsoon

In the mid-latitude regions of the Asian continent,Zhuye Lake is located in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon,where the modern climate is affected by the Asian monsoon and Westerlies.In this study,we investigated the absolutely dated Holocene records in Zhuye Lake for detecting the Holocene climate cycles.Totally,14 14 C dates and 6 optically simulated luminescence(OSL) dates are obtained from the QTH01 and QTH02 sections.The proxies of grain-size,total organic carbon content(TOC),C/N and δ 13 C are used for wavelet analysis,and the results show obvious ~256,~512 and ~1024-year climate cycles,which are consistent with the Holocene millennial and centennial scale climate cycles in the typical Asian summer monsoon domain.In different parts of the Zhuye Lake,the Holocene sediments show variable climate cycles that are affected by the lake basin topography.In the Zhuye Lake,the Holocene climate cycles are mainly correlated with the solar-related Asian summer monsoon variability and the North Atlantic ice-rafting events.     

Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene vegetation and climatic change of Tibetan Plateau

A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine evergreen sclerophyllous forest in the southeastern part of the plateau; from alpine steppe to alpine desert in the central, western and northern part; and from alpine meadow to alpine steppe in the eastern and southern plateau regions during the Holocene. These records show that increases in precipitation began about 9 ka from the southeast, and a wide ranging level of increased humidity developed over the entire of the plateau around 8-7 ka, followed by aridity from 6 ka and a continuous drying over the plateau after 4-3 ka. The changes in Holocene climates of the plateau can be interpreted qualitatively as a response to orbital forcing and its secondary effects on the Indian Monsoon which expanded northwards     

Holocene environmental change according to lake core in Fildes Peninsula of King George Island,Antarctica

Lake core sampled from Xihu in Fildes Peninsula of King Gorge Island, Antarctica could reveal the environmental change of the district. The lake core( GA7) , 9.28 meters long , was sectioned at an interval of 2 cm. Through measuring the organic carbon, magnetic susceptibility, granularity and organic carbon isotope of GA7, by use of 14C age it was estimated that there were four periods of high temperature in Fildes Peninsula; 4800-4400 aB. P. , 3600-3350 aB. P. ,2100 - 1800 aB. P. and 900 aB. P. - present. Meanwhile, results showed that there was a strikingly positive correlation between the content of organic carbon and that of organic carbon isotope (δC01213 ) which could be the substitute indicators of environmental temperature.     

陕西榆林风沙滩区全新世气候和环境变迁

榆林长城沿线处于环境变化敏感带,其风沙滩区沉积剖面的磁化率和粒度分析结果显示,该区全新世早期11 500~10 000 a BP随着全球气候的逐渐转暖,磁化率、黏粒和粉沙含量逐渐增高;全新世中期的10 000~4 500 a BP气候相对比较湿润,植被覆盖度增大,风沙活动减弱,地表沉积物当中粉沙和黏土成分含量显著增大,风化成壤作用增强,地表发育沙质弱古土壤;全新世中期后段的4 500~3 000 a BP期间,气候以比较温和湿润为主,但在4 200~4 000 a BP出现一个气候干旱事件,风沙活动强烈;近3 000 a以来,气候显著干旱化,波动频繁,地表风沙沉积物显著变粗,表现出有5次沙漠扩张。该区生态环境演化、人文历史变迁基本上是自然因素与人为活动综合作用的结果,以自然演化为主,近代人为因素对环境变化起着加强和放大作用。     

Holocene abrupt climate shifts and mid-Holocene drought intervals recorded in Barkol Lake of Northern Xinjiang of China

Study results in this paper have indicated that the Holocene climate in Xinjiang, Northwestem China has been alternating between wet and dry conditions, and was punctuated with a series of abrupt climate shifts. A sediment core taken from Barkol Lake in the northern Xinjiang of Northwest China was analyzed at 1 cm interval for grain-size distribution. Abrupt climate shifts revealed by the grain-size proxy occurred at ca 1.4, 3.0, 4.3, 5.6, 8.0 cal kyr B.E, which were well correlated to both the abrupt shifts recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean （NAO） and the Holocene sea surface temperature （SST） cooling events in the Arabian Ocean. The correlation indicated that the climatic changes in the extreme arid Northwest China were associated with the NAO, probably via the North Atlantic Oscillation-affected westerly winds. The strength and position of westerly winds probably modulated the Siberian-Mongolian high- pressure system （winter monsoon）, and played an important role in climate change of Northwest China. Moreover, an evident drought interval during the middle Holocene was also revealed by grain-size proxy.     

Soil degradation and food security coupled with global climate change in northeastern China

The northeastern China is an important commodity grain region in China,as well as a notable corn belt and major soybean producing area.It thus plays a significant role in the national food security system.However,large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices give rise to soil degradation in the region.This study analyzed the food security issues coupled with global climate change in the northeastern China during 1980–2000,which is the period of modern agriculture.The results of statistical data show that the arable land area shrank markedly in 1992,and then increased slowly,while food production generally continually increased.The stable grain yield was due to the increase of applied fertilizer and irrigated areas.Soil degradation in the northeastern China includes severe soil erosion,reduced soil nutrients,a thinner black soil layer,and deterioration of soil physical properties.The sustainable development of the northeastern China is influenced by natural-artificial binary disturbance factors which consist of meteorological conditions,climate changes,and terrain factors as well as soil physical and chemical properties.Interactions between the increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation in the region led to reduced accumulation of soil organic matter,which results in poor soil fertility.Human-induced factors,such as large-scale land reclamation and non-optimum farming practices,unsuitable cultivation systems,dredging,road building,illegal land occupation,and extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides,have led to increasingly severe soil erosion and destruction.Solutions to several problems of soil degradation in this region requiring urgent settlement are proposed.A need for clear and systematic recognition and recording of land use changes,land degradation,food production and climate change conditions is suggested,which would provide a reference for food security studies in the northeastern China.     

Millennial-centennial scales climate changes of Holocene indicated by magnetic susceptibility of high-resolution section in Salawusu River valley,China

The upmost segment(Holocene series)of the Milanggouwan stratigraphic section(MGS1)in the Salawusu River valley shows 11 sedimentary cycles of dune sands and fluvio-lacustrine facies,or dune sands and paleosols.The analysis of the magnetic susceptibility of this segment suggests that there are 11 magnetic susceptibility cycles with the value alternating from low to high,in which the layers of the dune sands correspond to the lower value of the magnetic susceptibility and the layers of fluvio-lacustrine facies and paleosols correspond to the higher peaks.The study reveals that the low and high magnetic susceptibility values indicate the climate dominated by cold-arid winter monsoon and warm-humid summer monsoon of East Asia,respectively,and the study area has experienced at least 22 times of mil-lennial-centennial scales climate alternation from the cold-arid to the warm-humid during the Holocene.In terms of the time and the climate nature,the variations basically correspond to those of the North Atlantic and some records of cold-warm changes in China as well.They might be caused by the alternation of winter and summer monsoons in the Mu Us Desert induced by global climate fluctuations in the Holocene.     

Simulating net carbon budget of forest ecosystems and its response to climate change in northeastern China using improved FORCCHN

As dominant biomes,forests play an important and indispensable role in adjusting the global carbon balance under climate change.Therefore,there are scientific and political implications in investigating the carbon budget of forest ecosystems and its response to climate change.Here we synthesized the most recent research progresses on the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems,and applied an individual-based forest ecosystem carbon budget model for China(FORCCHN) to simulate the dynamics of the carbon fluxes of forest ecosystems in the northeastern China.The FORCCHN model was further improved and applied through adding variables and modules of precipitation(rainfall and snowfall) interception by tree crown,understory plants and litter.The results showed that the optimized FORCCHN model had a good performance in simulating the carbon budget of forest ecosystems in the northeastern China.From 1981 to 2002,the forests played a positive role in absorbing carbon dioxide.However,the capability of forest carbon sequestration had been gradually declining during the the same period.As for the average spatial distri-bution of net carbon budget,a majority of the regions were carbon sinks.Several scattered areas in the Heilongjiang Province and the Liaoning Province were identified as carbon sources.The net carbon budget was apparently more sensitive to an increase of air temperature than change of precipitation.     

The anisotropy of loess magnetic susceptibility in the northeastern fringe of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau as an indicator of palaeowind direction

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鲁东地区旭口组与近浅海全新世沉积地层特征

山东省近浅海全新世沉积与旭口组的地层结构、纵横向变化、沉积环境是相同或相似的沉积环境中形成的相似岩石组合.旭口组的含义应扩大到浅海,全新世以来在浅海附近,海水动力作用形成的潮流砂体、潮滩、河口、砂坝、砂堤、浅滩砂等海积砂体,夹有少量砾石和淤泥层,时代定为全新世.     

潍北平原地区全新世以来的海侵与海岸线变迁

末次冰期后,在全新世大暖期及区域沉降的影响下,渤海湾沿岸普遍发育海侵现象,位于莱州湾南岸的潍北平原区在经历全新世最大海泛面后,海水退却过程中留下了数条古海岸线,形成了多处贝壳堤、牡蛎礁等海岸带遗迹.研究区内新发现常家村、后柳家2处牡蛎礁,其14C年龄分别为(5130±30)a B.P.和(6030±30)a B.P.;...     

Land use changes in Northeast China driven by human activities and climatic variation

Human-induced land use/cover change (LUCC) forms an important component of global environmental change. Therefore, it is important to study land use/cover and its change at local, regional and global scales. In this paper we conducted the study of land use change in Northeast China, one of the most important agricultural zones of the nation. From 1986 to 2000, according to the study results obtained from Landsat images, widespread changes in land use/cover took place in the study area. Grassland, marsh, water body and woodland decreased by 9864, 3973, 1367 and 10,052km², respectively. By comparison, paddy field, dry farmland, and built-up land expanded by 7339, 17193 and 700km², respectively. Those changes bore an interactive relationship with the environment, especially climate change. On the one hand, climate warming created a potential environment for grassland and marsh to be changed to farmland as more crops could thrive in the warmer climate, and for dry farmland to paddy field. On the other hand, the changed surface cover modified the local climate. Those changes, in turn, have adversely influenced the local environment by accelerating land degradation. In terms of socio-economic driving forces, population augment, regional economic development, and national and provincial policies were confirmed as main driving factors for land use change. Foundation item: Under the auspices of the Knowledge Innovation Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-341), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40871187, 40801208)     

鲁西南平原区第四纪全新世地层划分

鲁西南平原区第四纪全新世地层自下而上划分为5个组：下部为黑土湖组,中部为同期异相的巨野组、单县组、鱼台组,上部为黄河组。熏土湖组为全新世早-中期湖沼相沉积的灰-灰黑色粘土类粉砂质粘土,含大量淡水螺蚌介壳;巨野组为全新世黄河早期沉积,由褐黄色粉砂夹棕红色粘土组成;单县组为黄河古决口扇、古河道沉积,岩性主要为细砂、粉砂;鱼台组为黄河古决口扇前缘洼地沉积,岩性为-套棕红色粘土,局部夹粉砂土。黄河组为黄河现代河床及河漫滩沉积,由灰黄色粉砂土、粘质砂土夹粘土层及砂土组成。     

Middle Holocene warm period and sea level high in coastal areas,North China

Relevant geological, geographical, archaeological data were collected to study the characteristics of middle Holocene warm period and sea level high on North China coast. Middle Holocene climate and sea level change on North China coast were correlated to warm marine environment events in about 8-3 ka B.E The sea level in about 8 ka B.E was higher than present mean sea level, then fluctuated for 5 000 years and after that it became even in 3 ka B.E The highest sea level occurred in about 6-5 ka B.E; the maximum was about 2-3 m and minimum was about 1-2 m.     

沂沭断裂带北段全新世活动断层的发现及其意义

沂沭断裂带是一条至今仍在活动的大型活动断层,也是中国东部最大的地震活动带。潍坊北部开展了1∶5万区域地质调查,在于家山下及田庄一带新发现了2条全新世断层,对其分布、产状、运动性质、活动时间及其与浅层地震的关系进行了研究。结果表明,全新世断层多为拉张作用下形成的正断层,具有与基岩区断裂相一致的特征,认为其与沂沭断裂带主干断裂安丘-莒县断裂和鄌郚-葛沟断裂有明显的继承性或派生性关系。同时,依据断层切割了晚更新世大站组、全新世黑土湖组及白云湖组,又被人工堆积物所覆盖,判断断层形成时间距今2.1 Ka,并且与地震活动有很好的相关性。沂沭断裂带北段全新世断层的发现,对莱州湾南岸的新构造运动研究和地震危险性评价有重要意义。     

天水谢家湾全新世环境变迁及人地关系演化

在野外详细观测的基础上，对天水谢家湾全新世黄土剖面以2cm为间距进行了连续采样，并对所有样品作了磁化率和粒度分析，结果综合反映出研究区自全新世以来，经历了早期升温、中期基本暖湿、晚期趋于干冷的气候环境演化阶段，其中全新世中期在总体温湿的大背景下，存在频繁的气候波动。以此为基础，结合对渭河文化的历史研究资料，探讨了区内约1万年以来的人地关系演化历史，指出人地关系的和谐与统一，对人类社会发展具有重要意义。