Grain-size characteristics of sediments formed since 8600 yr B.P. in middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and their paleoenvironmental significance

Widespread aeolian sediments have been found in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China. The grain-size characteristics of sediments from Cha'er Section in the area were analyzed. The results show that the section include one stratum of paleo-mobile dunes, four strata of paleo-semi-fixed dunes, two strata of paleo-fixed dunes, one stratum of sandy immature soils. The paleo-mobile and paleo-somi-fixed dune sand in this section are similar to modern aeolian sand in either grain-size composition or Mz and σ distribution. Compared the above types of dunes each other, the content of sand substance decreases, while the content of silt and clay increases for palco-fixed dunes and sandy immature soils. Combined with age data for each stratum, the analysis shows that these strata are the products of climate changes and the evolution of aeolian landforms. The evolutionary sequence of the paleoclimate and of acolian activities in the valley since 8600 yr B.P. reveals four stages: 8600-5700 yr B.P., when the paleoclimate was cold and dry, with strong winds, thereby activating dunes; 5700-3600 yr B.P., when it was warm and wet, with weak winds, causing dunes to undergo soil-forming processes; 3600-1900 yr B.P., when climate shifted from cold-dry with strong winds to warm-wet with weak winds, and activated dunes were fixed again; and 1900 yr B.P. -present, when the climate became fine, with weak winds, fixing dunes again.     

Sedimentary Characteristics of the Second Marine Layer During the Late Marine Isotope Stage 3 in Southern Yellow Sea and Their Response to the East Asian Monsoon

We use the particle size of sediments in core YS01 A to study the sedimentary environment of the mud deposit in the central South Yellow Sea of China during late Marine Isotope Stages 3(MIS3;40.5 kyr–31.3 kyr).In addition,the East Asian Monsoon and its relationship with the North Atlantic Ocean climate change are discussed based on the sensitive grain-size calculation and the spectrum analysis.The results show that during late MIS3,the muddy area in the central South Yellow Sea experienced the evolution of coastal facies,shallow marine facies,coastal facies,and continental facies,with weak hydrodynamic conditions.Compared with other climate indicators,we found that there were many century to millennium-scale climate signals documented in the muddy area sediments in the central South Yellow Sea.According to our particle size results,three strong winter monsoon events occurred at 37.6 kyr,35.6 kyr and 32.2 kyr.The East Asian Winter Monsoon records in core YS01 A are consistent with the Greenland ice core and the Hulu cave stalagmite δ~(18)O.The millennial and centennial scale cycles,which are 55 yr,72 yr,115 yr,262 yr respectively,correspond to solar activity cycles,while the 1049 yr and 2941 yr cycles correspond to the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles.These cycles indicate that the paleoclimate evolution of the area was controlled by the solar activities,with the high-latitude driving thermohaline circulation as the main energy conveyor belt,followed by the sea-air-land amplification of the winter monsoon variation in the central Yellow Sea in the late MIS3.     

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.     

CSCO_3 CYCLES IN SALAWUSU RIVER BASINSINCE 150KA B.P.

About 70years ago，Frenc卜卜alaeohdoglst回LL sc卜dars al卜ome and a卜road卜ave successively con－HARD de Chardin P．et al．Initiated the Quaternary ducted large amount ofwork on the Later Quaternarygeologlcal research In the ＞alawusu River Basin of strata（TEILHARD，1924； YUAN，1978； LI，1987；desert region of Northern China and established th，ZHENG，1989； SUN et al，1996； LI et al，1993），Salawusu Formation门EILHARD，1924）．Sine，then，palaeobiology…     

Stratigraphy of late Quaternary deposits in the mid-western North Yellow Sea

The North Yellow Sea(NYS) is characterized by strong land-sea interaction and paleoenvironmental changes with sea-level fluctuations during the late Quaternary. However, large-time scale depositional stratigraphy in this area and its relationship with sea-level changes remain unresolved. Highresolution seismic profiles from NYS were subdivided into eleven seismic units(U1 to U11 in descending order). A 70.6-m-long borehole(DLC70-2) from localities on seismic profiles, analyzed for lithology, microfossil assemblages and geochronology, comprises eleven sedimentary units(D1 to D11 in descending order), which were clearly correlated with the eleven seismic units. These units constitute four distinctive sequences(SQ1 to SQ4 from top to bottom) bounded by three sequence boundaries(S3, S5 and S10) with obvious depositional hiatus, correlated with sea-level lowstands of MIS2, MIS4 and MIS6, respectively. The lowermost SQ4 below S10, has been identified only upper part of transgressive systems tract(TST)(D11, tidal flat facies in early MIS6). SQ3 overlying S10 consists of a set of lowstand systems tracts(LST)(D10, fluvial to incised-channel filling facies in late MIS6), TST and highstand systems tracts(HST)(D9 to D6, interactive deposits of neritic and littoral facies in MIS5 and early MIS4). SQ2 above S5 is composed of LST(D5, channel-filling facies in late MIS4) and TST(D4, littoral to estuary facies in early-middle MIS3), but lack of HST resulting from subaerial exposure and channel incising during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM). The uppermost SQ1 overlying S3 comprises LST(D3, channel-filling to flooding plain or marsh facies in MIS2), Holocene TST(D2, littoral and tidal sand ridge facies) and HST(D1, neritic facies). The unusual depositional stratigraphy was largely dominated by sea-level fluctuations and the Bohai Strait topography. This study confirms that TSTs are relative continuous and widely distributed, while LSTs vary considerably in thickness and lateral extent since MIS6 in NYS.     

Characteristics of Sand Dune Pattern and Fluvial-aeolian Interaction in Horqin Sandy Land,Northeast Plain of China

The interaction between fluvial and aeolian processes can significantly change surface morphology of the Earth. Taking the Horqin Sandy Land as the research area and using Landsat series satellite remote sensing images, this study utilizes geomorphology and landscape ecology to monitor and analyze the aeolian geomorphology characteristics of the Horqin Sandy Land. Results show that the sand dunes of the Horqin Sandy Land are mainly distributed on alluvial plains along the banks of the mainstream and tributaries of the Western Liao River, and the sand dune types tend to simplify from west to east and from south to north. The aeolian geomorphology coverage tend to be decreasing in the past 40 years, with an average annual change rate of 0.31%. While the area of traveling dunes decreased, the area of fixed and semi-fixed dunes increased. The fractal dimensions of various types of sand dune have all remained relatively constant between 1.07 and 1.10, suggesting that they are experiencing a relatively stable evolutionary process. There is a complex interaction between fluvial and aeolian processes of the Horqin Sandy Land, which plays a central role in surface landscape molding. Sand dunes on both sides of different rivers on the Horqin Sandy Land present certain regularity and different characteristics in terms of morphology, developmental scale, and spatial pattern. There are six fluvial-aeolian interaction modes in this area: supply of sand sources by rivers for sand dune development, complete obstruction of dune migration by rivers, partial obstruction of dune migration by rivers, influence of river valleys on dune developmental types on both sides, influence of river valleys on dune developmental scale on both sides, and river diversion due to obstruction and forcing by sand dunes. This study deepens our understanding of the surface process mechanism of the interaction between fluvial and aeolian processes in semi-arid regions, and provides a basis for researches on regional landscape responses in the context of global environmental change.     

ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION OF ORDOS DESERT IN CHINA SINCE 1.1MA B. P. AS INDICATED BY YULIN STRATIGRAPHICAL SECTION AND ITS GRAIN-SIZE ANALYSIS RESULTS

1INTRODUCTIONOrdosDesertisageneral appellationof Qubqi Desert onthe north, Hedong Sandy Landonthesouthwest and MuUs Desert on the southeast (Fig. 1). It is situated on atransitional zone from arid desert steppe to semi-aridsteppe between ariddesertinNorth…     

Stratigraphic Sequence and Sedimentary Systems in the Middle-Southern Continental Slope of the East China Sea from Seismic Reflection Data: Exploration Prospects of Gas Hydrate

Many evidences for gas hydrate bearing sediments had been found in the continental slope of the East China Sea, such as bottom simulating reflections(BSRs), undersea gas springs, pyrite associated with methane leakage, mud diapirs/mud volcanos, bottom-water methane anomalies and so on. In this study, six key stratigraphic interfaces including T_0(seafloor), T_1(LGM, 23 kyr B.P.), T_2(2.58 Myr), T_3(5.33 Myr), T_4(11.02 Myr) and T_5(16.12 Myr) were identified, and then five third-order sequences of SQIII1 to SQIII5 were divided. However, T5 in southern continental slope is not found, which shows that the middle-northern Okinawa Trough had begun to rift in the early Miocene, earlier than the southern segment. Four system tracts including lowstand systems tract(LST), transgressive systems tract(TST), highstand systems tract(HST) and falling stage systems tract(FSST) are further divided. The marine erosion interface of 11.02 Myr and regressive unconformity interface of 23 kyr B.P. indicate two large-scale sea level drop events in the research area. Seven typical seismic facies identified in the continental slope are continental shelf-edge deltas, littoral fluvial-delta plains, incised channels or submarine canyons, slope fans, submarine fans or coastal sandbars, littoral-neritic finegrained sediments, mud volcanos and some other geological bodies respectively. The minimum water depth for hydrate occurrence in the Okinawa Trough is 630 m, and the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone in continental slope is between 0 and 590 m. The calculated bottom boundary of hydrate stability zone is slightly deeper than BSRs on the seismic sections. The re-depositional turbidite sand bodies, such as canyon channels, slope fans and submarine fans developed in Quaternary strata, are the predominant hydrate reservoirs. According to developing process, the dynamic accumulation of hydrate systems can be divided into three evolutionary stages including canyon erosion and hydrate stability zone migration stage, sediments destabilizing and methane leakage stage, and channel filling and hydrate re-occurrence stage.     

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。     

The grain-size characteristics of Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping in Jilin province, China

This research paper analyses the grain-size characteristics of the Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping, Jilin province in China by employing graphic measures to study the grain size distribution and its mode of transport and deposition. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan lie unconformable on Cretaceous rocks made of siltstone, mudstone and sandstone. The average grain size is between 8.06 to 8.55Φ (0.002 6 ～0.003 7 mm). The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan mainly compose of very fine silt to clay. The compositions of the grade are clay 63% and silt 37%. The clay size components are weathered debris transported and deposited by flowing water from the SE highlands or hills to the low lying NW Xingshan plains whereas the silty components accumulated by aoelian process. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan accumulated in the middle and late Pleistocene interglacial periods from (459.12～39.03) ka to (88.92～7.56) ka. The standard deviation ranged from 0.96 to 1.36Φ, indicating that the sediments are moderately to poorly sorted, Coefficient of skewness ranged from 0.16～0.31 with an average skewness of 0.218, (Positively skewed towards fine). Kurtosis values (0.84～1.05) from the grain size distribution and visual inspection of the frequency curves indicate platykurtic to mesokurtic curves and unimodal to bimodal grain-size distribution. The type of deposit formation is sand dune and the source is at a distal from its provenance.     

Grain-size characteristics of sediment in Daniugou peatland in Changbai Mountains,Northeast China: Implications for atmospheric dust deposition

The grain-size distribution characteristics and grain-size parameters of sediment in two vertical sections of Daniugou peatland in the Changbai Mountains were systematically investigated. A comparative analysis of the sediment granularity using a discriminative function with Hongyuan peat, red clay, loess-paleosol, fluvial deposit as well as lacustrine deposit was also conducted. It turns out that the vertical section of Daniugou peat ash is primarily constituted by clay and silt particles, and the content of sand is relatively small. Grain-size frequency curves generally show a single-peak modality while a bimodal pattern is detected in the upper layer. The grain-size component and peak pattern of grain-size frequency curves also illustrate that peat ash materials were transported to the peatland by long-range aeolian dust during the deposition process, while there existed short-distance dust influence in peat deposition of the upper layer. Comparisons of grain-size parameters and the discriminative Y-value of Daniugou peat ash with those of typical aeolian sediments show close similarities, suggesting the possibility that atmospheric dust transport processes were involved in the accumulation of peat again. Moreover, the variations of grain-size distribution suggest the local environmental deterioration which is just the driving force of local dust elevation. Grain-size analysis of peatland sediment is demonstrated to be one effective method to extract information about regional and global environmental evolution, and more attention should be paid to current local ecological environment and to seeking a balance between economic development and environmental protection in Northeast China.     

鄂尔多斯盆地中部上古生界沉积相演化

利用钻井资料和地质资料对鄂尔多斯盆地上古生界沉积相演化进行详细的研究。分析了本溪期（海侵）、太原期（海侵扩大）、山西期（海退）、石盒子期（海陆交互）和石千峰期（陆缘湖泊）等5个时期的古地理环境、岩石类型、沉积相类型和平面展布特征。得出这5个时期在盆地内构成了一个海侵海退旋回，形成了从滨浅海相到海陆过渡的三角洲相、河流湖泊相陆源沉积。控制生成了三角洲相分流河道砂砾岩、水下分流河道砂砾岩以及潮坪相砂坝等有利储集岩带，潮坪相发育的煤系地层为烃源岩。上石盒子组洪泛平原形成泥质岩盖层。生油岩和储集岩叠置或互侧式组合关系，形成本区受砂体分布控制的岩性气藏。     

四川盆地公山庙油田大安寨段湖相灰岩-页岩裂缝特征与测井识别

四川盆地公山庙油田大安寨段同时发育湖相灰岩和页岩储层，裂缝是否发育成为大安寨段储层形成的关键。首先基于岩心观察、CT扫描、扫描电镜等分析了灰岩和页岩的裂缝特征，然后在分析沉积相、矿物含量、w(TOC)、断层对裂缝发育影响的基础上，建立了湖相灰岩和页岩裂缝的识别图版。结果表明:①大安寨段湖相灰岩主要发育构造缝与层间缝，湖相页岩主要发育成岩页理缝，两者裂缝产状均以水平和低角度为主；②湖相灰岩中，大三亚段和大一亚段的厚层灰岩、厚层灰岩夹单一薄页岩条带、厚层灰岩夹多个薄页岩条带, 这3种岩性组合最容易发育裂缝；湖相页岩中，大二a段的薄页岩与薄灰岩互层裂缝发育程度最高；③湖相灰岩裂缝识别优先采用ΔGR~ΔlogRT交会图，湖相页岩裂缝依据声波值增大和深浅双侧向电阻率“负差异”现象来识别。研究结果可为湖相灰岩-页岩裂缝评价提供思路与参考。      

Late Pleistocene aeolian activity in Haitan Island,Southeast China: Insights from optically stimulated luminescence dating of coastal dunes on marine terraces

The 'Old Red Sand' is a type of semicemented medium-fine sandy sediment that is red (10R4/8) or brown red (2.5YR4/8) in colour and is found in late Quaternary deposits. The sediments have distinctive characteristics and are a critical archive for understanding climatic changes in the coastal areas of East Asia. The ages of the late Quaternary aeolian sand dunes from Haitan Island in the coastal area of South China are still in debate. In this study, three sets of marine terraces were identified in the northern region of Haitan Island. Aeolian dune sands are well preserved on the top of these terraces. Quartz Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating and the distribution of the formation ages demonstrated that the palaeo-dunes are deposits from the middle-late period of the Late Pleistocene (Q ₃ ^2-3 ). The period may be divided into three stages, 100–90 ka, 70–60 ka, and 40–20 ka, in which the palaeo-dunes of the first two stages are more widespread and were formed separately during a low-sea level period of the Marine Isotope Stages 5b and 4. Several depositional palaeo-flood event records were preserved during the last stage due to the increasing gradient of mountain gullies formed during the Last Glacial Maximum.     

A new high-resolution Late Glacial-Holocene climatic record from eastern Nanling Mountains in South China

A 350-cm-long sediment core sequence from Dahu Swamp situated in the eastern Nanling Mountains was selected for high-resolution paleoclimatic reconstruction since the Late Glacial period. The multi-proxy records of this paper reveal several evidently dry and cold events that may coincide with the Oldest Dryas, the Older Dryas, the Younger Dryas in the late deglacial period. Two relatively wetter and warmer phases occurred in ca. 15,000–14,400 cal yr B.P. and 13,500–12,800 cal yr B.P. respectively may correspond to the Bølling and Allerød warming events. The Younger Dryas event (ca. 12,800–11,500 cal yr B.P.) revealed by multi-proxies was characterized by relatively colder and drier climate. A warmer and wetter climate, occurred in ca. 10,000–6000 cal yr B.P., was consistent with the Holocene Optimum, which coincided with the maximum Northern Hemisphere insolation. The “8.2kyr cool event” and even the “8.8kyr cool event” were indicated as well from our sediment core. A dry mid-Holocene period (ca. 6000–3000 cal yr B.P.) indicated by multi-proxies does not follow the traditional concept of the wet mid-Holocene conditions observed in other regions in China.     

PALEOSOLS OF SANDY LANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE WESTERN PART OF NORTHEAST PLAIN OF CHINA WESTERN DURING HOLOCENE

ＰＡＬＥＯＳＯＬＳＯＦＳＡＮＤＹＬＡＮＤＳＡＮＤＥＮＶＩＲＯＮＭＥＮＴＡＬＣＨＡＮＧＥＳＩＮＴＨＥＷＥＳＴＥＲＮＰＡＲＴＯＦＮＯＲＴＨＥＡＳＴＰＬＡＩＮＯＦＣＨＩＮＡＷＥＳＴＥＲＮＤＵＲＩＮＧＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥ￥ＱｉｕＳｈａｎｗｅｎ（裘善文）ＬｉＱｕｓ...     

THE HOLOCENE SEDIMENTAL CHARACTERISTIC AND PALEOCLIMATIC EVOLUTION OF EBINUR LAKE，XINJIANG

ＴＨＥＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＩＳＴＩＣＡＮＤＰＡＬＥＯＣＬＩＭＡＴＩＣＥＶＯＬＵＴＩＯＮＯＦＥＢＩＮＵＲＬＡＫＥ，ＸＩＮＪＩＡＮＧ吴敬禄，王苏民，吴艳宏ＴＨＥＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＩＳＴ...     

Research Progress of Seafloor Pockmarks in Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Classification

Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and climate changes,here we summarize the research results of pockmarks in the spatio-temporal distributions and shaping factors.Most of pockmarks occur along active or passive continental margins during the last 25 kyr B.P..Circular and ellipse are the most common forms of pockmarks,whereas pockmarks in a special crescent or elongated shape are indicators of slope instabilities,and ring-shape pockmarks are endemic to the gas hydrate zones.Further researches should be focused on the trigger mechanism of climate changes based on the pockmarks in the high latitudes formed during the deglaciation periods,and the role of gas hydrates in the seafloor evolution should be elucidated.In addition,the feature of pockmarks at their early stage(e.g.,developing gas chimneys and gas driving sedimentary doming)and the relations between pockmarks and mass movements,mud diapirs could be further studied to clarify the influences of rapid methane release from submarine sediments on the atmospheric carbon contents.     

Marine Ingressive Events Recorded in Epicontinental Sequences: Example from the Cretaceous Songliao Basin of NE China in Comparison with the Triassic Central Europe Basin of SW Germany

1　ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＳｏｎｇｌｉａｏＢａｓｉｎｈａｓｂｅｅｎｂｅｉｎｇｔｈｅｌａｒｇｅｓｔｏｉｌａｎｄｇａｓｐｒｏｄｕｃｉｎｇｂａｓｉｎｏｆＣｈｉｎａｕｐｔｏｎｏｗ .Ｔｈｅｐｒｅｓｅｎｔｒｅｍｎａｎｔａｒｅａｏｆｔｈｅｂａｓｉｎｉｓａｂｏｕｔ 2 6 0     

Paleomagnetic Excursions Recorded in the Yanchi Playa in Middle Hexi Corridor, NW China Since the Last Interglacial

Paleomagnetic determinations on lithologieal profiles of two paralleled long drillin gcores covering the past 130 kyr B.P., GT40 and GT60,from the Yanchi Playa in the arid Northwestern China indicate that a series of pronounced paleomagnetic excursions have been documented. By correlating our results with published regional and worldwide reports 4 excursion events out of 10 apparent reversal signals (labeled from GT-1 to GT-10) were identified as excursion events coeval with the Mono Lake Event (28.4 kyr-25.8 kyr), Laschamp Event (43.3 kyr-40.5kyr), Gaotai Event (82.8 kyr-72.4 kyr) and the Blake Event (127.4 kyr-113.3 kyr), respectively. GT-9 correlates with the above-mentioned Gaotai Event,GT-7 and GT-6 correspond to two stages of the Laschamp Event and GT-5 to the Mono Lake Event. It is noteworthy that the so-called Gaotai Event has not been reported as a pronounced paleomagnetic excursion in the Northwestern China. Every magnetic excursion event corresponds to paleointensity minima, anteceding those established abrupt paleoclimatic change events, such as the Younger Drays and the Heinrich Events (H1-H6). Here, we tentatively propose that these geomagnetic excursions/reversals can be viewed as precursors to climate abruptness. During the transitional stages when the earth‘s magnetic field shifted between a temporal normal and a negative period, the earth‘s magnetic paleointensity fell correspondingly to a pair of minima. Although more precise chronology and more convincing rock magnetic parameter determinations are essentially required for further interpretation of their intricate coupling mechanism, these results may have revealed, to some extent, that the earth‘s incessantly changing magnetic field exerts an strong influence on the onset of saw-tooth shaped abrupt climate oscillations through certain feedback chains in arid Central Asia or even North Hemispheric high latitude regions.