Svalbard glaciers re‐advanced during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition

Despite warming regional conditions and our general understanding of the deglaciation, a variety of data suggest glaciers re‐advanced on Svalbard during the Lateglacial–early Holocene (LGEH). We present the first well‐dated end moraine formed during the LGEH in De Geerbukta, NE Spitsbergen. This landform was deposited by an outlet glacier re‐advancing into a fjord extending 4.4 km beyond the late Holocene (LH) maximum. Comparing the timing of the De Geerbukta glacier re‐advance to a synthesis of existing data including four palaeoclimate records and 15 other proposed glacier advances from Svalbard does not suggest any clear synchronicity in glacial and climatic events. Furthermore, we introduce six additional locations where glacier moraines have been wave‐washed or cut by postglacial raised marine shorelines, suggesting the landforms were deposited before or during high relative sea‐level stands, thus exhibiting a similar LGEH age. Contrary to current understanding, our new evidence suggests that the LGEH glaciers were more dynamic, exhibited re‐advances and extended well beyond the extensively studied LH glacial expansion. Given the widespread occurrence of the LGEH glacier deposits on Svalbard, we suggest that the culmination of the Neoglacial advances during the Little Ice Age does not mark the maximum extent of most Svalbard glaciers since deglaciation; it is just the most studied and most visible in the geological record.     

白云岩的成因研究现状及最新进展

白云岩是主要由白云石组成的碳酸盐岩,对其成因的研究一直是沉积岩石学的热点。主要有原生白云石直接沉淀、次生交代和其他成因模式。目前普遍接受的主流成因模式是白云岩由石灰岩经过变化而成的,即石灰岩白云石化。     

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.     

Holocene glacier fluctuations in the middle Canadian Rocky Mountains

Holocene glacial advances in the Banff-Jasper-Yoho area of the Canadian Rocky Mountains have been extremely limited in extent. Limiting ¹⁴C dates from two sites within 1 km of contemporary glaciers of fresh terminal moraines indicate that the late Wisconsin Ice Sheet and valley glaciers disappeared prior to 9660 yr B.P. Two subsequent glacial advances are recognized. The earlier Crowfoot Advance is represented by moraines and rock-glacier deposits overlain by Mazama ash (6600 yr B.P.) and is therefore early Holocene or possibly late Wisconsin in age. The late Neoglacial Cavell Advance of the last few centuries is dated by dendrochronology and lichenometry. In addition, there is fragmentary, undated evidence of intermediate-age advance(s), mainly from rock-glacier deposits. All these advances were of limited extent (1–2 km beyond present ice margins) and the Cavell Advance was usually the most extensive. Major exceptions to this pattern occur only where rock glaciers or extensive ice-cored moraines developed during the earlier advance(s?). These deposits were not overrun by glaciers during the Cavell Advance because of their relatively greater downvalley extent and the physical barrier they presented to subsequent glacial advances. Earlier work which postulated more extensive early Holocene advances in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is shown to have inadequate dating control: Many of the features previously attributed to older Holocene events are late Wisconsin in age.     

People and volcanoes: Taal Island, Philippines

Many of the world's most dangerous volcanoes are located in developing countries, which often lack resources for adequate hazard mitigation efforts. Despite technological advances in volcano monitoring, the increasing populations that crowd fertile ash slopes exacerbate the threat of future major volcanic disasters.     

地下水-土壤水-大气水界面水分转化研究综述

地下水-土壤水-大气水界面水分转化的研究有着重要意义。根据各种研究的出发点和侧重点,从三个方面论述了界面水分转化近年来的研究进展和各种研究方法的原理、优缺点和今后的研究方向。分析指出,界面水分转化的确定在小尺度范围内已取得很大进展,但是多数方法偏重于均匀下垫面均一介质条件下的水分交换研究,对于不均匀下垫面非均一条件下的水分交换问题和区域尺度问题未能很好的解决。在各种研究方法中值得注意的是遥感法、数值法和综合方法。     

我国斑岩型铜矿研究现状

斑岩铜矿是我国最重要的铜矿床类型,对其矿床地质特征和地球化学特征的认识对找矿实践具有重要指导意义。本文通过收集和整理近年来我国斑岩铜矿研究的最新成果,总结了斑岩铜矿在我国的时空分布特征、含矿岩体及围岩特征、元素组合、流体包裹体及同位素研究方面的最新进展。     

自适应对称调和遗传算法在水库中长期发电调度中的应用

针对遗传算法存在求解精度与收敛速度间的矛盾,提出一种自适应对称调和遗传新算法。以清江隔河岩水库为例,建立了水库发电最优调度的数学模型,取得了满意的结果。结果分析表明,新的耦合模型避免了网络寻优的盲目性,从而达到最优的拟合效果,有效地提高了预测精度和速度。拓宽了建立中长期负荷预测模型的途径。     

Scope of Earth Science Frontiers

Earth Science Frontiers is a bi-monthly publication in Chinese with English abstracts for most papers; a few articles are published entirely in English. It is a medium for the publication of original and forefront research and high quality reviews covering recent advances in all fields of Earth Sciences. Each issue is devoted to a single topic and edited by an authority in that field.     

Scope of Earth Science Frontiers

Earth Science Frontiers is a bi-monthly publication in Chinese with English abstracts for most papers; a few articles are published entirely in English. It is a medium for the publication of original and forefront research and high quality reviews covering recent advances in all fields of Earth Sciences. Each issue is devoted to a single topic and edited by an authority in that field.     

Holocene glacier fluctuations in Alaska

This review summarizes forefield and lacustrine records of glacier fluctuations in Alaska during the Holocene. Following retreat from latest Pleistocene advances, valley glaciers with land-based termini were in retracted positions during the early to middle Holocene. Neoglaciation began in some areas by 4.0 ka and major advances were underway by 3.0 ka, with perhaps two distinct early Neoglacial expansions centered respectively on 3.3–2.9 and 2.2–2.0 ka. Tree-ring cross-dates of glacially killed trees at two termini in southern Alaska show a major advance in the AD 550s–720s. The subsequent Little Ice Age (LIA) expansion was underway in the AD 1180s–1320s and culminated with two advance phases respectively in the 1540s–1710s and in the 1810s–1880s. The LIA advance was the largest Holocene expansion in southern Alaska, although older late Holocene moraines are preserved on many forefields in northern and interior Alaska.Tidewater glaciers around the rim of the Gulf of Alaska have made major advances throughout the Holocene. Expansions were often asynchronous with neighboring termini and spanned both warm and cool intervals, suggesting that non-climatic factors were important in forcing these advances. However, climatic warming appears to have initiated most rapid iceberg-calving retreats. Large glaciers terminating on the forelands around the Gulf of Alaska may have had tidewater termini early in the Holocene, but have progressively become isolated from the adjacent ocean by the accumulation and subaerial exposure of their own sediments.     

GGR Biennial Critical Review: Analytical Developments Since 2010

Advances in the chemical and isotopic characterisation of geological and environmental materials can often be ascribed to technological improvements in analytical hardware. Equally, the creation of novel methods of data acquisition and interpretation, including access to better reference materials, can also be crucial components enabling important breakthroughs. This biennial review highlights key advances in either instrumentation or data acquisition and treatment, which have appeared since January 2010. This review is based on the assessments by scientists prominent in each of the given analytical fields; it is not intended as an exhaustive summary, but rather provides insight from experts of the most significant advances and trends in their given field of expertise. In contrast to earlier reviews, this presentation has been formulated into a unified work, providing a single source covering a broad spectrum of geoanalytical techniques. Additionally, some themes that were not previously emphasised, in particular thermal ionisation mass spectrometry, accelerator‐based methods and vibrational spectroscopy, are also presented in detail.     

GGR Critical Review of Analytical Developments in 2008–2009: An Introduction

This collection of articles represents the fourth in a series of reviews in which authors have aimed at capturing the key advances in a range of analytical fields ( Hergt et al. 2005, 2006, 2008 ). The publication period under review is 2008–2009 and the intention here is to provide readers with a summary of the most influential developments published during this period, across a broad range of topics appropriate to the Earth and environmental sciences. Most authors comment on the ways in which the emphases of research in their specific fields of examination have changed over time. All note an increase in rigour and focus on data quality. Whether advances have taken place in instrumentation, sample manipulation or data deconvolution, there are a large number of dedicated scientists out there contributing to the high quality of geochemical data employed in geological and environmental research.     

Pleistocene glaciation in the southern Lake District of Chile

Relative-age criteria permit deposits of successive Andean glacier advances in the southern Lake District of Chile to be divided into four mappable drift sheets, the oldest two of which overlie Tertiary bedrock along the eastern flank of the Cordillera de la Costa. Only the youngest drift (Llanquihue) is datable by radiocarbon. During the most extensive ice advance of the last glaciation the Lago Llanquihue glacier was about 95 km long and reached an estimated maximum thickness of between 1000 and 1300 m. Glacier equilibrium lines at that time lay about 1000 m below their present level and rose eastward with a gradient of about 5 m/km. Successive ice advances in the Lago Llanquihue basin, which resulted in construction of end moraines and associated outwash plains beyond the lake margin, culminated sometime before about 20,000 yr ago and between 20,000 and 19,000 yr ago. A later readvance, inferred from the sedimentary record of lake-level fluctuations in the basin, had begun by about 15,000 yr ago and culminated shortly after 13,000 yr ago. A comparable, but less-closely dated, record of ice advances is found northwest of Seno Reloncaví and on Isla Chiloé. Deglaciation following the latest advance is likely to have been rapid, for the major glacier lobes fronted on deep water bodies that would have promoted extensive calving.     

全球大气再分析资料的研究现状与进展

在过去十多年,利用资料同化技术再分析过去的气象观测资料,重建高时空分辨率的格点历史气候数据集取得了长足发展。再分析资料的问世为人们深入了解大气运动的方式、认识不同时空尺度内气候变化和变率提供了强有力的、甚至不可替代的研究工具。就当前国际上一些主要的全球大气再分析资料研究计划及其产品的概况、再分析资料在大气科学及其相关研究领域中的应用、再分析资料的评估及其在气候变化研究中存在的一些主要质量问题做了回顾与介绍,并就未来大气再分析资料研究计划的一些发展趋势予以展望。     

地质样品中铂族元素的分析测定方法

文中阐述并归纳了近年地质样品中铂族元素的分离、富集及测试方法方面的最新进展。铂族元素本身的超痕量性,要求实验过程中对空白值的控制,干扰元素的扣除和检测限的降低更为严格,同时要克服块金效应。文中对消解过程中常用的火试金法、酸溶、碱熔方法和卡洛斯管法(Carius tube),分离富集过程中的Te共沉淀和离子交换法,测试手段中的原子光谱法、中子活化法和等离子质谱法等方法的最新进展进行了总结。由于复杂的地质样品中PGE的浓度范围不一、赋存形式多样,要求在具体样品分析过程中灵活地搭配使用各种分离富集和检测方法,结合笔者所在实验室在实验过程中发现的问题,对各种不同类型地质样品中铂族元素的分离富集、样品处理及测定方法也进行了总结。     

天文地质学的发展与展望

天文地质学是天文学和地质学的边缘学科，是利用天文学的研究方法、观测资料和研究成果来探讨地球上各种地质现象成因和演化规律的科学。天文地质学的兴起是地球科学进入到成因研究阶段的产物，它的研究可望促进天文学和地质学的共同发展。本文简要介绍了这门新兴学科的发展过程、研究内容及发展趋势.     

洪水影响的综述

洪水影响涉及到自然和社会系统的诸多方面.本文将洪水影响纳入洪水环境系统进行统一考虑,综述了洪水对自然生态、社会经济及国家政策的可能影响,提出了对特定洪水事件应通过多学科的合作,探求技术、经济和环境综合效应,为洪水灾害的防治提供科学依据.     

微区原位普通铅同位素分析技术及其地质应用进展

应用激光剥蚀-多接收器电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-MC-ICP-MS)和二次离子质谱(SIMS)等分析技术进行微区原位普通Pb同位素分析是微区地球化学研究的重要内容之一.综述了矿物、熔体包裹体和沉积结核的微区原位普通Pb同位素分析技术及其地质应用的新进展.这些研究资料表明该分析技术在岩浆岩成因、沉积物物源示踪、地幔地球化学、古海洋学以及矿床学等的研究中提供了常规的全岩Pb同位素分析方法难以获得的重要信息,充分展示了该分析技术在地球科学研究中的应用前景.     

Study on Summer Monsoon Transition Zone and Its Land-Air Interaction

The Summer Monsoon Transition Zone is a typical area, which is a transitional zone and has a fragile ecological environment. The area also has the most serious drought and soil erosion disaster. Its land-air interaction plays an important role on evolution of weather and climate, and research on land-air interaction in this zone is an important scientific problems. Therefore, a key project, “land-air interaction of the typical summer monsoon transition zone and its response to the summer monsoon”, by National Natural Science Foundation of China aims at this problem. This study summarized the advances about current summer monsoon transition zone and its land-air interaction. Then, based on the characteristics of summer monsoon activities, the formation of this typical area, its advances of climate and environment characteristics were concluded. Peculiarity of land-air interaction in the area was also analyzed comprehensively. Furthermore, the main problems and direction of scientific research in this field are brought forward. It will have scientific guiding significance for in-depth study of land-air interaction in summer monsoon transition zone in future.