Abrupt Climatic Changes during the Last Glaciation Based on Pollen Analysis of the Abric Romani, Catalonia, Spain

The Abric Romani continental pollen record provides evidence of abrupt climate variations during the last glaciation. The pollen record reveals a pattern of high-frequency variations similar to that in ice cores as shown by oxygen isotopes or dust content. Analyses of 14 travertine samples yield coherent U-series ages in correct stratigraphic order, ranging from 40,000 to 70,000 yr. According to changes in the composition and structure of the vegetation, five paleoclimatic phases have been differentiated; the oldest, ranging from 70,200 to 65,500 yr ago, records thermophilous taxa which correspond to the last warm events of isotopic stage 5. The next phase, from 65,500 to 56,800 yr, records a cold, humid climate that correlates with isotope stage 4. During the third phase, from 56,800 to 49,500 yr, relatively warm and cold events alternate. The fourth phase, from 49,500 to 46,200 yr, records a cold, dry climate. The fifth phase, ranging from 46,200 to 40,800 yr, records a milder phase that is similar in appearance to the beginning of the Holocene.     

Marine evidence for climatic instability during the last interglacial in shelf records from northwest Europe

Data from the Greenland ice sheet and continental records from Europe have indicated climatic fluctuations during the last interglacial (Eemian: Oxygen Isotope Substage 5e). Similar fluctuations have not, however, been documented previously from marine environments. Here, we show the existence of two cold events during substage 5e in two marine, benthic foraminiferal, shelf records from northwest Europe and suggest that these cooling events are a result of fluctuations in the strength of the North Atlantic surface-water circulation.     

Phase relationship between sea level and abrupt climate change

Direct traces of past sea levels are based on the elevation of old coral reefs at times of sea level highstands. However, these measurements are discontinuous and cannot be easily correlated with climate records from ice cores. In this study we show a new approach to recognizing the imprint of sea level changes in continuous sediment records taken from the continental slope at locations that were continuously submerged, even during periods of sea level lowstand. By using a sediment core precisely synchronized with Greenland ice cores, we were able to recognize major floods of the Mediterranean continental shelf over the past 270 kyr. During the last glacial period five flooding events were observed at the onset of the warmest Greenland interstadials. Consistent correspondence between warm climate episodes and eustatic sea level rises shows that these global flooding events were generated by pronounced melting of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, due to rapid intensification of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.The method described in this study opens a new perspective for inter-hemispheric synchronization of marine climate records if applied in other continental margins from the Southern Hemisphere or the equatorial regions.     

Post-glacial regional climate variability along the East Antarctic coastal margin—Evidence from shallow marine and coastal terrestrial records

We review the post-glacial climate variability along the East Antarctic coastline using terrestrial and shallow marine geological records and compare these reconstructions with data from elsewhere. Nearly all East Antarctic records show a near-synchronous Early Holocene climate optimum (11.5–9 ka BP), coinciding with the deglaciation of currently ice-free regions and the optimum recorded in Antarctic ice and marine sediment cores. Shallow marine and coastal terrestrial climate anomalies appear to be out of phase after the Early Holocene warm period, and show complex regional patterns, but an overall trend of cooling in the terrestrial records. A Mid to Late Holocene warm period is present in many East Antarctic lake and shallow coastal marine records. Although there are some differences in the regional timing of this warm period, it typically occurs somewhere between 4.7 and 1 ka BP, which overlaps with a similar optimum found in Antarctic Peninsula terrestrial records. The differences in the timing of these sometimes abrupt warm events in different records and regions points to a number of mechanisms that we have yet to identify. Nearly all records show a neoglacial cooling from 2 ka BP onwards. There is no evidence along the East Antarctic coastline for an equivalent to the Northern Hemisphere Medieval Warm Period and there is only weak circumstantial evidence in a few places for a cool event crudely equivalent in time to the Northern Hemisphere's Little Ice Age. There is a need for well-dated, high resolution climate records in coastal East Antarctica and particularly in Terre Adélie, Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land to fully understand the regional climate anomalies, the disparity between marine and terrestrial records, and to determine the significance of the heterogeneous temperature trends being measured in the Antarctic today.     

萨拉乌苏河酒坊台剖面末次间冰阶以来的气候环境演化

酒坊台剖面位于萨拉乌苏河流域下游,其中末次间冰阶以来主要为风成砂沉积,间夹砂质古土壤和湖沼相粘土层等,对环境信息有良好的记录。OSL年龄结果表明该剖面顶部记录了末次冰期间冰阶(约52 ka B.P.)以来的气候演化历史。通过对剖面高精度的粒度和磁化率分析,结合Rb、Sr元素含量及其比值综合分析,表明末次冰期间冰阶以来该剖面自上而下可划分为3个主要层段,对应了深海氧同位素MIS 1~3。同时在MIS 3阶段呈现出明显的MIS 3a、3b、3c亚段,结合区域研究资料,表明萨拉乌苏河流域在中—长时间尺度上,对全球性和区域性气候事件有良好的沉积响应。     

Climatic variations in MIS 11 recorded by stable isotopes and trace elements in a French tufa (La Celle,Seine Valley)

Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 palaeoclimate has so far been documented in marine and ice sheet isotopic records. However, excepting some lacustrine pollen records, very little is known about palaeoclimatic conditions in continental areas. This study uses geochemical records in calcareous tufa deposits from rivers as a basis for reconstructing temperate palaeoclimatic conditions. Tufa deposits are now proven to record high‐quality palaeoclimatic information in recent to Holocene deposits. Work on older interglacial tufas is just starting and in this paper we present the first comprehensive results from a MIS 11 tufa. The tufa comes from the Seine Valley (La Celle, northern France). Geochemical data in the tufa calcite are interpreted to record primarily air temperature (δ¹⁸O) and humidity (δ¹³C and Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca). The combined data identify a warm and wet climatic optimum followed by two temperature decreases associated with oscillations in humidity. These marked climatic variations recorded through the La Celle profile are strongly coherent with the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from malacological data. The abrupt climatic and environmental events recorded could be related to short‐term degradation of vegetation cover in Europe, which is itself controlled by global palaeoclimatic events. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land–sea correlation of Middle Pleistocene temperate sub-stages using high-precision uranium-series dating of tufa deposits from southern England

High-precision U-series dating allows a direct correlation to be made between terrestrial records of the penultimate interglacial (Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7)) in Britain and sub-stage climate forcing in the marine oxygen isotope sequence. U-series ages of surficial tufa deposits are of sufficient precision to correlate discrete episodes of temperate conditions with individual warm sub-stages within MIS 7. Furthermore, detailed biostratigraphy allows periods of faunal turnover to be correlated with cold climates and lowered sea level. Ecological and environmental conditions in Britain during MIS 7 are therefore driven by the short-lived, sub-stage climate forcing that is observable in the marine isotope record. It is clear that interglacial climates are highly dynamic, producing multiple climatic optima and a diverse range of environments within single warm episodes. Consequently sub-stage records of climate forcing are crucial frameworks for reconstructing terrestrial records of environmental change.     

中国过去3ka冷暖千年周期变化的自然证据及其集成分析

基于集成分析的思想，对不同时间分辨率的自然信息所反映的过去 3ka我国冷暖变化进行综合分析，划分了百年尺度上过去 3ka冷暖变化的阶段，进而发现冷暖变化呈现 1．3～1.35ka的重现周期，每个周期包含相继出现的 4冷暖阶段：持续300～350 a的暖期、550～600 a的冷期、 200～250 a的暖期和200 a左右的冷期。每个冷暖期中发生的相对冷暖事件也服从 1．3～1．35ka周期。在冷暖变化幅度上，300～350 a的暖期较200～250 a的暖期显著，550～600 a的冷期较200 a左右的冷期显著。目前处在长度为200～250 a的暖期中，其特点可以与2．7～2．5kaBP和 1．40～1．15kaBP的暖期相类比。     

Human responses to Middle Holocene climate change on California's Channel Islands

High-resolution archaeological and paleoenvironmental records from California's Channel Islands provide a unique opportunity to examine potential relationships between climatically induced environmental changes and prehistoric human behavioral responses. Available climate records in western North America (7–3.8 ka) indicate a severe dry interval between 6.3 and 4.8 ka embedded within a generally warm and dry Middle Holocene. Very dry conditions in western North America between 6.3 and 4.8 ka correlate with cold to moderate sea-surface temperatures (SST) along the southern California Coast evident in Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Core 893A/B (Santa Barbara Basin). An episode of inferred high marine productivity between 6.3 and 5.8 ka corresponds with the coldest estimated SSTs of the Middle Holocene, otherwise marked by warm/low productivity marine conditions (7.5–3.8 ka). The impact of this severe aridity on humans was different between the northern and southern Channel Islands, apparently related to degree of island isolation, size and productivity of islands relative to population, fresh water availability, and on-going social relationships between island and continental populations. Northern Channel Islanders seem to have been largely unaffected by this severe arid phase. In contrast, cultural changes on the southern Channel Islands were likely influenced by the climatically induced environmental changes. We suggest that productive marine conditions coupled with a dry terrestrial climate between 6.3 and 5.8 ka stimulated early village development and intensified fishing on the more remote southern islands. Contact with people on the adjacent southern California Coast increased during this time with increased participation in a down-the-line trade network extending into the western Great Basin and central Oregon. Genetic similarities between Middle Holocene burial populations on the southern Channel Islands and modern California Uto-Aztecan populations suggest Middle Holocene movement of people at this time from southern California desert environs westward to the southern islands, a migration perhaps stimulated by increased continental aridity.     

Land-sea correlations for the last glaciation inferred from a pollen and dinocyst record from the portuguese margin

Pollen and dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from Core SU 81-18 recovered off Portugal (37°46′N, 10°11′W; 3135-m water depth) have been used to document the short-term environmental changes that occurred in southwest Europe since 25,000 yr B.P. The relationship between the oceanic and continental environments has been further examined by the use of other marine proxies (coarse sedimentary fraction, foraminifera) and by comparison with proximal land pollen records. Heinrich 2 (H2) and Heinrich 1 (H1) events were the most extreme parts of the highly variable last glacial period, with the maximum extension of dry steppe on land and the occurrence of cool and dilute waters at the core site. Our study shows that H1 and H2 are divided in two distinct phases: one with Neogloboquadrina pachyderma left coiling associated with the maximum input of ice rafted debris, reflecting the in situ release of icebergs and the occurrence of cool and dilute seawater at the core site; the other with dinoflagellate cysts of subpolar affinity, Bitectatodinium tepikiense, reflecting a seasonal control marked by warm summer SST and cold winter SST.     

Two-step deglaciation at the oxygen isotope stage 6/5E transition: The Zeifen-Kattegat climate oscillation

Comparison of marine, lacustrine, and terrestrial records from twenty-four sites suggests the existence of a ‘Younger Dryas’-type climate oscillation just prior to the Oxygen Isotope Stage 6/5e boundary. These records include results from biostratigraphic, pedostratigraphic, and speleothem studies, as well as analyses of stable isotope compositions of marine records and ice cores. The climate oscillation is named after the warm Zeifen Interstadial and the cold Kattegat Stadial. The Zeifen Interstadial may be related to a major meltwater pulse in the Baffin Bay-Labrador Sea-Norwegian Sea region. The climate oscillation is presumably in part a result of a variation in ocean circulation, especially in the strength of the North Atlantic Drift, but changes in the atmospheric circulation also played an important role. The geographically widespread distribution of the oscillation suggests that the two-step deglaciation influenced both the northern and southern hemispheres.     

晚冰期以来月亮湖孢粉记录反映的古植被与古气候演化

地处季风/非季风影响过渡地带的月亮湖是大兴安岭中段阿尔山-柴河火山区中的一个火山口湖.其长8.86 m的沉积岩心孢粉记录, 揭示了末次冰期晚期以来的古植被演化和古气候变化历史: 20.9~18.0 cal. ka B.P.期间研究区的植被为典型草原, 气候寒冷干旱; 18.0~15.3 cal. ka B.P.期间研究区的植被为草甸草原, 气候寒冷湿润; 15.3~14.0 cal. ka B.P.期间乔木开始在当地发育, 植被开始由草甸草原向森林草原转变, 气候向较为温暖湿润的方向转变; 14.0~12.8 cal. ka B.P.期间森林草原在温暖湿润的气候影响下, 森林扩张, 草原退缩, 与B?lling-Aller?d暖期相对应; 12.8~11.8 cal. ka B.P.期间草原在寒冷气候下扩张, 可与新仙女木期相对应; 11.8~0.8 cal. ka B.P. 期间在较为温暖的气候条件下, 草原在气候快速变冷事件的影响下发生了多次扩张, 其中, 较为明显的6次气温突降事件分别发生在9.0~8.9, 8.2~7.8, 7.0~6.8, 6.1~5.6, 5.4~5.2, 2.3~1.8 cal. ka B.P..这些快速气候变化事件与全球和区域中其他高分辨率古气候记录具有可比性, 揭示出月亮湖敏感地记录了全球和区域气候的变化, 同时也表明研究区的高分辨率孢粉分析是研究东亚季风强度变化的良好指标.      

贵州荔波1200年来石笋高分辨率的古气候环境记录

通过笔者对荔波龙泉洞L2石笋进行高精度的ICP-MS-230Th测年和碳、氧同位素分析, 建立了荔波地区1200 a BP 来高分辨率的古气候变化的时间序列。研究结果表明, 荔波地区1200 a BP以来石笋记录的季风气候经历了1200~1100 a BP(暖)、1100~940 a BP (冷)、940~840 a BP(暖)、840~700 a BP(冷)、700~450 a BP(暖)、450~300 a BP(冷)、300~200 a BP(暖)以及200~70 a BP(冷)等8个阶段百年尺度的干湿、冷暖波动, 并在这些百年尺度的波动上又叠加了一系列数十年尺度的气候变化。石笋记录揭示了1200 a以来东亚季风气候的不稳定性, 呈百年尺度(Gleissberg)的周期性变化。这些气候变化事件, 与冰芯记录极为相似, 反映低纬度地区百年尺度石笋记录的季风气候变化与高纬度及北极地区的气候变化具有极好的相关性, 反映百年尺度石笋记录的季风降水主要受太阳辐射驱动、控制, 而东亚季风的降水事件(或干旱事件)与太阳的辐射强度密切相关。石笋记录的百年尺度季风降水事件对于认识现代气候系统变化以及对未来十年—百年尺度的气候预测和演化的驱动机制, 具有重要的科学意义。     

Early Cretaceous Paleoclimate Characteristics of China: Clues from Continental Climate-indicative Sediments

The Cretaceous was one of the most remarkable ‘greenhouse' climate periods in geological history. Most of the reported studies of the Cretaceous paleoclimate are based upon marine sedimentary records. Large spatial scale paleoclimatic reconstruction, which has a higher time resolution based upon continental sediments in China, is rarely found. This study presents paleoclimate reconstruction for the six time periods of the Early Cretaceous in China by employing continental climate-indicative sediments, including calcareous deposits, coal, oil shale, gypsum, halite, desert sedimentary systems, ferruginous deposits and laterite, copper-bearing deposits, limestone and dolomite. Based on the distribution of the association of climate-indicative sediments and the influences of paleotopography and orogenic belts(or important structural belts) on climate, seven climatic zones have been identified: 1) a warm and humid zone; 2) a warm and humid-warm and arid zone; 3) a warm and arid zone; 4) an arid and hot zone; 5) the Tibet hot and humid zone; 6) a hot and arid-semiarid zone; and 7) a hot and humid-hot and arid one. It is found that the Early Cretaceous climatic zones of China were nearly latitudinally distributed from northwest to southeast. The aridhot climatic zone expanded in the Aptian, suggesting that a hotter and drier climate prevailed in later period of the Early Cretaceous. Conversely, the humid climatic zone expanded in the Albian, indicating that a wetter climate appeared at the end of the Early Cretaceous. The overall distribution pattern of the seven climatic zones indicates that a hot-warm and arid climate was predominant in China; this coincides with a global ‘greenhouse climate' background. However, palaeogeographic features and specific geologic events, such as the existence and disappearance of the eastern high plateau, and the uplift and denudation of Yinshan, Yanshan, Tianshan, Qinling and Dabie Mountains, led to distinctive regional climatic features of the Cretaceous in China.     

中国全新世分区气温序列集成重建及特征分析*

按照气温变化规律将中国气温变化划分为东北、华北北部、华东华南、华南、陕甘宁、川黔桂、新疆和滇藏高原区等8个分区。搜集有确切年代和气温数值的古气温记录1397条,以8个分区为单元进行整理,以日历年时间为坐标系,采用单样本区域订正—多样本平均集成法重建了东北、华北北部、华东华南、华南和滇藏高原区的全新世200 a分辨率连续集成气温序列。结果表明：5条分区连续气温序列与所在区域的高分辨率环境记录变化趋势基本一致,主要的百年尺度冷暖事件有较高的可比性;5条分区连续序列指示全新世气温变化可以分为明显的早期升温、中期大暖期和晚期变冷3个阶段;气温变化幅度区域差异较大,但主要的冷暖事件基本一致,暖期盛期发生在8～6ka BP,当时滇藏高原约比现代高2℃,东北高出3℃,华北北部高1.5℃,华东华南接近1℃,华南区仅高出0.5℃;主要冷事件发生在9.2、6.2、4.0和0.4 ka BP,其中,4.0 ka BP冷事件规模较大,滇藏高原、东北、华北北部、华东华南和华南区降低幅度分别为1.5、2、1、0.5和0.5℃。全新世期间各分区气温变化幅度也表现出纬度从北向南、海拔从高到低、气温变化幅度依次递减的特征。     

Response of North American Great Basin Lakes to Dansgaard–Oeschger oscillations

We correlate oscillations in the hydrologic and/or cryologic balances of four Great Basin surface-water systems with Dansgaard–Oeschger (D–O) events 2–12. This correlation is relatively strong at the location of the magnetic signature used to link the lake records, but becomes less well constrained with distance/time from the signature. Comparison of proxy glacial and hydrologic records from Owens and Pyramid lakes indicates that Sierran glacial advances occurred during times of relative dryness. If our hypothesized correlation between the lake-based records and the GISP2 δ¹⁸O record is correct, it suggests that North Atlantic D–O stades were associated with relatively cold and dry conditions and that interstades were associated with relatively warm and wet conditions throughout the Great Basin between 50,500 and 27,000 GISP2 yr B.P. The Great Basin lacustrine climate records reinforce the hypothesis that D–O events affected the climate throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere during marine isotope stages 2 and 3. However, the absolute phasing between lake-size and ice-core δ¹⁸O records remains difficult to determine.     

Differentiating glacio-eustacy and tectonics; a case study involving dinoflagellate cysts from the Eocene–Oligocene transition of the Pindos Foreland Basin (NW Greece)

In an attempt to discriminate between tectonically induced sea-level changes and glacio-eustacy, the Ekklissia and Arakthos sections (Epirus, NW Greece) are examined, applying (dinocyst) palynology, sedimentology and magnetostratigraphy. The sections, located in the Pindos Foreland Basin, both comprise the transition from pelagic limestones to hemipelagic silty clays and turbidite sandstones, reflecting the onset of flysch sedimentation as a result of the Pindos thrust activity. Despite an overall tectonic overprint, relative changes of sea level can be reconstructed, using (i) continental/marine palynomorph ratios, (ii) relative abundance of inshore and offshore dinoflagellate cysts, and (iii) taxa indicative of relatively cold and warm sea-surface temperature, that can be calibrated against the Global Polarity Time Scale (GPTS). Increased fluxes of marginal marine and continental palynomorphs coincide with colder periods on a 'third-order' scale, which thus appear to be related to glacio-eustatic trends in sea-level. The larger scale is attributed to the increasing effect of tectonics and acts on a 'second-order scale'.     

川北若尔盖高原红原泥炭剖面孢粉记录的晚冰期以来古气候古环境的演变

利用14C测年及孢粉分析方法对位于若尔盖高原的红原泥炭剖面进行了系统研究,重建了若尔盖地区晚冰期以来古环境的演化历史,并识别在此期间发生的主要气候事件.结果表明:该区晚冰期的气候特点为冷偏干或凉偏干,冷暖波动频繁.其中,14.1～13.4、12.4～12.0和10.5～10.0 kaBP之间的冷阶段分别对应于Oldest Dryas、Older Dryas及Younger Dryas事件;发生于12.6～12.4和12.0～10.5kaBP左右的暖阶段分别对应于Bolling及Allerod暖期.Younger Dryas事件之后,气候总体以温湿为主要特征,8.9～8.7和6.1～5.8kaBP之间的明显降温为全新世期间的2次冷事件.孢粉记录所反映的若尔盖地区晚冰期以来的气候演化与全球气候变化具有较好的可比性.     

The Early Pleistocene Praetiglian and Ludhamian pollen stages in the North Sea Basin and their relationship to the marine isotope record

In this paper, the currently accepted correlation of the Early Pleistocene Ludhamian stage of England with the Tiglian‐A sub‐stage of the Netherlands is challenged. Recent investigations of Early Pleistocene marine North Sea deposits from a borehole near Noordwijk (the Netherlands) yielded evidence from molluscs, dinoflagellate cysts and sporomorphs for an alternation of warm‐temperate and arctic intervals within the Praetiglian and Tiglian stages. Marine equivalents of the terrestrial‐based pollen sub‐stages Tiglian A and B have been recognised in the upper part of the sequence. A Praetiglian age can be assigned to the lower part of the sequence on the basis of mollusc analysis. Within the Praetiglian, an alternation of warm and cold phases has been recognised from both the dinoflagellate cyst and molluscan records. Three cold phases within the Praetiglian are tentatively correlated with marine isotope stages (MIS) 96–100. The molluscan assemblages provide evidence for climate forcing of the sea level: highest sea levels are reached in the warm‐temperate intervals. Within the Praetiglian, an interval with an acme zone of the dinoflagellate cyst Impagidinium multiplexum, is correlated with the Ludhamian and tentatively linked to MIS 97 and/or MIS 96. The cold molluscan assemblages from the Noordwijk borehole include an acme zone of Megayoldia thraciaeformis, the first and only occurrence of this North Pacific bivalve in the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

杭州湾晚第四纪沉积与古环境演变

通过对杭州湾第四系钻孔的年代地层学、沉积学、古环境学等多学科综合分析,认为XZK169孔全新世沉积始于孔深17.35m处(年代约为10～9kaBP),其下至孔深86.40m沉积属晚更新世。整个沉积层中可分出3个海进—海退旋回晚更新世早期以陆相沉积为主,出现河湖相—滨海湖泊相—河湖相沉积,气候为温凉干燥—温暖湿润—温凉干燥;晚更新世中晚期出现河湖相—潮滩湖相—浅海相—河口湾相沉积,气候为温凉干燥—寒冷干燥—温凉—暖热湿润—温热湿润;经历了末次冰期侵蚀后,全新世出现浅海相—河口湾相沉积,气候以暖热湿润—温暖湿润为主。约在5kaBP,杭州湾与长江口分离。