Tibet forcing of mid-Pleistocene synchronous enhancement of East Asian winter and summer monsoons revealed by Chinese loess record

The mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) of the global climate system, marked by a shift of previously dominant 41-ka cycles to lately dominant 100-ka cycles roughly in the mid-Pleistocene, is one of the fundamental enigma in the Quaternary climate evolution. The process and origin of the MPT remain of persistent interest and conjecture. Here we present high-resolution astronomically tuned magnetic susceptibility (MS) and grain‐size records from a complete loess–paleosol sequence at Chaona on the central Chinese Loess Plateau. These two proxies are well-known sensitive indicators to the East Asian summer and winter monsoons, respectively. The records reveal a remarkable two-step simultaneous enhancement of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons at 0.9 Ma and 0.64 Ma, respectively, accompanied with an onset of a clear 100-ka cycle at 0.9 Ma and of a final, predominant 100-ka cycle starting at 0.64 Ma. The mid-Pleistocene stepwise rapid uplift of the Tibetan Plateau could be the mechanism driving the simultaneous enhancement of East Asian summer and winter monsoons and the shift of the periodicities during the MPT by complex positive feedbacks.     

The Brunhes/Matuyama boundary and magnetic parameters related to climatic changes in Quaternary sediments of Argentina

Rock magnetic properties have been measured in a loess–paleosol sequence in the Gorina Quarry, which previously have been suggested to contain records of the Brunhes and part of the Matuyama polarity chrons. Lowest susceptibility values (below 50 × 10⁻⁸ m³/kg) are generally related to intensive weathered horizons, whereas highest values are obtained in loess layers (250 × 10⁻⁸ m³/kg) as a result of the greater ferromagnetic content in the parent material. The frequency-dependent part of susceptibility ranges between 0.5% and 6.8%; the higher value was obtained in B horizons of paleosols, which can be attributed to superparamagnetic contributions. Hysteresis loops indicate that the differences in ferrimagnetic and paramagnetic content in the sequence reflect the degree of pedogenesis. The same conclusion can be drawn with isothermal remanent magnetization. This point is relevant for determining past climatic changes because the wind-blown titanomagnetites from Cordillera de Los Andes during glacial periods were altered during interglacial periods. The mode of pedogenesis appears not only to control such alterations but also to produce other magnetic minerals.     

Inter-profile correlation of the Chinese loess/paleosol sequences during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 5 and indications of pedogenesis

Low-field magnetic susceptibility has been widely used to determine the pedostratigraphy of the Chinese loess/paleosol sequences. However, uncertainties remain in correlating between the loess magnetic susceptibility and the marine oxygen isotope records because susceptibility variations are affected by both global and local paleoclimatic changes. To provide a more sound paleoclimatic interpretation of magnetic susceptibility variations, age models across Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 for the Jiuzhoutai (JZT) and Yuanbao (YB) sections, western Chinese Loess Plateau, were constructed through an integrated approach by linking the major pedostratigraphic boundaries of the loess profiles to the SPECMAP oxygen isotope curve, and by correlating relative magnetic paleointensity records with both the SINT800 global paleointensity stack from marine sediments and ³⁶Cl records from the GRIP ice core. Results indicate good correlation of SIRM_60 mT (a residual remanence of saturation isothermal remanent magnetization after a 60 mT alternating field demagnetization) variations between these two sites, which agree well with fluctuations in subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures. All cooling events recorded by ice-core and Atlantic marine sediments within MIS5 have counterparts in SIRM_60 mT. SIRM_60 mT is partially controlled by the degree of low-temperature oxidation, which is strongly temperature dependent. However, strong pedogenesis can decrease SIRM_60 mT due to further oxidation of partially oxidized magnetites above some critical points. Therefore, we propose that SIRM_60 mT is best suited to record paleotemperature changes in loess profiles from the western Chinese Loess Plateau, where pedogenesis is the weakest. Furthermore, by inter-profile correlation between the YB and JZT sections, we note that the seemingly uniform sub-paleosol unit with a broad susceptibility peak (previously assigned to MIS5c) between ∼34.4 and ∼37.4 m in the YB profile actually consists of two independent units (lower part of S1L1/MIS5b and S1S2/MIS5c). This indicates that susceptibility values can be strongly affected by local factors (e.g., mainly precipitation). Therefore, beside the simplistic traditional paleoclimatic interpretation of variations in loess susceptibility involving only cold/dry and warm/humid scenarios, cold/humid and warm/dry scenarios should also be considered.     

Magnetostratigraphy of deep drilling core SG-1 in the western Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) and its tectonic implications

The Qaidam Basin is the largest intermontane basin of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and contains a continuous Cenozoic sequence of lacustrine sediments. A ~ 1000-m-deep drilling (SG-1) with an average core recovery of ~ 95% was carried out in the depocenter of the Chahansilatu playa (sub-depression) in the western Qaidam Basin, aimed to obtain a high-resolution record of the paleoenvironmental evolution and the erosion history. Stepwise alternating field and thermal demagnetization, together with rock magnetic results, revealed a stable remanent magnetization for most samples, carried by magnetite. The polarity sequence consisted of 16 normal and 15 reverse zones which can be correlated with chrons 1n to 2An of the global geomagnetic polarity time scale. Magnetostratigraphic results date the entire core SG-1 at ~ 2.77 Ma to ~ 0.1 Ma and yielded sediment accumulation rate (SAR) ranging from 26.1 cm/ka to 51.5 cm/ka. Maximum SARs occurred within the intervals of ~ 2.6–2.2 Ma and after ~ 0.8 Ma, indicating two episodes of erosion, which we relate to pulse tectonic uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau with subsequent global cooling.     

East Asian summer monsoon intensity inferred from iron oxide mineralogy in the Xiashu Loess in southern China

The Xiashu Loess, in comparison to the well-studied loess sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), provides a good opportunity for studying East Asian monsoon variations from a southern China perspective. Here we present a study of the iron oxide mineralogy of the Xiashu Loess using integrated geochemical and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) measurements as well as magnetic data. Our results show that the free iron oxide (Fe_d) to total iron (Fe_t) ratio (Fe_d/Fe_t), hematite (Hm) to goethite (Gt) ratio (Hm/Gt) and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) to magnetic susceptibility (χ) ratio (SIRM/χ) all indicate particularly strong summer monsoons during the formation of paleosols PS5 and PS4 (equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 13 and 11, respectively). However, magnetic susceptibility and Fe_d/Fe_t are not consistently reliable indicators of summer monsoon intensity for the whole section. Our results indicate that a multi-proxy approach can give a more reliable summer monsoon intensity reconstruction. The summer monsoon shows a cooling trend and a declining of precipitation from 0.5 to ～0.3 Ma, after which it becomes warmer and wetter towards the top of paleosol PS1 (equivalent to MIS 5). However, PS1 was formed under a relatively cooler temperature and wetter soil conditions in comparison to PS5 and PS4. Such supra-orbital variations in the East Asian summer monsoon superimposed on the effects of glacial–interglacial cycles in southern China are also reflected in the 0.4–0.5 Ma cycle of marine carbon isotopes in the global ocean, possibly indicating a strong link between terrestrial weathering and the global carbon cycle.     

Reconstruction of the late Quaternary paleoenvironments of the Nussloch loess paleosol sequence,Germany, using n-alkane biomarkers

This study contributes to the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the loess–paleosol sequence of Nussloch, Germany, by using n-alkanes as plant leaf-wax-derived lipid biomarkers. We found that n-alkane patterns and concentrations in the Saalian loess and the last interglacial Eemian paleosol of Nussloch point to very strong degradation and prevailing deciduous vegetation. Degradation effects in the overlying paleosols and loess layers are less pronounced and allow for the application of an end-member mixing model to estimate vegetation changes semi-quantitatively. Our findings highlight the potential for the interpretation of degradation-corrected n-alkane ratios. n-Alkane modelling results for loess layers, paleosols and an in-filled paleochannel dated to ~ 60–32 ka suggest that up to ~ 50% of the n-alkanes were derived from deciduous trees or shrubs. This finding is in agreement with the abundant occurrence of wood fragments and indicates a highly variable and dynamic landscape dominated by tundra shrubland. On the other hand, deciduous trees or shrubs did not contribute significantly to the soil organic matter in the late Weichselian loess layers and the intercalated Gelic Gleysols (~ 32–18 ka).     

Modern,Sangamon and Yarmouth soil development in loess of unglaciated southwestern Illinois

The Thebes Section in unglaciated southwestern Illinois contains a well preserved ∼500 kyr loess–paleosol sequence with four loesses and three interglacial soils. Various magnetic, mineralogical, and elemental properties were analyzed and compared over the thickness of soil sola. These proxies for soil development intensity have the following trend: Yarmouth Geosol>Sangamon Geosol>modern soil. Quartz/plagioclase, Zr/Sr, and TiO₂/Na₂O ratios were most sensitive to weathering. Frequency dependent magnetic susceptibility and anhysteretic remanent magnetization, greatest in A horizons, also correspond well with soil development intensity. Neoformed mixed-layered kaolinite/expandables, suggestive of a warm/humid climate, were detected in the Sangamon and Yarmouth soil sola. Clay illuviation in soils was among the least sensitive indicators of soil development. Differences in properties among interglacial soils are interpreted to primarily reflect soil development duration, with climatic effects being secondary. Assuming logarithmic decreases in weathering rates, the observed weathering in the Sangamon Geosol is consistent with 50 kyr of interglacial weathering (Oxygen Isotope Stage 5) compared to 10 kyr for the modern soil (Oxygen Isotope Stage 1). We propose that the Yarmouth Geosol in the central Midwest formed over 180 kyr of interglacial weathering (including oxygen isotope stages 7, 9, and 11).     

Comparison of Milankovitch periods between continental loess and deep sea records over the last 2.5 Ma

A high-resolution East Asian winter monsoon proxy record reconstructed from the Baoji loess section in China shows two major shifts in climate modes over the past 2.5 Ma, one occurring at about 1.7–1.6 Ma BP and the other at about 0.8–0.5 Ma BP. The 1.7–1.6 Ma shift is characterized by a rather abrupt transition of winter monsoon variability from various periodicities to dominant 41-ka cycles, and accompanied by a substantial increase in intensity of winter monsoon winds as manifested by an increase in average loess grain size. The 0.8–0.5 Ma event shows a relatively gradual transition from constant 41-ka cycles to predominant 100-ka climatic oscillations with a significant increase in amplitude. The 0.8–0.5 Ma shift matches that registered in deep-sea δ¹⁸O records, whereas the 1.7–1.6 Ma shift is absent in global ice volume changes. This comparison suggests that at about 1.6 Ma BP, the ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere may have reached a critical size, sufficient to modulate changes in the global climate system. The discrepancy of climate cyclicity between loess and deep-sea records over the 2.5–1.6 Ma interval suggests that the older Matuyama climate evolution cannot be understood simply by a regular 41 ka cycle model on a global scale. More long proxy records derived from continental deposits are needed.     

Tephrochronology,magnetostratigraphy and mammalian faunas of Middle and Early Pleistocene sediments at two sites on the Old Crow River,northern Yukon Territory,Canada

Alluvial and lacustrine sediments exposed beneath late Pleistocene glaciolacustrine silt and clay at two sites along the Old Crow River, northern Yukon Territory, are rich in fossils and contain tephra beds. Surprise Creek tephra (SZt) occurs in the lower part of the alluvial sequence at CRH47 and Little Timber tephra (LTt) is present near the base of the exposure at CRH94. Surprise Creek tephra has a glass fission-track age of 0.17 ± 0.07 Ma and Little Timber tephra is 1.37 ± 0.12 Ma. All sediments at CRH47 have a normal remanent magnetic polarity and those near LTt at CRH94 have a reversed polarity — in agreement with the geomagnetic time scale. Small mammal remains from sediments near LTt support an Early Pleistocene age but the chronology is not so clear at CRH47 because of the large error associated with the SZt age determination. Tephrochronological and paleomagnetic considerations point to an MIS 7 age for the interglacial beds just below SZt at CRH47 and at Chester Bluffs in east-central Alaska, but mammalian fossils recovered from sediments close to SZt suggest a late Irvingtonian age, therefore older than MIS 7. Further studies are needed to resolve this problem.     

Late Miocene–Quaternary rapid stepwise uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau and its effects on climatic and environmental changes

The way in which the NE Tibetan Plateau uplifted and its impact on climatic change are crucial to understanding the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and the development of the present geomorphology and climate of Central and East Asia. This paper is not a comprehensive review of current thinking but instead synthesises our past decades of work together with a number of new findings. The dating of Late Cenozoic basin sediments and the tectonic geomorphology of the NE Tibetan Plateau demonstrates that the rapid persistent rise of this plateau began ~ 8 ± 1 Ma followed by stepwise accelerated rise at ~ 3.6 Ma, 2.6 Ma, 1.8–1.7 Ma, 1.2–0.6 Ma and 0.15 Ma. The Yellow River basin developed at ~ 1.7 Ma and evolved to its present pattern through stepwise backward-expansion toward its source area in response to the stepwise uplift of the plateau. High-resolution multi-climatic proxy records from the basins and terrace sediments indicate a persistent stepwise accelerated enhancement of the East Asian winter monsoon and drying of the Asian interior coupled with the episodic tectonic uplift since ~ 8 Ma and later also with the global cooling since ~ 3.2 Ma, suggesting a major role for tectonic forcing of the cooling.     

Kinematics of the crust around the Tanggula Shan in North–Central Tibet: Constraints from paleomagnetic data

We have conducted a paleomagnetic investigation on the Middle–Upper Jurassic marine strata exposed in the hanging wall of the Tanggula Thrust system near the Yanshiping area, northern Tibet. Progressive demagnetization experiments successfully isolated stable magnetization over a broad spectrum of demagnetization temperatures. The mean direction of the characteristic remanent magnetizations for the Middle–Late Jurassic Yanshiping Group in stratigraphic coordinates (D/I (Declination/Inclination) = 5.6°/60.3°, k = 22.9, α95 = 12.9°, N = 7 s) is much more clustered than the mean direction in geographic coordinates (D/I = 345.5°/37.2°, k = 2.5, α95 = 48.4°), indicating magnetization was not acquired after folding. Although the conventional fold test is positive, incremental untilting test on the characteristic remanent magnetization reveals that a maximum value of precision parameter k occurs at 82.1 ± 4.6% untilting (D/I = 3.3°/57.8°, k = 43.9, α95 = 9.2°), which indicates the ChRMs are probably acquired during Late Cretaceous folding. This synfolding magnetization component is therefore secondary. The corresponding pole position (84.4°N, 119.4°E with dp/dm = 13.5/9.9°) is inconsistent with Jurassic–Early Cretaceous paleopoles of the region, but the paleolatitude is consistent with the Late Cretaceous paleolatitude observed in the Qiangtang terrane and its periphery. The synfolding component is carried by both magnetite and hematite, which were identified by isothermal remnant magnetization acquisition experiments, unblocking temperatures of stable magnetic components, and Curie temperature determination and correlated with observed hydrothermal veins. Available geological evidences indicate that the synfolding magnetization is probably the result of chemical remagnetization caused by orogenic fluids or hydrothermal sources during the early uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.     

Extinction of deep-sea foraminifera as a result of Pliocene–Pleistocene deep-sea circulation changes in the South China Sea (ODP Sites 1143 and 1146)

During the Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene, 56 species and 15 genera of elongate, cylindrical benthic foraminifera disappeared from the deep sea in the South China Sea (ODP Sites 1143 and 1146) as part of the last global extinction in the deep sea. This extinction group (Ext. Gp) exhibited a pulsed decline in abundance and species richness mostly during glacials, and often associated with periods of expansion of polar ice that resulted from increased cooling of the Earth's climate since ∼2.5 Ma, particularly during the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition (MPT, 1.2–0.6 Ma). We infer that the Ext. Gp decline in abundance and disappearance was a result of the increased glacial cooling and consequent increased ventilation of the deep-sea water masses. The detailed record of withdrawal of the Ext. Gp differs between the two sites, with far more disappearances occurring prior to the MPT in the deeper Site 1143 (2772 m) than in the shallower Site 1146 (2092 m). The Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene declines in deeper parts of the South China Sea (Site 1143) may have resulted from enhanced glacial production of deep, southern-sourced water passing over the sill into the basin from the North-west Pacific. During the MPT however, the Ext. Gp declines and disappearances were of similar timing and magnitude in both sites, implying that both were influenced by the same deep-water mass during glacials at this time. This could have been North Pacific Deep Water, which many workers infer was formed in the northern Pacific during the last glacial, and may have begun forming during MPT glacials, in association with the progressively enhanced cooling of the Northern Hemisphere.     

The 1420 Ma Indiavaí Mafic Intrusion (SW Amazonian Craton): Paleomagnetic results and implications for the Columbia supercontinent

The configuration and the timing of assembly and break-up of Columbia are still matter of debate. In order to improve our knowledge about the Mesoproterozoic evolution of Columbia, a paleomagnetic study was carried out on the 1420 Ma Indiavaí mafic intrusive rocks that crosscut the polycyclic Proterozoic basement of the SW Amazonian Craton, in southwestern Mato Grosso State (Brazil). Alternating field and thermal demagnetization revealed south/southwest ChRM directions with downward inclinations for sixteen analyzed sites. These directions are probably carried by SD/PSD magnetite with high coercivities and high unblocking temperatures as indicated by additional rock magnetic tests, including thermomagnetic data, hysteresis data and the progressive acquisition of isothermal remanent magnetization. Different stable magnetization components isolated in host rocks from the basement 10 km NW away to the Indiavaí intrusion, further support the primary origin of the ChRM. A mean of the site mean directions was calculated at Dm = 209.8°, Im = 50.7° (α₉₅ = 8.0°, K = 22.1), which yielded a paleomagnetic pole located at 249.7°E, 57.0°S (A₉₅ = 8.6°). The similarity of this pole with the recently published 1420 Ma pole from the Nova Guarita dykes in northern Mato Grosso State suggests a similar tectonic framework for these two sites located 600 km apart, implying the bulk rigidity of the Rondonian-San Ignacio crust at that time. Furthermore these data provide new insights on the tectonic significance of the 1100–1000 Ma Nova Brasilândia belt—a major EW feature that cuts across the basement rocks of this province, which can now be interpreted as intracratonic, in contrast to previous interpretation. From a global perspective, a new Mesoproterozoic paleogeography of Columbia has been proposed based on comparison of these 1420 Ma poles and a 1780 Ma pole from Amazonia with other paleomagnetic poles of similar age from Baltica and Laurentia, a reconstruction in agreement with geological correlations.     

中国第四纪古地磁学研究进展

本文扼要介绍了中国第四纪古地磁学研究的进展,其主要结论为：中国黄土－古土壤的主要磁性矿物是磁铁矿、赤铁矿和磁赤铁矿,特征剩磁载体为磁铁矿;Ｌ８和Ｌ３３分别记录了Ｍ／Ｂ和Ｇ／Ｍ地磁极性转换过程;Ｊａｒａｍｉｌｌｏ极性亚带的顶、底分别位于Ｌ１０和Ｌ１２;六盘山以东的黄土剖面,由于土壤化作用强烈,成土过程产生的次生剩余磁性已将持续时间只有５０００ａ左右的Ｂｌａｋｅ极性亚时的原始磁信息掩盖,无法分离出来;只有六盘山以西的黄土剖面才有可能记录Ｂｌａｋｅ极性亚时。黄土的剩余磁性受“Ｓｍｏｏｔｈｉｎｇ”和“Ｌｏｏｋ－ｉｎ”效应的影响很小,因此是研究极性转换期间地球磁场形态学和古风向的合适物质。     

Paleomagnetism of the Middle–Late Jurassic to Cretaceous red beds from the Peninsular Thailand: Implications for collision tectonics

Jurassic to Cretaceous red sandstones were sampled at 33 sites from the Khlong Min and Lam Thap formations of the Trang Syncline (7.6°N, 99.6°E), the Peninsular Thailand. Rock magnetic experiments generally revealed hematite as a carrier of natural remanent magnetization. Stepwise thermal demagnetization isolates remanent components with unblocking temperatures of 620–690 °C. An easterly deflected declination (D = 31.1°, I = 12.2°, α₉₅ = 13.9°, N = 9, in stratigraphic coordinates) is observed as pre-folding remanent magnetization from North Trang Syncline, whereas westerly deflected declination (D = 342.8°, I = 22.3°, α₉₅ = 12.7°, N = 13 in geographic coordinates) appears in the post-folding remanent magnetization from West Trang Syncline. These observations suggest an occurrence of two opposite tectonic rotations in the Trang area, which as a part of Thai–Malay Peninsula received clockwise rotation after Jurassic together with Shan-Thai and Indochina blocks. Between the Late Cretaceous and Middle Miocene, this area as a part of southern Sundaland Block experienced up to 24.5° ± 11.5° counter-clockwise rotation with respect to South China Block. This post-Cretaceous tectonic rotation in Trang area is considered as a part of large scale counter-clockwise rotation experienced by the southern Sundaland Block (including the Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and south Sulawesi areas) as a result of Australian Plate collision with southeast Asia. Within the framework of Sundaland Block, the northern boundary of counter-clockwise rotated zone lies between the Trang area and the Khorat Basin.     

The effect of weathering on the grain-size distribution of red soils in south-eastern China and its climatic implications

Particle-size analysis is a useful way to determine the source and deposition of sediments. However, there are inconsistencies when this method is used to constrain the origin of the red soils in south-eastern China. To address this problem, we performed a detailed grain-size analysis of two red soil sequences in Xuancheng and Qiliting located along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. By comparing their particle-size characteristics with those of the loess on the Loess Plateau in northern China, we found that the aeolian samples plot in a particular zone in the C–M (grain size of the cumulative 1% versus median grain size) plot and cluster nearer the lower left corner of the plot as their degree of weathering increases. The grain-size features suggest that the onset of large-scale aeolian deposition along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River occurred at approximately 0.8 Ma. Although both sedimentary sorting and post-depositional weathering control the grain-size variations in the deposits, the extremely strong weathering due to the humid, warm climate along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River primarily modified the grain-size distributions of the primary red soil deposits. Strong weathering increased the very fine silt (2–5 μm) fraction and decreased the coarse (>63 μm) fraction. We also found that certain grain-size parameters of the red soils varied with the weathering intensity, which can be used as indicators of palaeoclimate variations. The grain size variations in both the Qiliting and Xuancheng sequences suggest that the mid-Pleistocene climate transition (MPT) may have affected the lower reaches of the Yangtze River at 0.9 Ma.     

High-resolution magnetostratigraphic study of the Paleogene-Neogene strata in the Northern Qaidam Basin: Implications for the growth of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

The Cenozoic terrestrial, intermontane Qaidam Basin on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau contains > 12 km of sedimentary rocks that potentially document the accommodation of India-Asia convergence and the growth of the plateau. The chronology remains incomplete, hindering cross-basin correlation between lithostratigraphic units and their further interpretation. Here we present a high-resolution magnetostratigraphy spanning > 5 km of Paleogene-Neogene sequence at Dahonggou in the Northern Qaidam Basin. Based on correlation with the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS), we have dated the section to being between ~ 52 and ~ 7 Ma. The bottom conglomeratic unit, ranging from > 52 Ma to ~ 44 Ma, was deposited in high-energy environments (e.g., alluvial fan or braided river), reflecting the earliest deformation and uplift of the basin-bounding Qilian Shan fold-thrust belt in response to India-Asia collision. In addition, we identified two major increases in sedimentation rate at 25–16 Ma and after ~ 9.5 Ma and three phases of lesser increases at 52–44 Ma, 38–33 Ma, and 14.6–12.0 Ma. These increases in sedimentation rate are consistent with regional thermochronology and basin analysis studies, which revealed enhanced motion on basin-bounding thrust faults. We argue that these accelerated sedimentation rates indicate pulsed tectonism in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The pulse at 25–16 Ma may further relate to phases of strong rainfall linked to an intense monsoon at that time.     

Out-of-phase evolution between summer and winter East Asian monsoons during the Holocene as recorded by Chinese loess deposits

We analyzed climate proxies from loessic-soil sections of the southern Chinese Loess Plateau. The early Holocene paleosol, S0, is 3.2 m thick and contains six sub-soil units. Co-eval soils from the central Loess Plateau are thinner (~ 1 m). Consequently higher-resolution stratigraphic analyses can be made on our new sections and provide more insight into Holocene temporal variation of the East Asian monsoon. Both summer and winter monsoon evolution signals are recorded in the same sections, enabling the study of phase relationships between the signals. Our analyses consist of (i) measurements of magnetic properties sensitive to the production of fine-grained magnetic minerals which reflect precipitation intensity and summer monsoon strength; and (ii) grain-size analyses which reflect winter monsoon strength. Our results indicate that the Holocene precipitation maximum occurred in the mid-Holocene, ~ 7.8–3.5 cal ka BP, with an arid interval at 6.3–5.3 cal ka BP. The winter monsoon intensity declined to a minimum during 5.0–3.4 cal ka BP. These results suggest that the East Asian summer and winter monsoons were out of phase during the Holocene, possibly due to their different sensitivities to ice and snow coverage at high latitudes and to sea-surface temperature at low latitudes.     

Combined paleomagnetic and geochronological study on Cretaceous strata of the Qiangtang terrane,central Tibet

A combined paleomagnetic and geochronological investigation has been performed on Cretaceous rocks in southern Qiangtang terrane (32.5°N, 84.3°E), near Gerze, central Tibetan Plateau. A total of 14 sites of volcanic rocks and 22 sites of red beds have been sampled. Our new U–Pb geochronologic study of zircons dates the volcanic rocks at 103.8 ± 0.46 Ma (Early Cretaceous) while the red beds belong to the Late Cretaceous. Rock magnetic experiments suggest that magnetite and hematite are the main magnetic carriers. After removing a low temperature component of viscous magnetic remanence, stable characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) was isolated successfully from all the sites by stepwise thermal demagnetization. The tilt-corrected mean direction from the 14 lava sites is D = 348.0°, I = 47.3°, k = 51.0, α₉₅ = 5.6°, corresponding to a paleopole at 79.3°N, 339.8°E, A₉₅ = 5.7° and yielding a paleolatitude of 29.3° ± 5.7°N for the study area. The ChRM directions isolated from the volcanic rocks pass a fold test at 95% confidence, suggesting a primary origin. The volcanic data appear to have effectively averaged out secular variation as indicated by both geological evidence and results from analyzing the virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) scatter. The mean inclination from the Late Cretaceous red beds, however, is 13.1° shallower than that of the ~ 100 Ma volcanic rocks. After performing an elongation/inclination analysis on 174 samples of the red beds, a mean inclination of 47.9° with 95% confidence limits between 41.9° and 54.3° is obtained, which is consistent with the mean inclination of the volcanic rocks. The site-mean direction of the Late Cretaceous red beds after tilt-correction and inclination shallowing correction is D = 312.6°, I = 47.7°, k = 109.7, α₉₅ = 3.0°, N = 22 sites, corresponding to a paleopole at 49.2°N, 1.9°E, A₉₅ = 3.2° (yielding a paleolatitude of 28.7° ± 3.2°N for the study area). The ChRM of the red beds also passes a fold test at 99% confidence, indicating a primary origin. Comparing the paleolatitude of the Qiangtang terrane with the stable Asia, there is no significant difference between our sampling location in the southern Qiangtang terrane and the stable Asia during ~ 100 Ma and Late Cretaceous. Our results together with the high quality data previously published suggest that an ~ 550 km N–S convergence between the Qiangtang and Lhasa terranes happened after ~ 100 Ma. Comparison of the mean directions with expected directions from the stable Asia indicates that the Gerze area had experienced a significant counterclockwise rotation after ~ 100 Ma, which is most likely caused by the India–Asia collision.     

Magnetic fabric and paleomagnetism of the Middle Triassic siliciclastic rocks from the Nanpanjiang Basin,South China: Implications for sediment provenance and tectonic process

A combined magnetic fabric and paleomagnetic study has been carried out on the siliciclastic rocks gathered from a stratigraphic cross-section through the Nanpanjiang Basin, South China, in an attempt to extract the paleoflow information preserved in and, thus, constrain the possible origins of these clastic rocks. The sediments used for this study were formed by sediment-gravity flows along the southern margin of the South China block in the Middle Triassic time (ca. 245–228 Ma). The results show a normal distribution of both low field magnetic susceptibility values and natural remanent magnetization intensities, which along with the monotonic detrital framework mode, mainly comprising quartz and lithic particles, may suggest a single provenance involved in deposition of these clastic deposits. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) analysis acquires primarily the sedimentary magnetic fabrics, which, in this study, reveal paleoflow directions ranging from NNW to ENE with an overall mean orientation of NE. Demagnetization on a part of samples isolates a characteristic remanent component averaged at D = 44.8°, I = 16.9°, κ = 9.7, α₉₅ = 6. 5°, n = 55, corresponding to a paleolatitude N8.6° and a clockwise rotation of ca. 45° since the Middle Triassic for the studied cross-section. This mean direction passes fold tests and is consistent with the reference direction expected from the South China block at the 95% confidence level. Restoring this ∼45° declination renders an overall northward paleoflow, which, combined with other evidence, suggests a southern provenance for these sediments during deposition in the Middle Triassic time. In terms of the early Mesozoic plate framework of southeastern Asia, a tectonic scenario is proposed here, whereby the nearly N–S convergence of the Indochina and South China blocks and its related Indosinian orogeny in the Middle Triassic caused the formation of the Nanpanjiang foreland basin, which was filled by voluminous detritus shed from the uplifted orogenic belt on its southern side.