Magnetic properties of Jiaxian red clay sequences from northern Chinese Loess Plateau and its paleoclimatic significance

Rock magnetism research on eolian deposits from the Chinese Loess Plateau shows that magnetite, maghe- mite and hematite are the main magnetic minerals in loess-paleosol sequences and red clay se-quences[1―8], and finds that the magnetic susceptibility increase is positively correlated to the content of ultra-fine minerals and relatively strong pedogene- sis[7―15]. This offers significant information in studying the Late Cenozoic paleoclimatic history of Chinese Loess Plateau[1,5―8,10―22…     

天山黄土区与黄土高原表土磁性特征对比及环境意义

本文对黄土高原和天山黄土区表土进行系统的岩石磁学和粒度测试分析,探讨了表土磁性特征及其环境意义,结果表明表土中的强磁性矿物均为磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿,弱磁性矿物为赤铁矿和纤铁矿或针铁矿,黄土高原黄土地层中的磁赤铁矿至少有部分属于风积成因.黄土高原表土中磁化率与频率磁化率呈良好的正相关,气候作用是主导黄土高原表上磁化率增强的主...     

Multiple origins and interpretations of the magnetic susceptibility signal in Chinese wind-blown sediments

In most Chinese loess–paleosol sequences, high magnetic susceptibility values are found in the soil horizons, with low values in the loess layers. The susceptibility signal has been widely used as a proxy climatic indicator. However, both the causes and mechanisms which control susceptibility still remain controversial. Our recent studies challenge some earlier interpretations of the magnetic susceptibility signal in Chinese wind-blown sediments. First, the prevailing hypothesis of pedogenic origin cannot totally account for the susceptibility variations in many sections. Second, in some cases, the principal carrier of the magnetization seems not to be the ultrafine pedogenic minerals, rather coarse lithogenic magnetic minerals derived from local sources can also contribute significantly to the susceptibility signal. Finally, not all the Chinese soils have higher susceptibility values than that of loess or sand layers, opposite relationships do exist. It is concluded that the source and causes of susceptibility may be different from site to site or even at different times at a given site. Any single hypothesis cannot completely account for the susceptibility variations in the Chinese Loess Plateau and its surrounding regions. Besides the previous explanations of carbonate leaching, pedogenic processes and organic decomposition, the contribution of source materials to magnetic susceptibility must also be taken into account.     

On the relationship between environmental aridization of the Loess Plateau and soil water in loess

The similarity between loess palaeo- environment and geographic distribution of modem bioclimatic zones is taken as a starting point; the relationship between the environmental aridization and soil water in loess ia discussed from the point view of the soil water energy status and their soil water physical characteristics of modem lcessial soils on the Loess Plateau. The soil water content becomes less and less from southeast to northwest, which not only provides favorable conditions for dust production by wind of loess origin, but also reveals that there is obviously a directional change in the environmental drought intensity of the Loess Plateau. Project supported by the key pmject (KZ951-B1-211) of ecological and environmental study of the Chinese Academy of Sciences     

Comparison between luminescence and radiocarbon dating of late Quaternary loess from the Ili Basin in Central Asia

Dust depositions are critical archives for understanding interior aridification and westerly climatic changes in Central Asia. Accurate and reliable dating of loess is very important for interpreting and correlating environmental records. There remains a disparity between luminescence ages and radiocarbon dating of late Quaternary loess from the Ili Basin in Central Asia. In this study, we establish a closely spaced quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) chronology for the 20.5-m-thick Nilka loess section in the Ili Basin. Based on OSL ages, two intervals of higher mass accumulation rate occurred at 49–43 ka and 24–14 ka. We further compare these OSL ages with 23 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ¹⁴C ages of bulk organic matter. The results indicate that the OSL and radiocarbon ages agree well for ages younger than ca. 25 ¹⁴C cal ka BP. However, beyond 30 cal ka BP, there is no consistent increase in AMS ¹⁴C age with depth, while the OSL ages continue to increase. These differences confirm the observation that the AMS ¹⁴C ages obtained using conventional acid–base–acid (ABA) pretreatment are severely underestimated in other terrestrial deposits in Central Asia, which could be due to 2–4% modern carbon contamination. However, OSL dating is applicable for constructing an accurate chronology beyond 30 cal ka BP. We suggest caution when interpreting paleoenvironmental changes based on radiocarbon ages older than 25 cal ka BP.     

Evaluating OSL-SAR protocols for dating quartz grains from the loess in Ili Basin,Central Asia

Late Pleistocene records of loess deposition are a critical archive for understanding terrestrial paleoenvironment changes in Central Asia. The age of loess is not well known for the deserts regions and surrounding high plateaus in Central Asia. Previous studies have shown that there remains a disparity between ages for loess deposition by luminescence and ¹⁴C dating. This study evaluates the potential of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date a loess sequence resting on fluvial sands in the east Ili Basin, Central Asia. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol on coarse grain quartz was employed for equivalent dose determinations. The basal fluvial sand returned a secure OSL age, with low overdispersion value in equivalent doses (19 ± 2%) of ca. 36 ka and provides a close, but maximum age estimate (within 5 ka) on the initiation of loess deposition. However, the loess yielded high overdispersion values for equivalent doses and age reversals, coincident with diffuse paleosols; indicating that pedoturbation with loess deposition may be a dominant process. OSL ages between ca. 45 and 14 ka calculated using a maximum age model and OSL ages from other sites in the Basin suggests that the latest major period of loess deposition was between 70 and 10 ka ago. A future hypothesis to test based on these analyses is that there may be three periods of heightened loess deposition at ca. 45, 35 to 19 and 14 ka, when desert source areas to the west were particularly dry.     

黄土高原大理河流域水沙耦合模型应用研究

水沙模型是定量描述水沙关系及水沙规律的重要工具,现阶段国内外对于水沙模型的研究大都为基于某个典型流域的经验统计模型或基于流域大量基础资料的物理模型,极大限制了其使用范围及模拟精度.本文建立了结构与参数均具有物理意义的流域水沙耦合物理概念模型,其优点是物理概念清楚,模拟精度高,实用性强,易于深入研究泥沙基本规律.该模型将概念性水文模型和泥沙模型耦合,提出水流挟沙能力和土壤抗侵蚀能力概念,用对数曲线近似描述流域土壤抗侵蚀能力的空间变异性,在拜格诺河道水流悬移质泥沙公式基础上建立概念性沟蚀产沙公式,参照水流汇集相似性建立泥沙汇集演算公式.选取黄河中游大理河流域4个不同流域尺度的实际流域对模型进行应用检验,模拟结果表明,该模型的水流泥沙两部分均有很高的模拟精度,可以很好地模拟黄河中游地区不同流域尺度和年际尺度上的洪水过程和泥沙产生及输移过程,充分证明了该模型结构、参数和计算方法的合理性,可用于定量分析流域内各项水保措施的减水减沙效益及水沙关系变化趋势,对该模型的推广应用可做进一步分析研究.     

Paleoclimatic significance of grain size of loess-palaeosol deposit in Chinese Loess Plateau

Particle size analysis for samples from three last glacial cycle loess-palaeosol profiles along a northwestsoutheast transection on the Chinese Loess Plateau has been carried out. The paleoclimatic significance of grain size indices has been obtained by analyzing the fraction content variations and their comparisons with global ice volume and solar radiation variations. The results show that (i) paleoclimatic significance of the grain size indices of loess-palaeosol deposit is different with grain size fraction content and sampling points in Chinese Loess Plateau; (ii) the sub-coarse grain fraction is a good proxy index of East Asia winter monsoon strength and therefore can be used to detect the global climate changes; (iii) the content of sub-fine and fine grain fractions is influenced by both the input of sub-coarse grain fraction and pedogenesis; (iv) the sub-coarse fraction exhibits a negative relationship with the sub-fine and fine fractlon. Project supported by the 9.5 major project of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the open grant of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Preliminary study of mollusk fossils in the Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence in western Chinese Loess Plateau

The Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence (~22―6.2 Ma)[1] discovered from the Gansu Group[2] several years ago extends the well-known Quaternary loess-soil sequence and the late Tertiary Red Clay se-quence of the Loess Plateau to early Miocene epoch. Most recently, the Dongwan late Miocene–Pliocene loess-soil sequence (~7.1―3.5 Ma)[3] further extends the upper limit of the reported Qinan Miocene loess-soil sequence into the Pliocene. These extensions have great potentials for the study o…     

Environmental evolution of Zoigê Basin since 900 kaB.P. and comparison study with Loess Plateau

The Zoige Basin is located in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, in which two cores, RH and RM, have been drilled, with the depths of 120 m and 310 m respectively. The former with the bottom age of 826 kaB. P. has been divided into 21 stages according to the multi-proxy analysis, which could be basically compared with the oxygen isotope record of deep-sea core. The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental process of the Zoigê Basin over the past 900 kaB. P. is reconstructed, and the comparison of core RH with the Luochuan Loess record is made.     

History and variability of Asian interior aridity recorded by eolian flux in the Chinese Loess Plateau during the past 7 Ma

Eolian flux in the Chinese Loess Plateau was reconstructed by measuring the dry bulk density and CaCO3 content of the late Cenozoic loess-paleosol-red clay sequences in the Lingtai profile. Comparison of eolian flux variation between the Lingtai profile and the ODP sites 885/886 in the North Pacific shows a significant wet-dry variability in addition to a gradual drying trend in the dust source regions in interior Asia. Especially, the increase of eolian fluxes from both continental and pelagic eolian sediments indicates a sharp drying of the dust source regions between 3.6 and 2.6 MaBP, which might be attributed to the tectonic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, which cut down the moisture input to the interior Asia. The average value and variability of eolian flux are higher after 2.6 MaBP than before, which may be related to the Quaternary climatic fluctuations on the glacial-interglacial timescale after the commencement of major Northern Hemisphere Glaciations. The eolian fluxes of the Lingtai profile and Core V21-146 in northwest Pacific show a synchronous variation on the 104-105 a timescale, indicating that the flux variations from both continental and marine records are closely correlated to the Quaternary climatic fluctuation forced by the ice volume changes on a global scale.     

黄土高原北部晚新近纪“吴起古湖”的古地磁年代学与古环境记录

晚新近纪以来中国北方堆积的风成红粘土-黄土序列是古气候信息的良好载体, 在黄土高原北部的吴起地区存在一套湖相沉积物, 层位上介于第四纪黄土与晚新近纪红粘土之间, 但该古湖存在的具体时限尚不清楚. 我们利用岩石磁学及古地磁年代学方法并结合多种气候指标对代表“吴起古湖”的土佛寺剖面进行了初步研究, 结果表明湖相沉积物中特征剩磁的载体主要为磁铁矿和赤铁矿, 在此基础上得到的磁极性序列能很好地与国际地磁极性年表对比, 剖面起始于4.28 Ma B. P.左右, 湖相沉积层起始于3.0 Ma B. P.左右, 结束于1.2 Ma B. P.左右. 岩性、磁化率、粒度和沉积速率变化均反映出这一时期该地区环境变化的总体趋势是由暖湿向冷干发展, 期间“吴起古湖”的演化大致经历了三个阶段: 3.0~2.5 Ma B. P.为古湖形成时期, 水体相对较深; 2.50～2.05 Ma B. P.期间受古气候变化的影响湖水明显变浅; 2.05~1.20 Ma B. P.时古湖中仍有一定量的水体存在, 但随后逐步缩小并最终消亡. 该地区气候条件在1.2 Ma B. P.左右的恶化是导致吴起古湖消亡的主要因素, 区域构造活动引起的北洛河溯源侵蚀并切穿湖盆可能也是原因之一.     

Pedogenic factors affecting magnetic susceptibility of the last interglacial palaeosol S1 in the Chinese Loess Plateau

The magnetic susceptibility has been used as a quantitative or semi‐quantitative proxy for reconstructing the summer monsoon intensity in the Chinese Loess Plateau based on extensive studies on climatic or/and environmental mechanisms producing the magnetic susceptibility signatures. However, the precise nature of the link between past climates and the susceptibility signatures has remained uncertain primarily due to lack of our understanding in the ?nalizing and preserving processes of the signatures. This paper attempts to examine the reliability or acceptability of this summer monsoon proxy from non‐magnetic perspectives of soil‐forming processes. We chose nine sections along two transects: one across the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau and another across the eastern part. Several conclusions can be drawn from our analytical data. First, clay translocation within the S1 palaeosol pro?les, as indicated by ?eld‐observed clay coatings on ped faces in Bt and Bk horizons and demonstrated by laboratory‐analysed clay contents, must have moved some of the magnetic minerals downward so that the susceptibility re?ects only the post‐translocation distribution of the magnetic‐susceptibility‐producing minerals. Second, the best‐developed palaeosol S1S3 at most of the sections studied is not expressed by the magnetic susceptibility because this palaeosol developed in underlying coarse loess (L2) and coarse textures tend to lower the susceptibility. Third, carbonate concentration is normally negatively correlated with the magnetic susceptibility or simply suppresses the magnetic susceptibility peak when the susceptibility enhancement exceeds the carbonate dilution effect. To conclude, extreme caution must be observed when using magnetic susceptibility signatures to retrieve high‐resolution records of the last interglacial palaeoclimate in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Loess in the Czech Republic: Magnetic properties and paleoclimate

Summary We have studied 454 oriented samples from seven loess outcrops in the Czech Republic for comparison and correlation of the magnetic properties with those of the loess profiles in China and Central Asia. Three sections at Sedlec (Prague), Zeměchy and Dolní Věstonice cover the time span of the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Loess from the middle Pleistocene period including pedocomplexes V and VI was studied at Sedlešovice (Znojmo) and Karlštejn. Loess of uncertain — possibly lower to middle Pleistocene age — was sampled at Sedlec near Mikulov. At Červeny Kopec (Red Hill, Brno) we investigated the oldest loess near the Matuyama/Brunhes (M/B) boundary. The characteristic remanence (ChRM) determined after magnetic clearning is of normal polarity throughout all sections except at Červeny Kopec. There, two polarity changes from reversed to normal were found within two sections initially thought to represent two successive stratigraphic intervals. However, the marked similarities between lithological, susceptibility, declination and inclination profiles lead us to suggest that the two polarity changes are in fact one and the same. The two sections are therefore laterally equivalent and both have recorded the M/B field reversal. The susceptibility variations were used to mutually correlate the Czech sections and to construct a composite profile across the present day loess outcrops in the Czech Republic. They also serve as a paleoclimate proxy which can be compared and correlated with the paleoclimatic records observed in the Chinese and Central Asian loess. The origin of the low field susceptibility variations was studied by measuring the frequency dependence of susceptibility which revealed that the enhancement within the pedocomplexes is controlled by the amount of fine-grained ferromagnetic minerals present.     

Two pedogenic models for paleoclimatic records of magnetic susceptibility from Chinese and Siberian loess

The magnetic susceptibility (MS) of Chinese loess showing a general proportional relationship to pedogenic grade has been widely recognized and used for reconstruction of paleoclimate by Quaternary scientists. The in-situ pedogenic enhancement of ferrimagnetic content is normally believed to be the main reason for the increase of susceptibility in soil units. However, this pattern of high magnetic susceptibility in palaeosols, and low values in loess, are not replicated in some loess deposits. Siberian loess deposits display a completely opposite susceptibility behavior: high values in loess and low values in palaeosols. This inverse relationship has been explained by the idea that magnetic susceptibility is reflecting the magnitude of an aeolian ferrimagnetic component of consistent mineralogy, the grain size of which is related to average wind velocity. Our magnetic study of Siberian samples in this paper suggests that there are notable differences in magnetic properties between Siberian loess and developed palaeosols, not only in magnetic grain-size and concentration but also in magnetic mineralogy. This evidence is difficult to explain fully through variation in wind strength alone, but implies that the low magnetic susceptibility values in the Siberian paleosol units are a reflection, at least in part, of the alteration of the ferrimagnetic content by post-depositional processes. The Loess Plateau is a very arid area where potential evaporation is always higher than precipitation; pedogenesis occurs under dry oxidising conditions. The Siberian Kurtak region is located on the edge of the tundra where it is always wet and saturation during interglacials will lead to a reducing pedogenic environment. Ferrimagnetic minerals under this condition will be destroyed, resulting in lower magnetic susceptibility. Therefore, great care should be taken when using susceptibility values for paleoclimatic reconstruction.     

黄土高原西北缘末次冰期晚期以来黄土沉积物的岩石磁学性质

以黄土高原西北缘的靖远和古浪剖面(包含黄土层L1上部和古土壤层S0)作为研究对象,选取代表性样品进行磁化率、频率磁化率、热磁曲线、等温剩磁获得曲线和磁滞回线等测定.结果表明,靖远和古浪L1黄土和S0古土壤具有相似的岩石磁学特征.磁性矿物含量相对较低,载磁矿物均以磁铁矿为主,同时含有磁赤铁矿和赤铁矿,且S0古土壤中的磁赤铁矿含量要高于L1黄土.靖远和古浪剖面L1黄土和S0古土壤的亚铁磁性矿物平均粒度都分布在准单畴(PSD)范围,并且L1黄土平均粒径比S0古土壤更靠近多畴(MD)范围.通过与黄土高原东部黄土剖面L1黄土和S0古土壤的磁化率对比分析,认为导致靖远和古浪S0古土壤磁化率增强的主要因素是气候,但是,研究区受物源影响较大,来自粉尘源区的粗颗粒磁性矿物对磁化率贡献不可忽略.     

Changes in grain-size and sedimentation rate of the Neogene Red Clay deposits along the Chinese Loess Plateau and implications for the palaeowind system

In recent years, the Red Clay deposits underlying Quaternary loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau (north China) have attracted more attention because they show a direct and continuous record of past atmos- pheric circulation and palaeoclimatic change. Investiga- tions on Red Clay deposits through multidisciplinary methods have demonstrated an aeolian origin for the Red Clay, like the overlying Quaternary loess. The Red Clay formed during the Miocene and Pliocene[1―13]. However, the type o…     

Runoff responses to afforestation in a watershed of the Loess Plateau,China

Afforestation has been suggested as a means of improving soil and water conservation in north‐western China, especially on the Loess Plateau. Understanding of the hydrological responses to afforestation will help us develop sustainable watershed management strategies. A study was conducted during the period of 1956 to 1980 to evaluate runoff responses to afforestation in a watershed on the Loess Plateau with an area of 1·15 km², using a paired watershed approach. Deciduous trees, including locust (locusta L.), apricot (praecox L.) and elm (ulmus L.), were planted on about 80% of a treated watershed, while a natural grassland watershed remained unchanged. It was estimated that cumulative runoff yield in the treated watershed was reduced by 32% as a result of afforestation. A significant trend was also observed that shows annual runoff reduction increases with the age of the trees planted. Reduction in monthly runoff occurred mainly from June to September, which was ascribed to greater rainfall and utilization by trees during this period. Afforestation also resulted in reduction in the volume and peak flow of storm runoff events in the treated watershed with greater reduction in peak flow. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of biological crust coverage on soil hydraulic properties for the Loess Plateau of China

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are ubiquitous living covers that have been allowed to grow on abandoned farmlands over the Loess Plateau because the “Grain for Green” project was implemented in 1999 to control serious soil erosion. However, few studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of BSC coverage on soil hydraulic properties. This study was performed to assess the effects of BSC coverage on soil hydraulic properties, which are reflected by the soil sorptivity under an applied pressure of 0 (S ₀ ) and ?3 (S ₃ ) cm, saturated hydraulic conductivity (K _s ), wetting front depth (WFD ), and mean pore radius (λ _m ), for the Loess Plateau of China. Five classes of BSC coverage (i.e., 1–20%, 20–40%, 40–60%, 60–80%, and 80–100%) and a bare control were selected at both cyanobacteria‐ and moss‐covered sites to measure soil hydraulic properties using a disc infiltrometer under 2 consecutive pressure heads of 0 and ?3 cm, allowing the direct calculation of S ₀ , S ₃ , K _s , and λ _m . The WFD was measured onsite using a ruler immediately after the experiments of infiltration. The results indicated that both cyanobacteria and moss crusts were effective in changing the soil properties and impeding soil infiltration. The effects of moss were greater than those of cyanobacteria. Compared to those of the control, the S ₀ , S ₃ , K _s , WFD , and λ _m values of cyanobacteria‐covered soils were reduced by 13.7%, 11.0%, 13.3%, 10.6%, and 12.6% on average, and those of moss‐covered soils were reduced by 27.6%, 22.1%, 29.5%, 22.2%, and 25.9%, respectively. The relative soil sorptivity under pressures of 0 (RS ₀ ) and ?3 (RS ₃ ) cm, the relative saturated hydraulic conductivity (RK _s ), the relative wetting front depth (RWFD ), and the relative mean pore radius (Rλ _m ) decreased exponentially with coverage for both cyanobacteria‐ and moss‐covered soils. The rates of decrease in RS ₀ , RS ₃ , RK _s , RWFD , and Rλ _m of cyanobacteria were significantly slower than those of moss, especially for the coverage of 0–40%, with smaller ranges. The variations of soil hydraulic properties with BSC coverage were closely related to the change in soil clay content driven by the BSC coverage on the Loess Plateau. The results are useful for simulating the hydraulic parameters of BSC‐covered soils in arid and semiarid areas.     

巴基斯坦Bahawalpur黄土岩石磁学特征及磁化率变化机制研究

风成黄土是陆地上分布最广泛的沉积物之一,记载了各种古气候演化信息.目前巴基斯坦的黄土研究甚少,磁化率与气候对应的变化机制研究尚未开展.本文对位于巴基斯坦印度河平原Bahawalpur地区新发现的黄土-古土壤剖面进行系统的岩石磁学研究,结合粒度和漫反射光谱(DRS)数据,讨论巴基斯坦黄土的磁化率变化机制.实验结果显示：Bahawalpur (BH)剖面黄土层主要的载磁矿物为磁铁矿,同时含有少量磁赤铁矿和针铁矿,磁性颗粒以原生的MD和PSD颗粒为主.相对于黄土层,古土壤层则是以针铁矿为主,含有顺磁性矿物和少量磁铁矿.BH剖面磁化率与成土作用关系和中国黄土高原典型剖面相反,磁化率的变化可能存在一个阈值12.8×10^-8m³·kg^-1,在阈值之上,强磁性矿物(磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿)占主导;阈值之下,以弱磁性矿物(主要是针铁矿)为主,这种磁性矿物的转变可能导致磁化率降低.本文可为今后利用磁化率解读该地区地层蕴含的古气候信息提供新线索.