A chronology for glacial Lake Agassiz shorelines along Upham's namesake transect

Four traditionally recognized strandline complexes in the southern basin of glacial Lake Agassiz are the Herman, Norcross, Tintah and Campbell, whose names correspond to towns in west-central Minnesota that lie on a linear transect defined by the Great Northern railroad grade; the active corridor for commerce at the time when Warren Upham was mapping and naming the shorelines of Lake Agassiz (ca.1880–1895). Because shorelines represent static water planes, their extension around the lake margin establishes time-synchronous lake levels. Transitions between shoreline positions represent significant water-level fluctuations. However, geologic ages have never been obtained from sites near the namesake towns in the vicinity of the southern outlet. Here we report the first geologic ages for Lake Agassiz shorelines obtained at field sites along the namesake transect, and evaluate the emerging chronology in light of other paleoclimate records. Our current work from 11 sampling sites has yielded 16 independent ages. These results combined with a growing OSL age data set for Lake Agassiz's southern basin provide robust age constraints for the Herman, Norcross and Campbell strandlines with averages and standard deviations of 14.1 ± 0.3 ka, 13.6 ± 0.2 ka, and 10.5 ± 0.3 ka, respectively.     

Fluvial aggradation phases in the Upper Rhine Graben—new insights by quartz OSL dating

The Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is characterized by a thickness of up to 500 m of unconsolidated Quaternary sediments, providing excellent records of the Rhine river system and its responses to tectonic and climatic changes. The most complete Quaternary sequence of fluvial and limnic-fluvial deposits is found in the Heidelberg Basin, due to its long-term subsidence since the mid-Eocene. The aim of this study is to provide a chronological framework using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of aeolian and fluvial sands derived from the upper 33 m of a sediment core, which was drilled into the Heidelberg Basin infill close to the village of Viernheim, Germany. The OSL ages demonstrate that the dated fluvial sediments were deposited during the last glacial period (Weichselian) and that there were at least three aggradation periods during this episode. The coversands that cap the sequence were emplaced during the early Holocene.     

Chronology of glacial Lake Agassiz meltwater routed to the Gulf of Mexico

Sediment cores with new radiocarbon dates from the southern outlet of glacial Lake Agassiz indicate that meltwater delivery to the Mississippi valley was disrupted at 10,800 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and the outlet was abandoned by 9400 ¹⁴C yr B.P. These findings confirm the timing of generally accepted terminations of the Lockhart and Emerson Phases of Lake Agassiz. Additionally, the radiocarbon chronology indicates that the spillway was fully formed by 10,800 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and that the occupancy in late-Emerson time was likely short-lived with minimal spillway erosion.     

西藏色林错12 ka以来的湖泊退缩过程——基于古湖岸线的OSL测年

青藏高原内陆封闭湖泊的水体演化是古气候变化的良好地质载体,其中湖泊古湖岸线变迁蕴含了丰富的地质信息,对其识别和研究是认识导致湖泊退缩的气候或构造变化的关键。色林错是青藏高原第二大内陆湖泊,保存了一系列古湖岸线。我们对色林错东北岸保存完好的古湖岸线进行了研究。对这些古湖岸线样品中的石英颗粒使用单片再生法(Singlealiquot regeneration)进行OSL测年,测定年龄分别为12.2±0.8 ka、6.3±0.4 ka和2.3±0.2 ka。表明色林错在约12.2 ka、6.3 ka和2.3 ka±至少出现了3次阶段性湖泊收缩过程。     

西藏色林错12ka以来的湖泊退缩过程--基于古湖岸线的OSL测年

青藏高原内陆封闭湖泊的水体演化是古气候变化的良好地质载体,其中湖泊古湖岸线变迁蕴含了丰富的地质信息,对其识别和研究是认识导致湖泊退缩的气候或构造变化的关键。色林错是青藏高原第二大内陆湖泊,保存了一系列古湖岸线。我们对色林错东北岸保存完好的古湖岸线进行了研究。对这些古湖岸线样品中的石英颗粒使用单片再生法(Single aliquot regeneration)进行OSL测年,测定年龄分别为12.2±0.8 ka、6.3±0.4 ka和2.3±0.2 ka。表明色林错在约12.2 ka、6.3 ka和2.3 ka±至少出现了3次阶段性湖泊收缩过程。     

汉江上游安康东段古洪水事件光释光测年研究

通过对汉江上游河谷广泛的野外考察,结合粒度和磁化率分析,证明汉江上游安康东段阶地剖面夹有两层典型的古洪水滞流沉积层,其记录了两期古洪水事件。选择该河段LSC两个剖面进行系统采样,对其进行了年代学和沉积学研究。应用单片再生法（SAR）光释光测年技术,获得其光释光年龄值,结合地层对比,确定这两期古洪水事件分别发生在距今13050~12270 a（对应BL+AL事件向着YD气候恶化事件转折阶段）和发生在距今1000~900 a左右,相当于我国历史上的北宋时代后期（A.D. 1000~1100）。通过与国内外多种高分辨率气候变化记录的对比分析,揭示了古洪水事件的发生与气候恶化转折时期,季风气候格局突变、气候波动不稳定、降水变率增大有密切关系,这对汉江上游水资源综合开发利用以及防洪减灾有着重要的意义。     

东天山黑沟流域冰川沉积序列及OSL测年研究

黑沟源于东天山最大现代冰川作用中心博格达峰的南坡. 在第四纪冰期与间冰期旋回中,该流域的冰川均发生过多次规模较大的进退,在谷中留下了较为完整的冰川沉积序列. 这些冰川地形包含有重要的古气候变化信息,对其研究可重建黑沟流域的冰川演化史. 应用OSL对该流域的冰川沉积物进行定年,测定结果表明冰水沉积物（沙质透镜体）比冰碛物更适宜应用单片再生剂量（SAR）测年技术进行测定. 基于测得的年龄并结合地貌地层学原理可初步得出：晚第四纪期间,黑沟流域共发生了5次规模较大的冰川作用,分别为全新世期间的小冰期（16世纪以来冷期的冰进）与新冰期（距今3~4 ka的冰进）,末次冰期晚冰阶（MIS 2）与早冰阶（MIS 4）以及倒数第二次冰期（MIS 6）.     

Late Pleistocene Palaeoenvironments of the Southern Lake Agassiz Basin,USA

Macroscopic plant remains, pollen, insect and mollusc fossils recovered from a cut bank on the Red River in North Dakota, USA, provide evidence that an extensive wetland occupied the southern basin of Lake Agassiz from 10 230 to 9900 ¹⁴C yr BP. Marsh‐dwelling plants and invertebrates had colonised the surface of a prograding delta during the low‐water Moorhead Phase of Lake Agassiz. A species of Salix (willow) was abundant along distributary channels, and stands of Populus tremuloides (aspen), Ulmus sp. (elm), Betula sp. (birch), and Picea sp. (spruce) grew on the better‐drained sand bars and beach ridges. Most of the species of plants, insects, and molluscs represented as fossils are within their existing geographic ranges. Based on a few species with more northerly distributions, mean summer temperature may have been about 1–2°C lower than the present day. No change in species composition occurred in the transition from the Younger Dryas to Preboreal. At the time that the wetland existed, Lake Agassiz was draining either eastward to the North Atlantic Ocean or northwestward to the Arctic Ocean. The wetland was drowned during the Emerson Phase transgression that resulted in meltwater draining southward to the Gulf of Mexico after 9900 ¹⁴C yr BP. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chronology and the upper dating limit for loess samples from Luochuan section in the Chinese Loess Plateau using quartz OSL SAR protocol

Luminescence dating of loess older than 100 ka has long been a challenge. It has been recently reported that, using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of fine-grained quartz (4–11 μm) extracted from loess, the range of luminescence dating could be pushed to 0.6 Ma with OSL ages being in agreement with independent ages [Watanuki, T., Murray, A.S., Tsukamoto, S., 2005. Quartz and polymineral luminescence dating of Japanese loess over the last 0.6 Ma: comparison with an independent chronology. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 240, 774–789]. The aim of this study is to provide a luminescence chronology (20 samples) for the standard Luochuan loess section, and to further examine the upper limit of quartz OSL dating for Chinese loess. The growth curve does not saturate at 700 Gy, and should allow reliable equivalent dose (D_e) determination up to at least 400 Gy. However, when compared with independent chronological control, the D_e that could be treated as reliable is less than 230 Gy (corresponding to 70 ka in age for Chinese loess), and the D_e larger than 230 Gy should be underestimated. Ages for samples from the lower part of palaeosol S1 are severely underestimated, with the maximum age of 95 ka for a sample from the bottom of this palaeosol, much younger than the expected age of 128 ka. The maximum D_e obtained for sample L9/M, collected from loess layer L9 which is below the Matuyama–Brunhes (B/M) boundary whose age is 780 ka, is only 403 Gy which corresponds to an age of 107 ka. The cause of underestimation is not yet clear. The previous results by Watunuki et al. (2005) on the extension of OSL dating of loess to 0.6 Ma is not confirmed. When evaluating the validity of OSL ages in S1, another possibility is to question the already established chronological frame for Luochuan section, which is based on the hypothesis of continuous dust deposition. The assumption of an erosion hiatus between L2 and S1 could make the OSL ages look reasonable. However, if this is the case, then it is difficult to explain why the age of sample L9/M is only 107 ka which could be treated as a saturation age, while the OSL can provide a correct age for loess as old as 94.9 ka for sample LC22 collected from the bottom of S1. Much work is required to clarify these confusions.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源末次冰期冰川沉积光释光测年

乌鲁木齐河源地区是中国冰川遗迹保存最丰富、地貌最典型的区域之一,是根据冰川遗迹重建第四纪冰川历史的理想地区。大量的研究工作以及技术测年结果也使其成为试验冰川沉积光释光（optically stimulated luminescence,OSL）测年可行性的理想地点。共采集了6个冰碛及上覆黄土样品用于光释光测年。提取38~63 μm的石英颗粒,运用SAR-SGC法测试等效剂量。各种检验表明测试程序是适用的。通过地貌地层关系、重复样品、已有年代的对比等方法,检验该地冰川沉积OSL测年的可行性。结果表明,OSL年代结果与地貌地层新老关系非常吻合,与已有的其他测年技术的年代结果也具可比性,表明这些样品的OSL信号在沉积之前晒退较好,OSL年代是可信的。冰川观测站侧碛垄的OSL年代为14.8±1.2 ka;9号冰川支谷口附近冰碛的OSL年代为13.5±1.1 ka和17.2±1.3 ka;上望峰冰碛的OSL年代为20.1±1.6 ka。综合OSL年代结果与此前其他测年结果,这几套冰碛垄形成于深海氧同位素MIS 2阶段应该是比较统一的认识。上望峰冰碛上覆黄土的OSL年代（10.5±0.8 ka）也印证了该结论。OSL年代指示上望峰冰碛对应于末次冰期最盛期,冰川观测站和9号冰川支谷谷口冰碛对应于晚冰期。下望峰冰碛的OSL年代为36.3±2.8 ka,对应于MIS 3阶段。下望峰冰碛的形成时代,仍有待更多沉积学以及测年工作进一步确定。     

光释光测年法——综述及进展

光释光(OSL)测年是对沉积物最后一次曝光(或热)事件年代的测定,其测试对象主要为石英和长石。自20世纪80年代该方法提出以来,在国内外得到了广泛的应用。但国内不少地学工作者对该技术的原理与测年方式了解十分有限,为了使应用者能更好、更全面地了解和使用这一方法,对OSL测年法及其近年来的国内外主要研究进展进行了回顾,重点对OSL测年法的基本原理、样品采集及实验室前处理过程、等效剂量(De)值的测定方式、环境剂量率的计算,以及影响测年结果可靠性的重要因素等进行了全面介绍、分析和探讨。同时,对近年来国内外关于De值测定方法与技术上的进展及已经获得较可信年龄的相关方法等进行了总结分析,并对OSL可能测年的范围和影响结果可靠性的一些潜在因素,以及对获得100ka~1Ma间的年龄新的释光信号研究方法等进行了介绍和探讨。     

OSL and TL dating of buried podsols and overlying sands in Ostrobothnia,western Finland

In Ostrobothnia, western Finland, buried fossil soils have been recognised in a number of places in the sandy sediments that occur between glaciofluvial deposits and overlying till. Samples from the soil horizons as well as below and above them were taken for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The same sites were also sampled for thermoluminescence (TL) dating. Altogether five TL dates and seventeen OSL dates were obtained. The OSL dates can be grouped into two age classes, (i) 120-163 ka and (ii) 76-106 ka, whereas all TL dates are of the order 135-155 ka. A comparison between the results obtained from the two dating methods shows that OSL dates are generally younger than the TL dates for the same sample. The discrepancy may arise partly from problems of setting a correct residual level in TL dating. If this is the case then the TL dates may indicate an upper limit for the true age. The results support the geological interpretation that the fossil soils were formed during the last interglacial, that the soil-forming processes possibly also continued during the first Early Weichselian stadial and interstadial (Brørup sensu lato), and that in general the till-covered glaciofluvial sequences, interpreted as eskers in Ostrobothnia, were deposited during the Saalian or Early Weichselian deglaciation.     

北美五大湖区晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖演化年代学综述及石英光释光测年的初步尝试

北美五大湖区的安大略湖北岸Don Valley Brickyard、Scarborough Bluffs、Bowmanville Bluffs剖面共同构成了北美东北部最长也是最厚的陆地第四纪沉积记录, 较完整地记录了晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖(the Laurentide Ice Sheet)的演化. 晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖演化的重建有赖于这些经典剖面中重要沉积地层单元的准确年代学控制. 传统的地层年代学主要是依靠少量¹⁴C年代, 将主要的混杂堆积单元(diamicton)解释为气候变冷环境下的冰川扩张, 并与指示全球冰量变化的深海氧同位素曲线一一比对建立起来的. 这样建立起来的年代学存在很大的不确定性. 20世纪80-90年代的少量热释光年代也不相吻合, 最近的13个长石红外释光定年则只集中于Bowmanville Bluffs的一个分层, 并未建立整个剖面的地层年代学, 使这些经典沉积剖面的年代学一直没有得到系统的建立. 应用石英光释光SAR-SGC法测试了Bowmanville Bluffs剖面Glaciofluvial Sand单元的2个冰水沉积样品, 年代结果分别为(41.6±3.8) ka、(48.1±4.4) ka, 分析表明这一年代结果偏老, 石英颗粒可能晒褪不完全. 由于大测片无法识别晒褪不完全的颗粒, 因此, 测试更多的剖面序列的光释光年代并尝试采用粗颗粒小测片或单颗粒技术解决样品颗粒晒褪不完全的问题将是必要的.     

Revisiting the abandoned shorelines of Lake George,Australia: a refined optical dating framework

Abandoned shorelines are an important archive used to constrain past fluctuations in the hydrological balance of lakes around the globe. Within Australia, the shorelines preserved at Lake George, NSW, form one of the few shoreline archives in the south-east of the continent that record palaeoenvironmental conditions throughout the late Quaternary. Here, we examined and tested the lake-level record for Lake George constructed in the 1970s by dating a well-preserved shoreline sequence at Luckdale, on the lake's eastern shore, using single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Ten stratigraphic units were identified, and these suggest a late Quaternary highstand for Lake George in MIS 3, with fluctuations superimposed upon an overall drying trend throughout MIS 2 and into the present. At Luckdale, the highest four shoreline-associated units were deposited ~13 to 19 m above lake base and date to between 39 ± 2 and 29 ± 1 ka ago. Our study pushes back the timing of maximum lake depth at Lake George to at least MIS 3, rather than MIS 2. The overall drying trend is supported by similar reductions in both Riverine Plain fluvial activity and other associated lake-level records from within the Murray basin.     

青海湖近岸现代沉积滩坝主要类型及沉积特征*

滩坝是隐蔽油气藏最重要的沉积储集层类型之一,已成为陆相断陷盆地油气勘探的重要领域。现代沉积滩坝的研究是深入认识滩坝沉积相的有效手段。环湖考察研究发现青海湖近岸滩坝类型多样,主要发育了废弃三角洲前缘处滩坝、三角洲侧缘处滩坝、湖岸线拐弯处滩坝、开阔滨浅湖处滩坝和冲积扇改造处滩坝5种类型。通过对各种类型滩坝剖面的详细分层及沉积物室内矿物组成分析等,发现不同类型滩坝砂体沉积特征存在很大差异。整体而言,青海湖近岸滩坝沉积物粒度较粗,黏土含量低,结构成熟度较高,沉积构造多见平行层理、交错层理和冲洗交错层理,垂向上表现出上粗下细的反韵律特征。同时,选取了青海湖南岸规模较大的坝相,分别对坝主体、坝间和坝侧缘进行详细的探槽剖面分析,得出坝主体单旋回厚度较坝间和坝侧缘大,沉积物粒度也相对较粗,黏土含量最低,分选性也最好,是发育为隐蔽油藏最有利的区域。     

山西忻定盆地断层崩积楔OSL年龄及其对古地震事件的指示意义

断层陡坎崩积楔是断层活动的直接产物,是古地震事件的重要证据。对于崩积楔的准确定年是解决古地震事件的关键。近几年得益于释光技术与方法的发展,简单多片再生法(SMAR)已成功应用于130 ka以来黄土类型沉积物的定年。以山西忻定盆地五台山北麓南峪口探槽为例,对该探槽中的两期崩积楔（D1、D2）各个部位不同类型沉积物进行系统采样,对样品采用细颗粒石英(4~11 μm)简单多片再生法(SMAR)进行光释光(OSL)测年,根据光释光年龄,得出如下认识：(1)D1、D2崩积楔演化过程与常规的正断层崩积楔演化模式有些差别;(2)D1崩积楔古地形面由断层处向外延伸堆积而成,D2崩积楔古地形面由水平堆积形成,且较D1厚;（3）D1崩塌结束后经历较强的水流作用;(4)两次古地震事件分别发生于(42.77±2.46)～(61.72±282) ka、(32.80±2.87)～(47.92±0.94) ka,时间间隔为10～15 ka。     

晚中更新世以来武威盆地沉积特征——基于WV3 钻孔的释光年代学研究

青藏高原东北缘河西走廊形成了一系列新生代盆地,是研究盆地沉积演化的重要区域。武威盆地位于河西走廊东部,盆地内沉积了较厚的新生代冲洪积地层。为了厘清武威盆地晚中更新世以来的沉积演化历史,笔者等在武威盆地石羊河中上游处钻取了长207 m的WV3 钻孔岩心,获得了上部17 m岩心的 19 个钾长石两步法 pIR200IR290 年龄和 2 个多步法 MET-pIRIR 年龄,结合粒度资料,重建了武威盆地石羊河流域中下游晚中更新世以来的光释光年代学框架和沉积历史。结果表明：两步法 pIR200IR290 和多步法MET-pIRIR年龄在误差范围内一致。220~128 ka时期,沉积速率最小,为 0.35 mm/ka,水动力条件较强,以侵蚀为主;128~108 ka (MIS 5d、MIS 5e) 时期沉积速率为 1.94 mm/ka,沉积物粒径由粗变细,表明此时水动力条件由强变弱;末次冰盛期到全新世早期 (19~9 ka) 沉积速率为2.78 mm/ka,沉积物粒径较细,表明此时水动力条件较弱,沉积速率最大,沉积为主。该地区新构造运动比较活跃,在末次间冰期至末次冰盛期期间存在逆冲活动。该研究对于揭示晚中更新世以来祁连山东北部石羊河流域沉积演化特征具有重要意义。     

岩石暴露年龄释光测定的若干影响因素研究

近年来,光释光测年技术已被成功应用于岩石暴露年龄的测定,在地质、地貌、气候和考古等研究领域显示出广泛的应用前景。该技术能否准确并广泛应用于经历各种地质活动而暴露的基岩、砾石定年,了解影响其表层光释光信号晒退速率的因素至关重要。文章采用红褐色长石石英砂岩、灰白色黑云母花岗岩和表面附着有岩石漆的花岗角砾岩,针对样品岩性、采样面朝向、表面覆盖物（岩石漆）3个因素对红外释光（IRSL）50度测量信号的影响程度进行了晒退实验。实验结果显示：岩石表层一定深度IRSL信号可被太阳光快速晒退,且随着曝光时间增长,砂岩和花岗岩释光信号的晒退深度均逐渐增大,与深色砂岩相比,浅色的花岗岩有更快的晒退速率;在阳光下曝光约5114 h后,花岗岩朝上一面的信号晒退深度大于朝北一面,表现为拟合朝上一面的晒退曲线所获值和曲线拐点深度值皆大于朝北一面,揭示在该暴露时间内（如约5114 h）不同采样面朝向对信号晒退有一定程度的影响;阳光下暴露相对较短的时间（如40 h）,样品表面覆盖物（岩石漆）可能因对光线的屏蔽作用而使光释光信号晒退速率减小,无岩石漆覆盖的岩块具有更深的信号晒退深度,但随着暴露时间的延长（如约2416 h）,这种影响程度渐趋减弱。该研究为准确获得岩石样品定年所需的光晒退速率和光透系数μ这两个重要参数奠定了基础,也为了解不同岩性岩石的光释光信号晒退速率、测年对象的合理选择以及岩石样品采集等提供了实验数据支持。