Paleotemperature variations at Lake Caohai,southwestern China,during the past 500 years:Evidence from combined δ~(18)O analysis of cellulose and carbonates

The oxygen isotopic values of aquatic plant cellulose and carbonates in Lake Caohai sediments were measured using a continuous flow isotopic ratio mass spectrometer(CF-IRMS).Because of predictable oxygen isotopic fractionation between cellulose and its source water,the oxygen isotopic composition of paleo-lake water has been established quantitatively.Combined oxygen isotopic values of cellulose and carbonates were used in the‘Craig’equation to determine paleotemperatures and their variation in the lake during the past 500 years.Results show that the paleotemperature trend correlates well with meteorological records from Weining.There are four notable cold intervals at Lake Caohai over the past 500 years,namely 1540–1570AD,1670–1715AD,1780–1870AD and 1900–1930AD,and the former three cold intervals have been observed in the conventional Little Ice Age(LIA).These cold periods at Lake Caohai correspond well with those recorded from tree ring,peat,and ice core data from adjacent regions,particularly temperature those inferred fromδ18O of peat cellulose from Hongyuan Southwestern China.The trend in paleotemperature variations at Lake Caohai are also consistent with both the change of Indian summer monsoon,derived fromδ18O values of a stalagmite in Dongge,and a recorded shift in solar activity.The findings of this study illustrate that coupled analysis ofδ18O values of cellulose and carbonates from lake sediments may be used as a paleotemperature proxy.These results also provide further evidence of the existence of LIA in southwestern China.     

Stratigraphy and otolith microchemistry of the naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii (Kessler) and their indication for water level of Lake Qinghai during the Ming Dynasty of China

Otoliths are biogenic carbonate minerals in the inner ear of teleost fish, whose compositions can record the physical and chemical conditions of the ambient water environment inhabited by individual fish. In this research, the fishbones and otoliths of naked carp sampled near the Bird Island, offshore Lake Qinghai, were dated and analyzed for mineralogy and microchemical compositions. Comparing the microchemical compositions of ancient otoliths with those of modern otoliths, we conclude that the ancient naked carps inhabited a relict lake formed when the lake shrank from a high lake level, by combining with the AMS-14 C ages of fishbones and otoliths, the stratigraphy and surrounding topography of the sample site. AMS-14 C dating results of ancient fishbones and otoliths show that these naked carps lived from 680 to 300 years ago, i.e. during the Ming Dynasty of China. The X-ray diffraction(XRD) patterns demonstrate that the ancient lapillus is composed of pure aragonite, identical to modern one, indicating that the mineral of lapillus didn't change after a long time burial and that the ancient lapillus is suitable for comparative analysis thereafter. Microchemical results show that both ratios of Mg/Ca((70.12±18.50)×10?5) and ? 18O((1.76±1.03)‰) of ancient lapilli are significantly higher than those of modern lapilli(average Mg/Ca=(3.11±0.41)× 10?5 and ? 18O=(?4.82±0.96)‰). This reflects that the relict water body in which the ancient naked carp lived during the Ming Dynasty was characterized by higher Mg/Ca and ? 18 O ratios than modern Lake Qinghai, resulting from strong evaporation after being isolated from the main lake, similar to today's Lake Gahai. Based upon the stratigraphy and altitude of naked carp remains, it can be inferred that the altitude of lake level of Lake Qinghai reached at least 3202 m with a lake area of 4480 km2 during the Ming Dynasty, approximately ~5% larger than it is today.     

Luminescence chronology of aeolian deposits from the Qinghai Lake area in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its palaeoenvironmental implications

Qinghai Lake, on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is the largest extant closed-basin lake in China, and has been the subject of numerous palaeoclimatological and palaeoenvironmental studies. In this study, 32 samples of aeolian sand, loess and palaeosol at six sites, and 1 sample of shoreline deposits underlying aeolian deposits were dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Where available, OSL ages are in agreement with previously published ¹⁴C ages. Our dating results, in combination with previous published ages on aeolian deposits showed that: (1) The oldest aeolian deposits around Qinghai Lake are in excess of 165 ka. (2) Aeolian deposition then began at ∼14 ka in the Qinghai Lake area. Periods of palaeosol formation occurred at ∼16.9 ka, ∼12.2–11 ka, ∼10–9 ka, ∼5.2–4 ka, and ∼3.9–0.7 ka. (3) The accumulation intervals of palaeosols are generally consistent with drilling-core-based environmental change proxies, indicating that palaeosols were formed during wet periods with higher vegetation cover. (4) A depositional hiatus period of ∼40–50 ka exists between the surface mantle aeolian deposits and underlying gravel deposits. (5) Lake levels during the Holocene did not exceed 3205.2 m elevation (11.8 m above recent lake level of April, 2010).     

Carbon isotopic compositions of organic matter across continental Cretaceous–Tertiary (K–T) boundary sections: Implications for paleoenvironment after the K–T impact event

To assess the environmental perturbation induced by the impact event that marks the Cretaceous–Tertiary (K–T) boundary, concentrations and isotopic compositions of bulk organic carbon were determined in sedimentary rocks that span the terrestrial K–T boundary at Dogie Creek, Montana, and Brownie Butte, Wyoming in the Western Interior of the United States. The boundary clays at both sites are not bounded by coals. Although coals consist mainly of organic matter derived from plant tissue, siliceous sedimentary rocks, such as shale and clay, may contain organic matter derived from microbiota as well as plants. Coals record δ¹³C values of plant-derived organic matter, reflecting the δ¹³C value of atmospheric CO₂, whereas siliceous sedimentary rocks record the δ¹³C values of organic matter derived from plants and microbiota. The microbiota δ¹³C value reflects not only the δ¹³C value of atmospheric CO₂, but also biological productivity. Therefore, the siliceous rocks from these sites yields information that differs from that obtained previously from coal beds.Across the freshwater K–T boundary at Brownie Butte, the δ¹³C values decrease by 2.6‰ (from − 26.15‰ below the boundary clay to − 28.78‰ above the boundary clay), similar to the trend in carbonate at marine K–T sites. This means that the organic δ¹³C values reflect the variation of δ¹³C of atmospheric CO₂, which is in equilibrium with carbon isotopes at the ocean surface. Although a decrease in δ¹³C values is observed across the K–T boundary at Dogie Creek (from − 25.32‰ below the boundary clay to − 26.11‰ above the boundary clay), the degree of δ¹³C-decrease at Dogie Creek is smaller than that at Brownie Butte and that for marine carbonate.About 2‰ decrease in δ¹³C of atmospheric CO₂ was expected from the δ¹³C variation of marine carbonate at the K–T boundary. This δ¹³C-decrease of atmospheric CO₂ should affect the δ¹³C values of organic matter derived from plant tissue. As such a decrease in δ¹³C value was not observed at Dogie Creek, a process that compensates the δ¹³C-decrease of atmospheric CO₂ should be involved. For example, the enhanced contribution of ¹³C-enriched organic matter derived from algae in a high-productivity environment could be responsible. The δ¹³C values of algal organic matter become higher than, and thus distinguishable from, those of plant organic matter in situations with high productivity, where dissolved HCO₃⁻ becomes an important carbon source, as well as dissolved CO₂. As the δ¹³C-decrease of atmospheric CO₂ reflected a reduction of marine productivity, the compensation of the δ¹³C decrease by the enhanced activity of the terrestrial microbiota means that the microbiota at freshwater environment recovered more rapidly than those in the marine environment.A distinct positive δ¹³C excursion of 2‰ in the K–T boundary clays is superimposed on the overall decreasing trend at Dogie Creek; this coincides with an increase in the content of organic carbon. We conclude that the K–T boundary clays include ¹³C-enriched organic matter derived from highly productive algae. Such a high biological productivity was induced by phenomena resulting from the K–T impact, such as nitrogen fertilization and/or eutrophication induced by enhanced sulfide formation. The high productivity recorded in the K–T boundary clays means that the freshwater environments (in contrast to marine environments) recovered rapidly enough to almost immediately (within 10 yr) respond to the impact-related environmental perturbations.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon isotopes of a typical alpine river on the Tibetan Plateau revealing carbon sources,wetland effect and river recharge

The Nyangqu River, the largest right bank tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, was representative of an alpine riverine carbon cycle experiencing climate change. In this study, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) spatial and seasonal variations, as well as their carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C_DIC) in river water and groundwater were systematically investigated to provide constraints on DIC sources, recharge and cycling. Significant changes in the δ¹³C_DIC values (from −2.9‰ to −23.4‰) of the water samples were considered to be the result of different contributions of two dominant DIC origins: soil CO₂ dissolution and carbonate weathering. Three types of rock weathering (dissolution of carbonate minerals by H₂CO₃ and H₂SO₄, and silicate dissolution by H₂CO₃) were found to control the DIC input into the riverine system. In DIC cycling, groundwater played a significant role in delivering DIC to the surface water, and DIC supply from tributaries to the main stream increased from the dry season to the wet season. Notably, the depleted δ¹³C_DIC ‘peak’ around the 88.9° longitude, especially in the September groundwater samples, indicated the presence of ‘special’ DIC, which was attributed to the oxidation of methane from the Jiangsa wetland located nearby. This wetland could provide large amounts of soil organic matter available for bacterial degradation, producing ¹³C-depleted methane. Our study provided insights regarding the role of wetlands in riverine carbon cycles and highlighted the contribution of groundwater to alpine riverine DIC cycles.     

Evidence from isotopic geochemistry as an indicator of eutrophication of Meiliang Bay in Lake Taihu,China

In this paper, Lake Taihu, a large shallow freshwater lake in China, is chosen as an example of reconstruction of eutrophication through the comparison between stable isotopes from dissolved nutrients and plants and water column nutrient parameters and integration of multiple proxies in a sediment core from Meiliang Bay including TN, TP, TOC, C/N, δ ¹⁵N, δ ¹³C, etc. Differences in aquatic plant species and trophic status between East Taihu Bay and Meiliang Bay are indicated by their variations in δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁵N of aquatic plants and δ ¹⁵N of NH₄ ⁺. A significant influence of external nutrient inputs on Meiliang Bay is reflected in temporal changes in δ ¹⁵N of NH₄ ⁺ and hydro-environmental parameters. The synchronous change between δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁵N values of sedimented organic matter (OM) has been attributed to elevated primary production at the beginning of eutrophication between 1950 and 1990, then recent inverse correlation between them has been caused by the uptake of ¹⁵N-enriched inorganic nitrogen by phytoplankton grown under eutrophication and subsequent OM decomposition and denitrification in surface sediments, indicating that the lake has suffered from progressive eutrophication since 1990. Based on the use of a combination of stable isotopes and elemental geochemistry, the eutrophication of Meiliang Bay in Lake Taihu could be better traced. These transitions of the lake eutrophication respectively occurring in the 1950s and 1990s have been suggested as a reflection of growing impacts of human activities, which is coincident with the instrumental data.     

C-isotope stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental changes across OAE2 (mid-Cretaceous) from shallow-water platform carbonates of southern Mexico

The stratigraphic and geochemical record of the mid-Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) has been studied in numerous Tethyan and proto-Atlantic hemi-pelagic/pelagic successions, but little data comes from nearshore carbonate successions from the proto-Pacific region. Here we present the results of a combined stratigraphic and δ¹³C study of C–T platform carbonates from southern Mexico, which were deposited within the proto-Pacific. Two scales of sedimentary cyclicity are recognized. High-frequency peritidal and subtidal cycles (0.4–8 m) display little evidence of cycle-capping subaerial exposure and are not correlative between sections; these relationships suggest that the amplitudes of high-frequency sea-level changes were minimal during the peak mid-Cretaceous greenhouse. Longer-term transgressive-regressive sequences (18–40⁺ m) are correlated between sections, and using δ¹³C trends, can be correlated with sequences developed in northern Europe and India.The Mexican successions were sampled at a high resolution (~ 10 ky) for stable isotopes (inorganic, organic carbon and oxygen), total organic carbon, insoluble residues, and trace metals. The δ¹³C_carb curve matches global trends (including 6 distinct isotopic stages) permitting identification of OAE2 despite the lack of characteristic anoxic facies. Using the δ¹³C_carb trends, we tie the previously identified ammonite, planktonic foram, and nannofossil biostratigraphy from England and the Western Interior seaway of Colorado into the Mexican sections. The initiation of OAE2, defined by an abrupt positive 3–4‰ δ¹³C shift, coincides with a long-term sea-level rise, though the sedimentary expression of the deepening is no greater than that observed for any of the other sea-level events across the studied interval. OAE2 termination (transition from gradually decreasing to background δ¹³C values) is not associated with a particular sea-level trend. Stratigraphic changes in insoluble residues (proxy for continental sediment discharge) across OAE2 are not correlative between sections and do not show consistent systematic relationships with δ¹³C or sea-level variations, therefore do not support the hypothesis that OAE2 was associated with increased continental-derived nutrient influx. Two peaks in trace metal concentrations coincide with the abrupt increase in δ¹³C ratios (onset of OAE2) and during the transition from elevated-to-decreasing δ¹³C values (near the C–T stage boundary). These trends are similar to those recorded in coeval deposits of the Western Interior seaway, and are consistent with the hypothesis that OAE2 development was related to the release of reduced metals during the short-lived (< 1 My) Caribbean oceanic plateau basalt eruption. In this scenario, oxidation of the metals depleted the existing low dissolved-O₂ concentrations and thermally-buoyant plumes of seawater enriched in biolimiting elements mixed with surface waters, stimulated primary productivity, and further reduced O₂ concentrations leading to widespread anoxia and a large positive δ¹³C shift.     

青海湖近900年来气候环境演化的湖泊沉积记录

通过对青海湖沉积物碳酸盐含量、磁化率、TOC等多环境指标的分析,探讨了青海湖地区近900年来的气候环境演变。结果表明青海湖地区近900年来气候变化属于暖干－冷湿的气候演替类型,经历了5次冷湿期和5次暖干期,中世纪暖期、小冰期以及20世纪以来的升温在该沉积岩芯有清晰的记录。沉积物的磁化率和沉积速率的变化忠实地记录了本世纪以来人类活动的影响。     

青藏高原东北缘岩石圈变形及其机理

为了解青藏高原东北缘岩石圈变形特征,进一步研究该地区地壳运动的壳-幔耦合机理,本文通过处理分析该地区1999～2007年多期GPS观测数据、1972~2000年水准测量数据和1992年及2007年相对重力测量资料,获得了该区域地壳水平运动速度场、较长时间段的垂直形变场和相对重力变化场.分析发现青藏高原东北缘东西部的变化特征存在明显差异：西部以北东向地壳缩短运动为主,而东部以顺时针旋转为主;东部以地壳隆升为主,速率在2.1 mm/a左右,而西部隆升的速率小于1 mm/a;相对重力变化则表现为在整体增大的背景下东部升高速率较大,平均为9.0×10^-8 m·s^-2·a^-1,而西部较小,平均值为3.1×10^-8 m·s^-2·a^-1.我们还发现,地壳不同变形形式的转换不是渐变的,而是发生在较窄的一个转换带内.这个转换带的整体走向为NEE,北部位于金昌与武威之间,中部在祁连山东部、门源以西,南部位于德令哈以东青海湖以西.最后结合前寒武纪构造格架、重力均衡异常资料和地震SKS分裂结果对形成这种运动态势的机理进行了探讨,我们认为岩石圈物质侧向流动、岩石圈结构及壳-幔耦合方式差异可能是导致东部与西部岩石圈变形差异主要动因.     

Late Cenomanian to Middle Turonian high-resolution carbon isotope stratigraphy: New data from the Münsterland Cretaceous Basin,Germany

New high resolution carbon isotope stratigraphies from two basinal pelagic carbonate successions in northern Germany (Halle and Oerlinghausen, Münsterland Cretaceous Basin) resolve late Cenomanian to early Mid-Turonian carbon cycle variations at timescales of less than 100 kyr. Beside the major carbon isotope excursion of the late Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event (OAE 2), 11 small-scale distinct features are precisely resolved in the δ¹³C carbonate curve and related to boreal macrofossil zonations. The small-scale carbon isotope events correspond to secular δ¹³C carbonate variations identified previously in the English Chalk. The boreal high-resolution δ¹³C carbonate curve shows a detailed coincidence with two Tethyan δ¹³C curves from Italy, what demonstrates the interregional significance of the δ¹³C dates and allows their correlation within error limits of ± 40 kyr. Furthermore, the new δ¹³C curve enables the calibration of boreal and tethyan macro- and microfossil zonations. Accordingly, the Tethyan calcareous nannoplankton boundary NC13/NC14 corresponds to the boreal FO of C. woollgari, the index taxon for the Lower-Middle Turonian boundary. The cyclic appearance and the temporal spacing of the small-scale carbon isotope events suggest that orbital forcing exerted control on surface water productivity and organic matter preservation at the sea floor.     

Spatial–temporal changes in Andean plateau climate and elevation from stable isotopes of mammal teeth

Paleoelevation constraints from fossil leaf physiognomy and stable isotopes of sedimentary carbonate suggest that significant surface uplift of the northern Andean plateau, on the order of 2.5 ± 1 km, occurred between ～ 10.3 and 6.4 Ma. Independent spatial and temporal constraints on paleoelevation and paleoclimate of both the northern and southern plateau are important for understanding the distribution of rapid surface uplift and its relation to climate evolution across the plateau. This study focuses on teeth from modern and extinct mammal taxa (including notoungulates, pyrotheres, and litopterns) spanning ～ 29 Ma to present, collected from the Altiplano and Eastern Cordillera of Bolivia (16.2°S to 21.4°S), and lowland Brazil. Tooth enamel of large, water-dependent mammals preserves a record of surface water isotopes and the type of plants that animals ingested while their teeth were mineralizing. Previous studies have shown that the δ¹⁸O of modern precipitation and surface waters decrease systematically with increasing elevations across the central Andes. Our results from high elevation sites between 3600 and 4100 m show substantially more positive δ¹⁸O values for late Oligocene tooth samples compared to < 10 Ma tooth δ¹⁸O values. Late Oligocene teeth collected from low elevation sites in southeast Brazil show δ¹⁸O values similar (within 2‰) to contemporaneous teeth collected at high elevation in the Eastern Cordillera. This affirms that the Andean plateau was at a very low elevation during the late Oligocene. Late Oligocene teeth from the northern Eastern Cordillera also yield consistent δ¹³C values of about ? 9‰, indicating that the environment was semi-arid at that time. Latitudinal gradients in δ¹⁸O values of late Miocene to Pliocene fossil teeth are similar to modern values for large mammals, suggesting that by ～ 8 Ma in the northern Altiplano and by ～ 3.6 Ma in the southern Altiplano, both regions had reached high elevation and established a latitudinal rainfall gradient similar to modern.     

Paleomagnetic studies and estimation of geomagnetic paleointensity at the early/middle Riphean boundary in rocks of the Salmi Formation (North Ladoga area)

The territory of Karelia (Baltic Shield) is virtually not represented in the global paleomagnetic database for the Lower Riphean time interval (1650—1350 Ma). As regards the paleointensity H _an, the huge interval 1–2 Ga in length is represented in the global paleointensity database by only eight determinations concentrated in the interval 1–1.35 Ga. The paper presents results of paleomagnetic studies of volcanic and subvolcanic rocks composing the Early Riphean Salmi Formation, which outcrops in the valley of the lower Tulemaioki River in the northern coast area of Lake Ladoga. Results of the study indicate that, in the Early Riphean time, the East European craton was located in the tropical region of the Southern Hemisphere between 15° S and 40° S. The inferred value of H _an is close to the lower boundary of the interval (1.36–11.56) × 10²² A m², encompassing previously published intensity values of the paleofield 1–1.35 Ga; this supports the hypothesis on the existence of long intervals of a lower field in the period in question [Maquoin et al., 2003].     

A high-resolution climatic change since the Late Glacial Age inferred from multi-proxy of sediments in Qinghai Lake

The study of climatic changes since the Late Glacial Age has become one of the hotspots of the PAGES in recent years.Deep-sea cores from the high-latitude area show that the climate was very unstable during the transitional period from the Late Glacial Age to the Holocene[1,2],which has also been testified by the geological records from ocean sediments,ice cores and terrestrial sections in different latitudes of the earth[3—8].What’s more,climatic instability also ex-isted in the Holoce…     

Luminescence dating of a hearth from the archaeological site of Jiangxigou in the Qinghai Lake area of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Archeological research over the past several years has started to provide evidence relevant to understanding both the timing of and processes for human colonization of the high Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Much of this research has been in the Qinghai Lake area and the Qaidam Basin in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, chronological data are still limited. Recently, a hearth was discovered in the Jiangxigou site in the south of the Qinghai Lake area, which was likely used by prehistoric hunters. The site is in the mouth of a canyon approximately 4.5 km from Qinghai Lake. Previous ages in this site are based on ¹⁴C dating only. The current study provides additional OSL dates for the hearth. The ages of four OSL samples bracketing the hearth range from 12.9 ± 0.9 to 14.4 ± 1.0 ka, but standard deviations overlap extensively and they likely represent the same age. The OSL ages show that by about 14.3 ± 1.0 ka prehistoric peoples were living in the Qinghai Lake area.     

1974-2016年青海湖水面面积变化遥感监测

位于青藏高原东北部的青海湖是我国最大的咸水湖和内陆湖,也是青藏高原东北部的重要水汽源,青海湖面积的动态变化是气候和周围生态环境状况的重要体现.本研究利用长时间序列中分辨率遥感影像数据,通过人工提取湖岸水涯线信息对青海湖水面面积进行监测.结果显示：1974-2016年期间,青海湖面积总体上呈先减后增的变化趋势.2004年水面积最小,为4223.73 km²,比1974年减少253.80 km².其中1974-1987年期间面积骤减;2000 2009年期间青海湖水面面积变化幅度相对较小,平均变化幅度为6.85 km².2009-2016年7 a间,水面面积增加了128.27 km².2012年青海湖面积骤增,比2011年8月同期增加65.12 km²;同年6月和9月的面积变化为2002-2016年最大,达到59.18 km².湖东岸沙岛的湖岸线变化最为显著,1974-2004年岸线后退最大距离达4.59 km,2012年的年内最大变化距离为0.39 km.青海湖流域内降水补给增加,生态环境治理措施促使入湖河流径流量增大,是近年来湖水面积增加的主要原因.     

Diagenetic fluid evolution and water-rock interaction model of carbonate cements in sandstone: An example from the reservoir sandstone of the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation of the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area,Sichuan Province,China

Carbonate cement is the most abundant cement type in the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation in the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area of the West Sichuan Depression. Here we use a systematic analysis of carbonate cement petrology, mineralogy, carbon and oxygen isotope ratios and enclosure homogenization temperatures to study the precipitation mechanism, pore fluid evolution, and distribution of different types of carbonate cement in reservoir sand in the study area. Crystalline calcite has relatively heavy carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = 2.14‰, δ18O = -5.77‰), and was precipitated early. It was precipitated directly from supersaturated alkaline fluid under normal temperature and pressure conditions. At the time of precipitation, the fluid oxygen isotope ratio was very light, mainly showing the characteristics of a mixed meteoric water-seawater fluid(δ18O = -3‰), which shows that the fluid during precipitation was influenced by both meteoric water and seawater. The calcite cement that fills in the secondary pores has relatively lighter carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = -2.36‰, δ18O = -15.68‰). This cement was precipitated late, mainly during the Middle and Late Jurassic. An important material source for this carbonate cement was the feldspar corrosion process that involved organic matter. The Ca2+, Fe3+ and Mg2+ ions released by the clay mineral transformation process were also important source materials. Because of water-rock interactions during the burial process, the oxygen isotope ratio of the fluid significantly increased during precipitation, by about 3‰. The dolomite cements in calcarenaceous sandstone that was precipitated during the Middle Jurassic have heavier carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, which are similar to those of carbonate debris in the sandstone(δ13C = 1.93‰, δ18O = -6.11‰), demonstrating that the two are from the same source that had a heavier oxygen isotope ratio(δ18O of about 2.2‰). The differences in fluid oxygen isotope ratios during cement precipitation reflect the influences of different water-rock interaction systems or different water-rock interaction strengths. This is the main reason why the sandstone containing many rigid particles(lithic quartz sandstone) has a relatively negative carbon isotope ratio and why the precipitation fluid in calcarenaceous sandstone has a relatively heavier oxygen isotope ratio.     

人类活动对青海湖水位下降的影响

青海湖是我国最大的内陆湖泊,位于青藏高原的东北隅。近三十年来由于自然要素和人为活动的影响,湖周生态环境急剧退化,湖水位下降达3.35m,湖面收缩约300多km~2。根据调查研究以及其他方面的资料。青海湖多年平均亏水量4.36×10~8m~3,而人为活动耗水量占亏水量的8.7％。仅占湖面蒸发量的1％。所以,人为耗水与湖水位波动无明显相关,湖水位下降虽然是综合效应,但主导因素是气候变化,并导致湖周生态环境的恶化。     

Clay mineral records of the Erlangjian drill core sediments from the Lake Qinghai Basin,China

Located at the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) in the Asian interior, the Lake Qinghai is sensitive to environmental change and thus an outstanding site for studying paleoenvironmental changes. Thick deposits in the Lake Qinghai provide important geological archives for obtaining high-resolution records of continental environmental history. The longest drilling core obtained from the Lake Qinghai, named Erlangjian (ELJ), reached about 1109 m and was investigated to determine its clay mineral assemblage and grain size distributions. Clay mineralogical proxies, including type, composition, and their ratios, as well as the illite crystallinity (KI) and chemical index (CI), in combination with grain size data, were used for reconstructing the history of paleoenvironmental evolution since the late Miocene in the Lake Qinghai Basin. The clay mineral records indicate that the clay mainly comprise detritus originating from peripheral material and has experienced little or no diagenesis. The proportion of authigenic origin was minor. Illite was the most abundant clay mineral, followed by chlorite, kaolinite, and smectite. Variations of clay mineral indexes reflect the cooling and drying trends in the Lake Qinghai region, and the grain size distribution is coincided with the clay minerals indexes. The paleoclimatic evolution of the Lake Qinghai Basin since the late Miocene can be divided into five intervals. The climate was relatively warm and wet in the early of late Miocene, then long-term trends in climate change character display cooling and drying; later in the late Miocene until early Pliocene the climate was in a short relatively warm and humid period; since then the climate was relatively colder and drier. These results also suggest multiple tectonic uplift events in the northeastern QTP.     

Source and Quality of Groundwater Surrounding the Qinghai Lake,NE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Comprehensive studies on the spatial distribution, water quality, recharge source, and hydrochemical evolution of regional groundwater form the foundation of rational utilization of groundwater resources. In this study, we investigated the water levels, hydrochemistry, and stable isotope composition of groundwater in the vicinity of the Qinghai Lake in China to reveal its recharge sources, hydrochemical evolution, and water quality. The level of groundwater relative to the level of water in the Qinghai Lake ranged from −1.27 to 122.91 m, indicating most of the groundwater to be flowing into the lake. The local evaporation line (LEL) of groundwater was simulated as δ²H = 6.08 δ¹⁸O-3.01. The groundwater surrounding the Qinghai Lake was primarily recharged through local precipitation at different altitudes. The hydrochemical type of most of the groundwater samples was Ca-Mg-HCO₃; the hydrochemistry was primarily controlled by carbonate dissolution during runoff. At several locations, the ionic concentrations in groundwater exceeded the current drinking water standards making it unsuitable for drinking. The main source of nitrate in groundwater surrounding the Qinghai Lake was animal feces and sewage, suggesting that groundwater pollution should be mitigated in areas practicing animal husbandry in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, regardless of industrial and urbanization rates being relatively low in the region. The scientific planning, engineering, and management of livestock manure and wastewater discharge from animal husbandry practices is a crucial and is urgently required in the Tibetan Plateau.     

Differences in stable isotope compositions of freshwater snails from surface sediments of two Polish shallow lakes

The study reports and discusses the differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of shells between several species of freshwater snails. Shells were derived from sediment samples collected from depths of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 m along transects in two shallow eutrophic lakes located in mid-western Poland. Mean δ¹³C values of the shells ranged between −7.5 and −3.8‰ in Lake Jarosławieckie and between −8.1 and −5.2‰ in Lake Rosnowskie Duże, whereas mean δ¹⁸O values ranged between −2.2 and −0.2‰ and between −2.2 and 0.4‰ respectively in the studied lakes. A similar order of species in terms of shell isotope values, from least to most ¹³C and ¹⁸O-depleted was observed in both lakes and seems to indicate constancy of the factors controlling the stable isotope compositions of snail shells. We postulate that the nearly 4‰ difference in the mean carbon stable isotope values between the species was primarily controlled by the amount of metabolic carbon incorporated into the shells and the δ¹³C values of the snail food. Different growth cessation temperatures and microhabitats of the species studied result in temporally and spatially varied DIC δ¹³C values, water δ¹⁸O values and water temperature of shell precipitation, and may thus differentiate the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of shells. The range of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of individual shells from a sediment sample (mean 2.35 and 2.15‰, respectively) is interpreted as reflecting an intraspecific variability of isotope compositions in shells from a population and changes of the ambient conditions during the accumulation of the sediment layer. The species-specificity and intraspecific variability in C and O isotopic compositions of shells allow concluding that in palaeolimnological studies, stable isotope analyses should be performed on a set of mono-specific shells representing mean isotope compositions of the species for the interval studied rather than single shells or multispecific bulk shell material.