Peatland initiation and carbon dynamics in northeast China: links to Holocene climate variability

Throughout northeast China, the widely distributed peatlands have formed a large carbon (C) pool. However, the relationship between peatland initiation and climate controls is still poorly documented and understood. Understanding the responses of these C‐rich ecosystems to past climate change will provide useful insights into projecting the fate of peatland C in the future. In this study, we present a detailed historical reconstruction of peatland development in northeast China based on 312 basal peat dates, and examine the relationship between Holocene peatland dynamics and climate sensitivity. Our results indicate that peatland initiation started in the early Holocene, and that the majority of peatlands were initiated by and developed during the late Holocene. After the most intensive initiation period of 4.2–0.8 ka, the rate of peatland development slowed, which was concomitant with decreasing insolation and monsoon intensity. The widespread peatland initiation in the late Holocene might have been caused by the cool and moist climate patterns. The optimum timing of the peatland development was not uniform across northeast China, and these spatio‐temporal differences indicate the influences of regional climate and terrain on peatland initiation. Peat‐core data show variations in the long‐term apparent rate of C accumulation (LORCA) during the Holocene, with an average rate of 37.2 g C m^?2 a^?1. The peak LORCA occurred during 10.5–9.0 ka, probably in response to higher temperatures and stronger East Asia summer monsoon intensities. Both temperature and humidity are important factors influencing the peatland initiation and C dynamics in this region.     

Piecewise prediction model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events on the Loess Plateau,China

Establishing a universal watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield prediction model represents a frontier field in erosion and soil/water conservation. The research presented here was conducted on the Chabagou watershed, which is located in the first sub‐region of the hill‐gully area of the Loess Plateau, China. A back‐propagation artificial neural model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield was established, with the accuracy of the model, then compared with that of multiple linear regression. The sensitivity degree of various factors to erosion and sediment yield was quantitatively analysed using the default factor test. On the basis of the sensitive factors and the fractal information dimension, the piecewise prediction model for erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events was established and further verified. The results revealed the back‐propagation artificial neural network model to perform better than the multiple linear regression model in terms of predicting the erosion modulus, with the former able to effectively characterize dynamic changes in sediment yield under comprehensive factor conditions. The sensitivity of runoff erosion power and runoff depth to the erosion and sediment yield associated with individual rainfall events was found to be related to the complexity of surface topography. The characteristics of such a hydrological response are thus closely related to topography. When the fractal information dimension is greater than the topographic threshold, the accuracy of prediction using runoff erosion power is higher than that of using runoff depth. In contrast, when the fractal information dimension is smaller than the topographic threshold, the accuracy of prediction using runoff depth is higher than that of using runoff erosion power. The developed piecewise prediction model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events, which introduces runoff erosion power and runoff depth using the fractal information dimension as a boundary, can be considered feasible and reliable and has a high prediction accuracy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Suspended sediment and total dissolved solid yield patterns at the headwaters of Urumqi River,northwestern China: a comparison between glacial and non‐glacial catchments

In order to understand the differences in the suspended sediment and total dissolved solid (TDS) yield patterns between the glacial and non‐glacial catchments at the headwaters of Urumqi River, northwestern China, water samples were collected from a glacier catchment and an empty cirque catchment within the region, during three melting seasons from 2006 to 2008. These samples were analyzed to estimate suspended sediment and TDS concentrations, fluxes and erosion rates in the two adjoining catchments. There were remarked differences in suspended sediment and TDS yield patterns between the two catchments. Suspended sediment concentrations were controlled mainly by the sediment source, whereas TDS concentrations were primarily related to the hydrologic interaction with soil minerals. Generally, the glacial catchment had much higher suspended sediment and TDS yields, together with higher denudation rates, than the non‐glacial catchment. Overall, glacial catchment was mainly dominated by physical denudation process, whereas the non‐glacial catchment was jointly influenced by physical and chemical denudation processes. The observed differences in material delivery patterns were mainly controlled by the runoff source and the glacial processes. The melting periods of glacier and snow were typically the most important time for the suspended sediment and TDS yields. Meanwhile, episodic precipitation events could generate disproportionately large yields. Subglacial hydrology dynamics, glaciers pluck and grind processes could affect erodibility, and the large quantities of dust stored on the glacier surface provided additional sources for suspended sediment transport in the glacial catchment. These mechanisms imply that, in response to climate change, the catchment behaviour will be modified significantly in this region, in terms of material flux. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lateral extrusion along the Altyn Tagh Fault,Qilian Shan (NE Tibet): insight from a 3D crustal budget

The lithospheric strike‐slip Altyn Tagh Fault has accommodated hundreds of kilometres of displacement between the Qaidam and Tarim blocks since its Eocene reactivation. However, the way the deformation is accommodated in the Qilian Shan and further east remains uncertain. Based on 360 km of north‐eastward migration of the relatively rigid Qaidam block along the Altyn Tagh Fault and 3D isovolumetric balancing of the crustal deformation within the Altyn Tagh Fault–Qilian Shan system, we demonstrate that 250 ± 28 km (43.8–49.4%) of N20E directed crustal shortening and an additional ~250–370 km of eastward motion of the Qilian Shan crust must be accounted for by strike‐slip faulting in the Qilian Shan and crustal thickening in the Qinling area, as well as by extension in the adjoining North China block graben systems.     

Variability in the vertical hyporheic water exchange affected by hydraulic conductivity and river morphology at a natural confluent meander bend

River confluences and their associated tributaries are key morphodynamic nodes that play important roles in controlling hydraulic geometry and hyporheic water exchange in fluvial networks. However, the existing knowledge regarding hyporheic water exchange associated with river confluence morphology is relatively scarce. On January 14 and 15, 2016, the general hydraulic and morphological characteristics of the confluent meander bend (CMB) between the Juehe River and the Haohe River in the southern region of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, were investigated. The patterns and magnitudes of vertical hyporheic water exchange (VHWE) were estimated based on a one‐dimensional heat steady‐state model, whereas the sediment vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v) was calculated via in situ permeameter tests. The results demonstrated that 6 hydrodynamic zones and their extensions were observed at the CMB during the test period. These zones were likely controlled by the obtuse junction angle and low momentum flux ratio, influencing the sediment grain size distribution of the CMB. The VHWE patterns at the test site during the test period mostly showed upwelling flow dominated by regional groundwater discharging into the river. The occurrence of longitudinal downwelling and upwelling patterns along the meander bend at the CMB was likely subjected to the comprehensive influences of the local sinuosity of the meander bend and regional groundwater discharge and finally formed regional and local flow paths. Additionally, in dominated upwelling areas, the change in VHWE magnitudes was nearly consistent with that in K_v values, and higher values of both variables generally occurred in erosional zones near the thalweg paths of the CMB, which were mostly made up of sand and gravel. This was potentially caused by the erosional and depositional processes subjected to confluence morphology. Furthermore, lower K_v values observed in downwelling areas at the CMB were attributed to sediment clogging caused by local downwelling flow. The confluence morphology and sediment K_v are thus likely the driving factors that cause local variations in the VHWE of fluvial systems.     

新元古代扬子—华夏陆块拼合带：来自华南重磁异常的启示

扬子和华夏两大陆块是构成华南大陆的最基本单元, 但它们的拼合带位置（尤其是西延位置）是人们长期争论的焦点。本文以国家专项“深部探测技术与实验研究”探测得到的深反射地震剖面以及华南大陆的地质资料为约束, 对重、 磁异常作地壳构造融合解译, 追踪扬子—华夏陆块拼合带。由于华南大陆广泛发育具有剩磁多期、 多类的火山—侵入岩, 本文将磁异常换算为受剩磁影响小的解析信号作构造解译, 减小剩磁造成的地质解释偏差。研究认为, 扬子与华夏两陆块的拼合带东界为鹰潭—萍乡—衡阳—贺州—北海一线, 而西界为宜昌—张家界—铜仁—都匀—百色一线, 鹰潭以东和以北的拼合带位置因为受大规模岩浆岩的干扰而不清。     

新疆库鲁克塔格青白口系北塞纳尔塔格组流纹岩的成因及其地质意义

运用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年获得库鲁塔格西山口地区北塞纳尔塔格组蚀变流纹岩的形成时代为841.0±1.4Ma（MSWD=0.42）, 蚀变流纹岩的发现指示塔里木北缘新元古代中期除发育大量的侵入岩外还存在火山活动。地球化学特征分析表明, 岩石富集Rb、 Ba、 K等大离子亲石元素和轻稀土元素, 明显亏损Nb、 Ta、 P、 Ti等高场强元素。此外岩石富集Sr、 强烈亏损Y和Yb, 高的Sr/Y（>40）和（La/Yb）_N（>40）比值的特征与埃达克岩类似。蚀变流纹岩Hf同位素值ε_Hf（t）=-29～-9, Hf的二阶段模式年龄T_DM²=3.43～2.24Ga, 结合岩石较低的Mg^#、 Eu正异常以及强烈亏损重稀土元素的特征表明,其可能源于加厚古老基性下地壳的部分熔融。此外蚀变流纹岩低的锆石饱和温度T_Zr=761℃～768℃,表明源区发生部分熔融时存在外来流体的加入。结合已有区域地质资料, 初步认为蚀变流纹岩形成与塔里木北缘新元古代早、 中期洋—陆俯冲碰撞作用有关。