Southern Segment of the European Geotraverse — a wide-angle seismic refraction experiment in the Sardinia Channel

The Sardinia Channel dataset was collected as part of the European Geotraverse (EGT)—a 4000 km seismic refraction line running from Northern Norway to the Sahara, designed to investigate the structure of the lithosphere beneath Europe. Wideangle seismic data recorded by ocean bottom seismometers deployed in the Sardinia Channel as part of the Southern Segment of the EGT, together with gravity data, were used to constrain the final crustal model. In the centre of the Channel the crust is identified as thinned continental in nature, with a crystalline thickness of 10 km overlain by 4 km of sediments and 2.5 km of water in the most extended region. High velocities in the lower crust in the central region are thought to represent an area of underplating or intrusion by igneous material caused by extension related to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The crust overlies an anomalously low velocity upper mantle.     

The role of organic coatings in the enrichment of marine particles with selenium. The fixation of selenite on an adsorbed amino acid

The enrichment of marine particles with selenium cannot be explained as that with metals present in cationic form by complexation with anionic functional groups of adsorbed organic matter. Physicochemical data obtained using a model system are reported. The surface of the particles is modelized by a mercury electrode whose surface charge density can be easily changed, covered by a layer of adsorbed polymers. Studies with different kinds of macromolecules and salts show a specific interaction between adsorbed polyalanine and selenite. The results can be explained by the concordance of the distances between two oxygen atoms in this oxyanion and between two amine groups of the adsorbed polypeptide. A similar mechanism could occur in marine aggregates whatever their nature, as long as they contain amine groups at their surface which result in this concordance. Some prospects derived from the results are discussed.     

临汾盆地晚冰期至中全新世黄土-古土壤序列的风化特征及指示的气候意义

了解中国北方晚冰期和全新世时期的气候环境变化及其驱动机制,有助于预测未来气候变化的可能情景。基于黄土高原东南缘临汾盆地的黄土-古土壤剖面,在3个AMS14C年代的支持下,通过粒度、磁化率、土壤有机碳以及地球化学元素等指标,重建了临汾盆地晚冰期至中全新世晚期的气候变化历史。结果表明：宋村沟剖面的黄土和古土壤分别处于初等和中等化学风化阶段,而不同地区风成堆积物的化学风化强度存在明显差异,主要受控于东亚夏季风的区域变化。多指标综合分析表明,晚冰期以来临汾盆地的气候演变经历了4个阶段：晚冰期东亚冬季风较强,气候干冷;早全新世东亚夏季风强化,气候向暖湿转变;早中全新世东亚夏季风达到峰值,为最暖湿的适宜期;中全新世晚期东亚夏季风减弱,气候再次转向干冷;临汾盆地的气候变化主要受控于北半球太阳辐射强度和冰量的变化。     

福建省万寿岩遗址船帆洞植硅体组合特征及其环境意义

万寿岩遗址位于福建省三明市,遗址之一的船帆洞中曾生活过两期古人类（40～37 kaBP和30～29 kaBP）。在第一期古人类的文化层中发现的人工石铺地面在我国旧石器考古中属重要发现,对研究末次冰期古人类生存环境具有重大意义。对船帆洞沉积物的植硅体分析显示,尖型植硅体和棒型植硅体数量比较占优势,扇型和块状植硅体含量其次,短细胞植硅体形态中鞍型的含量较多。结合聚类分析结果可将剖面至下而上划分为5个气候带,气候环境依次为凉干-冷干-冷偏干-凉偏干-温凉偏干。第一期古人类生活于带I底部,为凉干背景下较温暖的气候环境;第二期古人类生活于带Ⅳ上部,为凉偏干背景下较温暖的气候环境。植硅体的变化特征较好地指示了H4和H3事件,分别对应两期文化层。两次Heinrich事件改变了古人类的生存环境,推测是两期古人类离开船帆洞的主要原因。