新发现的周口店晚更新世洞穴地层及哺乳动物群研究

本文依据新发现的晚更新世洞穴地层剖面，进行了年代学及哺乳动物化石方面的研究。年代学综合测定结果为距今１２～１．９万年，这是周口店地区迄今发现的最为完整的晚更新世洞穴地层剖面，根据堆积物中所含的哺乳动物化石特征，进行了生态、种类方面的研究，建立了一个新的哺乳动物群─—东岭子动物群。     

中国大陆森林线空间分布特征及其与多年冻土线、气候雪线的关系

在自然植被垂直带谱上一般以暗针叶林带的上限代表森林线,它的海拔高度取决于温度及其年较差。本文主要根据我国一些地区现代暗针叶林带上限的海拔高程和102个气象台站的气象资料,计算出我国的森林线的理论海拔高度,并编绘出我国的森林线高程等值线图以及多年冻土线与森林线高差等值线图和现代气候雪线与森林线高差等值线图。在此基础上研究了我国森林线的空间分布特征及其与多年冻土线、气候雪线的关系。      

黄土地层精确时间标尺的建立——以三门峡黄土地层研究为例

厚度153m的曹村剖面出露了厚145m的完整黄土地层,为L₁-L₃₃的连续风尘沉积,为黄土高原东南部三门峡地区黄土地层的代表。建立曹村黄土地层的精确时间标尺,不仅能在千年时间尺度下探讨黄土高原古季风变迁,而且着眼于全球古气候变化开展海陆对比研究。本文对现有的4种时间标尺模式进行了介绍,应用磁化率模式和粒度模式开展了三门峡黄土时间标尺研究,并进行了校验,说明了几种模式建立曹村黄土时间标尺的可行性。      

SIMS U-Pb zircon age of a tuff layer in the Meishucun section,Yunnan, southwest China: Constraint on the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary

Determination of the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary is critical in understanding early evolution of life on Earth. SIMS U-Pb zircon analyses of the Bed 5 tuff layer of the Meishucun section were carried out closely following the guidance of cathodoluminescence images, and the majority of analyses were conducted on the oscillatory zircon grains. Thirteen measurements yield a highly reliable Concordia U-Pb age of 536.7 ± 3.9 Ma for the Bed 5 horizon. A grand mean of 206Pb/238U age of 535.2± 1.7 Ma (...     

Oxidative stress, genotoxicity and histopathology biomarker responses in mullet (Mugil cephalus) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) liver from Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of environmental contaminants on oxidative stress, genotoxic and histopathologic biomarkers in liver of mullet (Mugil cephalus) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) collected from a polluted coastal lagoon (Bizerte Lagoon) in comparison to a reference site (the Mediterranean Sea). Antioxidant enzyme activities were lower in fish from the polluted site compared with fish from the reference site, suggesting deficiency of the antioxidant system to compensate for oxidative stress. DNA damage was higher in both fish species from the contaminated site indicating genotoxic effects. The liver histopathological analysis revealed alterations in fish from Bizerte Lagoon. Hepatocytes from both fish species featured extensive lipid-type vacuolation and membrane disruption. Results suggest that the selected biomarkers in both fish species are useful for the assessment of pollution impacts in coastal environments influenced by multiple pollution sources.     

Recent surface marine sediments of Cocos Island in Costa Rica

Subtidal sediments of Isla del Coco(Cocos Island),Costa Rica were described in their grain size,sorting,organic matter,and carbonates from 27 dredge samples(3-75 m),collected in April 2010.The organic matter range between 1.37-3.31%and carbonates presented a mean of 74±17%.The sorting was moderately or poorly.The grain size ranged between 0.1-1.1mm.The pattern is that sediment change from inner to mouth of bays.Carbonates and gravel fractions increased offshore and organic matter have high values inner the bays.Input of vegetal debris and mud was from the rivers of this island covered with rain and cloud forest.     

Glacial advances and ESR chronology of the Pochengzi Glaciation,Tianshan Mountains,China

The Pochengzi Glaciation is a typical glaciation in Quaternary in the Tianshan Mountains. The glacial landforms comprise several integrated end moraines, like a fan spreading from the north to the south at the mouth of the Muzhaerte River valley and on the piedmont on the southeastern slope of the Tumur Peak, the largest center of modern glaciation in the Tianshan Mountains. The landforms recorded a complex history of the ancient glacier change and contained considerable information of the glacial landscape evolution, and dating these landforms helps us understand the temporal and spatial shifts of the past cryosphere in this valley and reconstruct the paleoenvironment in this region. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of the glacial tills in the upper stratum from a well-exposed section, end moraines, and associated outwashes was carried out using Ge centers in quartz grains, which are sensitive to the sunlight and grinding. The results could be divided into three clusters, 13.6–25.3, 39.5–40.4 and 64.2–71.7 ka. Based on the principle of geomorphology and stratigraphy and the available paleoen- vironmental data from northwestern China, the end moraines were determined to deposit in the Last Glaciation. The landforms and the three clusters of ages demonstrate that at least three large glacial advances occurred during the Pochengzi Glaciation, which are corresponding to marine oxygen isotope stage 4 (MIS4), MIS3b and MIS2. The landforms also indicate that the gla- ciers were compound valley glacier in MIS2 and MIS3b and piedmont glacier in MIS4, and the ancient Muzhaerte glacier were 94, 95 and 99 km at their maximum extensions in these three glacial advances.     

Distribution and enrichment evaluation of heavy metals in Mejillones Bay (23 degrees S), Northern Chile: geochemical and statistical approach

A suite of 36 surface sediment samples, taken between 10 and 100 m water depth in Mejillones Bay (Northern Chile), were analyzed for mineralogy, grain size, total organic carbon, Al, and heavy metal content (Cd, Zn, Ni, Mn, V, Mo). Quartz and feldspars were the main lithogenic minerals and carbonate the predominant biogenic mineral. Sediments were fine sands in the shallow zone and organic silt in the deeper zone. Enrichment Factor and Factor Analysis approach showed that the presence of Mn in the marine sediment of Mejillones is due to a partial influence of continental input, while all other metals are not supported by lithogenic debris. Although all metals showed high concentrations in the marine sediment of Mejillones Bay, comparison between metal concentration in surface sediments and preindustrial levels in this bay, show that present values agree with natural levels.     

川西理塘地区第四纪冰川堆积物的表面暴露年龄

青藏高原第四纪冰川发育期次及时代确认吸引着众多地质学家的关注,尽管它是一个众所周知且极为重要的地球科学问题,但古冰川发育时代的确定一直悬而未决.