Dust transport and palaeoclimate during the Oldest Dryas in Central Europe — implications from varves (Lake Constance)

This paper evaluates evidence for seasonal loess deposits in peri-Alpine Lake Constance at the end of the last Glacial (Oldest Dryas chronozone). The usefulness of such lacustrine deposits for palaeoclimatic interpretations is discussed. The sedimentology of laminated couplets comprising yellow and grey silts has been investigated to test the hypothesis that the couplets are varves (i.e. annual rhythmites) comprising alternations of loess and glacial silt and clay. The laminae are mostly less than 1 mm thick and include from bottom to top: (1) a matrix of well-sorted, non-graded fine yellow silt with sand-size intraclasts, (2) coarsening-upward grey silt with a cap of fining-upward silt to clay. The latter is typical for varves in modern proglacial lakes and reflects summer and winter deposits (silt and clay, respectively). We propose that the lack of grading and the matrix supported fabric is indicative of aeolian transport and therefore interpret the yellow laminae as loess deposits. Volcanic glass intraclasts in the loess layers are probably derived from volcanic terrain to the west of the lake, indicating an easterly palaeowind direction. Deposition of loess in the lake occurred regularly at the beginning of each annual cycle, suggesting that the palaeowinds were associated with winter and/or spring conditions. Two transport scenarios are suggested to explain the sand grains scattered in this deep-water lacustrine record. 1. The grains may have been transported as bedload over the annual winter ice-cover of the lake under moderate wind strengths, frozen into the ice, and released for deposition during spring melt. 2. The sand grains were blown directly out onto the lake water by very strong winds during spring. The first scenario is contrary to the general view that loess was transported during summer, and that loess deposits thus reflect summer conditions only. Loess input to the lake shows a transitional decrease after ca. 14.3 kyr BP and cessation at ca. 14 kyr BP, probably as a result of a change of wind behaviour, increased humidity and/or vegetational changes during the Oldest Dryas in central Europe.This paper was presented at Clima Locarno 90, the International Conference on Past and Present Climate Dynamics: Reconstruction of Rates of Change, held in Locarno, Switzerland, September 24 to 28, 1991, supported by a grant from the Swiss Academy of Sciences. It was convened jointly by the Swiss National Climate Program - ProClim, the Swiss Committee for the IGBP, the Swiss COL, the Swiss SCOPE Committee, and the Swiss CCA. Guest editor for the papers published following the conference is Dr. K. Kelts (see also Climate Dynamics 6:3/4, Jan. 1992)     

O,p'-DDT induction of vitellogenesis and its inhibition by tamoxifen in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

In order to investigate the mechanism by which o,p'-DDT disrupts endocrine functioning of Nile tilapia in vivo, the estrogenicity of o,p'-DDT was investigated in conjunction with 17beta-estradiol (E2) and tamoxifen. Mature, male tilapia were treated intraperitoneally with o,p'-DDT (60 mg/kg, one dose) or E2 (5 mg/kg, four doses) in the presence or absence of tamoxifen (5 mg/kg, six doses) for 12 days and then plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) (measured as alkaline-labile phosphorous), E2, and testosterone (T) were measured. Vtg levels were increased dramatically by E2 (1,744 +/- 171 microg/ml) and moderately by o,p'-DDT (82 +/- 15 microg/ml) compared with controls (23 +/- 3.5 microg/ml). Tamoxifen alone had no effect on Vtg production, but inhibited both E2 and o,p'-DDT stimulated vitellogenesis. T levels were reduced with E2 administration (1,688 +/- 383 pg/ml) and declined further with the combined treatment of E2 and tamoxifen (281 +/- 70 pg/ml), compared with controls (6,558 +/- 1,438 pg/ml). Tamoxifen or o,p'-DDT alone did not affect T levels, but their combined treatment did (2,069 +/- 647 pg/ml). The results of this study suggest that o,p'-DDT is weakly estrogenic in male tilapia, and that this activity may be mediated through the estrogen receptor.     

An aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen decrease plasma levels of o,p-DDT and its metabolites in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The objective of this study was to determine if tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor (4-hydroxyandrostenedione; 4-OHA) affected plasma concentrations of o,p^′-DDT and its metabolites, o,p^′-DDD and o,p^′-DDE, in mature tilapia. Male and female tilapia were injected 6 times intraperitoneally with o,p^′-DDT (40 mg/kg) alone or in combination with 4-OHA (2 mg/kg) over a 12 day period. An additional group of male fish was injected with tamoxifen (5 mg/kg) plus o,p^′-DDT. At the end of the treatment period, plasma samples were extracted and analyzed by GC/ECD. Females injected only with o,p^′-DDT had significantly higher levels of o,p^′-DDT compared with males. Interestingly, females and males treated concomitantly with o,p^′-DDT and 4-OHA or tamoxifen had significantly lower concentrations of plasma o,p^′-DDT (about 50%) compared with fish treated with only o,p^′-DDT. These initial results suggest that an interaction between endocrine-active compounds occurs in vivo in tilapia and may involve alterations in metabolism of o,p^′-DDT.     

The skeleton of a straight-tusked elephant,Palaeoloxodon antiquus (Falconer and Cautley, 1847) from Selsey,England, and growth and variation in Palaeoloxodon of the European Pleistocene

A partial skeleton of straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) excavated at Selsey beach (Sussex, UK) in 1961 is one of very few from Marine Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7), ca. 240–200 ka, in Europe. Dental morphometrics, including X-ray micro-computed tomography, confirms the species identification. Age determination through dental wear and skeletal morphology, sex determination through pelvic anatomy, and body-size measurements, together identify the individual as a female of approximately 30 years old with a live shoulder height of ca. 3 m and a body mass of ca. 5 t. Dental mesowear indicates mixed feeding with a significant proportion of grass, indicating selective feeding in a predominately forested environment. Although taphonomic conclusions are limited by the nature of the excavation, identification of 107 recovered skeletal elements indicates predominant preservation of the right side of the animal, suggesting death or burial on the right side in a shallow, slow-moving freshwater environment, with possible removal of other elements by scavenging or decay. Combining the Selsey data with 29 comparative skeletons from across Europe, we demonstrate the validity of pelvic proportions for determining sex and provide a graphical representation of variation and growth rate in males and females of this species.     

Seasonal Responses of Net Primary Productivity of Vegetation to Phen-ological Dynamics in the Loess Plateau,China

With global warming,the great changes in the patterns of plant growth have occurred.The conditions in early spring and late autumn have changed the process of v...     

越南东北部Cat Ba岛泥盆系-石炭系过渡层的初探

The Pho Han Formation is exposed on southern Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong Province in northeastern Vietnam, and intercalates the Devonian and Carbonif-erous (D-C) boundary (Ta and Doan, 2007; Komatsu et al., 2012). The D-C boundary section consists mainly of limestone beds, numbered from 1 to 167, interca-lated with alternating black organic-rich shales. The limestone yields abundant brachiopods, crinoid-stems and conodonts. Preliminary investigations on strati-graphy (conodont biostratigraphy and δ13C) and sedi-mentology of beds 113-133 were undertaken in this study.     

1961-2012年6-8月内蒙古降水异常及环流特征分析

利用内蒙古自治区100个站1961-2012年6-8月各月降水量资料,以降水距平百分率划分了单站和全区各月的多、少雨年份,分析了6-8月全区多雨和少雨站点百分率变化特征。针对异常多雨和少雨年份,探讨了同期北半球欧亚地区大气环流的分布特征。结果表明：8月降水存在减少趋势,6月和7月则主要表现为阶段性多（少）雨,且少雨年多于多雨年。在多雨月份,100hPa高度场上,欧亚中高纬度呈径向环流分布,极涡较弱。其中,6月为两槽一脊型,内蒙古位于高压脊区前部,7、8月为两脊一槽型,内蒙古位于高压脊区后部;500 hPa高度场上,6月,亚洲区主要表现为变形场,内蒙古处于锋生区,或是亚洲中高纬度环流为两脊一槽型,内蒙古处于两高之间的宽广低槽中, 7月、8月欧亚中高纬度环流主要表现为东高西低,内蒙古自治区位于低压槽区中;850hPa流场图上内蒙古为气旋性切变区域或为风场辐合区域控制。在少雨月份,100hPa和500hPa高度场上,欧亚中高纬度呈纬向环流分布,极涡较强,内蒙古位于南亚高压北边的正距平区域;850hPa流场图上表现为弱的风场特征,无明显的水汽输送。     

Serendipitous Asteroid Lightcurve Survey Using SuperWASP

The SuperWASP project is an ultra-wide angle search for extra solar planetary transits. However, it can also serendipitously detect solar system objects, such as asteroids and comets. Each SuperWASP instrument consists of up to eight cameras, combined with high-quality peltier-cooled CCDs, which photometrically survey large numbers of stars in the magnitude range 7–15. Each camera covers a 7.8 × 7.8 degree field of view. Located on La Palma, the SuperWASP-I instrument has been observing the Northern Hemisphere with five cameras since its inauguration in April 2004.The ultra-wide angle field of view gives SuperWASP the possibility of discovering new fast moving (near to Earth) asteroids that could have been missed by other instruments. However, it provides an excellent opportunity to produce a magnitude-limited lightcurve survey of known main belt asteroids. As slow moving asteroids stay within a single SuperWASP field for several weeks, and may be seen in many fields, a survey of all objects brighter than magnitude 15 is possible. This will provide a significant increase in the total number of lightcurves available for statistical studies without the inherent bias against longer periods present in the current data sets.We present the methodology used in the automated collection of asteroid data from SuperWASP and some of the first examples of lightcurves from numbered asteroids.