Eolian evidence from the Chinese Loess Plateau: the onset of the Late Cenozoic Great Glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift forcing

On the basis of a newly-constructed record of magnetic susceptibility (SUS) and the depositional rate change of eolian loess-red clay sequences in the last 7.2 Ma BP from the hea Plateau, together with a cornperison of a record of °¹⁸O values from the equatorial East Pacific Ocean and eolian Quartz flux variations fmm the North Pacific Ocean, the evolutiomuy process of the Late Cenozoic Great Glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere can be divided into three stages: the arrival stage around 7.2–3.4 Ma BP, the initial stage at about 3.4—2.6 Ma BP, and the Great Ice Age since 2.6 Ma BP. The evolution of the East Asian monsoon is characterized by paid winter and summer monsoons, and it is basically composed of the initial stage of weak winter and summer monsoons, the transitional stage of simultaneous increase in intensity of winter and summer monsoons, and the prevailing stage of strong winter and week summer monsoons, or weak winter and strong summer monsoons. The Late Cenowic global tectonic uplift, paaicdarly the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift and the associated CO₂ concentration variation, controls the dng processes of the onset of Great Glaciation and the long-term changes of East Asian monsoom climate in the Northern Hemisphere to a large extent. The accelerating uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau between 3.4 and 2.6 Ma BP provided an important driving force to global climiatic change. Project supported by the foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZ951-A1-402), the State Science and Technology Committee (Grant No. 95-pre-40)and the Chinese Nature Science Foundation (Grant No. 49672140)     

Quantifying the effect of geomorphology on aeolian dust emission potential in northern China

Representation of dust sources remains a key challenge in quantifying the dust cycle and its environmental and climatic impacts. Direct measurements of dust fluxes from different landform types are useful in understanding the nature of dust emission and characterizing the dynamics of soil erodibility. In this study we used the PI-SWERL® instrument over a seasonal cycle to quantify the potential for PM₁₀ (particles with diameter ≤10 μm) emission from several typical landform types across the Tengger Desert and Mu Us Sandy Land, northern China. Our results indicate that sparse grasslands and coppice dunes showed relatively high emission potentials, with emitted fluxes ranging from 10⁻¹ to 10¹ mg m⁻² s⁻¹. These values were up to five times those emitted from sand dunes, and one to two orders of magnitude greater than the emissions from dry lake beds, stone pavements and dense grasslands. Generally, PM₁₀ emission fluxes were seen to peak in the spring months, with significant reductions in summer and autumn (by up to 95%), and in winter (by up to 98%). Variations in soil moisture were likely a primary controlling factor responsible for this seasonality in PM₁₀ emission. Our data provide a relative quantification of differences in dust emission potential from several key landform types. Such data allow for the evaluation of current dust source schemes proposed by prior researchers. Moreover, our data will allow improvements in properly characterizing the erodibility of dust source regions and hence refine the parameterization of dust emission in climate models. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

秦岭—大巴山高分辨率气温和降水格点数据集的建立及其对区域气候的指示

本文建立了秦岭—大巴山高分辨率(～29 m×29 m)的气候格点数据集,包括逐月气温和降水、年均温和年降水、春夏秋冬气温和降水。空间插值方法采用国际上较为先进的ANUSPLIN软件内置的薄盘光滑样条函数,以经度、纬度和海拔为独立变量。空间插值结果与流行的WorldClim 2.0气候格点数据集具有一致性,但是比后者更精确、分辨率更高、细节更突出。本文揭示和证实:秦岭南麓是最冷月气温的0℃分界线。秦岭—大巴山气温具有明显的垂直地带性。6月气温直减率最大,为0.61℃/100 m;12月气温直减率最小,为0.38℃/100 m;年均气温直减率为0.51℃/100 m。夏季和秋季降水从西南向东北递减,强降水中心出现在大巴山西南坡。冬季降水从东南向西北递减。大巴山是年降水1000 mm分界线,夏季降水500mm分界线;秦岭是年降水800 mm分界线,夏季降水400 mm分界线。与大尺度大气环流对比揭示:秦岭—大巴山气温和降水空间分布主要受到东亚季风和地形因子的控制。本文进一步明确了秦岭和大巴山的气候意义:大巴山主要阻挡夏季风北上,影响降水空间分布;秦岭主要阻挡冬季风南下,影响冬季气温空间分布。本文建立的高分辨率气候格点数据集,加深了对区域气候的认识,并将有多方面的用途。     

Carbon isotopic composition of modern soil and paleosol as a response to vegetation change on the Chinese Loess Plateau

The relationship between the carbon isotopic composition of paleosols and pale-ovegetation on the Loess Plateau is still unclear. One of the main reasons is that we are short of knowledge about the characteristics of the carbon isotopic composition of modern soil in this area. A preliminary investigation of the carbon isotopic compositions of the modern soil and the loess/paleosol sequence on the Loess Plateau shows that the carbon isotopic composition of modern soil is consistent with the distribution of modern plants on the Loess Plateau, where the ecosystem is dominated by a mixture of C4 and C3 plants. Comparing the δ13C values of modern soil and loess-paleosol sequences from the Xunyi profile, we conclude that C3 plants dominated the landscape during loess sediment stages, while C4 plants expanded during paleosol stages.     

A detailed post‐IR IRSL dating study of the Niuyangzigou loess site in northeastern China

In this study, we report standard quartz SAR OSL and post‐IR infrared (IR) stimulated luminescence (post‐IR IRSL; pIRIR₂₉₀) measurements made on sand‐sized quartz and K‐feldspar extracts from the loess‐palaeosol sequence at Niuyangzigou in northeastern China. The quartz OSL characteristics are satisfactory. Extensive pIRIR_50,290 dose recovery tests were performed by adding doses on top of the natural dose. We found that dose recovery ratios improve significantly when the test dose ranges between ~15 and ~80% of the total dose, and good dose recovery (within ±5% of unity) can be obtained up to ～800 Gy. Otherwise, the dose recovery ratio deviates from unity. The D_e values also depend on the test dose size and so we conclude that the effect of test dose size should be routinely considered in pIRIR dating. First IR stimulation plateau pIRIR₂₉₀ results are compared with multiple elevated temperature ‐pIRIR (MET‐pIRIR) data. It appears that the low temperature MET‐pIRIR data are strongly affected by poor dose recovery, but this is not the case for the pIRIR₂₉₀ results. Natural signal measurements at the highest (first IR) stimulation temperature on a sample expected to be in field saturation suggest that ~10% signal loss occurs in pIRIR signals. Long‐term laboratory bleaching experiments (>80 days) show that a constant (or very difficult to bleach) residual pIRIR₂₉₀ signal is reached after ~300 h, corresponding to a dose of 6.2±0.7 Gy. Quartz OSL and feldspar pIRIR_50,290 ages are in good agreement at least back to c. 70 ka. Beyond this the quartz ages begin to underestimate but the feldspar ages are in agreement with the expected Last Interglacial age palaeosol.     

南洛河流域洛南盆地表土孢粉与植被的关系(英文)

The catchment of South Luohe River in Central China is an important region for investigating modern pollen-environment relationship, because it is located in the transitional zone between south and north China, an environment which is sensitive to climate changes. In this study, 40 surface samples under ten vegetation types were collected to reveal the relationship between pollen assemblages and vegetation. The results show that the surface pollen assemblages reflect the vegetation quite well. In forest topsoils, the average of arboreal pollen content is greater than 40%, and the Selaginella sinensis spore is high. As to sparse forest grassland and shrub community, the average arboreal pollen is 13.2% and 16.6% respectively, and the shrub pollen is relatively higher than that of grassland samples. The grassland and farmland are characterized by low percentage of tree and shrub pollen(<10% and <1%), and high percentage of herbs(>80%). Pinus, Quercus and some other arboreal pollen can indicate the regional vegetation because of their dispersal ability. Quercus pollen is under-representative and so is Pinus. Artemisia pollen is significantly over-represented, has poor correlation with the plant coverage, and may reflect human disturbance. Gramineae can indicate plant quite well, but with low representation. High content of Chenopodiaceae probably suggests human impact. Predominant Selaginella sinensis can be used as an indicator of forest environment. Cluster analysis and principal components analysis of pollen assemblages can distinguish forest and non-forest vegetation well. The former method is better at separating pine and mixed forests, while the latter is more stable and could better differentiate farmland and other non-forest area. The first axis of PCA mainly reflects the humidity.     

Multiphase timing of hominin occupations and the paleoenvironment in Luonan Basin, Central China

Thousands of Paleolithic artifacts have been recovered from Paleolithic sites in the Luonan Basin, in the upper South Luohe River of central China. Their discovery suggests that the basin was an important area for hominin settlement during the Pleistocene. However, the initial timing of this occupation and the environmental conditions for this period are still largely unknown. In addition, the sediments are not well dated and most of the artifacts lie on the surface. In an attempt to resolve these issues, a new systemic paleomagnetic analysis was carried out on the loess deposits that contain in situ stone tools. Our detailed loess-paleosol analyses of the stratigraphy of different sites in the basin and Chinese Loess Plateau shows the accumulation of the loess since at least 1.1 million years (Ma) ago. Moreover, recently discovered in situ cores, flakes and retouched stone tools in these deposits show that hominins used this region repeatedly from 0.8-0.7 Ma to 0.4-0.3 and 0.2-0.1 Ma. Pedostratigraphic analyses, magnetic susceptibility and carbon isotope analyses also indicate that these hominins lived in a subtropical to warm-temperate climate with broad-needle-leaf forest vegetation mixed with grasses.     

末次盛冰期以来科尔沁沙地古气候变化及其边界重建

利用光释光测年技术,获得了覆盖科尔沁沙地内部及外围的20个风成沙-砂质古土壤沉积序列的年代.在分析前人研究的基础上,结合地层和气候代用指标重建了末次盛冰期以来科尔沁沙地的演化过程.结果表明:科尔沁沙地的气候变化和沙丘的固定与活化主要经历了4个阶段,即:26 ～ 12ka,气候极端干冷,沙地大面积活化;12.0 ～9.5ka,气候趋于暖湿,但仍比较干冷,沙地由大规模沙化向固定成壤过渡;9.5～2.5ka,气候暖湿,沙地基本固定;2.5ka以来,气候呈干冷与暖湿交替状态,沙地亦存在多次固定与活化,其中,从1.5ka开始,沙丘活化明显.基于风沙沉积序列的空间分布和光释光测年结果,末次盛冰期科尔沁沙地同时向南和北扩展:南至翁牛特-库伦旗一线,至少扩张了26km;北至霍林河一带,至少扩张了30km;东界受东辽河限制,与现代边界几乎一致.沙地面积较现代扩张了至少2.05×104km2,扩大了37.7％.全新世大暖期,沙丘大面积固定.研究表明,科尔沁沙地气候与环境演变受东亚季风影响,也是全球气候变化的区域响应.     

末次盛冰期和全新世大暖期呼伦贝尔沙地的环境变化

呼伦贝尔沙地保存的风沙层-古土壤沉积序列,是认识过去环境变化的重要地质记录.沙地沉积具有速率快、沉积与侵蚀并存的特点,因此,通过大量独立的光释光年代控制对不同的剖面进行拼接,可以重建沙地在千年尺度上干湿变化过程以及特征时期的边界.本文获得了呼伦贝尔沙地8个沉积剖面的47个光释光年代和近200个样品的环境代用指标数据,结合已发表文献资料,揭示了16ka以来呼伦贝尔沙地千年尺度的干湿变化,并估算了末次盛冰期(LGM)和全新世大暖期(HO)沙地流沙的边界.初步认为,LGM期间,呼伦贝尔沙地相对于现代沙带边界,最远向北移动了约60km,向东移动了约50km,并且南北沙带之间的区域全部沙化;LGM期间沙漠化面积达到22337km2,相对现代沙漠化面积扩大了约2.7倍.而在HO期间,整个沙地被植被所固定,发育砂质古土壤层,只在局部区域存在短暂的风沙活动.     

5 ka BP以来阿尔金山北缘冲洪积扇沉积环境变化和戈壁动力过程初步研究

中国西北干旱区有大面积的戈壁地貌,但对其形成过程的研究不多。阿尔金山北缘的沉积物记录着临近戈壁地貌的发育过程。选择甘肃敦煌南湖绿洲附近的山水沟剖面作为研究对象,在独立的光释光测年基础上,通过对比分析粒度特征、磁化率和有机碳同位素值变化,探讨5 ka BP以来阿尔金山北缘戈壁沉积动力过程及其环境控制因素。结果表明：戈壁发育进程具有波动性,戈壁沉积动力在百（千）年时间尺度上受到环境因素制约,在2.67～3.57 ka BP和1.65～1.95 ka BP干热气候条件下,沉积物搬运动力较弱,戈壁发育受限;在4.27～4.84 ka BP时期水量较大,戈壁发育范围较广,属于扩张阶段。这一结果初步揭示了戈壁地貌演化与气候环境变化的联系。