Investigating the mechanisms leading to the deglaciation of past continental northern hemisphere ice sheets with the CLIMBER–GREMLINS coupled model

A coupling procedure between a climate model of intermediate complexity (CLIMBER-2.3) and a 3-dimensional thermo-mechanical ice-sheet model (GREMLINS) has been elaborated. The resulting coupled model describes the evolution of atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, cryosphere and their mutual interactions. It is used to perform several simulations of the Last Deglaciation period to identify the physical mechanisms at the origin of the deglaciation process. Our baseline experiment, forced by insolation and atmospheric CO₂, produces almost complete deglaciation of past northern hemisphere continental ice sheets, although ice remains over the Cordilleran region at the end of the simulation and also in Alaska and Eastern Siberia. Results clearly demonstrate that, in this study, the melting of the North American ice sheet is critically dependent on the deglaciation of Fennoscandia through processes involving switches of the thermohaline circulation from a glacial mode to a modern one and associated warming of the northern hemisphere. A set of sensitivity experiments has been carried out to test the relative importance of both forcing factors and internal processes in the deglaciation mechanism. It appears that the deglaciation is primarily driven by insolation. However, the atmospheric CO₂ modulates the timing of the melting of the Fennoscandian ice sheet, and results relative to Laurentide illustrate the existence of threshold CO₂ values, that can be translated in terms of critical temperature, below which the deglaciation is impeded. Finally, we show that the beginning of the deglaciation process of the Laurentide ice sheet may be influenced by the time at which the shift of the thermohaline circulation from one mode to the other occurs.     

Rates of Deglaciation during the Last Glaciation and Holocene in the Cordillera Vilcanota-Quelccaya Ice Cap Region, Southeastern Perú

Moraine chronology is combined with digital topography to model deglacial rates of paleoglacier volumes in both the Huancané Valley on the west side of the Quelccaya Ice Cap and the Upismayo Valley on the northwest side of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The fastest rates of deglaciation (39×10⁻⁵ to 114×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ and 112×10⁻⁵ to 247×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ for each valley, respectively) were calculated for the most recent paleoglaciers, corresponding to the last few centuries. These results are consistent with observations in the Venezuelan Andes showing high rates of deglaciation since the Little Ice Age. These rates also fall within the range of 20th century rates of deglaciation measured on the Quelccaya Ice Cap (29×10⁻⁵ to 220×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹, Brecher and Thompson, 1993; Thompson, 2000). These results imply that rates of deglaciation may fluctuate significantly over time and that high rates of deglaciation may not be exclusive to the late 20th century. Equilibrium line altitude (ELA) depressions for the ice volumes of the last glaciation modeled here were computed as 230 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap and 170 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota. Maximum ELA depressions are lower than previously published: <500 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota and <400 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap. These lower values could imply a topographic control over paleoglacier extent.     

天山山区近40a年降水变化特征与南、北疆的比较

本文分析了天山山区近40 a来年降水变化的基本特征，并与南疆、北疆进行了比较，所得的主要结果如下：(1)天山山区在年降水量干湿变化阶段上与北疆的相似性强于南疆。(2)年降水量的空间分布的同步变化性以北疆为最好，南疆最差，天山山区居中，而年降水量的空间分布的反向变化性，以天山山区为最大，北疆最小，南疆居中。(3)天山山区与南疆从60年代到90年代，年降水均表现出了持续的增加的趋势，北疆年降水从60年代到90年代，除70年代外，不断增多。     

云南东北部拱王山末次冰期

1 Introduction The Gongwang mountains constitute one of the few high m ountains of irrefutable late Pleistocene glaciation in eastern China. This area is one of the m ost extensively studied Quaternary geologicallocationsin eastern China and the interpret…     

近1800年以来内蒙古达里湖浮游植物群落演变及驱动因素

湖泊是地质历史上区域生态环境演变的重要载体,其沉积物中包含了丰富的环境演变信息。达里湖是典型的草原内陆封闭型湖泊,位于东亚夏季风的北部边缘,地理位置关键。本研究基于在达里湖采集的约238 cm沉积物岩芯 (GDL-1),通过²¹⁰Pb和¹³⁷Cs (岩芯上部20 cm)、AMS¹⁴C测年,以及沉积物样品中甾醇等生物标志物含量分析,重建了近1800年以来达里湖硅藻、蓝藻等典型藻类含量的演化历史,并结合总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、盐度(Sr/Ba)和温度(T)等环境代用指标,分析藻类群落的主要影响因素。结果显示达里湖典型藻类总量平均为2.03 ng/g(最高6.69 ng/g,最小0.53 ng/g),其中蓝藻占比平均为60%,绿藻和硅藻占比平均为20%;环境因子对硅藻、蓝藻和典型藻类生物量的解释率分别为47.7%、55.20%和48.10%,T、TN和Sr/Ba是影响浮游植物群落的主要影响因素;硅藻占比与温度呈显著负相关,小冰期硅藻占比最高,中世纪暖期占比最低;在达里湖的高盐环境下,湖泊营养盐浓度对藻类的影响受到限制,成为藻类等生长的限制因素;Sr/Ba小于0.9时,硅藻含量与典型藻类总量随着Sr/Ba值的升高而增加,Sr/Ba大于0.9时,典型藻类总量与Sr/Ba值呈负相关关系,而硅藻则表现出对盐度具有一定的耐受性;整体上,近1800年以来,区域或全球性气候事件通过改变达里湖盐度、营养元素浓度和温度来影响典型藻类群落结构。在暖期阶段,蒸发作用增强等导致的湖泊盐度增加成为达里湖典型藻类群落结构演变的主要影响因素;在冷期,营养元素浓度和温度的降低成为湖泊水体浮游植物生物量的主要影响因素。     

石笋流体包裹体中的惰性气体及其在重建长江中游古温度变化中的作用

文中讨论了一种评估古气温变化的新方法。我们成功地利用石笋流体包裹体所捕获的Xe/Ar比值,重建了末次冰盛期以来盛行东亚季风的长江中游地区的气候演化。一种表达成ln(CXe/CAr)的对数式被证明与冷暖周期变化具有密切的关系。从研究的石笋中所提出的δ13C与Mg/Ca曲线一般随区域古气温波动而变化,但不能排除其中有另类气候信号的叠加。我们的工作则明确地指出,流体包裹体所记录的Xe/Ar在各种反映温度变化的替代指标中可能是最好的一种。整体而言,ln(CXe/CAr)曲线与那些基本随暖期和冷期振荡的曲线保持一致。将稀有气体曲线与δ13C和Mg/Ca信号整合对比之后,我们在研究区划分出末次冰盛期以来8组暖/冷旋回。整合后的气温变化模式合理地解释了过去20000年里的区域环境变化。     

河北泥河湾盆地油房北旧石器地点的发现与研究

油房北旧石器地点是河北省泥河湾盆地东缘的一处考古新发现,本文对该地点的下部文化层相关情况做了重点介绍。下部文化层的厚度约2.5 m,在3 m²的试掘范围内出土了石制品、动物化石及自然砾石等标本计600余件。石器工业面貌整体上承袭了我国华北地区的小石片石器文化传统。微体古生物化石（介形虫等）研究表明,该文化层自下而上经历了河流阶地到湿地环境的转变。光释光方法测得其年代大约在8.6~10.8万年,相当于深海氧同位素5阶段（MIS5）,处于末次间冰期。油房北地点的考古发现增添了末次间冰期古人类活动的新证据,为研究当时古人类的生计方式及人地关系提供了重要实物资料。

     

末次冰盛期-全新世东海陆坡滑塌沉积的地质年代与沉积学证据

基于东海陆坡区OT12-01孔长度为5.35 m沉积物AMS 14C测年、高分辨率粒度分析和XRF岩芯元素扫描数据,识别出了末次冰盛期(LGM)至全新世期间发生的多次滑塌事件。研究发现,OT12-01孔全新世晚期沉积层缺失,LGM至全新世期间呈现AMS 14C年龄模式频繁倒转、沉积物粒度、元素比值垂向上多处突变或"错动"等特征,保存了LGM至全新世非连续的沉积记录。OT12-01孔沉积物主要来源于低海平面时期的长江/黄河物质,OT12-01孔是由中国大陆陆源物质在东海陆架经水动力分选,细颗粒被搬运至东海陆坡后,发生多次滑塌形成。LGM时期物源供给是OT12-01孔形成滑塌沉积的重要因素,末次冰消期海平面快速上升可能是高频滑塌沉积的触发原因,而低海平面时期甲烷水合物溢出、频繁的地震和火山喷发可能是海底滑坡作用发生的诱因。