The Initiation of the "Little Ice Age" in Regions Round the North Atlantic

The "Little Ice Age" was the most recent period during which glaciers extended globally, their fronts oscillating about advanced positions. It is frequently taken as having started in the sixteenth or seventeenth century and ending somewhere between 1850 and 1890, but Porter (1981) pointed out that the "Little Ice Age" may 'have begun at least three centuries earlier in the North Atlantic region than is generally inferred'. The glacial fluctuations of the last millennium have been traced in the greatest detail in the Swiss Alps, where the "Little Ice Age" is now seen as starting with advances in the thirteenth century, and reaching an initial culmination in the fourteenth century. In the discussion here, evidence from Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen and Scandinavia is compared with that from Switzerland. Such comparisons have been facilitated by improved methods of calibrating radiocarbon dates to calendar dates and by increasing availability of evidence revealed during the current retreat phase. It is concluded that the "Little Ice Age" was initiated before the early fourteenth century in regions surrounding the North Atlantic.     

Climate extremes in Loess of China coupled with the strength of deep-water formation in the North Atlantic

The loess-paleosol sequences of the last 1.2 Ma in China have recorded two kinds of climate extremes: the strongly developed S4, S5-1 and S5-3 soils (corresponding to the marine δ¹⁸O stages 11, 13, and 15, respectively) as evidence of three episodes of great warmth and two coarse-grained loess units (L9 and L15, corresponding to the marine δ¹⁸O stages 22, 23, 24 and 38, respectively) which indicate severest glacial conditions. The climatic and geographical significance of these events are still unclear, and their cause remains a puzzle.Paleopedological, geochemical and magnetic susceptibility data from three loess sections (Xifeng, Changwu and Weinan) suggest that the S4, S5-1 and S5-3 soils were formed under sub-tropical semi-humid climates with a tentatively estimated mean annual temperature (MAT) of at least 4–6°C higher and a mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 200–300 mm higher than for the present-day, indicating a much strengthened summer monsoon. The annual rainfall was particularly accentuated for the southern-most part of the Loess Plateau, suggesting that the monsoon rain belt (the contact of the monsoonal northward warm-humid air mass with the dry-cold southward one) might have stood at the southern part of the Plateau for a relatively long period each year. The loess units L9 and L15 were deposited under semi-desertic environments with a tentatively estimated MAT and MAP of only about 1.5–3°C and 150–250 mm, indicating a much strengthened winter monsoon, and that the summer monsoon front could rarely penetrate into the Loess Plateau region.Correlation with marine carbon isotope records suggests that these climate extremes have large regional, even global, significance rather than being local phenomena in China. They match the periods with greatest/smallest Atlantic–Pacific δ¹³C gradients, respectively, indicating their relationships with the strength of Deep Water (NADW) production in the North Atlantic. These results suggest that the monsoon climate in the Loess Plateau region was significantly linked with the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation on timescales of 10⁴ years.     

A new insight on the decreasing sea level trend over the Ionian basin in the last decades

Altimetry measurements over the Ionian region and tide gauge records along the southern Italian coasts have been combined to analyse the negative sea level trend over the Ionian basin in the last decades. The apparent decreasing trend should be better understood as an abrupt sea level drop in 1998 probably linked to changes in the surface circulation in the Ionian basin induced by the Eastern Mediterranean Transient, which changed from anticyclonic to cyclonic about March 1998. From then onwards, a rising rate of 7.9 ± 0.9 mm/year is observed over the basin.     

原子吸收光谱法测定土壤和水系沉积物中的银

样品经四酸分解,1％的硝酸提取,2％硫脲定溶。石墨炉原子吸收测定样品中的银,方法检出限0．014ug/g,精密度（RSD,n=6）4％～16％;回收率为96％～104％。方法经国家一级标准物质验证,测定结果与标准值相符。     

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUARY

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN TIIE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUARYSHEN Zhigang'ANSTa^CTThe hy~ntalc and the sedimen tranSport Patter'nS within the estUaIy of the YangtZe mver arecomPlex because of intemehon of fluvial and the hdal forCes, depending on freshwate discharge andhdal range. Based on the data measuIed in meent years, thes papo discusses the characterishcs of flowand sNnt movemen in the tw forer EstUaIy and their iIifluences on the evolution of theestuaryKey W: YangtZe mver…     

The system of the Milky Way, LMC and SMC

A simple sticky-particle numerical model has been developed in order to check whether extended structures of gas created due to the dynamical evolution of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds system can be explained as remnants of a tidal interaction. Influence of dissipative nature of gaseous medium has been taken into account. The most remarkable features are: the Magellanic Stream, the common HI envelope surrounding both the LMC and SMC and the bridge extended between the Clouds. In contrast to previous works of Murai and Fujimoto (1980), Gardiner et al. (1994) and H and Rohlfs (1994) no presumptions were done on the actual galactocentric velocities of the Magellanic Clouds. The mean values of the LMC and SMC velocity vectors obtained from the Hipparcos proper motion measurements (Kroupa and Bastian, 1997) were used in order to verify whether they allow to reproduce the observed HI distribution. Numerical simulations showed that tidal forces are really significant for the evolution of extended structures such as the Magellanic Stream but this approach becomes unsufficient for the internal regions of galaxies where self-gravity and dissipative properties of the gas cannot be neglected. More precise proper motion measurements are urgently needed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Geochemistry and behavior of REE in stream sediments close to an old Sn-W mine,Ribeira, Northeast Portugal

The abandoned Sn-W Ribeira mine, northeast of Portugal, contained quartz veins with cassiterite, wolframite, scheelite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, manganocolumbite, bismuthinite, native bismuth, phosphates and carbonates. The exploration took place on the northern slope of the Viveiros stream, which is an affluent of the Sabor River. The waste-rock dumps and tailings were deposited on the hillside, close to the mine and are nowadays exposed to significant weathering and erosion, as they are not vegetated. The eroded material is transported by the Viveiros stream toward the Sabor River. A seasonal stream drains the tailings. The stream sediments samples were collected along the Viveiros stream, in the seasonal stream, in a seasonal spring at the bottom of the tailings, in the Sabor River and in other streams not affected by mine workings, following the mine influence along the Viveiros stream and in the Sabor River (1.2 km away from the mine workings). The data show that the degree of pollution increases along the Viveiros stream, especially in winter. The highest degree of pollution is for As, In, W, Sn and Bi. The sediments from the drainage of the main tailings are particularly polluted during winter, by Bi, In and Sn. The sedimentary precipitate from the spring is polluted in Cu, As, In, Sn, Ta, W, Bi, Zn, Nb, Ag, Sb and Ta. The sediments from the Sabor River are significantly polluted by As, Ag, In, Sn, W and Bi. The sediments from the regional streams, Viveiros stream and Sabor River have similar REE (NASC normalized) patterns (ΣREE = 131.7–185.9 mg/kg, La_N/Lu_N = 1.23–1.42 and Eu/Eu* = 1.02), while those from the seasonal stream, crossing the main tailings, are enriched in REE (ΣREE = 250.3–283.6 mg/kg, La_N/Lu_N = 1.6–2.09 and Eu/Eu* = 0.96). The general decrease in La_N/Lu_N values with increase in total Fe₂O₃ can be explained by the partitioning of HREE to the solid Fe-oxides phase. The sedimentary precipitate and coatings, which are mainly formed by Fe-oxy-hydroxides, but also contain jarosite, are impoverished in all REE. The impoverishment can be explained by the release of REE from the surface of the Fe-oxy-hydroxides, which occurs due to a local lowering of pH, caused by jarosite dissolution. During successive alternate cycles of wet and dry conditions, takes place the formation of Fe-oxy-hydroxides and jarosite in the sedimentary precipitate and coatings. The subsequent dissolution of jarosite releases acidity, thus promoting de-sorption of REE from the Fe-oxy-hydroxides mineral phases.     

Hydrofracturing in response to the development of an overpressurised subglacial meltwater system during drumlin formation: an example from Anglesey,NW Wales

This paper presents the results of a detailed study of a complex hydrofracture system and host diamictons exposed within a longitudinal section through an elongate drumlin located to the west of Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, NW Wales. This complex, laterally extensive sand, silt and clay filled hydrofracture system was active over a prolonged period and is thought to have developed beneath the Late Devensian (Weichselian) Irish Sea Ice Stream as it overrode this part of NW Anglesey. The sediment-fill to the hydrofracture system is deformed with kinematic indicators (folds, thrusts, augen) recording a SW-directed sense of shear, consistent with the regional ice flow direction across this part of the island. The lack of any geomorphological evidence for active retreat of the Irish Sea ice across Anglesey has led to the conclusion that hydrofracturing at the Cemlyn Bay site occurred within the bed of the Irish Sea Ice Stream whilst this relatively faster flowing corridor of ice was actively overriding the island. Shear imposed by the overriding ice led to the development of a subglacial shear zone which facilitated the propagation of the hydrofracture system with the laterally extensive feeder sills occurring parallel to Y-type Riedel shears. Although a subglacial setting beneath the active Irish Sea Ice Stream can be argued for the Cemlyn Bay hydrofracture system, its relationship to the formation of the ‘host’ drumlin remains uncertain. However, evidence presented here suggests that hydrofracturing may have occurred during the later stages or post landform development in response to the migration of overpressurised meltwater within the bed of the Irish Sea ice; possibly accompanying the local thinning and shutdown of the Irish Sea Ice Stream on Anglesey.     

Sediment Phosphorus Chemistry and Microbial Biomass along a Lowland New Zealand Stream

An evaluation of the distribution of P concentrations in streamflow, P fractions andthe microbial biomass P pool was made of bed and bank sediments along a lowlandstream in New Zealand. Agricultural intensification increased downstream. However,most P fractions decreased downstream (total P decreased from c. 400 to 250 mg kg^-1) in bed sediments, while P in streamflow remained relatively constant (generally < 0.005 mg l^-1) and sediment microbial P increased from 2 to 8 mg kg^-1. An investigation of P release from dried and rewetted sediments showed that solution P (CaCl2-P) increased, on average > 300%, and proportional to the size of the microbial biomass P pool before drying, except in sediments with much organic carbon (OC). When supplied with a P source (1 mg l^-1) and then simultaneously with a C source (glucose, 100 mg l^-1), all sediment behaved similarly and biotic sorption accounted for, on average, 27 and 34% of the total sediment uptake, respectively (maximum of 58%). The quantity of P taken up was related to the initial size of the microbial biomass P pool, and the availability of P as influenced by organic P complexes and OC. The sediment microbial biomass represents a transient, but small store of P could be useful to indicate bioavailable P inputs.