Rare-earth elements as source indicators of Pan-African granites from Obudu Plateau,Southeastern Nigeria

The rare-earth element （REE） concentrations of representative granite samples from the southeast of the Obudu Plateau, Nigeria, were analyzed with an attempt to determine the signatures of their source, evolutionary history and tectonic setting. Results indicated that the granites have high absolute REE concentrations （190×10^-6-1191×10^-6; av.=549×10^-6） with the chondrite-normalized REE patterns characterized by steep negative slopes and prominent to slight or no negative Eu anomalies. All the samples are also characterized by high and variable concentrations of the LREE （151×10^-6-1169×10^-6; av.= 466×10^-6）, while the HREE show low abundance （4×10^-6-107×10^-6; av.=28×10^-6）. These are consistent with the variable levels of REE fractionation, and differentiation of the granites. This is further supported by the range of REE contents, the chondrite-normalized patterns and the ratios of LaN/YbN （2.30-343.37）, CeN/YbN （5.94-716.87）, LaN/SmN （3.14-11.68） and TbN/YbN （0.58-1.65）. The general parallelism of the REE patterns, suggest that all the granites were comagmatic in origin, while the high Eu/Eu＊ ratios （0.085-2.807; av.=0.9398） indicate high fo2 at the source. Similarly, irregular variations in LaN/YbN, CeN/YbN and Eu/Eu＊ ratios and REE abundances among the samples suggest behaviors that are related to mantle and crustal sources.     

青藏高原甜水海盆地MIS 3阶段湖泊沉积与环境变化

青藏高原西北部甜水海盆地地处内陆干旱区和喀喇昆仑山的东侧雨影区,气候环境极端干旱。但多次考察结果揭示晚更新世时期存在着大湖和高湖面的地质证据。为了探讨该地区过去气候与环境的演变历史,在甜水海盆地（海拔4840m）进行钻探采得沉积岩芯56.32m（TS95）,通过对沉积岩芯其中一段的粒度、生物、同位素及地球化学多指标综合分析,探讨了MIS3时期甜水海地区气候环境演化过程。沉积岩芯显示沉积物岩性变化频繁,记录着湖面多次波动、沉积环境多变的演化过程,分别在59～56kaB.P.,49～47kaB.P.,45～41kaB.P.,35.5～34.0kaB.P.和28～25kaB.P.期间存在高湖面和湖水稀释。在其多环境指标的记录中,Heinrich事件和D-O旋回均有反映,揭示了全球变化信号在研究区的响应。同时,不同高湖面阶段内部环境波动也较明显,差别较大,其产生原因也各有不同,归结为3种情况:1)由于气候变暖导致冰雪融水补给增加而产生的高湖面;2)由于冷湿气候导致的高湖面;和3)由于暖湿气候导致的高湖面。本研究揭示出了MIS3时期气候频繁波动的特征和气候的不稳定性。     

Late Cenozoic Stratigraphy and Paleomagnetic Chronology of the Zanda Basin, Tibet, and Records of the Uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The characteristics of Late Cenozoic tectonic uplift of the southern margin of the Qinghai- Tibet Plateau may be inferred from fluvio-lacustrine strata in the Zanda basin, Ngari, Tibet. Magnetostratigraphic study shows that the very thick fluvio-lacustrine strata in the basin are 5.89- 0.78 Ma old and that their deposition persisted for 5.11 Ma, i.e. starting at the end of the Miocene and ending at the end of the early Pleistocene, with the Quaternary glacial stage starting in the area no later than 1.58 Ma. Analysis of the sedimentary environment indicates that the Zanda basin on the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau began uplift at -5.89 Ma, later than the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Presence of gravel beds in the Guge and Qangze Formations reflects that strong uplift took place at -5.15 and -2.71 Ma, with the uplift peaking at -2.71 Ma.     

Cretaceous to Cenozoic evolution of the northern Lhasa Terrane and the Early Paleogene development of peneplains at Nam Co,Tibetan Plateau

Highly elevated and well-preserved peneplains are characteristic geomorphic features of the Tibetan plateau in the northern Lhasa Terrane, north–northwest of Nam Co. The peneplains were carved in granitoids and in their metasedimentary host formations. We use multi-method geochronology (zircon U–Pb and [U–Th]/He dating and apatite fission track and [U–Th]/He dating) to constrain the post-emplacement thermal history of the granitoids and the timing and rate of final exhumation of the peneplain areas. LA-ICP-MS U–Pb geochronology of zircons yields two narrow age groups for the intrusions at around 118 Ma and 85 Ma, and a third group records Paleocene volcanic activity (63–58 Ma) in the Nam Co area. The low-temperature thermochronometers indicate common age groups for the entire Nam Co area: zircon (U–Th)/He ages cluster around 75 Ma, apatite fission track ages around 60 Ma and apatite (U–Th)/He ages around 50 Ma. Modelling of the thermochronological data indicates that exhumation of the basement blocks took place in latest Cretaceous to earliest Paleogene time. By Middle Eocene time the relief was already flat, documented by a thin alluvial sediment sequence covering a part of the planated area. The present-day horst and graben structure of the peneplains is a Late Cenozoic feature triggered by E–W extension of the Tibetan Plateau. The new thermochronological data precisely bracket the age of the planation to Early Eocene, i.e. between ca. 55 and 45 Ma. The erosional base level can be deduced from the presence of Early Cretaceous zircon grains in Eocene strata of Bengal Basin. The sediment generated during exhumation of the Nam Co area was transported by an Early Cenozoic river system into the ocean, suggesting that planation occurred at low elevation.     

冰芯和气象记录揭示的青藏高原百年来典型冷暖时段气候变化特征

气候冷暖变化问题是全球科学家研究的一个聚焦点,但高海拔地区的气候变化过程尚不十分清楚,作为全球气候变化的敏感区的青藏高原更是如此. 以青藏高原北部的古里雅冰芯、唐古拉冰芯和南部的达索普冰芯、宁金岗桑冰芯δ¹⁸O记录作为温度代用指标,同时结合青藏高原西北缘的吉尔吉斯斯坦Naryn站长期气象记录和北半球同时期的气温变化进行比较,研究了过去100 a来青藏高原北部和南部的温度变化. 结果显示：青藏高原过去100 a来共出现1910年左右、1920年左右、1950年左右、1970年代4个冷期,各冷期之间对应出现4次暖期,并且变冷的程度越来越弱而变暖的程度越来越强. 其次,青藏高原气候的变冷变暖在不同地区和不同时段差异很大：从空间尺度上看,青藏高原北部变暖过程比南部更强烈;从时间尺度上看,1910年左右和1920年左右的两次变冷十分明显,但1950年左右和1970年代的两次变冷不明显. 另外,虽然有发生在1990年代早期的短暂降温过程,但与其说是一个冷事件,还不如说是一次变暖过程中的短暂停顿,随后表现为持续升温.     

青藏高原乌丽冻土区二氧化碳成因探讨

为了查明青藏高原乌丽冻土区天然气的组分与成因,对采集自乌丽水合物试验孔ZK1井及其周边钻孔的岩心顶空气、岩心解析气以及湖水气进行了组分和碳同位素测试分析,同时对ZK1井及其周边钻孔岩心中的碳酸盐岩碳同位素进行了测试分析。测试结果显示:该区天然气主要成分为二氧化碳,其含量在98%以上,烃类气体(主要为甲烷)含量很少;二氧化碳碳同位素主频在-4‰～-6‰(VPDB)之间,少量富烃样品的甲烷碳同位素主频介于-3238‰～-2782‰（VPDB）之间,碳酸盐岩的碳同位素平均值为-387‰（VPDB）。综合分析认为,研究区二氧化碳主要为幔源成因,可能与该区强烈的构造运动和岩浆活动有关。     

Late Eocene foraminifers and palaeoenvironment,Cascade Seamount,southwest Pacific Ocean: implications for seamount subsidence and Australia Antarctica Eocene correlation

A Late Eocene foraminiferal fauna of free specimens is recorded from Cascade Seamount, a feature of volcanic origin, whose age and fauna were previously studied only in thin section. The fauna is of Late Eocene (P15) age because of the presence of Globigerapsis index, Globigerapsis rubriformis, Subbotina linaperta, Subbotina angiporoides and Chiloguembelina cubensis. Many typical Eocene indicators, such as Hantkenina, Pseudohastigerina and key globorotaliids, are absent. The age is a little older than that estimated for previous samples from the seamount. The fauna is dominated (78%) by benthic species, especially species of Cibicides that have greater affinities with New Zealand faunas than with coeval southern Australian faunas. The sediment and its fauna accumulated near the lower limits of wave activity, off the coast of a volcano that probably stood at least 400 m above sea level. The location has subsided nearly 1000 m over the past 40 million years to its present water depth of 1000 m, suggesting that the entire East Tasman Plateau was approximately 1000 m above its current depth at the time. Conditions were cool temperate and the fauna lacks any warm water indices, consistent with a palaeolatitude of 55–60°S, but also with cool waters at a time of oscillating conditions in southern Australia and also in Antarctica. There is essentially no infauna and the waters were highly oxygenated in the turbulent zone.     

Paleoclimate Changes during the Early Oiigocene in the Hoh Xil Region, Northern Tibetan Plateau

Sedimentological, cyclic-stratigraphic, paleomagnetic, and clay-mineralogical studies on the early Oligocene Yaxicuo Group in the Hoh Xil Basin, the largest Cenozoic sedimentary basin in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, provide abundant information of paleoclimate changes. A 350-m thick section in the middle-lower Yaxicuo Group was analyzed to reveal the climatic history that occurred in the Hoh Xil region during the early Oligocene interval 31.30-30.35 Ma, dated with the paleomagnetic chronostratigraphy. The results indicate that add and cold climate dominated the Hoh Xil region during the early Oligocene in general, being related to the global cooling and drying events that occurred in the earliest Oligocene. Within this period, relatively warm and wet climate accompanied by strong tectonic activity occurred in the 31.05-30.75 Ma interval; while add and cold climate and relatively inactive tectonics occurred in the 31.30-31.05 and 30.75-30.35 Ma intervals. Furthermore, spectral analyses of high-temporal resolution paleoclimatic records show orbital periods including eccentricity, obliquity, and precession. It is concluded that paleoclimate changes during the early Oligocene in the Hoh Xil region were forced by both tectonic activity and orbital periods.     

青藏高原高寒草地小流域水体碳氮输出特征及其影响因素

以青藏高原长江源区典型高寒草地小流域为研究对象,基于2012年小流域气象监测数据和小流域径流水样分析,探讨了小流域水体碳氮输出特征,分析了气象因子和土壤水热对小流域水体碳氮输出的影响。结果表明,径流水体碳氮质量浓度均较低,其中可溶性有机碳(DOC)、可溶性有机氮(DON)、铵态氮(NH4+-N)和硝态氮(NO3--N)含量分别在2.95~6.96mg.L-1、0.45~1.15mg.L-1、0.02~0.88mg.L-1和0.16~0.36mg.L-1之间;DOC、DON、NO3--N在8~10月份之间随时间逐渐升高,9月中旬达到峰值后波动下降,NH4+-N无显著的季节变化特征,溶解氮中DONNO3--NNH4+-N;DOC和DON的输出量与降水、不同土层(20、40、60、90、120cm)地温和不同深度(10、20、40、60cm)土壤水分、水温呈极显著正相关(P0.001),与90、120cm土壤水分呈极显著负相关(P0.001);NH4+-N的输出量与降水、气温、水温呈显著正相关(P0.05);NO3--N与降水呈极显著正相关(P0.001)。     

末次冰盛期与全新世青藏高原松属植被分布及其演变

史前人类与其生存环境,特别是与植被之间的相互作用一直是人们关注的焦点。气候变化与人类活动对植被覆盖格局的塑造均有重要影响,厘清植被分布及其植被变化背后的气候或人为因素,有助于更好地认识人类活动对植被环境的影响程度与范围。本研究对青藏高原松属（Pinus spp.）植被适生区分布动态历史进行了物种分布模型模拟,并结合环境考古学、古生态学等多学科方法,探究青藏高原松属植被分布变化历史及其驱动因素。结果表明,基于最大熵（MaxEnt）算法并结合R语言包ENMeval来优化参数设置的模型性能表现良好且稳健,较为准确模拟松属在青藏高原地区不同时期的适生区分布动态。高原上松属适生区在末次冰盛期（LGM）分布最小,仅在东缘的河谷局地;在全新世早、中期分布达到最大值,到全新世晚期部分区域分布缩小,高原东北部高度适生区向2500 m a. s. l.上下的低海拔谷地收缩,整体上与高原气候变化趋势大体一致。结合化石花粉、木炭等证据表明,全新世中晚期以前,人类对高原松属植被影响总体尚不显著;进入全新世晚期,农业技术的进步促使高原东北部人口快速增加,高原上现已发现的古遗址也高度集中在此。结合多项考古证据表明,人类对松属为代表的林木资源规模化开发行为开始显著干扰了当地植被,人类对松属等针叶林木材资源的利用可能是该地区树种向阔叶林树种演替的重要驱动因素之一。