Variations in dissolved CO2 and CH4 in a first‐order stream and catchment: an investigation of soil–stream linkages

Spatial and seasonal variations in CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations in streamwater and adjacent soils were studied at three sites on Brocky Burn, a headwater stream draining a peatland catchment in upland Britain. Concentrations of both gases in the soil atmosphere were significantly higher in peat and riparian soils than in mineral soils. Peat and riparian soil CO₂ concentrations varied seasonally, showing a positive correlation with air and soil temperature. Streamwater CO₂ concentrations at the upper sampling site, which mostly drained deep peats, varied from 2·8 to 9·8 mg l^?1 (2·5 to 11·9 times atmospheric saturation) and decreased markedly downstream. Temperature‐related seasonal variations in peat and riparian soil CO₂ were reflected in the stream at the upper site, where 77% of biweekly variation was explained by an autoregressive model based on: (i) a negative log‐linear relationship with stream flow; (ii) a positive linear relationship with soil CO₂ concentrations in the shallow riparian wells; and (iii) a negative linear relationship with soil CO₂ concentrations in the shallow peat wells, with a significant 2‐week lag term. These relationships changed markedly downstream, with an apparent decrease in the soil–stream linkage and a switch to a positive relationship between stream flow and stream CO₂. Streamwater CH₄ concentrations also declined sharply downstream, but were much lower (<0·01 to 0·12 mg l^?1) than those of CO₂ and showed no seasonal variation, nor any relationship with soil atmospheric CH₄ concentrations. However, stream CH₄ was significantly correlated with stream flow at the upper site, which explained 57% of biweekly variations in dissolved concentrations. We conclude that stream CO₂ can be a useful integrative measure of whole catchment respiration, but only at sites where the soil–stream linkage is strong. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地球轨道根数变化与第四纪冰期

介绍了米兰柯维奇（Milankovitch)天文气候学理论和第四纪地质时期以来冰期的研究进展。研究结果表明，地球上的冰体积具有近10万yr的变化周期，并伴有近4万yr和2万yr的变化周期，它们是由于地球的轨道根数变化导致的气候变迁所致；不同的地球物理资料中均存在上述类似的变化周期，表明气候变迁所导致的变化是全球性效应，证实米兰柯维奇天文理论是基本正确的；对天文气候学理论作了简要介绍，指出了米兰柯维奇天文气候学理论的可能不足，对引起最近百万yr以来的近10万yr气候变化周期的可能天文机制也作了介绍。     

Palaeoecological evidence of changes in vegetation and climate during the Holocene in the pre‐Polar Urals,northeast European Russia

This study investigated Holocene tree‐line history and climatic change in the pre‐Polar Urals, northeast European Russia. A sediment core from Mezhgornoe Lake situated at the present‐day alpine tree‐line was studied for pollen, plant macrofossils, Cladocera and diatoms. A peat section from Vangyr Mire in the nearby mixed mountain taiga zone was analysed for pollen. The results suggest that the study area experienced a climatic optimum in the early Holocene and that summer temperatures were at least 2°C warmer than today. Tree birch immigrated to the Mezhgornoe Lake area at the onset of the Holocene. Mixed spruce forests followed at ca. 9500–9000 ¹⁴C yr BP. Climate was moist and the water level of Mezhgornoe Lake rose rapidly. The hypsithermal phase lasted until ca. 5500–4500 ¹⁴C yr BP, after which the mixed forest withdrew from the Mezhgornoe catchment as a result of the climate cooling. The gradual altitudinal downward shift of vegetation zones resulted in the present situation, with larch forming the tree‐line. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Endogreisen, brecciation and fluid activity at the Mount Bischoff Sn-deposit, north-west Tasmania, Australia

Abstract Endogreisens which replace K-feld-spar-quartz dykes in a Devonian (360 Ma) tin deposit at Mt Bischoff, north-west Tasmania, formed from the interaction of unusual solutions, probably derived from an underlying leucogranite pluton, porphyry dykes and limited quantities of local dolomitic country rock components. The intensity of greisenization and pH of the solutions increase inward to the greisenized dykes'cores and downward. The following types of greisen assemblages indicate increasing degrees of greisenization: 'sericite'muscovite + quartz ± tourmaline ± fluorite, topaz + quartz ± tourmaline ± fluorite, weberite, prosopite, ralstonite, Ca-ralstonite; and quartz ± topaz ± fluorite. Where the solutions interacted with dolomite, exogreisens consisting of topaz- or tourmaline-bearing assemblages were formed. The greisens were subsequently overprinted to varying degrees by siderite, sulphides and hydrous silicates (talc, serpentine, chlorite, micas).
The temperature during greisenization ranged from 180 to 414°C, based on fluid inclusions in topaz, quartz, fluorite, sellaite and cassiterite. The main greisen-forming event occurred at temperatures of 360±20°C. The fluids boiled intermittently. Their salinities ranged from 31.5 to 38.9 wt% total dissolved salts, consisting of Ca–K–Na–Fe–Cl±hydrocarbon species. Fluid inclusion data indicate that only 0.5–1.5 km of cover were present above this deposit at the time of formation.
The greisenized dykes were intruded by and intrude different stages of breccias. The breccias consist mainly of country rock and greisenized dyke fragments, with rock-flour and later tourmaline alteration. The Mt Bischoff greisen system is possibly part of a 'porphyry tin'style deposit formed at near-surface conditions (0.5–1.0 km).     

Climatic changes in the Chalbi Desert,North Kenya

The Chalbi flat, located 60 km outside the rift to the east, forms a moist, salt-clay encrusted playa which also functions as an inland sink for alluvial fans. Residual lacustrine beds, including freshwater carbonates and travertines, crop out along its higher periphery. Mammalian bones of lacustrine and terrestrial elements, and K/Ar dating of the capping lava suggest a lake or a swamp environment 2–2.5 million years ago. Radiocarbon dating of Melanoides tuberculata and Planorbis and a sediment assemblage composed of clotted micrite, calcareous molds, root marks and stromatolites point to an additional early Holocene Chalbi lake or swamps 11000-9500 yr BP. The data suggest wet environmental conditions outside the rift, which is consistent with the occurrence of a wet period in the early to middle Holocene in intertropical Africa, but out of phase with the climatic conditions in Sinai and Israel and with the high-latitude maximum lake levels and glacier advance. These relations have probably been caused by migration of climatic belts.     

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE EASTERN CHINA DURING THE LATE PLEISTOCENE

The environmental changes during the Late Pleistocene were more obvious in the eastern China than in other areas at the same latitude, which either between northern and southern, or between land and sea of the eastern China were mostly non-synchronous. The transitional period prior to the last glaciation came about in the northern part of the eastern China about 115,000 yr. ago. The desert environments of the inland of the north China were developed both in the glacial maximum and in the warm interglacial period, but the loess accumulation mostly took place during the glacial period. The sand dunes and the periglacial solifluctions in the lower Changjiang (Yangtze) River region were formed during the last glacial period. The event of lowest surface temperature occurred at 98,000 yr. B.P. and 59,000 yr. B.P. in the northern part of the South China Sea but not during the full-glacial stage. The phenomena mentioned . above were the result of the following reasons that the paleo-environmental changes in the     

塔里木盆地南缘策勒绿洲近4000年来的环境变化

根据位于塔里木盆地南缘的策勒绿洲两个剖面的孢粉和化学元素的古气候意义的研究,恢复了近4.0 ka B.P.以来此地区环境变化的历史,揭示出了4个相对湿润期,分别发生于约4.0～2.0 ka B.P.、约2.0～1.0 ka B.P.、550～300 a B.P.、100 a B.P.前后.研究还揭示了1 500 a B.P.、1 000 aB.P.和200 a B.P.前后可能是此地区环境变化的重要时间界线.塔里木盆地古城废弃事件与环境变化记录之间的耦合表明,环境变化对此地区人地关系的内容及其演化具有重要的内在影响.     

科尔沁沙地东南缘近3000年来植被演化与人类活动

在科尔沁沙地东南部,以蒙古栎为代表的乔木花粉从３１００ａＢ．Ｐ．开始显著下降,蒿属和藜科等草本植物花粉逐渐上升,藜科花粉开始上升时间又迟于蒿属花粉。这说明,原业的固定沙丘有一部分首先转化为半固定沙丘,半固定沙丘后来又转变成半流动和流动沙丘。