Provenance Study of Fe–Ti Oxide Minerals in the Quaternary Sediments in Yichang Area and Its Implication of Formation Time of the Yangtze Three Gorges, China

The Three Gorges are considered to be critical to understand the formation of Yangtze River. Recent research results suggest that the Yangtze Three Gorges was created during the Quaternary but the exact time is debatable. Fe–Ti oxide minerals are seldom used to study sediment provenance, expecially using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). In this study, the provenance of Quaternary sediments in Yichang area, which is located to the east of the Yangtze Three Gorges, was investigated by using SEM and EDS to research Fe–Ti oxides. The Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite and Emeishan basalt outcrop are located to the west of the Three Gorges. Further, the materials from them are observed in the Quaternary sediments of Yichang area. Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite are observed in the Yunchi and Shanxiyao Formations, which were formed before 0.75 Ma B.P., whereas Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite, Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite, and Emeishan basalt are observed in the riverbed and fifth-terrace sediments of the Yangtze River, which were formed after 0.73 Ma B.P.. Thus, we can infer that the Three Gorges formed after the deposition of the Shanxi Formation and before the fifth-terrace; i.e., 0.75–0.73 Ma B.P..     

New results concerning the pedo- and chronostratigraphy of the loess–palaeosol sequence Attenfeld (Bavaria,Germany) derived from a multi-methodological approach

Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPS) represent important records of palaeoenvironmental dynamics throughout the Quaternary. During the Pleistocene's dry and cold phases, the Danube's riverbed was one of the major sources for loess sediments that built up LPS in southern Germany and southeastern Europe. Surprisingly, studies addressing Bavarian LPS along the Danube River often lack actuality. The Attenfeld site was one of them and is often cited as a typical LPS. Nevertheless, the site's previous interpretations are based on a few empirical data and field observations. Considering the site's closeness to the sediment's source area, the Alps, and the region's importance in Middle and Upper Palaeolithic migrational movements, those former renditions needed an evaluation. Therefore, we applied a multi-proxy approach (including analyses of grain-size distribution, element composition, and sediment colour attributes) combined with optically stimulated luminescence. Based on our findings, we conclude that the Attenfeld site's former interpretations might be too generalised. We identified units that were not mentioned by previous studies (e.g. Early Glacial dark greyish horizon). Field observations, sediment characteristics, and age estimates indicate sediment deposition of the dated units partly before MIS 4, which contrasts with previous interpretations. The results further demonstrate how sensitive LPS are to environmental settings and dynamics.     

科学与主权：晚清民国时期西方学者在中国的地质学考察

晚清随着中国国门洞开,西方学者、传教士、商人、探险家以“科学无国界”的旗号,将中国视为一个巨大的“露天博物馆”,纷纷来华进行各种科学考察。其中比较著名的如庞佩利、李希霍芬、塞切尼、奥勃鲁切夫、维理士、安得思以及斯文·赫定等,在中国先后组织了多次系统的考察,在地质学等领域取得了许多影响深远的成果。这些考察不仅丰富了西方地质学家对中国地质的认识,对之后的中国学者也颇多裨益。民国以后,西人的考察活动激起了中国学者的民族主义反弹,不断遭遇中国学者的主权诉求,尤其是斯文·赫定组织的西北考察成为其中的一个标志性事件。在民间团体的努力下,政府对外国人在中国的考察活动逐渐作出了明确的法律限制,中国学者亦自发开展独立的地质学考察和研究。     

鄂霍次克海南部晚第四纪的古海洋学记录

鄂霍次克海是太平洋第二大边缘海,在西北太平洋水文环境中扮演重要角色。综合分析了鄂霍次克海南部T00孔沉积物的多种替代性指标,揭示了鄂霍次克海晚第四纪以来的环境变化受季节性海冰变化、大气循环模式、陆源物质通量和表层生产力的共同影响。对比放射虫Cycladophora davisiana的含量曲线与LR04氧同位素记录,该孔沉积物可划分为氧同位素1-7期,底部年龄约为250ka。C.davisiana在间冰期的高含量表明鄂霍次克海中层水是北太平洋中层水的主要源区。蛋白石和有机碳的分析显示鄂霍次克海表层生产力在冰消期突然增大,随后在间冰期逐渐下降,冰期普遍较低。C/N比值曲线的分析说明鄂霍次克海的有机质沉积物主要来源于海洋。沉积物粒度的分析揭示鄂霍次克海冰期时陆源粗颗粒含量较低,至冰消期粗颗粒含量突然增加,而在间冰期陆源粗颗粒含量较高。     

张家口-蓬莱断裂带渤海段晚第四纪活动特征

张家口-蓬莱断裂带是华北地区一条显著的地震带.利用最新获得的高分辨率浅层地震资料研究了渤海海域内该断裂带晚第四纪以来的活动特征.研究表明:在渤海,张家口-蓬莱断裂带主要由沙西断裂、埕北断裂、沙南断裂、沙东北断裂、柏各庄断裂、石臼坨3号断裂、渤中2号断裂和BZ29断裂等一系列NW走向断裂组成,走向在290°～310°之间;在浅层沉积物中各断裂由多条次级小断裂组成;晚第四纪以来主要表现出强烈的垂向运动特征,具有正断性质;海域各断裂的最新活动时代为晚更新世(Q3)末期-全新世(Q4)初期,并具有相同的活动趋势,在20 ka B.P.和60 ka B.P.左右活动强烈,统计计算显示平均垂向活动速率分别为0.15 mm/a和0.1 mm/a,近20 000 a以来的垂向活动速率超过0.06 mm/a.     

Facies character and geochemical signature in the late Quaternary meteoric diagenetic carbonate succession at the Xisha Islands,South China Sea

The late Quaternary shallow-water carbonates have been altered by a variety of diagenetic processes, and further influenced by high-amplitude global and regional sea level changes. This study utilizes a new borehole drilled on the Yongxing Island, Xisha Islands to investigate meteoric diagenetic alteration in the late Quaternary shallowwater carbonates. Petrographic, mineralogical, stable isotopic and elemental data provide new insights into the meteoric diagenetic processes of the reef limestone. The results show the variation in the distribution of aragonite,high-Mg calcite(HMC) and low-Mg calcite(LMC) divides the shallow-water carbonates in Core SSZK1 into three intervals, which are Unit I(31.20–55.92 m, LMC), Unit II(18.39–31.20 m, aragonite and LMC) and Unit III(upper 18.39 m of core, aragonite, LMC and HMC). Various degrees of meteoric diagenesis exist in the identified three units. The lowermost Unit I has suffered almost complete freshwater diagenesis, whereas the overlying Units II and III have undergone incompletely meteoric diagenesis. The amount of time that limestone has been in the freshwater diagenetic environment has the largest impact on the degree of meteoric diagenesis. Approximately four intact facies/water depth cycles are recognized. The cumulative depletion of elements such as strontium(Sr),sodium(Na) and sulphur(S) caused by duplicated meteoric diagenesis in the older reef sequences are distinguished from the younger reef sequences. This study provides a new record of meteoric diagenesis, which is well reflected by whole-rock mineralogy and geochemistry.     

长江中下游第四纪沉积物发育土壤磁性增强的环境磁学机制

对长江中下游第四纪沉积物 (Q₃ 黄土,Q₂ 红土和Q₃ 红土 )发育土壤的磁性增强现象及其物理机制进行了讨论。结果表明 :(1)铁磁性矿物是土壤磁性的主要载体,它们是成土过程中形成的稳定单畴 (SSD)和超顺磁性 (SP)态的次生磁性矿物,没有显示重要的反铁磁性矿物的贡献;(2 )土壤磁化率 (χ)的高低与成土过程产生的稳定单畴和超顺磁性颗粒呈极显著正相关,指示了风化成土作用的强度,磁化率可作为反映成土环境变化的代用指标;(3)频率磁化率 (χfd) 5 %可作为土壤中的超顺磁性颗粒存在与否的临界值,土壤 χfd值的高低同样反映了风化成土作用的强度,可用作研究第四纪环境变化的有用工具之一。     

中国南方第四纪红土地层

中国第四纪红土地层研究60多年来取得了很大进展。本文从磁性地层、年代地层、生物地层、气候地层、同位素地层和旋回地层6个角度总结了中国红土地层的主要研究情况。     

Quaternary Climate and Environment in the Lop Nur, Xinjiang

Since the middle Early Pleistocene (1.20 Ma B.P.), the desert steppe climate and environment have predominated in the Lop Nur area, Xinjiang, characterized by warm humid epochs interrupted by dry cold intervals. The grain-size and magnetic susceptibility curves record 30 climatic oscillations, each with a ca. 40 ka cycle, in the area since 1.2 Ma B.P., which reflects the controlling effects exerted by the astronomic factor on the environment. The Quaternary sedimentary environment in the Lop Nur gradually changed from a fresh lake through a brackish lake to a saline lake, showing a spiral evolution, and finally it evolved into a playa.     

Palynological dating of infra- and intertrappean sediments in the Mesozoic succession of Borehole PGD-6, Domra Sub-basin, West Bengal, India

Palynofloras have been examined from infra- and intertrappean sediments of the Panchet and Rajmahal Formations in the Domra Sub-basin of the Damodar Basin, West Bengal, India. Three distinct palynological assemblages are identified and referred to the following palynozones: (i)Lundbladispora–Verrucosisporites(506.60–505.00 m, late Early Triassic, (ii)Murospora florida(501.65–422.20 m. Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian–Tithonian), and (iii)Cicatricosisporites australiensis(342.00–229.6 m. Early Cretaceous, Tithonian–Berriasian). The first occurrences ofCallialasporites turbatusandC. dampieriare at 501.65 m.Callialasporitesis a dominant element of the succeeding assemblages from the Panchet Formation and indicates a Jurassic age. The FAD ofCicatricosisporites australiensisandC. augustusat 342.00 m, and inconsistent occurrences ofAequitriradites spinulosus,Crybelosporites stylosusin the overlying sediments indicate Jurassic–Cretaceous transition.