Fault slip analysis of Quaternary faults in southeastern Korea

The Quaternary stress field has been reconstructed for southeast Korea using sets of fault data. The subhorizontal direction of the maximum principal stress (σ₁) trended ENE and the direction of the minimum principal stress (σ₃) was nearly vertical. The stress ratio (Φ = (σ₂ − σ₃) / (σ₁ − σ₃)) value was 0.65. Two possible interpretations for the stress field can be made in the framework of eastern Asian tectonics; (1) The σ_Hmax trajectory for southeast Korea fits well with the fan-shaped radial pattern of maximum principal stress induced by the India–Eurasia collision. Thus, we suggest that the main source for this recent stress field in southeast Korea is related to the remote India–Eurasia continental collision. (2) The stress field in Korea shows a pattern similar to that in southwestern Japan. The origin for the E–W trending σ_Hmax in Japan is known to be related to the mantle upwelling in the East China Sea. Thus, it is possible that Quaternary stress field in Korea has evolved synchronously with that in Japan. We suggest further studies (GPS and in situ stress measurement) to test these hypotheses.     

Rodent paleofaunas as indicators of climatic change in Europe during the last 125,000 years

This paper presents a quantitative reconstruction of the European late Pleistocene paleoclimate based on 72 rodent assemblages of five sequences from France, Germany and Bulgaria, covering the last interglacial-glacial cycle. They show a pattern of severe changes in temperature, with reduced precipitation during the coldest periods. A tentative correlation between the isotopic and palynological records and the paleotemperature changes is shown. These changes are consistent with variations in atmospheric circulation patterns in response to an expanding-retracting Fennoscandian ice-sheet. They can be attributed to the enhancement-weakening of the Scandinavian-Polar anticyclone and its associated dry winds, the south-north shifting of the North Atlantic Polar Front, and the varying supply of moist air from the Atlantic. Qualitative paleoenvironmental analysis shows broadleaved-deciduous forests in France and Bulgaria during most of the studied period. Taiga and tundra appeared in eastern France during the lower Würm. The German sequence indicates the presence of coniferous forests. These results are broadly consistent with other paleobiological records (mammalian, avian and insect faunas, isotopic record in dental tissue, palynology). The main discrepancies with the paleoclimate inferred from the palynological record are found during the coldest periods and are probably due to the interaction between vegetation, climate, and atmospheric CO₂ levels.     

青藏高原唐古拉山口第四纪冰碛层划分及其地质环境意义

在对唐古拉山口现代冰川和古冰川考察研究的基础上，结合定位观测资料和TL、^10B-^26Al-^21Ne及^14C测年数据，对区内第四纪冰川遗迹进行了深入讨论，划分出二次冰期(即中更新世晚期的倒数第二次冰期、晚更新世中一晚期的末次冰期)和二次全新世冰进(即新冰期和小冰期)。提出在早更新世时，由于山体未达到当时冰川发育的雪线高度，所以未发育冰川。但在唐古拉山口地区，截止目前还未找到中更新世早期的倒数第三次冰期的冰川遗迹，由于高原隆升的滞后性和冰川发育的延滞效应及“亚洲干极”的耦合，推测仍只发育局部冰川作用。进一步研究表明，古今雪线由高原边缘向腹地升高，唐古拉山地区高出边缘1500m左右，生动表现了“亚洲干极”的作用；广泛分布的湖群说明羌塘地区是一个大江大河尚未伸入的内流地区，意味着青藏高原是个年青的高原。由于青藏高原的隆升，对高原腹地引起的干旱化过程和水分严重不足，使唐古拉山地区的冰川自倒数第二次冰期以来，冰川规模一次比一次明显地减小。     

东海陆缘(闽北段)晚第四纪沉积的硅藻学研究

对东海陆缘 (闽北段 )晚第四纪沉积 4口钻井岩心进行系统的硅藻分析研究,获得丰富的硅藻化石,共发现硅藻 117种和变种,分属于 33个属。根据剖面硅藻组合特征变化,结合最优分割法和对应序分法的计算机运算结果,可以详细划分为 12个硅藻带,自下而上为 :1.Cascinodiscusargus-Cos.wittiomus-Cyclotellastriata硅藻带,2.Cos.blandus-Cyclotellastriata硅藻带,3.Cos.excentricus-Trbliepteychuscocconiformis硅藻带,4.Gomphonema-Cos.blandus-Actnolychusralfsii硅藻带,5.Cos.-Cyclotellastriata-Actinocyclusralfsii硅藻带,6.Cos.-Actinolychusralfsii硅藻带,7.贫乏硅藻带,8.Cos.lineatus-Cos.rothii-Actinolyclusralfsii硅藻带,9.Gomphonema-Cyclotellastriata-Cocconeisplacentulavareuglypta硅藻带,10.Cos.rothii-Cyclotellastriata-Actinolychusralfsi,11.Cymbel laaffinis-Cyclotellastriata-Gomphonema硅藻带,12.Coscinodiscuswittinus-Cyclotellastriata-Epithemiahynd manii硅藻带,建立了该区晚第四纪硅藻组合序列,并探讨其相应的古环境演变。     

云南鹤庆盆地近1Ma来的气候序列重建初探

云南鹤庆盆地近1Ma来的孢粉植物群很好地揭示了本区的环境演化过程。本文利用植物生态位知识,通过模糊数学方法对鹤庆(QH)孔孢粉序列所记录的古气候信息进行重塑,建立了近1Ma来的年均温、年降水量及年较差序列,并将本区气候演化分为4个气候旋回,32个气候期。该序列可与黄土-古土壤序列及海洋^δ18O阶段对比,但冷暖波动的幅度及降温时段持续的长短有其特色,表明本区气候既受全球气候变化的控制,又受青藏高原阶段隆升的制约;近1Ma来气温的波动幅度呈递增趋势,0.30MaB.P.尤其显著;冷、暖段间年均温的变化幅度由第一气候旋回的7℃增大到第三气候旋回的9℃(按4次平滑值计算),而样点的实际最大差值由8℃增至16℃;最强烈的降温发生在第二气候旋回中的0.45～0.14MaB.P.时间段,这与玉龙雪山冰川活动规模最大相一致;降温时年降水量及年较差值增大,证实近1Ma来,西南季风区的气候组构与东南季风区不同。     

澳大利亚的第三纪及第三纪—第四纪过渡期(英文)

第三纪的板块运动驱动着澳大利亚的气候和植被进行演化。广布的湿润森林区是澳大利亚老第三纪的特征。一直到始新世 ,生物多样性都在不断地提高。毫无疑问 ,这是澳大利亚由高南纬区向北部中纬区运移的结果。从始新世到上新世 ,澳大利亚的气候总体上要比现在湿润 ,但降水量季节性变化的增强推动了中新世以后硬叶植物和旱生植物的发展。上新世晚期似乎与第四纪一样 ,都出现过周期性干旱。这种干旱与冰期条件有关 ,至少由南澳大利亚晚第四纪的记录可以认识到这一点 ,澳大利亚的这段历史与东亚的气候变迁是同步发生的。在东亚 ,印—澳板块的运动致使青藏高原抬升 ,从而引发了区内乃至全球气候的巨变。穿越赤道区的季风和信风的环流格局 ,致使新第三纪和第四纪中国与澳大利亚的气候系统的相关性更强。     

东太平洋573孔始新世末渐新世纪地层特征及稀土元素地球化学

根据深海钻探样品分析，对东太平洋地区573孔始新世末渐新世初的地层进行了研究，尤其是研究了其稀土元素地球化学特征。各层球粒陨石标准化值曲线平缓，重稀土相对富集，各层Ce严重亏损（第2层轻度亏损），各层的Eu仅轻度亏损。始新世与渐新世的界线地层含钨粘土层的稀土元素含量明显比其它层含量高得多。此外，该层还富含Fe及指示地外成因的Ni、Co、Ir等元素，且底部富含微玻璃陨石。这些特征说明该含金属粘土层的形成与火山活动有显关系，其底部可能还与陨击作用相联系。从区域地质情况来看，始新世末期有明显的生物灭绝和环境变化，微玻璃陨石广泛发育，说明该时期明显的灾变事件发生。     

东昆仑东段中更新世以来的成山作用及其动力转换

对东昆仑造山带东段第四纪构造及与地貌关系的分析表明，现代山盆相间的地貌格局成型于中更新世，且在中更新世以来发生了多次构造变形体制的转换。根据布青山北部查干额热格地区第四系剖面的构造、地层时代及地层与构造关系的分析表明，中更新世时期为伸展构造体制，昆仑山内部开始发生了差异隆升，布青山开始崛起。中更新世末应力体制发生急剧变化，由伸展体制转为收缩事件，又急速转为伸展构造体系，短暂的收缩事件造成了中更新世冲洪积层的褶皱，随后的伸展则导致了影响深刻的向北依次断落的阶地状正断层系统。晚更新世应力体系再度发生重大转换，伸展正断层体系被左旋走滑运动体系所代替，并一直延续至今。中更新世以来多次隆升构造变形体制的转换说明东昆仑地区的成山过程受控于多种动力背景，而非单一的挤压抬升。隆升构造变形体系的确定及其时代约束为深入刻划青藏高原东北缘隆升作用的动力过程提供了重要信息。     

纪念中国冰缘地貌研究的启动者——裴文中教授

裴文中教授是中国冰缘地貌研究的启动者,他在近半个世纪前发表的两篇论文紧跟国际科学研究发展形势,详细阐述了冰缘作用的特点、过程及其对解决中国东部第四纪古冰川问题的意义。裴老最主要的贡献在于他当时强调了在古冰缘研究中综合分析环境背景的重要性,而不是孤立地研究冰缘现象,这种在地学研究中必须遵循的原则,对于现在的科学研究工作者仍然有很大的启示。     

Rate of strike-slip motion on the Amanos Fault (Karasu Valley, southern Turkey) constrained by K–Ar dating and geochemical analysis of Quaternary basalts

The left-lateral Amanos Fault follows a 200-km-long and up to 2-km-high escarpment that bounds the eastern margin of the Amanos mountain range and the western margin of the Karasu Valley in southern Turkey, just east of the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea. Regional kinematic models have reached diverse conclusions as to the role of this fault in accommodating relative motion between either the African and Arabian, Turkish and African, or Turkish and Arabian plates. Local studies have tried to estimate its slip rate by K–Ar dating Quaternary basalts that erupted within the Amanos Mountains, flowed across it into the Karasu Valley, and have since become offset. However, these studies have yielded a wide range of results, ranging from 0.3 to 15 mm a⁻¹, which do not allow the overall role and significance of this fault in accommodating crustal deformation to be determined. We have used the Cassignol K–Ar method to date nine Quaternary basalt samples from the vicinity of the southern part of the Amanos Fault. These basalts exhibit a diverse chemistry, which we interpret as a consequence varying degrees of partial melting of their source combined with variable crustal contamination. This dating allows us to constrain the Quaternary slip rate on the Amanos fault to 1.0 to 1.6 mm a⁻¹. The dramatic discrepancies between past estimates of this slip rate are partly due to technical difficulties in K–Ar dating of young basalts by isotope dilution. In addition, previous studies at the key locality of Hacılar have unwittingly dated different, chemically distinct, flow units of different ages that are juxtaposed. This low slip rate indicates that, at present, the Amanos Fault takes up a small proportion of the relative motion between the African and Arabian plates, which is transferred southward to the Dead Sea Fault Zone. It also provides strong evidence against the long-standing view that its slip continues offshore to the southwest along a hypothetical left-lateral fault zone located south of Cyprus.