2万年来我国东部海陆环境变化的不同步现象

冲绳海槽DG9603孔高分辨率的硅藻、有孔虫、孢粉和植物硅酸体化石的记录，提供了联系海洋与陆地气候变化的直接证据。结果显示，中国东部及邻海区最近20kaBP以来海洋环境的文化滞后陆地气候的变化约1000a，初步认为这种滞后现象可能是北半球陆地气候快速变化的同步性和温盐环流从北大西洋缓慢传送到太平洋海域的时间差引起的。     

A mid-twentieth century reduction in tropical upwelling inferred from coralline trace element proxies

The Cariaco Basin is an important archive of past climate variability given its response to inter- and extratropical climate forcing and the accumulation of annually laminated sediments within an anoxic water column. This study presents high-resolution surface coral trace element records (Montastrea annularis and Siderastrea siderea) from Isla Tortuga, Venezuela, located within the upwelling center of this region. A two-fold reduction in Cd/Ca ratios (3.5–1.7 nmol/mol) is observed from 1946 to 1952 with no concurrent shift in Ba/Ca ratios. This reduction agrees with the hydrographic distribution of dissolved cadmium and barium and their expected response to upwelling. Significant anthropogenic variability is also observed from Pb/Ca analysis, observing three lead maxima since 1920. Kinetic control of trace element ratios is inferred from an interspecies comparison of Cd/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios (consistent with the Sr/Ca kinetic artifact), but these artifacts are smaller than the environmental signal and do not explain the Cd/Ca transition. The trace element records agree with historical climate data and differ from sedimentary faunal abundance records, suggesting a linear response to North Atlantic extratropical forcing cannot account for the observed historical variability in this region.     

A discontinuous climatic record from 187 to 74 ka from a speleothem of the Clamouse Cave (south of France)

This study presents a continental paleoclimatic record in the south of France, based on δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C and the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio, dated by the ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U disequilibrium method with thermal ionization mass spectrometry. A stalagmite (Cla4) from the Clamouse Cave offers a discontinuous stable isotopic record between 189 ka and 74 ka which covers marine isotope stages (MIS) 7, 6.4, 5.5, 5.3 and 5.1. The growth phases of the Cla4 stalagmite correspond to high sea level stages, except during MIS 6.4 (169-162 ka). All the growth phases of Cla4 correspond to humid periods, corresponding to the sapropel events observed in the eastern Mediterranean basin. Thus, the influence of a strong hydrological activity in the eastern Mediterranean basin during these periods prevailed as far west as the south of France. Because the karstic system studied strongly buffers the isotopic composition of water, isotopic variations of the calcite deposited in the cave represent mainly global and large-scale environmental variations when isotopic equilibrium conditions prevailed for calcite crystallization. Sub-stage 5.3, the end of 5.5 and MIS 7 were colder by about 4-6°C (calculated temperature) compared to present-day temperature while the growth phases of sub-stages 5.1 and the beginning of 5.5 reflect environmental conditions close to present ones. The δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values of cave deposits of the sub-stage 6.4 are: (1) strongly marked by kinetic fractionation processes such as evaporation due to moisture deficit within the cave atmosphere during the first step of this growth phase and (2) related to higher humidity due to a second period of enhanced rainfall during the second step of growth. This study shows that even if calcite has not been deposited at isotopic equilibrium, its isotopic composition can give insights into the environmental conditions at the time of deposition.     

Variations of O/O in plants from temperate peat bogs (Switzerland): implications for paleoclimatic studies

Despite the great potential of peat bogs as climatic archives, to date only few studies have focused on the climatic controls on cellulose isotopic composition in modern bog plants. This study attempts to calibrate plant-climate relationships by sampling a set of modern plant species (both vascular plants and mosses) and bog surface waters along an altitude transect in Switzerland. Isotopic analyses of water samples show that the δ¹⁸O-values of surface bog waters follow the trend of precipitation despite significant scatter in the data set. Detailed sampling of surface waters within one bog shows that δ¹⁸O-values vary widely and are closely related to the micro-topography of the bog surface. More enriched ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios in water samples collected from small raised hummocks than the ones collected from hollows are documented in both horizontal and vertical profiles. A δ¹⁸O-δD plot indicates that the process leading to the isotopic enrichment of the uppermost surface waters is evaporation, greater above Sphagnum covered hummocks than above open pools. To investigate the implications of such high variability of source water for plant α-cellulose δ¹⁸O-values, a detailed study of both surface water and α-cellulose δ¹⁸O-values within one site is conducted. The large δ¹⁸O variability observed in surface waters is found to be considerably smoothed in α-cellulose (by a factor of 5-10 depending on the plant species). This indicates that the water used by plant photosynthetic processes reflects the isotopic composition of the average annual precipitation. This points to a source water level for plants of a few decimeters where the variations are smaller than at the air-water interface. The response of the α-cellulose δ¹⁸O to the environmental gradient along the altitude transect varies considerably from species to species. For most of the species studied, the δ¹⁸O-values decrease with altitude, following the trends of δ¹⁸O-values in precipitation and in surface water samples. Some species, the cotton sedge Eriophorum vaginatum and the moss Sphagnum capillifolium, show statistically significant δ¹⁸O relationships to an altitude of −1.8‰/km and −2.9‰/km respectively. However, some other plant species, Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium uliginosum, Andromeda poliflora, Carex pauciflora, Sphagnum cuspidatum and Sphagnum magellanicum, do not, or only partially, reflect changes in climatic parameters associated with an altitude increase. Furthermore, changes in relative humidity, which are not correlated with altitude, are found to explain a large part of the variability in δ¹⁸O-values for the sedge Carex pauciflora and the moss Sphagnum cuspidatum. Therefore, this study confirms the importance of species-specific studies when interpreting ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of macrofossils along a fossil peat sequence as a record of past climate changes. Our study allows to extend the mechanistic model that isotopically links source water and cellulose to the physiological specificities of sedges and mosses. A comparison of the modeled and calculated net biological fractionation factors for Eriophorum vaginatum and Sphagnum capillifolium reveals that these two species appear to have a more homogeneous leaf reservoir than trees.     

The sulfur isotopic composition of Neoproterozoic seawater sulfate: implications for a snowball Earth?

The present study employs a method for analysis of the sulfur isotopic composition of trace sulfate extracted from carbonates collected in Namibia in order to document secular variations in the sulfur isotopic composition of Neoproterozoic oceanic sulfate and to assess variations in the sulfur cycle that may have accompanied profound climatic events that have been described as the snowball Earth hypothesis. The carbonates in the Otavi Group of Northwest Namibia contain 3-295 ppm sulfate. Positive excursions, to a high of 40‰ (CDT), occur above the lower (Chuos Formation) and upper (Ghaub Formation) glacial intervals in the Rasthof and Maieberg cap carbonates, respectively. Positive excursions at the top of the Rasthof Formation (reaching 51‰) and within the overlying Gruis Formation (34‰) do not appear to correspond to glaciation. The δ³⁴S_sulfate values within the Ombaatjie Formation exhibit shifts over relatively short stratigraphic intervals (tens of meters), varying between ∼15 and 25‰. Cap carbonates from Australia exhibit positive δ³⁴S_pyrite trends with amplitudes similar to those of Namibian δ³⁴S_sulfate, although, more data are necessary to firmly establish these δ³⁴S trends as global in nature. δ³⁴S_sulfate excursions found in Namibian cap carbonates are consistent with the snowball Earth hypothesis in that they appear to reflect nearly complete reduction of sulfate in an isolated, anoxic global ocean, although, there are other mechanisms that may have facilitated these large shifts in δ³⁴S_sulfate. Regardless, the low sulfate concentrations in Otavi carbonates, the high amplitude variability of the δ³⁴S_sulfate curve, and the apparently full reduction of sulfate (as implied from δ³⁴S_pyrite data), even in strata low in C_org, suggest that Neoproterozoic oceanic sulfate concentrations were much lower than modern values. Additionally, the buildup of ferrous iron and banded-iron formations during the Sturtian glacial event would indicate that Fe supply exceeded sulfide availability during the glacials and/or that all sulfide was fixed and buried. This could be construed as further evidence in support of low oceanic sulfate (and sulfide) at this time.     

A Lagrangian approach to modelling stable isotopes in precipitation over mountainous terrain

A Lagrangian (Rayleigh) distillation model is used to track the evolution of stable isotopes in precipitation over mountainous terrain from the Pacific Coast of Canada to two alpine field sites in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Precipitation δ¹⁸O at Vancouver constrains the model and air–mass back trajectories provide the water vapour pathway for 10 winter storm events. Isotopic values along storm pathways are modelled with a classical Rayleigh model that prescribes a linear decrease in temperature and pressure from initial to final conditions, and two models that account directly for orographic precipitation processes by: (i) applying an orographic rainfall model and (ii) using North American Regional Reanalysis data to calculate the change in vapour content along storm pathways. All models are significant predictors of snowpack δ¹⁸O, but the orographic model provides the best fit to precipitation‐weighted δ¹⁸O for each storm. The improvement in modelled δ¹⁸O by accounting for terrain along storm trajectories illustrates the need to account for orographically driven moisture loss when modelling vapour transport to ice core sites with mountainous upwind terrain. This finding is also applicable to isotopic studies of paleoaltimetry and source areas of groundwater recharge. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

历史文献中的气象记录与气候变化定量重建方法

历史文献记载是研究古气候变化的主要代用证据之一, 对于定量重建过去数千年的气候变化序列具有独特价值。本文分析了中国历史文献中气象记录的特点及主要内容, 重点梳理了利用各类记录定量重建气候变化序列的基本方法, 并列举了通过多源记载集成、多时段记录衔接重建过去2000年中国东中部地区温度与干湿变化序列的校准案例; 旨在为客观提取气候变化信息、获取高信度的气候变化数据和进一步发展利用文献记载定量重建气候变化序列的方法提供参考依据。主要认识是:1)历史文献中的气象记录主要有4类: 天气、气象灾害、物候与区域气候特征及其影响记载; 定量重建气候序列的基本方法有: 回归分析、物理模型、分等定级、频次统计、类比分析等, 但各类记录的来源、格式、连续性、详略与定量化程度不一, 导致利用各类记录定量重建气候变化序列的方法也各不相同。2)对根据多源记载或不同方法反演的代用记录进行集成, 利用回归分析、方差匹配、记录影响趋势剔除等校准技术, 加强多源数据的相互插补方法研究, 可解决古代气象记录的漏、缺记问题, 是重建连续气候变化序列的主要途径。     

末次间冰期以来渭南黄土剖面地球化学指标所反映的古气候变化

渭南剖面由全新世土壤Ｓ０，末次冰期黄土Ｌ１及末次间期古土壤Ｓ１和组成。其中，Ｌ１可以进一步划分为三层黄土和两层弱发育的土壤；Ｓ１由三层土壤组成。碳酸盐，游离铁及有机质含旺在渭南剖面上的变化表明上述化学成分可以用作缺气候的替代性指标，并能反映古气候的变化。     

Fossil diatoms and the mid to late holocene paleolimnology of Lake Turkana,Kenya: a reconnaissance study

A 12 m sediment core recovered from the south basin of Lake Turkana, northwestern Kenya, reveals four major diatom assemblages that span approximately 5450 to 1070 years BP based on AMS radiocarbon analyses. The oldest assemblage, Zone D (5450 to 4850 yr BP), is dominated by Melosira nyassensis and Stephanodiscus spp. and is interpreted to reflect higher lake levels, fresher water and more variable seasonal mixing of the water column than the modern lake. Melosira dominates the assemblage in Zone C (4850 to 3900 yr BP) with some Surirella engleri and Stephanodiscus. This assemblage indicates a continuation of relatively high lake levels and seasonal mixing of a stratified lake. The brief peak of Surirella, interpreted as benthic, suggests an episode of slightly lower lake level. Thalassiosira rudolfi and Surirella predominate since the beginning of Zone B (3900 to 1900 yr BP), reflecting a decrease in lake level and increase in water column salinity. Increasing dominance of Surirella in Zone A (1900 to 1070 yr BP) may suggest that the lake continued to decrease in depth. Salinity probably rose to levels comparable with the modern lake. These results are consistent with paleoclimatic interpretations based on carbonate abundance, lamination thickness, oxygen isotope and bulk geochemistry profiles from this core and cores recovered from the north basin. It extends the known paleolimnology beyond 4000 yr BP of the earlier research to 5450 yr BP and into the early to mid Holocene pluvial phase in northern intertropical east Africa.