Sediment accumulation of Dianchi Lake determined by 137Cs dating

The water quality of Dianchi Lake declines quickly and the eutrophication is getting serious. To identify the internal pollution load of Dianchi Lake it is necessary to evaluate its sediment accumulation. Sedimentation rates of Dianchi Lake are determined by 137Cs dating. However, 137Cs vertical distribution in sediment cores of Dianchi Lake has special characteristics because Dianchi Lake is located on the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Kunming quasi-stationary front is over the borders of Yunnan and Guizhou where the specific precipitation is distributed. Besides 1954, 1963 and 1986 137Cs marks can be determined in sediment cores, a 137Cs mark of 1976 representing the major period of 137Cs released from China unclear test can be determined and used for an auxiliary dating mark. Meanwhile Dianchi Lake is divided into seven sections based on the water depth, basin topography, hydrological features and supplies of silt and the lakebed area of each section is calculated. The mean annual sedimentation rates for seven sections are 0.0810, 0.1352, 0.1457, 0.1333, 0.0904, 0.1267 and 0.1023 g/cm2a in 1963–2003, respectively. The gross sediment accumulation of the lake is 26.18×104 t/a in recent 17 years and 39.86×104 t/a in recent 50 years.     

NEW 10BE COSMOGENIC AGES FROM THE VIMMERBY MORAINE CONFIRM THE TIMING OF SCANDINAVIAN ICE SHEET DEGLACIATION IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN

The overall pattern of deglaciation of the southern part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet has been considered established, although details of the chronology and ice sheet dynamics are less well known. Even less is known for the south Swedish Upland because the area was deglaciated mostly by stagnation. Within this area lies the conspicuous Vimmerby moraine, for which we have used the terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (¹⁰Be) exposure dating technique to derive the exposure age of six glacially transported boulders. The six ¹⁰Be cosmogenic ages are internally consistent, ranging from 14.9 ± 1.5 to 12.4 ± 1.3 ka with a mean of 13.6 ±0.9 ka. Adjusting for the effects of surface erosion, snow burial and glacio-isostatic rebound causes the mean age to increase only by c. 6% to c. 14.4± 0.9 ka. The ¹⁰Be derived age for the Vimmerby moraine is in agreement with previous estimates forthe timing of deglaciation based on radiocarbon dating and varve chronology. This result shows promise for further terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide exposure studies in southern Sweden.     

Deformation features of garnet-bearing granites from Huwan,western Dabie Mountains

Foliated garnet-bearing granite, usually associated with high pressure and ultrahigh -pressure (UHP) metamophic rocks, is a particular rock-type extensively exposed in the Mesozoic Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt of China. This study focuses on deformation features and SHRIMP zircon dating of foliated garnet granite in a high-pressure metamorphic unit from Huwan, western Dabie Mountains in order to resolve discrepancies in current versions of its petrogenesis and structural evolution. SHRIMP dating reveals a zircon age of 762 ± 15 Ma (MSWD=1.7) for Huwan granites, representing the Middle to Late Neoproterozoic age of intrusion and crystallization. Field and microstructural studies show that the Huwan granite body underwent multiple-stage deformation. The deformation was manifested by an early stage of rootless folding and imposition of relict foliation (S₁); an Indosinian main stage marked by imposition of north-dipping penetrative gneissosity (S₂) and development of ductile shear zones under NNE-SSW directed compression; and a final Indosinian stage of southward thrusting of the Huwan high-pressure unit. Shallow level extension prevailed after the Late Triassic, giving rise to south-dipping thrust faults and north-dipping normal faults. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40802046 and 40334037) and the Project of Science & Technology Research and Development from Sinopec (Grant No. P02009)     

Constraints on the age of the Tuchengzi Formation by LA-ICP-MS dating in northern Hebei-western Liaoning,China

Accurately determining the age of the Tuchengzi Formation has direct influence on confirming the boundary between the Jurassic and the Cretaceous systems in northern Hebei-western Liaoning, and on related geological problems in China. However, the Tuchengzi Formation mainly consists of sedimentary rocks, with a poor fossil record and especially lack of index fossils. The Tuchengzi Formation is also lack of the type of volcanic rocks that can provide an isotopic age. Therefore, the age of the Tuchengzi Formation has been uncertain. Based on our systematic dating of the tuff interbedded in the Tuchengzi Formation of Chengde and Jinlingsi-Yangshan basins in northern Hebei-western Liaoning, combined with the dating results of previous researchers, here we suggest that the age range of the Tuchengzi Formation in northern Hebei-western Liaoning is from 147 Ma to 136 Ma. It implied that the Tuchengzi Formation was mainly formed in the Early Cretaceous. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90714010)     

OSL dating of paleoshorelines at Lagkor Tso, western Tibet

Lagkor Tso, a saline lake located south of Gertse in western Tibet exhibits spectacular flights of paleoshorelines. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating on quartz using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol from five paleoshoreline deposits shows that the lake level was 130 m higher than the present lake surface 5.2 ka ago. The lake level dropped rapidly by 25 m between 5.2 ka and 3.7 ka ago. Lake shrinkage further accelerated between 3.7 ka and 3.2 ka ago, when the lake level was just 74 m above the present lake surface. Luminescence characteristics and problematic samples are discussed.     

Dating of Late Pleistocene terrace deposits of the River Rhine using Uranium series and luminescence methods: Potential and limitations

Uranium-series dating of pedogenic carbonate crusts from fluvial gravels is tested using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages as references. OSL dating yielded ages of 30–15 ka and 13–11 ka, which correlate with the cold periods of the Last Glacial Maximum and the Younger Dryas. These ages are internally coherent and consistent with the geological background and are thus regarded as reliable. Most of the U/Th results scatter widely in the ²³⁰Th/²³²Th vs. ²³⁴U/²³²Th isochron diagram, making regression unrealistic. Semiquantitative age estimates from the data were found to be mostly older than the OSL ages and the geological context. It is suggested that a heterogeneous initial ²³⁰Th input, not relatable to a detrital component, is responsible for the observed discrepancies. This input may be due to bacterial activities and Th transport on organic colloids. It appears necessary to avoid samples where bacteria could have contributed to carbonate precipitation. Further, the relative importance of this problem decreases with sample age, so that U/Th dating of sinters is expected to be more reliable in the >100 ka age range.     

松潘造山带马尔康强过铝质花岗岩的成因及其构造意义

松潘造山带广泛出露印支期后碰撞型花岗岩类, 其中包括埃达克质花岗岩类、A型花岗岩和I型花岗岩, 但目前人们对该区印支期强过铝质花岗岩尚未有深入的研究.松潘造山带马尔康花岗岩属于强过铝质花岗岩(A/CNK=1.10~1.20), 其岩石类型主要为中粒二云母花岗岩和中细粒二云母花岗岩.利用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年方法, 获得中粒二云母花岗岩的岩浆结晶年龄为208±2Ma, 中细粒二云母花岗岩的岩浆结晶年龄为200±2Ma.马尔康强过铝质花岗岩K₂O/Na₂O=1.13~1.75, 富Rb、Th和U, 贫Sr、Ba、Co和Ni等元素; 稀土元素组成上显示存在强到中等的负Eu异常(Eu/Eu*=0.15~0.65);全岩初始87Sr/86Sr比值(ISr) 为0.70712~0.71137, εNd (t) =-10.36~-8.43, 锆石εHf (t) =-11.8~-1.1.地球化学和Sr-Nd-Hf同位素组成一致表明, 它们的岩浆来自于地壳物质的部分熔融, 其中中粒二云母花岗岩的源岩类型主要为地壳中的泥质岩类, 而中细粒二云母花岗岩的源岩主要为地壳中的杂砂岩类.结合松潘带的地质背景、区域构造-岩浆事件及其岩浆岩的组合分析, 印支期岩石圈拆沉作用可以用来解释马尔康强过铝质花岗岩的形成机制.在松潘带, 印支期岩石圈拆沉作用导致软流圈物质上涌, 这不仅促使了加厚下地壳物质发生部分熔融, 如松潘带印支期埃达克质和I型花岗岩浆的形成, 而且还诱发了中地壳物质的部分熔融, 如马尔康强过铝质花岗岩的形成.这表明松潘带印支期岩石圈拆沉作用已使地壳不同层次发生部分熔融作用.      

内蒙古大苏计斑岩钼矿床花岗质杂岩年代学、地球化学、Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

内蒙古卓资县大苏计斑岩钼矿化与区内花岗质杂岩(石英斑岩、正长花岗斑岩和花岗斑岩)有密切的成因联系。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年获得石英斑岩、正长花岗斑岩和花岗斑岩的结晶年龄分别为(234±3)Ma、(225±4)Ma和(220±4)Ma。杂岩体富硅(w(SiO_2)=70.37%~78.84%)、富碱(w(Na_2O+K_2O)=4.52%~8.77%),均属高钾钙碱性系列,普遍具有低的w(Na_2O)(0.15%~2.69%)和高的铝指数(ASI介于1.13~3.35)。稀土元素总量介于48.2×10~(-6)~527.0×10~(-6),石英斑岩稀土元素含量(48.2×10~(-6)~83.1×10~(-6))最低,正长花岗斑岩稀土元素含量(272.1×10~(-6)~527.0×10~(-6))最高,花岗斑岩稀土元素含量为162.5×10~(-6)~236.8×10~(-6);杂岩体δEu介于0.15~0.93之间,(La/Yb)N介于3.0~65.5,自正长花岗斑岩、花岗斑岩到石英斑岩,其Eu负异常逐渐増大,而(La/Yb)N逐渐减小。岩体普遍富集Rb、Th、U、K、Nd、Zr、Hf等,强烈亏损Sr、P、Ti等。正长花岗斑岩具有中等Ba、Ta、Nb亏损。石英斑岩和花岗斑岩均属于高分异花岗岩,而正长花岗斑岩属于I型花岗岩。主量、稀土和微量元素特征表明,杂岩体具有后碰撞或后造山花岗岩特征,形成于后碰撞或后造山环境。杂岩体锆石的Hf同位素显示,3种岩石的εHf(t)值介于-21.1~-8.1,二阶段模式年龄tDM2介于1775~2587 Ma。石英斑岩来自于古元古代地壳物质的部分熔融;正长花岗斑岩来自于古元古代晚期地壳物质的部分熔融;花岗斑岩也主要来自于古元古代地壳物质的部分熔融,但有少量新太古代地壳物质参与。     

Late Holocene dune activity in the Eastern Platte River Valley, Nebraska

Large-scale dune activity in the Nebraska Sand Hills and elsewhere on the western Great Plains has been linked to prehistoric “megadroughts” that triggered the activation of regional dune fields. The effect of megadroughts on the smaller dune fields east of the Nebraska Sand Hills has never been assessed, however. This study focuses on the Duncan dune field near the confluence of the Loup and Platte rivers in eastern Nebraska. Seventeen optically stimulated luminescence age estimates were obtained and reveal two periods of dune activation that occurred between 4.4 to 3.4 ka and 0.8 to 0.5 ka. Significantly, both periods chronologically overlap large-scale dune activity identified in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Geochemical evidence indicates that the Duncan dunes received sand not only from the terrace underlying them, but also from the Loup River. These data link dune activity in the Duncan area, at least indirectly, to increased sediment supply from streams that drain the Sand Hills during megadroughts, implying the activation of the dunes occurred as an indirect response to regional megadroughts. Calculations of dune migration rates, however, argue in favor of local, drought-driven hydrologic changes as a causative factor in dune activation, in other words, a direct effect of megadroughts. Whether the impact was direct or indirect, it is highly likely that the repeated reactivation of the Duncan dunes resulted in some way from regional, large-magnitude droughts. Other paleoclimate proxies from the Great Plains tend to support this conclusion. We conclude that the megadroughts that have been identified in the Sand Hills and other Great Plains dune fields were indeed regional events with far-reaching effects.     

巢湖凌家滩遗址古人类活动的地理环境特征

通过对巢湖凌家滩文化遗址的野外勘查、采样和室内磁化率、烧失量、化学元素及光释光年代分析,结合巢湖湖泊岩芯记录的中全新世环境特征、研究区较高分辨率遥感影像和文物考古成果,综合研究表明:古凌家滩人生活于中全新世气候适宜期,其文化的发展和繁荣处在气候由温暖湿润向温和略干转换的过渡阶段;晚更新世末期堆积形成的地面(OSL年代11.6 ±1.0 ka B.P.)是古凌家滩人生活的地貌面,本区古地貌面海拔以及拔河高度与现今不同,这与该区新构造运动沉降和气候-水文因素作用有关;中全新世温暖湿润的气候条件下,太湖山南麓台地被进一步切割为山前长条形岗地与河流相间的地貌形态,遗址所在的长岗岗地是东、西、南三面临水的"半岛"环境,河川相连,便于水运交通、渔猎和水稻种植。