First evidence of an interglacial lake of Eemian age in northeast Italy

This paper assesses the age of the Tagliamento Morainic Amphitheatre (northeast Italy), one of the largest morainic bodies in the piedmont area of northern Italy, using new stratigraphical and thermoluminescence (TL) data obtained from a site located on the inner flank of the amphitheatre. Two samples from a 12-m-thick stratum of fluviolacustrine, non-varved, fine sand provided TL ages of approximately 110 ± 16 ka BP. This sandy layer lies below a 6-m-thick, massive (non-laminated), clayey stratum. It is hypothesised that a large but short-lived lake formed during the interglacial phase separating the penultimate and last glaciations. Assigning a ‘Riss’ age to the southeastern part of the amphitheatre therefore regains credence. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Last interglacial (MIS 5e) surface water conditions at the Vøring Plateau (Norwegian Sea), based on dinoflagellate cysts

Sediments from the last interglacial, marine isotope stage 5e (MIS 5e), have been studied for their dinoflagellate cyst content in a core retrieved from the Vøring Plateau, Norwegian Sea. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data, and comparison with the surface sample and published Holocene data from the core, reveal distinct differences in hydrological surface conditions between the late Holocene and MIS 5e. A higher number of co-dominant, subordinate species in the last interglacial samples suggests there was a more pronounced seasonality of the surface water at this time. This is supported by the significant presence of Bitectatodinium tepikiense , a species that was virtually absent from the area for most of the Holocene. The seasonality signal is further substantiated by transfer-function reconstructions, which also indicates a stronger stratification of the upper water column during MIS 5e. Moreover, the assemblage data clearly show that optimal, fully marine interglacial conditions prevailed only late in MIS 5e (between ca. 117.5 and 116.5 Kya), which is in contrast with the climatic optimum early in the Holocene. Stable oxygen isotope values from planktic foraminifera for this MIS 5e optimum are comparable with the average Holocene values, but are generally ca. 0.3‰ higher than those of the earlier part of the last interglacial ( sensu stricto ). These higher δ¹⁸O values are likely to be the result of the enhanced and prolonged influence of Saalian deglacial meltwater, thus corroborating the existence of a quite differently structured sea surface, as suggested by the dinocyst data.     

中国第四纪冰川作用与深海氧同位素阶段的对比和厘定

随着冰期(阶)与间冰期(阶)旋回的不断细化,第四纪冰期系列与深海氧同位素阶段(MIS)对比之间所反映的问题开始逐步显现。通过中国第四纪冰期与MIS阶段对比,结合分析气候旋回与构造运动对地貌演化的控制作用,研究表明:①冰期(阶)或者间冰期(阶)发生的时段应尽可能对应于MIS的偶数或奇数阶段,有助于MIS框架下新的冰期(阶)的发现;②中更新世以来,中国第四纪冰期-间冰期旋回可能受控于100 ka轨道偏心率变化的气候大背景,昆仑冰期-倒数第二次冰期的冰川规模总体上与全球冰量变化一致。然而,末次冰期早、中期的冰川规模却与MIS所记录的全球冰量变化不尽一致,强烈显示气候与构造环境对冰川作用的影响;③目前在中国第四纪冰期划分方案中,存在着冰期系列由时间和地点双重命名的现象,建议用大理冰期、古乡冰期分别代替末次冰期和倒数第二次冰期。     

贵州铜仁新元古界大塘坡组黄铁矿Re-Os同位素组成及意义

从贵州铜仁西溪堡矿区新元古界大塘坡组第一段“含锰岩系”中选取8件黄铁矿样品,对其进行了Re-Os同位素分析。结果表明其等时限年龄为(459±16)Ma,明显晚于间冰期大塘坡组的沉积时代（670～635 Ma）,表明该地区受加里东晚期的构造热事件影响。此次所分析的所有样品均具有高Re、低Os含量、高Re/Os比值及高187Os/188Os同位素比值,且187Os/188Os初始值为1.02±0.41,明显大于地幔特征值（0.12～0.13）,指示成矿物质来源于壳源。     

末次间冰期以来西宁市河谷沉积与环境

在西宁市区开展的钻探工作,获得了河谷平原区第四系的分布及沉积特征。通过对沉积厚度最大部位的2个钻孔岩芯的地层岩性、年代测试、孢粉组合及粒度分析等,探讨了西宁河谷平原区晚第四纪沉积与环境的关系。认为现今西宁市河谷平原内的主体沉积——低阶地沉积及上覆黄土堆积主要是末次间冰期旋回形成,在暖湿气候条件下沉积河流相砂砾石层,在干冷气候期接受风成黄土堆积,推测T3阶地形成于距今7.4万年前后气候由暖湿向干冷的过渡时期。     

末次间冰期甘肃沙尘暴演化历史的黄土记录分析

本文通过对兰州黄土记录的粒度分析,探讨了末次间冰期甘肃沙尘暴形成演化的历史,结果表明,此阶段沙尘暴经历了由北到强的演化;这与岁差周期影响下的冬季风演化有关,表现为５ａ、５ｃ和５ｅ亚阶段相对较弱,而５ｂ和５ｄ亚阶段相对加强。     

Postglacial anthropogenic fires related to cultural changes in central Japan,inferred from sedimentary charcoal records spanning glacial–interglacial cycles

We examined long-term charcoal records spanning the glacial–interglacial cycles that are evident in two cores collected from Lake Biwa in central Japan. We found that the records of the two cores have a similar long-term variation pattern of charcoal concentrations and abundant large charcoal fragments in postglacial sediments, which indicates that frequent fires occurred near the shores of Lake Biwa during the postglacial period. Analogous natural conditions in the early postglacial period and the early part of the last interglacial period strongly suggest that the frequent fires that occurred only during the postglacial period were anthropogenic. A comparison between the charcoal records of Lake Biwa sediments and the cultural changes and human populations in this district suggests that anthropogenic fires in this district were influenced by the lifestyle and culture of each era rather than by the populations. Humans tended to use more fire at the start of the settlement during the early Neolithic era in this region, in spite of the small population size.     

Environmental variability during the Last Interglacial: a new high‐resolution pollen record from Tenaghi Philippon,Greece

A new high‐resolution Last Interglacial pollen record from the Tenaghi Philippon peatland, northeast Greece, documents variability in forest composition and cover, which we attribute to changes in temperature and moisture availability. The declining stage of the interglacial was marked by a stepwise decrease in temperate tree populations and culminated in the complete collapse of forest at the onset of the ensuing stadial. The coincidence of the onset of the stepwise declining trend with the increased prominence of North Atlantic ice‐rafting events suggests that ecological thresholds in southern Europe were only crossed once ice rafting events intensified, and implies that changes in North Atlantic ocean circulation were an important contributing factor to the declining temperate forest cover in southern Europe. Our results provide evidence for intra‐interglacial variability in the low mid latitudes and suggest a coupling between the high northern latitudes and the northeast Mediterranean during this interval. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Abrupt vegetation changes during the last glacial to Holocene transition in mid‐latitude South America

A pollen record from the Huelmo site (ca. 41°30′S) shows that vegetation and climate changed at millennial time‐scales during the last glacial to Holocene transition in the mid‐latitude region of western South America. The record shows that a Nothofagus parkland dominated the landscape between 16 400 and 14 600 ¹⁴C yr BP, along with Magellanic Moorland and cupressaceous conifers. Evergreen North Patagonian rainforest taxa expanded in pulses at 14 200 and 13 000 ¹⁴C yr BP, following a prominent rise in Nothofagus at 14 600 ¹⁴C yr BP. Highly diverse, closed canopy rainforests dominated the lowlands between 13 000 and 12 500 ¹⁴C yr BP, followed by the expansion of cold‐resistant podocarps and Nothofagus at ca. 12 500 and 11 500 ¹⁴C yr BP. Local disturbance by fire favoured the expansion of shade‐intolerant opportunistic taxa between 10 900 and 10 200 ¹⁴C yr BP. Subsequent warming pulses at 10 200 and 9100 ¹⁴C yr BP led to the expansion of thermophilous, summer‐drought resistant Valdivian rainforest trees until 6900 ¹⁴C yr BP. Our results suggest that cold and hyperhumid conditions characterised the final phase of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), between 16 400 and 14 600 ¹⁴C yr BP. The last ice age Termination commenced with a prominent warming event that led to a rapid expansion of North Patagonian trees and the abrupt withdrawal of Andean ice lobes from their LGM positon at ca. 147 000 ¹⁴C yr BP. Hyperhumid conditions prevailed between 16 400 and 13 000 ¹⁴C yr BP, what we term the ‘extreme glacial mode’ of westerly activity. This condition was brought about by a northward shift and/or intensification of the southern westerlies. The warmest/driest conditions of the last glacial–interglacial transition occurred between 9100 and 6900 ¹⁴C yr BP. During this period, the westerlies shifted to an ‘extreme interglacial mode’ of activity, via a poleward migration of stormtracks. Our results indicate that a highly variable climatic interval lasting 5500 ¹⁴C years separate the opposite extremes of vegetation and climate during the last glacial‐interglacial cycle, i.e. the end of the LGM and the onset of the early Holocene warm and dry period. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of microtephra horizons to correlate Late-glacial lake sediment successions in Scotland

Evidence is presented to show that two measurable concentrations of microtephra particles can be detected in deposits of Late Devensian Late-glacial age in three sites in Scotland. One layer is attributed to the Vedde Ash, a marker horizon within the Younger Dryas chronozone. The second is a new tephra reported for the first time, which we name the Borrobol Tephra. This occurs consistently near the base of the Late-glacial Interstadial organic sediments at each site, and is thought to date to around 12.5 ¹⁴C ka BP. Geochemical determinations using an electron microprobe confirm the identification of the Vedde Ash, suggest the Borrobol Tephra to have an Icelandic origin, and demonstrate the consistency of the geochemical signals at all three sites. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.