Middle Pleistocene interglacial deposits at Barling,Essex, England: evidence for a longer chronology for the Thames terrace sequence

Results are presented from a multidisciplinary study of fossiliferous interglacial deposits on the northern side of the Thames estuary. These fill a channel cut into London Clay bedrock and overlain by the Barling Gravel, a Thames–Medway deposit equivalent to the Lynch Hill and Corbets Tey Gravels of the Middle and Lower Thames, respectively. The channel sediments yielded diverse molluscan and ostracod assemblages, both implying fully interglacial conditions and a slight brackish influence. Pollen analysis has shown that the deposits accumulated during the early part of an interglacial. Plant macrofossils, particularly the abundance of Trapa natans, reinforce the interglacial character of the palaeontological evidence. A beetle fauna, which includes four taxa unknown in Britain at present, has allowed quantification of palaeotemperature using the mutual climatic range method (T_max 17 to 26 °C; T_min ?11 to 13 °C). A few vertebrate remains have been recovered from the interglacial deposits, but a much larger fauna, as well as Palaeolithic artefacts, is known from the overlying Barling Gravel. The age of the interglacial deposits is inferential. The geological context suggests a late Middle Pleistocene interglacial, part of the post‐diversion Thames system and therefore clearly post‐Anglian. This conclusion is supported by amino acid ratios from the shells of freshwater molluscs. The correlation of the overlying Barling Gravel with the Lynch Hill/Corbets Tey aggradation of the Thames valley constrains the age of the Barling interglacial to marine oxygen isotope stages 11 or 9. The presence of Corbicula fluminalis and Pisidium clessini confirms a pre‐Ipswichian (marine oxygen isotope substage 5e) age and their occurrence in the early part of the interglacial cycle at Barling precludes correlation with marine oxygen isotope stage 11, as these taxa occur only later in that interglacial at sites such as Swanscombe and Clacton. Thus by process of elimination a marine oxygen isotope stage 9 age would appear probable. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

华北地台北缘辽北地区南华系沉积初步研究

中国南华系冰成地层的分布及沉积特点一直为新元古界研究的热点,北方地区是否存在南华系沉积地层仍存在很大的争议,本文通过近3年对辽宁地区新元古代岩石地层单位的野外地质调查、对比与研究,确定了辽宁北部地区在新元古代时期存在冰碛堆积物,并划分出两期冰碛作用阶段,即：新元古代南华纪第一次殷屯冰期,南华纪第二次汎河冰期;其中第一次冰期为一套陆相冰碛堆积,主要岩性为灰紫色块状厚层杂砾岩夹含砾粗砂岩透镜体,分布于辽北铁岭;第二次冰期堆积主要涉及辽北陆相冰水堆积的汎河组。同时确认出永宁组为第一次殷屯冰期前的陆源河流相沉积;陈千户组（陆相）为第一次殷屯冰期和第二次汎河冰期之间的间冰期沉积产物。     

Evidence for mid-Eemian cooling in continental climatic record from Lake Baikal

The discussion on climatic instability observed in Greenland ice cores during the Eemian period (substage 5e) resulted in discovery of a pronounced mid-Eemian cooling event. We report that the mid-Eemian cooling is found for the first time in the biogenic silica climatic record and microfossil abundance record of Lake Baikal. Timing of this event in Lake Baikal correlates well with timing of the European pollen records and marine sedimentary records. The presence of the mid-Eemian cooling signal in the Lake Baikal record suggests a much closer link between Asian climate influenced by strong pressure fields over the vast land masses and the climate-controlling processes in the North Atlantic during interglacial periods, than what was generally believed. Furthermore, the Lake Baikal record suggests that after the mid-Eemian cooling, the climatic conditions returned close to the warmth of the 5e optimum and thus argues that the warm conditions of the last interglacial persisted in Siberia throughout 5e, and did not end with the mid-Eemian cooling as suggested by several published marine records.     

末次间冰期以来陆地生态系统的碳储量与气候变化

陆地生态系统的碳收支是全球气候变化和碳循环研究的核心内容之一.准确估算陆地生态系统的碳储量及其收支状况,对正确评价陆地生态系统在全球碳循环中的作用有重要意义.本文总结了近10年来各国研究者利用不同方法对陆地碳储量变化的研究进展,并对估算陆地碳储量的不确定性进行评价.同时,对陆地生态系统碳储量变化研究结果的分析表明,末次间冰期以来,全球陆地生态系统碳储量存在较大幅度的变化.在末次间冰期5e阶段、末次盛冰期和全新世中期,陆地生态系统碳储量分别为现在的l30～150%、50～85%和105～130%.并且,陆地生态系统碳储量与气候变化有显著的正相关性,但不同区域的生态系统碳储量随气候变化并非具有相同的变化规律.     

末次间冰期以来黄土-古土壤序列的磁组构特征及其指示的古风向

黄土高原粉尘物质的搬运、沉积过程与来自中高纬度地区的季风密切相关。研究冬季风演化历史将有助于深入理解全球变化背景下,东亚地区气候变化的动力机制。通过对黄土高原的磁组构研究发现:1)各向异性度(P)与磁面理度(F)相关性较高,因此各向异性主要由磁面理引起,磁化率椭球体为压扁状;2)磁面理大致水平,K3近垂直于水平面;3)黄土平均磁面理为1.007,古土壤为1.004,古土壤层的磁面理与各向异性度均要低于其下伏的母质黄土层。成土作用在某种程度上破坏了黄土的原生磁组构;4)P,F和粉尘粒度间具有一定内在联系,一般而言冬季风越强,搬运的粉尘颗粒越粗,从而导致在沉积过程中形成较高的磁面理;5)K1方向的等面积赤平投影图和玫瑰花图解表明,末次间冰期以来该地区的主导风向为NW向冬季风。     

末次间冰期以来地球气候系统的突变

地球气候系统的突然变化是近年来地学研究的热点。取自极地冰芯、海洋沉积物和陆地的古气候记录表明,末次间冰期以来全球经历了一系列数百年—千年时间尺度的气候突变事件,证明了在末次冰期—间冰期旋回大尺度气候变化背景下,全球气候存在较大不稳定性这一基本事实。尽管末次间冰期以来这些数百年—千年时间尺度气候突变事件的成因和影响范围还存在明显的不确定性,但已从诸如末次间冰期(MIS 5e)中期的干冷事件、末次冰期的Dansgaard-Oeschger旋回、Heinrich事件和Younger Dryas事件以及发生在全新世冰后期的一些降温事件的研究中,获得对过去130 ka来气候变化过程总体上的认识和理解。综述了近年来的主要研究成果,介绍了有关末次间冰期以来全球气候突变事件发生的时间、过程和机制等最新的研究进展。     

最后4个冰期旋回中国黄土记录的东亚冬季风变化

开展高分辨率的黄土记录研究, 是揭示过去气候变迁和变率的主要途径.选择黄土高原中部的灵台和赵家川剖面, 对L5以上的黄土-古土壤序列进行了石英颗粒的提取和粒度分析.结果表明, 石英粗颗粒(> 43μm) 体积分数变化揭示了最后4个冰期旋回东亚冬季风存有的快速变化特征, 并同深海氧同位素记录具有良好的对应关系; 然而, 在每一个冰期时段, 石英粗颗粒体积分数的变化幅度和频率存有较大差异, 可能意味着对应的冰期下垫面状况和气候系统内部的非线性响应机制并不相同.值得注意的是由石英粗颗粒体积分数反映的东亚冬季风变化, 在某些时段不仅同磁化率记录的夏季风变化不协调, 而且同深海氧同位素记录存有明显差异.深入研究这种由不同代用指标反映的古气候变化间的差异, 对理解黄土记录的全球性意义显得尤为重要.      

Eemian landscape response to climatic shifts and evidence for northerly Neanderthal occupation at a palaeolake margin in northern Germany

The prevailing view suggests that the Eemian interglacial on the European Plain was characterized by largely negligible geomorphic activity beyond the coastal areas. However, systematic geomorphological studies are sparse. Here we present a detailed reconstruction of Eemian to Early Weichselian landscape evolution in the vicinity of a small fingerlake on the northern margin of the Salzwedel Palaeolake in Lower Saxony (Germany). We apply a combination of seismics, sediment coring, pollen analysis and luminescence dating on a complex sequence of colluvial, paludal and lacustrine sediments. Results suggest two pronounced phases of geomorphic activity, directly before the onset and at the end of the Eemian period, with an intermediate period of pronounced landscape stability. The dynamic phases were largely driven by incomplete vegetation cover, but likely accentuated by fluvial incision in the neighbouring Elbe Valley. Furthermore, we discovered Neanderthal occupation at the lakeshore during Eemian pollen zone (PZ) E IV, which is chronologically in line with other known Eemian sites of central Europe. Our highly-resolved spatio-temporal data substantially contribute to the understanding of climate-induced geomorphic processes throughout and directly after the last interglacial period. It helps unraveling the landscape dynamics between the coastal areas to the north and the loess belt to the south.     

Unusual carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios of ostracodal calcite from last interglacial (Sangamon episode) lacustrine sediment in Raymond Basin, Illinois, USA

The stable isotopic records of ostracode valves deposited during the last interglaciation in Raymond Basin, Illinois, have ¹³C and ¹⁸O values as high as +16.5 and +9.2 respectively, the highest values yet reported from continental ostracodal calcite. Located in south-central Illinois, Raymond, Pittsburg, Bald Knob, and Hopwood Farm basins collectively have yielded important long pollen and ostracode records that date from about 130000 years ago to the present. Although fossils from the present-day interglaciation are not well preserved, these records constitute the only described, conformable, fossiliferous successions of this age from the interior of glaciated North America.The high ¹³C values from Raymond Basin are attributed to the residual effects of methane loss either by ebullition or by emission through the stems of senescent emergent aquatic vegetation. A mass balance model suggests that an increase in ¹³C of dissolved inorganic carbon on the order of +15 is possible within a few hours given modest rates of methanogenesis of about 0.02 mol m^-2 d^-1. The ¹³C records from other studies of ostracode valves have values approaching, but not exceeding about +14 suggesting a limiting value to ¹³C enrichment due to simultaneous inputs and outputs of dissolved inorganic carbon.Values of ¹⁸O in ostracodal calcite are quite variable (–4 to +9) in sediment from the late Sangamon subepisode. A model of isotopic enrichment in a desiccating water body implies that a reduction in reservoir volume of 20% could produce this range of isotopic values. High humidity and evaporation probably account for most of the ¹⁸O variability.     

Aminostratigraphy of Middle and Late Pleistocene deposits in The Netherlands and the southern part of the North Sea Basin

A review of all available amino acid racemization D (alloisoleucine)/L (isoleucine) data from the whole shell of four molluscan species from Late and late Middle Pleistocene deposits of the Netherlands is presented. The data allow the distinction of 5 aminostratigraphical units, NAZ (Netherlands Amino Zone) A–E, each representing a temperate stage. The zones are correlated with marine isotope stages 1, 5e, 7, 9, and 11 respectively. Apart from NAZ-D (MIS 9), in all aminozones the marine transgression reached the present-day onshore area of the Netherlands. The transgression during NAZ-C (Oostermeer Interglacial: MIS 7) seems to be at least as widespread as its counterpart during NAZ-B (Eemian: MIS 5e) in the southern bight of the North Sea Basin. The stratigraphic position of the Oostermeer Interglacial is just below deposits of the Drente phase of the Saalian and because of this position the interglacial marine deposits have formerly erroneously considered to be of Holsteinian age. Neede, the ‘classic’ Dutch Holsteinian site, is dated in NAZ-E (MIS 11), like Noordbergum. Although the validity of these zones has been checked with independent data, some overlap between succeeding zones may occur. The relation between amino acid data from elsewhere in the North Sea Basin and the Netherlands amino zonation is discussed. The deposits at the Holsteinian stratotype Hummelsbüttel in North West Germany are dated in NAZ-D. This interglacial correlates with MIS 9. The Belvédère Interglacial, which is of importance for its archaeology, is in NAZ-D (MIS 9) and therefore of Holsteinian age as well. The lacustroglacial ‘pottery clays’ in the Noordbergum area are deposits from two glacial stages, which can be correlated with MIS 8 and 10 (the Elsterian). The pottery clay that is considered equivalent to the German ‘Lauenburger Ton’ correlates with MIS 10.