Late Quaternary climatic changes in southern Chile, as recorded in a diatom sequence of Lago Puyehue (40°40′ S)

A late Quaternary diatom stratigraphy of Lago Puyehue (40°40′ S, 72°28′ W) was examined in order to infer past limnological and climatic changes in the South-Chilean Lake District. The diatom assemblages were well preserved in a 1,122 cm long, ¹⁴C-dated sediment core spanning the last 17,900 years, and were in support of an early deglaciation of Lago Puyehue. The presence of a short cold spell in South Chile, equivalent to the Younger Dryas event in the Northern Hemisphere, the Antarctic Cold Reversal in Antarctica, or the Huelmo-Mascardi event in southern South America, was not clearly evidenced in the diatom data, although some climate instability may have occurred between 13,400 and 11,700 cal. yr. BP, and a relatively long period (between 16,850 and 12,810 cal. yr. BP) with low absolute abundances and biovolumes could be tentatively interpreted as a period of low rainfall and/or temperatures. An increase in the moisture supply to the lake was tentatively inferred at 12,810 cal. yr. BP. After 9,550 cal. yr. BP, inferred stronger and longer persisting summer stratification, may have been the result of the higher temperatures associated with an early-Holocene thermal optimum. The mid-Holocene appeared to be characterized by a decrease in precipitation, culminating around 5,000 cal. yr. BP, and rising again after 3,000 cal. yr. BP, likely associated with a previously documented lowered frequency and amplitude of El Niño events. An increase in precipitation during the late Holocene (3,000 cal. yr. BP–present) might have marked subsequent increased frequency of El Niño occurrences, leading to drier summers and slightly moister winters in the area.     

A 450-ka long record of glaciation in Northern Mongolia based on studies at Lake Khubsugul: high-resolution reflection seismic data and grain-size variations in cored sediments

We use high-resolution reflection seismic data and detailed grain-size analysis of a drill core (KDP-01) from Lake Khubsugul (northern Mongolia) to provide an improved reconstruction of the glacial history of the area for the last 450 ka. Grain-size analysis of suspended sediment load in modern rivers draining into the lake and of moraine material from the northern part of the catchment shows that the silt fraction is transported to the central part of the lake mainly by river suspension, whereas the clay fraction is mainly transported by glacial meltwater during deglaciation. The changes in of the clay/silt ratio in Lake Khubsugul sediments correlates well with the standard global paleoclimate records: low clay/silt ratios indicate warm climates, while a high clay/silt ratio reflects glacial erosion and cold climates. Pulses of clay input into the lake occur at the final stages of glacial periods (i.e., glacial maxima and subsequent onsets of deglaciation). The periodicity in glacial clay input in Lake Khubsugul is in tune with global periods of deglaciation, but there are differences in the intensity of the deglacial events for MIS-12 and MIS-2. These differences are attributed to specific conditions in regional distribution of moisture during glaciation, glacial ice volumes, and solar insolation intensity at the onset of deglaciation. Deglaciation of the Khubsugul glaciers occurred in response to an increase in summer solar insolation above a threshold value of 490 W/m². Two types of deglaciation can be distinguished: (1) slow melting during several tens of 1,000 years during weak increases in summer insolation, and (2) short and fast melting during several thousands of years in response to strong increases in summer insolation. The maximum ice volume in the area of Lake Khubsugul during the past 450 ka occurred during the period of 373–350 ka BP (MIS 11a-10) and was caused by high levels of moisture in the region, whereas the MIS-2 and MIS-12 glacial periods were characterized by minima in ice volume, due to the strong aridity in the region.     

巽他海峡BAR9442岩心30 kaBP以来的沉积记录与古季风活动

为重建巽他海峡区古季风活动历史,通过对BAR9442岩心氧同位素、AMS14C测年、陆源碎屑标准偏差区间粒径分布,以及上升流种Globigerina bulloides等变化特点分析,并结合前人对该岩心粘土矿物的研究,获得如下认识:末次冰期30~17 kaBP,海平面下降,陆源粉砂物质输入增加; 南半球夏季日照率高,然而受冰期热带辐聚带位置影响,西北季风受阻,东南信风持续吹过研究海域形成类似东南季风的效应,气候冷干; 受印度东北季风影响,伊利石含量最高,上升流活动不发育, 古生产力降低.17~8 kaBP,海平面迅速上升,出现较强的表层穿越流活动,粘土物质成为沉积物的主要组分; 此时东南与西北季风都有增强,说明当时研究区气候有着更强的季节性.全新世8 kaBP以来,全球海平面上升使穿越流活动加强,沉积物粘土组分含量最大,西北季风带来温暖湿润的气候条件.      

Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples

Incised valleys that develop due to relative sea‐level change are common features of continental shelves and coastal plains. Assessment of the factors that control the geometry of incised‐valley fills has hitherto largely relied on conceptual, experimental or numerical models, else has been grounded on case studies of individual depositional systems. Here, a database‐driven statistical analysis of 151 late‐Quaternary incised‐valley fills has been performed, the aim being to investigate the geological controls on their geometry. Results of this analysis have been interpreted with consideration of the role of different processes in determining the geometry of incised‐valley fills through their effect on the degree and rate of river incision, and on river size and mobility. The studied incised‐valley fills developed along active margins are thicker and wider, on average, than those along passive margins, suggesting that tectonic setting exerts a control on the geometry of incised‐valley fills, probably through effects on relative sea‐level change and river behaviour, and in relation to distinct characteristics of basin physiography, water discharge and modes of sediment delivery. Valley‐fill geometry is positively correlated with the associated drainage‐basin size, confirming the dominant role of water discharge. Climate is also inferred to exert a potential control on valley‐fill dimensions, possibly through modulations of temperature, peak precipitation, vegetation and permafrost, which would in turn affect water discharge, rates of sediment supply and valley‐margin stability. Shelves with slope breaks that are currently deeper than 120 m contain incised‐valley fills that are thicker and wider, on average, than those hosted on shelves with breaks shallower than 120 m. No correlation exists between valley‐fill thickness and present‐day coastal‐prism convexity, which is measured as the difference in gradient between lower coastal plains and inner shelves. These findings challenge some concepts embedded in sequence stratigraphic thinking, and have significant implications for analysis and improved understanding of ‘source to sink’ sediment route‐ways, and for attempting predictions of the occurrence and characteristics of hydrocarbon reservoirs.     

中国东部（105o E以东）第四纪冰川研究回顾、进展及展望

中国东部（105^o E以东）第四纪冰川及其演化可为中国东部乃至东亚地区古气候环境重建提供基础信息及关键证据,正确认知冰川发育条件及正确运用冰川遗迹判别标准又是重建中国东部第四纪冰川及其演化的关键。中国东部中低山地第四纪期间冰川发育与否,即泛冰川论与有限冰川论的争议由来已久。近年来,山东与周边地区中低山及沿海丘陵带的“第四纪冰川”研究波澜再起。在系统地回顾中国东部第四纪冰川研究历史及新近出现争议的基础上,结合冰川发育条件、山地冰川地貌组合、判别原则与识别依据、中国东部数座中高山地存在无争议且形态清晰的冰川地形及其测年资料以及东亚古气候环境演化记录等得出：中国东部仅有台湾山地、长白山、贺兰山与太白山等数座主峰海拔超过2 500 m的中高山地保存有晚更新世以来的冰川作用地形。其余山地及海拔更低的丘陵带在第四纪期间任何一次冰川作用中均未达到与当时冰期气候相耦合的高度,不存在泛冰川作用。已报道的“冰川遗迹”皆为各种形似地质地貌现象的系统误判,其确切成因及环境意义有待深入探讨。     

ESR dating of glacial moraine deposits: Some insights about the resetting of the germanium (Ge) signal measured in quartz

The electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of tills using germanium-doped (Ge) paramagnetic centers in quartz has advantages over other dating techniques, as quartz is common, processing is easy, and the technique has the potential for dating features several hundreds of thousands years old. ESR dating of moraines is based on the supposition that either subglacial comminution or exposure to sunlight resets the signal. However, actual dating suggests that a signal that is initially present cannot be bleached to zero by grinding alone. We found that grinding coarse samples (0.5–1 mm in diameter) to the mean grain size of fine sand (0.125–0.193 mm) reduced the signal intensity to 53–69% of its original value. From the value of the signal difference, one can devise a correction factor for ESR ages of subglacial sediment. Polymineralic grains are commonly present in till. Exposure of them to sunlight for several days can reduce the signal intensity to 7–8% of its original value within 1–2 mm thick of the sediment surface. However, within 5–8 mm of the sediment surface, exposure to sunlight for over one week only reduced the signal intensity to mean plateau values of 42–50% of the initial value. Mixing upper and lower layers of the samples during exposure to sunlight changed the signal intensity. This suggests that the amount of bleaching varies spatially. Sediments initially deposited at the margins of ice caps or ice sheets and subsequently overridden may have been sufficiently exposed to sunlight to allow ESR dating of moraines. The purity of the quartz and the grain size have significant impacts on signal intensity; intensive purification and the use of a uniform fine sand fraction are thus recommended.     

玉龙雪山冰川沉积序列OSL定年

位于青藏高原东南缘的玉龙雪山分布有欧亚大陆纬度最低的海洋型冰川,其主峰及周边地区保存了大量清晰完整的第四纪冰川遗迹。研究该区第四纪冰川作用遗迹及其冰川作用史,具有重要的理论与实际价值。应用光释光（OSL）测年技术对玉龙雪山冰川沉积物进行了定年,结合前人研究资料,重建玉龙雪山冰川作用史。研究结果表明：玉龙雪山东麓的末次冰期冰碛物主要形成于晚更新世末次冰期最盛时期,其平均年代约在25ka,西麓末次冰期冰碛物形成年代约为50ka,对应于深海氧同位素3阶段中期（MIS3b）。而倒数第二次冰期的年代在240ka左右,处于中更新世晚期,对应于MIS8阶段,当时玉龙雪山存在多条复式山谷冰川。该研究可为玉龙雪山第四纪冰川作用历史的重新认识以及光释光测年技术在该区的应用提供基础资料。     

联合GRACE和ICESat数据分离南极冰川均衡调整(GIA)信号

2002年发射的GRACE重力卫星为南极冰盖质量平衡提供了一种新的测量方式,但由于南极GIA模型的不确定较大,进而影响GRACE结果的可靠性.本文联合2003—2009年的GRACE和ICESat等数据实现了南极GIA信号的分离,联合方法所分离的GIA不依赖于不确定性很大的冰负荷等假设模型,而是直接基于卫星观测数据估算而来的,具有更大的可靠性.在分离过程中,本文提出了冰流速度加权改正法和GPS球谐拟合改正法对GIA结果进行精化,同时引入了南极GPS观测站的位移数据对分离的GIA进行详细的评估和验证,GPS验证表明经过冰流速度加权和GPS球谐拟合双改正后的GIA结果精度明显得到提高.最后本文利用所分离的GIA对GRACE和ICESat结果进行了改正,得到2003—2009年南极冰盖质量变化的趋势为-66.7±54.5 Gt/a(GRACE)和-77.2±21.5Gt/a(ICESat),相比采用其他的GIA模型,本文的GIA结果使GRACE和ICESat这两种不同观测技术得到的南极冰盖质量变化结果更加趋于一致.     

基于WorldView-2的冰面水体增强指数构建及精细化提取

冰面水体是冰盖物质平衡的重要组成部分,在全球气候及环境变化研究中发挥着重要的作用。本文以格陵兰岛北部为研究区,选取该区域消融期内不同时相的WorldView-2影像,统计分析区域内典型地物光谱特性,构建了针对冰面水体的归一化水体增强指数NEWI (Normalized Enhanced Water Index);依据影像上地物分布规律和直方图图形特征,定位冰雪混合物和冰面水体边缘地带灰度值相似的模糊区域,增强区域间地物对比度,提取出冰面水体的精细范围。实验结果表明,本研究所构建的指数有效凸显了冰面水体与非水体的反射率差异。与常用的水体指数NDWI等相比,冰川环境下,本文指数在提高区分度方面优势明显。通过精度评价可知,本文方法所提取出的冰面水体精细化程度高、提取结果完整、错误率低。本研究对冰面水体信息增强及精细化提取具有重要指导意义。     

Dimlington Stadial (Late Devensian) ice-wedge casts and involutions in the Severn Estuary,southwest Britain

The largely concealed sub-Flandrian bedrock surface in the Severn Estuary, chiefly known from borings and chart soundings, has the form of a valley within a valley. In the aftermath of an unusual storm in March 1986, which removed from many places the obscuring modern sediments normally present, periglacial structures were recognized on the floor and upper margins of the upper valley at ten widely scattered localities. The structures occur only where the valley is formed on relatively soft Triassic and Jurassic mudrocks; they involve gravels and/or red-brown sands belonging to the Main Terrace sequence, but in some places incorporate local gravels. There are no completely convincing indications of cold conditions where the relatively strong Silurian and Old Red Sandstone rocks and the Carboniferous Limestone form the valley floor. The altitudinal relationships of the involutions and wedges, together with the scale of the outer valley, suggest that this sub-Flandrian rock bench was merely re-excavated during the Late Devensian. Then permafrost developed while the river lay confined within the much narrower inner gorge.