Soil-forming rates and processes on Quaternary moraines near Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thirty-four pedons on four moraine groups spanning the last 1 myr are used to investigate mechanisms and rates of soil development in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. All soils are coarse-loamy, mesic, Typic Haplocalcids or Calcic Haploxerolls occurring under short grass-shrub steppe, in a semi-arid climate. The dominant soil-forming processes are the accumulation of organic matter, carbonate, and clay-sized particles. Organic carbon accumulates rapidly in these soils, but significantly higher amounts in the oldest two moraine groups are likely the result of slight differences in soil-forming environment or grazing practices. Accumulation rates of carbonate and clay decrease with age, suggesting either decreased influx in the earliest part of the record or attainment of equilibrium between influx and loss. There are no changes in soil redness, and preservation of weatherable minerals in the oldest soils indicates there is little chemical weathering in this environment. Measured dust input explains the accumulation of both clay and carbonate. We present a carbonate cycling model that describes potential sources and calcium mobility in this environment. Calibration of rates of soil formation creates a powerful correlation tool for comparing other glacial deposits in Argentina to the well-dated moraines at Lago Buenos Aires.     

The sediment properties of glacial diamicts from the Jutulsessen area of Gjelsvikfjella,East Antarctica: A reflection of source materials and regional climate

The glacial diamicts deposited in the Jutulsessen area of Gjelsvikfjella, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica show the effects of localized meltwater channels and wind processes, as well as of the dominant glacial processes. These glacial sediments are characterized by poor sorting and a variable mean particle size, and the localized meltwater channels have removed silt- and clay-sized sediments, resulting in the relative enrichment of coarser sediments. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of clay minerals in samples collected across the study area show very similar characteristics. Biotite is the dominant mica mineral in the clay together with chlorite and K-feldspar. The presence of illite, and small amounts of smectite, demonstrates the limited extent of chemical weathering due to the cold and arid conditions. The samples from the glacial fan area contain mixed-layer clays, suggesting the effects of localized meltwater and limited chemical activity which has altered the crystal structure of biotite at lower topographic level. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of surface microtextures from representative quartz grains suggest the dominance of glacial and glaciofluvial processes. The low rates of biogenic activity in this area are indicated by the low total organic carbon (TOC) content of the sediments.     

The Late Pleistocene Afton Lodge Clay Formation,Ayrshire, Scotland: evidence for Early to Middle Devensian climatic changes and Late Devensian onshore ice flow and rafting from the Firth of Clyde

An investigation into the late Pleistocene sediments exposed at Afton Lodge has helped to clarify the glacial history of western central Scotland. The sequence includes several allochthonous bodies of ‘shelly clay’ (Afton Lodge Clay Formation) associated with Late Devensian (Weichselian) age diamict. The shelly clay contains abundant marine macro- and microfauna, as well as palynomorphs consistent with its deposition within a shallow marine to estuarine environment. Faunal changes within the main body of marine clay record at least one, millennial-scale cycle of Arctic-Boreal, to Boreal, and back to Arctic-Boreal climatic conditions. A radiocarbon date of over 41 ka ¹⁴C BP obtained from the foraminifera indicates that the marine clays are older than the surrounding till. Afton Lodge is thus one of a suite of ‘high-level’ shelly clay occurrences around the Scottish coasts that are now considered to be glacially transported. Together with closely associated ‘shelly tills’, the rafts were emplaced during an early phase of the last glaciation by ice flowing from the western Grampian Highlands of Scotland through the topographically-confined Firth of Clyde basin. The blocks of marine sediment were detached subglacially, unfrozen, and carried at least 10 km by ice that splayed out onshore against reversed slopes favouring raft emplacement and the creation of closely associated ribbed moraine. Transport of the rafts was facilitated by water-lubricated décollement surfaces and their accretion was accompanied by dewatering. The shelly tills were formed mainly by the attenuation and crushing of rafts of shelly clay during their transport within the subglacial deforming bed.     

Remote sensing of alpine lake water environment changes on the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings: A review

Alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are key indicators of climate change and climate variability. The increasing availability of remote sensing techniques with appropriate spatiotemporal resolutions, broad coverage and low costs allows for effective monitoring lake changes on the TP and surroundings and understanding climate change impacts, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas where there are lack of in situ observations. This paper firstly introduces characteristics of Tibetan lakes, and outlines available satellite observation platforms and different remote sensing water-body extraction algorithms. Then, this paper reviews advances in applying remote sensing methods for various lake environment monitoring, including lake surface extent and water level, glacial lake and potential outburst floods, lake ice phenology, geological or geomorphologic evidences of lake basins, with a focus on the trends and magnitudes of lake area and water-level change and their spatially and temporally heterogeneous patterns. Finally we discuss current uncertainties or accuracy of detecting lake area and water-level changes from multi-source satellite data and on-going challenges in mapping characteristics of glacial lakes using remote sensing. Based on previous studies on the relationship between lake variation and climate change, it is inferred that the climate-driven mechanisms of lake variations on the TP still remain unclear and require further research.     

Cosmogenic isotope (Cl) surface exposure dating of the Norber erratics, Yorkshire Dales: Further constraints on the timing of the LGM deglaciation in Britain

Cosmogenic isotope (³⁶Cl) surface exposure dating of four of the erratic boulders at Norber in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, northwest England, yielded mean ages of ∼22.2 ± 2.0 ka BP and ∼18.0 ± 1.6 ka BP for their emplacement. These two mean values derive from different ³⁶Cl production rates used for exposure age calculation. The ages are uncorrected for temporal variations in production rates and may underestimate the true ages by 5-7%. The former age, although implying early deglaciation for this area of the British ice sheet, is not incompatible with minimum deglaciation ages from other contexts and locations in northwest England. However, the latter age is more consistent with the same minimum deglaciation ages and geochronological evidence for ice-free conditions in parts of the northern sector of the Irish Sea. Within uncertainties, the younger of the mean ages from Norber may indicate that boulder emplacement was associated with North Atlantic Heinrich event 1. The limited spatial (downvalley) extent of the Norber boulders implies that at the time of their deposition the ice margin was coincident with the distal margin of the erratic train. Loss of ice cover at Norber was followed by persistent stadial conditions until the abrupt opening of the Lateglacial Interstadial when large carnivorous mammals colonised the area. The ³⁶Cl ages are between ∼3.0 ka and ∼13.0 ka older than previous estimates based on rates of limestone dissolution derived from the heights of pedestals beneath the erratics.     

Variations in sediment yield over the advance and retreat of a calving glacier, Laguna San Rafael, North Patagonian Icefield

Bathymetric and sub-bottom acoustic data were collected in Laguna San Rafael, Chile, to determine sediment yields during the Little Ice Age advance and subsequent retreat of San Rafael Glacier. The sediment volumes and subaqueous landforms imaged are used to interpret the proglacial dynamics and estimate erosion rates from a temperate tidewater glacier over a complete advance-retreat cycle. Sediment yields from San Rafael Glacier averaged 2.7 × 10⁷ m³/a since the end of the Little Ice Age, circa AD 1898, corresponding to average basin-wide erosion rates of 23 ± 9 mm/a; the highest erosion rates, 68 ± 23 mm/a, occurred at the start of the retreat phase, and have since been steadily decreasing. Erosion rates were much lower during glacial advance, averaging at most 7 mm/a, than during retreat. Such large glacial sediment yields over two centuries of advance and retreat suggest that the contribution of sediments stored subglacially cannot account for much of the sediment being delivered to the terminus today. The detailed sub-bottom information of a proglacial lagoon yields important clues as to the timing of erosion, deposition and transfer of glacigenic sediments from orogens to the continental shelves, and the influence of glacier dynamics on this process.     

末次冰期间冰阶(40～22kaBP)内蒙古黄旗海古降水量研究

末次冰期间冰阶(40～22kaBP),黄旗海最高古湖面稳定在1310～1318m之间,比现代湖面约高50m,湖泊面积达到450～515km2(平均为466km2),是现代湖面101km2(1950～1961年平均值)的4.4～5.1倍,湖泊补给系数7.8～9.1。利用逐次逼近法寻找古流域的现代气候相似区域,从而确定相关参数定量重建古降水量;在此基础上,附加另外两个过程,检验了重建结果的可靠性。重建结果认为:40～22kaBP古湖面稳定存在时,黄旗海流域的古降水量可达479～497mm/a,比现在年平均值(353mm/a)高约126～144mm/a。     

塔里木盆地东部南华系-寒武系黑色岩系地球化学特征及形成与分布

近年来,随着油气勘探向深层-超深层领域拓展,古老层位的烃源岩逐渐成为研究热点。塔里木盆地周缘广泛出露的前寒武地层为古老烃源岩及其发育背景研究提供了基础。本文主要介绍了塔东地区南华系、震旦系和寒武系三套烃源岩,通过对库鲁克塔格地区野外露头及岩芯资料的综合分析,采用有机地球化学和无机地球化学手段对烃源岩质量以及烃源岩发育环境进行了评价,认为南华系特瑞艾肯组、震旦系水泉组、寒武系西大山组为主要烃源岩发育层位。特瑞艾肯组烃源岩TOC分布在0.22%~2.80%,平均值1.65%,Ro平均值为1.28%~1.60%;水泉组烃源岩TOC分布在0.22%~0.79%,平均值为0.49%;Ro分布在1.37%~1.93%之间（均值1.72%）;西大山组烃源岩TOC分布在0.15%~1.45%,平均值0.47%。结合地震资料对裂陷结构进行追踪,初步对塔里木盆地东部三套烃源岩的分布范围进行了限定。针对塔里木盆地新元古代盆地演化背景,运用C、O、Sr同位素及微量元素等,对三套黑色岩系形成环境与发育机制进行分析;并对库鲁克塔格地区的冰期事件进行了的限定,认为塔东地区南华-寒武纪至少发生过三期冰期事件,塔东地区冰碛岩地层的划分可以为全球前寒武地层对比提供依据。     

南海南部末次冰期以来的古环境变化:YSJD-86GC柱样的证据

采自南海南部的YSJD-86GC柱样(113°02.5860′E,10°18.1740′N,水深2 651m,柱长1.68m)提供了该区近27ka以来的古海洋学记录。沉积物岩性特征、浮游有孔虫分布特征、全岩样品AMS14C测年、氧稳定同位素等分析结果表明,南海南部末次冰期以来一直处于稳定的陆坡—半深海沉积环境;氧同位素Ⅱ期以来表层海水古温度逐渐增高;温跃层在氧同位素Ⅱ期相对较浅,之后逐渐变深,全新世中期以来又再次变浅。11—9.5ka BP期间有一次古气候回返事件,与"新仙女木"事件相对应;6—5ka BP期间古气候波动较大,是全新世中期气候波动剧烈阶段的记录。     

青藏高原东北缘若尔盖盆地晚新近纪沉积的岩石地层学

通过野外地质填图和系统取样,以岩石地层特征为基础,以新构造运动为背景,按照多重地层划分观点,本文首次对若尔盖盆地晚新近纪岩石地层的对比和划分做了深入的研究。对黄河干流、白河支流和黑河支流水系的河道堆积岩石的典型剖面的研究,表明更新-全新世的不同发展阶段具有不同的特征;相同时期不同水系的沉积物也不尽相同,反映出盆地晚新近纪地层的发育过程及空间上的差异。对冰川堆积终碛垄测年等研究反映出末次盛冰期和全新世中几次较强的寒冷事件,并划分出4套冰碛层。综合前人的古脊椎动物化石和¹⁴C、TL、OSL和ESR等同位素测年资料,将为进一步提出研究区晚新近纪年代地层的划分奠定基础。