A soil chronosequence in Late Glacial and Neoglacial moraines, Humboldt Glacier, northwestern Venezuelan Andes

Late Glacial and Neoglacial (Little Ice Age) deposits on the Humboldt Massif were analyzed for relative-age dating parameters, including geomorphic and weathering characteristics, geochemical and soil properties. The soil chronosequence, formed in chemically uniform parent materials, provides an important database to study soil evolution in a tropical alpine environment. Extractable and total Fe and Al concentrations, examined to assess their use in relative-age determination, and as paleoenvironmental indicators, provide an important measure of the accumulation and downward profile movement over time of organically-bound Al, ferrihydrite and other crystalline forms (hematite and goethite) of extractable Fe. Ferrihydrite is particularly useful in determining former perched water levels in soils with relation to paleoclimate. The ratios of most Fe extracts are time dependent. The Fe_d/Fe_t ratio, within statistical limits, shows a slow increase from LIA (Little Ice Age) to Late Glacial soils, which closely correlates with other alpine soil studies in the middle latitudes and other tropical alpine locales. Values of Al_d (dithionite) and Al_o (oxalate extractable) generally do not correlate with time; however, Al_p (pyrophosphate extractable) measured against Al_t (total) provides insight on the downward translocation over time of organically-bound Al. Low leaching rates in this chronosequence are further supported by clay mineralogy trends and the geochemical data.     

长白山阔叶红松林花粉通量的时空变化及其与气象因子的关系

花粉是重建古植被和古气候的重要代用指标。利用Tauber花粉收集器监测花粉通量是进行花粉-植被-气候关系研究的重要途径。本项研究分析了长白山阔叶红松林16个样点3年（2010~2012年）共94个Tauber花粉收集器的花粉数据,结果表明：阔叶红松林16个样点均以乔木花粉为主,占比多高于55%,针叶树种花粉在乔木花粉中的占比多高于10%;以松属（Pinus）、桦木属（Betula）、胡桃属（Juglans）、栎属（Quercus）、榆属（Ulmus）等花粉为主,5种主要花粉类型的百分含量在乔木花粉中的占比多高于85%;16个样点的AP/NAP（Arboreal Pollen/Non-Arboreal Pollen,乔木花粉与草本植物花粉之比）平均值为3.0,P/A（Pinus/Astemisia）平均值为2.0,P/Q（Pinus/Quercus）平均值为1.2,P/B（Pinus/Betula）平均值为0.6;年平均总花粉通量存在样点间差异（平均值为24231粒/（cm²·a））,但乔木花粉百分含量、针叶树种和主要种在乔木花粉中的占比以及AP/NAP、P/A、P/Q、P/B等数值在研究区内大多数样点间的波动较小,可以更好地指示阔叶红松林的植被特征和植被不同的发育阶段。花粉通量存在明显的年际差异：2011年的总花粉通量最高（590884粒/（cm²·a））,而2010年和2012年的总花粉通量较低（分别为284662粒/（cm²·a）和301157粒/（cm²·a））。总花粉通量、乔木花粉通量、灌木花粉通量和草本植物花粉通量与气象因子（前一年总降水量、生长季累积降水量、开花前冬季积温）呈正反馈。本研究结果为解释花粉通量与气象因子之间的关系提供了参考依据。

     

Late Quaternary climate and environmental change derived from glacial deposits in the Parlung Zangbo Valley,southeastern Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the late Quaternary climate and environmental characteristics of two tributary valleys (Xingmu and Depu Valleys) in the Parlung Zangbo Valley, southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples collected from moraines at the mouth of Xingmu Valley produce a wide age range from 13.9 ka to 76 ka. The ages measured from the lenticular sand are consistent with the relative geomorphic sequence of the landforms. Lenticular sand layers below the moraine were dated to 37.9 ka and 44.7 ka, indicating that fluvial processes were likely dominant in the valley during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. The outer moraine ridges at the valley mouth were formed during 13.9 ka and 26.5 ka, corresponding to MIS2. At Depu Valley, OSL samples from two sets of lateral and terminal moraines close to the modern glacier, provide ages from 1.4 ka to 29.2 ka. The paleosol layer widely developed during 2.6 cal ka BP and 8.7 cal ka BP in the study area, reflecting a relatively warm condition during the mid-Holocene.     

The sediment infill of subglacial meltwater channels on the West Antarctic continental shelf

Subglacial meltwater plays a significant yet poorly understood role in the dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheets. Here we present new swath bathymetry from the western Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica, showing meltwater channels eroded into acoustic basement. Their morphological characteristics and size are consistent with incision by subglacial meltwater. To understand how and when these channels formed we have investigated the infill of three channels. Diamictons deposited beneath or proximal to an expanded grounded West Antarctic Ice Sheet are present in two of the channels and these are overlain by glaciomarine sediments deposited after deglaciation. The sediment core from the third channel recovered a turbidite sequence also deposited after the last deglaciation. The presence of deformation till at one core site and the absence of typical meltwater deposits (e.g., sorted sands and gravels) in all three cores suggest that channel incision pre-dates overriding by fast flowing grounded ice during the last glacial period. Given the overall scale of the channels and their incision into bedrock, it is likely that the channels formed over multiple glaciations, possibly since the Miocene, and have been reoccupied on several occasions. This also implies that the channels have survived numerous advances and retreats of grounded ice.     

关于南国冰臼群成因的商榷之二

南国冰臼群分布区大量冰川堆积、冰川条痕石及变形砾石的发现，再次有力地证明是“冰臼”不是“壶穴”的正确结论，由冰川漂砾经融冻作用形成的“石海”，与化学风化作用产生的花岗岩“石蛋”地貌特征，有天渊之别，不应混为一谈；边滩是由河流冲积物组成，不能与基岩冰床相提并论；圆滚水钻与急流旋涡及风蚀作用，形成的动力学性质、方向和方式完全不同，不该阴错阳差；节理、构造只影响冰臼的形态和发育程度，不是控制形成的动力学性质、方向和方式完全不同，不该阴错阳差；节理、构造只影响冰臼的形态和发育程度，不是控制冰臼的发育部位，不致于是非不辨，南国地区古冰川遗迹的大量发现，证明距今约二三百万年的第四纪早期确实曾发生过大规模的古冰川运动，为争论了半个多世纪的中国东部中低山区有无第四纪冰川问题，从此画上一个圆满的句号。     

乐清湾近期海岸演变研究

乐清湾是一个与东海相通的半封闭型强潮海湾。通过对1934,1968和1992年的海图对比研究表明:近期乐清湾各等深线所围水域面积持续减小。后一阶段,围垦使岸线推进速度加快,滩涂面积由前一阶段的不断增加转变为不断减小。1934到1968年,西南部最大潮滩华岐潮滩岸线和零米线平均外推速率分别为4.88m/a和13.24m/a;1968到1992年平均淤进速率分别为6.17m/a和8.08m/a。实地采样分析表明:表层水样平均悬沙浓度为0.1043kg/m3,从湾顶向湾口呈不断增加的趋势。悬沙浓度虽较低,但湾内处于低能动力沉积环境,有利于细颗粒沉积物落淤,这是湾内地貌演变的要因。长江入海南移和陆架区再悬浮的细颗粒物质是乐清湾主要的泥沙来源。泥沙自然淤积和人类活动影响是近期乐清湾大部分岸线处于淤进状态的原因。漩门二期工程前后乐清湾的纳潮量减小了5.73%,落潮流相对携沙能力降低为工程前的79%。而根据实测落潮平均流速计算得围垦后落潮流的相对携沙能力减弱为原来的54%。而从1934年到漩门二期围垦工程后,纳潮量减小了22.57%。开辟盐田和围垦造陆工程等人类活动,对海岸演变的影响显著。     

中国北方森林群落现代花粉与植被和气候的关系

53 pollen traps and surface samples were collected in order to detect the characteristics of pollen assemblages and their relationships with vegetation and climate in 16 forest communities located in 10 mountains in northern China. The results show that 72% of the pollen taxa (80 taxa) are the same between the traps and the surface samples. The dominant taxa in the plant communities are consistent with the main pollen taxa in the pollen assemblages at the same sites. In Pinus plant communities, both Pinus pollen influx and concentration are higher, indicating the high pollen productivity and good pollen preservation ability of Pinus. In Picea and Abies plant communities, Picea and Abies have lower pollen influxes but higher concentrations, suggesting their low pollen productivities but better pollen preservation abilities. In Betula and Quercus plant communities, Betula and Quercus have higher pollen influxes but lower concentrations, revealing their high pollen productivities but poor pollen preservation abilities. The study of relationships between pollen and vegetation with discriminant analysis shows that pollen assemblages from both trap and surface samples can reflect the characteristics of different communities and distinguish different ecological areas, but surface samples can reflect the dominant components of communities much better than the traps. The study on correlations between pollen assemblages and climate with DCCA reveals that significant correlations exist between pollen assemblages and mean temperature of the coldest month (r = 0.84 for trap samples, r = 0.72 for surface samples), and then annual mean precipitation (r = 0.73 for trap samples, r = 0.71 for surface samples).     

Reanalysis of the Historic AFTAC Bolide Infrasound Database

We have recently digitized and partially reanalyzed the historic bolide infrasonic database. These 10 events were originally detected by the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) from ∼1960 to 1974. In this paper we present the first preliminary reanalysis results for two of the 10 bolide events, namely the Revelstoke bolide of 3/31/1965 as well as the Prince Edward Islands (P.E.I). S. African bolide of 8/03/1963, which were among the largest bolides detected during this time period. These bolides have been investigated initially since they are most likely to have had a significant effect on the computed global influx rate of ReVelle (Global Infrasonic Monitoring of Large Bolides, pp 483–490, 2001) as indicated in Brown et al. (Nature, 420:314–316, 2002). We are in the process of recomputing all relevant infrasonic propagation quantities such as plane wave back azimuth, signal velocities, power spectra, spectrograms, as well as energy estimates using multiple techniques. In a future paper we will present a complete digital reanalysis of the AFTAC bolide infrasonic data and its final resulting global bolide influx implications.     

Controls on the location,morphology and evolution of complex esker systems at decadal timescales,Breiðamerkurjökull,southeast Iceland

This paper uses detailed mapping of eskers to address three questions which are important for reconstructing meltwater behaviour beneath contemporary and ancient ice masses: ‘What controls the morphology of simple and complex esker systems?’, ‘How do esker systems evolve through time?’ and ‘Are esker patterns compatible with groundwater controlled hydraulic spacing of esker tunnels?’. Esker crestlines and widths are mapped on the Breiðamerkurjökull foreland for eight time slices between 1945 and 2007, from high resolution (~50 cm) aerial photography, permitting their long‐term morphological evolution to be analysed in a high level of detail. We find that complex eskers develop where meltwater and sediment is abundant, such that sediment clogs channels, forming distributary eskers. Isolated eskers are simpler and smaller and reflect less abundant meltwater and sediment, which is unable to clog channels. Eskers may take several decades to emerge from outwash deposits containing buried ice and can increase or decrease in size when ice surrounding and underlying them melts out. It has been suggested that groundwater–channel coupling dictates the spacing between eskers at Breiðamerkurjökull. Our results do not dispute this, but suggest that the routing of sediment and meltwater through medial moraines is an additional important control on esker location and spacing. These results may be used to better understand the processes surrounding esker formation in a variety of geographical settings, enabling a more detailed understanding of the operation of meltwater drainage systems in sub‐marginal zones beneath glaciers and ice sheets. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sedimentology and luminescence ages of Glacial Lake Humber deposits in the central Vale of York

The sedimentary sequence through the Hemingbrough Formation exposed at two sites in the central part of the Vale of York, south of the Escrick moraine ridge, is described and used to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental history of Glacial Lake Humber. Interbedded wave ripples and laminated silts and clays at both sites indicate that Lake Humber was characterised by fluctuating water levels, often no deeper than wave base. Optically stimulated luminescence ages of 21.0 ± 1.9, 21.9 ± 2.0, and 24.1 ± 2.2 kyr returned from two wave-rippled sandy beds within the glaciolacustrine sequence at Hemingbrough, c. 10 km south of the Escrick moraine ridge, provide the first direct chronological determination for the low-level phase of Lake Humber. As these beds are principally attributed to glacial meltwater emanating from the Vale of York ice lobe of the British Ice Sheet, when its margin was at or near the Escrick moraine ridge, this corroborates the interpretation that this ridge marks the LGM ice limit.