Accumulation of organic and inorganic carbon in Pliocene–Pleistocene sediments along the SW African margin

The Ocean Drilling Program Leg 175 recovered a unique series of stratigraphically continuous sedimentary sections along the SW African margin, an area which is presently affected by active coastal upwelling. The accumulation rates of organic and inorganic carbon are a major component of this record. Four Leg 175 sites (1082, 1084, 1085, 1087) are chosen as part of a latitudinal transect from the present northern to southern boundaries of the Benguela Current upwelling system, to decipher the Pliocene–Pleistocene history of biogenic production and its relationship with global and local changes in oceanic circulation and climate. The pattern of CaCO₃ and C_org mass accumulation rates (MARs) over 0.25-Myr intervals indicates that the evolution of carbon burial is highly variable between the northern and the southern Benguela regions, as well as between sites that have similar hydrological conditions. This, as well as the presence over most locations of high-amplitude, rapid changes of carbon burial, reflect the partitioning of biogenic production and patterns of sedimentation into local compartments over the Benguela margin. The combined mapping of CaCO₃ and C_org MARs at the study locations suggests four distinct evolutionary periods, which are essentially linked with major steps in global climate change: the early Pliocene, the mid-Pliocene warm event, a late Pliocene intensification of northern hemisphere glaciation and the Pleistocene. The early Pliocene spatially heterogeneous patterns of carbon burial are thought to reflect the occurrence of mass-gravitational movements over the Benguela slope which resulted in disruption of the recorded biogenic production. This was followed (3.5–3 Ma) by an episode of peak carbonate accumulation over the whole margin and, subsequently, by the onset of Benguela provincialism into a northern and a southern sedimentary regime near 2 Ma. This mid and late Pliocene evolution is interpreted as a direct response to changes in the ventilation of bottom and intermediate waters, as well as to dynamics of the subtropical gyral circulation and associated wind stress.     

银川盆地中更新世以来的孢粉记录及古气候研究

银川盆地中更新世以来的孢粉记录及据此所重建的古气候参数，揭示了该区中更新世以来的古气候演变特征，其演变经过了温湿→凉湿→温和→冷湿→温干→凉较湿→冷湿→温干→凉润→温较干→温干的变化，并与新疆地区，黄土高原以及深海δ^18O曲线进行了对比，结果表明，各地的古环境变化大致同步，该区由于位置靠西，邻近沙漠，最近地质历史时期的区域性干旱特色明显。     

Geochemistry and environment evolution of Core E in the Laizhou Bay since last stage of Middle Pleistocene

IwrincrIONOn the evolution of palcoenvironment, salt-water encroachmnt and the distributionof subsurface brine in the LaizhOu Bay area, many researches had been carried out, and muchknowledge abeut the gcolOgical features in this area since Late QUaternary was aCquired' ) (H8nand Wu, l992; Han and Meng, l994; Wen et al. l989). However there was IittIe studyon the sediment geOChemical characteristics since Quaternary. In this Paper, the element strati-graphic characteristics and evolut…     

福建晚更新世海侵问题探讨

福建沿海在晚更新世大约距今90—80ka、70—60ka、44—39ka和34—20ka期间分别发生过4次海侵。最末一次海侵(距今34—20Ka)期间有过明显的海面下降波动,时间大约在距今28ka前后。     

从山羊寨哺乳动物化石看柳江盆地洞穴堆积的时代与环境

山羊寨洞穴堆积是河北省秦皇岛“柳江盆地地质遗迹自然保护区”众多溶洞的洞穴堆积之一，其中含有大量的哺乳动物化石。经发掘整理与鉴定，采用生物地层学和哺乳动物生活习性对比分析方法，确定其时代为Qp^2.3，晚于辽宁营口“金牛山下组动物群”，早于河北“迁安爪村动物群”和内蒙古“萨拉乌苏动物群”，其特征反映了中国华北与东北过渡地带中更新世晚期至晚更新世早期的哺乳动物面貌，并反映出当时区内森林、森林草原、草原和水域条件等生态环境的多次时空变化。如此众多哺乳动物化石的发现增加了保护区遗迹资源的多样性和保护价值；为该区洞穴堆积的时代与沉积环境研究提供了依据；改变了区内洞穴堆积仅为中更新世地层的认识。     

东营市东辛2-4井磁性地层划分对比研究

本文通过东辛2—4井岩心样品的古地磁学研究,整段岩心呈现以正极性为主的混合极性特征。自上而下划分的布容、松山、高斯和吉尔伯特极性时和布容极性时内清晰显示出的哥德堡和布莱克亚时的界限分别位于井深28.0m、161.0m、274.5m和452.0m。据黄河口南北5个钻孔磁性地层的划分对比,长江口、苏北盆地和东营地区,吉尔伯特、高斯和布容极性时的沉积速度较快,松山极性时较慢或近于缺失;黄河口以北至河北地区,高斯极性时地层不发育,吉尔伯特、松山和布容极性时则较厚,表明它们所处的构造单元、地质基础和沉积环境有较大的不同。     

气候转型与早期人类迁徙

目前的旧石器考古证据表明，更新世早期可能发生了两次人类迁徙浪潮，时间分别在1.8-1.6MaBP和1.0MaBP左右，第一阶段，古人类演化为直立人并开始走出非洲、迁徙至其它中低纬度的热带－亚热带地区；第二阶段，直立人开始占据中高纬度的温带和干旱－半干旱地区。这两个阶段也是第四纪气候发生转型、环境产生重大调整的时期。二者在发生时间上的一致性揭示了它们之间的内在联系，推测气候转型时期环境转变是这两次人类迁徙浪潮的主要驱动力。     

青藏高原边缘地区晚更新世人类遗存与生存模式

自20世纪80年代在青海小柴旦发现旧石器遗存以来,青藏高原边缘地区已经发现了10余处旧石器时代遗址,年代属晚更新世晚期。这些遗存显示,古人类在距今30ka左右开始尝试向这些高海拔地区扩散,但直至距今15ka以后才有更多的人群迁徙至此。通过对这些遗存分布位置、古环境特征、年代测定和石器技术、组合分析,得以管窥古人类对该地区的开发利用过程,并进而阐释史前人类技术发展、生存模式演变和古环境的耦合关系。     

广西崇左三合巨猿大洞早更新世小哺乳动物群

最近在广西崇左三合大洞发现了步氏巨猿和似人似猿共生的新层位,与之伴生的有52种小哺乳动物,占三合大洞巨猿动物群总数的62%,其中苏门答腊兔（Nesolagus）是东南亚地区首次发现的化石。小哺乳动物群以南方早更新世常见的偏皮氏毛耳飞鼠（Belomys parapearsoni）、中间猪尾鼠（Typhlomys intermedius）、拟低冠竹鼠（Rhizomys brachyrhizomyoides）、硕豪猪（Hystrix magna）、先社鼠（Niviventer preconfucianus）、拟爱氏巨鼠（Leopoldamysedwardioidesi）等为代表,根据小哺乳动物群性质和与其他动物群对比以及磁性地层年代测定,表明其时代应是早更新世中期（约距今120¹60万年前）。该动物群由树鼩、扁颅蝠、小彩蝠、飞松鼠、笔尾树鼠、猪尾鼠等几乎是旧大陆热带-亚热带森林型动物组成,缺少北方类型,基本上属于热带森林动物群,这表明了当时的自然景观为温暖湿润的热带雨林环境。三合大洞小哺乳动物群是广西地区的首次发现,对华南早更新世巨猿动物群详细划分,探讨步氏巨猿演化和早期人类环境背景等目前科学界关注的问题具有重要的意义。     

Laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS applied to U–Pb zircon geochronology: A review of recent advances

Improvements in the technology of laser ablation and ICP-MS instruments make LA-MC-ICPMS a rapid, precise and accurate method for U–Pb zircon geochronology. In this review we describe the main stages of the evolution of this in situ approach from the early 1990s to the present time. Some key points have been progressively improved. The crater size has been reduced to achieve real in situ measurements. The laser wavelength has been reduced as well as the duration of each pulse in order to lower inter-element fractionation. The blank from the gas has to be lowered as far as possible. Double focusing instruments and magnetic field sectors allow flat-topped peaks required for precise isotope ratio measurement to be obtained. The use of a multi-ion counting system significantly improves the sensitivity of the method and the static mode of integration favours the precision of measurement of the transient signal originating from a noisy laser ablated particle beam.Combining the use of a 213 nm UV laser and a MC-ICPMS equipped with a multi-ion counting system operating in static mode, the common precisions achieved for the key ratios ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U are better than 1% and 3% (2σ) respectively, including error propagation associated with standard normalization. Until now, the use of a zircon standard has remained necessary to ensure the accuracy of the calculated age. A strategy for common-Pb correction is proposed according to the age of the zircon and according to the Th/U ratio of the grains. After recording sixteen to twenty spot analyses the precision usually achieved on the age is about 1% and even significantly better for Proterozoic samples.In order to show the performance achieved by modern LA-MC-ICPMS geochronology, we tested four zircon samples covering a wide age range from 290 to 2440 Ma. These new age determinations can be compared in term of precision and accuracy since they have already been dated by reference methods (ID-TIMS and SHRIMP). Further developments in the technology of ion counters equipping modern MC-ICPMS and in laser systems will certainly be applied to a large field of geochronology studies in the near future as an alternative to SIMS for in situ age determination.