Role of hydrological regime and floodplain sediments in channel instability of the Bhagirathi River,Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta,India

Abstract

This research deals with the surface dynamics and key factors – hydrological regime, sediment load, and erodibility of floodplain facies – of frequent channel shifting, intensive meandering, and lateral instability of the Bhagirathi River in the western part of the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD). At present, the floodplain of the Bhagirathi is categorized as a medium energy (specific stream power of 10–300 W m^?2), non-cohesive floodplain, which exhibits a mixed-load and a meandering channel, an entrenchment ratio >2.2, width–depth ratio >12, sinuosity >1.4, and channel slope <0.02. In the study area, since 1975, four meander cutoffs have been shaped at an average rate of one in every 9–10 years. In the active meander belt and sand-silt dominated floodplains of GBD, frequent shifting of the channel and meander migration escalate severe bank erosion (e.g. 2.5 × 10⁶ m³ of land lost between 1999 and 2004) throughout the year. Remote sensing based spatio-temporal analysis and stratigraphic analysis reveal that the impact of the Farakka barrage, completed in 1975, is not the sole factor of downstream channel oscillation; rather, hydrogeomorphic instability induced by the Ajay–Mayurakshi fluvial system and the erodibility of floodplain sediments control the channel dynamics of the study area.     

珠江三角洲晚第四纪红树林的演化及其环境意义

广州番禺东涌剖面样品的AMS（磁谱仪）年龄及红树林孢粉分析结果表明,珠江三角洲存在晚更新世和全新世的红树林,红树林是海侵的标志之一.按照检出红树属花粉的9个剖面的分布以及5处埋藏红树林腐木的分布,可以描绘出全新世海侵的边界.根据东涌剖面的沉积旋回、样品年龄、红树林花粉含量曲线、半咸水-淡水硅藻及热性-温性硅藻含量曲线的综合分析,可将沉积环境的变迁分为4个阶段.第一阶段和第三阶段的海侵有利于红树林的发展,第二阶段不利于红树林的发展,第四阶段的晚全新世,红树林的生长频繁,显示人为因素的影响.     

珠江三角洲北部晚第四纪孢粉植物群的古环境意义

采用孢粉分析的方法对珠江三角洲北部地区多个钻孔进行了古植被和古环境的研究。结果表明,该区晚更新世与全新世的孢粉组合存在明显区别,更新世时期以木本植物为主,而全新世表现为蕨类孢子和草本花粉的大幅度增加。该特征反映了更新世本区为河漫滩洼地沉积为主,局部受海侵影响,而全新世为海湾河口相沉积。根据木本植物花粉不同组分的含量变化以及某些气候敏感属种的出现,可以推论晚更新世亚间冰期的年平均气温比现今低2-4℃左右,盛冰期则低6℃以上,到全新世中期以后形成了与现代相似的明显受季风影响的常绿阔叶林。     

The Pleistocene evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Prydz bay region: stable isotopic evidence from ODP Site 1167

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 188, Prydz Bay, East Antarctica is part of a larger initiative to explore the Cenozoic history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet through direct drilling and sampling of the continental margins. In this paper, we present stable isotopic results from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1167 located on the Prydz Channel Trough Mouth Fan (TMF), the first Antarctic TMF to be drilled. The foraminifer-based δ¹⁸O record is interpreted along with sedimentary and downhole logging evidence to reconstruct the Quaternary glacial history of Prydz Bay and the adjacent Lambert Glacier Amery Ice Shelf System (LGAISS). We report an electron spin resonance age date of 36.9±3.3 ka at 0.45 m below sea floor and correlate suspected glacial–interglacial cycles with the global isotopic stratigraphy to improve the chronology for Site 1167. The δ¹⁸O record based on planktonic (Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s.)) and limited benthic results (Globocassidulina crassa), indicates a trend of ice sheet expansion that was interrupted by a period of reduced ice volume and possibly warmer conditions during the early–mid-Pleistocene (0.9–1.38 Ma). An increase in δ¹⁸O values after 900 ka appears to coincide with the mid-Pleistocene climate transition and the expansion of the northern hemisphere ice sheet. The δ¹⁸O record in the upper 50 m of the stratigraphic section indicates as few as three glacial–interglacial cycles, tentatively assigned as marine isotopic stages (MIS) 16–21, are preserved since the Brunhes/Matuyama paleomagnetic reversal (780 ka). This suggests that there is a large unconformity near the top of the section and/or that there may have been few extreme advances of the ice sheet since the mid-Pleistocene climate transition resulting in lowered sedimentation rates on the Prydz Channel TMF. The stable isotopic record from Site 1167 is one of the few available from the area south of the Antarctic Polar Front that has been linked with the global isotopic stratigraphy. Our results suggest the potential for the recovery of useful stable isotopic records in other TMFs.     

Late Glacial and Holocene environmental history of the Pirin Mountains (SW Bulgaria): a paleolimnological study of Lake Dalgoto (2310 m)

Diatoms, Cladocera, and chironomids preserved in the sediments of Lake Dalgoto were studied to reconstruct the history of the lake ecosystem in the context of the vegetation history as represented by the pollen stratigraphy. Younger Dryas silty sediments at the base of the core are characterized by low diversity of aquatic organisms. The transition to the Holocene is indicated by a sharp change from silt to clay-gyttja. The migration and expansion of trees at lower elevations between 10200 and 8500 ¹⁴C-yr BP, along with higher diversities and concentrations of aquatic organisms and the decreased proportion of north-alpine diatoms, point to rapidly rising summer temperatures. After 6500 ¹⁴C-yr BP the expansion of Pinus mugo in the catchment coincides with signs of natural eutrophication as recorded by an increase of planktonic diatoms. In the late Holocene (4000–0 ¹⁴C-yr BP) Pinus peuce and Abies are reduced and Picea expands. Cereal grains and disturbance indicators suggest late-Holocene human modification of the vegetation.     

中国东部第四纪自然环境演化及庐山“冰碛层”堆积时期的自然环境研究

根据第四纪地层内孢粉组合和动物群等新资料恢复了我国东部各大区域第四纪各个时期的自然环境特征,其温暖期与干冷期的交替与深海沉积O~(18)温度变化趋势大致对应。庐山三次“冰期冰碛层”内孢粉组合表明均为温暖湿润针阔叶混交林景观,而不是寒冷的冰川环境。     

白令海北部陆坡晚第四纪的古海洋与古气候学记录

白令海北部陆坡B2 9柱状样中放射虫Cycladophoradavisiana含量曲线和深海SPECMAP氧同位素记录的对比 ,为该柱状样建立了晚第四纪约 1 0万年以来的地层年代框架。该柱状样中微体化石、碳屑颗粒、筏冰碎屑 (石英和岩屑颗粒 )的定量分析结果表明 ,作为表层生产力指标的粗组份自氧同位素 5 .3期以来呈阶梯状增加 ,反映表层生产力阶段式的增长 ;碳屑颗粒丰度自氧同位素 5 .3期至末次冰消期的增加说明白令海末次冰消期以前气候较全新世干冷 ,天然火灾发生的概率较全新世大大增加 ;冰期和早、中全新世较高的筏冰碎屑反映了冰期和早、中全新世白令海陆架海冰的扩大以及气候转暖所导致的海冰消融的过程 ,揭示了白令海对过去全球气候变化的响应。     

东菲律宾海帕里西维拉海盆第四纪黏土矿物组合特征及物源分析

应用X射线衍射(XRD)方法对东菲律宾海帕里西维拉海盆的两个重力柱状样F090815和F100609的第四纪沉积物进行了黏土矿物分析。结果表明,南北两个柱状样黏土矿物呈现不同的组合特征。南部的F090815岩心蒙皂石含量(平均50%)最高,伊利石(平均37%)次之,含少量的绿泥石和高岭石(平均13%);北部的F100609岩心为伊利石含量(平均47%)最高,蒙皂石(平均39%)次之,含少量的绿泥石和高岭石(平均14%)。根据黏土矿物含量及特征变化可将两根柱状样划分为4段,并根据黏土矿物组合特征及化学指数和结晶度,认为蒙皂石主要来源于研究区东部紧邻的马里亚纳海槽基性火山物质的蚀变;伊利石主要来源于物理风化作用强烈的陆地,并很可能与亚洲风尘有关;绿泥石与伊利石有着相同的来源;高岭石在此区含量非常低,也证明了与伊利石和绿泥石来源相同。另外,两柱状样黏土矿物特征变化趋势不同,是由于整个F090815孔所揭示的地层大概只相当于F100609孔的第IV段沉积期,是该沉积期更高分辨率的反映。     

马鞍山的古冰川地貌

马鞍山是四川盆地西南边缘第一高山。此山存在第四纪冰川地貌。它是我国东部一处典型的古冰川地貌，时代属末次冰期与新冰期。     

南海晚第四纪硅藻遗体及其地质意义：Ⅷ.几个问题的讨论

本文根据分析结果阐述了两种不同样品处理方法所获得的硅藻丰度和微型硅藻的人主要种类和相对百分含量。研究表明洗涤富集法所获得的硅藻丰度存在较大误差；微型硅藻的含量普遍介于１０％－２０％之间，最高可达４２．３１％，最低为５．６６％，并指出了在微型硅藻相对含量大于２０％的样品中 ，其主要种类为具槽直链藻和条纹小环藻等沿岸底格格不入中，并成群体产出。