鄂西高坪龙骨洞地层形成环境的研究

鄂西龙骨洞保存有早更新世早期的地层,并产早期人类化石和巨猿化石以及石器。通过对这套地层的形成环境的研究表明:沉积物形成于水动力条件较弱的暗河环境,期间发生过几次水体干涸事件,形成钙板层。根据沉积环境的特点,龙骨洞的地层可划分为4部分:第一部分是剖面的底部,在洞穴沉积物的形成初期,沉积物粒度较粗,形成水动力较强的暗河环境;第二部分是钙板层或强钙质胶结层的形成,表明洞穴处于干涸或水很少的环境;第三部分是地层的主体部分,以粘土和亚粘土为主,形成于弱水流的暗河环境,化石主要产自这部分;第四部分是剖面的顶部,为钙板层,洞穴干涸。洞中的化石和石器部分是被水流带入洞中沉积形成的,部分为人类和巨猿在洞中生存时留下的。     

同位素古温度与海平面变化的关系初探

用稳定同位素地球化学古温度的测定方法对北京周口店石笋进行氧、碳同位素测定，获得的古温度与年龄值与同期的海平面变化进行比较，表明古温度的变化与海平面变化密切相关。     

浅谈韩国的溶洞保护与开发—— 以三陟市新基面大耳里地区幻仙洞为例

韩国的溶洞开发虽然起步较晚，但其对溶洞的保护却有许多值得学习和借鉴之处，本文以幻仙洞为例介绍了韩国的溶洞开发现状、管理问题、相关法律法规及保护措施，并提出了作者的建议。     

全充型复活溶洞—宜兴慕蠡洞洞穴发育特征

慕蠡洞洞穴是继宜兴善卷洞，张公洞，灵谷洞之后开发的又一个旅游洞穴，从该洞的洞穴发育分区，形成原因，岩溶现象以及溶洞堆积物质及其环境变化等特征分析，该洞为堆积物充填后重新活动的一个全充型复活溶洞（指全部被堆积物充填以后重新活动的溶洞），对它的研究不仅丰富和充实了洞穴学的内容，而且为这类溶洞地区寻找岩溶地下水具有重要的实际意义。     

乐业大石围天坑溶洞群旅游资源特征及其综合生态开发

乐业大石围天坑溶洞群有着独特的美学价值，并具有相当高的科学研究与探险价值，从而形成了开发潜力极大的旅游资源。由于地处典型的环境资源区，环境容量小，经济与社会文化水平低，生态环境的保护首当其冲，故其旅游开发应以综合生态性为主题，即资源利用过程要注重保护区的划分与合理开发、旅游产品及其配套设施的生态化、环境容量的确定与生态环境建设以及生态旅游系统的协调发展，以从根本上保证旅游经济的持续发展与环境资源的持续利用。     

Cross dating (Th/U-C) of calcite covering prehistoric paintings in Borneo

We present the first application of cross-dating (Th/U measured by thermo-ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and ¹⁴C measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)) of calcite covering prehistoric paintings. Th/U age estimates of cave drapery range from 9800 to 27,300 yr B.P. while conventional ¹⁴C age is estimated between 9900 and 7610 yr B.P. depending on the dead carbon correction. The age discrepancy is attributed to a disturbance of Th/U and/or ¹⁴C geochemical systems, showing the limits of the geochronological approach applied to this kind of material. For the Th/U system, the poor consistency of U data (U content, ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios) and apparent ages argue for open system conditions. For ¹⁴C system, variation of the dead carbon fraction (dcf) and a possible mixing of successive generations of calcite could account for age discrepancy. Nevertheless, one sample shows concordant ages for the two methods. Compatible ages through corrections for open system conditions are assumed for other samples. Then, the cross-dating suggests 9900 yr as the minimum age of the piece of drapery; the underlying painting must be older. This study of rock art demonstrates the presence of a Pleistocene population before 9900 yr in the southeast of Borneo, whereas previously the only population in evidence in this area was of Austronesian type from ∼5000 to 6000 yrs ago.     

长江中游和尚洞石笋的高分辨率同位素、微量元素记录及古气候研究

通过对长江中游和尚洞HS-2号石笋的沉积特征及C、O同位素Mg、Sr微量元素相结合分析,利用U系法定年,获取了长江中游19.0ka～6.9ka的古气候、古环境信息(平均分辨率为17a,局部分辨率达到7a).得出如下结论(1)19.0～16.6ka, C、O同位素偏轻,气候冷湿;(2)16.6～11.1ka, C、O同位素偏重, 气温上升,降水偏少;(3)11.1～10.3ka 干热时期中的突然回冷事件对应于新仙女木事件(Younger Dryas Event);(4)10.3～6.9 ka B.P δ18O及δ13C值逐渐变轻,而Mg/Sr比继续增大,表现为气温上升,降雨量较大.反映了历史时期湿冷、干热、湿暖交替变化的气候趋势,得出了长江中游千年级和百年级的一些气候变化趋势,特别是发现了新仙女木事件在长江中游洞穴石笋中完整的记录,说明新仙女木事件是全球性气候突变与环境灾变事件     

Environmental management of tourist caves

In terms of the flow of energy or mass, caves may be nearly closed systems. From the perspective of environmental protection and tourist cave management there are three categories: (1) caves where the natural energy fluxes far exceed those created by visitors, with the consequence that their environmental parameters are not affected by development (e.g., caves subject to frequent flooding); (2) caves where natural and tourist energy fluxes are of similar magnitude, where environmental parameters respond to visitors but return to their natural equilibrium afterwards; and (3) caves where visitor fluxes far exceed the natural fluxes, so that natural environmental equilibrium may be destroyed. The aim of responsible management is to limit the introduced fluxes to those that will not destroy the natural equilibrium established in such parameters as temperature, relative humidity, CO₂ concentration, etc. A visitor capacity criterion is defined, and measured effects of visitors are demonstrated at Grotte di Castellana and Grotta Grande del Vento, category 2 caves that are the principal tourist caves of Italy.     

Carbon and oxygen isotope records and paleoclimate reconstruction (140–250 ka B.P.) from a stalagmite of Shuinan Cave, Guilin, China

The time sequence of paleoclimatic changes from 245.2 to 147.9 ka B.P. has been established by high precision U-series dating by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry and the analysis of the oxygen isotopes from a stalagmite of Shuinan Cave in Guilin. The oxygen isotope pattern is divided into three main intervals. The top part of the stalagmite (interval C) displays mainly relatively heavy oxygen isotopes, mostly −7 to −5‰_VPDB, but at a depth of 86.5 cm below the top, there is a sharp change to values lighter than −8 ‰. This boundary, dated at 192.6 ±3.9 ka B.P. is correlated with the boundary between marine oxygen isotope stages 6 and 7. The underlying interval B has δ¹⁸O values consistently between −7.5 and −8.5‰ until 271 cm depth when there is a sharp rise in δ¹⁸O values towards values as heavy as −5‰. The upper position of this change is dated at 242.5±6.4 ka B.P. and is correlated with the boundary between marine isotope stages 7 and 8. Carbon isotope values lie between −8.5 and −11‰ and are not uniquely high or low in the three intervals, but also show rapid changes at the boundaries between intervals in the same sense as the shifts in δ¹⁸O. The pronounced shifts in δ¹⁸O are attributed to changes in the paleo-monsoon intensity which reflect major reorganizations of the climate system, but some regional characteristics are also present. The results are also consistent with previous studies of climate proxies from loess-palaesol sequences in northern China. These characteristics show that paleo-climate evolution since the late stage of the middle Pleistocene Epoch in the Guilin area not only follows the global characteristics, but also has the strong district or regional patterns.     

“鄂西地区一个含早期人类和巨猿化石的新地层单位——高坪组”的商榷

程捷等人(2004)报道了鄂西建始地区高坪龙骨洞的发掘和研究情况,并试图建立一个新的岩石地层单位——高坪组,建组的主要依据是将龙骨洞A剖面获得的地磁极性柱与标准磁性年表的松山反极性世的早期进行对比,即龙骨洞极性柱上部和中部的正极性事件分别与奥都威和留尼旺极性亚时对比。根据这种对比方案,可以计算出龙骨洞A剖面的平均沉积速率,结果发现该剖面的沉积速率变化很大,特别是留尼旺亚时的沉积速率远远大于相邻时间段的沉积速率,这与龙骨洞的沉积环境稳定以及相对应的地层岩性一致等相矛盾,因此,这一极性对比方案值得商榷,高坪组的年代存在不确定性。如果将龙骨洞A剖面的两个正极性事件与布容期和贾拉米诺极性亚时相对比,可以获得较均匀的沉积速率,由此可推算出的龙骨洞古人类年龄大约在1.1—1.4Ma之间,其时代与中国其他大部分地区的古人类年龄也比较相近。