Atlantic surface water inflow to the Nordic seas during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (mid–late Younger Dryas and Pre‐Boreal periods, 12 450–10 000 a BP)

The inflow of Atlantic Water to the Nordic seas from mid–late Younger Dryas to earliest Holocene (12 450–10 000 a BP) is reconstructed on the basis of a high‐resolution core (LINK14) from 346 m water depth on the east Faroe shelf. We have analysed the distribution of planktic and benthic foraminifera, stable isotopes and ice‐rafted debris (IRD), and calculated absolute temperatures and salinities by transfer functions. During the investigated time period there was almost continuous inflow of Atlantic Water to the Nordic seas. Deposition of IRD during the mid–late Younger Dryas and Pre‐Boreal coolings indicates the presence of melting icebergs and that summer sea surface temperatures were low. The east–west temperature gradient across the Faroe–Shetland Channel was much steeper than today. The cold conditions around the Faroe Islands are attributed to stronger East Greenland and East Icelandic currents than at present. The near‐continuous inflow of Atlantic Water is consistent with published evidence suggesting that deep convection took place in the Nordic seas, although the convection sites probably had shifted to a more easterly position than at present. Around the time of deposition of the Saksunarvatn Tephra c. 10 350 a BP, sea surface temperatures increased to the present level. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新仙女木事件在热带湖光岩玛珥湖的记录

湖光岩玛珥湖沉积物总有机碳，总氮，总氢，生物硅等有机地球化学指标以及AMS^14C年代明确地指示了新仙女木事件在中国南方地区的存在，它不仅表现为降水的显著减少，而且表现为气温的降低，显示了凉干的气候环境，反映了季风系统在很短的时间内进行了大规模重组，夏季风强度显著减弱的事实，这为西北太平洋低续度区存在YD事件提供了新的来自于陆地的证据。     

Paleoenvironment of the Folsom archaeological site, New Mexico, USA, approximately 10,500 C yr B.P. as inferred from the stable isotope composition of fossil land snail shells

Well-preserved aragonitic land snail shells (Vallonia) from late Pleistocene Eolian sediment in the Folsom archaeological site in New Mexico exhibit an overall decrease of δ¹⁸O_PDB from maximum values of +2.7‰ (more positive than modern) to younger samples with lower average values of about −3.6‰ (within the modern range). The age of the samples (approximately 10,500 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) suggests that the decrease in δ¹⁸O may manifest climatic changes associated with the Younger Dryas. Some combination of increased relative humidity and cooler temperatures with decreased δ¹⁸O of precipitation during the times of snail activity can explain the decrease in shell δ¹⁸O. A well-known Paleoindian bison kill occurred at the Folsom site during this inferred environmental transition.Average δ¹³C values of the aragonite shells of the fossil Vallonia range from −7.3 to −6.0‰ among different archaeological levels and are not as negative as modern values. This suggests that the proportion of C₄ vegetation at the Folsom site approximately 10,500 ¹⁴C yr B.P. was greater than at present; a result which is consistent with other evidence for higher proportions of C₄ plants in the region at that time.     

A speleothem record of Younger Dryas cooling, Klamath Mountains, Oregon, USA

A well-dated δ¹⁸O record in a stalagmite from a cave in the Klamath Mountains, Oregon, with a sampling interval of 50 yr, indicates that the climate of this region cooled essentially synchronously with Younger Dryas climate change elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. The δ¹⁸O record also indicates significant century-scale temperature variability during the early Holocene. The δ¹³C record suggests increasing biomass over the cave through the last deglaciation, with century-scale variability but with little detectable response of vegetation to Younger Dryas cooling.     

THE EASTERN MARGIN OF GLACIATION IN THE BRITISH ISLES DURING THE YOUNGER DRYAS: THE BIZZLE CIRQUE, SOUTHERN SCOTLAND

ABSTRACT. Geomorphological and sedimentological evidence of former glaciation in the Bizzle valley in the Cheviot Hills of northern England and southern Scotland was used to reconstruct the dimensions of a small topographically constrained glacier with an equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 535 m. This was interpreted as having formed during Younger Dryas cooling; this is the only glacier to have been described from the area and is the most easterly site of Younger Dryas glaciation in the British Isles. Whilst glaciation at this time was extensive in the Lake District to the southwest, the restricted nature of Cheviot ice cover suggests that a steep west–east precipitation gradient existed in this region during the Younger Dryas.     

闽西南地区晚中生代花岗质岩石的同位素年代学、地球化学及其构造演化

本文研究的闽西南地区晚中生代花岗质岩体中莒舟花岗岩体单颗粒锆石u-Pb年龄为136．0Ma，133．9Ma，黑云母Ar-^39Ar年龄为132．3Ma，菜刀岐石英斑岩单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄为117．4Ma，太华花岗岩体全岩Rb-Sr年龄为114．9Ma，都属早白垩世。莒舟花岗岩富Si、K、Rb．Th，Y含量高，铝弱过饱和，贫Sr、Ba、P、Ti、Eu，过渡元素显著亏损而具壳源型花岗岩特征，菜刀岐石英斑岩是其高程度分异演化的产物，并为锡矿床的形成提供了物质基础。莒舟岩体是在岩石圈伸展的底侵作用下所形成的，岩石中有少量幔源组分加入，岩石的εNd（t）偏低（-7．21），tDM偏高（1．52Ga）。太华花岗岩体的εNd（t）稍高（-3．60--3．68），tDM稍低（1．21Ga），岩石中有较多幔源组分加入，是壳幔混合源花岗岩。过铝质壳源型花岗岩可以在与岩石圈伸展作用相关的张性构造环境中形成，壳幔相互作用对锡矿床的形成具有重要的贡献。     

Abrupt changes in climatic conditions across the late-glacial/Holocene transition on the N. E. Tibet-Qinghai Plateau: evidence from Lake Qinghai, China

A multi-proxy investigation of two sediment cores from the large closed-basin Lake Qinghai provides evidence of abrupt changes in paleolimnological conditions across the late-glacial/Holocene transition. The chronology of the lacustrine sediment sequence is framed by four AMS ¹⁴C ages for aquatic-plant macrofossil seeds. Four distinct stratigraphic units are identified on the basis of abrupt shifts in lithology, carbonate composition, ¹⁸O of authigenic carbonates, magnetic susceptibility characteristics, and total nitrogen content. These units represent four environmental stages that were each initiated by three abrupt changes in hydro-climatic regime at 11,600, 10,700, and 10,000 ¹⁴C yrs B.P. Each of the four environmental stages thus represents a characteristic precipitation-to-evaporation balance for the lake catchment. The paleoenvironmental evidence indicates that the lake before 11,600 ¹⁴C yrs B.P. was very shallow with carbonate production and organic productivity much lower than in the Holocene, suggesting a much colder and drier climate than in the Holocene. From 11,600 to 10,700 ¹⁴C yrs B.P., the presence of clastic laminations and Ruppia fossil seeds suggests an increased inflow of sediment-laden waters into the lake. Between 10,700 and 10,000 ¹⁴C yrs B.P., the development of a carbonate playa lake indicates that a negative water balance persisted. From 10,000 ¹⁴C yrs B.P. an abrupt increase in rainfall is suggested by a sudden termination of the playa lake environment and the diluted lake waters, as evidenced by negative shift in both total carbonate content and ¹⁸O values of mineral carbonate. However, the lake level during the early Holocene was about 20 m shallower than today, indicating that the effective moisture then was much lower than it is today. The multi-proxy record suggests a step-wise pattern of climatic change across the late-glacial/Holocene transition along with abrupt shifts in P-E balance on the N. E. Tibet-Qinghai Plateau. This pattern is characterized by reorganization of Asian monsoon circulation, which probably was determined by increasing summer insolation and changes in surface boundary conditions accompanying regional deglaciation. The arid event at 10,700–10,000 ¹⁴C yrs B.P. is interpreted as a Younger Dryas equivalent, although climatic cooling is not indicated by the evidence at hand.     

晚冰期Younger Drayas环境灾变

新仙女木事件(Younger Dryas Event)是过去15000年里全球最为严重的环境灾变事件。它使得冰期气候急剧回返,陆地自然环境严重恶化,并且遣成更新世末期的生物界大绝灭。该事件在深海沉积、大陆冰盖和湖泊沉积物剖面都有多种十分显著的记录。对其成因和机制的研究,将会深入揭示太阳辐射—大气—海洋气—冰盖气—陆地气—生物圈相互作用系统中的非线性反馈现象,为探索人类面临的全球变化问题提供借鉴。     

内蒙古盐湖沉积物中YoungerDryas的确认及其重要意义

通过对内蒙古盐湖沉积物同位素、元素地球化学、古地磁、古生物、沉积岩石学等大量第一手资料的研究证实，中国内蒙古地区存在ＹｏｕｎｇｅｒＤｒｙａｓ气候期。所获之研究成果以其Ｙ．Ｄ．的高分辨率、冷湿型、持续时间、温度范围等属性特征而获得国内外的确认，这对更新世和全新世的划分及推动第四纪环境地质研究均具有重要意义     

江西足洞和关西花岗岩体的铀—铅,铷—锶体系同位素特征及其地质意义

江西龙南足洞重稀土和关西轻稀土花岗岩体锆石U-Pb不一致线下交点年龄分别为124和170Ma,分属燕山中期晚阶段和燕山早期岩浆活动产物。综合钾长石铅同位素组成和初始~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr值,可以排除两者作为同源岩浆(封闭或受混染体系)结晶分异演化的可能性。虽然两者的成岩物质均来自上地壳,但足洞岩体可能源于变质沉积岩,而关西岩体则可能由古老的中—基性火成岩派生。计算的μ_0值为8.35—8.38.源区的μ_1值和Th/U值,足洞分别为11.4和4.02,而关西分别为13.6和3.62。上述同位素新数据为南岭地区重、轻稀土花岗岩提供了对比资料。