Sediment accumulation of Dianchi Lake determined by 137Cs dating

The water quality of Dianchi Lake declines quickly and the eutrophication is getting serious. To identify the internal pollution load of Dianchi Lake it is necessary to evaluate its sediment accumulation. Sedimentation rates of Dianchi Lake are determined by 137Cs dating. However, 137Cs vertical distribution in sediment cores of Dianchi Lake has special characteristics because Dianchi Lake is located on the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Kunming quasi-stationary front is over the borders of Yunnan and Guizhou where the specific precipitation is distributed. Besides 1954, 1963 and 1986 137Cs marks can be determined in sediment cores, a 137Cs mark of 1976 representing the major period of 137Cs released from China unclear test can be determined and used for an auxiliary dating mark. Meanwhile Dianchi Lake is divided into seven sections based on the water depth, basin topography, hydrological features and supplies of silt and the lakebed area of each section is calculated. The mean annual sedimentation rates for seven sections are 0.0810, 0.1352, 0.1457, 0.1333, 0.0904, 0.1267 and 0.1023 g/cm2a in 1963–2003, respectively. The gross sediment accumulation of the lake is 26.18×104 t/a in recent 17 years and 39.86×104 t/a in recent 50 years.     

Late-Holocene equatorial environments inferred from deposition processes,carbon isotopes of organic matter,and pollen in three shallow lakes of Gabon,west-central Africa

Seven vibro-cores were collected from three shallow lakes of the Gabon (Kamalété, Nguène, Maridor) along a 300-km west–east transect close to the Equator. These lakes are located in very distinct landscapes: coastal forest-savanna mosaic, rain forest and savanna with colonising forest, respectively. Core chronologies were established by radiocarbon dating. Study of these lacustrine archives (textural variables, clay minerals, organic matter components, δ¹³C, pollen) allowed comparison of late Holocene environmental changes recorded at each site and with results from other studies. Lake Kamalété indicates minor climatic deterioration (increased drying and greater seasonality) between 1,410 and 500 cal. years BP, which is also recognised in southern Cameroon and east-central Africa. Lake Nguène was surrounded by dense moist forest throughout the last 4,110 years, but shows significant deterioration from ~2,800 cal. years BP, a phenomenon seen at nearby sites. Lake Maridor shows a decline of forest initiated a little after 3,800 cal. years BP, which indicates timing that is distinct from the two other sites. This was probably a response to local conditions (i.e. outlet damming). Although the three lakes display generally parallel climatic trends perhaps linked to SST oscillations, there is not perfect coherence between these three sites. Differences among the three basins may be attributable to local factors like groundwater hydrology and slope instabilities of such shallow lake systems in this equatorial region.     

Sediment accumulation of Dianchi Lake determined by 137Cs dating

The water quality of Dianchi Lake declines quickly and the eutrophication is getting serious. To identify the internal pollution load of Dianchi Lake it is necessary to evaluate its sediment accumulation. Sedimentation rates of Dianchi Lake are determined by ¹³⁷Cs dating. However, ¹³⁷Cs vertical distribution in sediment cores of Dianchi Lake has special characteristics because Dianchi Lake is located on the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Kunming quasi-stationary front is over the borders of Yunnan and Guizhou where the specific precipitation is distributed. Besides 1954, 1963 and 1986 ¹³⁷Cs marks can be determined in sediment cores, a ¹³⁷Cs mark of 1976 representing the major period of ¹³⁷Cs released from China unclear test can be determined and used for an auxiliary dating mark. Meanwhile Dianchi Lake is divided into seven sections based on the water depth, basin topography, hydrological features and supplies of silt and the lakebed area of each section is calculated. The mean annual sedimentation rates for seven sections are 0.0810, 0.1352, 0.1457, 0.1333, 0.0904, 0.1267 and 0.1023 g/cm²a in 1963–2003, respectively. The gross sediment accumulation of the lake is 26.18×10⁴ t/a in recent 17 years and 39.86×10⁴ t/a in recent 50 years. Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40771186; The Key Project of the State Key Laboratory of Soil Sustainable Agriculture, Nanjing Institute of Soil Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.5022505 Author: Zhang Yan (1962–), Ph.D and Associate Professor, specialized in environmental change.     

Lake-Level Fluctuations and Small-Scale Vegetation Patterns During the Late Glacial in The Netherlands

Late glacial changes in the vegetation were studied in and around a former lake on the southeastern side of a coversand ridge near Milheeze (southern Netherlands). Analyses of microfossils and macroremains and AMS ¹⁴C dating were performed on four sediment cores along a transect from sand ridge to the lake centre. Small-scale vegetation patterns and lake-level fluctuations were reconstructed in detail based on the information provided by the transect. For the first time in The Netherlands, cores along a transect within one lake were used to reconstruct the amplitude of late glacial lake-level fluctuations. Near Milheeze, a small and shallow lake was formed during the Bølling. The large increase in the water level during the Bølling and early Allerød, and the transition to more eutrophic conditions at the start of the Allerød, were probably related to the disappearance of permafrost. During the Allerød, open birch and pine woodlands developed in the area. In the lake, organic deposits accumulated, and the lake size and depth fluctuated. At the start of the Younger Dryas, higher lake water levels were recorded and woodlands became more open as a result of both a drop in the temperature and an increase in the effective precipitation. During the late Younger Dryas the lake water level dropped as the climate became drier and temperatures slightly increased. Accumulation of organic deposits in the lake ceased at the end of the Younger Dryas, which was caused by a drop in the water level in combination with the hydroseral succession process within the lake itself. The climatic signal reflected in the late glacial flora and lake-level fluctuations agree well with other published data from The Netherlands.     

Water-quality trends in White Rock Creek Basin from 1912-1994 identified using sediment cores from White Rock Lake reservoir, Dallas, Texas

Historical trends in selected water-quality variables from 1912 to 1994 in White Rock Creek Basin were identified by dated sediment cores from White Rock Lake. White Rock Lake is a 4.4-km² reservoir filled in 1912 and located on the north side of Dallas, Texas, with a drainage area of 259 km². Agriculture dominated land use in White Rock Creek Basin before about 1950. By 1990, 72% of the basin was urban. Sediment cores were dated using cesium-137 and core lithology. Major element concentrations changed, and sedimentation rates and percentage of clay-sized particles in sediments decreased beginning in about 1952 in response to the change in land use. Lead concentrations, normalized with respect to aluminum, were six times larger in sediment deposited in about 1978 than in pre-1952 sediment. Following the introduction of unleaded gasoline in the 1970s, normalized lead concentrations in sediment declined and stabilized at about two and one-half times the pre-1952 level. Normalized zinc and arsenic concentrations increased 66 and 76%, respectively, from before 1952 to 1994. No organochlorine compounds were detected in sediments deposited prior to about 1940. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and DDE (a metabolite of DDT) increased rapidly beginning in the 1940s and peaked in the 1960s at 21 and 20 µg kg^-1, respectively, which is coincident with their peak use in the United States. Concentrations of both declined about an order of magnitude from the 1960s to the 1990s to 3.0 and 2.0 µg kg^-1, respectively. Chlordane and dieldrin concentrations increased during the 1970s and 1980s. The largest chlordane concentration was 8.0 µg kg^-1 and occurred in a sediment sample deposited in about 1990. The largest dieldrin concentration was 0.7 µg kg^-1 and occurred in the most recent sample deposited in the early 1990s. Agricultural use of chlordane and dieldrin was restricted in the 1970s; however, both were used as termiticides, and urban use of chlordane continued at least until 1990. Recent use of dieldrin and aldrin, which degrades to dieldrin, has not been reported; however, increasing trends in dieldrin since the 1970s suggest recent urban use could have occurred.     

三角洲前缘岸滩对河流来沙减少响应的敏感性探讨——以长江口门区崇明岛向海侧岸滩为例

利用ArcGIS对1977—2004年不同时段的长江口崇明岛向海侧水下地形测量资料进行处理,并结合该区的潮滩历史遥感图片、现场高程测量以及同期大通站输沙率资料,探讨三角洲前缘岸滩冲淤演变对河流来沙减少响应的敏感性。结果表明:研究区岸滩的淤涨速率总体上在年代以上时间尺度随着长江来沙减少而下降,但由于局部滩—槽演变和海洋动力条件的影响,某些年代内和某些部位可能出现相反的趋势,使岸滩演变对河流来沙减少的响应变得复杂化。在此基础上预测今后几十年研究区的冲淤趋势。     

无定河流域不同地貌区水沙过程对比

为了查明人为影响程度较低时期无定河流域内不同地貌区的水沙过程及其变化规律,选取1970年以前一段时期该流域内风沙区和黄土丘陵沟壑区河流的有关水文站的水文泥沙实测数据进行对比分析。结果表明,风沙区河流的流量变率较黄土丘陵沟壑区的小;风沙区河流的含沙量远小于黄土丘陵沟壑区河流的含沙量。黄土丘陵沟壑区河流具有极高的输沙率,而风沙区河流的输沙率微不足道。风沙区和黄土丘陵沟壑区河流的产流模数基本相近,但产沙模数非常悬殊,前者的产沙模数很小,为118.58~725.38t /km² · a,而后者的达到1879.36~25112.15t /km² · a。显然,无定河流域黄土丘陵沟壑区的河流是侵蚀产沙的主要来源区,因而是水土保持工作的重点区域。     

曹娥江下游XYC孔粒度特征及沉积记录

基于曹娥江下游星一村钻孔(XYC)1717个沉积物样品的粒度分析,探讨钱塘江南岸地区全新世沉积环境记录。初步结论如下：①基于粒度组成,XYC孔沉积物分为粉砂质砂、砂质粉砂、粉砂、粘土质粉砂等4种岩性,自下而上分为9个单元,组成多个粒度粗细变化旋回。其中,第1、4两层为粉砂质砂,砂含量高于粉砂,粘粒含量10%~15%,分选差,动力条件复杂;第3、5两层属砂质粉砂,粉砂为主但含量不超过70%,砂含量20%以上,粘粒含量低;第2、7、9三层为粉砂,粉砂含量超过70%,粘粒、砂含量均低于20%;第6、8两层为粘土质粉砂,粉砂含量高于70%,粘粒含量20%以上。②基于C-M图最大搬运动能和平均搬运动能强弱及其变化幅度分析,初步识别出4种沉积相,自下而上依次为河流相、潮坪相、浅海相、湖沼相。第1、2两层为高能且不稳定的水动力搬运环境,属河流相沉积;第3~7层,最大搬运动能减弱,搬运动力与上虞近海滩涂样品SYTT相似,为潮坪相沉积;第8~9层,搬运动能低且变幅小,属低能静水沉积环境;第8层下段为浅海相,该层上段至第9层为湖沼相。③粒度纵向变化表明,粘粒含量自下而上波动增加;砂含量自下而上波动减少,平均粒径向上变细、分选性向上变好。XYC孔记录了该地区9690~5131 cal.a BP时段海面上升,达到高海面继而又海退的过程。研究结果有利于进一步探索钱塘江流域的古环境演变特征。     

荒漠-绿洲过渡带斑块植被区起沙风对风蚀积沙量的影响

以黑河中游荒漠-绿洲过渡带斑块植被区的风蚀积沙观测资料为基础,结合中国生态系统研究网络（CERN）临泽内陆河流域研究站的风况资料,应用地统计学方法对2012-2013年风蚀季（3-8月）的风蚀积沙过程进行分类,并分析起沙风对风蚀积沙量的影响。结果表明：（1）2012-2013年风蚀季风蚀积沙量的空间变异过程分为随机性变异过程（2012年4-7月）和结构性变异过程（2012年8月及2013年3-7月）。（2）在随机性变异过程中,风蚀积沙量与起沙风的风速,风向,风频率依次相关;在结构性变异过程中,风蚀积沙量与起沙风的风向,风速,风频率依次相关。③输沙势（DP）与风蚀积沙量的相关性大小为随机性变异过程>结构性变异过程;在随机性变异过程中,合成输沙势（RDP）与风蚀积沙量无明显相关关系（R²=0.0745）;而在结构性变异过程中,合成输沙势（RDP）与风蚀积沙量的相关系数较高（R²=0.9343）。④在随机性变异过程中,各月风蚀积沙量呈不规则的片状分布;在结构性变异过程中,各月积沙量呈明显的带状分布。     

SEDIMENT BUDGETS AND RATES OF SEDIMENT TRANSFER ACROSS COLD ENVIRONMENTS IN EUROPE: A COMMENTARY

The sediment mass balance equation is the fundamental concept which underpins most sediment budget studies in cold climate environments. In these environments the interchange between water and ice plays a predominant geomorphological role. Such environments show a large variety of geomorphic processes which are conditioned by both contemporary environmental conditions but also the legacy of past events. In the northern Europe/Arctic fringe these cold regions are distributed in a fragmented fashion and are likely to be very sensitive to climate change scenarios. The significance of such changes for sediment transfer can only be established if we have good contemporary process understanding, the necessary tools to carefully monitor and model such changes, and can apply such methods at appropriate scales which integrate both sediment sources and sinks.