Paleohydrology and paleoclimate records in a saline prairie lake core: mineral,isotope and organic indicators

This pilot study examines the potential of obtaining a sedimentary record of paleoenvironmental/climatic/hydrologic conditions for saline Redberry Lake in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The tools are mineralogy, stable isotopes and pigments. The upper meter of an offshore sediment core contains 10 to 20% by weight aragonite (CaCO₃), which apparently precipitated in the water column. The ¹⁸O and ¹³C of the bulk aragonite (corrected for content of detrital calcite) vary by 4 to 5. Enrichment in ¹⁸O in aragonite is significantly correlated with pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a, phaeophytin). The ¹⁸O and pigment data provide evidence for relatively dry and/or warm conditions and high limnetic productivity for the period 2500 to 1500 yrs B.P. After 1500 B.P., the climate was apparently similar to the present, with two episodes of relatively enhanced productivity, dryness and/or warmth, at around 1000 to 900 and 500 to 200 B.P. During the past century, Redberry Lake has decreased approximately 8 m in depth and its salinity has doubled. No clear sedimentary signal was observed in response to these recent hydrologic trends. These changes have not been associated with a significant climate trend in the region, but may have been induced by land use changes in the catchment.This publication is the third of a series of papers presented at the Conference on Sedimentary and Paleolimnological Records of Saline Lakes. This Conference was held August 13–16, 1991 at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Dr. Evans is serving as Guest Editor for this series.     

Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Nutrient-chlorophyll trajectories across trophic gradients

We estimate the response of chl-a (mg · m^–3) to changes in concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) by calculating the slopeS = chl-a/TP in chl-a =f(TP) graphs. Results show that in years where algae are P-limited oligotrophic lakes respond less (median slope 0.21) to changes in nutrient concentrations than eutrophic lakes, (median slope 0.31) and these again less than hypereutrophic lakes, (median slope 1.02). We find no saturation value for the slope within the TP range considered (6–480 mg · m^–3). Chl-a in eutrophic lakes responds more frequently to non-nutrient factors than oligotrophic and hypereutrophic lakes. Results obtained by replacing TP with a new nutrient parameter, TP = 0.056 · TP · IN^0.226, in which inorganic nitrogen, IN, is factored in, suggest that nitrogen has an influence on chl-a in oligotrophic lakes. Blue-green algae respond less to changes in TP than other algal species, e.g., diatoms.     

Field calibration and performance of sediment traps in a eutrophic holomictic lake

In wind-stressed and unstratified Lough Neagh low aspect ratio sediment traps, which allow for internal resuspension, collected sediment at a rate close to the natural sediment accumulation rate inferred from dated sediment cores. High aspect ratio traps grossly overestimated the natural rate of sediment accumulation as did, but to a lesser extent, burial rate measurements on an artificial stratigraphic marker. The former type of trap deployed over long exposure periods is therefore recommended as providing the best estimate of net downward particle flux in lakes such as Lough Neagh. However, it is emphasized that all sediment trap types, when operated in shallow turbulent lakes, will to a greater or lesser extent be contaminated by secondary or redeposited material and so will not provide a direct measure of primary sedimentation. Use of tube traps in lakes such as Lough Neagh should not, however, be discounted since they can provide a record of the quality of sedimenting material through time.     

Ratios of stable carbon isotopes in some High Arctic plants and lake sediments

¹³C/¹²C ratios for a number of High Arctic vascular plants (51 determinations), mosses (11), and freshwater algae (11) show considerable variation, particularly among the freshwater algae (range from-6.9 to -36.3). In some cases the stable carbon ratios on modern and fossil materials provide guidance as to whether marine waters formerly occupied a given pond or lake basin. In other cases the ¹³C values for algae collected along the present-day shore of a pond or lake bear no relation to the values obtained on constituents preserved within the bottom sediments, suggesting that major changes have occurred in the last few thousand years.Geological Survey of Canada Contribution No. 17291. Contribution No. 41 from the Cape Herschel Project.     

青藏高原腹地湖泊沉积对第四纪晚期古季风变化的响应

通过对青藏高原腹地的综合科学考察和对中心钻孔岩芯剖面的最新研究,用层序地层学与年代地层学和气候地层学相结合的方法,分辨出可可西里地区湖泊沉积记录(孔深7.25 m)的第四纪晚期距今3万余年以来的古气候变化,沉积物磁化率等因子综合表征的高原古季风变化是波动发展的,发生在仙女木期地质环境事件中的季风活动具有强烈暴发的特点,是高原季风发展中的突变事件,而且地表热点效应对其起到了激发作用。综合分析的研究成果表明,它的变化频谱与激变因子及其运行机制是伴随着青藏高原地质效应的演变而发展的,为研究第四纪冰消期以来的气候变化提供了新的信息。     

High-resolution sedimentary record of lead in the coastal mud of the East China Sea in the past one hundred and fifty years

In the East China Sea （ECS）, there are some mud areas, including the south coastal mud area, the north coastal mud area, and the mud area to the southwest of Cheju Island. X-ray fluorescence （XRF） techniques and Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry （TIMS） were used to study the high-resolution sedimentary record of Pb concentrations and Pb stable isotopic compositions in the past one hundred and fifty years in the coastal mud of the ECS. Pb concentrations of a ^210Pb dating S5 core in the study area have increased rapidly since 1980, and reached the maximal value with 65.08 μg/g in 2000, corresponding to the fast economic development of China since the implementation of the ＂Reform and Open Policy＂ in 1978; ^206Pb/^207Pb ratios generally had stabilized at 1.195 from 1860 to 1966, and decreased gradually from 1966 to 2000, indicating that the anthropogenic source Pb contribution to the ECS has increased gradually since 1966, especially since 1980. Pb concentrations decreased distinctly from 2000 to 2003 and ^206Pb/^207Pb ratios increased from 2001 to 2003, corresponding closely to the ban of lead gasoline from 2000 in China. From 1950 to 2003, there occurred four distinct decrease events of ^206Pb/^207Pb, possibly responding to the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） catastrophic floods in 1998, 1991, 1981 and 1954; from 1860 to 1966, there were two decrease periods of ^206Pb/^207Pb, which may respond to the catastrophic floods of Changjiang River in 1931 and 1935, and 1870. As a result of the erosion and drowning by the catastrophic floods, the anthropogenic lead accumulated in soil and water environments over a long period of time was brought into the Changjiang River, then part of them was finally transported into the ECS, which leads to changes in Pb stable isotopic composition.     

中国古代常规日食记录的整理分析

收集并分析了公元前8世纪到公元15世纪的中国古代密集、简略而公式化的日食记录。基于这些记录整理成一个包括938条日食记录的计算机可读形式的“常规日食记录表”。该表给出每次记录的原日期、公历日期、当时首都、所属朝代以及一部分记录所载的进一步详情。对该表的构成作了介绍,并对这些历史记录进行了初步的分析和归纳。     

重力取样器取样技术研究

在湖泊环境研究中，淤泥质沉积物取样是一项很重要的工作，样品的取心率和原状性直接影响了环境研究的结果。重力取样器是获取湖泊、水库等水域浅层湖泊沉积物的一种经济有效、操作简单的常用工具。因此研究重力取样器的取样技术对环境研究具有积极的意义。研究了重力取样器的取样技术，并在此基础上成功设计了一种便携式的重力式取样器，非常适合环境研究机构的沉积物取样工作。     

纳滤膜分离技术及其在盐湖卤水资源开发中的应用

介绍了纳滤膜分离技术原理及其主要应用领域,结合我国盐湖卤水资源的特点与开发利用现状,提出了将纳滤膜分离技术应用于卤水资源综合利用的设想。