High-resolution climate variability of southwest China during 57-70 ka reflected in a stalagmite δ18O record from Xinya Cave

A 26-cm-long stalagmite (XY2) from Xinya Cave in northeastern Chongqing of China has been ICP-MS ²³⁰Th/U dated, showing a depositional hiatus at 2.3 cm depth from the top. The growth of the 2.3–26 cm interval determined by four dates was between 57 ka and 70 ka, with a linear growth rate of 0.023 mm/a. We have analyzed 190 samples for δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C, mostly in the 2.3–26 cm part. The δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C values between 57 ka and 70 ka reveal decadal-to-centennial climatic variability during the glacial interval of Marine Isotope Stage 4 (MIS4), exhibiting much higher resolution than that of the published Hulu and Dongge records during this interval. Speleothem δ ¹⁸O in eastern China, including our study area can be used as a proxy of summer monsoon strength, with lighter values pointing to stronger summer monsoon and higher precipitation, and vice versa. Two decreases in the δ ¹⁸O signature of XY2 record around 59.5 and 64.5 Ka are argued to correspond to the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events 17 and 18 respectively. The Heinrich event 6 (H6) can be identified in the record as a heavy δ ¹⁸O peak around 60 ka, indicating significant weakening of the monsoon in Chongqing during the cold period. The XY2 δ ¹⁸O record shows very rapid change toward to the interstadial condition of the D-O event, but more gradual change toward to the cold stadial condition. This phenomenon found in the Greenland ice core records is rarely observed so clearly in previously published speleothem records. According to SPECMAP δ ¹⁸O record, the glacial maximum of MIS 4 was around 64.5 ka with the boundary of MIS 3/4 around 60 ka. Unlike the marine record, the speleothem record of XY2, China, exhibits much high frequency variations without an apparent glacial maximum during MIS 4. However, the timing of MIS 3/4 boundary seems to be around 60 ka when the H6 terminated, in agreement with the marine chronology. The growth period of sample XY2 during glacial times probably reflects a local karstic routing of water, rather than having climatic significance. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40672165, 90511004, 40672202) and the Academician Special Project of Chongqing Science Committee (Grant No. 2003-7835)     

Phases Representing Source Lengths of Tsunami in Tide Gauge Records

We identified a phase representing the source length of tsunami's in the tide gauge records around Japan. This phase was observed at tide stations, located in the direction of the long axis of the sources, for four large tsunamis: 1964 Niigata, 1968 Tokachi-oki, 1983 Nihonkaichubu, and 1993 Hokkaido-nanseioki. The phase consists of two continuous crests starting as the initial arrival and has a time length of 15–47 minutes. This is the time required to propagate across the source area along the long axis. Strong evidence that the phase is generated at the source is the good correlation between waveform observed at one side and time-inversed waveform at another side. The correlation results from the instantaneous generation of the source. The source lengths of 74–254 km were obtained under an assumption of sea depths at the sources and verified to coincide with ones within a relative error of 15% that were previously obtained by other methods.     

藻类勃发—湖相油源岩形成的一种重要机制

浮游藻类是重要的湖相生油母质，本文以渤海湾盆地济阳坳陷早第三纪湖相生油岩为例，研究了其中藻类（主要是颗石藻和沟鞭藻＿化石的分布特征，并通过与现代水体中藻类生产和沉积作用的比较，探讨了生油湖泊中藻类生产和沉积方式及其对油源岩形成所起的控制作用，结果显示，藻类勃发现象在早第三纪生油湖泊中相当普遍，而且贯穿于各类油源岩的形成过程，这类快速事件性沉积是湖相油源岩形成的一种重要机制。     

Evolutionary properties of stochastic models of earthquake accelerograms: Their dependence on magnitude and distance

An approach to generate artificial earthquakeaccelerograms on hard soil sites is presented. Eachtime-history of accelerations is considered as arealization of a non-stationary gaussian stochasticprocess, with statistical parameters depending onmagnitude and source-to-site distance. In order tolink the values of these parameters for each groundmotion record with the corresponding magnitude andsource-to-site distance, semi-empirical functionalrelations called generalized attenuationfunctions are determined. The set of realground-motion time histories used to obtain thesefunctions correspond to shocks generated at differentsources and recorded at different sites in thevicinity of the southern coast of Mexico. The resultsshow significant dispersion in the parameters of themodel adopted, which reflect that associated with thereal earthquakes included in the sample employed.The problem of conditional simulation of artificialacceleration time histories for prescribed intensitiesis briefly presented, but its detailed study is leftfor a companion paper. The criteria and modelsproposed are applied to generate two families ofartificial acceleration records for recurrenceintervals of 100 and 200 years at a specific sitelocated in the region under study. The results shownin this article correspond to acceleration timehistories recorded on firm ground for earthquakesgenerated at the subduction zone that runs along thesouthern coast of Mexico, and cannot be generalized tocases of earthquakes generated at other sources orrecorded at other types of local conditions. Thismeans that the methods and functional forms presentedhere are applicable to these other cases, but thevalues of the parameters that characterize thosefunctions may differ from those presented here.     

Effect of earthquake ground motions on fragility curves of highway bridge piers based on numerical simulation

Fragility curves express the probability of structural damage due to earthquakes as a function of ground motion indices, e.g., PGA, PGV. Based on the actual damage data of highway bridges from the 1995 Hyogoken‐Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake, a set of empirical fragility curves was constructed. However, the type of structure, structural performance (static and dynamic) and variation of input ground motion were not considered to construct the empirical fragility curves. In this study, an analytical approach was adopted to construct fragility curves for highway bridge piers of specific bridges. A typical bridge structure was considered and its piers were designed according to the seismic design codes in Japan. Using the strong motion records from Japan and the United States, non‐linear dynamic response analyses were performed, and the damage indices for the bridge piers were obtained. Using the damage indices and ground motion indices, fragility curves for the bridge piers were constructed assuming a lognormal distribution. The analytical fragility curves were compared with the empirical ones. The proposed approach may be used in constructing the fragility curves for highway bridge structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Petrographic and geochemical evidence for the formation of primary, bacterially induced lacustrine dolomite: La Roda 'white earth' (Pliocene, central Spain)

Upper Pliocene dolomites (‘white earth’) from La Roda, Spain, offer a good opportunity to evaluate the process of dolomite formation in lakes. The relatively young nature of the deposits could allow a link between dolomites precipitated in modern lake systems and those present in older lacustrine formations. The La Roda Mg‐carbonates (dolomite unit) occur as a 3·5‐ to 4‐m‐thick package of poorly indurated, white, massive dolomite beds with interbedded thin deposits of porous carbonate displaying root and desiccation traces as well as local lenticular gypsum moulds. The massive dolomite beds consist mainly of loosely packed 1‐ to 2‐μm‐sized aggregates of dolomite crystals exhibiting poorly developed faces, which usually results in a subrounded morphology of the crystals. Minute rhombs of dolomite are sparse within the aggregates. Both knobbly textures and clumps of spherical bodies covering the crystal surfaces indicate that bacteria were involved in the formation of the dolomites. In addition, aggregates of euhedral dolomite crystals are usually present in some more clayey (sepiolite) interbeds. The thin porous carbonate (mostly dolomite) beds exhibit both euhedral and subrounded, bacterially induced dolomite crystals. The carbonate is mainly Ca‐dolomite (51–54 mol% CaCO₃), showing a low degree of ordering (degree of ordering ranges from 0·27 to 0·48). Calcite is present as a subordinate mineral in some samples. Sr, Mn and Fe contents show very low correlation coefficients with Mg/Ca ratios, whereas SiO₂ and K contents are highly correlated. δ¹⁸O‐ and δ¹³C‐values in dolomites range from ?3·07‰ to 5·40‰ PDB (mean=0·06, σ=1·75) and from ?6·34‰ to ?0·39‰ PDB (mean=?3·55, σ=1·33) respectively. Samples containing significant amounts of both dolomite and calcite do not in general show significant enrichment or depletion in ¹⁸O and ¹³C between the two minerals. The correlation coefficient between δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C for dolomite is extremely low and negative (r=?0·05), whereas it is higher and positive (r=0·47) for calcite. The lacustrine dolomite deposit from La Roda is interpreted mainly as a result of primary precipitation of dolomite in a shallow, hydrologically closed perennial lake. The lake was supplied by highly saturated HCO₃^?/CO₃^2? groundwater that leached dolomitic Mesozoic formations. Precipitation of dolomite from alkaline lake waters took place under a semi‐arid to arid climate. However, according to our isotopic data, strong evaporative conditions were not required for the formation of the La Roda dolomite. A significant contribution by bacteria to the formation of the dolomites is assumed in view of both petrographic and geochemical evidence.     

南极菲尔德斯半岛湖泊沉积物的稀土地球化学

本文研究了燕鸥湖、西湖和基太湖湖泊沉积物的稀土地球化学。这些湖泊沉积物的稀土分布模式与菲尔德斯半岛第三纪火山岩非常相似，它们的物质来源是菲尔德斯半岛岛弧火山岩。湖泊沉积相与冰碛层稀土模式的差异，反映了它们经历的化学风化程度不同、粘土含量不同。Ｃｅ异常意味着每个湖泊沉积旋回结束的阶段气候是比较干燥的。湖泊沉积物的稀土含量和分布模式变化小，也意味着在中晚更新世时气候是比较干燥的。     

Suspended sediment transport and deposition in a high arctic meromictic lake

A study of sedimentary processes and sediment yields in a high arctic meromictic lake (Lake C2, Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesemere Island, Canada) was undertaken from May 1990 through August 1992 to understand the links between climatic controls, hydrology, and the laminated sediment record preserved in the lake. Understanding the relationships between processes and the sediment record is critical for interpreting the climatic significance of the laminated sediments in a region where high resolution climate proxy records are quite limited.Sediment transport to Lake C2 is dominated by fluvial processes. During the early part of the melt season slushflows transport sediment to the lake surface. Subsequently, suspended sediment is delivered to the lake by the main inlet stream and distributed lakeward by a plume emanating the main inlet channel. Due to the strong density stratification of the water column the plume distributes sediment downlake by overflows and interflows in the epilimnion. In general, overflows are generated by lower discharge events whereas interflows penetrate to the halocline during high discharge with increased suspended sediment concentration.Sediment trap analysis demonstrates that suspended sediment transport and deposition responds to diurnal through annual changes in stream discharge. Seasonal and annual sediment trap yields agree with average accumulation rates determined from varve thickness measurements and cumulative suspended sediment discharge from the main inlet stream indicating a close link between climatological, hydrological, and sedimentological controls and varve deposition.This is the fourth in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.     

贵州红枫湖纹理沉积物中近代气温记录

本通过红枫湖纹理沉积物柱芯碳酸盐特征剖面与流域气温资料对比、沉积纹理年代校正以及早期成岩化学过程对碳酸盐沉积记录的改造作用等方面的研究，表明湖泊碳酸盐沉积记录基本不受早期成岩作用的影响，碳酸钙含量和ＣａＯ／ＭｇＯ·Ａｌ２Ｏ３比值可作为湖泊沉物中具高分辨率、短时间尺度的气温变化的代用指标。