Climate during the last glacial maximum in the Wasatch and southern Uinta Mountains inferred from glacier modeling

Recent improvements in understanding glacial extents and chronologies in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains and other mountain ranges in the western U.S. call for a more detailed approach to using glacier reconstructions to infer paleoclimates than commonly applied AAR-ELA-ÄT methods. A coupled 2-D mass balance and ice-flow numerical modeling approach developed by [Plummer, M.A., Phillips, F.M., 2003. A 2-D numerical model of snow/ice energy balance and ice flow for paleoclimatic interpretation of glacial geomorphic features. Quaternary Science Reviews 22, 1389–1406] allows exploration of the combined effects of temperature, precipitation, shortwave radiation and many secondary parameters on past ice extents in alpine settings. We apply this approach to the Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains and the Lake Fork and Yellowstone Canyons in the south-central Uinta Mountains. Results of modeling experiments indicate that the Little Cottonwood glacier required more precipitation during the local Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than glaciers in the Uinta Mountains, assuming lapse rates were similar to modern. Model results suggest that if temperatures in the Wasatch Mountains and Uinta Mountains were  6 °C to 7 °C colder than modern, corresponding precipitation changes were  3 to 2× modern in Little Cottonwood Canyon and  2 to 1× modern in Lake Fork and Yellowstone Canyons. Greater amounts of precipitation in the Little Cottonwood Canyon likely reflect moisture derived from the surface of Lake Bonneville, and the lake may have also affected the mass balance of glaciers in the Uinta Mountains.     

The influence of upper-crust lithology on topographic development in the central Coast Ranges of California

A fundamental geological tenet is that as landscapes evolve over graded to geologic time, geologic structures control patterns of topographic distribution in mountainous areas such that terrain underlain by competent rock will be higher than terrain underlain by incompetent rock. This paper shows that in active orogens where markedly weak and markedly strong rocks are juxtaposed along contacts that parallel regional structures, relatively high topography can form where strain is localized in the weak rock. Such a relationship is illustrated by the topography of the central Coast Ranges between the Pacific coastline and the San Andreas fault zone (SAFZ), and along the length of the Gabilan Mesa (the “Gabilan Mesa segment” of the central Coast Ranges). Within the Gabilan Mesa segment, the granitic upper crust of the Salinian terrane is in contact with the accretionary-prism mélange upper crust of the Nacimiento terrane along the inactive Nacimiento fault zone. A prominent topographic lineament is present along most of this lithologic boundary, approximately 50 to 65 km southwest of the SAFZ, with the higher topography formed in the mélange on the southwest side of the Nacimiento fault.This paper investigates factors influencing the pattern of topographic development in the Gabilan Mesa segment of the central Coast Ranges by correlating shortening magnitude with the upper-crust compositions of the Salinian and Nacimiento terranes. The fluvial geomorphology of two valleys in the Gabilan Mesa, which is within the Salinian terrane, and alluvial geochronology based on optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates, reveal that the magnitude of shortening accommodated by down-to-the-southwest tilting of the mesa since 400 ka is less than 1 to 2 m. Our results, combined with those of previous studies, indicate that at least 63% to 78% of late-Cenozoic, northeast-southwest directed, upper-crustal shortening across the Gabilan Mesa segment has been accommodated within the Nacimiento terrane. This is significant because perpendicular to orogenic strike the Nacimiento terrane constitutes less than ¼ of the distance between the coast and the SAFZ, and the other ¾ (or greater) of the distance between the coast and the SAFZ is underlain by the granitic upper crust of the Salinian terrane. We propose that strain and mountain building are localized within the Nacimiento terrane because it consists predominantly of the relatively weak Franciscan Complex mélange, and because the upper crust of the Salinian terrane is composed of relatively strong granitic rocks. Our hypothesis is supported by the distribution of post-seismic surface uplift associated with the 2003, 6.5 M_W San Simeon earthquake, which mimics the topography of the southwestern part of the Gabilan Mesa segment of the central Coast Ranges.     

Study on the Dynamic Characteristics of an Eastward-offshore Mesoscale Vortex along the Meiyu-Baiu Front

The eastward-moving Meiyu-Baiu frontal mesoscale vortices (MBFMVs) appear frequently and often cause heavy rainfall events along their tracks. A move-off-shore MBFMV was selected to enhance our understanding of this type of vortex. Synoptic analyses indicate that the MBFMV is a type of meso-α vortex and mainly occurs in the lower troposphere. A short wave trough near the coastline is highly favorable for the formation, sustainment, and displacement of the MBFMV. Vorticity budgets indicate that at lower levels of the MBFMV, convergence is the dominant factor for the increase of positive vorticity, and at high levels of the MBFMV, the vertical transportation associated with convective activities is the most important factor. The hori-zontal transportation was the main factor decreasing the positive vorticity. The land and sea environments are crucial to the evolution of the MBFMV. The characteristics of the Meiyu-Baiu Front (MBF) are also vital to the variation of the vortex.     

Facies and architectural element analysis of a meandering fluvial succession: The Permian Warchha Sandstone, Salt Range, Pakistan

The 30 to 155 m thick Early Permian (Artinskian) Warchha Sandstone of the Salt Range, Pakistan is a conglomerate, sandstone and claystone succession within which seven lithofacies types (Gt, St, Sp, Sr, Sh, Fl and Fm) occur in a predictable order as repeated fining-upward cycles. Common sedimentary structures in the conglomerates and sandstones include planar and trough cross-bedding, planar lamination, soft sediment-deformed bedding, compound cosets of strata with low-angle inclined bounding surfaces and lags of imbricated pebbles. Structures in the finer-grained facies include desiccation cracks, raindrop imprints, caliche nodules and bioturbation. Groups of associated facies are arranged into nine distinct architectural elements (channels, gravel bars, sandy bedforms, downstream and laterally accreting barforms, sand sheets, crevasse splays, levees, floodplain units and shallow lakes), which is consistent with a fluvial origin for the succession. The types of architectural elements present and their relationship to each other demonstrate that the Warchha Sandstone preserves a record of a meandering river system that drained the northern margin of Gondwanaland. The dominance of fine-grained (floodplain) facies over gravel-grade (channel-base) facies and the widespread occurrence of large-scale lateral accretion elements supports the interpretation of a high-sinuosity, meandering fluvial system in which channel bodies accumulated via the lateral accretion of point bars but in which the active channels covered only a small part of a broad floodplain at any time instant. Although the regional and temporal distribution of these deposits is complex, in broad terms the lower part is dominated by stacked, multistorey channel bodies, whereas single-storey channel elements isolated in abundant fine-grained floodplain deposits dominate the middle and upper parts of the formation.     

A latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacial history and paleoclimate reconstruction at Three Sisters and Broken Top Volcanoes, Oregon, U.S.A.

At least three sets of moraines mark distinct glacial stands since the last glacial maximum (LGM) in the Three Sisters region of the Oregon Cascade Range. The oldest stand predates 8.1 ka (defined here as post-LGM), followed by a second between ∼ 2 and 8 ka (Neoglacial) and a third from the Little Ice Age (LIA) advance of the last 300 years. The post-LGM equilibrium line altitudes were 260 ± 100 m lower than that of modern glaciers, requiring 23 ± 9% increased winter snowfall and 1.4 ± 0.5°C cooler summer temperatures than at present. The LIA advance had equilibrium line altitudes 110 ± 40 m lower than at present, implying 10 ± 4% greater winter snowfall and 0.6 ± 0.2°C cooler summer temperatures.     

Quantifying sedimentation patterns of small landslide-dammed lakes in the central Oregon Coast Range

Understanding sedimentation patterns in small coastal watersheds due to landscape perturbations is critical for connecting hillslope and fluvial processes, in addition to managing aquatic habitats for anadromous fish and other aquatic species in the Oregon Coast Range (OCR). Changes in sedimentation patterns spanning the last 250 years are preserved in two landslide-dammed lakes in small watersheds (< 10 km²) underlain by the Tyee Formation in the central OCR. Dendrochronology of drowned Douglas-fir stumps in both lakes provided precise timing of the damming and formation of the lakes, with Klickitat Lake forming in winter ad 1751/52 and Wasson Lake in winter ad 1819/20. Perturbations from wildfires, logging and road development, and previously underappreciated snow events affect sedimentation rates in the lakes to different degrees, and are identified in the sediment record using cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs), high-resolution charcoal stratigraphy, local fire records, and aerial photography. Each lake has variable sedimentation accumulation rates (0.05–4.4 cm yr⁻¹) and mass accumulation rates (0.02–1.42 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹). Sedimentation rates remained low from the landslide-damming events until the mid-19th century, when they increased following stand-replacing wildfires. Aside from a sediment remobilization triggered by human modification of the landslide dam at Klickitat Lake around 1960, the largest peaks in mass accumulation rates in the mid-20th century at both lakes in the early 1950s precede major road construction and logging activity in the watersheds. Subsequent sedimentation rates are lower, but variable, and possible effects of logging and road development might be exacerbated by abnormal precipitation and heavy snow events. A comparison of previous studies of landslide-dammed lakes in larger watershed of the OCR are consistent with our findings of increased sedimentation in the mid-20th century, as well as higher sedimentation rates in the debris-flow dominated southern Tyee Formation than in the lower-relief northern Tyee Formation.     

Early Cretaceous Adakitic Rocks in the Northern Great Xing’an Range, NE China: Implications for the Final Closure of Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean and Regional Extensional Setting

A large amount of igneous rocks in NE China formed in an extensional setting during Late Mesozoic. However, there is still controversy about how the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean and the Paleo-Pacific Ocean effected the lithosphere in NE China. In this paper, we carried out a comprehensive study for andesites from the Keyihe area using LA-ICP-MS zircon UPb dating and geochemical and Hf isotopic analysis to investigate the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of these andesites. The U-Pb dating yields an Early Cretaceous crystallization age of 128.3±0.4 Ma. Geochemically, the andesites contain high Sr(686–930 ppm) and HREE contents, low Y(11.9–19.8 ppm) and Yb(1.08–1.52 ppm) contents, and they therefore have high Sr/Y(42–63) and La/Yb(24–36) ratios, showing the characteristics of adakitic rocks. Moreover, they exhibit high K_2O/Na_2O ratios(0.57–0.81), low Mg O contents(0.77–3.06 wt%), low Mg# value(17–49) and negative εHf(t) values(-1.7 to-8.5) with no negative Eu anomalies, indicating that they are not related to the oceanic plate subduction. Based on the geochemical and isotopic data provided in this paper and regional geological data, it can be concluded that the Keyihe adakitic rocks were affected by the Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic regime, forming in a transition setting from crustal thickening to regional extension thinning. They were derived from the partial melting of the thickened lower crust. The closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean may finish in early Early Cretaceous, followed by the collisional orogenic process. The southern part region of its suture belt was in a post-orogenic extensional setting in the late Early Cretaceous.     

东北大兴安岭北段蛇绿岩的时空分布及与区域构造演化关系的研究

大兴安岭北段作为中亚造山带东段重要组成单元,该区域的构造背景一直悬而未决,它涉及兴安与松辽地块基底属性、额尔古纳地块亲缘性以及三者之间的拼贴位置、时限和方式等众多科学问题。蛇绿岩作为研究造山带的重要工具之一,不仅是古板块或微地块的重要边界,而且是认识地幔组成和壳幔演化的重要窗口。然而大兴安岭北段蛇绿岩却鲜有报道。根据近年来野外工作及结合前人研究成果,文章探讨了蛇绿岩形成时代及构造环境。研究表明：(1)大兴安岭北段蛇绿岩整体呈北东向展布,但时代跨越较大,主要包括新元古代、早奥陶世-志留纪、石炭纪-二叠纪;(2)大兴安岭北段蛇绿岩均有E-MORB地球化学特征,其中新元古代的蛇绿岩明显亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta,而晚古生代的蛇绿岩则相对富集高场强元素;(3)大兴安岭北段新元古代蛇绿岩可能形成于洋内岛弧环境,记录着前寒武纪陆弧碰撞信息,而早奥陶世-志留纪蛇绿岩可能与早古生代弧盆体系演化相关。尽管上述认识为大兴安岭北段古生代的地球动力学背景研究提供了新的依据,但大兴安岭北段蛇绿岩仍存在较多问题亟须解决。     

大兴安岭北段索图罕地区碱长花岗岩成因及形成构造背景

本文对大兴安岭北段索图罕地区碱长花岗岩进行了系统的全岩地球化学、锆石U-Pb同位素年代学的研究,并探讨了其成因和构造意义。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年结果表明,花岗岩形成于早白垩世,年龄为（139.50±0.56）Ma。岩石地球化学结果显示,索图罕林场碱长花岗岩属于高钾钙碱性的A型花岗岩,岩石具有富硅和碱、贫CaO和MgO的特征,岩石稀土元素质量分数较高,相对富集轻稀土元素,具有明显的负Eu异常,富集Rb、Th、U、K等大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、P、Ti等高场强元素,稀土元素配分图解具有右斜"V"字形的特征。索图罕林场碱长花岗岩为弱过铝质A型花岗岩,来源于地壳物质的部分熔融。样品微量元素构造判别图解落入后碰撞区域,代表伸展环境。结合区域地质特征,认为该碱长花岗岩的形成与蒙古-鄂霍茨克洋闭合后的岩石圈伸展相关。     

Stratigraphic architecture of Solander Basin records Southern Ocean currents and subduction initiation beneath southwest New Zealand

Solander Basin is characterized by subduction initiation at the Pacific‐Australia plate boundary, where high biological productivity is found at the northern edge of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Sedimentary architecture results from tectonic influences on accommodation space, sediment supply and ocean currents (via physiography); and climate influence on ocean currents and biological productivity. We present the first seismic‐stratigraphic analysis of Solander Basin based on high‐fold seismic‐reflection data (voyage MGL1803, SISIE). Solander Trough physiography formed by Eocene rifting, but basinal strata are mostly younger than ca. 17 Ma, when we infer Puysegur Ridge formed and sheltered Solander Basin from bottom currents, and mountain growth onshore increased sediment supply. Initial inversion on the Tauru Fault started at ca. 15 Ma, but reverse faulting from 12 to ca. 8 Ma on both the Tauru and Parara Faults was likely associated with reorganization and formation of the subduction thrust. The new seabed topography forced sediment pathways to become channelized at low points or antecedent gorges. Since 5 Ma, southern Puysegur Ridge and Fiordland mountains spread out towards the east and Solander Anticline grew in response to ongoing subduction and growth of a slab. Solander Basin had high sedimentation rates because (1) it is sheltered from bottom currents by Puysegur Ridge; and (2) it has a mountainous land area that supplies sediment to its northern end. Sedimentary architecture is asymmetric due to the Subtropical Front, which moves pelagic and hemi‐pelagic sediment, including dilute parts of gravity flows, eastward and accretes contourites to the shelf south of Stewart Island. Levees, scours, drifts and ridges of folded sediment characterize western Solander Basin, whereas hemi‐pelagic drape and secondary gravity flows are found east of the meandering axial Solander Channel. The high‐resolution record of climate and tectonics that Solander Basin contains may yield excellent sites for future scientific ocean drilling.