Late Holocene linkages between decade–century scale climate variability and productivity at Lake Tanganyika, Africa

Microlaminated sediment cores from the Kalya slope region of Lake Tanganyika provide a near-annually resolved paleoclimate record between ∼∼2,840 and 1,420 cal. yr B.P. demonstrating strong linkages between climate variability and lacustrine productivity. Laminae couplets comprise dark, terrigenous-dominated half couplets, interpreted as low density underflows deposited from riverine sources during the rainy season, alternating with light, planktonic diatomaceous ooze, with little terrigenous component, interpreted as windy/dry season deposits. Laminated portions of the studied cores consist of conspicuous dark and light colored bundles of laminae couplets. Light and dark bundles alternate at decadal time scales. Within dark bundles, both light and dark half couplets are significantly thinner than within light bundles, implying slower sediment accumulation rates during both seasons over those intervals.Time series analyses of laminae thickness patterns demonstrate significant periodicities at interannual–centennial time scales. Longer time scale periodicities (multidecadal to centennial scale) of light and dark half couplet thicknesses are coherent and in some cases are similar to solar cycle periods on these time scales. Although laminae thickness cycles do not strongly covary with the actual Δ¹⁴C record for this same time period, two large Δ¹⁴C anomalies are associated with substantial decreases in both light and dark laminae thickness. In contrast to the multidecadal– centennial time scale, significant annual to decadal periodicities, which are broadly consistent with ENSO/PDO forcing and their impact on East African climate, are not coherent between light and dark half couplets. The coherency of light–dark couplets at decadal–centennial time scales, but not at shorter time scales, is consistent with a model of a long-term relationship between precipitation (recorded in wet season dark laminae thickness) and productivity (light laminae thickness), which is not manifest at shorter time scales. We hypothesize that this coupling results from long-term recharging of internal nutrient loading during wet periods (higher erosion of soil P) and reduced loading during drought intervals. The relationship is not expressed on short time scales during which the dominant control on productivity is wind-driven, dry season upwelling, which is uncorrelated with wet-season precipitation. Our record greatly extends the temporal record of this quasi-periodic behavior throughout the late Holocene and provides the first evidence linking decade- to century-scale episodes of enhanced productivity to enhanced precipitation levels and nutrient recharge in a productive tropical lake.     

The First Appearance of Cattle in Denmark Occurred 6000 Years Ago: An Effect of Cultural or Climate and Environmental Changes

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bones of contemporaneous Late Atlantic aurochs and early cattle in eastern Denmark are significantly different and provide information on the origin and feeding strategies of the earliest domestic cattle. The data show that the early cattle were feeding on grass right from the beginning 4000 cal. yr BC. In contrast, the youngest aurochs population primarily browsed and grazed from the dense forest floor resulting in rather negative δ¹³C values measured on bone collagen. The oldest aurochs have similar isotope values to the earlier cattle, whereas the youngest aurochs have similar values to Late Atlantic red deer from the same locality. As eastern Denmark was largely covered by forest, speculations on the origin of the grazing areas are many. The grass may have grown in openings in the forest, at the forest fringe, or more likely on the newly reclaimed coastal land areas exposed by the decreasing rate of eustatic sea‐level rise contemporaneously with isostatic uplift, during the Littorina transgressions. The stable isotope values do not indicate that leaf foddering of the early cattle was of importance.     

On global forces of nature driving the Earth’s climate. Are humans involved?

The authors identify and describe the following global forces of nature driving the Earth’s climate: (1) solar radiation as a dominant external energy supplier to the Earth, (2) outgassing as a major supplier of gases to the World Ocean and the atmosphere, and, possibly, (3) microbial activities generating and consuming atmospheric gases at the interface of lithosphere and atmosphere. The writers provide quantitative estimates of the scope and extent of their corresponding effects on the Earth’s climate. Quantitative comparison of the scope and extent of the forces of nature and anthropogenic influences on the Earth’s climate is especially important at the time of broad-scale public debates on current global warming. The writers show that the human-induced climatic changes are negligible.     

滇黔桂盆地及其邻区石炭纪至二叠纪层序地层格架及三级海平面变化的全球对比

属于被动大陆边缘裂谷盆地的滇黔桂盆地，自加里东运动之后，泥盆纪开始拉开，整个晚古生代延续发展。受同生断裂的控制，在深水盆地中发育大小不等的孤立碳酸盐台地，因而在滇黔桂盆地及其邻区形成特殊的“台-盆-丘-槽”的古地理格局。对不同古地理背景下的典型剖面进行三级层序划分并对其进行空间追索和对比，在滇黔桂盆地及其邻区的石炭纪和二叠纪地层中可以识别出12个三级层序，相当于晚古生代25个三级沉积层序(2-5Ma；SQ1至SQ25)中的SQ24至SQ25；以地层记录中的的两种相变面和两种穿时性为基本要素，可以建立研究区石炭系和二叠系的层序地层格架；层序地层格架反映了三级层序的基本特征：空间上相序的有序性和时间上环境变化的同步性。研究区的石炭系和二叠系，主要为一套碳酸盐岩地层，其中在连陆台地上发育3套煤系地层，它们分别组成石炭纪三级层序SQ15跨系的三级层序SQ19的HST以及二叠纪吴家坪期的三级层序SQ24；而且在连陆台地边缘和孤立台地上，于阳新世的茅口亚世以及乐平世的长兴期发育海绵生物礁，海绵生物礁分别构成了以下二叠系三级层序即阳新世的SQ22和SQ23以及长兴期的SQ25。3套煤系地层和两套海绵生物礁的发育，使研究区的石炭系和二叠系形成了一个与欧美地区完全不同的层序地层序列。在研究区石炭系和二叠系所识别出的12个三级层序中，石炭纪一二叠纪船山世地层可以划分出6个三级层序。这种划分与Busch等对北美相同层位的划分相似，也就是说该6个三级层序的形成时限大于10Ma；较长的形成时限可能反映了形成在联合古陆汇聚时期即全球构造相对稳定时期三级海平面变化的一个特性。因此，研究区的石炭系和二叠系所识别和划分出的12个三级层序，其数量比Ross和Ross(1985)对欧美地区石炭系和二叠系所划分出的50多个三级层序要少得多。     

类脂化合物单体碳稳定同位素在古气候环境研究中的意义

类脂化合物极大地扩展了全球变化研究的深度，尤其是单体碳稳定同位素技术在古气候、古环境重建上有着重要作用。基于近些年来国内外的最新研究成果，就类脂化合物单体碳同位素在古气候环境方面的应用研究进行了较为全面的评述。已有研究表明利用类脂化合物单体碳同位素组成可以追溯到海洋和湖泊环境中陆源有机质的物源，其母源区历史时期 C3、C4植被的变迁以及区域性的古气候、古环境重建。     

RegCM3模式对中国东部夏季降水的模拟试验

利用最新发布的区域气候模式RegCM3对1998年5—8月中国东部降水进行了模拟试验，考察了模式对降水和大尺度环流系统的模拟能力。结果表明：不同对流性降水方案对不同月份、不同区域的降水模拟效果差别较大，采用Kuo方案和Grell方案时模拟的降水效果要好于BM方案；RegCM3能较成功地再现异常降水的月际尺度变化和空间分布等基本特征；模式还较好地模拟了西太平洋副高脊线的演变过程和两次向北传播的季节内振荡。该模式可应用于中国东部夏季风降水的研究。     

合肥市夏季热岛特征研究

根据2002牟夏季高温期间合肥市城市小气候考察的资料，分析了合肥市夏季城市热岛特征以及热岛强度的历史变化。结果表明：1）合肥市夏季热岛强度的日变化与冬季明显不同，夏季晴天一天中热岛强度只出现一个峰值，其基本特征与Oke提出的理想状态下的城市热岛强度日变化的模式曲线非常相似，而冬季与高纬地区的加拿大卡尔加里城市的热岛强度日变化特征接近。这反映了冬、夏两季人类活动、能源消耗量的不同；2）随着城市范围的扩大和城市绿化工程的实施，合肥市热岛面积、分布形状有了一定的改变，但主要分布特征和强度基本没有变化。     

利用LPAC图分析北半球夏半年环流季节转换及异常

用NCEP／NCAR再分析月平均风、压场资料得到1958—1997年5—10月月际场的局地型相似系数（LPAC）。多年平均LPAC表明了对流层和平流层低层印度夏季风环流的建立、东亚夏季风环流的北进和南亚高压上高原的过程，这些区域LPAC值较同纬度非季风区明显偏低。在平流层中层，夏季型环流表现出纬向对称性和由高纬向低纬的传播特征。对东亚LPAC气候变率时空剖面及3个涝年LPAC异常的分析反映出环流型季节转变异常及其与东亚月降水异常的关系。     

青海气候条件对牧草再生性影响的研究

选取1994～2001年河南、甘德两站牧草再生草资料及同期气象资料，通过分析同一地区不同时期及同一时期不同地区气候条件对牧草再生性的影响，建立了牧草再生草产量气候模式，讨论了再生草增、减产的气候条件。研究得出：同一地区不同时期和同一时期不同地区因气候条件不同，割草不一定能增产。     

近42年日照市气候变化分析

根据日照市1961-2002年的年降水量、年平均气温以及季降水量、季平均气温资料，利用Mann-Kendall突变检验法和滑动t检验法，分析了日照市近42年的气候变化特征。结果表明：年平均气温、年降水量均存在突变，其中，冬季气温突变最为明显，秋季略有突变但不明显，春、夏季气温没有突变现象；夏季降水量突变最为明显，秋季不明显，冬、春季没有突变现象。