Fractal analysis of long-range paleoclimatic data: Oxygen isotope record of pacific core V28-239

R/S analysis of the oxygen isotope curve of Pacific core V28-239 yields a fractal dimension of 1.22. This value is considered to characterize global climatic change over the last 2 million years as expressed by changing O¹⁸ ratios and confirms that climatic variations are characterized by long-term persistence. The fractal dimension of 1.22 compares favorably with the approximate fractal dimension of 1.26 for annual precipitation records for nine major cities in the United States. Although the precipitation and oxygen isotope data are measured in different physical units and recorded at different time scales, fractal analysis allows for a mathematical comparison of the two phenomena. Additionally, since the fractal dimensions of the oxygen isotope and precipitation records are similar, it is implied that such fractal dimensions are characteristic of climate change over the spectral range of 10 to 10⁶ years. Given this temperature curves based on fractal parameters of long-term O¹⁸ data could be constructed which would allow examination of characteristics of temperature variation over tens and hundreds of years. Such studies may allow the establishment of limits on natural temperature variation and document the persistence of temperature trends through time. If these trends and limits can be resolved, long-range climatic prediction is feasible.     

Early-Holocene geochemical evolution of saline Medicine Lake,South Dakota

Medicine Lake is a highly saline, meromictic, magnesium sulfate, closed-basin lake in northeastern South Dakota. The geochemical, mineralogical, and magnetic stratigraphies of sediments deposited from about 10.8 to 4.5 ka B.P. document the evolution of the saline brine in response to climatic change in the early to mid-Holocene. During the spruce occupation of the Medicine Lake catchment (10.8–10.0 ka B.P.), dark-grey massive basal sediments with low total-sulfur and carbonate content, upwardly increasing organic-carbon content, and high magnetic susceptibility were deposited in a deep freshwater lake. As the vegetation in the area changed from spruce to birch to oak and elm and finally to prairie between 10.0 and 9.2 ka B.P., and as the lake became shallow and salinity increased from <2 to >10%, light-and dark-grey calcareous and organic-carbon-rich banded sediments with low total-sulfur content and low magnetic susceptibility were deposited. Previous studies have shown that during the forest/prairie transition the lake then changed abruptly from fresh to saline as it lost a substantial portion of its volume. During the early prairie period (9.2–5.5 ka B.P.), alternating sections of aragonite-rich laminae and grey massive sediments with high total-sulfur content and multiple gypsum layers were deposited in a meromictic environment under conditions of fluctuating lake levels and salinity. Continued aridity during the mid-Holocene (5.5–4.5 ka B.P.) probably maintained the lake at relatively low levels and high salinity as dark-grey generally massive sediments with moderate total-sulfur, carbonate, and organic-carbon content and no measurable magnetic susceptibility were deposited.     

Coastal Massachusetts pond development: edaphic,climatic, and sea level impacts since deglaciation

Kettle ponds in the Cape Cod National Seashore in southeastern Massachusetts differ in their evolution due to depth of the original ice block, the clay content of outwash in their drainage basins, and their siting in relation to geomorphic changes caused by sea-level rise, barrier beach formation, and saltmarsh development. Stratigraphic records of microfossil, carbon isotope, and sediment changes also document late-glacial and Holocene climatic changes.The ponds are separated into 3 groups, each of which follow different development scenarios. Group I ponds date from the late-glacial. They formed in clay-rich outwash, have perched aquifers and continuous lake sediment deposition. The earliest pollen and macrofossil assemblages in Group I pond sediments suggest tundra and spruce-willow parklands before 12 000 yr B.P., boreal forest between 12 000 and 10 500 yr B.P., bog/heath initiation and expansion during the Younger Dryas between 11 000 and 10 000 yr B.P., northern conifer forest between 10 500 and 9500 yr B.P., and establishment of the Cape oak and pitch pine barrens vegetation after 9500 yr B.P. Sedimentation rate changes suggest lowered freshwater levels between 9000 and 5000 yr B.P. caused by decreased precipitation on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Lake sediment deposition began in the middle Holocene in Group II ponds which formed in clay-poor outwash. These ponds date from about 6000-5000 yr B.P. In these ponds sediment deposition began as sea level rose and the freshwater lens intersected the dry basins. The basal radiocarbon dates of these ponds and stable carbon isotope analyses of the pond sediments suggest a sea-level curve for Cape Cod Bay. Holocene topographic changes in upland and the landscape surrounding the ponds is reconstructed for this coastal area.Group III ponds in the late Holocene landscape of the Provincelands dunes originated as interdunal bogs about 1000 yr B.P. and became ponds more recently as water-levels increased. Peat formation in the Provincelands reflects climatic changes evident on both sides of the Atlantic region.This is the 8th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

准噶尔芦草沟组与黄山街组的古气候条件

准噶尔中二叠统芦草沟组无论是从岩性还是所含古生物，均表明形成于持续炎热的气候条件之下，当时由于准噶尔古板块与塔里木古板块的拼合造山，造成准噶尔周缘火山强烈喷发和自欧洲东移的干旱炎热气流对准噶尔均有明显的影响。上三叠统黄山街组形成时干旱气候缓解，降水量增加，该组沉积物反映出温暖的亚热带气候特征。因此，从成油的古气候条件来说，芦草沟组要优于黄山街组。     

青海达布逊湖50万年以来气候变化的孢粉学证据

基于青海柴达木盆地达布逊湖达 1井岩芯样品孢粉分析结果,将孢粉谱划分为Q₂ 、Q₃ 和Q₄ 三个孢粉带;并根据孢粉组合特征讨论了过去 5 0万年中研究区植被演化和古气候变化问题。达 1井沉积剖面年龄根据古地磁测定。研究结果表明,柴达木盆地中更新世中、晚期 ( 5 0 0～ 130kaBP)气候可能为暖温带半潮湿型,晚更新世 ( 130～ 10kaBP)气候为温带半干燥型,全新世 ( 10～ 0kaBP)气候为寒温带干燥型。晚更新世气候变化与青藏高原古里雅冰芯所记录的冷暖事件演变基本一致.     

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.     

埃达克岩研究的几个问题

在简略分析中国埃达克岩研究情况的基础上,讨论了新近在有关埃达克岩研究方面取得的主要进展,探讨了先前埃达克岩研究中很少或者没有注意到的特殊的地球动力学意义。强调O型埃达克岩的出现标志着大洋萎缩消减的开始,C型埃达克岩的出现则暗示地壳在此之前就已经加厚,同时认为要解决埃达克岩研究中存在的一些问题,在很大程度上还有赖于青藏高原的埃达克岩研究。     

塔里木板块新元古代地层化学蚀变指数研究及其意义

本文应用化学蚀变指数(CIA)方法,研究新疆库鲁克塔格地区新元古代地层,并探讨沉积时期的气候环境。贝义西组总体 CIA 值较低,介于51～56之间,具冰期环境特征。照壁山组 CIA 值为60左右,表明气候有所变暖。阿勒通沟组的CIA 值变化范围在48～61之间,顶部突变为69～71,说明阿勒通沟期经历了另一次寒冷事件,并以温暖环境结束。其上的特瑞爱肯组 CIA 值介于49～53之间,说明第三次经历寒冷干燥的气候环境。扎莫克提组,育肯沟组和水泉组的 CIA 均值为65,反映温暖条件下的沉积环境。新元古代末期汉格尔乔克组 CIA 值下降为56,暗示第四次出现寒冷气候环境。以上特征表明新疆库鲁克塔格地区新元古代的气候环境出现四次冷热交替变化。其中尤为重要的是阿勒通沟组中下部应为寒冷气候环境,而顶部突变为温暖气候环境,因此该组反映了一次明确的从冷到暖的气候变化过程,可以作为贝义西冰期和特瑞爱肯冰期之间的另一次独立冰期。本文的研究成果从地球化学角度支持塔里木板块新元古代四次冰期的划分方案。通过与扬子板块新元古代冰期划分方案的对比,认为塔里木板块新元古代四次冰期的前三次均已在华南板块以冰期或寒冷环境沉积形式出现。     

滇西北德钦地区金沙江奔子栏古堰塞湖的发现及意义

在川滇交界的云南德钦奔子栏一带的金沙江河谷两岸,发现了发育于第四级阶地之下的湖相纹层状粘土层,其下为边坡碎屑流堆积,表明该湖相层为滑坡碎屑流堵江所形成的。采用U系法测年,获得金沙江右岸湖相粘土层上部和下部的年龄分别为55.4ka±3.5kaBP和82.1ka±6.6kaBP,左岸湖相粘土层为122.0ka±12.4kaBP,表明该古湖发育于晚更新世早中期。孢粉分析结果显示,该湖相粘土沉积期间的古植被为以松为主的常绿针叶林,气候温和较湿。该古堰塞湖的发现不仅对于研究金沙江的河流发育史具有指导意义,而且对了解现代大江大河灾难性地质灾害的形成演化具有重要的参考价值。     

Climate extremes in Loess of China coupled with the strength of deep-water formation in the North Atlantic

The loess-paleosol sequences of the last 1.2 Ma in China have recorded two kinds of climate extremes: the strongly developed S4, S5-1 and S5-3 soils (corresponding to the marine δ¹⁸O stages 11, 13, and 15, respectively) as evidence of three episodes of great warmth and two coarse-grained loess units (L9 and L15, corresponding to the marine δ¹⁸O stages 22, 23, 24 and 38, respectively) which indicate severest glacial conditions. The climatic and geographical significance of these events are still unclear, and their cause remains a puzzle.Paleopedological, geochemical and magnetic susceptibility data from three loess sections (Xifeng, Changwu and Weinan) suggest that the S4, S5-1 and S5-3 soils were formed under sub-tropical semi-humid climates with a tentatively estimated mean annual temperature (MAT) of at least 4–6°C higher and a mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 200–300 mm higher than for the present-day, indicating a much strengthened summer monsoon. The annual rainfall was particularly accentuated for the southern-most part of the Loess Plateau, suggesting that the monsoon rain belt (the contact of the monsoonal northward warm-humid air mass with the dry-cold southward one) might have stood at the southern part of the Plateau for a relatively long period each year. The loess units L9 and L15 were deposited under semi-desertic environments with a tentatively estimated MAT and MAP of only about 1.5–3°C and 150–250 mm, indicating a much strengthened winter monsoon, and that the summer monsoon front could rarely penetrate into the Loess Plateau region.Correlation with marine carbon isotope records suggests that these climate extremes have large regional, even global, significance rather than being local phenomena in China. They match the periods with greatest/smallest Atlantic–Pacific δ¹³C gradients, respectively, indicating their relationships with the strength of Deep Water (NADW) production in the North Atlantic. These results suggest that the monsoon climate in the Loess Plateau region was significantly linked with the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation on timescales of 10⁴ years.