Memories of Fire: Eduardo Galeano and the Geography of Guatemala

In Memory of Fire, a poetic narration of the history of the Americas from pre-Columbian times to the late 20th century, Eduardo Galeano furnishes readers with over 1200 of his trademark vignettes, some 35 of which pertain to Guatemala. Galeano evokes disparate aspects of the geography of Guatemala, past and present, in grounded miniatures of time, place, and episode. His sketches of the experiences of Maya peoples allow us to see them as survivors of three cycles of conquest: (1) conquest by imperial Spain; (2) conquest by local and international capitalism; and (3) conquest by state terror. Composed in the literary mode of creative non-fiction, Memory of Fire serves as an inspirational classroom text, exposing students not only to factual detail but also a powerful artistic imagination.     

Cyclic palaeokarst surfaces in Aptian peritidal carbonate successions (Taurides, southwest Turkey): internal structure and response to mid-Aptian sea-level fall

The sedimentology and cyclic stratigraphy of palaeokarst structures in Aptian peritidal carbonate successions are interpreted using field and laboratory microfacies analyses of closely spaced samples from measured outcrop stratigraphic sections in southwest Turkey. Cycles displaying shallowing-upward metre-scale cyclicity are generally composed of lime mudstones/wackestones/packestones at the bottom and stromatolites or lime mudstones with charophytes and ostracods at the top. Subaerial exposure structures such as in situ karst breccias, dissolution vugs/pipes, mud cracks and sheet cracks are encountered at the top of the cycles. The presence of limestone layers between the successive karst breccia levels indicates that they are in situ palaeokarst structures, not recent karstifications or deep penetration from the upper palaeokarst surface down to the older strata. Palaeokarst breccia deposits are interpreted as mantling breccia formed as a result of epikarstification. Three main palaeokarst levels are recorded in nearly all sections. The sedimentology of the palaeokarst breccias, their position in cyclic peritidal carbonates and the biostratigraphic framework are used to trace the record of the global mid-Aptian sea-level fall in the southwest Taurides. The successive occurrences of three karst breccia levels close to the mid-Aptian sea-level fall correspond to falling periods of high-amplitude sea-level fluctuation within a late high-stand or early fall condition of a third-order sea level.     

Limestone–marl alternations as environmental archives and the role of early diagenesis: a critical review

Limestone–marl alternations and other micritic calcareous rhythmites have long appealed to sedimentologists, as they appeared to directly reflect high-frequency environmental change. In particular, when orbital forcing gained popularity amongst sedimentologists and paleoclimatologists in 1980s, such rhythmites seemed to offer an ideal tool for high-resolution chronostratigraphy and environmental reconstruction. However, in spite of the fact that orbital forcing has become a routine interpretation of calcareous rhythmites, and that the processes of formation of calcareous rhythmites are considered well understood, research in the past 10 years again has questioned their primary origin and their direct interpretability. Detailed petrographic, paleontological, and geochemical data from numerous successions through geological time provided the basis for testing whether or not the regular alternation of limestone beds and marl or shale interlayers represents bimodally fluctuating environmental conditions in a direct way. In particular, these data, supplemented by box model simulations, imply that post-depositional alteration (diagenesis) has the potential to not only seriously distort primary environmental signals, but also to mimic primary signals. This questions the use of micritic calcareous rhythmites for high-resolution chronostratigraphy and for environmental interpretations where independent data of diagenetically inert parameters are not available. Diagenetic changes appear to have a yet widely underestimated influence on the appearance of limestone–marl alternations and other calcareous rhythmites. The aim of the present review is to summarize new approaches and give an overview of our research results in this field of the past decade. This review also aims at pointing to still enigmatic aspects that need to be addressed before the interpretation of micritic calcareous rhythmites can be considered a reliable tool for high-resolution chronostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental interpretation. “This difference [between shale and limestone] does not find definite expression in the chemical composition but appeals to the eye.” Gilbert (1895)     

A 1500-year record of climatic and environmental change in ElkLake, Minnesota I: Varve thickness and gray-scale density

The deepest part (29.5 m) of Elk Lake, ClearwaterCounty, northwestern Minnesota, contains a complete Holocene section that iscontinuously varved. The varve components are predominantly autochthonous(CaCO₃, organic matter, biogenic silica, and several iron andmanganese minerals), but the varves do contain a minor detrital-clastic(aluminosilicate) component that is predominantly wind-borne (eolian) andprovides an important record of atmospheric conditions. Singular spectrumanalysis (SSA) and wavelet analysis of varve thickness recognized significantperiodicities in the multicentennial and multidecadal bands that varied inpower (i.e., variable significance) and position (i.e., variable period) withinthe periodic bands. Persistent periodicities of about 10, 22, 40, and 90 years,and, in particular, multicentennial periodicities in varve thickness and otherproxy variables are similar to those in spectra of radiocarbon production, aproxy for past solar activity. This suggests that there may be a solar control,perhaps through geomagnetic effects on atmospheric circulation. Multicentennialand multidecadal periodicities also occur in wavelet spectra of relativegray-scale density. However, gray-scale density does not appear to correlatewith any of the measured proxy variables, and at this point we do not know whatcontrolled gray scale.     

Reconstruction of atmospheric CO2 from ice-core data and the deep-sea record of ontong Java plateau: the Milankovitch chron

We provide a reconstruction of atmospheric CO₂ from deep-sea sediments, for the past 625000 years (Milankovitch chron). Our database consists of a Milankovitch template of sea-level variation in combination with a unique data set for the deep-sea record for Ontong Java plateau in the western equatorial Pacific. We redate the Vostok ice-core data of Barnola et al. (1987). To make the reconstructions we employ multiple regression between deep-sea data, on one hand, and ice-core CO₂ data in Antarctica, on the other. The patterns of correlation suggest that the main factors controlling atmospheric CO₂ can be described as a combination of sea-level state and sea-level change. For best results squared values of state and change are used. The square-of-sea-level rule agrees with the concept that shelf processes are important modulators of atmospheric CO₂ (e.g., budgets of shelf organic carbon and shelf carbonate, nitrate reduction). The square-of-change rule implies that, on short timescales, any major disturbance of the system results in a temporary rise in atmospheric CO₂.     

崖南凹陷Y1井崖三段煤系烃源岩发育规律

基于Y1井煤系烃源岩样品微量元素分析、煤岩显微组分及热解测试结果,结合小波分析的米氏旋回划分结果,系统研究了崖南凹陷Y1井崖三段煤系烃源岩特征及发育规律。研究表明:①以104和260尺度结合岩芯沉积序列及地球化学测试结果,将崖三段划分为2个中期和5个短期米氏旋回,垂向上表现为旋回厚度及烃源岩比例向上增大的趋势,中期旋回上部为烃源岩优势发育层位,其中ⅠA2、ⅠA3和ⅠB2为煤系烃源岩发育的优势旋回;②煤系烃源岩有机显微组分表现为富镜质组、贫惰质组、贫壳质组+腐泥组,镜质组含量为44%~100%,平均为83%,以基质镜质体及镜屑体为主,烃源岩类型以Ⅲ型（腐殖型）有机质为主,少量为Ⅱ₂型（腐泥-腐殖型）有机质,烃源岩以产气为主,其成熟度较低,R_o值平均为1.12%,处于生烃阶段初期;③煤系烃源岩发育受多种因素控制,其中断陷盆地向坳陷盆地的转化时期是成煤的关键构造时期、强烈进积作用使得煤系烃源岩保存不全、区域海平面上升时期是成煤的关键时期、短期旋回小波曲线右偏拐点处为煤系烃源岩相对发育层位。     

早白垩世泥炭地净初级生产力及其控制因素--来自二连盆地吉尔嘎郎图凹陷6号煤的证据

现代泥炭地中蕴藏着巨量的碳,泥炭地生产力的高低会影响全球碳循环及全球气候变化。前人对全新世以来泥炭地生产力做了大量研究,但对前第四纪的“深时”阶段的泥炭地生产力则极少涉及,其主要原因是缺少精确的定年方法。以二连盆地吉尔嘎郎图凹陷早白垩世6号煤为例,利用地球物理测井信号进行频谱分析并获得煤层中米兰科维奇旋回周期参数（123 ka（偏心率）:38.1 ka（斜率）:22.1 ka（岁差））,将米兰科维奇旋回作为“深时”地层时间的“度量”工具,计算出6号煤层碳的聚集速率为35.1~38.9 g C/（m2·a）,进一步推算出其所代表的泥炭地的碳聚集速率为46.2~51.2 g C/（m2·a）,净初级生产力（NPP）为231~256 g C/（m2·a）。将该计算结果与全新世同一纬度带泥炭地生产力水平比较,并结合前人研究成果综合分析影响因素,得出早白垩世泥炭地生产力水平主要受温度和大气中二氧化碳含量控制,而这两种因素又与气候相关联,则泥炭地生产力的研究可能对进一步了解古气候提供帮助。     

深水等深流沉积中记录的米兰科维奇特性——以陕西富平地区上奥陶统赵老峪组为例

陕西富平地区上奥陶统赵老峪组为深水盆地边缘至深水斜坡沉积环境,发育深水原地沉积、等深流沉积及重力流沉积。以野外实测剖面、岩相特征等资料为基础,结合米兰科维奇理论、天文地层学、古海洋学以及古气候学,系统研究该地区等深流强度与古气候、海平面、古盐度的关系。结果表明:Fischer图解可以客观、准确地反映深水沉积地层相对海平面变化;深水沉积及等深流沉积中不同级次旋回垂向组合关系记录了米兰科维奇特性,即小级别旋回在垂向上有序地按照1∶4或者1∶5的形式叠加构成较大级别旋回;等深流强度受米兰科维奇旋回影响,呈多周期弱→强→弱递变;等深流强化周期约为0.1Ma。     

塔里木盆地塔中-巴楚地区上奥陶统良里塔格组米兰科维奇旋回性沉积记录研究

通过露头、钻井岩芯沉积相观察及高频旋回识别,结合全岩碳氧同位素旋回、自然伽玛能谱测井ln(Th/K)值频谱分析及地震反射特征,研究了塔里木盆地塔中—巴楚地区分布的上奥陶统良里塔格组开阔台地及外缓坡相碳酸盐岩中发育的四～六级高频层序(旋回)特征及其叠置关系。认为其六级米级旋回、五级准层序及四级准层序组可能分别与20～40ka、100ka及400ka周期的Milankovitch日-地轨道气候旋回有关,并识别出该区良里塔格组由11～12个400ka周期的准层序组构成。提出海相碳酸盐岩全岩或生物壳碳同位素值可作为反映全球海平面相对变化的指标及识别形成三级层序的主控因素(全球海平面变化、地区性构造沉降-抬升运动)的方法——碳同位素-沉积旋回对比分析法。晚奥陶世良里塔格组沉积时期,塔中台地北缘总体表现为向上变浅的加积型沉积叠置型式,主要与塔中I号断裂活动控制形成的高陡型镶边台地边缘有关;巴楚台地西北缘则表现为向上变浅的加积-进积复合型沉积叠置型式,主要与其断裂活动弱、受沉积作用控制为主的缓坡台地边缘有关。塔中-巴楚台地良里塔格组表现为一个完整三级层序的形成与演化,主要受控于该台地的构造(沉降-抬升)运动而不是全球海平面变化,属于典型的地区性构造层序及不具有全球对比意义。     

Identification of Milankovitch Cycles and Calculation of Net Primary Productivity of Paleo-peatlands using Geophysical Logs of Coal Seams

Individual coal seams formed in paleo-peatlands represent sustained periods of terrestrial carbon accumulation and a key environmental indicator attributed to this record is the rate of carbon accumulation. Determining the rate of carbon accumulation requires a measure of time contained within the coal. This study aimed to determine this rate via the identification of Milankovitch orbital cycles in the coals. The geophysical log is an ideal paleoclimate proxy and has been widely used in the study of sedimentary records using spectral analysis. Spectral analyses of geophysical log from thick coal seams can be used to identify the Milankovitch cycles and to calculate the period of the coal deposition. By considering the carbon loss during coalification, the long-term average carbon accumulation rate and net primary productivity (NPP) of paleo-peatlands in coal seams can be obtained. This review paper presents the procedures of analysis, assessment of results and interpretation of geophysical logs in determining the NPP of paleo-peatlands.