A 2000‐year lipid biomarker record preserved in a stalagmite from north‐west Scotland

Previous studies on lipid biomarkers preserved in Chinese stalagmites have indicated that ratios of low‐molecular‐weight (LMW) to high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) n‐alkanes, n‐alkan‐2‐ones, n‐alkanols and n‐alkanoic acids can be used as an index of vegetation versus microbial organic matter input to the system and, by extension, a marker of climatic changes, with increases in the proportion of LMW compounds coinciding with colder periods. Here we test whether this hypothesis is equally applicable to a different geographical region (north‐west Scotland), by examining a stalagmite record of the past 200 years, and a wider range of lipid markers. We also test the applicability of other lipid proxies in this context, including the use of n‐alkane ratios, to interpret vegetation changes, and unsaturated alkanoic acid ratios as climatic indicators. The results show that lipid proxies preserved in stalagmites, and especially those related to vegetation, are potentially extremely useful in palaeoenvironmental research. Of particular value is the use of C₂₇/C₃₁ n‐alkane ratios as a proxy for vegetation change, clearly indicating variations between herbaceous and arboreal cover. This proxy has now been successfully applied to samples from diverse environments, and can be considered sufficiently robust to be of use in analysing future stalagmite records. It will be of particular value in areas where reliable pollen records are not available, as is often the case with deeper cave deposits. However, the division between LMW and HMW aliphatic compounds is not a clear‐cut case of microbial versus plant activity, with the changes in LMW compounds relating more closely to those in their HMW analogues than in specific bacterial biomarkers. The use of unsaturated alkanoic acid ratios here gives conflicting results, with the observed variation through time depending on the isomer measured. The discrepancies between the findings of this study and previous work are likely to be due to the varying controls on the lipids (original organic matter input, and compound degradation), which in turn will be affected by whether the main climatic limiting factor on the soil is temperature or precipitation. This suggests that lipid proxies preserved in stalagmites must be interpreted with care, particularly in the case of bacterial compounds which may be derived from within the cave or from the soil. However, many of these issues can be resolved by the use of multi‐proxy studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

湖北神农架年纹层石笋记录的YD与8.2 ka事件转型模式研究

基于青天洞两支年纹层石笋QT16和QT40高分辨率δ18O序列,重建了Younger Dryas(YD)和8.2 ka期间季风突变细节过程。结果显示,亚洲季风强度在YD和8.2 ka事件内部并不稳定。在年层时标控制下,季风强度在YD早期最弱,随后缓慢上升,其间叠加三次百年尺度次级振荡;在8.2 ka期间,季风强度整体较弱,内部出现一次持续40 a左右的强季风事件,曲线形态类似"W"结构。运用"方差法"和"RAMPFIT"法分析显示,在两事件开始,季风衰减均表现出缓慢特征(转型时间占据事件整体历时的40%~50%),但在结束期间季风迅速增强,相似变化模式得到了同区其他石笋记录的支持。与格陵兰冰芯记录对比发现,尽管高、低纬气候在两事件结束时段变化特征基本类似,但在两事件开始,亚洲季风衰减过程却显著长于北高纬气温变化。与低纬记录对比显示,热带水文变化在两事件开始阶段均表现出与亚洲季风基本一致的演化趋势,表明亚洲季风的突变过程可能具有鲜明的低纬特色。这些细节差异若得到更多高分辨率地质记录验证,将有利于进一步认识亚洲季风对突变事件的响应方式及其动力学机制。     

MIS3晚期石笋记录的季风突变事件区域特征及全球联系

末次冰期晚期短尺度气候突变事件异常显著,对其研究有助于认识相似边界条件下气候突变规律。通过MIS3晚期亚洲季风区8支石笋记录总结分析发现,因受洞穴微环境、渗水通道、生长动力等影响,DO5~DO3事件振幅差最大可达0.9 ‰,持续时间差最大达到900年,这可能反映局地环境对同一气候信号的改造作用或与各记录分辨率及测年精度有关。同时,统计分析发现,这些短尺度DO事件具有一定相似性,其持续时间集中分布于特定范围,说明石笋同位素信号在某种程度上可以反映真实气候信号。高、低纬记录对比显示,石笋记录与低纬气候信号呈现诸多相似性,反映亚洲季风区石笋记录具有显著的"低纬特色"。因此,无论亚洲季风突变的"开关"是否归因于北高纬气候,低纬过程确实是不可或缺的"塑造者"。

     

高精度热电离质谱(TIMS)铀系法洞穴沉积物(石笋)年龄的研究

用高精度热电离质谱技术测定石笋的年龄,初步建立了热电离质谱铀系年龄的方法。 4个样品的测定结果复现性较好,铀含量、同位素比值及年龄值与标准值吻合,数据的精度大大提高,显示了质谱铀系年龄方法具有样品量少、时间短、精度高的优点。     

Annual trace element cycles in calcite–aragonite speleothems: evidence of drought in the western Mediterranean 1200–1100 yr BP

Each of two calcitic stalagmites from Grotte de Clamouse, Herault, southern France, displays a discrete aragonite layer dated at around 1100 yr BP. The layer of fanning aragonite ray crystals is immediately preceded by calcite with Mg and Sr compositions that are uniquely high for the past 3 kyr. Trace element compositions close to the boundary between original aragonite and calcite are consistent with quasi‐equilibrium partitioning of trace elements between the phases. Study of modern dripwaters demonstrates that pronounced covariation of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in dripwater occurs owing to large amounts of calcite precipitation upflow of the drips that fed the stalagmites. Trace element to Ca ratios are enhanced during seasonally dry periods. Ion microprobe data demonstrate a pronounced covariation of trace elements, including Mg and Sr in calcite, and Sr, U and Ba in aragonite. The mean peak spacing is close to the long‐term mean of annual growth rates determined by differences in U‐series ages and so the trace element peaks are interpreted as annual. The trace element chemistry of the stalagmites on annual to inter‐annual scales thus directly reflects the amounts of prior calcite precipitation, interpreted as an index of aridity. The longer‐term context is a multi‐decadal period of aridity (1200–1100 yr BP) possibly correlated with an analogous episode in Central America. The arid period culminated in the nucleation of aragonite, but within a decade was followed by a return to precursor conditions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

再论洞穴石笋的沉积速率

通过对滇、黔、湘、桂洞穴石笋大型剖面的综合研究、,以代表性剖面和典型时（笋）段系统测年和沉积速率研究为例,初步认为,石笋沉积速率大小是气候演变、暖气候、冷气候的识别指标之一,沉积速率为10mm／100a以上是冰后（间冰）期温暖气候的沉积,趋于10mm／100a或以下者,是温暖期气候的冷转变,或冷期（阶）的沉积;1mm／100a左右是冰期寒冷气候的沉积,趋于1mm／100a或以上者是冰期寒冷气候的暖转变或间冰期的沉积;沉积速率极小,往往是冷气候显示,甚至是沉积间断,或是气候和地质、灾害事件的突变点。沉积速率具多变性,引用和识别时应避免以单一速率推算长时（笋）段年序和确定气候或地质事件的年代,不宜跨旋回计速,以避免遗漏沉积间断和气候、地质、灾害事件。石笋沉积间断很普遍,特别是寒冷的冰期气候间断更频繁,观测和测年表明,沉积间断时间累计占成笋期的28．92％～76．26％,全新世温暖气候的沉积间断时间累计,只占成笋期的13．80％以上。     

Opal and chalcedony speleothems on quartz sandstones in the Sydney region,southeastern Australia

Speleothems of silica are far rarer than those of calcite but occur in a range of types including stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones. This study has found a wider range and far greater number of silica speleothems on the quartz sandstones of the Sydney region than the small number of previous accounts had suggested. Speleothems on the Sydney region sandstones are composed of multiple layers of amorphous opal‐A and cryptocrystalline chalcedony. Silica slowly dissolved from detrital and diagenetic quartz and kaolinite clays of the host arenites is redeposited as opal‐A at the sandstone surface when groundwater evaporates. This amorphous silica converts over time by Ostwald‐type paragenesis to the cryptocrystalline form, but the expected intermediate opal‐CT phase has not been detected. The crystallisation of chalcedony at earth‐surface temperatures is generally believed to take an extremely long time and its presence makes these speleothems very significant, especially as it is reported in only a small number of silica speleothems elsewhere. Furthermore, a similar paragenetic silica‐‘ripening’ mechanism may also be involved in the low‐temperature earth‐surface formation of other crystalline silica deposits such as silcrete duricrusts and pedogenic quartz. Additional closely coupled laboratory and field investigations into the processes that control silica paragenesis under earth‐surface conditions are sorely needed.     

Bomb C time history recorded in two modern stalagmites — importance for soil organic matter dynamics and bomb C distribution over continents

Carbon 14 activity measurements made by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry on two modern stalagmites from the Han-sur-Lesse cave (Belgium) and from the Postojna Cave (Slovenia) permit the construction of ¹⁴C activity (a¹⁴C) time series over the last 50 years. A high precision chronology is given by annual laminae in the first stalagmite and by a specific mark (explosion in the Postojna Cave in 1944) in the second one. In both stalagmites, ¹⁴C activity increase due to nuclear tests in the atmosphere is remarkable. However, instead of a sharp peak like the one observed in the atmosphere around 1963–1964, the ¹⁴C activities of the stalagmite CaCO₃ show an abrupt increase, with an offset of 1–10 years, followed by a high activity plateau for the Han-sur-Lesse sample and a slight decrease for the Postojna sample. For both stalagmites, the variation of the a¹⁴C amplitude between pre- and post-bomb period is much lower than the atmospheric record, which demonstrates the damping effect of the soil carbon reservoir. We have modeled the CaCO₃ activities using fractionation processes between atmosphere CO₂, soil CO₂ and organic matter (OM), dissolved inorganic carbon and stalagmite CaCO₃. In both cases studied, the model and former soil studies suggest that CO₂ from soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, which has a slow turnover (i.e. >1 y), is of major importance in winter, when the development of speleothem is the most important. Combined with the fact that 80–90% of the stalagmite carbon comes from soil CO₂, this produces a damping effect on the speleothem a¹⁴C. Consequently, the ‘geochemical time resolution', at least for speleothem carbon, is much lower than the structural resolution given by annual laminae alternations and is mainly controlled by soil carbon dynamics: a¹⁴C and δ¹³C are smoothed over several years. Differences between the ¹⁴C time series of the Han-sur-Lesse and Postojna stalagmites are likely to be due to the double amount of precipitation in Postojna, which produces a faster soil OM turnover and thus a ‘system' which is more sensitive to atmospheric changes.     

黔南七星洞石笋古气候变化记录及末次间冰期终止点的确定

当前在全球气候变化预测研究中,洞穴石笋的高分辨定年和碳、氧同位素组成的变化规律研究,为这个领域的突破和填补空白做出了巨大贡献。通过对贵州都匀七星洞 1号石笋进行 11件TIMS U系测年和 79件碳、氧同位素分析,获得了距今 10 9.0 0kaB.P.至 6 5.90kaB.P.的高分辨率古气候记录。石笋在大于 10 9.0 0kaB.P.前开始生长,于 6 5.90kaB.P.后停止生长,平均沉积速率为 4.5 8mm/ 10 0a,属晚更新世的沉积产物。七星洞 1号石笋剖面的研究揭示,其年龄和δ18O同位素的变化,可以与深海岩芯氧同位素记录所揭示的第五阶段中的 5a、5b、5c和第四阶段的早期进行对比。它的碳、氧同位素记录揭示,在 10 9.0～ 10 2.5kaB.P.和 86.6～ 78.92kaB.P.时段,显示受东亚夏季风影响较强,气温升高,降水增多,δ18O偏负,表现为温暖湿润的气候环境。在 10 2.5～ 86.6kaB.P.时段,显示受东亚夏季风影响强度减弱,受东亚冬季风影响强度增加,气温降低,大气降水减少,δ18O稍趋向偏正,表现为冷凉半湿润-温凉湿润的气候环境;而在 78.92～ 6 5.6kaB.P.时段,显示东亚冬季风强盛和受西北风影响较强,海表温度下降,大气温度降低,降水量较少,δ13O偏重,δ13 C偏正 (C4植物占 95 % ),表现为严寒     

Luminescence Variations in Fast-Growing Stalagmites from Uppsala, Sweden

Two fast‐growing stalagmites from a cellar vault in Uppsala, southeast Sweden, are analysed for their luminescent properties. The results indicate that variations in luminescence intensity in the stalagmites are annual. Due to problems in finding a suitable absolute dating method this assumption cannot yet be firmly tested; however, results from radiocarbon dating of one of the stalagmites do not contradict the proposal that the laminae are annual. If so, the speleothems have been growing for 10–15 years with a growth rate of 3–8 mm per year, which is a similar rate to other fast‐growing speleothems in Great Britain that have formed from the reaction of lime mortar and carbon dioxide. It is likely that the assumed annual laminae of the luminescence record represent a flush of organic material.