Dust supply from river floodplains: the case of the lower Huang He (Yellow River) recorded in a loess–palaeosol sequence from the Mangshan Plateau

The Mangshan Plateau is located on the south bank of the Huang He (Yellow River) just west of the city of Zhengzhou, well outside the Loess Plateau in central China. Mixing models of the grain‐size data indicate that the loess deposits are mixtures of three loess components. Comparison of the mixing model with existing models established for a series of loess–palaeosol sequences from the Loess Plateau indicates that the Mangshan loess has been supplied from a proximal dust source, the Huang He floodplain, during major dust outbreaks. The high accumulation rates, the composition of the loess components, and especially the high proportions of a sandy loess component support this. Owing to the exceptionally high accumulation rates, the Mangshan grain size, magnetic susceptibility and carbonate records provide a high‐resolution archive of environmental and climate change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Upper Pleistocene to Holocene sediments on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa (Italy)

The island of Lampedusa lies on the northern edge of the African continental shelf, but during some Quaternary marine lowstands it was joined to the African continent. The study and dating of the aeolian, alluvial, detrital sediments, calcareous crusts and speleothems have established that the climatic–environmental variations recorded on the island can be related chronologically to those known for northern Libya, Tunisia and the Italian peninsula. During the Last Glacial Maximum, phases of Saharan dust accumulation on Lampedusa occurred, and were coeval with dust accumulation in crater lakes and on high mountains in central‐southern Italy, and with phases of glacial advance in the Apennines and in the Alps. During the late Holocene, accumulation of Saharan dust on Lampedusa occurred but there was little accumulation of dust on the northern side of the Mediterranean Sea. With the new data from Lampedusa, it is possible to envisage two different scenarios of atmospheric circulation relating to the Last Glacial Maximum and to the late Holocene. During the Last Glacial Maximum, southerly atmospheric circulation brought rainfall to the southern slopes of the Alps and to the Apennines. During the late Holocene, a prevalent westerly atmospheric circulation became established in the northern Mediterranean. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetostratigraphy and palaeoclimate of Red Clay sequences from Chinese Loess Plateau

Two Red Clay profiles near Xi’an and Xifeng were investigated in an attempt to determine magnetostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic records. The results show that aeolian dust accumulation and the related East Asia palaeomonsoon system had begun by 6.5 Ma, and it is deduced that the Tibetan Plateau had reached a significant elevation at that time. The late Tertiary palaeoclimatic history of the Red Clay as reflected by magnetic susceptibility is reconstructed during the period of 6.5–2.5 Ma. Stepwise increase in susceptibility of aeolian dust accumulation appears to have a close correlation to the uplift processes of the Tibetan Plateau. The remarkable increase of aeolian dust accumulation at 3.2 Ma appears to be due to the influence of global ice volume on the East Asia monsoon. Palaeomonsoon variation during the late Tertiary as recorded in the Red Clay sequences from the Chinese Loess Plateau can be regarded as the product of a number of interacting factors, such as uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, solar radiation, global ice volume, etc. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Foundation of Xi’an Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

沈阳地区沙尘天气分析

本文总结了沈阳地区沙尘天气的时空分布特点，从天气条件、地表自然条件(沙源)两方面分析了沈阳地区沙尘天气的成因，总结了沈阳地区预报沙尘天气时应参考的5个因素。     

北京地区两次沙尘(暴)天气过程对比分析

通过对 2 0 0 0年 4月 6日和 4月 9日北京地区两次沙尘 (暴 )天气过程的对比分析认为 :蒙古气旋型和不伴有气旋的西北槽型所造成的北京沙尘天气的严重程度不同 ;沙源地区中低层较强上升运动的主要作用是将当地沙尘垂直输送到空中 ,然后在70 0hPa较强西北气流的引导下将卷起的沙尘水平输送到下游地区 ;不稳定层结又加强了沙尘天气 ;沙尘暴区上空z 螺旋度分布的特征是高层为负值 ,低层为正值 ,对流层中低层螺旋度正的大值区与卫星云图显示的沙尘暴区具有较好的一致性 ,对沙尘暴的预报有一定的指示意义     

长江中下游地区下蜀黄土成因研究的回顾

为了进一步认识下蜀黄土的成因及其在我国东部环境演为研究中的意义，回顾了20世纪30年代以来下蜀黄土研究的主要成果，系统地评述了下蜀黄土的风成说、水成说和多成因说。下蜀黄土的成因，从营力的先后及主交看，风成应是第一位的。因此，在利用下蜀黄土保存的古环境信息研究我国东部变化时，应慎重选择剖面，以获得良好的结果。     

宁夏中北部地区沙尘暴频率气候影响指数模型的建立

从形成沙尘暴天气的动力机制、热力条件及物质基础入手,定性地分析了月平均风速、湿润度指数、月地面温差及下垫面沙化程度对沙尘暴频率的影响,在此基础上借鉴最新研究进展,建立适合宁夏中北部地区沙尘暴频率气候影响指数模型,比较深入地分析了宁夏中北部地区气候因素对沙尘暴频率的影响。     

成都市近地表大气尘的矿物学特征及其环境指示意义

通过对成都市近地表大气尘X射线衍射、电镜扫描分析等研究显示:其主要由石英、长石、伊利石、绿泥石、方解石、石膏等矿物组成;就其形状看有致密的不规则粒状、片状单矿物、不规则粒状聚合体、浑圆形球状飘珠、聚合体放大观察可见片状的粘土矿物和细小的粒状单矿物,偶见藻类;矿物形貌特征及矿物组成空间分布特征的研究显示:球形状飘珠及伊利石、绿泥石、石膏的空间分布特征与工业布局和表层土壤的pH值密切相关,成都市近地表大气尘主要为地表扬尘和工业烟尘的混合物;与土壤的矿物组成比较可见,近地表大气尘重金属污染除土壤贡献外,还有其他污染贡献;石膏在本次研究中平均含量高达8.2%,推测可能成为成都市往年燃煤量大而无明显酸雨现象的原因之一。     

2014年4月大气环流和天气分析

2014年4月大气环流特征为,北半球极涡呈单极型分布,中心位于喀拉海北端附近;亚洲大陆东部高压脊强度偏强,导致4月我国气温较常年同期(11.0℃)偏高1.1℃,为1961年同期以来第五高值。东亚大槽强度和位置、南支系统和西北太平洋副热带高压接近常年平均状况。4月全国平均降水量为43.7 mm,比常年同期略偏少。月内,江南南部和华南等地出现短时强降水、雷雨大风等强对流天气;北方地区出现多次沙尘天气过程;此外,部分站次出现极端高温、极端降温事件。     

一次雷暴大风引发的强沙尘暴天气的中尺度系统分析

使用探空、地面和张掖多普勒天气雷达观测资料对2013年7月30日发生在河西走廊的一次强沙尘暴天气进行了分析。结果表明：这次雷暴大风沙尘天气是对流层低层冷平流作用下,不稳定能量释放形成的β、γ中尺度对流系统造成的,雷暴下击暴流的辐散流和密度流是引发地面强风和沙尘暴的直接因素。高层干、中层相对湿和低层干的层结,易产生雷暴大风天气。1 h正变压和负变温演变能很好地反映雷暴下击暴流形成的雷暴高压和冷池的强弱变化,同时也反映了下击暴流的辐散气流和冷池密度流造成的地面大风及沙尘天气的变化。