Magnetic records of Core MD77-181 in the Bay of Bengal and their paleoenvironmental implications

Located in the low latitude region of the northeastern Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal represents one of the largest marginal seas in the world. The Bengal Fan hosts erosional products mostly from Himalayas and is under the influence of the Indian monsoon system. The Bengal Fan has thus been one of the ideal places for studying the uplift of the Tibet Plateau and the history of the Indian monsoon[1―8]. The intensity of the Indian monsoon is controlled by secular variations in insola- ti…     

Magnetic granulometry of recent sediments from the Huguang Maar and its implication for provenience

To understand the origin and its climatic implications of the Huguang Maar sediments, we conducted laser grain size analysis and rock mangtic measurement for the recent deposits from the Huguang Maar and for the volcanic rocks of the caldera for comparison. The grain size distributions are dominated by clayey silts for both the bulk sediments and magnetic separates. Acquisition of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) and thermal demagnetization of IRM suggest (titano) magnetite as the dominating magnetic mineral in the sediments; high coercivity minerals are not detected. Therefore, the ratio of the susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (k _ARM) to the weak field magnetic susceptibility (k), k _ARM/k can be used to estimate the grain size of magnetite. The sediments and volcanic rocks yield values of 13.7 and 11.8 for the k _ARM/_k, respectively, corresponding to grain size values of ～0.03 µm and ～0.05 µm. The magnetic granulometry of lake sediments is distinctive from one of the Chinese loess, in which published data suggest a value of 6.0 for k _ARM/_k, and grain size of ～0.1 µm, but is akin to the nearby volcanic rocks. Although a Loess Plateau source of the lake sediments cannot be fully ruled out, the catchment is most probably the main source. We explain the slightly finer magnetite grain size in sediments than in the volcanic rocks as being disintegrated of particles during erosion and transportation. We conclude that there is no evidence for aeolian input of the Loess Plateau dusts into the Huguang Maar, and the relationship between magnetic parameters of the lake sediments and winter monsoon intensity is probably more complicated than previously thought.     

Rock magnetic studies on the hominoid-bearing sediments at Zhupeng, Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China and its paleoclimatic significance

It has been proposed that paleoclimatic changes and tectonic events strongly affect hominoid evolution. The Zhupeng section at Yuanmou Basin, southwestern China, with the hominoid-bearing fluvial-lacustrine sediments, is an ideal natural laboratory to test this hypothesis. This study provided an integrated magnetic study, including low-frequency susceptibility, the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, temperature-dependent susceptibility, hysteresis loops, isothermal remanent magnetization, and anhysteretic remanent magnetization, on samples from the Baozidongqing section at Zhupeng. Results show that the dominant mag- netic carrier is hematite, with minor amount of magnetite. Both the composition and concentration of magnetic miner- als strongly correlate with the lithostratigraphy. At least eight short-term events defined by higher concentrations of magnetite were identified. These short events reflect that the subtropical dry-hot climate is similar to today＇s climate. Basing on the lithostratigraphic and rock magnetic results, we suggest that Yuanmou Basin was in a steady deposition environment from about 11 to 7 Ma, which is characterized by alternating of long-term torrid-humid climate and short-term dry-hot climate. Our study provides invaluable environment information for understanding the climate shift and the relationship between paleoenvironment and hominoid evolution in southwestern China during late Miocene.     

Remanence acquisition and its alteration on sediments

Previous palaeomagnetic work shows that the mechanism of remanence acquisition on sediments is very complicated. Different magnetizing processes under different conditions may produce some anomalous magnetic signals which have nothing to do with the changes of the geomagnetic field and are difficult to explain. The depositional remanent magnetization (DRM) may produce an inclination error and a bedding error, while postdepositional remanent magnetization (PDRM) may result in a time delay between the magnetic and sedimentary ages. When there are some different magnetic phases with different lock-in depths in the sediments, it is difficult to judge the depth of the reversal or excursion, or even the artificial magnetic signal may be produced. Even if there is only one magnetic phase in the sediment, the recorded magnetic signals may also be different if the lock-in depth is changed comparative to the lasting period of one reversal or excursion. Demagnetization may also change the primary magnetic records and the changes of water content may result in the displacement of magnetic boundary. The so-called “unstable core”, representing subtle changes in mineralogy into and out of a self-reversal region or a viscous magnetization region, gives a complicated palaeornagnetic record with many apparent changes in the palaeomagnetic direction. Moreover, some physical disturbances, such as biodisturbance, deformation, drilling processes and drying effects, may result in the remanence alteration. Some palaeomagnetic investigations demonstrate that good magnetic signals are invariably achieved on homogenous mud or clay sediments, but the worse signals on inhomogeneous profiles, especially on sandy layers.     

Magnetic response to atmospheric heavy metal pollution recorded by dust-loaded leaves in Shougang industrial area,western Beijing

Fifty-five evergreen tree＇s leaves growing less than one year were collected from Shougang industrial area in western suburb of Beijing, including steel plants and its ambient residential areas, recreational parks and farmlands. Rock magnetic properties and heavy metal contents were studied. The results show that the magnetic properties of leaf samples are predominated by Iow-coercivity magnetite, and both the concentration and grain size of magnetite particles gradually decreased with the distance from the main pollution source increases. Moreover, there is a significant linear relationship between magnetic parameters （the low-field magnetic susceptibility, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization and anhysteretic remanent magnetization） and heavy metals contents （Fe, Pb, V, Cr and Zn） （0.73≤ R≤ 0.88）. Hence, the magnetic parameters of leaves can serve as a proxy for quick detecting of the recent atmospheric metallic pollution.     

由沉积物中准同生构造的褶皱展平试验确定沉积剩磁固化深度

上新世湖心相页岩中准同生构造的褶皱展平试验揭示,这套沉积物中的剩磁固化于这些准同生构造形成之后,固化深度大于10-15cm。这一事实与模拟实验结论的之间矛盾表明,由于天然过程的进行速率慢得无法与实验室过程比拟,天然沉积物中沉积后碎屑剩磁的作用要比模拟实验的绪论强得多。将模拟实验得出的关于磁性颗粒重新排列条件的定量结论简单地外推到天然过程是不适当的。任何关于沉积物获得剩磁的模型都必须接受以天然过程为基础的检验,仅有实验室内的模拟试验是很不够的。     

Mid-Late Quaternary loess-paleosol sequence in Lantian’s Yushan,China: An environmental magnetism approach and its paleoclimatic significance

The application of rock magnetism methods to investigating the variations of magnetic minerals in the sediments is an important approach to the reestablishment of paleoclimate evolution. Thus we performed fine magnetic measurements on the loess-paleosol sequence (from L15 upwards to S5, in which L is short for Loess, S is short for Paleosol, the same hereinafter) of Yushan stratigraphic section, which is on the southeastern margin of Chinese Loess Plateau, in Lantian County of China’s Shaanxi Province, and the thickness of which is ca. 40 m. Our study shows that the primary magnetic carriers of loess and paleosol in this section are magnetite, maghemite, hematite and goethite. Thermomagnetic analyses on the samples of representative horizons show that the higher pedogenesis degree of the sediments, the smaller variations of magnetization there will be before and after heating, probably related to the pedogenic alteration of loess sediments. Analyses of several magnetic parameters show a significant discrepancy between the paleoclimatic conditions recorded in the strata from the loess unit L15 upward to the paleosol unit S5 in the study area and those recorded in the relative strata of other sections on the Chinese Loess Plateau, and those recorded in marine sediments, indicating the great impact of regional geological background. Similarly, the rapid and intensive change recorded in the segment from L15 to S9-1, and the significant difference between the paleoclimate evolutions of the two periods before and after the change (from L15 to S9-1, and from L9 to the base of S6) indicate the strong alteration of magnetic carriers in the study area as a result of the alternations of summer and winter monsoons in East Asia.     

菱铁矿热处理后的异常等温剩磁与逆向磁化

菱铁矿经过适当温度热处理后的异常等温剩磁曲线的全部形态与初始剩磁态的３个集合相对应。根据ＩＲＭ曲线存在负微商线段这一事实，提出有逆磁相存在，并用正常磁相和逆磁相的耦合来解释这种异常等温剩磁行为，这种逆向剩磁是在室温下获得的，在弱化时没有任何热过程和化学过程发生，在本质上已与观察到的逆向热剩磁和逆向化学剩磁不同。     

Mineral magnetism of quaternary red earth in Eastern China and Its paleoenvironmental significance

Mineral magnetic measurements have been made on Quaternary Red Earth profiles from Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. Three distinctive magnetic stratigraphic horizons have been identified on the basis of magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization and magnetization parameters measurements. Magnetic measurements revealed that there were great variations in ferrimagnetic mineral concentration, mineralogy assemblages and grain size in Quaternary Red Earth profiles, suggesting that these variations reflect pedogenic processes fluctuation and environmental changes. The preliminary results indicate that mineral magnetic measurement of Quaternary Red Earth is useful for studying the Quaternary environmental changes recorded in paleosols.     

Magnetism parameters characteristics of drilling deposits in Jianghan Plain and indication for forming of the Yangtze River Three Gorges

The forming time of the Yangtze River Three Gorges is considered as one of keys in the research on the Yangtze River, also is one of the most disputed hotspots. In order to solve the difficult problem, the authors adopt the internationally recognized thoughts and methods of substance tracing from source to sink. The lithologic characteristics, magnetic parameters and magnetic mineral characteristics of deposits in 2 bores are analyzed, which are both sampled from the sedimentary center of the Jianghan Plain. The results are as follows： At about 110 m depth of the core, the contents of coarse materials and stable magnetic mineral both increase significantly. Meanwhile, the magnetic susceptibility of sediment, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization and magnetic susceptibility values of anhysteretic remanent magnetism increase suddenly, which all reflect that at about 110 m depth, the important adjustment has appeared in water system of the Jianghan Plain, and the sedimentary environment and material composition have changed greatly. And it may be the horizon where the Yangtze River Three Gorges formed, its forming time reflected by the paleomagnetic dating is between 1.17 and 1.12Ma B.P.     

泥河湾盆地井儿洼剖面磁性地层学初步研究

泥河湾盆地井儿洼剖面古地磁测年结果全部为正向极性,剖面顶面下3.08m处白垩质粘土层铀系不平衡法测年结果为(50600±6700)aBP,据此确定其磁性地层学时代为布容正向极性时．剖面底部未出露B/M界限,说明地层时代晚于78万aBP.依据磁性地层学特征,井儿洼剖面可与虎头梁剖面对比,并能与红崖南沟、大道坡、郝家台等剖面的上部或顶部对比,属泥河湾组Ⅲ段．井儿洼、虎头梁剖面下部的石膏沉积晚于红崖、铺路等剖面下部的石膏沉积,它们分属不同的石膏沉积旋回.井儿洼剖面出露的湖相地层记录了古湖的消亡过程,是研究泥河湾古湖晚期历史的理想场所.     

Paleomagnetism of early Paleozoic volcanic rocks from the Beishan area,Gansu of northwest China: Preliminary insight into early Paleozoic kinemics of the Beishan terrane

We report rock magnetic and paleomagnetic results for Middle Silurian Gongpoquan and Middle Ordovician Huaniushan volcanic samples collected from the Mazongshan and Hongliuyuan areas of Gansu Province, northwest China. The resultsindicate that the main magnetic mineral of the Gongpoquan and Huaniushan volcanic rock is magnetite, and it may remain characteristic remanent magnetization acquired at the time of formation of the rocks. However, with the exception of samples from site go20, most of Middle Ordovician Huaniushan volcanic samples have a very weak nature remanent magnetization, and generally show an erratic demagnetization behavior, which does not allow isolation of characteristic remanent magnetizations from these samples. Comparison of paleomagnetic results obtained from the Beishan area of Gansu with Paleozoic apparent polar wander paths for Tarimand Siberia suggests that the Beishan tarrane, the southern part of the Beishanarea of Gansu beyond the Mingshui-Shipanjin-Xiaohuang- shan zone, and adjacent Tarim block and Siberia plate could not have been connected in their present configuration by the Middle Silurian time. On the other hand, we infer that the early Paleozoic Mingshui-Shipanjin-Xiaohuangshan oceanic basin may open from west to east during period from the Ordovician to Silurian, and the post-Middle Silurian closing of this oceanic basin may result from a progressed eastward scissor-like rotation.     

Magnetic properties of street dust and topsoil in Beijing and its environmental implications

Environmental magnetic measurements were carried out on the sanrhples of street dust and topsoil, which were collected along the roadway in the urban and suburb of Beijing, including magnetic susceptibility （X）, anhysteretic remanent magnetization （ARM）, isothermal remanent magnetization （IRM） of all samples and temperature-dependence of magnetic susceptibilities and magnetic hysteresis parameters of representative samples. Obvious differences exist between the samples of street dust and those of topsoil. Compared with topsoil samples, the concentration of magnetic particles and high-coercivity components in street dust samples are higher, and the magnetic grains are coarser. Both dust and topsoil samples are dominated by ferrimagnetic minerals, and iron particles are only detected in some dust samples. These results suggest that street dust samples reflect the characteris- tic of particles produced by industrial and traffic activities, and the magnetic property of topsoil sam- ples represents the characteristic of particles from both anthropogenic and natural sources. The distribution of magnetic parameters is influenced by the environment where the samples are collected, like industry, traffic density and other road conditions. Hard isothermal remanent magnetization （HIRM） may be used as an indicator of particles produced by traffic activity. Dust storm samples collected on 17 and 18 April, 2006 have different magnetic properties from street dust and natural particles, like loess and paleosol, which indicate that the dust storm might be mixed with anthropogenic particulates during transport and falling.     

垂直磁记录薄膜交换耦合作用及开关场分布的测量

采用Lakeshore7407型振动样品磁强计,以Co-Pt垂直磁记录薄膜为例,详细介绍了垂直薄膜等温剩磁(isothermalremanentmagnetization,IRM)曲线、直流退磁剩磁(directcurrentdemagnetizationremanence,DCD)曲线的测量方法和退磁因子的计算方法,并给出根据退磁场修正后的IRM和DCD曲线计算垂直磁记录薄膜曲线和开关场分布(SFD)的方法.最后详细讨论了薄膜的微观组织和易磁化轴取向分布对退磁场、交换耦合作用和SFD的影响.结果表明:退磁场的存在使得直接测量得到的晶粒间交换耦合作用偏小,开关场分布宽化;影响晶粒间交换耦合作用的内在原因是介质的微观组织和易磁化轴的取向分布.     

Mineral magnetic properties of surface sediments at Bei’anhe, Beijing, and its environmental significance

A multiparameter investigation of surface sediments from the Bei＇anhe section （Beijing） has been conducted using environmental magnetic approaches. The studied sedimentary sequence consists of pluvial and lacustrine silts and clay of the Holocene age. Magnetite, hematite and pyrrhotite were identiffed as the dominant magnetic minerals. The mineral magnetic characteristics are considered to reflect the Holocene paleoenvironmental processes of the studied area, which are different from the mineral magnetic properties of typical polluted sections reported in the Beijing area. The low-field magnetic susceptibility and saturated isothermal remanence magnetization of the section decrease gradually with increasing depth. This indicates that the concentration of magnetic minerals in the strata decreases down the section. Values of interparametric ratios, such as ARM/SIRM, XARM/Xand SIRM/X, gradually increase with increasing depth, which indicates a down-section decreasing trend in the magnetic grain size of the sediments. Pyrrhotite occurs below the depth of 22 cm, suggesting the existence of redox interface. The magnetic variations of the Bei＇anhe surface sediments might be controlled by two geological processes： reductive diagenesis and pedogenesis. Our findings may have provided a reference point for magnetic investigation of polluted surface sediments in the Beijing area.     

非晶态合金材料磁化特性及其应用的研究

描述了非晶态合金材料的电磁感应效应并推出反映被测磁场变化的输出电压关系式．论述了非晶态合金磁芯材料的磁化特性曲线，分析了磁化曲线的非线性特征形式、非线性区间宽度、磁芯磁化工作点与传感器灵敏度、线性输出特性、稳定性之间的关系．在此基础上介绍了脉冲感应型磁场传感器的检测原理，并给出了部分实验结果。     

Magnetic characteristics and its environmental implications of core YSJD-86GC sediments from the southern South China Sea

Sediments of core YSJD-86GC （referred to as 86GC） collected from the southern South China Sea were selected for environmental magnetic studies. Combined with the published chronological framework, sediment magnetic properties were revealed for the study area since the MIS3 stage. The rock magnetic results indicate that low-coercivity magnetite is the main magnetic mineral within the sediments. Also, a certain amounts of hematite are present. The King plot and Day plot, which reflect the magnetic particle size, show that fine-grained pseudo-sin- gle-domain phase magnetic particles dominate the magnetic minerals in the sediments. Comparison of magnetic parameters and geochemical indicators show that magnetic properties of core 86GC sediments reflect a terrigenous input. Simultaneously, magnetic characteristics of the stud- ied sediment are influenced by the quantity of terrigenous sediment input, oxidation-reduction conditions of the provenance area, and the transportation environment and distance. Sea level fluctuation caused by global climate change was the main factor for variation in concentration of magnetic minerals and magnetic particle size of thestudied core sediments. Thus, variation of sediment magnetic properties in the study area can be used as an indirect indicator of sea level fluctuation.     

华南地块中三叠统巴东组红层磁倾角浅化效应

对华南地块中三叠统巴东组红层样品进行系统的岩石磁学和古地磁学研究, 采用高场等温剩磁各向异性(hf-AIR)方法, 识别出巴东组红层的磁倾角浅化因子f = 0.63。岩石磁学研究结果显示, 巴东组红层的主要载磁矿物为赤铁矿和少量磁铁矿; 磁化率和高场等温剩磁各向异性组构均指示其具有典型沉积组构特征, 表明未遭受后期构造应力改造。高温特征剩磁分量为碎屑赤铁矿所携带, 具有单一负极性, 并在95%置信水平上通过褶皱检验, 与前人在同一剖面不同位置获得的以正极性为主的古地磁方向一致。该特征剩磁方向在地层校正后的平均方向为D_s = 222.1°, I_s = ?27.2° (α₉₅ = 8.7°), 对应古地磁极为48.1°N, 215.5°E (A₉₅ = 8.4°)。对包括本文数据在内的华南中三叠世红层高质量古地磁极数据(Q≥5)用f = 0.63 进行统一校正后, 获得平均古地磁极为48.5°N, 207.6°E (A₉₅ = 10.7°)。对比华北地块同样经hf-AIR方法浅化校正后的早三叠世古地磁极, 两者在其东部参考点上的古纬度完全一致, 验证了前人提出的华南华北中生代剪刀式旋转拼合模型。     

Precise timing of lacustrine gypsum in Luobubo, Xinjiang using the thermal ionization mass spectrometry U-series method

Dating techniques including gypsum dissolution in water, iron hydroxide co-precipitation with uranium and thorium and mass spectrometric determination have been investigated in this note. The ages of the gypsum samples in a CK core from Luobubo lacustrine sediments are in the range of (12.85±0.21) kaBP (4 m distance from the top core) to (153.2±7.2) kaBP (49 m distance from the top core) with the relative errors of ±1.6%–±4.7%. It indicates that the sedimental environment of the CK core was situated in the middle-late Pleistocene and Holocene periods, corresponding to 1–6 stages of oxygen isotopes in the abyssal sediments and included much information from last interglacial to Holocene warm periods.     

Magnetic properties of highroad-side pine tree leaves in Beijing and their environmental significance

This is a report on magnetic properties of highroad-side tree (Pinus pumila Regel) leaves collected along an expressway linking Beijing City and the Capital International Airport and further focus on their environmental contributions. A series of rock magnetic experiments show that the primary mag-netic mineral of leaf samples was identified to be magnetite,in the pseudo-single domain (PSD) grain size range 0.2―5.0 μm. On the other hand,magnet-ite concentration and grain size in leaves are ascer-tained to decrease with increasing of sampling dis-tance to highroad asphalt surface,suggesting that high magnetic response to traffic pollution is localized within a distance of some two meters away from highroad asphalt surface. Although magnetic suscep-tibility is ordinarily regarded as a simple,rapid and low-cost method for monitoring traffic pollution,saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) can be treated as a valid proxy for monitoring air par-ticulate matter (PM) when samples are magnetically weak. It is believed that a synthetic rock magnetic study is an effective method for determining concen-tration and grain size of ferromagnets in the atmos-pheric PM,and then it should be a rapid and feasible technique for monitoring atmospheric pollution.