Elemental composition in the sediments of the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers and their tracing implication

Elemental compositions in the surface sediments of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River are quite different. The Yangtze River' s sediment is rich in K, Fe, Mg, Al and most of trace elements, and its elemental composition show remarkable spatial variations, whereas the Yellow River s sediment has higher contents of Ca, Na, Sr, Ba, Zr and Hf, and the elemental composition remains relatively stable. The ratios of some elements are also different in the sediments of the two rivers. The elemental composition of the Yangtze River sediment results from widely distributed igneous rocks and complicated source rocks and strong chemical weathering in the Yangtze River catchment basin, while the main provenance of the Yellow River sediment is the Loess Plateau which has dominant influence on the elemental composition, and the intense physical weathering is another controlling factor. The elements such as Cu, Zn, Sc, Ti, Fe, V, Ni, Cr, Co, Li and element ratios such as La/Sc, La/Co, Th/Co, Ti/Zr and Zr/Y can be used as the tracers to distinguish the Yangtze River sediment from the Yellow River s. The tracers can be used in the study of the mixing and distribution of the substances of the two rivers matters in coastal zones of China.     

Ensemble projection of 1―3℃ warming in China

Studies on the influences of climate change on biogeochemical cycles and on the key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change suggest that annual surface temperature rise of 1 ℃, 2℃ and 3℃ above the present level would lead to changes in extreme weather and climate events, food production, fresh water resources, biodiversity, human mortality, etc. Here two sets of simulations as performed with seventeen atmosphere-ocean general circulation models （AOGCMs） for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change （IPCC AR4）, i.e. the model outputs from the 20th Century Climate in Coupled Models （20C3M） and from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios （SRES） emission scenarios B1, A1B and A2, are used to analyze spatial and temporal characteristics of the above values in China over the 21st century. The results indicate that the rate of warming varies from region to region. The above values are reached much later （earlier） when emission amount is lower （higher）, and spread of the time when the lower （higher） value is exceeded is narrower （wider） among the three scenarios. As far as the spatial pattern is concerned, the above values are crossed much earlier in northern China and the Tibetan Plateau with respect to the Yangtze-Huaihe River Valley and South China.     

Variations of geochemical compositions and the paleoclimatic significance of a loess-soil sequence from Garzê County of western Sichuan Province, China

The West Sichuan Plateau is located in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, where the climate is mainly influenced by the Indian southwest summer monsoon and the Tibetan Plateau monsoon. In this study, detailed geochemical analysis has been carried out on Ganzisi loess-paleosol sequence in Ganzê County of western Sichuan Province. The results indicate that Ganzê loess and paleosol have experienced the incipient stage of chemical weathering in dust source regions, characterized by the decomposition of plagioclase which caused the depletion of mobile elements Na and Ca. The post-depositional chemical weathering is characterized by carbonate dissolution and oxidation of Fe2＋. The variations of some geochemical indexes （such as CIA values, Na/K and Fe2＋/ Fe3＋ ratios） in Ganzisi loess-paleosol sequence indicate a gradually decreased chemical weathering intensity in the dust source regions and deposition areas since 1.15 Ma BP consistent with the general increase of global ice volume, reflecting that the arid trend since 1.15 Ma BP in the southeast Tibetan Plateau is a regional response to the global climate change. The geochemical indexes in this section also reveal an obvious drying step occurred at about 250 ka BP in this region. We interpret this drying step as a result of decreased influence of the Indian southwest summer monsoon. This decrease in monsoon moisture is probably attributable to the uplift of the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau at about 250 ka BP.     

Study on RS-and GIS-based ecological capital assessment in arid areas

Ecological capital assessment is currently one of the important research contents in the interdisciplinary field of ecology, resources economics, environmental economics and ecological economics. To scientifically assess ecological capital redounds to decision-makers to consider the ecological cost in economic development, and is also necessary for sustainable economic development in arid areas. Based on the theory of landscape ecology, in this paper the per unit area ecological capital values in arid areas are researched by using the Land-sat TM data, CBERS satellite data, meteorological data, MODIS satellite data and other ecological data, and the RS- and GIS-based models of assessing ecological capital values in arid areas are developed. Moreover, based on the field-measured data, a case study on ecological capital assessment in the Manas River basin, Xinjiang in 2003 is carried out. The basin is divided into 4 ecological capital areas so as to quantitatively calculate the ecological capital values of the ecosystems, analyze the spatial distribution of ecological capital, and chart the maps of spatial distribution of ecological capital. The results show that the total ecological capital value of the ecosystems in the Manas River basin in 2003 was 1.494 54×1011 yuan RMB. In spatial distribution, the ecological capital decreases from the alpine zones to the plains and from the oases to the deserts, which accords with the distribution of vegetation zonality in this arid area. The assessed results can objectively reflect the ecological capital and its spatial distribution in the arid basin, and can also provide reference for roundly carrying out the assessment of ecological capital in arid areas.     

Carbonate verse silicate Sr isotope in lake sediments and its response to Little Ice Age

The ^87Sr/^86Sr ratios of silicate (acid-insoluble,AI,) and carbonate (acid-soluble,AS) of the lake sediments from the Daihai Lake ,Inner Mongolia since the last 500 years are measured respectively ,indicationg that chemical weathering of silicate minerals was in an early stage since the Little Ice Age within the Daihai watershed by combination with mineral constitute,Rb/Sr ratio and CaCO3 content in the sediments,During the Little Ice Age maximum,an evident peak in the ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratios of both silicate and carbonate in sediments suggests that a cold climate condition is unfavorable to dissolving radiogenic stontium from silcate minerals ,Meanwhile,the variation of ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratios of silicate and carbonate also reflects a projected warming climate favorable to intensifying chemical weathering after the Little Ice Age ,Consequently,the ^87 Sr/^86Sr ratio of both silicate and carbonate in inland lake sediment can be used as an effective proxy of the past climate in single watershed.     

Study on RS- and GIS-based ecological capital assessment in arid areas

Ecological capital assessment is currently one of the important research contents in the interdisciplinary field of ecology, resources economics, environmental economics and ecological economics. To scientifically assess ecological capital redounds to decision-makers to consider the ecological cost in economic development, and is also necessary for sustainable economic development in arid areas. Based on the theory of landscape ecology in this paper the per unit area ecological capital values in arid areas are researched by using the Landsat TM data, CBERS satellite data, meteorological data, MODIS satellite data and other ecological data, and the RS- and GIS-based models of assessing ecological capital values in arid areas are developed. Moreover, based on the field-measured data, a case study on ecological capital assessment in the Manas River basin, Xinjiang in 2003 is carried out. The basin is divided into 4 ecological capital areas so as to quantitatively calculate the ecological capital values of the ecosystems, analyze the spatial distribution of ecological capital, and chart the maps of spatial distribution of ecological capital. The results show that the total ecological capital value of the ecosystems in the Manas River basin in 2003 was 1.49454×10^11 yuan RMB. In spatial distribution, the ecological capital decreases from the alpine zones to the plains and from the oases to the deserts, which accords with the distribution of vegetation zonality in this arid area. The assessed results can objectively reflect the ecological capital and its spatial distribution in the aridbasin, and can also provide reference for roundly carrying out the assessment of ecological capital in arid areas.     

Distribution characteristics of magnetic susceptibility of the surface sediments in the southern Yellow Sea

The characteristic distributions of magnetic susceptibility (MS) are analyzed on the basis of susceptibility of 172 surface sediment samples in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS). The preliminary results are as follows: first, the distributions clearly correspond to different modern sediment assemblages in the continental sea, which indicates different sediment origins. With the 30 μCGS isoline being taken as demarcation line, the study area can then be divided into section H (high MS value area) and section L (low MS value area). Section H is mainly adjacent to land with two main sources of the Changjiang River and the Huanghe River.Section L is mainly an eddy sediment area, where Yellow Sea Cold Water is entrenched all the year round. The distribution pattern of MS could tell apart strong or weak hydrodynamic conditions and has a close relation to the circulation system in this area. At the areas of the SYS Circumfluent and northern East China Sea (NECS) Circumfluent (weak hydrodynamic), the MS has low values, while in the areas of Coastal Current (strong hydrodynamic), the values are high.At the same time, the oxidizing areas tend to take on higher MS, while the reducing areas have lower one. It seems safe to say that the MS in the continental sea reflects more of the sediment origin and sedimentary environment, which is different from that of loess, lake and surface soil as a climate proxy.     

Apparent ages of suspended sediment and soil erosion of the Pearl River (Zhujiang) drainage basin

The carbon isotopic composition (Δ 14 C,δ 13 C) and apparent ages of suspended sediment were determined in the Pearl River in the years 1998,2000 and 2005.These results indicate that suspended POC consists mostly of young carbon and some old carbon.Apparent ages of suspended POC range from 540 to 2050 a BP.The apparent ages are older in the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers,while these values are variable in the Dongjiang River,including old and young samples.The suspended POCδ 13 C values increase with increasin...     

Global cooling controls on the chemical weathering as evidenced from the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of the North China Plain

Major element concentrations were analyzed on the sediments of a 203.6-m core from the North China Plain near Tianjin. The chemical index of alteration (CIA), Al2O3-(CaO+Na2O)-K2O diagram and elemental ratios, such as Al/K and Ti/Na, were used to reveal information of chemical weathering in the source regions since the late Pliocene. Results show that the fluvial materials in the North China Plain were derived from vast regions, which were in the early Na and Ca removal stage and underwent numerous upper-crustal recycling processes. Proxies of chemical weathering show a decreasing trend, in parallel with the global cooling since the late Pliocene, suggesting a strong role of the global cooing in controlling the continental chemical weathering intensity.     

Centennial changes of drought/flood spatial pattern in eastern China for the last 2000 years

The statistical characteristics of the bicentennial changes of the drought/flood spatial pattern over the eastern part of China have been analyzed from 101 AD to 1900 AD, and their relationship with the cold/warm climatic variation in the same time span are discussed as well. The main conclusions are as follows. (I) During the period of the 2nd ～ 11th centuries, the spatial pattern of drought/flood in the eastern part of China was characterized by thc east-west differentiation. Namely, it was dry in the west (northwest) while it was wet in the east (southeast). (ii) From the 12th to 15th centuries, the east-west differentiation coexisted with the south-north differentiation, and the former was still the dominant pattern. (iii) However, the dominant spatial pattern changed to the south- north differentiation during the 16th ～ 19th centuries, namely, it was dry in the north and wet in the south. As for the dry-wet demarcation line. It shifted westward in warn times, and once reached Datong-Taiyuan-Xi' an-Hanzhong; whereas in cold times, it retreated southeastward and reached Ji' nan-Heze-Nanyang. Furthermore, the transmeridian (W-E) dry-wet demarcation line was replaced by the meridian (N-S) dry-wet demarcation line during the two coldest periods. Moreover, in cold times, it was dry in northern China, and it was wet in the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River and regions south of Changjiang River; in warm times, however, it was wet in northern China, and was dry in eastern China, especially in the lower reaches of Changjiang River and regions south of Changjiang River.     

The ion chemistry of surface and ground waters in the Taklimakan Desert of Tarim Basin, western China

The physio-chemical and chemical features of water in natural conditions are controlled by the weath-ering of bedrocks,local climate,landforms and other geo-environmental parameters. In order to un-derstand the characteristics of water and the origins of the dissolved loads in the rivers and in the ground waters of the Taklimakan Desert,western China,we studied the ions in the water samples col-lected from rivers and wells. We collected water samples from four rivers (Keriya River,Cele River,Tumiya River and Yulongkashi River) in the southern desert and ground water samples from many parts of the desert. Major cations and anions were measured using ion-chromatograph and titration with HCl. The total dissolved solids (TDS),pH and conductivity were examined on site by a portable multi-parameter analyzer. The data show that the water in the rivers of southern Taklimakan is still of fresh water quality and slight alkalinity,although the TDS is comparatively higher than that of many other rivers of the world. The ground water is fresh to slightly saline,with TDS a little higher than that of river water in the study area. The concentration of ions is slightly different between the four rivers in the southern Taklimakan. However,the chemistries of ground water in all samples are to a large degree controlled by sodium and chloride. The ions in the ground water are concluded to be mainly from dissolving of evaporites,consistent with the dry climate in the region,whereas the ions in the rivers are mainly from rock weathering. Low-level human imprints are recognized in the ground water samples also.     

Seasonal variations in the Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of suspended particulate matter in the lower Changjiang River: Provenance and erosion constraints

Suspended particulate matter samples were collected monthly for more than 2 years in Nanjing,China to examine seasonal changes in the Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the lower Changjiang River(CR).The results indicate that the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the samples ranges from 0.725352 to 0.738128,and the values ofεNd(0)ranges from-10.55 to-12.29.The Sr-Nd isotopic compositions show distinct seasonal variations.The samples had lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios and higherε Nd(0)values during the flood season than the dry seasons.The seasonal variations primarily reflect the controls of provenance rocks and erosion in different sub-catchments.The relative decrease in 87Sr/86Sr ratios and the increase inε Nd(0)values during the flood season may reflect an increasing in the mechanical erosion rate in the upper basin and the contribution of more sediment from the upper reaches.The end member values of 87Sr/86Sr andε Nd(0)of the samples were 0.728254 and?11.26,respectively.     

Preservation of black carbon in the shelf sediments of the East China Sea

Concentrations and carbon isotopic(14C,13C) compositions of black carbon(BC) were measured for three sediment cores collected from the Changjiang River estuary and the shelf of the East China Sea. BC concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 mg/g(dry weight) ,and accounted for 5% to 26% of the sedimentary total organic carbon(TOC) pool. Among the three sediment cores collected at each site,sediment from the Changjiang River estuary had relatively high BC contents compared with the sedi-ments from the East China Sea shelf,suggesting that the Changjiang River discharge played an im-portant role in the delivery of BC to the coastal region. Radiocarbon measurements indicate that the ages of BC are in the range of 6910 to 12250 years old B.P.(before present) ,that is in general,3700 to 9000 years older than the 14C ages of TOC in the sediments. These variable radiocarbon ages suggest that the BC preserved in the sediments was derived from the products of both biomass fire and fossil fuel combustion,as well as from ancient rock weathering. Based on an isotopic mass balance model,we calculated that fossil fuel combustion contributed most(60%―80%) of the BC preserved in these sediments and varied with depth and locations. The deposition and burial of this "slow-cycling" BC in the sediments of the East China Sea shelf represent a significant pool of carbon sink and could greatly influence carbon cycling in the region.     

Late Miocene Red River submarine fan,northwestern South China Sea

A huge submarine fan is discovered through the research of the seismic and borehole data in the binding site of Yinggehai basin and Qiongdongnan basin in northwestern South China Sea.The fan,mainly formed during Late Miocene (Huangliu period) has an area over 10000 km 2 and maximum thickness of over 2000 m.It is characterized by a wedge-shaped oblique progradation configuration on the dip profile and a hummocky bidirectional progradation configuration on the strike profile.The core and Logging data from the well YC35-1-2 located in the front side of the fan indicate that sandy gravity flow deposits are predominant in lower Huangliu Formation and change to interbeds of sand and mud in upper Huangliu Formation.The fan is interpreted as a sand/mud-rich submarine fan in combination with the bathyal geological background of Huangliu period.A preliminary analysis of provenance indicates that neither the Guiren Uplift in the west nor the Hainan Uplift in the north can serve as the major provenance for the submarine fan.The provenance is considered to be from the Red River,based on the sedimentary facies study of the Huangliu Formation in Yinggehai basin.The fan is thus named as "Red River submarine fan".The Red River depositional system consists of the Red River submarine fan,the Red River delta,and associated submarine canyons.The discovery of the Red River submarine fan provides important information for the research of the uplift of Tibetan Plateau and the evolvement of Red River Fault Zone.Furthermore,it also points out a new direction for the deepwater hydrocarbon exploration in the northern South China Sea.     

Geothermal field and its relation with coalbed methane distribution of the Qinshui Basin

The average geothermal gradient in the Qin-shui Basin, Shanxi Province, North China, estimated from temperature logging data of 20 boreholes is 28.2±1.03℃/km. The thermal conductivities of 39 rock samples are measured and 20 heat flow values are obtained. The estimated heat flow ranges from 44.75 mW7m2 to 101.81 mW/m2, with a mean of 62.69±15.20 mW/m2. The thermal history reconstruction from the inversion of vitrinite data, using Ther-model for Windows 2004, reveals that the average paleo-heat flow at the time of maximum burial in late Jurassic to early Cretaceous is 158.41 mW/m2 for the north part, 119.57 mW/m2 for the central part and 169.43 mW/m2for the south part of the basin respectively. The reconstruction of the buried history of the strata indicates that the age for the end of sedimentation and the beginning of erosion for the basin is 108-156 Ma, and that the eroded thickness of the strata is 2603 m in the north, 2291 m in the central, and 2528.9 m in the south of the basin respectively. The "higher in the north and the south, lower in the central" distribution pattern of the paleo-heat flow coincides with the distribution of the coal-bed methane spatially and temporally, which shows that the coal-bed methane is controlled by the paleo-geotem-perature field in the basin.     

Sources and transportation of suspended matter and sediment in the southern Yellow Sea： Evidence from stable carbon isotopes

The concentrations of total suspended matter (TSM) and the compositions of organic stable carbon isotopes of TSM and bottom sediments were analyzed to study the sources of TSM and sediments and the transportation processes. For this study, 284 TSM samples and 64 sediment ones taken from 67 stations along 7 transects and in 5 layers were collected in the southern Yellow Sea on the cruise in May, 1998. The main sediment transportation pattern in the southern Yellow Sea was obtained by analyzing the distribution characteristics of TSM concentration and particulate organic carbon δ^13C values. It was confirmed from the pattern that the bottom layer plays a more important role than the surface one in the transportation processes of terrigenous material to the central deep-water area of the southern Yellow Sea. The Yellow Sea circulation is an important control factor in determining the sediment transportation pattern in the southern Yellow Sea. The carbon isotope signals of sedimentary organic matter confirmed that the main material in sediments with high sedimentation rate in the Shandong subaqueous delta originated from the modern Yellow River.The terrigenous sediments in the deep-water area of the southern Yellow Sea are mainly from the abandoned Yellow River and the modern Yellow River, and a small portion of them are from the modern Yangtze material. The amount of terrigenous material from Korean Peninsula and its influence range are relatively limited. The conclusions derived from TSM and stable carbon isotopes were further confirmed by another independent material source tracer--PAHs.     

Sources and transportation of suspended matter and sediment in the southern Yellow Sea: Evidence from stable carbon isotopes

The concentrations of total suspended matter (TSM) and the compositions of organic stable carbon iso- topes of TSM and bottom sediments were analyzed to study the sources of TSM and sediments and the transportation processes. For this study, 284 TSM samples and 64 sediment ones taken from 67 stations along 7 transects and in 5 layers were collected in the southern Yellow Sea on the cruise in May, 1998. The main sediment transportation pattern in the southern Yellow Sea was obtained by analyzing the distribu- tion characteristics of TSM concentration and particulate organic carbon δ~(13)C values. It was confirmed from the pat- tern that the bottom layer plays a more important role than the surface one in the transportation processes of terrigenous material to the central deep-water area of the southern Yel- low Sea. The Yellow Sea circulation is an important control factor in determining the sediment transportation pattern in the southern Yellow Sea, The carbon isotope signals of sedi- mentary organic matter confirmed that the main material in sediments with high sedimentation rate in the Shandong subaqueous delta originated from the modern Yellow River. The terrigenous sediments in the deep-water area of the southern Yellow Sea are mainly from the abandoned Yellow River and the modern Yellow River, and a small portion of them are from the modern Yangtze material. The amount of terrigenous material from Korean Peninsula and its influen- ce range are relatively limited. The conclusions derived from TSM and stable carbon isotopes were further confirmed by another independent material source tracer-PAHs.     

Temporal and spatial variability response of groundwater level to land use/land cover change in oases of arid areas

This paper conducts a case study on the impacts of land use/cover change （LUCC） on the temporal and spatial variability of the groundwater level in an arid oasis in the Sangong River Watershed by using the geographical information system （GIS）, remote sensing （RS） and geostatistical methods. The temporal and spatial variability of the groundwater level in the watershed in 1978, 1987 and 1998 is regressed by using the＇semivariogram model and Kriging interpolation. The LUCC classification maps derived from the aerial images in 1978, Landsat TM image in 1987 and Landsat ETM image in 1998 are used to superpose and analyze the conversion relationship of LUCC types in the regions with different isograms of the groundwater depth. The results show that the change of groundwater recharge was not so significant in the whole oasis, but the temporal and spatial LUCC was significant either in the normal flow periods or in the high flow periods during the 20-year period from 1978 to 1998, and there was a close correlation between them. There is generally a moderate spatial correlation of groundwater level （33.4%） and the spatial autocorrelation distance is 17.78 km. The regions where the groundwater level is sharply changed are also the regions where the land resources are increasingly exploited, which include mainly the exploitation of farmlands, woodlands, and building, industrial and mining lands. The study reveals that the LUCC affects strongly the temporal and spatial variability of the groundwater level in the arid oasis. The study results are of direct and practical significance for rationally utilizing shallow groundwater resources and maintaining the stability of the arid oasis.     

Southwest monsoon changes indicated by oxygen isotope of ostracode shells from sediments in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial

The δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sediments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake can be used as a better proxy to reflect monsoon changes. Low monsoon precipitation between 17.5 and 11 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values averaging 2.37‰. A fast shift in δ 18O from positive at 11 cal. ka BP to negative at 10 cal. ka BP indicates sharp increase of monsoon precipitation. An interval of generally high monsoon precipitation is observed between 10 and 6 cal. ka BP with δ 18O values averaging -2.15‰. Decrease of monsoon precipitation between 6 and 2.5 cal. ka BP is indicated by positive δ 18O values. δ 18O keeps positive values averaging 3.0‰ between 2.5 and 0 cal. ka BP suggesting low high monsoon precipitation. The climatic changes indicated by δ 18O records of ostracode shells in sedi- ments of core QH-2000 from Qinghai Lake and our broader regional comparison show that the climate in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial is probably controlled by southwest monsoon other than southeast monsoon.     

Holocene palynological records and their responses to the controversies of climate system in the Shiyang River drainage basin

The Shiyang River drainage basin is located in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon region. Previous studies reached different conclusions about Holocene climatic changes in the basin. Some studies suggested the Holocene climatic changes were mainly controlled by the Asian monsoon and that the climate was relatively humid during the early Holocene (11.6-7.1 cal ka BP). Other studies found the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum (7.0-5.0 cal ka BP), and this climate condition was similar to the Holocene westerly wind pattern in arid Central Asia. The modern climate is affected by the Asian monsoon and westerly wind in the drainage basin, and the Holocene climatic records showed two different Holocene climatic patterns-a westerly wind pattern and monsoonal pattern. However, it remains unclear what caused the two different Holocene climatic patterns to co-exist in the region. The palynological records are the main evidence for the Holocene climatic changes in the basin. This paper focuses on palynological records for different parts of the drainage basin. Among them, QTH02, QTL-03 and Sanjiaocheng records are located in the terminal lake, and the Hongshuihe record is located in the middle reaches of the basin. In the terminal lake, the palynological records of QTH02 and QTL-03 are similar, but the Sanjiaocheng record differs. The difference is mainly affected by the variable pollen assemblages in the different locations of the lake basin. From comparison and synthesis of the four palynological records, we concluded that the millennial-scale Holocene climatic changes were affected by the combined effects of the Asian monsoon and westerly wind in the drainage basin, which show the complicated Holocene climatic pattern in the northwest margin of the Asian monsoon.