U-Pb ages of zircon grains reveal a proximal dust source of the Xiashu loess,Lower Yangtze River region,China

Deciphering the eolian sources is critical to understand the paleo-significance of the Quaternary eolian deposits （the Xiashu loess） in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Both a local source from the fluvial sediments of the Yangtze River and a distal source from the northern deserts similar to that of the loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau （CLP） have been proposed. Recent researches show great advantages of detrital zircon ages as a source tracer for Asian dust based on the laser ablation U-Pb isotopic dating technique. This work presents the U-Pb ages of zircon grains extracted from the Xiashu loess. The results indicate that the Xiashu loess has a very different age distribution of zircon grains from that of the loess on the CLP as well as the materials in the arid lands of the Asian Interior. Instead, the zircon ages of the Xiashu loess are indistinguishable from the fluvial sediments of the Yangtze River, indicating the dominance of proximal dust source. Proximal source of the Xiashu loess implies that extensive eolian processes might have existed in the currently wet South China, possibly in response to the full glacial conditions after the middle Pleistocene transition of global climate.     

洞庭盆地红土地层中网纹的成因探讨

在野外考察的基础上,运用化学全量分析、X射线衍射分析、红外光谱分析和扫描电镜微形貌分析等实验方法和手段,对洞庭盆地第四系红土地层中网纹的元素地球化学、矿物组合特征和微形貌特征进行了系统研究,对洞庭盆地红土地层中2种主要的网纹类型——蠕虫状网纹和根状网纹的成因进行了探讨。认为：土壤孔隙空间的形成和化学元素的迁移是网纹产生的2个必要条件。蠕虫状网纹孔隙空间的产生是由于地层静压力和地下水位季节性变化造成的,而根状网纹的孔隙空间则是植物根系腐烂分解后提供的。地下水和地表水强烈的淋溶作用使土壤中硅、铝、铁、锰等元素的迁移能力增强,土壤胶体粒子之间的化学反应,使得这些孔隙空间在后期逐渐被次生黏土矿物和石英所充填,最终,在洞庭盆地第四系红土地层中形成大量的蠕虫状和根状白色网纹。     

Seven million-year iron geochemistry record from a thick eolian red clay-loess sequence in Chinese Loess Plateau and the implications for paleomonsoon evolution

Recently, the Tertiary red clay sequence underlying Pleistocene loess has attracted much attention. The remarkable progress is the recognition that the Tertiary red clay sequence is also wind-blown in origin, thus providing a good opportunity to reconstruct long-term monsoon changes. In contrast to the loess deposits, the magnetic susceptibility and the pedogenic characteristics are almost independent of each other in the red clay, thus challenging the validity of the readily measurable magnetic susceptibility in describing the monsoon history recorded by the red clay. With the objective to address the long-term East Asia summer monsoon evolution, the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios were calculated in a continuous eolian red clay-loess sequence at Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau, which has a thickness of 305 m and a basal age of 7.0 Ma. The seven million-year Fe₂O₃ ratio record from the red clay-loess sequence indicates that (ⅰ) variations of the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios of the loess can correlate generally with the alternations of the loess and paleosol horizons; (ⅱ) the East Asia summer monsoon was stronger as a whole in Neogene than that in Quaternary; (ⅲ) the strongest East Asia summer monsoon may occur between 4.0 and 4.8 Ma. The relatively small ice volume and high global temperature may be responsible for the strong summer monsoon during the early Pliocene.     

宣城网纹红土红白组分Fe、Mn、Al、Sr元素含量的变化特征及古气候意义

通过对宣城向阳第四纪网纹红土中红、白组分进行分离,并运用ICP-AES分别分析了红、白组分内Fe、Mn、Al、Sr四种元素的含量特征.结果发现,向阳剖面网纹红土中红、白组分的元素含量有明显的差异.其中白色组分铁含量较红色组分小,且随着深度的增加以及网纹化程度的增加,其含量与红色组分差别也加大.Mn元素在红、白组分内的总体差别不大.Al、Sr元素表现出了白色组分较红色组分小的特征,但这两种元素在白色组分内表现出随深度增加而呈现明显的类似"黄土-古土壤"序列的旋回变化特征.在红色组分内,Al、Sr元素随深度变化不大.     

长江三角洲与东海岛屿黄土研究综述

黄土是记录古气候和古环境变化信息的良好载体,长江三角洲平原及东海岛屿晚更新世黄土地层剖面的发现, 证明了末次冰期以来长江三角洲地区及海域均广泛存在风尘黄土堆积的事实,研究表明长江三角洲平原埋藏黄土和东海岛屿黄土是下蜀黄土上部地层在中国东部沿海和海域的延伸和继续.中国东部风尘黄土记录了我国晚更新世以来东部沿海地区的气候变化及东亚季风演变,与中国西北地区黄土地层相比,东部黄土具有沉积厚度小、成因复杂、次生作用强烈的特点;粒度和磁化率等参数垂向变化规律没有西部明显;粘土矿物和常量化学成分显示了东部黄土经历了较强地淋溶作用.在东部风尘黄土研究过程中,更需注意区域环境特征、地貌地形特点以及沉积期后环境变化对风尘黄土沉积物的影响效应,通过多指标的综合验证才能够正确解读黄土地层赋含的环境变化信息以及认识我国东部季风区晚更新世以来的古环境演变过程及规律.     

Terrestrial mollusk evidence for the origin and sedimentary environment of the Late Tertiary Red Clay Formation in the Loess Plateau, China

The origin and sedimentary environment of theLate Tertiary (Neogene) Red Clay Formation in northernChina had long been controversial. A new mollusk recordfrom the Xifeng red clay (red-earth) sequence in the centralLoess Plateau provides the biological evidence for addressingquestions of its origin and environmental implication. Thestudy of composition and preservation condition of seventymollusk fossil assemblages reveals the initial ecological con-dition of the red clay formation, avoiding the effect ofpost-deposited alteration. The result shows that all of identi-fiable mollusk species are composed of terrestrial taxa, mostof them are the common species found in the overlying Qua-ternary Ioess-paleosol sequence. Most of fossil individualspreserved in the red clay strata are in living conditions basedon the investigation of fieldwork, indicating the originalpopulation. Thus, the mollusk fossil assemblages can be usedas an indicator of primary environment of the red clay for-mation. The mollusk record from the Xifeng red clay se-quence supports the view that the red clay is an aeolian ori-gin, similar to the overlying Quaternary loess deposits. Ourdata also reveal the history of environmental changes atXifeng from 6.2--2.4 Ma, which is coupled in phase with theformation and development of the Arctic ice sheets and theprocess of the Tibetan Plateau uplift. Both may be the majorcause and forcing mechanisms of the late Tertiaryenvironmental changes in the Loess Plateau.     

S2以来下蜀黄土沉积序列磁化率记录与深海氧同位素记录的对比

对镇江下蜀黄土剖面进行了系统的磁化率测试,并同深海氧同位素记录进行了对比。结果表明,S2以来下蜀黄土磁化率记录与深海氧同位素记录存在良好的对应关系。首次在下蜀黄土记录中发现了相当于深海氧同位素5a,5b,5c,5d和5e亚阶段的波动特征;下蜀黄土S2磁化率记录则可与深海氧同位素7阶段进行细节上的详细对比。对比揭示,最近20多万年以来,下蜀黄土堆积区对全球古气候变化有着积极的响应;同时,下蜀黄土记录的古气候变化在某些阶段又具有明显的区域特征,可能反映的是全球气候变化效应与东亚古季风气候影响的叠加作用。镇江下蜀黄土剖面能获得精度较高的全球变化信息与其特定的地理位置、纬度位置和地貌条件有关。     

浙江省内不同成土母质红土粒度特征比较

浙江省内7个典型红土剖面红土粒度测试表明：（1）浙江省内红土发育母质多样,沉积环境和母岩性状对红土粒度特征的控制意义较为显著,粒度组成能够有效区分不同成因的红土类型．（2）金华汤溪（TX）、浦江上山西南（SSSW）、安吉（AJ）、金华湖海塘（HHT）剖面红土以粉砂粒组占优势,粘粒含量次之,但TX、SSSW、AJ剖面砂含量很小,均值0．13％～1．18％;HHT剖面125～2000μm之间粗粒组分明显．前者显示风成特性,后者受风动力以外其他近源动力改造．风成特性加积型红土的存在对于认识第四纪期间风尘沉积物在长江以南地区的分布和季风演化信息具有重要意义．（3）基岩风化壳型红土的粒度组成因母岩性质而不同．相比较,众数峰值以砂岩红土最粗（30—63μm）,花岗岩红土次之（15—30μm）,玄武岩红土最细（4—6μm）．此外,花岗岩红土在125～2000μm之间有明显的中粗砂组分;玄武岩红土在0．2—1．0μm之间有明显的粘粒组分;砂岩红土除众数粒度峰外,在2—4μm以及0．2—1．0μm之间还存在多个分量．玄武岩红土比砂岩和花岗岩红土更均化．     

黄河中游晚第三纪与第四纪古气候关系初探

通过对黄河中游红粘土所记录的古气候特征的研究,表明诸如古季风等第四纪古气候的许多重要特征在新第三纪晚期已见雏形,形成了上第三系红粘土和第四系黄土在粒度分布,对气候变化敏感的地球化学元素的波动形式及淋溶层一淀积层的多次叠置等方面的相似性。这些特征是古气候发展中共性的表现。从新第三纪末期,动物群组成开始明显变化,向着分异度降低和优势现象明显的方向发展,是古环境趋于极性的表现。     

Comparisons of grain size characteristics of red earth from southern China with that of loess and dune sand from Beijing region

The comparisons of grain size distributions among eolian deposits along the monsoon wind trajectory are a fundamental task for the reconstruction of the past wind regimes. Here the authors sampled the dune sands in Hunsandak desert, loess deposits in Beijing region and red earth in southern China. Grain size analyses show that the distribution models of the loess and dune sand samples are unimodal whereas the red earth and paleosol are polymodal. The red earth, paleosol, loess and dune samples are distinguished and closely related to one another in grain size parameter diagrams. Moreover, the grain size distributions and parameters of the red earth and paleosol are similar, implying that the red earth in southern China and the paleosol in northern China had the same origin.     

Climate instability during the last glaciation recorded in the Yuanbu loess section

Abrupt events within the Linxia Yuanbu loess section in the western Loess Plateau in China were investigated. The climatic proxy index of the content of mean grain-size and >4 μm grain-size fraction of the section was used as a climatic indicator, and a moving average method was applied in the statistical analysis to extract the abrupt events recorded in the section. It was found that the loess of the last glaciation recorded not only the abrupt events teleconnected with the high-latitude North Atlantic and Greenland regions but also as many as 15 abrupt events in addition to the Heinrich (H) and Younger Dryas (YD) events. This indicates that abrupt climate changes were typical of the climate changes occurring in the Loess Plateau during the last glaciation. The widely recognized mechanisms of the abrupt climate changes, including the heat transfer theory of the North Atlantic Ocean, the atmospheric circulation theory, and the theory of the interaction between low-latitude ocean and the atmosphere remains to be discussed. Perhaps this problem could be resolved by revealing the relation between the evolution of the features of the East Asian monsoon climate and the climate in the surrounding areas. Through a detailed study of the features of the Heinrich and YD events, criteria on which the abrupt events recorded in the loess could be distinguished were tentatively defined. The events were associated with a large grain size, high carbonate content, high lightness, low susceptibility, low redness and low yellowness. In addition, the variation amplitude of the adjacent peak and valley on the curve of the content of the mean grain-size and >40 μm grain-size fraction was larger than 3.4 μm and the content of >40 μm grain-size fraction was larger than 2.0 μm. Lastly, the length of the variation time was less than 500 years. If all these criteria were met, the event was viewed as an abrupt event.     

Climate instability in the Yili region, Xinjiang during the last glaciation

The climate is influenced by westerlies year in year out and the aeolian loess is widespread in the Yili region, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Through the study of the loess section with a thickness of 21.5 m, much useful information about climatic change in this region during the last glaciation was gotten. Grain size analysis of loess samples in the section showed that the climatic change in the Yili region was of instability during the last glaciation and similar to those of the North Atlantic Ocean and Greenland. In correspondence with the Heinrich events, the percentage of the size fraction of loess with grain size less than 10 μm decreased in cold stadials in the Yili region. This result suggests that the westerly wind be strengthened during the cold periods. Compared with the stadials, the content of the loess with grain size less than 10 μm was increased in interstadials, which indicated that the strength of the westerly wind was weakened. It is obvious that the climate was instable not only in the North Atlantic Ocean and polar regions, but also in other areas of Northern Hemisphere during the last glaciation.     

Comparisons of grain size characteristics of red earth from southern China with that of loess and dune sand from Bering region

The comparisons of grain size distributions among eolian deposits along the monsoon wind trajectory are a fundamental task for the reconstruction of the past wind regimes. Here the authors sampled the dune sands in Hunsandak desert, loess deposits in Beijing region and red earth in southern China. Grain size analyses show that the distribution models of the loess and dune sand samples are unimodal whereas the red earth and paleosol are polymodal. The red earth, paleosol, loess and dune samples are distinguished and closely related to one another in grain size parameter diagrams. Moreover, the grain size distributions and parameters of the red earth and paleosol are similar, implying that the red earth in southern China and the paleosol in northern China had the same origin.     

改性下蜀黄土防渗性能的优化设计

对石灰-下蜀黄土、粉煤灰-下蜀黄土的渗透系数的主要影响因素(掺灰比、含水量)进行正交试验设计,选用双因素方差分析法分析了掺灰比、含水质量分数与渗透系数之间的关系,发现掺灰比和含水质量分数对下蜀黄土的防渗性能均有重要影响.提出了下蜀黄土防渗性能的优化设计方案,认为高含水质量分数低掺灰比的组合有利于防渗.     

Factors affecting potassium fixation in seven soils under 15-year long-term fertilization

Potassium （K） fixation by seven soils, including black soil, fluvo-aquic soil, grey desert soil, loess soil, paddy soil, red soil and purple soil, was determined by laboratory simulation under a fifteen-year-period of long-term fertilization. Factors affecting soil K fixation were then discussed by factor analysis and stepwise regression. Magnitude of soil K fixation rate was as follows： the black soil 〉 the purple soil 〉 the loess soil 〉 the fluvo-aquic soil 〉 the paddy soil 〉 the grey desert soil 〉 the red soil. Our results showed that soil K fixation capacity was significantly affected by the clay mineral types in the soils. Potassium fixation capacity of soils, whose 2：1 layer silicates were dominant minerals, was affected by two components extracted by the method of principal component analysis： the first including soil available K, slow available K and K^＋ saturation, and the second including cation exchange capacity （CEC）, soil organic matter （SOM） and 〈0.002 mm clay contents. Potassium fixation rate was mainly affected by K^＋ saturation and CEC with lower added K concentration （from 0.4 to 1.6 g/L）, and by K^＋ saturation and 〈0.002 mm clay content with higher added K concentration （from 2.4 to 4.0 g/L）.     

下蜀黄土用作填埋场衬垫层的防渗试验

城市固体垃圾的填埋处置是我国今后相当长时间内垃圾的主要处理方式，衬垫层在垃圾卫生填埋场设计中居于关键地位。从我国国情出发，选取长江中下游地区广泛分布的下蜀黄土为研究对象，通过对其本征特性、击实特性以厦在不同状态下的渗透性能等的试验研究，揭示下蜀黄土的渗透规律，确定其用作垃圾填埋场衬垫层的有效方式，为合理开发和有效利用下蜀黄土这种廉价资源进行环境保护提供可靠的理论依据。     

Variation of Zr/Rb ratios on the Loess Plateau of Central China during the last 130000 years and its implications for winter monsoon

To find a new index of winter monsoon without effects of chemical weathering and pedogenesis is an important task in loess research. Chemical analysis of five grain size fractions (i.e. >32 μm, 32–20 μm, 20–8 μm, 8–2 μm and <2 μm) show that Zr is enriched in coarser grain size, while Rb is concentrated in finer fractions. An excellent correlation occurs between Zr/Rb ratios and mean grain size in loess units (L₁LL₁ and L₁LL₂) from Huanxian and Xifeng sections, reflecting that Zr/Rb ratios increase when grain size is coarser. Due to immobility of the two elements during the postdepositional process, Zr/Rb ratios can eliminate the effect of weathering and pedogenesis and serve as an excellent proxy on winter monsoon variation. The Zr/Rb ratio curves of the Huanxian, Xifeng and Luochuan sections during the last 130000 years show that the winter monsoon strength was very weak during MIS 3, which corresponded to the intensity during MIS 5.     

南京下蜀土剖面磁化率测量及其与深海沉积的对比

本文通过对典型样品的低温磁行为分析探讨了磁化率反映古气候的机制,并尝试把下蜀土剖面磁化率古气候记录与华北黄土及深海沉积的记录相对比。     

Eolian sand deposition and its environmental significance in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

The dry climate which appeared about 8#x2013;7 Ma ago in South Asia has been interpreted as results of the intensification of Asian monsoon caused by the uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at its maximum altitude around that time. Whether it is or not, it is a critical problem. A total of 55 samples were taken from the Tertiary red earth and Quaternary lacustrine deposits and loess in the Linxia Basin which is located in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, for the analysis of quartz types and contents using electron probe microanalyzer. The results indicate that the eolian sands have existed since 15Ma and reached its maximum content at 8 and 6#x2013;5 Ma, respectively. This means that the climate was very dry during 8-5 Ma period in western China, which was regarded as the result of global climatic change at that time. Mean size of quartz sand grains was about 0.4 mm during 15#x2013;3.6/2.6 Ma period and dropped to 0.1–0.07 mm dramatically after 3.6–2.6 Ma. This demonstrates that the local eolian deposition was decreased significantly and even disappeared since Late Pliocene and was replaced by dust deposits from distal source, suggesting the uplift of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the change of air circulation after 3.6–2.6 Ma.