Zhaoyan Gu

Pedostratigraphy and paleomagnetism of a ∼7.0 Ma eolian loess–red clay sequence at Lingtai, Loess Plateau, north-central China and the implications for paleomonsoon evolution

Abstract A 305-m-thick loess–red clay sequence was discovered recently at Lingtai, which is located in the middle part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. It consists of a complete Pleistocene loess–soil sequence with a thickness of about 175 m and 130 m of Tertiary red clay deposits. The red clay sequence at Lingtai is the thickest one presently known in the Loess Plateau. Field observations show that the Lingtai red clay contains over 110 couplets of pedogenic B horizons and horizontal carbonate nodule horizons, and that it can be regarded as an extremely thick soil complex. Paleomagnetic studies of 680 samples suggest that the basal age of the Lingtai loess–red clay sequence is about 7.05 Ma. Grain size analysis of samples taken at 3.3 cm intervals indicates that the red clay has the same sedimentological characteristics as those observed in the loess, thus suggesting a wind-blown origin of the Tertiary red clay and continuous atmospheric dust deposition in the Loess Plateau during the last 7.05 Ma. The pedogenic characteristics of the paleosols within the Pleistocene loess and the B horizons in the red clay suggest that the East-Asia summer monsoon in the latest Miocene may have already been slightly stronger than that during the Holocene. This implies that at about 7.5 Ma BP, the Tibetan Plateau could have been uplifted to a critical height in maintaining the East-Asia summer monsoon system. Observations of the loess–red clay sequence also suggest that the long-term changes in the East-Asia summer monsoon strength have been nonlinear since the latest Miocene.

Climate as the dominant control on C3 and C4 plant abundance in the Loess Plateau: Organic carbon isotope evidence from the last glacial-interglacial loess-soil sequences

Abundance of C3 and C4 photosynthesis plants can be inferred relatively from stable carbon isotopic composition of organic matter in soils. The samples from five sequences of the last glacialinterglacial loesssoil in the Chinese Loess Plateau have been measured for organic carbon isotopic ratios (δ13 Corg). The organic carbon isotope data show that relative abundance (or biomass) of C4 plants was increased ca. 40% for each sampling site from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to Holocene optimum, and increased southeastward on the Loess Plateau during both periods of LGM and Holocene. Statistic analyses on the steady maximum δ13 Corg values of Holocene soils and modern climatic data from the Loess Plateau and Inner Mongolia indicate that the C4 plant abundance increases with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation. The C4 plant abundance is related much closer with mean April temperature and precipitation than annual. These results lead us to deduce following conclusions. First, temperature is the major factor for control on variations in C4 plant abundance in the Loess Plateau from the last glacial to interglacial. In the absence of favorable temperature condition, both of low moisture and low atmospheric CO2 concentration are insufficient to drive an expansion of the C4 plants in the plateau. Second, δ13 Corg in the loess-paleosol sequences, as a proxy of the relative abundance of C4 plants in the Loess Plateau, could not be used as an indicator of changes in the summer monsoon intensity unless the temperature had changed without great amplitude. Since all C4 plants are grasses, finally, the increase of the C4 plants supports that forest has not been dominant in the ecosystem on the Loess Plateau during Holocene although precipitation and atmospheric CO2 were largely increased relative to those during LGM.

The trend and extent of heavy metal accumulation over last one hundred years in the Liaodong Bay, China

An integrated analysis has been carried out on two cores dated by combination of (210)Pb and (137)Cs in order to characterize the extent of heavy metal accumulation in the Liaodong Bay, Northern China. The concentrations and burial fluxes of Zn, Pb, Cd, and Hg increased abruptly after late 1970s. The enrichment factors of Cd, Hg, Zn and Pb are more than 30, 10, 7, and 3.5, respectively, in the surface sediments. Coincident to the increase of heavy metal contents, the decreasing trend of (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratio indicated lead in the surface sediments mainly come from anthropogenic activities.

Oxygen‐18 and carbon‐13 records for the last 14,000 years from Lacustrine carbonates of Siling‐Co (Lake) in the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

To understand paleoenvironmental changes for the central Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, we analyzed stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon from calcium carbonates in a bottom sediment core collected from Siling-Co (lake). Five conventional and two TAMS 14C dates indicate that the core recovered sediments of the last 14,000 years. Calcium carbonates in the sediments seem to be primary carbonates precipitated chemically in the lake, and not clastic particles from limestones distributed around the lake, because of large variation of isotopic ratios, isotopic covariance since 6,000 yr BP and similarity between dates from total calcium carbonates and organic carbon. Their isotopic composition therefore reflects that of the lake water. We present the following paleoenvironmental history over the last 14,000 years in the central part of the plateau, from secular variations of δ18O, δ13C and CaCO3 content throughout the core: (1) Desiccation was dominant during the latter part of the Last Glacial stage (14,000 to 11,000 yr BP). (2) The Last Glacial stage abruptly terminated at 11,000 yr BP. (3) A temperate and stable climate was dominant from 11,000 to 5,000 yr BP. (4) Climatic conditions fluctuated from 5,000 to the present, including two strong desiccation periods (5,000 to 4,000 yr BP and 3,000 to 2,000 yr BP) and an intermediate period of heavy rainfall (4,000 to 3,000 yr BP). This period is also characterized by a covariant O and C isotopic trend.

Discovery of C4 species at high altitude in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Plant specimens are collected from the areas between latitude 27 ° 42′N and 40 ° 57′N, and longitude 88 ° 93′E and 103 ° 24′E, with an altitudinal range from 2210 to 5050 m above the sea level in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The stable carbon isotope analysis indicates that two of Chenopodiaceae and six of Poaceae in the samples are C4 plants. Four of the C4 plants are found in 11 spots with altitudes above 3800 m, and Pennisetum centrasiaticum, Arundinella yunnanensis and Orinus thoroldii are present in six spots above 4000 m, even up to 4520 m. At low CO2 partial pressure, that sufficient energy of high light improving C4 plant’s tolerance of low temperature and precipitations concentrating in growing season probably are favorable for C4 plants growing at high altitude in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

The two-step monsoon changes of the last deglaciation recorded in tropical Maar Lake Huguangyan,southern China

The concentrations of biogenic silica, total organic carbon, total nitrogen and total hydrogen inferred from the sediments of tropical Maar Lake Huguangyan, southern China, provide a climate record of the last déglaciation with century resolution. The records fully demonstrate the existence of the two-step shape of the last déglaciation in tropic East Asia, and they point out noticeable differences between the low and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, the Boiling first warming at the last deglaciation in the low latitude may have preceded that of the high latitude, whereas the cooling of the Younger Dryas occurred synchronously in the two regions. These results likely suggest that the links between the low and high latitude climates in the Northern Hemisphere during this period are complexity.

Assessment of the palaeoclimate during 3.0–2.6 Ma registered by transition of Red Clay to loess–palaeosol sequence in central North China

Abstract A continuously accumulated section (the Yanyu section) of Red Clay and loess–palaeosol sequence from the southernmost Chinese Loess Plateau was selected for this study of palaeoclimate of the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene period. Termination of the Red Clay accumulation and onset of loess deposition was coincident with the beginning of extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation at 2.6 Ma. Field observations and compositional analyses suggest an aeolian origin for the Red Clay, much like the processes experienced by the loess–palaeosol sequence. Pedogenic analysis indicates that the late Pliocene Red Clay first experienced complete decalcification and illuviation (mechanical translocation of clays) in all horizons, including the present carbonate precipitation zones, but other chemical alterations have been rather weak and even weaker than experienced by the overlying loess-derived palaeosols. In great contrast to the Pleistocene climate characterised by frequent and large-amplitude fluctuations between cold–dry and warm–wet, a relatively steady warm–dry climate condition is implied for the late Pliocene. Dustfall rate assessment indicates a much lower accumulation rate during the late Pliocene than in the early Pleistocene, in agreement with a notable systematic coarsening from the Red Clay to the overlying loess and palaeosols. Together, these features suggest that the dust transport agent, the northwesterly winds, were weaker over the late Pliocene. The transition from Red Clay to loess possibly marked a significant and rapid shift in the climatic system in east Asia.

Effect of burning C3 and C4 plants on the magnetic susceptibility signal in soils

To understand the origin of the ultrafine pedogenic components responsible for the magnetic susceptibility (MS) enhancement remains a major challenging problem, in linking the magnetic signal with paleoclimatic conditions. Here we examine the influence of natural fires on the MS signal of both plants and modern soils and in particular the MS difference between C3 and C4 plant ashes and their influence possibly on soil magnetic susceptibility. We demonstrate that burning of C3 and C4 plants can enhance MS signal of modern soils. We show that C4 plants have greater potential to enhance the MS signal. The average MS value of C4 plant ashes is (532±61)×10−8m³ kg−1, much higher than the average MS value of (120±65)×10−8m³ kg−1 of C3 plant ashes. The Fe2O3 concentration in C4 plant is two to four times higher than that in C3 plant. One burning of the grassland, mainly consisting of C4 plants, can enhance MS value of the surface soil up to about 30–40%.

Sequential extractions and isotope analysis for discriminating the chemical forms and origins of Pb in sediment from Liaodong Bay, China.

Sequential extraction integrated with isotope analysis was carried out on a sediment core from Liaodong Bay, northeast China, for characterizing Pb in various extraction phases and its possible sources. Results show that in all extracted fractions Pb concentrations increased abruptly in the top part of the sediments that deposited after 1980, but remained lower and rather constant before 1980. Consistent with the variation pattern of Pb concentration, the 206Pb/207Pb ratio displays a dramatic decrease around 1980. These findings strongly suggest serious Pb pollution since then. The Pb concentration and the isotopic ratios of 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb in the residual fraction show rather small changes through the entire core, and are similar to those of uncontaminated Chinese loess, possibly representing the characteristics of the regional geogenic background. The isotopic ratios of the sediments before 1980 varied in different extracted fractions with a linear pattern, from the residual at the highest toward the average signature of automobile exhausts and Pb-Zn deposits, implying a prominent two-end member mixing style of the Pb origin; one is the regional geologic background and the other is anthropogenic sources. The difference in isotopic ratios between the extractions might be indicative of varied proportions of the two sources. For sediments after 1980, however, the isotope ratios in nonresidual fractions are all relatively low and show little differentiation, which may suggest that polluted Pb dominates all the extracted fractions for the top part of the core.

Environmental changes during Frasnian-Famennian transition in south China: A multiproxy approach

National Natural Science Foundation[40672118]; National Key Project for basic research[G2000077708]