71 resultados para Sloths, Fossil


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There has been a growing concern about the use of fossil fuels and its adverse effects on the atmospheric greenhouse and ecological environment. A reduction in the release rate of CO2 into the atmosphere poses a major challenge to the land ecology of China. The most promising way of achieving CO2 reduction is to dispose of CO2 in deep saline aquifers. Deep aquifers have a large potential for CO2 sequestration in geological medium in terms of volume and duration. Through the numerical simulation of multiphase flow in a porous media, the transformation and motion of CO2 in saline aquifers has been implemented under various temperature and hydrostatic pressure conditions, which plays an important role to the assessment of the reliability and safety of CO2 geological storage. As expected, the calculated results can provide meaningful and scientific information for management purposes. The key problem to the numerical simulation of multiphase flow in a porous media is to accurately capture the mass interface and to deal with the geological heterogeneity. In this study, the updated CE/SE (Space and time conservation element and solution element) method has been proposed, and the Hybrid Particle Level Set method (HPLS) has extended for multiphase flows in porous medium, which can accurately trace the transformation of the mass interface. The benchmark problems have been applied to evaluate and validate the proposed method. In this study, the reliability of CO2 storage in saline aquifers in Daqingzi oil field in Sunlong basin has been discussed. The simulation code developed in this study takes into account the state for CO2 covering the triple point temperature and pressure to the supercritical region. The geological heterogeneity has been implemented, using the well known geostatistical model (GSLIB) on the base of the hard data. The 2D and 3D model have been set up to simulate the CO2 multiphase flow in the porous saline aquifer, applying the CE/SE method and the HPLS method .The main contents and results are summarized as followings. (1) The 2D CE/SE method with first and second –order accuracy has been extended to simulate the multiphase flow in porous medium, which takes into account the contribution of source and sink in the momentum equation. The 3D CE/SE method with the first accuracy has been deduced. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed CE/SE method have been investigated, using the benchmark problems. (2) The hybrid particle level set method has been made appropriate and extended for capturing the mass interface of multiphase flows in porous media, and the numerical method for level set function calculated has been formulated. (3) The closed equations for multiphase flow in porous medium has been developed, adept to both the Darcy flow and non-Darcy flow, getting over the limitation of Reynolds number to the calculation. It is found that Darcy number has a decisive influence on pressure as well as velocity given the Darcy number. (4) The new Euler scheme for numerical simulations of multiphase flows in porous medium has been proposed, which is efficient and can accurately capture the mass interface. The artificial compressibility method has been used to couple the velocities and pressure. It is found that the Darcy number has determinant effects on the numerical convergence and stability. In terms of the different Darcy numbers, the coefficient of artificial compressibility and the time step have been obtained. (5) The time scale of the critical instability for critical CO2 in the saline aquifer has been found, which is comparable with that of completely CO2 dissolved saline aquifer. (6) The concept model for CO2 multiphase flows in the saline aquifer has been configured, based on the temperature, pressure, porosity as well as permeability of the field site .Numerical simulation of CO2 hydrodynamic trapping in saline aquifers has been performed, applying the proposed CE/SE method. The state for CO2 has been employed to take into account realistic reservoir conditions for CO2 geological sequestration. The geological heterogeneity has been sufficiently treated , using the geostatistical model. (7) It is found that the Rayleigh-Taylor instability phenomenon, which is associated with the penetration of saline fluid into CO2 fluid in the direction of gravity, has been observed in CO2 multiphase flows in the saline aquifer. Development of a mushroom-type spike is a strong indication of the formation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability due to the developed short wavelength perturbations present along the interface and parallel to the bulk flow. Additional key findings: the geological heterogeneity can distort the flow convection. The ascending of CO2 can induce the persistent flow cycling effects. The results show that boundary conditions of the field site have determinant effects on the transformation and motion of CO2 in saline aquifers. It is confirmed that the proposed method and numerical model has the reliability to simulate the process of the hydrodynamic trapping, which is the controlling mechanism for the initial period of CO2 storage at time scale of 100 years.

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The Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS) is one of the strongest deformation area along the Himalayan belt resulted from the collision between Indian plate and the Eurasian Plate since the 50~60Ma, and has sensitivity tracked and preserved the whole collisional processes. It should depend on the detail geological investigations to establish the deformational accommodate mode, and the uplift history, to elucidate the deep structure and the crust-mantle interaction of the Tibet Plateau of the EHS. The deep-seated (Main Mantle Thrusts) structures were exhumed in the EHS. The MMT juxtapose the Gangdese metamorphic basement and some relic of Gangdese mantle on the high Himalayan crystalline series. The Namjagbawa group which is 1200~1500Ma dated by U/Pb age of zircon and the Namla group which is 550Ma dated by U/Pb age of zircon is belong to High Himalayan crystalline series and Gangdese basement respectively. There is some ophiolitic relic along the MMT, such as metamorphic ocean mantle peridotite and metamorphic tholeiite of the upper part of ocean-crust. The metamorphic ocean mantle peridotites (spinel-orthopyroxene peridotite) show U type REE patterns. The ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr ratios were, 0.709314~0.720788, and the ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd ratios were 0.512073~0.512395, plotting in the forth quadrant on the ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr-~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd isotope diagram. Some metamorphic basalt (garnet amphibolite) enclosures have been found in the HP garnet-kynite granulite. The garnet amphibolites can be divided two groups, the first group is deplete of LREE, and the second group is flat or rich LREE, and their ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr, ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd ratios were 0.70563~0.705381 and 0.512468~0.51263 respectively. Trace element and isotopic characteristics of the garnet amphibolites display that they formed in the E-MORB environment. Some phlogolite amphibole harzburgites, which exhibit extensive replacement by Phl, Amp, Tc and Dol etc, were exhumed along the MMT. The Phl-Amp harzburgites are rich in LREE and LILE, such as Rb, K etc, and depletes Eu (Eu~* = 0.36 ~ 0.68) and HFSE, such as Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, P, Ti etc. The trace element indicate that the Phl-Amp harzburgites have island arc signature. Their ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr are varied from 0.708912 to 0.879839, ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd from 0.511993 to 0.512164, ε Nd from- 9.2 to - 12.6. Rb/Sr isochrone age of the phlogolite amphibole harzburgite shows the metasomatism took place at 41Ma, and the Amp ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar cooling age indcate the Phl-Amp harzburgite raising at 16Ma. There is an intense crust shortening resulted from the thrust faults and folds in the Cayu block which is shortened more 120km than that of the Lasha block in 35~90Ma. With the NE corner of the India plate squash into the Gangdese arc, the sinistral Pai shear fault and the dextral Aniqiao shear fault on the both sides of the Great bent of Yalun Zangbu river come into active in 21~26Ma. On the other hand, the right-lateral Gongrigabu strike-slip faults come into activity at the same period, a lower age bound for the Gongrigabu strike-slip fault is estimated to be 23~24Ma from zircon of ion-probe U/Pb thermochronology. The Gongrigabu strike-slip faults connect with the Lhari strike-slip fault in the northwestern direction and with the Saganing strike-slip at the southeastern direction. Another important structure in the EHS is the Gangdese detachment fault system (GDS) which occurs between the sedimental cover and the metamorphic basement. The lower age of the GDS is to be 16Ma from the preliminary 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology of white mica. The GDS is thought to be related to the reverse of the subducted Indian crust and the fast uplift of the EHS. Structural and thermochronology investigation of the EHS suggest that the eastern Tibet and the western Yunnan rotated clockwise around the EHS in the period of 35~60Ma. Later, the large-scale strike-slip faults (RRD, Gaoligong and Saganing fault) prolongate into the EHS, and connect with the Guyu fault and Gongrigabu fault, which suggest that the Indianchia block escape along these faults. Two kind of magmatic rocks in the EHS have been investigated, one is the mantle-derived amphibole gabbro, dioposide diorite and amphibole diorite, another is crust origin biotit-garnet adamellite, biotit-garnet granodiorite and garnet-amphibole-biotite granite. The amphibole gabbro dioposite diorite and amphibole diorite are rich in LREE, and LILE, such as Ba, Rb, Th, K, Sr etc, depleted in HFSE, such as Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti etc. The ratio of ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr are from 0.7044 to 0.7048, ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd are from 0.5126 to 0.5127. The age of the mantle origin magamatic rocks, which result from the partial melt of the raising and decompression anthenosphere, is 8Ma by ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of amphibole from the diorite. The later crust origin biotite-garnet adamellite, biotite-garnet granodiorite and garnet-amphibole-biotite granite are characterized by aboudance in LREE, and strong depletion of Eu. The ratios of ~(87)Sr-~(86)Sr are from 0.795035 to 0.812028, ~(143)Nd/~(144)Nd from 0.51187 to 0.511901. The ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar plateau age of the amphibole from the garnet-amphibole-biotite granite is 17.5±0.3Ma, and the isochrone age is 16.8±0.6Ma. Their geochemical characteristics show that the crust-derived magmatic rocks formed from partial melting of the lower curst in the post-collisional environment. A group of high-pressure kaynite-garnet granulites and enclave of high-pressure garnet-clinopyroxene grnulites and calc-silicate grnulites are outcroped along the MMT. The peak metamorphic condition of the high-pressure granulites yields T=800~960 ℃, P=1.4~1.8Gpa, corresponding the condition of 60km depth. The retrograde assemblages of the high-pressure grnulites occur at the condition of T=772.3~803.3 ℃, P=0.63~0.64Gpa. The age of the peak metamorphic assemblages are 45 ~ 69Ma indicated by the zircon U/Pb ion-plobe thermochronology, and the retrograde assemblage ages are 13~26Ma by U/Pb, ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar thermochronology. The ITD paths of the high-pressure granulites show that they were generated during the tectonic thickening and more rapid tectonic exhumation caused by the subducting of the Indian plate and subsequent break-off of the subducted slab. A great deal of apatite, zircon and sphene fission-track ages, isotopic thermochronology of the rocks in the EHS show that its rapid raising processes of the EHS can be divided into three main periods. There are 35~60Ma, 13~25Ma, 0~3Ma. 3Ma is a turn in the course of raising in the EHS which is characterized by abruptly acceleration of uplifting. The uplift ratios are lower than 1mm .a~(-1) before 3Ma, and higher than 1mm .a~(-1) with a maximum ratio of 30mm .a~(-1) since 3Ma. The bottom (knick point) of the partial anneal belt is 3.8km above sea level in the EHS, and correspond to age of 3Ma determined by fission-track age of apatite. The average uplift ratio is about 1.4 mm .a~(-1) below the knick point. The EHS has raised 4.3km from the surface of 2.36km above sea level since 3Ma estimated by the fossil partial anneal belt of the EHS. We propose a two-stage subduction model (B+A model) basing on Structural, thermochronological, magmatical, metamorphic and geophysical investigations of the EHS. The first stage is the subduction of the Indian continental margin following after the subduction of the Tethys Ocean crust and subsequent collision with the Gangdese arc, and the second stage is the Indian crust injecting into the lower crust and upper mantle of the Tibet plateau. Slab break-off seems to be occurred between these two stages.

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Livingston Island, the second island of South Shetland Island, constains Mesozoic-Cenozoic basement, Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic sequences, plutonic intrusions and post-subduction volcanic rocks, which document the history and evolution of an important part of the South Shetland Islands magmatic arc. The sedimentary sequence is named the Miers Bluff Formation (MBF) and is interpreted as turbidite since the first geological study on South Shetland Islands, and is interpreted as turbidite. It base and top are not exposed, but a thickness of more than 3000m has been suggested and seems plausible. The turbidite is overlain by Mid - Cretaceous volcanic rocks and intruded by Eocene tonalites. The age of the Miers Bluff Formation is poorly constrained Late Carboniferous -Early Triassic. Sedimentary Environment, tectonic setting and forming age of sedimentary rocks of the Miers Bluff Formation were discussed by means of the methods of sedimentology, petrography and geochemistry, combinig with the study of trace fossils and microfossil plants. The following conclusions are obstained. A sedimentary geological section of Johnsons Dock is made by outside measuring and watching, and then according the section, the geological map near the Spanish Antarctic station was mapped. Four pebbly mudstone layers are first distinguished, which thickness is about 10m. The pebbly mudstone is the typical rock of debris flow, and the depostional environment of pebbly mudstone may be the channel of mid fan of submarine fan. The sedimentsry structural characteristics and size analysis of sandstones show the typical sedimentary feature of turbidity flow and the Miers Bluff Formation is a deep-water turbidite (include some gravity-flow sediments). The materials of palaeocurrents suggest the continental slope dip to southeast, and indicate the provenance of turbidity sediment in the northwest area. By facies analysis, six main facies which include seven subfacies were recognized, which are formed in mid-fan and lower-fan of submarine, meanwhile, the sedimentary features of each facies and subfacies are summarized. The study of clastic composition, major elements, trace elements and rare earth elements indicates the forming setting of the Miers Bluff Formaton is active continental margin and continental island arc and the provenance is dissected magmatic arc which main composition is felsic gneiss. Many trace fossils of the whole succession were found in the turbidites of the Miers Bluff Formation. All these trace fossils are deep sea ichnofossils. There are fifteen ichnogenus, sixteen ichnospecies. Moreover, a new trace fossil was found and a new ichnogenus and new ichnospecies was proposed - Paleaichnus antarctics ichnogen, et ichnosp, nov.. Except the new ichnogenus and ichnospecies, others had been found in deep-sea flysch turbidites. Some are in mudstone and are preserved in the cast convex of overlying sandstone sole, they formed before turbidity flows occurred and belong to the high-different Graphoglyptida of fiysch mudstone. Others as Fucusopsis and Neonereites are preserved in sandstones and stand for trace assemblages after turbidity sedimentation. These trace fossils are typical members of abyssal "Nereites" ichnofacies, and provide for the depositional environment of the Miers Bluff Formation. Fairly diverse microfossil plants have been recovered from the Miers Bluff Formation, Livingston Island, including spores, pollen, acritarchs, wood fragments and cuticles. Containing a total of about 45 species (forms) of miospores, the palynofiora is quantitatively characterized by the dominance of non-striate bisaccate pollen, but spores of pteridophytes and pollen of gymnosperms are proportionate in diversity. It is somewhat comparable to the subzone C+D of the Alisporites zone of Antarctica, and the upper Craterisporites rotundus zone and the lower Polycingulatisporites crenulatus zone of Australia, suggesting a Late Triassic (possibly Norian-Rhaetian) age, as also evidenced by the sporadic occurrence of Aratrisporites and probable Classopollis as well as the complete absence of bisaccate Striatiti. The parent vegetation and paleoclimate are preliminarily deduced. At last, the paper prooses the provenance of sedimentary rocks of the Miers Bluff Formation locates in the east part to the southern Chile(or Southern South American). In the Triassic period, contrasting with New Zealand, Australia and South American of the Pacific margin of Gondwanaland, the Miers Bluff Formation is deposited in the fore-arc basin or back-arc basin of magmatic arc.

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The loess-paleosol sequence in China is one of the best archives for studying paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic processes. The loess deposits in the coast of the Bohai Sea are suitable for the study of aridification in the northern China during glacial periods (fig.2-1). In this paper, stratigraphy was correlated by using magnetic susceptibility, grain size, and thermoluminence (TL) and accelerater mass spectrometer (AMS) ~(14)C ages. Based on the loess records, an interpretation has been made for paleoenvironmental changes on the coast of the Bohai Sea during the last glacials. The results of magnetic susceptibility, grain size, biostratigraphy, TL and ~(14)C dating, suggest that the loess-paleosol sequence in the coast of the Bohai Sea is discontinuous. The loess deposits correlated with the marine δ~(18)O stage 2 are usually absent in some profiles. Also, the thickness of the loess deposits in the same period varied significantly in different sections. In the coast of the Bohai Sea, the higher magnetic susceptibility corresponds to the finer grain size, consistent with the results of the Loess Plateau. It is indicated that the changes in magnetic susceptibility and grain size may record the paleoclimatic fluctuations of the last glacial. Although the loess deposits during the last glacial have been slightly altered by slope runoff, they have still remained main characters as the representative loess deposits of the Loess Plateau. During the last glacial, the less accumulation rate in the coast of the Bohai Sea is similar to that of the desert-loess transition zone in the northwestern Loess Plateau, and the all section contain high concentrations of sand (>60μm), indicate that the aridification in the Bohai Sea occurred during the glacial. But the changes in sand content of loess deposits along a north-south transect of the Bohai Sea and the changes of magnetic susceptibility implicate that desertification might not occur in the shelf of the Bohai Sea during the last glacial. The frequent fluctuations of summer monsoon during the marine δ~(18)O stage 4 are demonstrated by magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent susceptibility and the abundance of foraminifera. 46 genera, 71 species of foraminifera were identified from 138 loess samples. Almost all of the foraminifera are present in the last glacial loess, but the distribution patterns of foraminifera show significant temporal changes. The results of magnetic susceptibility, grain size and XRD indicate that not only sea-level changes had influences on foraminifera abundance, but also variations in sediment flux by rivers when sea-level drops might control the abundance of foraminifera. In addition, the diversity and exquitability of the foraminifera suggest that the frequent fluctuations of foraminifera fossil abundance during the marine δ~(18)O stages could be partly attributed to leaching. In summary, the changes in foraminifera of abundance related to the paleoclimatic variations, and the aridification extends to the coast of the eastern China during the last glacial.

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In Asia, the significant environment changes in Cenozoic include: uplift of Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, formation Asian monsoon system, Aridification in Central Asia. One of major advances in recent studies of eolian deposit on the Loess Plateau is the verification of the eolian origin for the Late Tertiary Hipparion Red-Earth (also called red-Clay) underlying the Quaternary loess. Thus, the Late Tertiary eolian deposit, which has been proven a nearly continuous terrestrial record and sensitive to climate change, provides us an important archive to understand these above Cenozoic environment events. The deposit in eastern Loess Plateau has been extensively studied, while the property and age of deposit underlying the Quaternary loess in western plateau remains unclear. In this paper, detail investigations were made on the Sedimentology, geochemistry of Longxi section, a typical section in western Loess Plateau, to address its origin, and on micromammalian fossils and magnetostratigraphy to address its age. The main conclusions are presented as following: 1. The sedimentological and geochemical properties in Longxi section are highly similar to typical Quaternary eolian deposit in Loess Plateau. Nearly 100 paleosols are recognized in the field, and the grain size are very fine with the median grain size centered at 4~7μm. There is a good agreement of both major and trace element compositions between Longxi deposit and the Quaternary Loess. The REE distribution patterns of Longxi deposit and the Quaternary loess are remarkably similar in shape, with enrichment LREE and fairly flat HREE profiles and clear negative Eu anomaly. The mangnetic minerals in Longxi deposit are mainly magnetite, hematite and maghematite, which are similar to those of the Hipparion Red-Earth and Quaternary Loess. The major difference among them is that the samples from Longxi section contain more hematite. The characteristics of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) in Longxi deposit is highly consistent with that of Quaternary loess, while values of the major AMS parameters, e.g. anisotropy degree, magnetic foliation and lineation, are significantly lower than those of fluvial and lake deposits. These evidences indicate an eolian origin for the sediment. 2. An investigation of micromammalian fossils was firstly carried out for determining the approximate age of the sequence because of lack of materials for accurate isotope dating. Three fossil assemblages were obtained which indicate a chronological range from the Middle Miocene to Late Miocene. The magnetostratigraphical study suggests that it is a near continuous terrestrial record for the period from 13.23 to 6.23 MaB.P. The obtained chronology is highly consistent with fossils assemblages. This section is the oldest eolian deposit presently known in Loess Plateau. 3. The magnetic susceptibly value is high in paleosols than in surrounded weak-weathered layers, which suggests that it may be a climate index on orbital time scale. While it cannot be used as a proxy to address the long-term, change of climate on tectonic time scale, as content of the magnetic minerals is highly variable in different parts of the section. 4. The appearance of Middle Miocene eolian deposit in the Loess Plateau marks the strengthening of aridification of Central Asia. The high degree of similarity between the geochemical properties of Longxi eolian deposit, Hipparion Red-Earth and Quaternary loess a suggests that a rather similar source provenance. The dust accumulation rate (DAR) of Longxi section, which is widely used as a proxy to document the aridity in source areas in marine and terrestrial record studies, recorded the aridity condition in northwestern China over a period from Middle Miocene to Late Miocene. The DAR of the section shows that the continent aridity remains moderate and relative stable over that period.

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A number of proxy records of paleoenvironment using stable isotopes could show the history of past environmental changes. These archives include peat and lake sediments, loess-paleosot sequence, fossil mammals and stalagmite, and so on. The stable isotopic composition of carbonate and organic matter and frequency magnetic susceptibility from Tianshuigou and Yuanlei loess-palesol sequence can be used to give estimates of the paleoenvironmental history of Dali, and even of the whole Chinese Loess Plateau during the last 250ka. Features of the High Temperature and Large Precipitation Event in the Tibet Plateau and its adjacent area during 40~30kaBP had been studied by Professor Shi Y. In this dissertation, its impact on Chinese Loess Plateau has been discussed again. Carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios, magnetic susceptibility and frequency magnetic susceptibility in Tianshuigou and Yuanlei profiles show that the Event in this area is not so stronger as the Tibet Plateau. The carbon isotopic composition of organic matter in Tianshuigou, Yuanlei, dingcun and Jingcun loess-palesol sequences are indicative of major changes in the paleovagetation between terrace and plain of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Water is one of the most important factors adjusting the relative biomass of C4 plant in terrestrial ecosystems. Stable carbon isotope ratio of vertebrate tooth enamel is used increasingly to reconstruct environmental and ecological information modern and ancient ecosystems. The SI3C value of tooth enamel bioapatites can distinguish between browsers and grazers. Data from typical grassland of Inter Mongolia, the Alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yaluzangbu Great Canyon indicate that diets of mammals could record the relative biomass of C4 plant only in the C4 dominated ecosystem. In a C3 dominated ecosystem, diet of mammals would include more C3 plants than vegetation. According to Professor Cerling, proxy records from North and South America, Africa and Pakistan show that at the end of the Miocene (between 8Ma to 6 Ma) there was a global expansion of CA biomass, probably when atmospheric CO2 levels declined. Thus, "C4 world" and "CO2 starvation" are put forward. In this dissertation, carbon isotopes of fossil tooth such as Equus sanmeniensis and Hipparion chiai from Linxia, China reveal that there is a C3 dominated ecosystem in the late Miocene. Diets of ancient mammals in Linxia are not evidence of global expansion of C4 biomass.

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Eolian deposits are important for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions in arid and semi-arid regions. In China active sand dunes mainly occur in the northwest inland basins ,whereas deserts dominated by semi-stabilized sand dunes are mainly distributed in the northeastern semi-arid and sub-humid regions. Recent studies indicate that prompt desertification in northeastern China has been serious.Thus northeastern China is one of the key sites on which to study the history of past environmental changes. However, previous studies focused mainly on big scale environmental changes, whereas changes in the environment during the Holocene have not been well studied. This research uses optically stimulated luminescence to date fossil sand dunes in Hunshandake desert in order to offer the accurate time scale to reconstruct the history of eolian activity in the region. Furthermore,we compare this region with other deserts in northern China.The main conclusions is following: Active dune formation in northeastern China lasted from the Last Glacial Maximum to about 10 000aB.P. It has also been shown that the warm climate of the Holocene was interrupted by a cold/dry dune-forming episode at about 2 800-1 800aB.R. The Holocene Optimum occurred between 10 000-2 800aB.R, and a later warm/humid dune stabilization phase lasted from at least 1 900-1 500aB.R. The youngest age on the uppermost soil unit in Hunshandake desert yielded an age of 90aB.P.,on which the younger sand deposits,and the youngest age on the sand in Hulun Buir desert is 40aB.R. The mean annual precipitation of these regions is up to 450 mm. But these deserts locate in middle latitudes regions, where the climate is sub-humid, semi-arid continental monsoon.Under present climatic conditions, there should be no active sand dunes in northeastern China. So the appearance of active sand in northeastern China is not due to natural factors,but to extensive land reclamation and cultivation.

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The term black carbon is used to describe a relatively inert and ubiquitous form of carbon, comprising a range of materials from char and charcoal to element or graphite carbon produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Due to its inertness, the BC in soils, lacustrine and marine sediments and ice can persist over a long period of time. So BC signatures in geological deposits can be used as evidence of natural fires happened in their surroundings. To study the temporal and spatial changes in paleofires over the Chinese Loess Plateau, black carbon concentrations were analyzed on the loess-paleosol samples from three sections including Lijiayuan, Lingtai and Weinan along a north-south transect. Using the orbitally-tuned time-scales of the sections, the black carbon sedimentation rates (BCSR) were calculated. Meanwhile, with objective to document fine resolution fire history during late Pleistocene and Holocene periods, we measured BC concentrations of loess-paleosol samples at dense sampling intervals since 28 ka BP. in Lijiayuan section. The BCSR of the samples were also calculated. In addition, we also conducted observation on black carbon morphologies to examine their sources. Based on the results, the following remarks can be concluded: 1. In the last two glacial cycles, the BCSR values in glacial periods are 2-3 times higher than in interglacial periods, and the BCSR variability has a relatively strong precession-associated 23 kyr period, suggesting that the glacial cold-dry climate conditions were apt to induce natural fires over the Loess Plateau, 2. Comparison of the BCSR records among the three loess sections demonstrates that natural fire occurrence was much more intensive and frequent in the northern and interglacial periods. 3. Pollen records and carbon isotope analyses of organic matter have shown that the Loess Plateau was covered by an Artemisia-dominated grassland vegetation both during glacial and interglacial periods, So grassland fires were the dominant fire types in the Plateau, which is also corroborated by the observation of black carbon morphology. In addition, statistics and comparison of BC particle sizes among the sections demonstrated that BC records probably reflected local fires. 4. According to previous studies about the effect of fires on vegetation changes, we considered that the fires might play an important role in the expansion of grassland during glacial periods, besides the control of climate changes. 5. The high resolution black carbon record in Lijiayuan section has shown that the BCSR series well documented Younger dryas (YD) and Heinrich (HI和H2) events, suggesting that natural fires in the northwestern part of Chinese Loess Plateau could regularly respond to the millennial scale climate oscillation.

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In this study, 260 mollusk fossil samples from a Red Clay sequence at Xifeng, Gansu province, in the northern China were analyzed quantitatively. 12 fossil species and four fossil zones have been identified. Three main ecological groups were determined based on ecological requirement of each mollusk taxon. According to fossil composition and succession of three ecological groups, the author discussed the origin and sedimentary environment of the red clay deposits, and the process of ecological environmental changes as well as the variations of the East Asia monsoons during 6.2-2.4 Ma in the Loess Plateau. A preliminary study on periodicity of paleoclimatic changes was also conducted by using spectral analysis method. The main results and conclusions are presented as follows:A continuous land mollusk fossil sequence of 6.2-2.4 Ma from Xifeng Red Clay Formation has been established, which provided a basic data for studying the environmental changes during late Miocene to Pliocene.The study of composition and preservation condition of mollusk fossils reveals a terrestrial in situ ecological population in the Red Clay Formation. All of identifiable mollusk species are composed of terrestrial taxa, which support the view that the Red Clay is an eolian origin, similar to the overlying Quaternary loess deposits.The mollusk record reveals the processes of ecological and environmental changes during 6.2-2.4 Ma in the Loess Plateau. Climatic changes experienced cold and dry from 6.2-5.4 Ma, warm and wet during 5.4-4.5 Ma, mild and moderate from 4.5-3-4 Ma, to rapid cooling and drying after 3.4 Ma. From '5.4- 2.4 Ma, climate was stepwise cooling. The cooling trend is in good agreement with a general1 0global cooling trend during this period, as documented by marine 5 0 records.4. Three remarked ecological shifts took place in mollusk assemblages from 6.2-2.4 Ma, focused on about 5.4, 4.5 and 3.4 Ma. The warming shift around 5.4 Ma was probably related to the rising of the global temperature. The cooling shifts around 4,5 and 3.4 Ma however might be closely linked to the uplift of Tibet Plateau and the development of Northern Hemisphere ice sheet.The succession in mollusk ecological groups also recorded the variability of the East Asian winter and summer monsoon. The winter monsoon dominated two periods from 6.2-5.4 Ma and from 3.4-2.4 Ma, while the summer monsoon was strong during 5.4-4.5 Ma. The variations in winter and summer monsoons were in phase during 4.5-3.4 Ma. Monsoon regimes changed with the duration about 1 Ma, which roughly corresponds to the cycle driven by tectonic activity on the time scales of ICP-IO7 years. In addition, mollusk fossils recorded the large amplitude and high frequency fluctuations overlapped on 105-107 years climate cycle.The maximum entropy spectral analysis and filter-band analysis of total mollusk individuals and three typical ecological groups suggest that the climate changes controlled mainly by solar insolation had periods about 70 ka and 40 ka on the time scales of 105 during late Miocene-Pliocene. Climatic periodicity intensified from 4.0 Ma, which reflected strengthened forcing by high latitude ice volume.

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Surface pollen assemblages and their relationhips with the modern vegetation and climate provide a foundation for investigating palaeo-environment conditions by fossil pollen analysis. A promising trend of palynology is to link pollen data more closely with ecology. In this study, I summarized the characteristics of surface pollen assemblages and their quantitative relation with the vegetation and climate of the typical ecological regions in northern China, based on surface pollen analysis of 205 sites and investigating of modern vegetation and climate. The primary conclusions are as follows:The differences in surface pollen assemblages for different vegetation regions are obvious. In the forest communities, the arboreal pollen percentages are more than 30%, herbs less than 50% and shrubs less than 10%; total pollen concentrations are more than 106 grains/g. In the steppe communities, arboreal pollen percentages are generally less than 5%; herb pollen percentages are more than 90%, and Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae are dominant in the pollen assemblages; total pollen concentrations range from 103 to 106 grains/g. In the desert communities, arboreal pollen percentages are less than 5%. Although Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia still dominate the pollen assemblages, Ephedra, Tamaricaceae and Nitraria are also significant important in the pollen assemblages; total pollen concentrations are mostly less than 104grains/g. In the sub-alpine or high and cold meadow communities, arboreal pollen percentages are less than 30%. and Cyperaceae is one of the most significant-taxa in the pollen assemblages. In the shrub communities, the pollen assemblages are consistent with the zonal vegetation; shrub pollen percentages are mostly less than 20%, except for Artemisia and Hippophae rhamnoides communities.There are obvious trends for the pollen percentage ratios of Artemisia to Chenopodiaceae (A/C), Pinus to Artemisia (P/A) and arbor to non-arbor (AP/NAP) in the different ecological regions. In the temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest region, the P/A ratios are generally higher than 0.1, the A/C ratios higher than 2 and the AP/NAP ratios higher than 0.3. In the temperate steppe regions, the P/A ratios are generally less than 0.1, the A/C ratios higher than 1 and the AP/NAP ratios less than 0.1. In the temperate desert regions, the P/A ratios are generally less than 0.1, the A/C ratios less than 1, and the AP/NAP ratios less than 0.1.The study on the representation and indication of pollen to vegetation shows that Pinus, Artemisia, Betula, Chenopodiaceae, Ephedra, Selaginella sinensis etc. are over-representative in the pollen assemblages and can only indicate the regional vegetation. Some pollen types, such as Quercus, Carpinus, Picea, Abies, Elaeagus, Larix, Salix, Pterocelis, Juglans, Ulmus, Gleditsia, Cotinus, Oleaceae, Spiraea, Corylus, Ostryopsis, Vites, Tetraena, Caragana, Tamaricaceae, Zygophyllum, Nitraria, Cyperaceae, Sanguisorba etc. are under-representative in the pollen assemblages, and can indicate the plant communities well. Populus, Rosaceae, Saxifranaceae, Gramineae, Leguminosae, Compositae, Caprifoliaceae etc. can not be used as significant indicators to the plants.The study on the relation of pollen percentages with plant covers shows that Pinus pollen percentages are more than 30% where pine trees exist in the surrounding region. The Picea+Abies pollen percentages are higher than 20% where the Picea+Abies trees are dominant in the communities, but less than 5% where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Larix pollen percentages vary from 5% to 20% where the Larix trees are dominant in the communities, but less than 5% where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Betula pollen percentages are higher than 40% where the Betula trees are dominant in the communities" but less than 5% where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Quercus pollen percentages are higher than 10% where the Quercus trees are dominant in the communities, but less than 1% where the parent plants sparse or absent. Carpinus pollen percentages vary from 5% to 15% where the Carpinus trees are dominant in the communities, but less than 1% where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Populus pollen percentages are about 0-5% at pure Populus communities, but cannot be recorded easily where the Populus plants mixed with other trees in the communities. Juglans pollen accounts for 25% to 35% in the forest of Juglans mandshurica, but less than 1% where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Pterocelis pollen percentages are less than 15% where the Pterocelis trees are dominant in the communities, but cannot be recorded easily where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Ulmus pollen percentages are more than 8% at Ulmus communities, but less than 1% where the Ulmus plants mixed with other trees in the communities. Vitex pollen percentages increase along with increasing of parent plant covers, but the maximum values are less than 10 %. Caragana pollen percentages are less than 20 % where the Caragana plant are dominant in the communities, and cannot be recorded easily where the parent plants are sparse or absent. Spiraea pollen percentages are less than 16 % where the Spiraea plant are dominant in the communities, and cannot be recorded easily where the parent plants are sparse or absent.The study on the relation of surface pollen assemblages with the modern climate shows that, in the axis 1 of DCA, surface samples scores have significant correlation with the average annual precipitations, and the highest determination coefficient (R2) is 0.8 for the fitting result of the third degree polynomial functions. In the axis 2 of DCA, the samples scores have significant correlation with the average annual temperatures, average July temperatures and average January temperatures, and the determination coefficient falls in 0.13-0.29 for the fitting result of the third degree polynomial functions with the highest determination coefficient for the average July temperature.The sensitivity of the different pollen taxa to climate change shows that some pollen taxa such as Pinus, Quercus, Carpinus, Juglans, Spiraea, Oleaceae, Gramineae, Tamariaceae and Ephedra are only sensitive to the change in precipitation.

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Starting with the research status of bio-metallogenesis of Tl deposits and their geology, this work deals with the geological background of Tl enrichment and mineralization and the mechanism of bio- metal-logenesis of Tl deposits, as exemplified by Tl deposits in the low-temperature minerogenetic province. This research on the bio-metallogenesis of Tl deposits is focused on the correlations between bio-enrichment and Tl, the enrichment of Tl in micro-paleo-animals in rocks and ores, bio-fossil casts in Tl-rich ores, the involvement of bio-sulfur in minerogenesis and the enrichment of bio-genetic organic carbon in Tl ores. Thallium deposits have experienced two ore-forming stages: syngenetic bio- en-richment and epigenetic hydrothermal reworking (or transformation). Owing to the intense epigenetic hydrothermal reworking, almost no bio-residues remain in syngenetically bio-enriched Tl ores, thereby the Tl deposits display the characteristics of hydrothermally reoworked deposits.