中国黄土:最近250万年地球气候与环境变化的记录者

LOESS IN CHINA: A GOOD ARCHIVE OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES DURING THE QUATERNARY

经过几代中国第四纪环境研究者的努力,已经认识到,中国黄土堆积是过去250万年以来连续的风成沉积物,黄土堆积序列中的粒度、磁化率、碳同位素、生物化石等可以作为古气候与古环境变化的良好替代性指标,中国黄土堆积中包含着最近250万年以来东亚季风气候与黄土高原植被变化过程等信息。中国黄土已经成为认识第四纪地球气候与环境变化的三个重要信息载体之一。对黄土记录的深入研究,将对理解地球系统变化的规律与机制、为黄土高原以及中国西北地区的生态环境建设提供科学依据。

The Quaternary scientists in China have significantly improved our knowledge of loess deposition in north China and our interpretation of paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental changes during the past 2.5 million years. It is recognized that the loess deposit is of aeolian origin and the dust is continuously deposited. It is also believed that grain - size, magnetic susceptibility, carbon isotopes as well as fossil assemblages in the loess deposit are good proxy indicators of the paleomonsoon climate and paleovegetation changes during the past 2.5 million years. Chinese loess is regarded as one of the best archives of climate and environment changes during the Quaternary. Further investigation on the loess deposit and its record of climate and environmental changes is helpful in understanding climate change, and in offering scientific support to the project of ecological and environmental reconstruction in northwest China.