极地地质钻探研究进展与展望

Geological Drilling in Polar Regions:Progress and Perspectives

南北极在全球海平面变化和碳循环中扮演着关键角色,并蕴藏着地球如何从新生代初期的温室转向现代冰室演变过程的关键信息,因而成为地球科学研究的热点地区。极地地质钻探计划(如DSDP/ODP/IODP/ICDP)研究所取得的成就令人瞩目,刷新了人类对过去全球变化的认识,成为探究地球气候系统演化的一个窗口。通过这些钻探计划,发现了新生代以来气候变冷,南北极冰盖几乎同时形成;揭示了南极冰盖形成和陆地风化的加剧,导致南极中深层水和底层水的生产加速并向北推进,造成全球大洋环流的重大变化;南大洋对大气CO_2的调控作用、全球大洋深部循环、营养盐的分布和海洋生产力等多方面在不同时间尺度上都发挥着重要作用;检验了南北极冰盖形成和消融与海平面变化的关系,为人类预测未来海平面变化提供了历史依据。未来的南北极国际大洋发现(IODP)计划将继续关注于极地冰盖的演变历史、南大洋古海洋学演变历史,追踪北极海—陆环境的联系及其对全球气候的影响。这些结果将对未来全球气候预测提供重要的参考和边界条件。

The Antarctic and the Arctic regions play a key role in global sea level change and carbon cycle, and reserve key information of the Cenozoic transition from a green-house to an ice-house Earth. They have become hot spots in earth science studies. The geological drilling projects in both polar regions （ e.g., DSDP/ODP/IODP/ ICDP） have achieved remarkable successes, which have freshened the knowledge of global environmental and climatic evolution. Along with the Cenozoic global cooling, the timing of glaciation was almost synchronous on both the Antarctic and the Arctic. Accompanied with the Antarctic ice sheet build-up and increased terrestrial weathering, the enhanced formation of Antarctic Bottom Water exerts significant impact on global ocean circulation. The volume of unstable West Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuates during glacial-interglacial periods showing 40 ka obliquity cycles, its volume significantly reduced or collapsed during several peak interglacials or long warm intervals. The Southern Ocean plays a significant role modulating atmospheric CO2 concentration, global deep water circulation and nutrient distribution, productivity at different time scales. Sea level responses to the waxing and waning of polar ice sheets at different time intervals were tested, which provide valuable clue for predicting future sea level changes. The upcoming IODP drilling projects on polar regions will keep focusing on the high latitude ice Sheet development, Southern Ocean paleoceanographic evolution, land-ocean linkages in the Arctic, and the impacts on the global climate, which will provide important boundary conditions for predicting global future climate evolution.