Applying Empirical Methods to Assess the Internal Stability of Embankment Dam Cores of Glacial Till

This paper presents a database of glacial till gradations that are compiled from laboratory internal stability tests from the literature and from core soils of existing dams, some of which have experienced internal erosion. The potential internal instability of these gradations is assessed using empirical methods. Two approaches of evaluation are used: the Kenney-Lau method, which analyzes the shape of the gradation curve;and the Burenkova method, which uses factors of uniformity of the slope of the gradation. Although they include some uncertainties in terms of soils with fines, these methods, which are primarily developed from laboratory studies of sand and gravels, are used in engineering practice to evaluate widely graded soils that include fines, such as glacial tills. This study evaluates the glacial till gradations of the database using these approaches and discusses their applicability and relative predictive success. This study indicates that both the Kenney-Lau method and the Burenkova method have merit, but a closer analysis indicates that the Kenney-Lau approach has relatively better predictive ability based on the glacial till gradations analyzed in this study.

Effects of water content on the shear behavior and critical state of glacial till in Tianmo Gully of Tibet, China

Glacial tills are widely distributed in Tibet, China, and are highly susceptible to landslides under intense rainfalls. Failures of the slope during rainfall are closely related to the shear behavior of glacial tills at different moisture conditions. This study investigates the shear behavior and critical state of saturated and unsaturated glacial tills through a series of drained direct shear tests. The tests were conducted on two types of compacted glacial tills with different water contents and total normal stresses. A strain softening mode of failure is observed for all water content conditions accompanied by noticeable dilation. Dilatancy is found to decrease with increasing water content. Unsaturated samples showed increased rates of dilation as water content is decreased for all applied normal stresses a behavior which cannot be predicted well by classical stressdilatancy models. Furthermore, it was found that the Critical State Line(CSL), plotted on the(e-ln) plane, can be used to define the shear behavior of unsaturated glacial tills at different water contents.The CSL of saturated glacial tills run parallel to this line. The experimental results in this study are aimed to provide a basic understanding to the underlying failure mechanisms of glacial tills.

Compression characteristics of saturated re-compacted glacial tills in Tianmo Gully of Tibet, China

Glacial tills are highly compressible soils composed of loosely cemented sandy silt particles.Their role,for instance,as initial filler materials in geo-technical projects along temperate glacier regions warrant a systematic evaluation of their compressive characteristics.As such,we carry out a series of onedimensional compression tests on re-compacted glacial till samples obtained from Tianmo Gully,Tibet,with the aims of evaluating their compressive behavior under controlled initial stress conditions.The yield stress was determined from the void ratio versus consolidation pressure(e-log)planes.Its compression and swelling behaviors were observed during the primary and secondary compressions of the consolidation tests.From the compression curves,a correlation can be found between the consolidation stress and the void index.In addition,we find that the compression curves of glacial tills collapse into a single curve when normalized by the compression index.The experimental results in this study provide a basic understanding of the compression characteristics of the glacial tills in Tibet,China.

On calculating glacial isostatic adjustment

Modeling the earth's fluid and elastic response to the melting of the glaciers of the last ice age is the most direct way to infer the earth's radial viscosity profile.Here,we compare two methods for calculating the viscoelastic response to surface loading.In one,the elastic equation of motion is converted to a viscoelastic equation using the Correspondence Principle.In the other,elastic deformation is added to the viscous flow as isostatic adjustment proceeds.The two modeling methods predict adjustment histories that are different enough to potentially impact the interpretation of the observed glacial isostatic adjustment(GIA).The differences arise from buoyancy and whether fluid displacements are subjected to hydrostatic pre-stress.The methods agree if they use the same equations and boundary conditions.The origin of the differences is determined by varying the boundary conditions and pre-stress application.

Paleoenvironmental changes recorded by grain size of loess/paleosol sequence from the Chifeng City,Northeastern China since the Last Glacial

The accumulation processes of loess in northeastern(NE)China record the varying characteristics of the East Asian Monsoons(EAM)and the evolution of the local environment.In this study,grain size end-member analysis of the Dajiugang(DJG)section deposited since the Last Glacial in Chifeng City,NE China was used to reveal the dynamic depositional characteristics of loess and environmental evolution of NE China.Results showed that the Chifeng loess comprises three grain size end-members(EM),EM1(7.38μm),EM2(49.4μm)and EM3(90.00μm),indicating the three transport dynamics of dust delivered to the region.The EM1 represents atmospheric dust as the background.The EM2,mainly derived from relatively distant-sources deposition,and EM3,material transported over a short distance,correspond to the intensity of southwesterly winds and the East Asian Winter Monsoon(EAWM),respectively.Results of climate reconstruction,combined with other records,showed that the climate was generally cold and dry with a strong EAWM and a weak East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)during the stadial-period[Marine Isotope Stage(MIS)4 and MIS 2 stage].The climate was predominantly warm and humid,with weak EAWM and surface winds and strong EASM in interstadial-period(MIS 3 and MIS 1 stage).Comparisons between indicators,e.g.,EM3,the LR04 benthicδ18O stack and summer insolation at 65°N suggest that the strong EAWM is induced by increasing the Northern Hemisphere ice volume and reduced summer solar radiation.

Glacial debris flow susceptibility mapping based on combined models in the Parlung Tsangpo Basin,China

Machine learning(ML)-based prediction models for mapping hazard(e.g.,landslide and debris flow)susceptibility have been widely developed in recent research.However,in some specific areas,ML models have limited application because of the uncertainties in identifying negative samples.The Parlung Tsangpo Basin exemplifies a region prone to recurrent glacial debris flows(GDFs)and is characterized by a prominent landform featuring deep gullies.Considering the limitations of the ML model,we developed and compared two combined statistical models(FA-WE and FA-IC)based on factor analysis(FA),weight of evidence(WE),and the information content(IC)method.The final GDF susceptibility maps were generated by selecting 8 most important static factors and considering the influence of precipitation.The results show that the FA-IC model has the best performance.The areas with a very high susceptibility to GDFs are primarily located in the narrow valley section upstream,on both sides of the valley in the middle and downstream of the Parlung Tsangpo River,and in the narrow valley section of each tributary.These areas encompass 86 gullies and are characterized as"narrow and steep".

Flooding(or breaching)of inter-connected proglacial lakes by cascading overflow in the arid region of Western Mongolia(Mt.Tsambagarav,Mongolian Altai)

This study investigates the glacial lake outburst flood(GLOF)hazards in the Tsambagarav mountain range in Western Mongolia,focusing on the Khukhnuruu Valley and its interconnected proglacial lakes.Over the last 30 years,significant glacier retreats,driven by rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns,have led to the formation and expansion of several proglacial lakes.Fieldwork combined with satellite data and meteorological analysis was used to assess the dynamics of glacier and lake area changes,with particular focus on the flood events of July 2021.The research reveals a substantial reduction in glacier area,particularly in the Khukhnuruu E complex,where glacier area decreased by 19.3%.The study highlights the influence of increasing temperatures and summer precipitation,which have accelerated ice melt,contributing to the expansion and eventual breaching of lakes.Additionally,lake area changes were influenced by the steepness of the terrain,with steeper slopes exacerbating peak discharge during floods.Of the studied seven lakes(Lake 1 to Lake 7),Lake 1 experienced the most dramatic reduction,with a decrease in area by 73.51%and volume by 84.84%,followed by Lake 7.This study underscores the region's vulnerability to climate-induced hazards and stresses the need for a comprehensive early warning system and disaster preparedness measures to mitigate future risks.

Evolution and bathymetry of glacial lake at the lowest elevation in Nepal Himalaya

One of the prominent impacts of climate change induced glacier retreat in the Himalayas is the formation and expansion of glacial lakes. The newly formed glacial lakes are mostly located in higher altitudinal regions(4200-5800 m) of Himalaya,however, a new glacial lake(Kapuche, 28.446° N and 84.116° E) have been reported to be emerged in the relatively low elevation area of ~2450 m above sea level(masl) in the Nepal Himalaya. This short communication presents the remote sensing-based evolution and field-based bathymetry of Kapuche lake, and further discusses its formation process and lake type for being a glacial lake at the lowest elevation in Nepal Himalaya.

Glacial reconstruction and periglacial dynamics at the end of Late Pleistocene on the surface of Cofre de Perote volcano,México:a climatological retrospective

Despite being within the intertropical region of the planet,the Mexican territory still has glacier-covered mountains.In recent decades,important advances have been made in studies on glaciology and periglacial environment in Mexico both for current and past conditions.However,in spite of Cofre de Perote volcano(4200 m a.s.l.)being a strategically located mountain,it has not yet been studied in regards to the glacial and periglacial processes;in fact,those dynamics have modified the mountain massifs in the past.To complement the series of studies on glacial history in the high mountain environment of México,this study reconstructs the glacial cover and the periglacial environment of the volcano surface during the final stage of the Late Pleistocene based on climatic retrospective and through the identification of geomorphological features.The findings indicate the existence of a large glacier(ice cap)that covered the northern,western,and southern slopes of the mountain;while in the eastern sector there were two small glaciers,one being of cirque type,and the other of valley type.The current temperature conditions prevent the occurrence of permanent ice bodies;at the same time,it was found that the periglacial blockfields of the slopes is a legacy of the climatic conditions that prevailed at the end of Late Pleistocene.

AMS dating on glacial tills at the source area of the Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains and its implications

Using accelerating mass spectrometry (AMS) dating method, a dating has been made on the primary calcium carbonate in tills and secondary calcium carbonate coating on till gravel and the roche moutonnee formed since the Last Glaciation at the source area of the Urumqi River valley in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China. The results reveal that the carbonate content in the tills in this noncarbonate area is high enough to date by AMS, that the carbon in the coatings on the newly exposed roche moutons and in the modern till is modern carbon and so the 14 C dating results in the ancient till can represent the actual ages of the till formation, and that the warm period during the Holocene began as early as 6 500 a B.P. and lasted to 1 800 a B.P.

Ecological and hydrologic evolution history in the sensitive zone of both East Asian summer monsoon and Westerly since the Last Glacial Maximum

The Qilian Mountains,located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,is a sensitive zone of both East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)and westerly winds(WW).The evolution history and driving mechanism of the ecosystem and hydrologic cycle in this region on long-term timescales have not yet been clarified.In this study,we comprehensively study the hydrologic and ecological evolution history in the sensitive zone since the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM)by integrating surface sediments,paleoclimate records,TraCE-21ka transient simulations,and PMIP3-CMIP5 multi-model simulation.Results show that hydrologic and ecological proxies from surface sediments are significantly different from west to east and mainly divided into three sections:the monsoonaffected region in the eastern Qilian Mountains,the intersection region in the central Qilian Mountains,and the westerly-affected region in the western Qilian Mountains.Meanwhile,paleo-ecological and paleohydrologic reconstructions from the surroundings uncover a synchronous climate evolution that the EASM mainly controls the eastern Qilian Mountains and penetrates the central Qilian Mountains in monsoon intensity maximum,while the WW dominates the central and western Qilian Mountains on both glacial-interglacial and millennial timescales.The simulation results further bear out the glacial humid climate in the central and western Qilian Mountains caused by the enhanced WW,and the humidity maximum in the eastern Qilian Mountains controlled by the strong mid-Holocene monsoon.In general,east-west differences in climate pattern and response for the EASM and the WW are integrally stable on both short-term and long-term timescales.

CO2 Air-Water Exchanges during Seasonal and Glacial Cycles

Based on the photosynthesis-respiration reversible reaction and the available statistics, we attempted to quantify the planetary seasonal exchanges of CO2 between air and water from 1970 and compared them to the glacial ACC cycles as reported from ice cores archives. In 2020, the overall continental absorption (AW) was 8.0 giga tonnes of carbon per year (GtC/y). Emissions into the atmosphere (EW) resulting from mineral degradation by respiration and combustion of biomass and fossil hydrocarbons were 14.7 GtC/y, an increase of 2.4% per year since 1970. The continental surplus balance (-AW+EW) of 6.7 GtC/y was shared between the atmosphere, which received 5.1 GtC/y (GATM), and the ocean which absorbed 1.6 GtC/y. This ocean contribution (OC) corresponded to 17% of the 9.2 GtC/y emissions by combustion of fossil hydrocarbons (EFOS). Analysis of the ACC oscillations during 2020 in the northern hemisphere showed that the ocean absorbed 11.1 GtC during the warm season and outgassed 9.5 GtC during the cold season. Assuming proportionality to world population, the ACC, 414 parts per million (ppm) in 2021, would reach 584 ppm in 2080, still growing at a rate of 0.6% per year. The gain of atmospheric CO2 (GATM) and its absorption by the ocean (OC) were expected to peak at 7.0 and 2.2 GtC/y, respectively, in 2080. This increase in the availability of atmospheric CO2 resulted in improved yields of agriculture which more than compensated for the reduction by half of food-producing areas per capita from 1970.

Glacier area change and its impact on runoff in the Manas River Basin,Northwest China from 2000 to 2020

Understanding the distribution and dynamics of glaciers is of great significance to the management and allocation of regional water resources and socio-economic development in arid regions of Northwest China.In this study,based on 36 Landsat images,we extracted the glacier boundaries in the Manas River Basin,Northwest China from 2000 to 2020 using eCognition combined with band operation,GIS(geographic information system)spatial overlay techniques,and manual visual interpretation.We further analyzed the distribution and variation characteristics of glacier area,and simulated glacial runoff using a distributed degree-day model to explore the regulation of runoff recharge.The results showed that glacier area in the Manas River Basin as a whole showed a downward trend over the past 21 a,with a decrease of 10.86%and an average change rate of–0.54%/a.With the increase in glacier scale,the number of smaller glaciers decreased exponentially,and the number and area of larger glaciers were relatively stable.Glacier area showed a normal distribution trend of increasing first and then decreasing with elevation.About 97.92%of glaciers were distributed at 3700–4800 m,and 48.11%of glaciers were observed on the northern and northeastern slopes.The retreat rate of glaciers was the fastest(68.82%)at elevations below 3800 m.There was a clear rise in elevation at the end of glaciers.Glaciers at different slope directions showed a rapid melting trend from the western slope to the southern slope then to the northern slope.Glacial runoff in the basin showed a fluctuating upward trend in the past 21 a,with an increase rate of 0.03×10^(8) m^(3)/a.The average annual glacial runoff was 4.80×10^(8) m^(3),of which 33.31%was distributed in the ablation season(June–September).The average annual contribution rate of glacial meltwater to river runoff was 35.40%,and glacial runoff accounted for 45.37%of the total runoff during the ablation season.In addition,precipitation and glacial runoff had complementary regulation patterns for river runoff.The findings can provide a scientific basis for water resource management in the Manas River Basin and other similar arid inland river basins.

Development of Sedimentary Environment in the Northeastern South China Sea Since the Last Glacial Stage

Core D （21°23′02″N, 116°47′13″E, water depth 405 m） was sampled from the upper slope from the northeastern South China Sea （SCS） and applied to analyze the sedimentary environmental change in this sea area since the last glacial stage. The results of grain size analysis, diatom analysis and detrital mineral analysis were well matched. We divided the core D into two layers. The surface sand layer （0 - 2 cm） consisted of residual sediments, which might be originally the sediment in the late Pleistocene and later suffered from being transformed in the post glacial transgression. The lower layer （2 - 130 cm） was quite different from the surface one, which might mainly result from a neritic sedimentary environment in the last glacial stage. Two sedimentary cycles could be detected in the core D： regression during Marine isotope stage （MIS） 4 to transgression during MIS 3 and regression during MIS 2 to transgression during the post glacial.

青藏高原天摩沟处冰碛土工程力学性质研究

通过野外考察和实地取样,研究获取了青藏高原天摩沟处冰碛土的分布情况及其土性特征,着重对取样点进行了室内物理力学试验。实验重点关注了冰碛土的力学性质及在不同应力条件下的变化路径。通过试验,天摩沟处冰碛土的力学性质得到了表征。本研究探讨了冰碛土在饱和情况下的力学特征,特别是对天摩沟处的冰碛土进行了物理力学特性测试。这些研究成果为青藏高原地区冰碛土的力学性质提供了重要的数据支持,并为其作为路基的可行性提供了有益的参考和依据。

Impacts of Early Pleistocene glacial vicariance among refugial lineages and Mid-Late Pleistocene interglacial dispersal and expansion on forging population genetic structure of the giant clam Tridacna squamosa(Bivalvia:Cardiidae:Tridacninae)across the Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific oceans

This study aims at identifying the microevolutionary processes responsible for the onset of the remarkable phylogeographic structure already recorded for the endangered giant clam Tridacna squamosa across its distribution range.For this purpose,the evolutionary,biogeographic and demographic histories of the species were comprehensively reconstructed in a mitochondrial dataset comprising nearly the whole available published cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene sequences of T.squamosa.Relatively higher level of genetic diversification was unveiled within T.squamosa,in comparison to earlier macro-geographic investigations,whereby five mitochondrial clusters were delineated.The resulting divergent gene pools in the Red Sea,western Indian Ocean,Indo-Malay Archipelago and western Pacific were found to be driven by Early Pleistocene glacial vicariance events among refugial lineages.Accentuated genetic diversification of the species across the Indo-Malay Archipelago was successively triggered by historical dispersal event during the Mid-Pleistocene MIS19c interglacial.This latter historical event might have also enabled genetically distinct giant clams from the Indo-Malay Archipelago to subsequently colonize the western Pacific,accounting for the genetic diversity hotspot detected within this region(comprising three divergent mitochondrial clusters).Late Pleistocene demographic expansion of T.squamosa,during the Last Interglacial period,could have contributed to forging spatial distribution of the so far delineated genetic entities across the Indo-Western Pacific.Overall,being resilient to major climate shifts during the Pleistocene through adaptation and consequent diversification,T.squamosa could be used as a model species to track the impact of climate change on genetic variability and structure of marine species.In particular,the new information,provided in this investigation,may help with understanding and/or predicting the consequences of ongoing global warming on genetic polymorphism of endangered coral reef species among which Tridacna sp.are listed as ecologically important.

High-Resolution Records of the Holocene Paleoenvironmental Variation Reflected by Carbonate and Its Isotopic Compositions in Bosten Lake and Response to Glacial Activities

The Early Holocene paleoclimate in Bosten Lake on the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, southern Xinjiang, is reconstructed through an analysis of a 953 cm long core （BSTC2000） taken from Bosten Lake. Multiple proxies of this core, including the mineral components of carbonate, carbonate content, stable isotopic compositions of carbonate, Ca/Sr, TOC and C/N and C/S of organic matter, are used to reconstruct the climatic change since 8500 a B.P. The chronology model is made by nine AMS 14C ages of leaves, seeds and organic matter contained in two parallel cores. The climate was cold and wet during 8500 to 8100 a B.P. Temperature increased from 8100 to 6400 a B.P., the climate was warm and humid, and the lake expanded. The lake level was highest during this stage. Then from 6400 to 5100 a B.P., the climate became cold and the lake level decreased slightly. During the late mid-Holocene, the climate was hot and dry from 5100 to 3100 a B.P., but there was a short cold period during 4400 to 3800 a B.P. At this temporal interval, a mass of ice and snow melting water supplied the lake at the early time and made the lake level rise. The second highest lake level stage occurred during 5200 to 3800 a B.P. The climate was cool and wet during 3100 to 2200 a B.P., when the lake expanded with decreasing evaporation. The lake had the last short-term high level during 3100 to 2800 a B.P. After this short high lake level period, the lake shrank because of the long-term lower temperature and reduced water supply. From 2200 to 1200 a B.P., the climate was hot and dry, and the lake shrank greatly. Although the temperature decreased somewhat from 1200 a B.P. to the present, the climate was warm and dry. The lake level began to rise a little again, but it did not reach the river bed altitude of the Konqi River, an outflow river of the Bosten Lake.

Glacier Relics of the Last Glacial and Holocene Periods Discovered in the Middle-low Mountains of Eastern China: Sedimentary Sequences and Environmental Evolution of Mengshan Mountain in Shandong Province since 80 ka

The goal of this research study is to describe academic issues which have been debated in the field of Chinese geosciences for a century. In 1922, Jonquei S. Lee(Li Siguang) discovered Quaternary glacial relics at Taihang Mountainin eastern China. In 1947, he published his research findings in the magazine Mount Lushan in Glacial Age. The research results had established three Ice Ages: Poyang(Gonzi), Dagu(Minde), and Lushan(Lisi). However, at that time, no Wurm glacial relics of the last Ice Age had been found in Lushan Mountain. Since then, the research team represented by Shi Yafeng, who is considered to be "the father of glaciers in China", questioned Jonquei S. Lee’s research results and concluded that "Professor Jonquei S. Lee’s Quaternary glacier research in Lushan Mountain having misread the debris flow". In 2005, the "middle-low mountains" in eastern China were finally defined as follows: "We clearly and unambiguously believe that there were no glacial activities in the middle-low mountainous areas of eastern China(east of 102° to 104°E;below 3,000 and 2,500 m) during the Quaternary Period". Currently, the long-standing academic debate appears to have come to a conclusion. As of 2015, the author and others began to investigate and study the Quaternary glacial relics in Mengshan Mountain(1,156 m above sea level), Shandong Province, one of the "middle-low mountains" of eastern China. The relics have been observed to posses the systematic features of glacial erosion, trough and valley striations, and moraine deposits. The applied dating method shave confirmed that there were not only glacial relics of the last Ice Age(Wurm), but also Holocene glacial relics in the Mengshan Mountain area. Therefore, in order to further establish the corresponding relationship between the glacier, loess, stream sediment series, and MIS in the Mengshan Mountain area, a large number of chronological studies have been carried out regarding the various types of sediments in the area, and 24 dating datahave been obtained using OSL, CRN, and 14 Cmethods.On this basis, the corresponding relationship between the sedimentary sequences and the MIS was established for the first time in eastern China, which in dicates the environmental changes which had occurred in eastern China since 80 ka. These discoveries s and chronological study results confirm the existence of the Last Ice Age, as well as Holocene glacial relics at Mengshan Mountain, there by confirming that Quaternary glaciation had occurred in the middle-low mountain areas of eastern China.

Glacial Runoff Likely Reached Peak in the Mountainous Areas of the Shiyang River Basin,China

Glacier runoff in mountain areas of the Shiyang River Basin(SRB), Qilian Mountain, western China is important for the river and water supply downstream. Small glaciers with area of less than 1km2 are dominant(87%) in the SRB. A modified monthly degree-day model was applied to quantify the glacier mass balance, area, and changes in glacier runoff in the SRB during 1961–2050. The comparison between the simulated and observed snow line altitude, annual glacier runoff, and mass balance from1961 to 2008 suggests that the degree-day model may be used to analyze the long-term change of glacier mass balance and runoff in the SRB. The glacier accumulation shows a significant(p<0.01) decreasing trend of-0.830 mm a-1. The mass balance also shows a significant(p<0.01) decreasing trend of-5.521 mm a-1. The glacier total runoff has significantly(p<0.05)increased by 0.079 × 105 m3 from 1961 to 2008. The monthly precipitation and air temperature are projected to significant(p<0.005) increase during2015 to 2050 under three different scenarios. The ablation is projected to significant(p<0.001) increase,while the accumulation has no significant(p=0.05)trend. The mass balance is projected to decrease, theglacier area is projected to decrease, and the glacier runoff depth is projected to increase. However, the glacier total runoff is projected to decrease. These results indicate that the glacier total runoff over glacier areas observed in 1970 reached its peak in the 2000 s. This will exacerbate the contradiction between water supply and downstream water demands in the SRB.

Discovery and Significance of Quaternary Glacial Vestiges in the Hexigten Area of the Southern Da Hinggan Mountains, Inner Mongolia

The question whether there have been Quaternary glaciations in the Da Hinggan area has puzzled glacial geologists for many years because no sufficient glacial evidence has been found in this area. The study of Quaternary glaciers in the Da Hinggan area is also a key issue of the glaciology in China because of the special location of this area. In the past two years, a large number of complete and typical glacial vestiges have been found in Hexigten in the southern Da Hinggan Mountains, such as fossil cirque groups, horns, knife-edge crests, terminal moraines, glacial stepped stones. These landforms are located at a watershed, which are thus impossible to be formed due to tectonic processes, water or weathering, but can only be formed by glaciation. The calculated flat indexes of the fossil cirques in the Hexigten are 1.7-4.5, 4-5 and 1.3-5, which are within the range of 1.7-5 that is the flat index of real cirques. The typical and complete moraines have also been found in this area. All these glacial vestiges prove that the Quaternary glaciers did exist in the Da Hinggan Mountains of eastern China. Thus, it is of important scientific significance for the research on Chinese, even the global climatic and environmental evolution since the Quaternary.