Formation and Evolution of Vertisols in Huaibei Plain

The objectives of the present paper are to restore soil-forming environment of the Vertisols,to reveal their regularities of formation and evolution and to found soil chronology.In regard to formation and evolution of the Vertisols in the Huaibei Plain,they have undergone 3 cycles of deposition-formation during different geologic time (Q3^3;Q4^2 and Q4^3).Therefore,they are considered as the soils developed on heterogeneous parent material.The Vertisols as a paleosol can be divided into relict Vertisols and buried Vertisols.The former is shajiang black soils called by local people,the latter is shajiang black soils underlying Warp soil or warp soil horizon.

The Holocene warm-humid phases in the North China Plain as recorded by multi-proxy records

The grain size and palinology of sediment and the frequency of ^14C dada provide an integrated reconstruction of the Holocene warm-humid phases of the North China Plain. Two clear intense and long-lasting warm-humid phases were identified by comprehensive research in this region. The first phase was dated back to the early Holocene （9 000-7 000 a BP）, and the second was centered at 5 000-3 000 a BP. The warm-humid episode between 9 000 and 7 000 a BP was also recognized at other sites showing global climatic trends rather than local events. Compared with the concern to the warm-humid phase of the early Holocene, the second one was not paid enough attention in the last few decades. The compilation of the Holocene paleoclimate data suggests that perhaps the second warm-humid phase was pervasive in monsoon region of China. In perspective of environmental archaeology, much attention should be devoted to it, because the flourish and adaptation of the Neolithic cultures and the building up of the first state seem to corresponding to the general warm-humid climatic conditions of this period. In addition, a warm-humid interval at 7 20045 500 a BP was recognized by the grain size data from three sites. However, this warm-humid event was not shown in pollen assemblage and temporal distribution of ^14C data. Perhaps, the resolution for climatic reconstruction from pollen and temporal distribution of ^14C data cited here is relatively low and small-amplitude and short-period climatic events cannot be well reflected by the data. Due to the difference in locality and elevation of sampling site, as well as in resolution of proxy records, it is difficult to make precise correlation. Further work is needed in the future.

Spatiotemporal distribution of regional landslides and erosion rates in Southeastern Tibet

The difficulty in estimating ages of regional landslides hampers to assess frequency of landslides and hence to quantitatively assess regional landslide hazard.In this study,we used radiocarbon dating of organic sediment on boulder rock varnish to estimate landslide ages in Langxian(LX)arid region in southeastern Tibet.Samples of rock varnish with organic sediment were collected on site for radiocarbon dating,leading to landslide ages from 1880±30 to 18,430±30 yr B.P.To measure surface roughness characteristics of 109 remotely-mapped large bedrock landslide deposits,we estimated average standard deviation of slope(SDS)over an area of~640 km^(2) by calculating the slope gradient of each raster cell and using a rectangular moving window method in Arc Map from a 5 m-resolution Digital Elevation Model generated from helicopterobtained photographs.Combing estimated landslide ages(t)with average surface roughness of mapped landslide deposits(R)quantified by SDS,we fit an exponential landslide deposits surface roughness-age function(t=1.47×10^(6)×e^(-1).46R,r2=0.63)that was used to estimate regional landslide ages in LX.We conclude that three periods with clusters of regional landslides in LX were revealed by different surface roughness of landslide deposits combing roughness-age function,with the values of 5563-7455 yr B.P.,1724-4151 yr B.P.,and 960-1287 yr B.P..Furthermore,we used our estimates of landslide ages to quantify landslide erosion rates of three corresponding hillslopes in LX ranging from 0.50 to 2.42 mm yr-1.Although rock varnish radiocarbon dating provides us a feasible option for timing regional landslides of arid regions,the epistemic uncertainty in the dating method should arouse our attention,which could be reduced by increasing the number of samples.

Once upon a time biomass burning in the western Alps: Nesting effects of climate and local drivers on long-term subalpine fires

Background:The present article questions the relative importance of local-and large-scale processes on the long-term dynamics of fire in the subalpine belt in the western Alps.The study is based on soil charcoal dating and identification,several study sites in contrasting environmental conditions,and sampling of soil charcoal along the elevation gradient of each site.Based on local differences in biomass combustion,we hypothesize that local-scale or landscape-scale processes have driven the fire history,while combustion homogeneity supports the hypothesis of the importance of large-scale or macro-ecological processes,especially climate.Results:Biomass burning during the Holocene resulted from the nesting effects of climate,land use,and altitude,but was little influenced by slope exposure(north versus south),soil(dryness,pH,depth),and vegetation.The mid-Holocene(6500–2700 cal BP)was an important period for climate-driven biomass burning in the subalpine ecosystems of the western Alps,while fires over the last 2500 years appear much more episodic,prompting us to speculate that human activity has played a vital role in their occurrence.Conclusion:Our working hypothesis that the strength of local drivers should offset the effects of regional climate is not validated.The homogeneity of the fire regime between sites thus underscores that climate was the main driver during the Holocene of the western Alps.Long-term subalpine fires are controlled by climate at the millennial scale.Local conditions matter for little in determining variability at the century scale.The mid-Holocene was a chief period for climatic biomass burning in the subalpine zone,while fires during the late Holocene appear much more episodic,suggesting that social drivers has exercised key function on their control.

Research of the Late Quaternary Recent Activity of the Middle Segment of Kouquan Fault

Systematic research of the characteristics of late Quaternary activity of the middle part of Kouquan fault has been done through conducting 1∶50000 geologic mapping combining with remote sensing interpretation of spot imaging, field validating and chronology research of the research area. Studies suggest that the middle part of Kouquan fault has had strong activity since the late Quaternary which controls the tectonic evolvement of the nearby mountains and Datong basin. The recent activity of this fault has faulted the sandy gravel layers of T1 terrace and the lower part of dark loessial soils over the terrace on the north of Chanfang village. The maximum vertical displacement is over 3m in the area between Xiaoyukou village and Louzikou village, and to the south of Dayukou village and the north of Emaokou village, the displacement decreases to 0.5m and 0.25m respectively. Based on the recent faulted landforms and combined with dating, we determined the age of recent activity of the fault in the research area to be between 7.71ka B.P. to 3.00 ka B.P. Discussions are made on this in combination with previous research.

Luminescence Chronology and Radiocarbon Reservoir Age Determination of Lacustrine Sediments from the Heihai Lake,NE Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Its Paleoclimate Implications

The accurately determining the lake ^14C reservoir age has a crucial significance for climatic reconstruction. In this study, the optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） dating method is employed to date samples from highstand lacustrine sediments, palaeoshoreline, fluvial terrace, and the alluvial fan of the Heihai Lake catchment. Accelerator mass spectrometry （AMS） 14C dating was also used to date fossil plants from highstand lacustrine sediments. Based on the calculations of linear regression with OSL against radiocarbon ages for same layers of two sections, the quantitative ^14C reservoir ages were estimated to lie between 3 353 and 3 464 yr during the 1.8 to 2.4 ka, which showed temporal variation. The sources of old carbon are the dissolution of carbonate bedrocks distributed along the Kunlun Mountain. The OSL ages of the different members of the hydatogen sedimentary system at Heihai Lake catchment indicate that a stronger hydrologic condition occurred from 3.0±0.2 to 1.8±0.2 ka, with a maximum lake level of 9 m higher than present. This humid stage was widely recorded in different sediments on the QTP and Chinese Loess Plateau （CLP）, indicating its broad synchronicity across the Asian Summer Monsoon region. The enhanced East Asian Summer Monsoon （EASM） and the Indian Summer Monsoon （ISM） resulted in the increase of moisture availability for the Heihai Lake area during this stage.

Reliability of radiocarbon dating on various fractions of loess-soil sequence for Dadiwan section in the western Chinese Loess Plateau

The accurate radiocarbon dating of loess-soil sequences plays an essential role in the reconstruction of the environmental and climatic changes in continental settings during the last glaciation and Holocene. However, our knowledge about the reliability of radiocarbon ages of various fractions of soil and loess samples is still insufficient. Here, we present our study results on radio- carbon ages based on bulk organic matter, humin fraction, and carbonate of samples collected from a loess-paleosol section in the western Chinese Loess Plateau. We compare these observations with the optically stimulated luminescence ages and charcoal radiocarbon ages to evaluate the reliability of these fractions. We observed that the radio- carbon ages of humin fraction are very close to those of charcoal and are consistent with the optically stimulated luminescence ages within the experimental errors. We observed a significant deviation in the radiocarbon ages of carbonate and bulk organic matter from those of charcoal and optically stimulated luminescence ages, likely due to the dilution of these fractions during the pedogenetic process. Our results reveal that, except for charcoal, the humin fraction may yield reliable laC ages for the Chinese loess-soil sequence.

AN AMS RADIOCARBON DATE FROM GRAVE BSII OF THE COPPER AGE CEMETERY OF REMEDELLO SOTTO (Brescia, Northern Italy)

A small sample of human bone from Tomb BSII of the Chalcolithic cemetery of RemedelloSotto (Brescia, Northern Italy) was processed with the AMS technique. It gave a date of 4070 ± 70BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196) corresponding to 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC yrs (1 sigma). Una datazione radiometrica per la Tomba BSII del cimitero Calcolitico di RemedelloSotto (Brescia). Viene presentata la datazione radiometrica eseguita con il metodo dell’acceleratore sudi un frammento di osso di calcagno del piede destro dello scheletro di inumato della Tomba BSII delsepolcreto di Remedello Sotto. L’analisi ha fornito il risultato di 4070 ± 70 BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196)corrispondente a 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC (1 sigma).

Prehistoric agriculture development in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, southwest China： Archaeobotanical evidence

The origin, development and expansion of prehistoric agriculture in East Asia have been widely investigated over the past two decades using archaeobotanical analysis from excavated Neolithic and Bronze Age sites. Research on prehistoric agriculture has predominantly focused in the valleys of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Agricultural development during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau of southwest China, an important passageway for human migration into Southeast Asia, still remains unclear. In this paper, based on macrofossil and microfossil analysis and radiocarbon dating at the Shilinggang site, we investigate plant subsistence strategies in the Nujiang River valley during the Bronze Age period. Combined with previous archaeobotanical studies in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, we explore agricultural development processes in this area during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Our results indicate that rice and foxtail millet were cultivated in Shilinggang around 2500 cal a BP. Three phases of prehistoric agricultural development in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau can be identified: rice cultivation from 4800–3900 cal a BP, mixed rice and millet crop(foxtail millet and broomcorn millet) cultivation from 3900–3400 cal a BP, and mixed rice, millet crop and wheat cultivation from 3400–2300 cal a BP. The development of agriculture in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods was primarily promoted by prehistoric agriculture expansion across Eurasia, agricultural expansion which was also affected by the topographic and hydrological characteristics of the area.

Evolution of sedimentary environments of the middle Jiangsu coast, South Yellow Sea since late MIS 3

An evolutionary model of sedimentary environments since late Marine Isotope Stage 3 （late MIS 3, i.e., ca. 39 cal ka BP） along the middle Jiangsu coast is presented based upon a reinterpretation of core 07SR01, new correlations between adjacent published cores, and shallow seismic profiles recovered in the Xiyang tidal channel and adjacent northern sea areas. Geomorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating and seismic and sequence stratigraphy are combined to confirm that environmental changes since late MIS 3 in the study area were controlled primarily by sea-level fluctuations, sediment discharge of paleo-rivers into the South Yellow Sea （SYS）, and minor tectonic subsidence, all of which impacted the progression of regional geomorphic and sedimentary environments （Le., coastal barrier island freshwater lacustrine swamp, river floodplain, coastal marsh, tidal sand ridge, and tidal channel）. This resulted in the formation of a fifth-order sequence stratigraphy, comprised of the parasequence of the late stage of the last interstadial （Para-Sq2）, including the highstand and forced regressive wedge system tracts （HST and FRWST）, and the parasequence of the postglacial period （Para-Sql）, including the transgressive and highstand system tracts （TST and HST）. The tidal sand ridges likely began to develop during the postglacial transgression as sea-level rise covered the middle Jiangsu coast at ca. 9.0 cal ka BP. These initially submerged tidal sand ridges were constantly migrating until the southward migration of the Yellow River mouth to the northern Jiangsu coast during AD 1128 to 1855. The paleo-Xiyang tidal channel that was determined by the paleo-tidal current field and significantly different from the modern one, was in existence during the Holocene transgressive maxima and lasted until AD 1128. Following the capture of the Huaihe River in AD 1128 by the Yellow River, the paleo-Xiyang tidal channel was infilled with a large amount of river-derived sediments from AD 1128 to 1855, causing the emergence of some of the previously submerged tidal sand ridges. From AD 1855 to the present, the infilled paleo-Xiyang tidal channel has undergone scouring, resulting in its modern form. The modern Xiyang tidal channel continues to widen and deepen, due both to strong tidal current scouring and anthropogenic activities.

Emergence of ancient cities in relation to geopolitical circumstances and climate change during late Holocene in northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China

The study of the history of human activities in ancient cities has provided valuable evidences for under- standing the evolution of human-land relations during the late Holocene. Numerous ancient cities were discovered through archaeological surveys of the east Qinghai Province, located on the northeastern border of the Tibetan Plateau, China; however, the mystery of when or why these cities were built remains unsolved. As recorded in this paper, we sampled reliable dating materials from 47 ancient cities in the area, determined their ages by radiocarbon dating, and compared the dating results with historical documents and high resolution paleoclimate records to explore the influencing factors for the develop- ment of these ancient cities. The 54 radiocarbon dates indicated that most of these cities were built or repaired during the Han Dynasty （202 BC-AD 220）, Tang Dynasty （AD 618-AD 907）, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period （AD 907-AD 960）, the Song dynasty （AD 960-AD 1279）, and the Ming Dynasty （AD 1368-AD 1644）. The radiocarbon dates correspond well with historical records of the area. Our work suggests the ancient cities in east Qinghai Province were likely built primarily for military defense, and may have also have been affected by climate change.

Crossing of the Hu line by Neolithic population in response to seesaw precipitation changes in China

How various peoples crossed geographical barriers,were affected by climate change and human-made technologies comprise some of the most interesting quandaries in the history of cultures.This paper considers the Hu line,which is a major boundary between population centres and different environments in China.The boundary became evident approximately 11,400 years ago;however,evidence suggests that people crossed through at 5200,3800,and 2800 cal a BP,facilitating the increases of the trans-Eurasian exchange.The timings of the crossings correspond to the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon that triggers seesaw changes of precipitation in western and eastern China.This analysis demonstrates that climate change on a millennial-to-centennial scale can have a profound influence on population distribution with long-term consequences.

A study of the construction times of the ancient cities in Ganjia Basin,Gansu Province,China

The Ganjia Basin in Xiahe County,Gansu Province,China,is located on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.The area lies in the transitional zone between the Plateau ethnic groups dominated by ancestral Tibetans,and the Central Plains dynasties dominated by ancestral Han in history.The Ganjia Basin is therefore well suited to studying the history of the intermixing of the Han and Tibetan peoples.In this study,we collected samples of organic materials from two ancient cities,Bajiaocheng(BJC) and Sirougucheng(SRGC),in the Ganjia Basin,which were used for radiocarbon dating.Our aims were to determine the construction times and function of the cities,based on the radiocarbon ages,Bayesian age modeling,and the analysis of relevant historical records.The results are used to discuss the role of the Ganjia Basin in the conflicts between and the integration of the two ethnic groups during the historical period.We conclude that BJC was established during 663–732 CE(Common Era);its early occupation history can be divided into an initial establishment phase(670–780 CE) and a phase of regeneration(880–1030 CE).SRGC was probably built at the time of the transition between the Song and Yuan dynasties(~1271 CE).Combining the dating results with an analysis of the architectural styles and historical records,we conclude that BJC was originally built by the Tubo Kingdom as a military stronghold,and its major functions were military,economic and religious,and to support the major eastward expansion of the Tubo.SRGC was most likely a temple-focused city intended to promote Tibetan Buddhism which was a major political and religious leadership for the Tibetans at that time,reflecting changes in the status of different religions in the Ganjia Basin.In addition,the intermixing and blending of the Han and Tibetan groups,reflected by the human activities in the Ganjia Basin,was an important demographic and cultural foundation for the formation of the culturally-diverse but spiritually-united modern Chinese people.