Primary Study on Quantitative Reconstruction of Middle-Late Eocene Climate in Jianghan Basin

This paper reports our primary effort in the quantitative reconstruction ofpaleoclimate based on the thrine in phytoecology of the affinity parent plants in the stratigraphicpollen records. The Eocene pollen data come from our former study on the Mingjia borehole 1 in theJianghan basin. The fluctuating trend in the parameter curve of climate shows that the climate inthe Middle Eocene in the Jianghan basin was more or less comparable with that of the present22°―26°N, characteristic of a humid, semi-humid central-southern subtropical climate. The annualtemperature at that time dropped by 1 ℃― 4 ℃ in the Late Eocene, approximately equal to that ofthe present 23°―28°N of northern-central subtropical climate. However, the climate composite atthat time, characterized by higher temperature, small annual range and big fluctuation inprecipitation, was quite different from the present one. The average temperature in January in theMiddle Eocene, higher than that of today, ranged between 5 ℃ and 9 ℃, indicating that no effect ofwinter monsoon occurred in the Middle Eocene, though such an effect may have occurred occasionallyin the Late Eocene. Major temperature decline is recognized at the depth of 2 100 m in the borehole,as was indicated by the decline in average January temperature, the increase in annual range, andthe increase in the deciduous broad-leaved types of trees in the spore-pollen assemblage. The sharpfluctuation in the annual precipitation, usually raging from 300 to 1 700 mm, was favorable for themigration and accumulation of salty deposit. When the precipitation was lower than 1 000 mm,ephemera shrub increased at the same depth as that of the salty deposit. It is, therefore, deducedthat the formation of the salty deposit was attributed mainly to the dry and hot environment in thehigh mountains and deep basins. The small annual precipitation and the intense fluctuation arefavorable for the sustainable accumulation of the salts, which is different from the present saltyaccumulation in the Northwest China.

An analytical approach to reconstruction of axisymmetric defects in pipelines using T(0,1)guided waves

Torsional guided waves have been widely utilized to inspect the surface corrosion in pipelines due to their simple displacement behaviors and the ability of longrange transmission.Especially,the torsional mode T(0,1),which is the first order of torsional guided waves,plays the irreplaceable position and role,mainly because of its non-dispersion characteristic property.However,one of the most pressing challenges faced in modern quality inspection is to detect the surface defects in pipelines with a high level of accuracy.Taking into account this situation,a quantitative reconstruction method using the torsional guided wave T(0,1)is proposed in this paper.The methodology for defect reconstruction consists of three steps.First,the reflection coefficients of the guided wave T(0,1)scattered by different sizes of axisymmetric defects are calculated using the developed hybrid finite element method(HFEM).Then,applying the boundary integral equation(BIE)and Born approximation,the Fourier transform of the surface defect profile can be analytically derived as the correlative product of reflection coefficients of the torsional guided wave T(0,1)and the fundamental solution of the intact pipeline in the frequency domain.Finally,reconstruction of defects is precisely performed by the inverse Fourier transform of the product in the frequency domain.Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach is suitable for the detection of surface defects with arbitrary shapes.Meanwhile,the effects of the depth and width of surface defects on the accuracy of defect reconstruction are investigated.It is noted that the reconstructive error is less than 10%,providing that the defect depth is no more than one half of the pipe thickness.

DIATOM COMMUNITY SUCCESSION AND NUTRIENT EVOLUTION RECORDED FROM A SEDIMENT CORE OF THE LONGGAN LAKE, A LARGE SHALLOW LAKE IN EAST CHINA

The Longgan Lake is a shallow mesotrophic macrophyte-dominated lake. According to the high-resolution diatom research from its sediment core, the diatom community succession was built, and the total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration were quantitatively reconstructed for the past 2000 years, based on the diatom-TP and diatom-Chla transfer functions. The shifts of diatom assemblages also mirrored the developments of aquatic plant, reflecting the characters of aquatic ecosystem evolution. The inferred epilimnetic TP concentration fluctuated within a small range of 36 to 62μg/L, indicating the lake remained a relative stable mesotrophic status in the long historical period. The periodical variations of the diatom assemblage and trophic status suggest a mitigating function of shallow macrophyte-dominated lakes to nutrient input. The changes of lakes’ trophic status don’t linearly respond to the human disturbance in the catchment. The dynamics mechanism of phosphorus in macrophyte-dominated lakes, as inferred from diatoms, will provide a scientific foundation for the prediction of trophic status change in a shallow lake, as well as the lake ecological restoration and management decisions.

Characteristics of CO_2 in unsaturated zone(～90 m) of loess tableland, Northwest China

In order to observe CO_2 characteristics in the unsaturated zone of loess tableland and further understand the carbon cycle,a series of tubes for gas monitoring and sampling were installed in an approximately 90-m deep Qiushe loess section of Lingtai County,Northwestern China.The results show that the concentration of CO_2 was higher in loess than in the atmosphere,reaching a maximum of 6970 lmol·mol^(-1).CO_2 concentrations in loess were higher in summer than in winter.The CO_2 in loess was related to organic carbon decomposed by microbes,and to the CaCO_3–H_2O–CO_2 system in the interface between the saturated and unsaturated zones.

Spatiotemporal variation of rainy season span and precipitation recorded by lacustrine laminated pollen in the Tibetan Plateau during the past two millennia

The quantitative reconstruction of the length of the rainy season and precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau(TP) is crucial for revealing the spatiotemporal evolution of the Westerlies and Asian summer monsoon, as well as its ecological and environmental effects. Accurately determining the start and end times of the rainy season on the Plateau remains challenging.This study determined the start and end times of the rainy season in different locations on the Plateau by identifying precipitation inflection points. We calculated the duration and precipitation amount of the rainy season and established a transfer function between the modern pollen assemblages and them. Then, we reconstructed the rainy season variations in Kusai Lake(northern TP) and Jiang Co(central TP) during the past two millennia. The results showed that, the rainy season precipitation in Kusai Lake recorded five periods of high precipitation: AD 580–680, 1000–1100, 1200–1450, 1550–1780, and 1920–present, corresponding to the stages with long rainy season. The rainy season precipitation sequence in Jiang Co recorded four periods of high precipitation: AD 80–500, 800–950, 1250–1450, and 1780–present, which is consistent with the long rainy season before AD 1000 but unclear afterward. Spatially, rainy season precipitation on the Plateau exhibited four patterns: “wet in both north and south” may be related to abnormally strong summer monsoons;“dry in both north and south” likely associated with weak Westerly wind and weak summer monsoon;“wet in the south and dry in the north” linked to strong summer monsoon and weak Westerly wind;and “dry in the south and wet in the north” connected to weak summer monsoon and strong Westerly wind. This study revealed the spatiotemporal evolution pattern of the rainy season onset and end, duration, and precipitation amount on the Plateau over the past two millennia. It provides natural background support for further understanding the coupling between Westerly wind and Asian summer monsoon.

Pollen-based Holocene quantitative temperature reconstruction on the eastern Tibetan Plateau using a comprehensive method framework

Quantitative climate reconstruction on long timescales can provide important insights for understanding the climate variability and providing valuable data for simulations. Unfortunately, the credibility of some attempts was hampered by incomplete reconstruction procedures. We here establish a comprehensive framework resting on high-quality Chinese modern pollen database, including modern pollen data screening, calibration set selection, major climate factor analysis, appropriate model selection, strict statistical assessment of results and ecological interpretation. The application of this framework to three high-resolution pollen records from the eastern Tibetan Plateau allows accurate quantitative inferences of Holocene temperature changes, which is the major control of regional vegetation. The results show that the mean warmest month temperature(MTwa)during the early Holocene was ca. 10.4℃ and reached the highest value at 8.5–6 ka BP(ca. 11℃). The early and mid-Holocene(11–5 ka BP) warmth was followed by 1.2℃ temperature decrease, culminating in the coolest temperatures of the Holocene during the Neoglacial cooling. Superimposing on the general cooling trend, MTwareveals a significant 500-yr periodicity with varying intensities through time, showing that warm(cold) intervals are in phase with solar maxima(minima) periods. This spectral similarity indicates a possible connection of multi-century scale climate fluctuations with solar forcing.

A novel procedure for pollen-based quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions and its application in China

Traditionally, the evaluation of pollen-based quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions focuses on the ability of calibration sets to infer present climatic conditions and/or the similarity between fossil and modem assemblages. Objective criteria for choosing the most appropriate climate parameter（s） to be reconstructed at a specific site are thus lacking. Using a novel approach for testing the statistical significance of a quantitative reconstruction using random environmental data, in combination with the advantageous large environmental gradients, abundant vegetation types and comprehensive modem pollen databases in China, we describe a new procedure for pollen-based quantitative paleoclimatic reconstructions. First, the most significant environmental variable controlling the fossil pollen assemblage changes is identified. Second, a calibration set to infer changes in this targeted variable is built up, by limiting the modem ranges of other environmental variables. Finally, the pollen-based quantitative reconstruction is obtained and its statistical significance assessed. This novel procedure was used to reconstruct the mean annual precipitation （Pann） from Gonghai Lake in the Lvliang Mountains, and Tianchi Lake in the Liupan Mountains, on the eastern and western fringe of the Chinese Loess Plateau, respectively. Both Pann. reconstructions are statistically significant （p〈0.001）, and a sound and stable correlation relationship exists in their common period, showing a rapid precipitation decrease since 3300 cal yr BP. Thus, we propose that this procedure has great potential for reducing the uncertainties associated with pollen-based quantitative paleoclimatic reconstructions in China.

A preliminary quantitative reconstruction of precipitation in southern Mu Us sandy land at margin of Asian monsoon-dominated region during late Quaternary

We present the first quantitative estimation of monsoon precipitation during the late glaciaI-Holocene in the sandy land of northern China, based on organic carbon isotopic composition data from a loess-sand sequence at margin of the Mu Us sandy land. We use the relationship between monsoon precipitation and the carbon isotopic composition of modern soils as an analogue, with a minor modification, to reconstruct precipitation back to c. 47 ka ago. The preliminary results indicate that annual monsoon precipitation was high after 8 ka, with an average of 435 mm; and it decreased during 18 and 8 ka with a mean value of 194 mm. The precipitation value of 47-18 ka varied between the two. We compare the recon- structed precipitation with other records and paleoclimatic modeling results, showing that our record agrees with reconstructions of the monsoon precipitation from other sources, even capturing short climatic events such as the Younger Dryas. We suggest that solar irradiance, high-latitude temperature/ice volume and local evaporation have together modified moistures in the sandy land.

基于孢粉记录的亚洲季风湿润区6.8万年古气候变化定量重建

东亚季风降水的冰期-间冰期变率及其驱动机制一直备受关注和争议,然而在东亚季风湿润区内,具有完整的末次冰期以来古气候定量重建记录十分缺乏.本研究利用亚洲季风湿润区内的3个孢粉记录进行了古气候定量重建.结果表明6.8万年以来区域内的气候变化显著,年降雨量与年平均温度在末次冰盛期与全新世大暖期之间的差别可分别达到35%~51%与5~7℃.定量重建的降水记录揭示了H1与YD等快速气候变化期间东亚季风降水存在区域差异性,即印度季风影响下的中国西南部较为干燥的同时,中国中东部则表现为相对湿润.冰期-间冰期尺度下的降水记录综合变化趋势总体上与中国西南部和南亚地区的石笋δ^(18)O记录基本一致.气候重建结果还显示出MIS3降水变化对轨道太阳辐射的敏感性,尤其是南北半球间温度梯度对亚洲季风变率具有显著的影响.定量降水记录与瞬态模拟结果及主要气候强迫对比显示,在末次冰盛期过渡到全新世期间,降水的变化模式除了受控于太阳辐射变化外,还明显受到大西洋经向翻转环流事件的叠加影响.

Distribution of GDGTs in lake surface sediments on the Tibetan Plateau and its influencing factors

Quantitative paleotemperature records are vital not only for verifying and improving the accuracy of climate model simulations, but also for estimating the amplitude of temperature variability under global warming scenarios. The Tibetan Plateau(TP) affects atmospheric circulation patterns due to its unique geographical location and high elevation, and studies of the mechanisms of climate change on the TP are potentially extremely valuable for understanding the relationship of the region with the global climate system. With the development of biomarker-based proxies, it is possible to use lake sediments to quantitatively reconstruct past temperature variability. The source of Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers(GDGTs) in lake sediments is complex, and their distribution is controlled by both climatic and environmental factors. In this work, we sampled the surface sediments of 27 lakes on the TP and in addition obtained surface soil samples from six of the lake catchments. We analyzed the factors that influence GDGT distribution in the lake sediments, and established quantitative relationship between GDGTs and Mean Annual Air Temperature(MAAT). Our principal findings are as follows: the majority of GDGTs in the lake sediments are b GDGTs, followed by crenarchaeol and GDGT-0. In most of the lakes there were no significant differences between the GDGT distribution within the lake sediments and the soils in the same catchment, which indicates that the contribution of terrestrial material is important. i GDGTs in lake sediments are mainly influenced by water chemistry parameters(p H and salinity), and that in small lakes on the TP, TEX_(86) may act as a potential proxy for lake p H; however, in contrast b GDGTs in the lake sediments are mainly controlled by climatic factors. Based on the GDGT distribution in the lake sediments, we used proxies(MBT, CBT) and the fractional abundance of b GDGTs(f_(abun)) to establish calibrations between GDGTs and MAAT, respectively, which potentially provide the basis for paleoclimatic reconstruction on the TP.