ON PROFESSOR SHI YAFENG'S CONTRIBUTION TO QUATERNARY GLACIATION RESEARCH IN CHINA

冰期与间冰期旋回是第四纪最基本的气候特征.第四纪期间规模较大的冰川进退留下了丰富、形态独特的冰川地形,对其研究可以获得冰川的时空演化规律.“将今论古”是地质学最基本的工作原理,也是第四纪冰川研究的基本思路.从20世纪50年代,在施雅风先生的领导下,以现代冰川研究为契机,开展了青藏高原及周边山地的第四纪冰川研究,使我国第四纪冰川研究达到国际水平.在对我国西部地区(105°E以西)第四纪冰川有了相当认识后,进行了我国东部地区(105°E以东)第四纪冰川与环境问题的拨乱反正,将我国东部地区第四纪冰川与环境变化研究引向正确的方向.目前,我国第四纪冰川研究进入了以定年为特征的定量研究阶段.在此背景下,我国第四纪冰川将在测年技术的综合应用、老冰期冰川地形的定年、构造抬升与冰川发育的耦合关系等几个方面展开研究与探讨.     

中国第四纪冰川研究的回顾与展望

自从20世纪30年代李四光先生提出庐山和中国东部山地的第四纪冰期理论以来, 关于中国东部山地是否发生过第四纪冰川的问题困惑着国内外的地学工作者, 并为此展开了旷日持久的争论. 20世纪80年代, 经过大量的实地考察和室内分析工作, 在施雅风、崔之久和李吉均等撰写的<中国东部第四纪冰川与环境问题>一书中, 对中国东部第四纪冰川得到以下基本认识: 1)确认在中国东部有确切证据的古冰川遗迹仅在陕西太白山、吉林与朝鲜接壤的长白山、台湾的雪山和玉山等, 而在庐山及中国东部海拔2 000 m以下的山地在第四纪期间从来没有发生过冰川; 2)"泥砾"是"混杂堆积"的一种, 某些疑似的古冰川地形完全可以用其它非冰川成因予以解释, 所谓的冰川沉积多数情况下是季风气候条件下的古泥石流堆积; 3)中国东部第四纪环境发生过很大变化. 第四纪冰期中中国北方多年冻土南界向南扩展约10°, 到达长城一线, 中国东部地区年平均温度降低10～12 ℃. 喜冷动物群如猛犸与披毛犀则向南分布得更远, 到达长江口一带. 海平面下降约140 m, 古海岸远离现代海岸达600 km. 由于冬季风加强, 气候以干冷为主, 不利于冰川发育; 4)根据过去几十年的资料, 中、晚更新世中国西部山地发生过3～5次冰期, 但不存在统一的大冰盖. 因为青藏高原非常年轻, 只是在0.8 Ma BP之后才抬升到海拔3 000 m以上, 进入冰冻圈并发育冰川. 中国在全球变化研究特别是古全球变化研究中处于得天独厚的地位, 中国学者在黄土研究、青藏高原隆升、山地冰芯等方面已取得丰硕成果.     

天山乌鲁木齐河流域冰川地貌与冰期研究的回顾与展望

乌鲁木齐河源于天山北列喀拉乌成山的北坡,区内保存着形态多样、较为清晰的第四纪冰川侵蚀与沉积地形.经过老中青数代人的考察研究,取得如下研究成果:1)查清了河源区冰川地形的分布与特征,运用冰川沉积学与地貌地层学原理对乌鲁木齐河出山口处的扇形地进行了冰川与非冰川成因的鉴别;2)基于地衣法、常规14 C与AMS14 C、TL、ESR、CRN(10Be)等多种定年方法的测年结果,并结合地貌地层学原理,建立了乌鲁木齐河流域小冰期、新冰期、末次冰期(MIS 2～4)、MIS 6与MIS12较完整的冰川演化序列,为我国第四纪冰川研究树立了一个典型范例.展望未来,乌鲁木齐河源区的冰川地貌演化模拟与古环境重建等需作进一步研究,喀拉乌成山南坡的冰川地形有待进行综合定年;若以乌鲁木齐河源流域冰期序列为参照,冰川发育与天山的构造抬升以及东、中与西段天山冰川发育是否具有一致性,天山地区是否保存有更老冰碛等科学问题尚待深入探讨.     

第四纪冰川测年研究新进展

第四纪冰川研究经历了与经典的阿尔卑斯冰期模式对比,与深海氧同曲线位素对比和技术测年3个阶段.由于近年测年技术的应用,国际上晚第四纪冰川作用研究有喜人的进展,2003年召开的第16届INQUA再度出现第四纪冰川热.我国青藏高原第四纪冰川研究近年也取得了重要进展,初步确定高原各山脉发生最早冰川作用的时间是不同的:天山和祁连山在450～470kaBP的氧同位素12阶段,横断山的沙鲁里山和玉龙山在560kaBP左右的16阶段,东西昆仑山在约700kaBP左右,念青唐古拉山在680kaBP.表明在青藏高原昆 黄运动后的全球历次冰期中,高原各部相继发育冰川,成为了冰期中地球中低纬度山地冰川的王国.     

西藏札达盆地及周缘高山区第四纪冰川遗迹与冰期的初步划分和对比

札达盆地及周缘高山区的第四纪冰川遗迹分布广泛,类型齐全、发育连续.特征的冰碛及冰水堆积地貌有:冰水堆积平原或冰水堆积平台、冰碛丘陵等.挤压构造遗迹有:褶皱、断裂表皮构造、压坑、压裂构造、变形砾石等.ESR年代测定结果表明,冰碛形成的最大年龄为2.33Ma.依据冰碛、冰水堆积的特征、分布和形成年代等,区域冰川发育由老到新可划分出:7次冰期、6次间冰期、1次冰缘期、1次新冰期.该区是目前所知青藏高原第四纪冰川遗迹发现最多、保存最全和发育最连续的地区,为青藏高原地区的第四纪冰川演化研究、冰期的划分和对比、古气候古环境的研究,提供了重要的实际资料和依据.      

渐趋完善的第四纪冰川研究范式——记第四届中国第四纪冰川与环境变化研讨会

冰川是气候变化敏感的指示器,第四纪冰川研究在地球科学中占有重要的地位。2017年8月,第四届中国第四纪冰川与环境变化研讨会在兰州成功举办。与会专家认为,地貌学与沉积地层学的结合以及测年技术的发展,使中国第四纪冰期划分研究取得长足进展,不仅建立了80万年以来可与MIS进行比对的中国第四纪冰期与间冰期演化序列,还推动了中国第四纪环境变化研究的深入。通过研讨和交流,绝大多数专家认为中国东部中低山地某些疑似的第四纪冰川遗迹完全可以用非冰川成因予以解释,在今后的研究工作中应加强岩石地貌、气候地貌和外动力地貌过程的综合研究,尤其需要加强诸如颤痕等微观冰蚀地貌的分类、形成机制和环境意义研究。适时指出泛冰川论的缺陷和不足是本领域科学家的历史责任和使命担当,进一步开展具备科学事实、科学理论和科学观念的研究,从而完善中国第四纪冰川理论。建议国家级学会组织编制第四纪冰川遗迹调查与评价技术规范,加强全国高校自然地理学等相关专业的教师培训工作,同时加大冰川学、地貌学的科学普及力度。     

川西沙鲁里山第四纪冰川及与邻区之对比

沙鲁里山是研究第四纪冰川的最佳场所之一。可划分四个冰期,第一冰期为大陆冰盖,第二、三期及现代冰川为山岳冰川;整体反映第四纪地壳不断抬升,气候不断变暖,冰川不断向高山退缩的过程。     

青藏高原第四纪冰川的早期记录及其构造与气候含义

综合青藏高原第四纪冰川早期记录的研究进展和典型盆地地层、沉积、古生物、古环境研究的系统成果,扎达盆地香孜组上部冻融层的出现代表了区域的古海拔达到了高原冰缘的高度,即3 500 m以上.这一段地层的时代可能从2.3 Ma前后开始.并与贡巴砾石层下部冰水沉积层的时代基本一致.卓奥友冰期和希夏邦马冰期的时代与扎达盆地沉积结束后,直接覆盖其上的终碛垄和冰碛垄的时代大致相当,展现了这一时期喜马拉雅山脉的山岳冰川进一步发育,也说明喜马拉雅山脉作为青藏高原海拔最高的地区开始冰冻圈的环境很可能在早更新世早中期.川西地区的早更新世的冰川沉积说明东喜马拉雅构造结附近地区这一时期已经抬升至冰冻圈高度,但是,海拨高度与气候环境与喜马拉雅山脉应有不同.具体的时代仍需要深入工作.青藏高原普遍开始冰冻罔记录是在中更新世早期.伴随着全球冰期的到来,这一时期的冰川作用在青藏高原最为发育和广泛.这些暗示着青藏高原在中更新世早期整体性地较快速抬升进入冰冻圈,即海拔3 500 m以上.详细的过程仍有待深入研究.     

青藏高原第四纪冰川的宇宙核素暴露年龄首次测定

青藏高原在第四纪时期究竟发育了几次冰期及时代研究深受国内外地球科学家关注,然而,老冰碛物的年代测定问题一直未突破。近年来发展成熟的就地成因宇宙核素(10Be,26Al)及宇宙气体(21Ne)的表面暴露年龄测定方法为冰碛物测年提供了条件。我们对青藏高原东部及腹地的第四纪冰川漂砾进行了核素年龄测试研究,并初步讨论了高原第四纪冰川发育及古环境变迁。      

梵净山第四纪冰川地质研究

屹立在黔东湘西低山丘陵上的梵净山,第四纪历史上发生过多次冰川流行,从山上到山下保存有一套完整的冰川遗迹.根据此次所作冰碛物ESR测年资料分析,确认梵净山冰川有过六次冰期(含一次冰缘期),其年代下限依次是133 Ka、236 Ka、392 Ka、654 Ka、960 Ka及1 728 Ka.梵净山地区各冰期的ESR测年数据,与喜马拉雅及青藏高原各冰期的ESR年代十分吻合;同时该区最近两次冰期的年代,还与黔桂地区25万年来两次冰期旋回的铀系法测年数据高度一致.因此梵净山极有可能成为中国东部第四纪冰川研究的热点.     

中国东部（105o E以东）第四纪冰川研究回顾、进展及展望

中国东部（105^o E以东）第四纪冰川及其演化可为中国东部乃至东亚地区古气候环境重建提供基础信息及关键证据,正确认知冰川发育条件及正确运用冰川遗迹判别标准又是重建中国东部第四纪冰川及其演化的关键。中国东部中低山地第四纪期间冰川发育与否,即泛冰川论与有限冰川论的争议由来已久。近年来,山东与周边地区中低山及沿海丘陵带的“第四纪冰川”研究波澜再起。在系统地回顾中国东部第四纪冰川研究历史及新近出现争议的基础上,结合冰川发育条件、山地冰川地貌组合、判别原则与识别依据、中国东部数座中高山地存在无争议且形态清晰的冰川地形及其测年资料以及东亚古气候环境演化记录等得出：中国东部仅有台湾山地、长白山、贺兰山与太白山等数座主峰海拔超过2 500 m的中高山地保存有晚更新世以来的冰川作用地形。其余山地及海拔更低的丘陵带在第四纪期间任何一次冰川作用中均未达到与当时冰期气候相耦合的高度,不存在泛冰川作用。已报道的“冰川遗迹”皆为各种形似地质地貌现象的系统误判,其确切成因及环境意义有待深入探讨。     

Contributions and unrealized potential contributions of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology, 1990–2010

This paper reviews the application of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology. Exposure dating of glacial landforms has made an outsize impact on this field because the technique filled an obvious need that had already been recognized by glacial geologists. By now, hundreds of studies have used cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to date glacial deposits, and in fact it is rare to find a study of glacial geology or glacier chronology, or any paleoclimate synthesis that makes use of such studies, that does not involve exposure dating. These developments have resulted in major contributions to glacier chronology and paleoclimate, in particular i) reconstructing Antarctic ice sheet change, ii) establishing the chronology of late Pleistocene and Holocene glacier change in mountain regions where it was previously unknown; iii) establishing the broad chronological outlines of mountain glaciations prior to the Last Glacial Maximum; and iv) gaining insight into subglacial erosional processes through the observation that many glaciated surfaces preserve cosmogenic-nuclide inventories from long past ice-free periods as well as the present one. An important potential future contribution will be the application of the large data set of exposure-dated glacier chronologies to better understand global and regional climate dynamics during Lateglacial and Holocene millennial-scale climate changes. However, this contribution cannot be realized without significant progress in two areas: i) understanding and accounting for geologic processes that cause apparent exposure ages on glacial landforms to differ from the true age of the landform, and ii) minimizing systematic uncertainties in exposure ages that stem from cosmogenic-nuclide production-rate estimates and scaling schemes. At present there exists an enormous data set of exposure ages on glacial deposits, but these data cannot be used to their full potential in paleoclimate syntheses due to an inadequate understanding of geologic scatter and production-rate uncertainties. The intent of this paper is to highlight this situation and suggest some strategies for realizing this potential.     

Timing and style of Late Pleistocene glaciation in the Queer Shan,northern Hengduan Mountains in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Glacial landforms and sediments provide evidence for the existence of two Late Pleistocene major glacial advances in the Queer Shan, northern Hengduan Mountains in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. In the current study, optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dating results reveal that the two glacial advances occurred during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in MIS 2, respectively. Geomorphic evidence shows that the glacial advance during MIS 3 was more extensive than that in MIS 2. This glacial advance is synchronous with other glaciated areas in the Himalaya and Tibet, but contrasts with global ice volumes that reached their maximum extent during the LGM. Glaciers in the Queer Shan are of the summer accumulation type and are mainly fed by precipitation from the south Asian monsoon. Palaeoclimate proxies show that during MIS 3 the south Asian monsoon strengthened and extended further north into the Tibetan Plateau to supply more precipitation as snow at high altitudes. This in turn led to positive glacier mass balances and caused glaciers to advance. However, during the LGM, despite cooler temperature than in MIS 3, the weakened south Asian monsoon and the associated reduced precipitation were not as favourable for glacier expansion as in MIS 3. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

原地宇宙成因核素(TCN)测年靶标制备

自20世纪80年代以来,得益于高能加速器质谱的发展及其分析精度的提高,TCN测年技术得到了快速发展,并被成功应用于解决诸多领域关键性的年代学问题研究中,对地学的发展也起到了革命性的推动作用。TCN测年由测年靶标制备、AMS测量及数据分析等步骤组成。其中测年靶标制备直接影响AMS的测量结果,进而影响可靠年代学框架的建立与古气候环境的重建。测年靶标制备首先是代表性样品的采集,继而是所用靶标矿物的提纯,再者是所测元素的分离提取,最后是靶标压制。此处以第四纪冰川研究中应用较为广泛的TCN放射性核素¹⁰Be与²⁶Al为例,结合冰川侵蚀与沉积地貌的分布及其特征,从样品采集、石英提纯、¹⁰Be与²⁶Al核素的分离提取及最后的靶标压制等方面展开论述,以期为初涉第四纪冰川研究的学者提供TCN测年靶标制备的理论指导,同时也为地学其他研究领域该测年技术的应用提供参考。     

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.     

龙门山古冰川作用

汶川地震中央区域龙门山主山九顶山海拔4 984 m,山脊北坡有三处成排分布不少规模较小的冰斗-冰川谷地形,恢复当时雪线高度在4 100 m高度。根据其形态保存程度、古今雪线高度差等情况判断,应当是2阶段冰川作用遗存。据气温和降水资料,现在九顶山雪线高度在5 000 m,刚好超出九顶山顶部。故而九顶山3 800 m以上目前处于冰缘环境,石冰川、石环、融冻泥流等冰缘现象比较突出。九顶山不存在更老的冰川作用及其地貌遗存,是青藏高原以东5 000 m上下的高山只是在末次冰期时抬升跨越冰期雪线而发育冰川这一新观点的又一证据,也是青藏高原第四纪晚期剧烈抬升的又一证据。     

Late Quaternary glaciation in the Tianshan and implications for palaeoclimatic change: a review

Xu, X., Kleidon, A., Miller, L., Wang, S., Wang, L. & Dong, G. 2009: Late Quaternary glaciation in the Tianshan and implications for palaeoclimatic change: a review. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00118.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The Tianshan mountain range has been extensively and repeatedly glaciated during the late Quaternary. Multiple moraines in this region record the extent and timing of late Quaternary glacier fluctuations. The moraines and their ages are described in three sub‐regions: eastern, central and western Tianshan. Notable glacial advances occurred during marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 6, 4, 3, 2, the Neoglacial and the Little Ice Age (LIA) in these sub‐regions. Glaciers in western Tianshan advanced significantly also during MIS 5, but not in eastern and central Tianshan. The local last glacial maximum (llgm) of the three sub‐regions pre‐dated the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and occurred during MIS 4 in eastern and central Tianshan, but during MIS 3 in western Tianshan. The spatial and temporal distribution of the glaciers suggests that precipitation (as snow at high altitude) is the main factor controlling glacial advance in the Tianshan. The late Quaternary climate in the Tianshan has been generally cold–dry during glacial times and warm–humid during interglacial times. Between neighbouring glacial times, the climate has had a more arid tendency in eastern and central Tianshan. These palaeoclimatic conditions inferred from glacial landforms indicate important relationships between the mid‐latitude westerly, the Siberian High and the Asian monsoon.     

他念他翁山中段第四纪冰川作用ESR定年初步研究

他念他翁山中段地处青藏高原东南部和云贵高原过渡地带,海拔4 200 m以上保存着确切的第四纪冰川遗迹.对其进行深入研究,不仅可以重建横断山脉冰川作用的演化历史,还能够为青藏高原的隆升机制提供重要依据.采用野外地貌调查与电子自旋共振测年（ESR）相结合的方法,查明他念他翁山第四纪冰川发育的地貌特点,并初步对研究区的冰期系列进行划分.结果显示,他念他翁山中段古冰川类型主要为山麓冰川、山谷冰川和冰斗冰川.晚第四纪以来至少经历了4次冰川作用,分别为倒数第二次冰期（MIS 6）,年代为（192±51）~（207±45）ka;末次冰期中期（MIS 3）,年代为（55±8）~（54±9）ka;末次冰盛期（MIS 2）,年代为（25±1）~（38±6）ka,以及全新世新冰期/小冰期（MIS 1）.