Holocene palaeoflood events recorded by slackwater deposits along the middle Beiluohe River valley,middle Yellow River basin,China

Palaeohydrological investigations were carried out in the middle Beiluohe River valley in the middle Yellow River basin. Palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs) are natural records of overbank flooding and are often identified in the Holocene aeolian loess–soil profiles along the river valley. Three bedsets of palaeoflood SWDs were found within the mid‐Holocene Climatic Optimum palaeosol (S₀) on the right riverbank. Both the sedimentary and the analytical results, including magnetic susceptibility, grain‐size distribution and concentrations of chemical elements, indicate that these palaeoflood SWDs were deposited from the suspended sediment load of overbank flooding. We identified three episodes of extraordinary overbank flooding events. These hydro‐climatic events were dated to 7600–7400, 5800–5000 and 4200–4000 a BP, from optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and pedostratigraphical correlation. The minimum flood peak discharges were estimated to have been between 12 600 and 14 100 m³ s^?1 using the slope–area method. These hydro‐climatic events are considered to be a regional expression of known climatic events and demonstrate that the mid‐Holocene climate was far from stable. These results show that the magnitudes of floods are highly sensitive to climate change in semi‐arid and sub‐humid regions with a monsoonal climate.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene extreme hydrological event records from slackwater flood deposits of the Ankang east reach in the upper Hanjiang River valley,China

This paper reports an investigation into palaeoflooding along the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River valley, China. Based on the sedimentary evidence of the palaeohydrological regime, two bedsets of palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs) were identified interbedded within the Holocene loess–soil sequence along the riverbanks of the Ankang east reach. Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating and stratigraphical correlation with previously dated sites were used to reconstruct the chronology of the palaeoflood events. The results show that the palaeoflood events represented by SWD1 occurred between 13 000 and 12 400 a, coincident with the climatic transition from the Bølling–Allerød (BL+AL) stage to the Younger Dryas (YD) event. The palaeoflood events recorded by SWD2 were dated to 1000–800 a, corresponding to the later stages of the North Song Dynasty (AD 960–1127) and the subsequent South Song Dynasty (AD 1127–1279), which was a time of climatic decline according to historical documents. Palaeoflood discharges were estimated using the step‐backwater method, and the peak discharges were estimated to be in the range 35 200–47 400 m³ s^?1. These results are of significance to our understanding of the regional hydrological response to global climatic change, the utilization of water resources, hydraulic engineering, flood control and disaster reduction.     

黄河上游靖远-景泰段全新世古洪水水文学

对黄河上游靖远景泰段峡谷进行系统野外考察,在靖远县金坪村(JPC)发现典型的全新世古洪水滞流沉积物。通过光释光(OSL)测年和与黄河吉县段FJJ剖面进行地层对比,确定这期特大古洪水事件发生在 3 200~3 000 a B.P.,即全新世中期晚期气候恶化转折阶段,对应着我国历史上商末至西周早期。采用古洪水水文学方法恢复古洪水洪峰水位,并且采用比降-面积法计算这一期多次古洪水事件的洪峰流量为 16 110~17 740 m³/s。同时,根据野外调查获得 2012年7月31日黄河上游大洪水的洪痕高程,采用相同参数和方法恢复其洪峰流量,误差仅有 2.7%,表明在该河段对于古洪水水文恢复计算参数选取和计算结果是可靠的。     

龙山文化末期泾河特大洪水事件光释光测年研究

通过对泾河流域深入的野外考察,在其中游基岩峡谷内发现了含有龙山文化末期文化层和古洪水滞流沉积单元的全新世黄土土壤剖面。利用光释光的单片测年技术,确定古洪水滞流沉积层覆盖着的黑垆土层的OSL年龄为 4078±382aB.P. 和4111±450aB.P.。结合其中所含龙山文化遗址的考古年代,揭示出泾河流域在4100～4000aB.P.之间出现一个古洪水多发时期。这组古洪水滞流沉积单元包含5个单层,记录了4100～4000aB.P.之间泾河流域曾经发生的5次特大古洪水事件。这个洪水期对应着我国北方在4000aB.P.前后,由全新世大暖期向着全新世晚期干旱期转折过程中的气候剧烈变化。这些史前洪水事件可能对我国龙山文化的衰落和古代华夏文明的诞生具有重大的影响。     

Extraordinary floods related to the climatic event at 4200 a BP on the Qishuihe River,middle reaches of the Yellow River,China

Palaeo-hydrological study was carried out in the Qishuihe River valley in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. Several bedsets of flood slackwater deposit were identified in the Holocene loess-soil sequences on the riverbanks. They were differentiated from aeolian loess and soils by the parallel and waving beddings and the distinctive stratigraphic breaks separating individual palaeoflood events. Chronology of the flood events was established by OSL dating, checked by archaeological identification of the anthropogenic remains retrieved from the sequences. The results show that successive floods occurred between 4300 and 4000 a BP in association with the abrupt climatic event of 4200 a BP. These overbank floods had the riverbank settlement inundated repeatedly. Another series of extraordinary floods occurred between 3200 and 3000 a BP when monsoonal climate shifted from the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum toward late Holocene dry conditions. The climatic event of 4200 a BP and the climatic decline at 3100 a BP were believed to be characterized by droughts previously. This work provides solid evidence that both severe droughts and extreme floods were parts of the climatic variability during abrupt climatic event and climatic decline in the semi-arid to sub-humid zones over the world.     

雅鲁藏布江流域古堰塞湖群的发育及其地质意义初探

展布于青藏高原东南部的雅鲁藏布江流域河谷中广泛分布有古堰塞湖沉积,古堰塞湖发育与构造活动、气候变化和地表过程等因素关系密切。在广泛地质调查的基础上,识别出雅鲁藏布江流域的十余个古堰塞湖,通过对其开展沉积学、地貌学和年代学工作,结合前人工作结果,初步建立了古堰塞湖群的地层年代框架。地表残留的古堰塞湖沉积多集中于末次冰期冰盛期和全新世早期,持续时间可达千年—万年。对大竹卡古湖、格嘎古湖和易贡湖的研究结果进行了介绍,归纳出古堰塞湖群发育的基本特征,初步讨论了构造、气候和侵蚀相互作用下古堰塞湖研究的意义、存在的问题以及研究的方向。提出末次冰期以来的冰川(泥石流)堵江-堰塞-溃决洪水所构建的极端气候-灾害事件,对雅鲁藏布江河谷地貌和古地理环境等有重要影响。     

汉江上游晏家棚段全新世古洪水研究

通过对汉江上游详尽的野外考察,在湖北郧县晏家棚河段全新世黄土—古土壤地层中发现3层典型古洪水滞流沉积物。在沉积学的基础上,使用OSL技术断代,确定3期特大洪水事件分别在1 000~900 a BP,1 800~1 600 a BP和3 200~2 800 a BP期间发生。采用"古洪水SWD尖灭点高程法"确定这3期古洪水事件的洪峰水位介于176.20~176.73 m。运用Arc GIS耦合HEC-RAS水力模型,推求这3期古洪水事件的洪峰流量介于53 770~55 950 m3/s,并从多种角度验证了该模型计算结果的科学性和合理性。将此结果与实测洪水和历史洪水资料接续,构成万年尺度洪水水文数据序列,得到汉江上游晏家棚河段万年一遇和千年一遇洪水的流量分别为59 100和45 200m3/s。采用HEC-RAS模型对研究河段进行古洪水模拟,方法科学,结果可靠。将该河段洪水水文数据序列有效地延长到万年尺度,极大地提高了设计洪水的可靠性。     

全新世古洪水事件光释光测年研究——以渭河下游临潼段为例

通过对渭河下游河谷进行深入的考察,在临潼段发现全新世黄土-古土壤层里夹有古洪水滞流沉积层。在剖面系统采样并进行磁化率和粒度成分分析,从沉积学角度证明该地层记录了全新世以来古洪水事件的信息。同时,在剖面采集OSL测年样品,应用单片再生剂量法(SAR)进行红外后蓝光(Post-IROSL)释光测量,获得了7个OSL绝对年龄值,建立了全新世剖面年代深度关系曲线,确定渭河在3200～3000aB.P.之间发生特大洪水事件。综合地层学对比以及剖面磁化率和粒度等气候替代性指标分析,揭示了全新世中期向晚期转折过渡时期,气候向干旱化转折,气候不稳定,频繁波动,降水变率大,是造成渭河流域特大洪水事件发生的主要原因。     

Flood frequencies reveal Holocene rapid climate changes (Lower Moulouya River,northeastern Morocco)

Current high‐resolution palaeoenvironmental records reveal short‐term Holocene coolings. One of these major Holocene rapid climate changes occurred between 3.2 and 2.7 cal. ka BP. The sensitivity of river systems vis‐à‐vis slight and short‐term Holocene climatic variations is a subject of controversy in the scientific community. In this paper, we present a 4.0 to 1.4 cal ka BP palaeoflood record from the Lower Moulouya River (northeastern Morocco) to demonstrate the high sensitivity of semiarid rivers in the southwestern Mediterranean towards Holocene environmental changes. The Lower Moulouya flood deposits are characterised by thick, well‐stratified, predominantly clayey to silty overbank fine sediments. These cohesive sediments show evidence of excellent preservation conditions against fluvial erosion and contain a continuous record of mid to late Holocene flood sequences. The Moulouya palaeoflood record can be interpreted in the context of regional and global high‐resolution proxy data, revealing a strong coupling with Holocene rapid climate changes. The centennial‐scale Moulouya palaeohydrological history will be discussed with palaeoenvironmental data from the same record (palaeomagnetics, sedimentary charcoal record, anthracological analyses, snail analyses) to generate new ideas about the mid to late Holocene hydrological cycle in the southwestern Mediterranean. The deduced features of pronounced Lower Moulouya flooding and the decreased fire recurrence during Holocene cooling remain somewhat inconsistent with the interpretation of other palaeohydrological and paleaoecological records from the southwestern Mediterranean. However, enhanced Lower Moulouya flood frequencies between 3.2 and 2.7 cal. ka BP agree with increased floodplain aggradation in other major river systems of Mediterranean North Africa. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

汉江上游全新世特大古洪水事件光释光测年研究

古洪水事件对中国古代文明的演变进程产生过重大影响,古洪水水文学研究是全球变化研究的前沿课题.通过野外深入考察,在汉江上游河谷阶地上,发现典型的全新世剖面中赋存古洪水滞流沉积层,记录了古洪水事件的气候水文信息.选择三个剖面系统采样,应用SAR法的Post-IR OSL技术对样品进行测年研究,获得了14个OSL年龄数据.结合样品的粒度成分和磁化率等气候替代指标测定分析,获得了全新世洪水事件与气候变化关系的记录.证明在距今9.5~8.5 ka和3.2~2.8 ka前,汉江上游经历了2个特大洪水期.该流域黄土—古土壤剖面记录了全新世早期气温回升增湿的气候,由于大气波动失稳,出现了9~8 ka前的全球降温事件;中期土壤成壤强烈,记录了温暖湿润的气候;晚期形成的现代黄土和表土层,记录了相对干旱的气候.由此揭示了在全新世早期气候波动失稳和中期向晚期过渡的气候转折时期,气候变化剧烈,降水变率增大,是导致特大古洪水事件频发的主要原因,这也是该区域气候水文事件对全球气候变化响应规律的具体表现.     

泾河下游古洪水滞流沉积物地球化学特征研究

通过沿泾河河谷广泛的野外考察,在高陵县杨官寨段发现典型的全新世黄土-土壤剖面。经过详细观测、系统采样和化学元素、粒度成分和磁化率等多指标测定,从剖面鉴别出两组古洪水滞流沉积层（SWD）,分别记录了发生在4 200 ~ 4 000 a B.P.和3200 ~ 2800 a B.P.期间的特大洪水事件。该研究着重对古洪水滞流沉积层与黄土层和古土壤层的元素地球化学特征进行对比研究。结果表明:（1）在风成沉积物中,Fe2O3、Al2O3、K2O、MgO等元素含量在古土壤层高于黄土层,而CaO和Na2O元素含量则表现出相反的变化。表明风化成壤过程中,这些元素的迁移变化受到全新世以来气候变化和成壤作用的影响。而Zr、Hf、Ti、Cr、Y、Th等微量元素含量与地壳平均丰度相当,且变化甚微。这是由于这些微量元素主要包含在粗颗粒和重矿物之中,其化学性质比较稳定,具有强抗风化性,很少受到风化成壤作用的影响。（2）单个古洪水滞流沉积层,是洪水悬移质泥沙在高水位滞流环境中沉积形成的,分选性很好,故其底部多粗颗粒和重矿物沉积,Zr、Hf、Ti、Cr、Y、Th等微量元素含量呈现突出的尖峰;自下向上随着颗粒逐渐变细,粘粒成分增加,Fe2O3、Al2O3、K2O、MgO等元素含量出现高峰。这两类元素由下向上的相互消长关系,与沙级颗粒含量和磁化率值变化规律对应,反映出古洪水滞流沉积层的基本理化特性。这个研究成果对于完善古洪水沉积学和水文学的方法和理论具有重要的科学价值。     

渭河中游全新世黄土剖面光释光测年及记录的古洪水事件

通过对渭河流域进行广泛的考察,在中游咸阳附近一处阶地发现保存完好的全新世黄土-古土壤剖面里夹有古洪水滞流沉积层,对其进行了年代学和沉积学研究。对于采集的全新世地层样品,进行粒度、磁化率测量分析,证明所夹沉积物是典型的古洪水滞流沉积物,该层记录了古洪水事件发生的气候水文信息。应用红外后蓝光的SAR光释光测年技术,获得该剖面9个OSL年龄值,确定渭河在距今3.2～2.8ka之间为一个洪水多发时期,并建立了渭河古洪水事件的年代序列。这一结果揭示了古洪水的频发与全新世中期向晚期过渡的转折时期,气候由温湿向干旱化发展,大气系统失稳,气候变化剧烈,降水量异常变化,变率增大,是导致渭河流域特大古洪水多发的主要原因。     

Impact of monsoonal climatic change on Holocene overbank flooding along Sushui River,middle reach of the Yellow River,China

In the semiarid loess regions, slackwater deposition of overbank flooding over the piedmont alluvial plains was episodic and alternated with dust accumulation and soil formation throughout the Holocene. The records of past hydrological events are therefore preserved within the architecture of loess and soils and are protected from subsequent erosion and destruction. Several Holocene loess–soil sequences with the deposits of overbank flooding over the semiarid piedmont alluvial plains in the southeast part of the middle reaches of the Yellow River drainage basin were investigated by field observation, OSL and C¹⁴ dating, measurement of magnetic susceptibility, particle-size distribution and chemical elements. This enables the reconstruction of a complete catalog of Holocene overbank flooding events at a watershed scale and an investigation of hydrological response to monsoonal climatic change as well. During the Holocene, there are six episodes of overbank flooding recorded over the alluvial plain. The first occurred at 11,500–11,000 a BP, i.e. the onset of the Holocene. The second took place at 9500–8500 a BP, immediately before the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum. After an extended geomorphic stability and soil formation, the third overbank flooding episode came at about 3620–3520 a BP, i.e. the late stage of the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum, and the floodwater inundated and devastated a Bronze-age town of the Xia Culture built on the alluvial plain, and therefore the town was abandoned for a period of ca 100 years. During the late Holocene, the alluvial plain experienced three episodes of overbank flooding at 2420–2170, 1860–1700 and 680–100 a BP, respectively. The occurrence of these overbank flooding episodes corresponds to the anomalous change in monsoonal climate in the middle reaches of the Yellow River drainage basin when rapid climate change or climatic decline occurs. During at least the last four episodes, both extreme floods and droughts occurred and climate departed from its normal condition, which was defined as a balanced change between the northwestern continental monsoon and southeastern maritime monsoon over time. Great floods occurred as a result of extreme rainstorms in summers caused by rare intensive meridianal airflows involving northwestward moving tropical cyclone systems from the Pacific. These results could be applied to improve our understanding of high-resolution climatic change, and of hydrological response to climatic change in the semiarid zones.     

晚更新世晚期以来的长江上游古洪水记录

长江上游三峡河段主要的古洪水记录有:1)三峡深槽的蚀积变化;2)长江阶地粗粒沉积;3)长江的泛滥沉积;4)长江的古洪水平流沉积。不同时间跨度不同类型古洪水记录的精度有较大的差别。古洪水记录显示,晚更新世晚期的40～30kaB.P.,长江上游大洪水比30kaB.P.以来的长江上游大洪水大得多;全新世以来,以3983aB.P.前后的大洪水为相对最大;公元1870年大洪水为3000aB.P.以来最大洪水;近百年来的实测洪水以公元1981年洪水为最大。     

晚更新世晚期以来的长江上游古洪水记录

长江上游三峡河段主要的古洪水记录有:1)三峡深槽的蚀积变化;2)长江阶地粗粒沉积;3)长江的泛滥沉积;4)长江的古洪水平流沉积。不同时间跨度不同类型古洪水记录的精度有较大的差别。古洪水记录显示,晚更新世晚期的40～30kaB.P.,长江上游大洪水比30kaB.P.以来的长江上游大洪水大得多;全新世以来,以3983aB.P.前后的大洪水为相对最大;公元1870年大洪水为3000aB.P.以来最大洪水;近百年来的实测洪水以公元1981年洪水为最大。     

The Alluvial Geoarchaeology of the Sanyangzhuang Site on the Yellow River Floodplain,Henan Province,China

The Sanyangzhuang site, Henan Province, China, has a 12‐m‐deep stratigraphic sequence with remains from the Tang (A.D. 618–907), late Western Han (ca. 140 B.C.–A.D. 23), Warring States (475–221 B.C.), Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (ca. 5000–1500 B.C.), Middle Holocene, and Early Holocene times. All of the paleosols are deeply buried. We investigate four issues relevant to the archaeology of the lower Yellow River Valley. First, we confirm that the Yellow River flowed north toward Bohai Bay throughout most of the Holocene. Second, we expand understanding of Holocene paleoenvironments. Long episodes of landscape stability punctuated by brief periods of Yellow River flooding represent the dominant environmental pattern. Third, we investigate how the complex relationships between climate, culture, and the environment affect Yellow River flooding, which in turn shapes Chinese civilization and history. Flooding in late Western Han times affected a vast area of north‐central China; this catastrophe contributed to the downfall of the late Western Han Dynasty. Finally, this research sheds light on the role of Yellow River alluviation in site burial and preservation. Rapid alluviation in the region has buried many archaeological sites. Settlement pattern research needs to take seriously the limitations placed on site visibility in quickly aggrading floodplains. However, gentle alluviation has also preserved settlements and entire landscapes providing unparalleled opportunities to explore the archaeological and historical record of the lower Yellow River Valley.     

River sediments,great floods and centennial‐scale Holocene climate change

A new analysis of all 346 published ¹⁴C dated Holocene alluvial units in Britain offers a unique insight into the regional impacts of global change and shows how surprisingly sensitive British rivers have been to relatively modest but repeated changes in climate. Fourteen major but probably brief periods of flooding are identified bracketed within the periods 400–1070, 1940–3940, 7520–8100 and at ca. 10 420 cal. yr BP. There is a strong correspondence between climatic deteriorations inferred from mire wet shifts and major periods of flooding, especially at ca. 8000 cal. yr BP and since ca. 4000 cal. yr BP. The unusually long and complete British record also demonstrates that alterations in land cover have resulted in a step change in river basin sensitivity to variations in climate. This has very important implications for assessing and mitigating the impact of increasing severe flooding. In small and medium‐sized river basins land use is likely to play a key role in either moderating or amplifying the climatic signal. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nature,origin and evolution of a Late Pleistocene incised valley‐fill,Sunda Shelf,Southeast Asia

Understanding the stratigraphic fill and reconstructing the palaeo‐hydrology of incised valleys can help to constrain those factors that controlled their origin, evolution and regional significance. This condition is addressed through the analysis of a large (up to 18 km wide by 80 m deep) and exceptionally well‐imaged Late Pleistocene incised valley from the Sunda Shelf (South China Sea) based on shallow three‐dimensional seismic data from a large (11 500 km²), ‘merge’ survey, supplemented with site survey data (boreholes and seismic). This approach has enabled the characterization of the planform geometry, cross‐sectional area and internal stratigraphic architecture, which together allow reconstruction of the palaeo‐hydrology. The valley‐fill displays five notable stratigraphic features: (i) it is considerably larger than other seismically resolvable channel forms and can be traced for at least 180 km along its length; (ii) it is located in the axial part of the Malay Basin; (iii) the youngest part of the valley‐fill is dominated by a large (600 m wide and 23 m deep), high‐sinuosity channel, with well‐developed lateral accretion surfaces; (iv) the immediately adjacent interfluves contain much smaller, dendritic channel systems, which resemble tributaries that drained into the larger incised valley system; and (v) a ca 16 m thick, shell‐bearing, Holocene clay caps the valley‐fill. The dimension, basin location and palaeo‐hydrology of this incised valley leads to the conclusion that it represents the trunk river, which flowed along the length of the Malay Basin; it connected the Gulf of Thailand in the north with the South China Sea in the south‐east. The length of the river system (>1200 km long) enables examination of the upstream to downstream controls on the evolution of the incised valley, including sea‐level, climate and tectonics. The valley size, orientation and palaeo‐hydrology suggest close interaction between the regional tectonic framework, low‐angle shelf physiography and a humid‐tropical climatic setting.     

云南三江一河典型地区河谷第四系发育特征

三江一河（金沙江、怒江、澜沧江、红河是流经云南境内的４条主体水系，将上述４条河流河谷第四系的野外观察加以总结得出；金沙江河谷局部发育早一中更新世的湖相层和河湖相层，常形成晚期阶地的基座，晚更新世至全新世冲积层构成四级阶地；怒江河谷第四系发育较差，在六库的上游河谷中冲积层极不发育，只有局部地方有少量的河漫滩砂砾层（全新世），在六库至过街河段中，尤其是过街盆地，发育有中更新世至全新世的冲积层和洪积层，前者构成五级阶地，后者形成巨大的洪积扇分布在河流右岸的谷底或苍坡上；澜沧江除景洪、勐罕（橄榄坝）盆地外，其它河段主要为峡谷，第四系很少，在景洪盆地中发育有第二、第一级阶地和河漫滩冲积层；红河的第四系有中更新世至全新世的冲积层，并构成五级阶地。基于上述第四系特点，简要地讨论了这４条河流的形成时代。     

黄河泛滥平原全新世沙尘暴活动的历史记录——以颖河上游一典型剖面为例

研究了淮河支流颖河上游嵩山东麓一典型全新世黄土-古土壤剖面,获得了较高时间分辨率的磁化率、粒度成分和>0.063mm粒级百分比含量等环境代用指标系列。通过地层对比研究,确定了该剖面的基本年代框架。分析了颖河上游全新世黄土-土壤磁化率、粒度特征,论证了颖河上游全新世黄土-土壤物质粒度成分与黄河泛滥沉积沙尘暴活动关系,揭示了颖河上游全新世黄河泛滥平原沙尘暴活动特征。3100aBP以来气候趋于干旱,黄河下游泛滥频率增加,风沙活动范围显著扩大,沙尘暴活动强烈。