The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly...The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.展开更多
The Liupan Mountains,one of the important mountain ranges in western China,are located on the boundary between the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and the Ordos Block.The uplift history of the Liupan Mountains remains co...The Liupan Mountains,one of the important mountain ranges in western China,are located on the boundary between the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and the Ordos Block.The uplift history of the Liupan Mountains remains controversial.Loess deposits are good tracers of regional tectonic and geomorphic changes,because loess is sensitive to erosion and the formation and preservation of loess requires relatively flat highlands and relatively stable tectonic environments.We investigated the distribution of Neogene loess deposits on the western piedmont of the Liupan Mountains and examined a near-continuous loess section(Nanping section)on the piedmont alluvial highlands.Correlation of magnetic susceptibility stratigraphy with the QA-ⅠMiocene loess sequence dates this 56-m section covering the interval from~8.1 to 6.2 Ma.The lower boundary age of this section,together with previously reported Zhuanglang red clay(sand-gravel layers with intercalated loess during~9–8 Ma and near-continuous loess during~8–4.8 Ma)and Chaona red clay(~8.1–2.58 Ma),indicates that the Liupan Mountains were uplifted in the late Miocene(~9–8 Ma)and basically formed by~8 Ma,attesting to no intense mountain building since that time.In addition,based on the information from the Zhuanglang core and the QA-Ⅰsection,we infer that sizable parts of the Liupan Mountains were uplifted during the late Oligocene–early Miocene and did not experience intense uplift during~22–9 Ma.展开更多
Clay mineral proxies have been widely used to reconstruct changes in provenance and the paleoclimate.However,high-altitude clay mineral indications and long-term and orbital variations have not been fully explored.Her...Clay mineral proxies have been widely used to reconstruct changes in provenance and the paleoclimate.However,high-altitude clay mineral indications and long-term and orbital variations have not been fully explored.Herein,we present an800-ka clay-mineral record from a lacustrine sediment core(ZB13-C2)from the Zoige Basin on the eastern Tibetan Plateau(TP).X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify the clay mineral assemblages and their micromorphological characteristics of core ZB13-C2.The results revealed that the clay minerals in core ZB13-C2 are mainly illite,with small amounts of chlorite,kaolinite,and smectite(including irregular mixed-layers of illite-smectite(I/S)and chloritesmectite(C/S)).The clay mineral assemblages and proxies exhibit three stages of change,which are mainly controlled by the Zoige watershed range under different climate conditions.The watershed was limited to the southeastern region with altitudes ranging from~3500 to~4200 meters above sea level(m a.s.l.),and glacial-interglacial hydraulic erosion controlled the input of bedrock debris during 800-621 ka BP.It expanded to higher altitudes(~4200 to~4700 m a.s.l.)due to stronger seasonal freezethaw weathering without significant glacial-interglacial variations under a cooling and drying climate during 621-100 ka BP.Finally,it expanded to its highest altitudes of~4700 to~5200 m a.s.l.northwest of the watershed after 100 ka BP,and hydraulic erosion increased obviously under a warm climate of the interstadial MIS 3 on the TP.The watershed underwent two major expansions under different climatic conditions at~621 ka and 100 ka BP,with the wet/dry alternation became strong at~621 ka BP.These results reveal that long-term temperature changes and the wet/dry alternation at high altitudes controlled the watershed range and degree of the physical erosion,and that the indications of clay minerals should be carefully clarified before they are used as climate indicators,especially on the TP.展开更多
Earth system can be categorized into three parts, solid Earth system, surface Earth system, and Sun-Earth space system. These three subsystems not only have mutual transmission and coupling relationships in both energ...Earth system can be categorized into three parts, solid Earth system, surface Earth system, and Sun-Earth space system. These three subsystems not only have mutual transmission and coupling relationships in both energy and matter but also involve multiple scales from microscopic to macroscopic. Earth system science is characterized by its globality and unity with a holistic view and a systematic view at multiple scales in both space and time. It focuses not only on the physical, chemical and biological interactions between various geospheres but also on the properties, behaviors, processes, and mechanisms of the entire Earth and its spheres. Although significant progress has been made in the study of internal disciplines of these three subsystems,there is still insufficient understanding of their overall behavior and interactions between individuals, thus facing challenges of different types and levels. The solid Earth system is composed of the crust, mantle, and core. Existing observational techniques struggle to penetrate deep into the mantle, making direct observation and data acquisition difficult;the extreme environments within Earth, such as high temperature, high pressure, and strong magnetic fields, also pose great challenges to observational equipment and scientific experiments. The surface Earth system is an open complex mega-system, in which there are complex interactions and feedback mechanisms among its geospheres(such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, pedosphere and lithosphere), leading to difficulties in understanding of its overall behavior and long-term evolution. Biological activities have become increasingly significant in affecting the surface Earth system. The coupling between the internal and external Earth systems becomes more complex. Distinguishing and quantifying the impacts of Earth spherical interactions and biological activities on the surface Earth system is a major challenge. The Sun-Earth space system involves multiple physical processes such as solar activity, Earth's magnetic field, atmosphere, and space weather. Solar activity significantly affects the Earth's space environment, but existing observational and reconstruction methods and prediction models still lack precision and timeliness.Thus it is important to improve the prediction capability of solar activity and reduce the impact of space weather disasters. How to cross different scales and establish coupled models of multiple physical processes is a significant challenge in the study of the Sun-Earth space system. Because the various processes and phenomena within and between these three Earth subsystems often span multiple scales in both space and time and exhibit strong nonlinear characteristics, understanding their behaviors and processes becomes complex and variable, posing great challenges for theoretical modelling and numerical simulation. Therefore,the study of Earth system science requires in-depth interdisciplinary integration to jointly reveal the basic laws and operating mechanisms of Earth system.展开更多
水是维持地球生物多样性和生态系统健康的根本保障,更是地球表层系统机体运作的“血液”.当今全球变暖背景下,与水循环变化密切相关的干旱、森林大火和洪涝等极端灾害天气频发,以及海平面上升、海洋热浪与酸化等全球性生态危机问题日益...水是维持地球生物多样性和生态系统健康的根本保障,更是地球表层系统机体运作的“血液”.当今全球变暖背景下,与水循环变化密切相关的干旱、森林大火和洪涝等极端灾害天气频发,以及海平面上升、海洋热浪与酸化等全球性生态危机问题日益突出,深刻影响了全球生态系统健康和人类社会的可持续发展.政府间气候变化专门委员会(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,IPCC)第6次评估报告中,特别突出了系统性评估气候变化对全球水循环影响的重要性[1].毋容置疑,水循环是地球系统中的基本过程之一.展开更多
Plate tectonics plays a critical role in modulating atmospheric CO_(2)concentration on the geological timescale(≥106year).A growing consensus on tectonic and Earth’s CO_(2)history in the Cenozoic and deeper time pro...Plate tectonics plays a critical role in modulating atmospheric CO_(2)concentration on the geological timescale(≥106year).A growing consensus on tectonic and Earth’s CO_(2)history in the Cenozoic and deeper time provides solid restrictions and standards for testing tectonic carbon processes against global measurements.Despite this,modeling the causal relationship between tectonic events and atmospheric CO_(2)levels remains a challenge.We examine the current state of the global tectonic CO_(2)research and suggest a conceptual workflow for numerical experiments that integrates plate tectonics and deep carbon dynamics.Future tectonic carbon cycle modeling should include at least four modules:(1)simulation of carbon-carrying processes,such as carbon ingassing and outgassing at the scale of minerals;(2)calculation of CO_(2)fluxes in tectonic settings like subduction,mantle plume,and plate rifting;(3)reconstruction of carbon cycling within the plates-scale tectonic scenario,particularly involving the processes of supercontinent convergence and dispersion;and(4)comparison with atmospheric CO_(2)history data and iterations,aiming to find the coincidental link between different tectonic carbon fluxes and climate changes.According to our analysis,the recent advancements in each of the four modules have paved the path for a more general assembly.We envision that the large variety of carbon transportation parameters across more than ten orders of magnitude in both time and space is the primary technical hurdle in simulating tectonic carbon dynamics.We propose a boundary-condition-connected approach for simulating the global carbon cycle to realize carbon exchange between the solid earth and surface spheres.展开更多
Phenological responses of vegetation to the ongoing warming trend impact current and future primary productivity.However,few studies focus on wood phenology because its observed data are much scarcer,which hinders the...Phenological responses of vegetation to the ongoing warming trend impact current and future primary productivity.However,few studies focus on wood phenology because its observed data are much scarcer,which hinders the estimation and prediction of forest carbon budgets over large regions.Here,we use a physiological process-based tree-ring growth model(Vaganov-Shashkin model)to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of spring xylem phenology(start of the growing season of xylem,SOS_(x))in tree-ring sites of China during 1962-2016 CE.The model is calibrated on measured tree-ring width chronologies(70 tree-ring chronologies)and successfully validated with field observations of xylogenesis.We found that spring xylem phenology significantly advances during 1962-2016 CE period under global warming,with the rate of advance quickly increasing after the 1990s to an average of 0.25 days per year.The preseason daily mean temperature is the main climatic driver for spring xylem phenology as indicated by its significant correlations with SOS_(x)at most sites(71%).Warmer preseason allows heat requirements for tree growth to be reached more quickly,with increase of 1℃in temperature of preseason anticipates SOS_(x)by 6 to 7 days,which will benefit the radial growth of trees in the relatively cold-humid environments.In addition,the significant positive correlation between the simulated spring xylem phenology and remote sensing derived phenology highlights the primary and secondary growth may be governed by the same variable(temperature)and change in the same direction with global warming.This study provides the long-term perspective on the spring xylem phenology variations covering most of China.展开更多
Quantitative assessment of natural internal variability and externally forced responses of Northern Hemisphere(NH)temperatures is necessary for understanding and attributing climate change signals during past warm and...Quantitative assessment of natural internal variability and externally forced responses of Northern Hemisphere(NH)temperatures is necessary for understanding and attributing climate change signals during past warm and cold periods.However,it remains a challenge to distinguish the robust internally generated variability from the observed variability.Here,largeensemble(70 member)simulations,Energy Balance Model simulation,temperature ensemble reconstruction,and three dominant external forcings(volcanic,solar,and greenhouse gas)were combined to estimate the internal variability of NH summer(June–August)temperatures over the past 2000 years(1–2000 CE).Results indicate that the Medieval Climate Anomaly was predominantly attributed to centennial-scale internal oscillation,accounting for an estimated 104%of the warming anomaly.In contrast,the Current Warm Period is influenced mainly by external forcing,contributing up to 90%of the warming anomaly.Internal temperature variability offsets cooling by volcanic eruptions during the Late Antique Little Ice Age.These findings have important implications for the attribution of past climate variability and improvement of future climate projections.展开更多
Quaternary strata in China mainly comprise continental deposits in a variety of depositional settings. The continental Quaternary in temperate northern China consists mainly of eolian and fluvio-lacustrine deposits; t...Quaternary strata in China mainly comprise continental deposits in a variety of depositional settings. The continental Quaternary in temperate northern China consists mainly of eolian and fluvio-lacustrine deposits; that in subtropical southern China, mainly of vermiculated red soils, cave/fissure deposits, and fluvio-lacustrine deposits; and that in the alpine Tibetan Plateau, mainly of fluvio-lacustrine and piedmont deposits. The marine Quaternary in China consists of detrital deposits and biogenic reef deposits. The integration of biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, climatostratigraphy and an astronomically calibrated chronology has led to the establishment of high-precision climatochronostratigraphic timescales for the detrital marine Quaternary in the South China Sea and the loess-paleosol sequence in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Extremely high-precision230 Th dating has provided a high-precision absolute age model for cave stalagmites over the past 640000 years as well as highresolution oxygen isotope records representing orbital-to suborbital-scale climate changes. By combining magnetic stratigraphy and biostratigraphy, robust chronostratigraphic frameworks for non-eolian continental Quaternary deposits on the scale of Quaternary geomagnetic polarities have been established. The continental Pleistocene Series consists, from oldest to youngest,of the Nihewanian Stage of the Lower Pleistocene, the Zhoukoudianian Stage of the Middle Pleistocene, and the Salawusuan Stage of the Upper Pleistocene. Stages of the continental Holocene Series have not yet been established. This review summarizes recent developments in the Quaternary chronostratigraphy of representative Quaternary strata and associated faunas, and then proposes an integrative chronostratigraphic framework and a stratigraphic correlation scheme for Quaternary continental strata in China. In the near-future, it is hoped to establish not only a Chinese continental Quaternary climatochronostratigraphic chart on the scale of glacial-interglacial cycles but also a Quaternary integrative chronostratigraphic chart including both continental and marine strata in China.展开更多
The Chinese government has made a strategic decision to reach ‘carbon neutrality' before 2060. China's terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink is currently offsetting 7–15% of national anthropogenic emissions and ...The Chinese government has made a strategic decision to reach ‘carbon neutrality' before 2060. China's terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink is currently offsetting 7–15% of national anthropogenic emissions and has received widespread attention regarding its role in the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy. We provide perspectives on this question by inferring from the fundamental principles of terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycles. We first elucidate the basic ecological theory that, over the long-term succession of ecosystem without regenerative disturbances, the carbon sink of a given ecosystem will inevitably approach zero as the ecosystem reaches its equilibrium state or climax. In this sense, we argue that the currently observed global terrestrial carbon sink largely emerges from the processes of carbon uptake and release of ecosystem responding to environmental changes and, as such, the carbon sink is never an intrinsic ecosystem function. We further elaborate on the long-term effects of atmospheric CO_(2) changes and afforestation on China's terrestrial carbon sink: the enhancement of the terrestrial carbon sink by the CO_(2) fertilization effect will diminish as the growth of the atmospheric CO_(2) slows down, or completely stops, depending on international efforts to combat climate change, and carbon sinks induced by ecological engineering, such as afforestation, will also decline as forest ecosystems become mature and reach their late-successional stage. We conclude that terrestrial ecosystems have nonetheless an important role to play to gain time for industrial emission reduction during the implementation of the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy. In addition, science-based ecological engineering measures including afforestation and forest management could be used to elongate the time of ecosystem carbon sink service. We propose that the terrestrial carbon sink pathway should be optimized, by addressing the questions of ‘when' and ‘where' to plan afforestation projects, in order to effectively strengthen the terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink and maximize its contribution to the realization of the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy.展开更多
In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibi...In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibility,color,and diffuse reflectance spectrum.Results show that the magnetic susceptibility and redness of the burnt sediments are remarkably higher than those of other areas on the same level:up to*22 times for magnetic susceptibility and*3 times for redness of those of the adjacent unburnt sediments.Fine-grained(superparamagnetic/stable single-domain)magnetite and hematite grains make dominant contributions to the distinctly high values of magnetic susceptibility and redness in the burnt sediments.Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results show that the burnt sediments contain more hematite than those of other areas and localities 2 and 3.High-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the burnt sediments have been heated above 700°C.Those changes in low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and redness are impossibly resulted from natural fires,thus most likely signaling the human activities of controlled use of fire.However,further work is needed to confirm whether or not these heat-affected sediments were produced in situ.展开更多
A paleosol dated for about 500-700 kaBP and developed on a glacial deposit at -3 000 in a.s.l. in the Yulong Mountains is studied using soil chemical, morphological and mineralogical methods. The analytical results in...A paleosol dated for about 500-700 kaBP and developed on a glacial deposit at -3 000 in a.s.l. in the Yulong Mountains is studied using soil chemical, morphological and mineralogical methods. The analytical results indicate that this soil was formed under tropical and humid conditions and can be classified as red soil, which cannot be formed in the present alpine environment at the studied site. This implies that the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau has experienced intense uplift since the formation of the paleosol. According to the necessary conditions for the formation of the modern red soil in China, we estimate that the展开更多
The Eocene was marked by significant cooling during which the global climate was transformed from greenhouse to icehouse conditions. Notable coeval events were the India-Asia collision and the retreat of the Paratethy...The Eocene was marked by significant cooling during which the global climate was transformed from greenhouse to icehouse conditions. Notable coeval events were the India-Asia collision and the retreat of the Paratethys Sea in Asia. The Eocene section of the long and continuous sedimentary succession of the Xining Basin in Northwest China is characterized by red mudstones with intercalated gypsum and muddy-gypsiferous layers. In this study, we conducted a semi-quantitative analysis of the mineralogy of bulk samples and the clay fraction using X-ray diffraction, with the aim of characterizing the Eocene climatic evolution of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and inland Asia. We used a new pretreatment method to address the problem of extracting sufficient clay particles from the gypsum and gypsiferous layers. The bulk mineralogy is dominated by quartz, feldspar, calcite, gypsum and dolomite; and the clay mineralogy is dominated by illite, chlorite, and smectite(including irregular mixed-layer illite-smectite(I/S)). The variations of the clay mineral assemblages indicate the occurrence of alternations between warm humid conditions and hot dry conditions, with relatively high humidity during ～52–50,～41.5–39 and ～35–34 Ma. Comparison of the results with the timing of Tibetan Plateau uplift, transgressions and regressions of the Paratethys Sea, and the marine oxygen isotope record suggest that the Eocene climatic evolution of the study region was driven fundamentally by global climate change.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101,41977380 and 42072033)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.XDB26000000 and XDA2004010102)+3 种基金the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21@WTK001)supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative Award(Grant No.2018VCA0016)the Je Tsongkhapa Endowment for Central and Inner Asian Archaeology at the University of Arizona。
文摘The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42488201)the Strategy Priority Research Program(Category B)of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB0710000)。
文摘The Liupan Mountains,one of the important mountain ranges in western China,are located on the boundary between the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and the Ordos Block.The uplift history of the Liupan Mountains remains controversial.Loess deposits are good tracers of regional tectonic and geomorphic changes,because loess is sensitive to erosion and the formation and preservation of loess requires relatively flat highlands and relatively stable tectonic environments.We investigated the distribution of Neogene loess deposits on the western piedmont of the Liupan Mountains and examined a near-continuous loess section(Nanping section)on the piedmont alluvial highlands.Correlation of magnetic susceptibility stratigraphy with the QA-ⅠMiocene loess sequence dates this 56-m section covering the interval from~8.1 to 6.2 Ma.The lower boundary age of this section,together with previously reported Zhuanglang red clay(sand-gravel layers with intercalated loess during~9–8 Ma and near-continuous loess during~8–4.8 Ma)and Chaona red clay(~8.1–2.58 Ma),indicates that the Liupan Mountains were uplifted in the late Miocene(~9–8 Ma)and basically formed by~8 Ma,attesting to no intense mountain building since that time.In addition,based on the information from the Zhuanglang core and the QA-Ⅰsection,we infer that sizable parts of the Liupan Mountains were uplifted during the late Oligocene–early Miocene and did not experience intense uplift during~22–9 Ma.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB26000000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42072209)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0800800)。
文摘Clay mineral proxies have been widely used to reconstruct changes in provenance and the paleoclimate.However,high-altitude clay mineral indications and long-term and orbital variations have not been fully explored.Herein,we present an800-ka clay-mineral record from a lacustrine sediment core(ZB13-C2)from the Zoige Basin on the eastern Tibetan Plateau(TP).X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify the clay mineral assemblages and their micromorphological characteristics of core ZB13-C2.The results revealed that the clay minerals in core ZB13-C2 are mainly illite,with small amounts of chlorite,kaolinite,and smectite(including irregular mixed-layers of illite-smectite(I/S)and chloritesmectite(C/S)).The clay mineral assemblages and proxies exhibit three stages of change,which are mainly controlled by the Zoige watershed range under different climate conditions.The watershed was limited to the southeastern region with altitudes ranging from~3500 to~4200 meters above sea level(m a.s.l.),and glacial-interglacial hydraulic erosion controlled the input of bedrock debris during 800-621 ka BP.It expanded to higher altitudes(~4200 to~4700 m a.s.l.)due to stronger seasonal freezethaw weathering without significant glacial-interglacial variations under a cooling and drying climate during 621-100 ka BP.Finally,it expanded to its highest altitudes of~4700 to~5200 m a.s.l.northwest of the watershed after 100 ka BP,and hydraulic erosion increased obviously under a warm climate of the interstadial MIS 3 on the TP.The watershed underwent two major expansions under different climatic conditions at~621 ka and 100 ka BP,with the wet/dry alternation became strong at~621 ka BP.These results reveal that long-term temperature changes and the wet/dry alternation at high altitudes controlled the watershed range and degree of the physical erosion,and that the indications of clay minerals should be carefully clarified before they are used as climate indicators,especially on the TP.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.92155306 and L2224031)。
文摘Earth system can be categorized into three parts, solid Earth system, surface Earth system, and Sun-Earth space system. These three subsystems not only have mutual transmission and coupling relationships in both energy and matter but also involve multiple scales from microscopic to macroscopic. Earth system science is characterized by its globality and unity with a holistic view and a systematic view at multiple scales in both space and time. It focuses not only on the physical, chemical and biological interactions between various geospheres but also on the properties, behaviors, processes, and mechanisms of the entire Earth and its spheres. Although significant progress has been made in the study of internal disciplines of these three subsystems,there is still insufficient understanding of their overall behavior and interactions between individuals, thus facing challenges of different types and levels. The solid Earth system is composed of the crust, mantle, and core. Existing observational techniques struggle to penetrate deep into the mantle, making direct observation and data acquisition difficult;the extreme environments within Earth, such as high temperature, high pressure, and strong magnetic fields, also pose great challenges to observational equipment and scientific experiments. The surface Earth system is an open complex mega-system, in which there are complex interactions and feedback mechanisms among its geospheres(such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, pedosphere and lithosphere), leading to difficulties in understanding of its overall behavior and long-term evolution. Biological activities have become increasingly significant in affecting the surface Earth system. The coupling between the internal and external Earth systems becomes more complex. Distinguishing and quantifying the impacts of Earth spherical interactions and biological activities on the surface Earth system is a major challenge. The Sun-Earth space system involves multiple physical processes such as solar activity, Earth's magnetic field, atmosphere, and space weather. Solar activity significantly affects the Earth's space environment, but existing observational and reconstruction methods and prediction models still lack precision and timeliness.Thus it is important to improve the prediction capability of solar activity and reduce the impact of space weather disasters. How to cross different scales and establish coupled models of multiple physical processes is a significant challenge in the study of the Sun-Earth space system. Because the various processes and phenomena within and between these three Earth subsystems often span multiple scales in both space and time and exhibit strong nonlinear characteristics, understanding their behaviors and processes becomes complex and variable, posing great challenges for theoretical modelling and numerical simulation. Therefore,the study of Earth system science requires in-depth interdisciplinary integration to jointly reveal the basic laws and operating mechanisms of Earth system.
文摘水是维持地球生物多样性和生态系统健康的根本保障,更是地球表层系统机体运作的“血液”.当今全球变暖背景下,与水循环变化密切相关的干旱、森林大火和洪涝等极端灾害天气频发,以及海平面上升、海洋热浪与酸化等全球性生态危机问题日益突出,深刻影响了全球生态系统健康和人类社会的可持续发展.政府间气候变化专门委员会(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,IPCC)第6次评估报告中,特别突出了系统性评估气候变化对全球水循环影响的重要性[1].毋容置疑,水循环是地球系统中的基本过程之一.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101 and 41625016)XPLORER PRIZE。
文摘Plate tectonics plays a critical role in modulating atmospheric CO_(2)concentration on the geological timescale(≥106year).A growing consensus on tectonic and Earth’s CO_(2)history in the Cenozoic and deeper time provides solid restrictions and standards for testing tectonic carbon processes against global measurements.Despite this,modeling the causal relationship between tectonic events and atmospheric CO_(2)levels remains a challenge.We examine the current state of the global tectonic CO_(2)research and suggest a conceptual workflow for numerical experiments that integrates plate tectonics and deep carbon dynamics.Future tectonic carbon cycle modeling should include at least four modules:(1)simulation of carbon-carrying processes,such as carbon ingassing and outgassing at the scale of minerals;(2)calculation of CO_(2)fluxes in tectonic settings like subduction,mantle plume,and plate rifting;(3)reconstruction of carbon cycling within the plates-scale tectonic scenario,particularly involving the processes of supercontinent convergence and dispersion;and(4)comparison with atmospheric CO_(2)history data and iterations,aiming to find the coincidental link between different tectonic carbon fluxes and climate changes.According to our analysis,the recent advancements in each of the four modules have paved the path for a more general assembly.We envision that the large variety of carbon transportation parameters across more than ten orders of magnitude in both time and space is the primary technical hurdle in simulating tectonic carbon dynamics.We propose a boundary-condition-connected approach for simulating the global carbon cycle to realize carbon exchange between the solid earth and surface spheres.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101&42077406)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB26020000)+3 种基金the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology&Geophysics,CAS(Grant No.IGGCAS-201905)funded by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CASsupported by the Discovery Grants program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(Grant No.RGPIN-2021-03553)by the Canadian Research Chair in dendroecology and dendroclimatology(Grant No.CRC2021-00368)。
文摘Phenological responses of vegetation to the ongoing warming trend impact current and future primary productivity.However,few studies focus on wood phenology because its observed data are much scarcer,which hinders the estimation and prediction of forest carbon budgets over large regions.Here,we use a physiological process-based tree-ring growth model(Vaganov-Shashkin model)to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of spring xylem phenology(start of the growing season of xylem,SOS_(x))in tree-ring sites of China during 1962-2016 CE.The model is calibrated on measured tree-ring width chronologies(70 tree-ring chronologies)and successfully validated with field observations of xylogenesis.We found that spring xylem phenology significantly advances during 1962-2016 CE period under global warming,with the rate of advance quickly increasing after the 1990s to an average of 0.25 days per year.The preseason daily mean temperature is the main climatic driver for spring xylem phenology as indicated by its significant correlations with SOS_(x)at most sites(71%).Warmer preseason allows heat requirements for tree growth to be reached more quickly,with increase of 1℃in temperature of preseason anticipates SOS_(x)by 6 to 7 days,which will benefit the radial growth of trees in the relatively cold-humid environments.In addition,the significant positive correlation between the simulated spring xylem phenology and remote sensing derived phenology highlights the primary and secondary growth may be governed by the same variable(temperature)and change in the same direction with global warming.This study provides the long-term perspective on the spring xylem phenology variations covering most of China.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41888101 and 41625016)the Innovation Group Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (311021003)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFF0802800)。
基金This work was jointly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101 and 42077406)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDB26020000)+1 种基金the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology&Geophysics,CAS(No.IGGCAS-201905)Feng Shi is funded by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS.
文摘Quantitative assessment of natural internal variability and externally forced responses of Northern Hemisphere(NH)temperatures is necessary for understanding and attributing climate change signals during past warm and cold periods.However,it remains a challenge to distinguish the robust internally generated variability from the observed variability.Here,largeensemble(70 member)simulations,Energy Balance Model simulation,temperature ensemble reconstruction,and three dominant external forcings(volcanic,solar,and greenhouse gas)were combined to estimate the internal variability of NH summer(June–August)temperatures over the past 2000 years(1–2000 CE).Results indicate that the Medieval Climate Anomaly was predominantly attributed to centennial-scale internal oscillation,accounting for an estimated 104%of the warming anomaly.In contrast,the Current Warm Period is influenced mainly by external forcing,contributing up to 90%of the warming anomaly.Internal temperature variability offsets cooling by volcanic eruptions during the Late Antique Little Ice Age.These findings have important implications for the attribution of past climate variability and improvement of future climate projections.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41690110, 41621004 and L152401)
文摘Quaternary strata in China mainly comprise continental deposits in a variety of depositional settings. The continental Quaternary in temperate northern China consists mainly of eolian and fluvio-lacustrine deposits; that in subtropical southern China, mainly of vermiculated red soils, cave/fissure deposits, and fluvio-lacustrine deposits; and that in the alpine Tibetan Plateau, mainly of fluvio-lacustrine and piedmont deposits. The marine Quaternary in China consists of detrital deposits and biogenic reef deposits. The integration of biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, climatostratigraphy and an astronomically calibrated chronology has led to the establishment of high-precision climatochronostratigraphic timescales for the detrital marine Quaternary in the South China Sea and the loess-paleosol sequence in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Extremely high-precision230 Th dating has provided a high-precision absolute age model for cave stalagmites over the past 640000 years as well as highresolution oxygen isotope records representing orbital-to suborbital-scale climate changes. By combining magnetic stratigraphy and biostratigraphy, robust chronostratigraphic frameworks for non-eolian continental Quaternary deposits on the scale of Quaternary geomagnetic polarities have been established. The continental Pleistocene Series consists, from oldest to youngest,of the Nihewanian Stage of the Lower Pleistocene, the Zhoukoudianian Stage of the Middle Pleistocene, and the Salawusuan Stage of the Upper Pleistocene. Stages of the continental Holocene Series have not yet been established. This review summarizes recent developments in the Quaternary chronostratigraphy of representative Quaternary strata and associated faunas, and then proposes an integrative chronostratigraphic framework and a stratigraphic correlation scheme for Quaternary continental strata in China. In the near-future, it is hoped to establish not only a Chinese continental Quaternary climatochronostratigraphic chart on the scale of glacial-interglacial cycles but also a Quaternary integrative chronostratigraphic chart including both continental and marine strata in China.
基金supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0405)the National Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 41988101 and 41971132)。
文摘The Chinese government has made a strategic decision to reach ‘carbon neutrality' before 2060. China's terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink is currently offsetting 7–15% of national anthropogenic emissions and has received widespread attention regarding its role in the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy. We provide perspectives on this question by inferring from the fundamental principles of terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycles. We first elucidate the basic ecological theory that, over the long-term succession of ecosystem without regenerative disturbances, the carbon sink of a given ecosystem will inevitably approach zero as the ecosystem reaches its equilibrium state or climax. In this sense, we argue that the currently observed global terrestrial carbon sink largely emerges from the processes of carbon uptake and release of ecosystem responding to environmental changes and, as such, the carbon sink is never an intrinsic ecosystem function. We further elaborate on the long-term effects of atmospheric CO_(2) changes and afforestation on China's terrestrial carbon sink: the enhancement of the terrestrial carbon sink by the CO_(2) fertilization effect will diminish as the growth of the atmospheric CO_(2) slows down, or completely stops, depending on international efforts to combat climate change, and carbon sinks induced by ecological engineering, such as afforestation, will also decline as forest ecosystems become mature and reach their late-successional stage. We conclude that terrestrial ecosystems have nonetheless an important role to play to gain time for industrial emission reduction during the implementation of the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy. In addition, science-based ecological engineering measures including afforestation and forest management could be used to elongate the time of ecosystem carbon sink service. We propose that the terrestrial carbon sink pathway should be optimized, by addressing the questions of ‘when' and ‘where' to plan afforestation projects, in order to effectively strengthen the terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink and maximize its contribution to the realization of the ‘carbon neutrality' strategy.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2007FY110200)
文摘In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibility,color,and diffuse reflectance spectrum.Results show that the magnetic susceptibility and redness of the burnt sediments are remarkably higher than those of other areas on the same level:up to*22 times for magnetic susceptibility and*3 times for redness of those of the adjacent unburnt sediments.Fine-grained(superparamagnetic/stable single-domain)magnetite and hematite grains make dominant contributions to the distinctly high values of magnetic susceptibility and redness in the burnt sediments.Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results show that the burnt sediments contain more hematite than those of other areas and localities 2 and 3.High-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the burnt sediments have been heated above 700°C.Those changes in low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and redness are impossibly resulted from natural fires,thus most likely signaling the human activities of controlled use of fire.However,further work is needed to confirm whether or not these heat-affected sediments were produced in situ.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 49894170-06 and 49725206) and the National Key Project for Basic Research on the Tibetan Plateau (Grant No. G199804800).
文摘A paleosol dated for about 500-700 kaBP and developed on a glacial deposit at -3 000 in a.s.l. in the Yulong Mountains is studied using soil chemical, morphological and mineralogical methods. The analytical results indicate that this soil was formed under tropical and humid conditions and can be classified as red soil, which cannot be formed in the present alpine environment at the studied site. This implies that the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau has experienced intense uplift since the formation of the paleosol. According to the necessary conditions for the formation of the modern red soil in China, we estimate that the
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41722206, 41430531, 41690114 & 41374072)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB26000000)the International Cooperation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 131C11KYSB20160061)
文摘The Eocene was marked by significant cooling during which the global climate was transformed from greenhouse to icehouse conditions. Notable coeval events were the India-Asia collision and the retreat of the Paratethys Sea in Asia. The Eocene section of the long and continuous sedimentary succession of the Xining Basin in Northwest China is characterized by red mudstones with intercalated gypsum and muddy-gypsiferous layers. In this study, we conducted a semi-quantitative analysis of the mineralogy of bulk samples and the clay fraction using X-ray diffraction, with the aim of characterizing the Eocene climatic evolution of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and inland Asia. We used a new pretreatment method to address the problem of extracting sufficient clay particles from the gypsum and gypsiferous layers. The bulk mineralogy is dominated by quartz, feldspar, calcite, gypsum and dolomite; and the clay mineralogy is dominated by illite, chlorite, and smectite(including irregular mixed-layer illite-smectite(I/S)). The variations of the clay mineral assemblages indicate the occurrence of alternations between warm humid conditions and hot dry conditions, with relatively high humidity during ～52–50,～41.5–39 and ～35–34 Ma. Comparison of the results with the timing of Tibetan Plateau uplift, transgressions and regressions of the Paratethys Sea, and the marine oxygen isotope record suggest that the Eocene climatic evolution of the study region was driven fundamentally by global climate change.
