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›› 2016, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (3): 477-485.

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Element geochemistry characteristic from the 72-51 ka BP lake sediments in northern margin of Kongqi River, Xinjiang

BAI You-liang1, WANG Jin-rong2, TIAN Kun1, WANG Dong-qing1, ZHAO Nan1   

  1. 1 Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an 710024, Shaanxi, China;
    2 Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources in Western China(Gansu Province), School of Earth Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
  • Received:2015-11-12 Revised:2016-02-20 Online:2016-05-25

Abstract: In this paper, a 5.4-m-thick section of lake sediments (89°55', 40°40') was discovered in the northern margin of the Kongqi River at Tarim Town, Yuli County, southern Xinjiang, Northwestern China. From up to bottom, six Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages were achieved, i.e., 53.1±4.4 ka BP at 0.18 m, 56.1±3.2 ka BP at 1.19 m, 57.9±3.3 ka BP at 2.21 m, 60.5±4.0 ka BP at 3.10 m, 67.0±6.0 ka BP at 3.71 m and 71.0±3.6 ka BP at 4.69 m, indicating that this section spanned Late-Pleistocene interval of 72-51 ka BP, and establishing a reliable chronological framework for the LX02 section. In the meanwhile, 57 Geochemistry samples collected in the section were tested. Based on the analysis of geochemical element contents and geochemical elements ratio, three palaeoclimatic stages have been identified:(1) during 72.4-67.8 ka BP, the contents of Al, K, Ti, Fe, Ca, Mg and loss on ignition were low, the Fe/Mn, Rb/Sr, (Fe+A1+Mn)/(K+Ca+Mg), CIA and C presented low value, however the value of Sa and Saf were high, indicating that the climate was dry-cold during 72.4~67.8 ka BP. (2) During 67.8-56.1 ka BP, the contents of Al, K, Ti, Fe, Ca, Mg and loss on ignition increased, the value of Fe/Mn, Rb/Sr, (Fe+A1+Mn)/(K+Ca+Mg), CIA and C also significantly increased, Whereas the value of Sa and Saf decreased obviously, indicating that the climate was humid-warm during 67.8-56.1 ka BP.(3) During 56.1-51.0 ka BP, the contents of Al, K, Ti, Fe, Ca, Mg and loss on ignition decreased, the value of Fe/Mn, Rb/Sr, (Fe+A1+ Mn)/(K+Ca+Mg), CIA and C decreased slightly, however the value of Sa and Saf increased slightly, indicating that the climate was dry-cold during 56.1-51.0 ka BP. This mode of climate change in the study area was well correlated with the changes of weathering intensity revealed by the character of clay mineral, also the Ostracoda abundance in upper well Dacan1 located at the sourtheast Qaidam Basin, Luminescence Chronology of High Lake levels of Paleolakes in the Late Quaternary eastern Qaidam Basin, and Organic Carbon Isotopic characteristics of Beijing Plain. These suggest that climate in the study area was characterized generally by dry-cold and humid-warm patterns during the Late-Pleistocene period. Nevertheless, the internal forcing mechanism for this mode of climate changes in the study area remains unclear up to now and deserves further investigation.

Key words: Late-Pleistocene, Geochemistry, dry-cold and humid-warm climate, Peacock River, southern Xinjiang

CLC Number: 

  • P595