Science China Earth Sciences最新文献

The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) during the early Paleoproterozoic represents the first significant buildup in Earth’s atmospheric oxygen and resulted in a series of significant changes in the Earth’s surface environment. Among them is the 2.22 (or 2.33)–2.06 Ga Lomagundi-Jatuli Event (LJE), which is globally, the largest magnitude and longest duration, marine carbonate positive carbon isotope excursion (δ¹³C_V-PDB>10‰) known. This event has attracted the attention of scholars all over the world. However, except for a high positive carbon isotope excursion (δ¹³C_V-PDB>10‰) recently identified from marine carbonate rocks within the Daposhan Formation in the lower Fanhe Group (or the Sanchazi Group) in the Longgang Block in the northeast North China Craton (NCC), Paleoproterozoic carbonates in the NCC are characterized by a low-amplitude positive carbon isotope excursion (δ¹³C_V-PDB<5‰). This feature is significantly different from the high positive carbon isotope excursion characteristics of carbonates deposited during the LJE period in other cratons. To determine whether there are large-scale and reliable sedimentary records of the LJE in the NCC and the reasons for the low positive δ¹³C excursion of the Paleoproterozoic carbonates obtained by the previous studies, we conducted field investigations, carbon-oxygen isotopes, and whole-rock major and trace element geochemical analyses of Liaohe Group carbonate rocks from the Anshan area in the northwestern margin of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt in the northeast NCC. Our results show that the Gaojiayu Formation of the Liaohe Group in the Anshan area has high positive δ¹³C_V-PDB values from 8.6‰ to 12.4‰ and δ¹⁸O_V-SMOW values of 17.9‰–27.4‰ (δ¹⁸O_V-PDB values ranging from −12.6‰ to −3.4‰). This provides solid evidence for the preservation of reliable sedimentary records of the LJE in the northeastern NCC. Deposition of the high positive δ¹³C excursion (>10‰) of marine carbonate rocks occurred at about 2.15 Ga. Lithological comparisons of different sections and whole-rock geochemical results show that the high positive δ¹³C excursion is mainly controlled by the stratigraphic interval and depositional ages; the changes of sedimentary facies and diagenesis have no significant effects on reducing of the δ¹³C values. The intrusion of mafic sills into carbonates has resulted in synchronous decrease of C–O isotopes near the contact zones, but the decreasing amplitude of δ¹³C is less than 3‰. Therefore, our study firstly identified marine carbonates with high positive δ¹³C excursion (>10‰) from the Gaojiayu Formation, which provides robust evidence for global correlation of the LJE, which has implications for its genesis and gl

Terrestrial vegetation is a crucial component of the Earth system, and its changes not only represent one of the most distinct aspects of climate change but also exert significant feedback within the climate system by exchanging energy, moisture, and carbon dioxide. To quantitatively and mechanistically study climate-vegetation feedback, numerical vegetation models have been developed on the theory of ecophysiological constraints on plant functional types. The models eventually can simulate vegetation distribution and succession across different spatial and temporal scales, and associated terrestrial carbon cycle processes by categorizing vegetation into biomes according different plant functional types and their associated environmental factors. Here we review the developing history of vegetation models and provide recent advances and future directions. Before 21st century, static vegetation models, as developed statistical models, can only simulate equilibrated characteristics of vegetation distribution. In last several decades, Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) have been developed to simulate instantaneous responses of vegetation to climate change and associated dynamics, and can be coupled with Earth system models to investigate interactions among atmosphere, ocean, and land. DGVMs are also widely applied to investigate the dynamics accounting for changes in the geographic distribution patterns of land surface vegetation at different spatial and temporal scales and to assess the impacts of terrestrial carbon and water fluxes and land use changes. We suggest that future vegetation modeling could integrate with machine learning, and explore vegetation transient response and feedback as well as impacts of process hierarchies and human activities on climate and ecosystem.

The stable hydrogen isotope in precipitation is an effective environmental tracer for climatic and hydrologic studies. However, accurate and high-precision precipitation hydrogen isoscapes are currently unavailable in China. In this study, a data fusion method based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is used to fuse the hydrogen isotopic composition (δ²H_p) of observations and isotope-equipped general circulation model (iGCM) simulations. A precipitation hydrogen isoscape with a temporal resolution of monthly and a spatial resolution of 50–60 km is established for East China for the 1969–2017 period. Prior to building the isoscape, the performance of three data fusion methods (DFMs) and two bias correction methods (BCMs) is compared. The results indicate that the CNN fusion method performs the best with a correlation coefficient larger than 0.90 and root mean square error smaller than 10.5‰when using observation as a benchmark. The fusion methods based on back propagation and long short-term memory neural network perform similarly, while slightly outperforming the bias correction methods. Thus, the CNN method is used to generate the hydrogen isoscape, and the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the hydrogen isotope in precipitation are analyzed based on this dataset. The generated isoscape shows similar spatial and temporal distribution characteristics to observations. In general, the distribution pattern of δ²H_p is consistent with the temperature effect in northern China, and consistent with the precipitation amount effect in southern China. The trend of the δ²H_p time series is consistent with that of observed precipitation and temperature. Overall, the generated isoscape effectively reproduces the observations, and has the characteristics of time continuity and relative spatial regularity, which can provide valuable data support for tracking atmospheric and hydrological processes.

Millet agriculture, which originated in northern China, alongside rice agriculture, have nurtured the Chinese civilization. Prehistoric manuring practices likely promoted and maintained sustainable millet agricultural production in the loess area of northern China. However, ongoing controversy exists regarding the indicators of prehistoric manuring intensity of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and common millet (Panicum miliaceum). Here, we present the results of pot and field fertilization experiments on two millet types. Our findings suggest that manuring can significantly increase the δ¹⁵N values of foxtail millet, and its δ¹⁵N values increase with increasing manuring levels. The δ¹⁵N values of foxtail millet leaves are systematically greater than those of grains by approximately 1.6‰. Manuring could have a long-term residual impact on increasing the δ¹⁵N values of soil and millet crops. Combined with previous crop fertilization experiment results, we propose that the impact of manuring on the δ¹⁵N values of non-nitrogen-fixing crops is roughly consistent. The δ¹⁵N value and amount of manure are key factors determining the extent of change in plant δ¹⁵N values. The millet grain δ¹⁵N values can serve as reliable indicators of manuring practices. Finally, we provide an interpretive framework for assessing the correlation between manuring levels and the δ¹⁵N values of archaeological millet remains. The δ¹⁵N values of ancient millet grains suggest widespread and intensive manuring practices in prehistoric millet agriculture in northern China, spanning from the early Yangshao period to the Longshan period.

Mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) is designed to reduce the exploration search space by combining and analyzing geological prospecting big data. Such geological big data are too large and complex for humans to effectively handle and interpret. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, which are powerful tools for mining nonlinear mineralization patterns in big data obtained from mineral exploration, have demonstrated excellent performance in MPM. However, AI-driven MPM faces several challenges, including difficult interpretability, poor generalizability, and physical inconsistencies. In this study, based on previous studies, we devised a novel workflow that aims to constructing more transparent and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) models for MPM by embedding domain knowledge throughout the AI-driven MPM, from input data to model design and model output. This newly proposed approach provides strong geological and conceptual leads that guide the entire AI-driven MPM model training process, thereby improving model interpretability and performance. Overall, the development of XAI models for MPM is capable of embedding prior and expert knowledge throughout the modeling process, presenting a valuable and promising area for future research designed to improve MPM.

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, a primary region for freshwater lakes in China, have undergone significant transformations throughout the Holocene. These changes, driven by factors such as sea-level rise, climate change, and human activities, have led to the progressive elevation of water levels in this area. As a result, a floodplain has emerged, characterized by the formation of numerous shallow lakes along the river course. However, the pattern of water-level changes in the main channel of the Yangtze River during the Holocene remains unclear. This gap in knowledge poses challenges for understanding sediment transport dynamics, the interactions between the river and its adjacent lakes, and the prevention and control of flood disasters in the Yangtze River basin. To shed light on these issues, our study compiled data on the surface elevation and water depth of 81 lakes in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. Additionally, we analyzed historical water-level records from the 1900s to the 1970s at eight gauging stations from Shashi to Jiangyin along the river’s main stream. Our findings reveal that, particularly along the Jingjiang section, the basal elevation of most lakes is lower than the Yangtze River’s water level during the dry season. Conversely, the water level of the main stream exceeds that of both the floodplain and the lakes enclosed by the Jingjiang embankment. In the tidal reach, especially within the Taihu Lake basin, the basal elevation of lakes typically falls below sea level. Meanwhile, lakes located along the section from Chenglingji to Wuhu exhibit basal elevations that correspond with the Yangtze River’s annual average and dry season water levels. Given the widespread presence of lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, our study introduces a new proxy for reconstructing the mean water level of the mid-lower Yangtze River in the Holocene. By analyzing sediments from Nanyi Lake and Chenyao Lake in the lower Yangtze River, we attempted to reconstruct the water level of the Yangtze River’s main channel since 8 ka BP.

The Qinling orogen in central China contains several black shale-hosted gold deposits, but the age of their formation and a possible relation between gold mineralization and regional tectonism remain undetermined. Here we present results of in situ monazite U-Th-Pb dating and sericite Rb-Sr dating of the Xiajiadian black shale-hosted gold deposit to provide tight constraints on the time of gold deposition and information on the tectonic setting under which the deposit formed. The Xiajiadian gold deposit is mainly hosted in black shales of the Lower Cambrian Shuigoukou formation, with minor ores contained in sandy conglomerate of the Lower Devonian Xichahe formation. Gold ores in the black shales have been intensively oxidized and consist mainly of hematite, goethite, gypsum, quartz, calcite, native gold, and unrecognized iron oxides. However, gold ores in the sandy conglomerate are free of oxidation and thus provide an opportunity to date the formation of the Xiajiadian gold deposit. The ores consist of pyrite, marcasite, sericite, and quartz, which are associated with a variety of accessory minerals, including monazite, apatite, and titanite. Gold is mainly present as structure-bound ions or nanoparticles in pyrite and marcasite, but minor native gold grains also occur as inclusions in pyrite. Monazite is well developed in the ores, and has close textural association with Au-bearing pyrite and marcasite. Most monazite grains have zoned textures consisting of a core area (Mnz1) and an overgrowth zone (Mnz2). Mnz1 contains 4.8–13 wt.% ThO₂ and shows large variations in HREE and prominent negative Eu anomalies in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns. It yields common lead-corrected ²⁰⁸Pb/²³²Th dates ranging from 910±10 to 416±4 Ma (2σ). These dates are interpreted in terms of a detrital origin for monazite in the core area. Mnz2 has much lower ThO₂ contents of 0.8–1.7 wt.% and shows weak negative Eu anomalies in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns. It yields common lead-corrected ²⁰⁸Pb/²³²Th dates of 229–209 Ma (2σ) with a weighted mean of 217.6±3.0 Ma (2σ), which is considered as the time of Mnz2 crystallization. Sericite in gold ores and associated alteration zones has close relations to Au-bearing pyrite and marcasite, and yields a well-defined Rb-Sr isochron age of 222.2±3.3 Ma (2σ). The sericite Rb-Sr age is indistinguishable within analytical errors from the weighted mean Th-Pb age of Mnz2. The age data presented here indicate that the Xiajiadian gold deposit formed at ca. 220 Ma in the Late Triassic (Norian). We therefore suggest that gold mineralization at Xiajiadian occurred during the transitional stage from oceanic subduction to continental collision that led to the formation of the Qinling orogen. During this stage, metamorphic devolatization of the underlying Early Paleozoic to Proterozoic carbonaceous sequences likely supplied ore fluids from which the Xiaj

The Ross, Filchner-Ronne, and Amery ice shelves are the three largest ice shelves in Antarctica, playing a crucial role in supporting the Antarctic ice sheet. However, current studies on the stability of the three largest ice shelves primarily focus on singular or limited factors, lacking a comprehensive assessment of multiple parameters. To systematically and in-depth study the stability and trend of the three largest ice shelves, we comprehensively collected and analyzed key parameters, including elevation changes, basal melting, surface meltwater, major rifts propagation rate, suture zones, ice front area change rate, grounding lines, ice velocity, and mass balance. Additionally, we selected the collapsed Larsen B Ice Shelf (LBIS), the rapidly changing and structurally weakened Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), and the accelerating Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) as reference ice shelves. By comparing and analyzing the key parameters between these reference ice shelves and the three largest ice shelves, we find the status and trends in the stability of the latter. Our findings reveal that most key parameters of the three largest ice shelves present relatively minor variations compared to those of the reference ice shelves. Specifically, 50% of the parameters are smaller than those of the accelerating TIS, 88% are smaller than those of the rapidly changing PIIS, and all parameters are smaller than those of the collapsed LBIS. Furthermore, after analyzing parameters that are not smaller than those of the TIS, it is observed that they remain in a stable state. Hence, the three largest ice shelves are currently undergoing natural changes that do not threaten their stability in the short term. Nevertheless, the evolution of the ice shelves under global climate change remains uncertain, making long-term observation and monitoring essential to assess their impact on sea level rise.

As the western boundary of the Sichuan-Yunnan block (SYB), the Red River fault (RRF) is a major fault that controls deep crustal movement and deformation in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau and regulates middle-lower crustal flow. Geophysical data suggest that the RRF is segmented and exhibits distinct variations in seismicity, velocity structure and crustal deformation from north to south. Seismic anisotropy reveals a complex pattern of lateral spatial and vertical stratified distributions. (1) From the perspective of crustal stratification, in the upper crust, the fast wave polarization in the north segment of the RRF is complex and possibly influenced by the Sanjiang lateral collision zone and adjacent faults with varying strikes. The fast wave polarization in the middle segment is in the NW-SE direction, indicating a localized area of closed down or locked up with consistent deformation. And in the south segment, it presents a disordered pattern, signifying complex deep tectonics and stress conditions at the wedged intersection zone. In the middle-lower crust in the north and south segments of the RRF, the azimuthal anisotropy is strong and consistent with the spatial strike of the weak zone characterized by low-velocity and high-conductivity. This suggests a connection between the anisotropy and the material migration. (2) In the whole crustal scale, the fast wave directions in two sides of the RRF are consistent with the NW-SE tectonic strike. It indicates that the RRF, as a large fault potentially cutting through the whole crust, strongly controls the surrounding media. (3) In the lithospheric scale, the fast wave polarizations are oriented nearly E-W and independent of the fault strike, consistent with the low P- and S-wave velocity structures and positive radial anisotropy in the upper mantle. The fast wave directions could be related to lithospheric olivine deformation and asthenospheric flow. This paper suggests a decoupling of deformation between the crust and the lithospheric mantle in the south of approximately 26°20′N near the RRF, which can potentially be attributed to the subduction and rollback of the Indian plate. Based on various geophysical observations and inversions, we can determine the detailed anisotropic structure in the crust and the upper mantle around the RRF. Denser geophysical arrays and more accurate records can be used to explore the intricate anisotropy in segmentation and stratification around the RRF, enhancing the understanding of its tectonic significance.