Tectonic and climatic controls on the late Pleistocene to Holocene evolution of Paleolake Ullum-Zonda in the Precordillera of the central Andes, Argentina

2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo A. Blanc ◽  
Laura P. Perucca

AbstractThe Ullum-Zonda tectonic depression located in the central Andes Precordillera records several lacustrine episodes from frequent natural damming of the San Juan River during the late Quaternary. We analyzed stratigraphic, geomorphic, and geologic data and obtained new radiocarbon ages for Paleolake Ullum-Zonda. Results show the existence of a late Pleistocene age (16.7–15.2 ka BP) unit and an early to middle Holocene (9475–7685 yr BP) unit. Subsurface data show lacustrine episodes were common during the late Pleistocene, with probably nine episodes occurring during that period. Two transgressive events are evident in the Holocene unit, dated to ~8420±30 and shortly after 7460±30 14C yr BP. The maximum extent of the paleolake occurred at 6930±30 14C yr BP, shortly before the lake desiccated. Fault propagation folds and growth strata in Quaternary alluvial deposits relate to the Villicum-Zonda Fault and may indicate early to middle Holocene activity for this fault. The deformation observed in an ancient shoreline of the paleolake could be related to middle to late Holocene activity of the Cerro Zonda Norte Fault at a mean vertical uplift rate of ~0.8 mm/yr in the hanging wall block.

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1851) ◽  
pp. 20162438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinru Wan ◽  
Zhibin Zhang

Climate change and humans are proposed as the two key drivers of total extinction of many large mammals in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, but disentangling their relative roles remains challenging owing to a lack of quantitative evaluation of human impact and climate-driven distribution changes on the extinctions of these large mammals in a continuous temporal–spatial dimension. Here, our analyses showed that temperature change had significant effects on mammoth (genus Mammuthus ), rhinoceros (Rhinocerotidae), horse (Equidae) and deer (Cervidae). Rapid global warming was the predominant factor driving the total extinction of mammoths and rhinos in frigid zones from the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. Humans showed significant, negative effects on extirpations of the four mammalian taxa, and were the predominant factor causing the extinction or major extirpations of rhinos and horses. Deer survived both rapid climate warming and extensive human impacts. Our study indicates that both the current rates of warming and range shifts of species are much faster than those from the Late Pleistocene to Holocene. Our results provide new insight into the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna by demonstrating taxon-, period- and region-specific differences in extinction drivers of climate change and human disturbances, and some implications about the extinction risk of animals by recent and ongoing climate warming.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youpeng Wang ◽  
Dewen Li

Abstract Lianfeng Fault Zone (LFZ) in Southwest China has great significance for understanding the seismogenic environment, but its activity is still poor constrains. The Qiaojia-Jinyang segment (QJS) of LFZ intersects with Jinsha River; Here well developed river terraces provide a potential Spatiotemporal constrains for faulting. Based on investigation of the terrace deposits along river, this paper makes a detailed logging and dating of the faulting and liquefaction of QJS. Combined previous data, the spatiotemporal sequence of the Late Quaternary river terraces in the area was redetermined. It is considered that the first and second grade river terraces at QJS (~10-20m and 60-70m, respectively, above the local river level) are roughly developed in the middle Holocene and the late Late Pleistocene, indicating that the valley along QJS was strongly undercut since the Late Pleistocene. Based on the analysis of the morphological characteristics, spatial distribution, material composition and intersecting relationship between the sand veins and the layers, the cause of the ground motions is preliminarily determined, which indicates the strong seismic activity of the LFZ during the Quaternary. Combined with the faulting characteristics within the profiles of terrace deposits and the dating data of the overlying strata, it is considered that the LFZ is active at least at QJS, and the latest active time is not earlier than the early-middle Holocene. These understandings provide a clear geological evidences for the seismicity assessment at LFZ, and help to the understanding of regional tectonic environment and the prevention of earthquake disasters.


1994 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee C. Nordt ◽  
Thomas W. Boutton ◽  
Charles T. Hallmark ◽  
Michael R. Waters

AbstractStable carbon isotope analysis of organic carbon in alluvial deposits and soils of three streams in central Texas reveals significant shifts in the ratio of C3 to C4 plant biomass production during the past 15,000 yr. These temporal changes in vegetation appear to be in response to changes in climate. During the late Pleistocene, C4 plants comprised only about 45 to 50% of the vegetative biomass in this area, suggesting that conditions were cooler and wetter than at any time during the past 15,000 yr. The time between 11,000 and 8000 yr B.P. is interpreted as transitional between late Pleistocene conditions and warmer and drier Holocene conditions based on a slight increase in the abundance of C4 plant biomass. During the middle Holocene, between approximately 6000 and 5000 yr B.P., mixed C3/C4 plant communities were replaced almost completely by C4-dominated communities, indicating prairie expansion and warmer and drier climatic conditions. By 4000 yr B.P., the abundance of C4 plant biomass decreased to levels similar to the early Holocene transitional period, suggesting a return to cooler and wetter climatic conditions. No significant shift in the ratio of C3 to C4 productivity has occurred during the last 4000 yr, except for a slight increase in the abundance of C4 plant biomass around 2000 yr B.P. The results of this investigation correlate well with other regional late Quaternary climatic interpretations for central and north Texas, the Southern Plains region, and with other portions of the Great Plains.


Author(s):  
I. D. Zolnikov ◽  
◽  
E. V. Deev ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  

It is shown that representative sections of the Late Pleistocene alluvial deposits are found mainly in planations of main valleys and intermountain basins of the Gorny Altai. The data of optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating characterizing the Malyi Yaloman alluvium in the stratotypic Malyi Yaloman section and in same-age reference sections in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Katun River are presented. That implied the regional stratigraphical significance of the Malyi Yaloman alluvium and it attribution to the epoch separating two Late Quaternary glaciations of the Gorny Altai. The question is raised of the need to identify the stratigraphical significance of regional and local events that caused not only glacial, but also seismic damming of the Gorny Altai valleys in the Late Pleistocene.


1995 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Kimura

The Hetauda Dun, a tectonic valley in the Sub-Himalaya, is separated from the Gangetic plain by the Outer Churia Range. This range was upheaved in the late Pleistocene giving rise to the Dun valley. The tectonics of the area are characterised by fault propagation tectonics caused by the migration of the active front from the Central ChuriaThrust (CCT) to the Himalayan Front Thrust (HFT). After the closure of the Dun, another active anticlinal structure related to thrust imbrication has developed in the central part of the valley on the hanging wall of the CCT. The crustal movement continues under the same stress field of the prior tectonic phase, characterised by the shortening of the Sub-Himalaya along the NNW-SSE direction.


Quaternary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Eileen Johnson ◽  
Stance Hurst ◽  
John A. Moretti

The eastern escarpment breaks of the Southern High Plains of Texas are both a geomorphic and ecotonal transition zone from the high plains surface to the Rolling Plains below. The geoarchaeological record on the Southern High Plains surface is well documented, but few studies have investigated the sediments, soils, and geochronology of the eastern escarpment. The current investigation has targeted the discontinuous remnants of Late Quaternary deposits within Spring Creek, a tributary within the upper Brazos River basin. A total of 19 profiles, core, and isolated exposure locations placed along a transect from Macy Fork through upper Spring Creek and 40 radiocarbon ages provide a composite sequence and geochronology that also documents the Late Pleistocene to Late Holocene paleoenvironments of this drainage. The resulting record illustrates a series of major changes in sediments and local habitats over the past ~11,550 radiocarbon years (13,469–13,390 calendar years), characterized primarily by reductions in available water and increasing aridity that peaked during the middle Holocene. This sequence provides significant context to an expanding record of Late Pleistocene to middle Holocene biota and cultures. Subsequent downcutting of the drainage post-6000 14C yr B.P. (6988–6744 calendar years) removed large sections of the depositional sequence. Local topography within Spring Creek drainage greatly impacted the preservation of these deposits. The remaining record provides some different insights than those available from the Southern High Plains record.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 102905
Author(s):  
Riczar Fuentes ◽  
Rintaro Ono ◽  
Nasrullah Aziz ◽  
Sriwigati ◽  
Nico Alamsyah ◽  
...  

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