0000000000459500
AUTHOR
Jörg Grunert
Late Quaternary environments in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia: Vegetation, hydrological, and palaeoclimate evolution
Abstract Considerable efforts have been devoted to decipher the late Quaternary moisture and thermal evolution of arid central Asia. However, disparate interpretations still exist concerning different proxies. The spatial and temporal heterogeneities have inhibited a holistic understanding of general patterns and underlying mechanisms. To address these issues, two parallel cores (ONW I, 6.00 m; ONW II, 13.35 m) were retrieved in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia from lake Orog Nuur. Multidisciplinary investigations including geomorphological mapping, radiocarbon dating, sedimentological, palynological and ostracod analyses enabled us to gain a comprehensive dataset for vegetation development and …
Late Pleistocene and Holocene landscape history of the central Palatinate forest (Pfälzerwald, south-western Germany)
Abstract Field studies on the Late Pleistocene and Holocene landscape history were conducted in the central Palatinate Forest ( Pfalzerwald , Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) near the village of Johanniskreuz. The structure and composition of periglacial cover beds, the young floodplain sediments of the Aschbach, Schwarzbach und Moosalbe valleys, and the sediment structure in some dry valleys, of alluvial fans and slope colluvia, were studied. The sandy cover beds are less than 10% aeolian, and in all cases only the main and basal layer are present, with no evidence of the intermediate layer. In general, the cover beds resemble those of other parts of the Central German Uplands ( Mittelgebirg…
Paleoclimatic evolution of the Uvs Nuur basin and adjacent areas (Western Mongolia)
Abstract The investigations presented in this paper focus on the shifts in Pleistocene glaciations and the geomorphic changes in landforms, as well as lake level changes and aeolian deposits of the last glacial–interglacial cycle, including the Holocene. Geomorphic evidence and high lake levels show that the climate was more humid before the last glacial maximum (LGM); however, at least one arid phase also occurred. During the second half of the LGM the climate was dry and cold, turning to wet and cold during the Late Glacial of the last Ice Age. Fluctuations in humidity and temperature occurred during the Holocene. Since about 2000 yr BP the impact of human activity has increased.
Paleolakes in the Gobi region of southern Mongolia
Abstract Numerous lakes and remnants of paleolakes exist in western and southern Mongolia. For six basins in the area, detailed geomorphological maps were compiled, based on extensive field studies and remote sensing datasets. Several phases of high and low lake levels were reconstructed and dated by radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence. During the marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 lakes in southern and western Mongolia mostly disappeared. In contrast, large paleolakes existed during the last interglacial (MIS 5e) and lasted probably until the beginning of the last glacial. These huge lakes were caused by a strong East Asian summer monsoon, which reached southern and even western Mo…
Eolian and fluvial sedimentation in the southwestern Sinai Mountains, Egypt: a record of flash floods during the late Pleistocene
Wadis emerging from the southwestern Sinai Mountains (Egypt) westwards to the Gulf of Suez are filled by >40 m thick late Pleistocene sediments, which have been subsequently incised to bedrock after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Sedimentation and erosion resulted from changes in the basin's hydrological conditions caused by climate variations. Sediment characteristics indicate distinct processes ranging from high to low energy flow regimes. Airborne material is important as a sediment source. The fills are associated with alluvial fans at wadi mouths at the mountain fronts. Each alluvial fan is associated and physically correlated with the respective sediment fill in its contributi…
The formation of alluvial fans and young floodplain deposits in the Lieser catchment, Eifel Mountains, western German Uplands: A study of soil erosion budgeting
This study deals with the exploration and spatiotemporal quantification of the young Holocene, nearly skeleton-free floodplain sediments of the Lieser River, a tributary of the Mosel River in the Eifel Mts. The deposits are primarily a consequence of anthropogenic-triggered soil erosion in the catchment. To observe the phenomenon of corresponding soil erosion on multiple levels two small alluvial fans of tributary catchments were investigated. For comparison, one location in the neighboring Salm valley was described. The results were compared with those of other streams. With extensive fieldwork more than 100 drillings and pits were made at 12 locations. For dating the sediments OSL dating…
OSL dating of sediments from the Gobi Desert, Southern Mongolia
Abstract The present study focuses on the chronological relationship between alternating dune sand and silty water-lain sediments in the central part of the Khongoryn Els dune field in the Gobi Desert, Southern Mongolia. The 23 m high section evolved from the construction of a natural dam by west–east moving sand dunes and fluvial inundation by a river system from the mountain ranges in the south. To resolve the chronology of events, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied and from sedimentological and geochemical analysis the depositional processes could be characterised. Quartz OSL dating of these sediments is hindered by feldspar contamination. Thus, dating of coarse-g…
Aeolian sedimentation in arid and semi-arid environments of Western Mongolia
Research on aeolian sediments in Mongolia shows two main cycles of aeolian sedimentation: first the accumulation of major sand fields neighbouring the eastern bank of rivers and lakes, and second the distribution of loess-like sediments on the mountain slopes. The first is resulting from strong westerly winds, being more strength especially during the glacial periods. The latter is resulting in the erosion and accumulation of silt in this region in more humid periods in Interstadial stages and at the end of glacial periods. Both cycles are described on the case study area of the Uvs Nuur Basin in Western Mongolia.