Acta Geographica Sinica ›› 2011, Vol. 66 ›› Issue (7): 867-884.doi: 10.11821/xb201107001

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Comparison between Quaternary Glaciations in China and the Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS): An Improved Schema

ZHAO Jingdong1, SHI Yafeng1, WANG Jie2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China;
    2. Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
  • Received:2010-12-20 Revised:2011-05-30 Online:2011-07-20 Published:2011-07-20
  • Supported by:

    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41071010; No.40801031; Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.KZCX2-EW-QN304; Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, No.2006FY110200

Abstract: In the past two decades, dating techniques, including cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) or terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides (TCN), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), electron spin resonance (ESR), which can potentially and directly determine the ages of glacial landforms and sediments have been refined and widely applied. These techniques in combination with other dating methods, such as lichenometry, 14C and thermoluminescence (TL) dating, have promoted further understanding of Quaternary glaciations in China, and some new progress has been achieved. For example, abundant dating data, which are consistent with the stratigraphy and geomorphology have been determined; glacial sequences constrained by numerical ages in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and bordering mountains have been obtained; the coupling relationship between the uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the glacier evolution in Quaternary has been identified. An improved comparative schema between Quaternary glaciations and marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) has been proposed on the basis of the available data. The improved comparative schema includes 15 special stages and sub-stages during the last 1 million years. Information, such as time (ka), MIS, Chinese glaciations are accessible. The authors expect more comments and suggestions on the improved schema.

Key words: Quaternary glaciation, Chinese glaciations, marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS), western China, eastern China