Changing environments related to dry climate of the Last Glacial in and around Japan

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1.Changes of river discharge and climate were analyzed, on the basis of morphometric characteristics and distribution of fans, comparison of present river bed deposits and river terrace deposits, changes of river profiles and changes of processes on mountain slopes-valleys. Rivers in central Japan, Ohu Mountains, and Hidaka Range were studied for this purpose.2.Vegetation changes on slopes and their responses to landform and geomorphic processes were discussed on the basis of pollen analysis and size distribution analysis of deposits in closed basins in the southern part of Tohoku District. Also, biogeographical approaches to dryness in the Last Glacial maximum and to wetting trend in the Holocene were studied. Fossilized animal assemblages were analyzed in the Kinki and other districts.3.Glacial Iandforms were studied in East to Southeast Asia, such as in the Himalaya, China, and Borneo. In Japan, important results were obtained in the Hidaka Rage concerning the detailed glacial chron … More ology based on glacial landforms and deposits. A stereo photogramtric analysis was employed in attempting to reconstruct the amount of precipitation, altitudes of equilibrium lines of glaciers, and distribution of glaciers in the Last Glacial in the Hidaka Range.4.Studies on periglacial environments were conducted in northern Hokkaido with description of numerous numbers of ice wedge casts and with discussion of palaeoenvironments to form ice wedges. Other areas for periglacial studies include mountains in central Japan. These results will demonstrate possible needs for re-evaluation of the vertical zonation of periglacial environments in Japan.5.Wind-blown sand (loess) was studied in major sites on Hokkaido and Kyushu to calculate its flux. Investigation of loess was also initiated in China.6.Detailed oceanic environments were analyzed by cores and ^<14>C samples taken from Japan Sea. The results based on the quantitative data sets revealed that the great amount of loess deposited in the coldest period during the Last Glacial. In addition, analyzed were relationships between sea ice in the Okhotsk and air temperature changes in winter time in Hokkaido.7.Winter air temperature and snow amount of East Asia in the Last Glacial were examined by AGCM (Atmospheric General Circulation Model). Less