Jungquartäre Hangsedimente als Archive der Landschaftsgeschichte in der Colorado Front Range, U.S.A.

美国科罗拉多前缘山脉的亚高山至山地地带的特征是，层状斜坡沉积物丰富，深度> 1 m，各地层复合体中的沉积物特征重复出现。除了Leopold等人（2008年a）的初步描述外，迄今为止尚未对其成因或年龄进行过研究。第一次光释光测年的尝试表明，在这种情况下的测年方法的普遍适用性，并使末次冰期的年龄在40和12 ka之间。横跨从大陆分水岭（尼沃特岭的树线）以东的亚高山带到与大平原（博尔德）接壤的山麓地带的景观样带，对20个代表性剖面的分层、沉积物特征和形态动力学的高度差进行了研究。最值得注意的是，由于其半干旱的气候条件，科罗拉多前山脉的山地地带的特点是缺乏古气候解释的地质档案。此外，斜坡沉积物为讨论末次盛冰期冻土线的位置提供了依据。因此，该项目有助于一种新的方法来重建古环境和古气候的各个海拔带的科罗拉多前山脉。

The subalpine to montane zones of the Colorado Front Range, U.S.A. are characterized by the abundance of stratified slope deposits exhibiting depths > 1 m and recurring sediment characteristics within the respective strata complexes. Apart from the initial description by Leopold et al. (2008a), they have not been investigated up to now in terms of either their genesis or age. First OSL dating attempts demonstrate the general applicability of the dating method in this context and render last glacial ages ranging between 40 and 12 ka. Across a landscape transect stretching W-E from the subalpine zone east of the Continental Divide (tree line at Niwot Ridge) to the zone of the Foot Hills at the border with the Great Plains (Boulder), 20 representative profiles are investigated with regards to hypsometric differences in stratification, sediment characteristics and morphodynamics. Most notably the montane zone of the Colorado Front Range is characterized by a lack of paleoclimatically interpretable geoarchives due to its semiarid climatic conditions. Additionally the slope sediments provide a basis for discussing the position of the permafrost line during the LGM. Therefore the project contributes a novel approach to the reconstruction of paleoenvironments and paleoclimates across the various altitudinal zones of the Colorado Front Range.