Holocene climatic variability and evolution of human settlement in the Aral Sea Basin

这一干旱/半干旱地区过去10-15 ka的气候波动将被记录下来。该研究将通过一个平衡的高分辨率数据集，包括来自连续沉积物岩心的生物和非生物参数或代用物（详细的岩性、磁化率、硅藻、介形虫、软体动物、花粉、粒度分布、主要和次要元素、矿物学、稳定同位素）。这些代用物将用于追踪水柱的水文变化，作为对咸海供水变化的反应。沉积物岩心的年龄模型将建立在古地磁岩石磁测量的基础上，这将与过去地磁场的精确定年变化有关。最近150年内沉积的沉积物将使用210-Pb技术精确测定年代。对介形虫和软体动物等碳质化石进行进一步的碳-14 AMS测年。将根据之前的地震调查结果选择岩心位置。在西、东南和东北咸海盆地的地貌野外工作将提供有关过去海岸线、梯田和土壤层位的信息。考古勘探将揭示聚落的模式和结构。不同空间分辨率的遥感将支持地貌和考古野外工作。传统的碳-14将用于测定梯田、旧海岸线和考古遗址的年代。

Climatic fluctuations in this arid/semi-arid area will be documented for the past 10-15 ka. The study will be pased on a balanced high resolution data set consisting of biotic and abiotic parameters or proxies (detailed lithology, magnetic susceptibility, diatoms, ostracods, molluscs, pollen, grain size distribution, major and minor elements, mineralogy, stable isotops) from continous sediment cores. The proxies will be used to trace hydrological changes in the water column as responses to changing water supply to the Aral Sea. The age model for sediment cores will be built on paleomagnetic rock magnetic measurements which will be related to well dated changes of the geomagnetic field during the past. Recent sediments deposited within the last 150 years will be accurately dated using the technique of 210-Pb. Further carbon-14 AMS dating on carbonaceous fossils like ostracods and molluscs will be used. Core locations will be selected based on results of a preceding seismic survey. Geomorphologic fieldwork in the W, SE and NE Aral Basin will provide information on position of the shoreline, terraces and soil horizons in the past. Archeological prospecting will shed lights on settlement patterns and structures. Remote sensing at different spatial resolution will support geomorphologic and archeological fieldwork. Conventional C-14 will be used for dating terraces, old shorelines and archeological sites.