Geochemical records in Holocene lake sediments of northern China: Implication for natural and anthropogenic inputs

Jin, Zhangdong; Li, Xiangdong; Zhang, Biao; Han, Yongming; Zheng, Guangli

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.04.019

Cited by 19 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Second, massive-scale metallurgical activities during this period caused significant pollution. This pattern has been corroborated by an examination of lake sediments in north and central China, which finds excessive concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were produced by metallurgical activities from about 3000 BP onward (Jin et al, 2013; Lee et al, 2008).…”

Section: Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (4000–2200 Bp): Establishment Of States And Increasing Human Impactmentioning

confidence: 72%

Archaeology of the Anthropocene in the Yellow River region, China, 8000–2000 cal. BP

Zhuang

Kidder

2014

The Holocene

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Although archaeological analysis emphasizes the importance of climatic events as a driver of historical processes, we use a variety of environmental and archaeological data to show that human modification of the environment was a significant factor in shaping the early history of the Yellow River region of North China. Humans began to modify site-specific and local-level environments in the Early Holocene (~11,500–7000 BP). By the Mid-Holocene (~7000–5000 BP), the effects of humans on the environment become much larger and are witnessed at regional and tributary river basin scales. Land clearance and agriculture, as well as related land use, are dominant determinants of these changes. By the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age (~5000–3500 BP), population growth and intensification of agricultural production expanded the human footprint across the Yellow River region. By the Mid to Late Bronze Age (~3600–2200 BP), larger populations armed with better technology and propelled by more centralized governments were altering lands throughout the Yellow River region, gradually bringing the environment under human control. By the Early Dynastic period (221 bc–ad 220), the Yellow River region was an increasingly anthropogenic environment wherein human land management practices were, in many instances, as consequential as natural forces. Throughout the Holocene history of the Middle and Lower Yellow River, anthropogenic, climatic, and natural environmental processes were acting to shape human history and behavior, making it difficult, if not impossible, to say whether human or climate processes were more consequential. There is a complex relationship in China’s early history between natural and human forcing much like there is today. The Early Anthropocene concept is useful here because it recognizes that when natural and cultural forces become so intertwined, it no longer makes sense to separate the two.

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Section: Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (4000–2200 Bp): Establishment Of States And Increasing Human Impactmentioning

confidence: 72%

Archaeology of the Anthropocene in the Yellow River region, China, 8000–2000 cal. BP

Zhuang

Kidder

2014

The Holocene

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“…Due to the difficulty of sampling, studies of atmospheric deposition of trace metals in this monsoon-affected area, especially long-time change based on dated sediments, have been relatively scarce. Wang et al (2010) and Jin et al (2013) investigated sedimentary trace metals and estimated the atmospheric Pb deposition rate in Lake Qinghai since the 1960s. However, Lake Qinghai had been subjected to trace metal pollution of some metallurgic plants (Wang et al 2010), and this lake had been developed for leisure activities and fishing, thus such human activities were deemed to increase the anthropogenic trace metal inputs via wastewater discharge; if those input loads could not be excluded, the atmospheric metal deposition rate in this region would be overestimated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Past atmospheric trace metal deposition in a remote lake (Lake Ngoring) at the headwater areas of Yellow River, Tibetan Plateau

Zhang

Shan

et al. 2013

Environ Earth Sci

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A complete record derived from a core dated both by 210 Pb and 137 Cs chronologies from Lake Ngoring at the headwater areas of the Yellow River provides new insight into the changing atmospheric deposition of trace metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. This study showed that there was an inflection in the early 1960s, before which both fluxes and contents of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn remained relatively steady or slowly increased, and thereafter continued increases both in fluxes and contents were found. Taking Pb as an example, the flux increased from 0.13 (before 1960) to 0.25 mg m -2 a -1 (averaged 1963-2006). According to atmospheric flux calculations using Al as a reference element, atmospheric fluxes of trace metals generally showed a rapid increase and peaked in recent years, closely following the historical economic development of the neighboring region, mainly for Qinghai and Gansu provinces. The atmospheric inventory for Zn was the highest, reaching 1.068 g m -2 , while the lowest was for Cd, at only 0.079 gm -2 . The percentage proportions of atmospheric deposition for Cd, Ni, and Zn were 37, 12, and 8.7 %, respectively. Hence, the atmospheric contribution to the trace metal content via long range transport is not negligible when considering input of materials to lake ecosystems.

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“…There are records from outside Europe; for example in Egypt (Véron et al, 2006), and, somewhat younger (i.e. 2500 BP), in China (Jin et al, 2013; Lee et al, 2008), thus defining a Eurasian event. Even some records from the Northern Hemisphere do not show a lead increase around 3000 BP, such as that from an ombrotrophic peat bog section on the Tibetan Plateau (Ferrat et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Localities of early Anthropocene lead event mentioned in the text; potential ice core GSSP marked by square. (1) Devon Island (Canada, Zheng et al, 2007), (2) Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP, Hong et al, 1994), (3) La Molina (Spain, Martínez Cortizas et al, 2016), (4) Laguna di Rio Secco (Spain, García-Alix et al, 2013), (5) Leadhills (UK, Mighall et al, 2014), (6) Lindow bog (UK, Le Roux et al, 2004), (7) Loire River valley (France, Négrel et al, 2004), (8) Étang de la Gruère (Switzerland, Weiss et al, 1999), (9) several lakes in Sweden (Brännvall et al, 2001; Renberg et al, 2002), (10) Alexandria (Egypt, Véron et al, 2006), (11) Daihai Lake (China, Jin et al, 2013), (12) Laguna Taypi, Chaka (Bolivia, Cooke et al, 2008). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early mining and smelting lead anomalies in geological archives as potential stratigraphic markers for the base of an early Anthropocene

Wagreich

Draganits

2018

The Anthropocene Review

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This article reviews possible lower boundaries for an early Anthropocene period. Although a noticeable environmental impact of humans, caused by hunting, the use of fire, forest clearance, animal domestication and agriculture had already occurred in the Neolithic, these early signals are strongly diachronous and localised. Here, we examine early significant, synchronous and regional stratigraphic signals indicating an anthropogenic influence as consequences of mining and smelting-related trace metal contamination. A first regional lead contamination event in the Northern Hemisphere is recognized during the (Eastern Mediterranean) Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age, between 3500 and 2800 BP, with a peak at around 3000 BP. Another pronounced anthropogenic lead peak is recorded around 2000 BP, during the Roman period. These events, as defined by lead enrichment and changes in lead isotope ratios, accompanied by other trace metal enrichments, are found in several types of archives, such as Arctic ice-cores and European peat-bogs, speleothems as well as fluvial, lake and marine records. Potential stratigraphic correlations and secondary markers may be present using tephrochronology, climate events, and magnetostratigraphy. Such a definition of the base of a formally defined (early) Anthropocene stage/period allows the application of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) concept by using a point in a physical archive, and, in contrast to the late Anthropocene, includes a significant quantity of anthropogenic strata as evidence for an Anthropocene chronostratigraphic unit.

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Geochemical records in Holocene lake sediments of northern China: Implication for natural and anthropogenic inputs

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

Archaeology of the Anthropocene in the Yellow River region, China, 8000–2000 cal. BP

Archaeology of the Anthropocene in the Yellow River region, China, 8000–2000 cal. BP

Past atmospheric trace metal deposition in a remote lake (Lake Ngoring) at the headwater areas of Yellow River, Tibetan Plateau

Early mining and smelting lead anomalies in geological archives as potential stratigraphic markers for the base of an early Anthropocene

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