Northern Slope Research Articles

Two new species of green treefrogs (Pelodryadidae: Litoria) from the northern slopes of Papua New Guinea's Central Cordillera.

We describe two new species of moderate-sized (male body length 26.5-29.8 mm and 41.0 mm), predominantly green treefrogs in the genus Litoria from hill forest on the northern slopes of Papua New Guinea's Central Cordillera. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial ND4 nucleotide sequences shows that the first species is related to Litoria iris (Tyler) and its allies. It is morphologically most similar to Litoria mystax, a small green treefrog known only from the holotype that was described more than 100 years ago from the north coast of western New Guinea but differs from that species in having longer legs and a broader head. The second species is closest to Litoria gasconi, a species known only from the foothills of the Foja Mountains in Papua Province, Indonesian New Guinea, and the Prince Alexander Mountains in northern Papua New Guinea. It has a net average sequence divergence of 10% from L. gasconi and can be distinguished morphologically from it and from other pelodryadids by the presence of a striking pattern of spots and blotches on the ventral surfaces and on the hidden surfaces of the limbs. These descriptions add to the rapidly increasing known diversity of frogs in hill and lower montane forest, habitats that support the most diverse frog communities on mainland New Guinea.

The Spatio-Temporal Evolution Characteristics of the Vegetation NDVI in the Northern Slope of the Tianshan Mountains at Different Spatial Scales

The purposes of this study are to reveal the spatial pattern and dynamic changes of NDVI in the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains for an extended period and to explore whether the spatial and temporal evolution of NDVI in different spatial scales is consistent so as to provide a reasonable theoretical basis for the selection of appropriate remote sensing spatial resolution in the study area. The GIMMS NDVI remote sensing data set was used to resample the NDVI data with three spatial resolutions of 0.5 km × 0.5 km, 1 km × 1 km, and 8 km × 8 km. The Mann-Kendall method was used to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of vegetation NDVI on the NTSM from 1981 to 2015. The results showed that the interannual variation trend and spatial distribution of vegetation NDVI were consistent at different spatial scales. The change of NDVI displayed an increasing trend with changes concentrated in the middle of the NTSM. Five distinct trends were observed: no significant change (35% of the area), significant positive change (26%), significant single peak change (15%), a significant U-shaped change relationship (12%), and significant negative change (11%). Remote sensing NDVI data with a spatial resolution of 8 km could be used to analyze the long-term interannual variation trend of vegetation NDVI on the NTSM.

Quaternary sedimentary processes on the Bahamas: From platform to abyss

Understanding the interaction between sediment production on and export from shallow-water areas of platforms and slopes is primordial when assessing sedimentary processes on a carbonate-platform scale. In this manuscript we explore variations in facies, sediment export, sediment deposition and reorganisation, hydroacoustic- and small-scale sedimentary structures, but also assess the variability in current systems as observed during the Quaternary for the north-facing margin of Little Bahama Bank (LBB) and compare those characteristics with features observed on other slopes surrounding LBB and Great Bahama Bank (GBB).Over the past decade, the northern margin of LBB was explored during a series of oceanographic cruises of the CARAMBAR project, which included the collection of 24.270 km2 of bathymetry data, 6.398 km of very high-resolution seismic profiles, and 42 cores covering water depths ranging from 177 m to 4873 m. This study evaluates the results obtained from the analysis of sediment cores retrieved in the Great Abaco Canyon area (GAC), located between the lower northern LBB slope, which is connected to the abyssal plain. The analysis of the shallower parts of the LBB slope relies on earlier studies and are complementary to our data, and allow for a detailed analysis of the sedimentary processes acting along the entire LBB slope.The data reveal that Quaternary sediment distribution differs when moving from the north-eastern to the north-western LBB slope. The entire LBB slope is dissected by numerous canyons. Gravity processes enriched in coarse platform components occur infrequently and are concentrated within lobes in the east. Only coarse-grained rich bank facies can concentrate coarse grains on this margin. The western LBB slope is mostly influenced by fine-grained platform export and current circulation. The deeper GAC area is dominated by pelagic sediments that are supplied from the canyon sides and through tributaries. The sediment composition confirms that pelagic sediment production and current movements determine the sediment-deposition and redistribution processes at this site.The comparison with other Bahamian slopes demonstrates that a leeward position agrees with high sedimentation rates on the slopes resulting in specific morphologic structures, such as gullies and sediment waves, related to fine-grained sediment export, whereas platform-derived coarse-grained facies are deposited downstream in larger structures, such as canyons, that are not affected by the main wind direction. Slope angle could also have an impact on grain-size export, as it appears that coarse-grained deposits are frequent on steep slopes like those bordering the Exuma Sound basin.

The climate-driven disaster of the Marmolada Glacier (Italy)

On July 3, 2022, at 13:43:20 CEST (11:43:20 UTC), a mass of about 64,000 t of water, ice, and rock debris broke off from the Marmolada Glacier in the Dolomites (Northeastern Italian Alps), forming an ice avalanche that killed 11 mountaineers and injured 7 after flowing for about 2.3 km along the slope. The collapse occurred on the northern slope at an elevation of 3213 m above sea level and involved a major portion of a small isolated glacier. This small glacier was part of the glacial front until about a decade ago, and today, because of the fragmentation caused by the retreat, it remains isolated and contained within a niche on the north-facing slope just below the crest. The event was documented by several videos recorded by hikers who were at the site, which helped in the analysis of the causes. The seismic energy released by the event was comparable to an earthquake of 0.6 M. The detailed analysis of pre- and post-event stereoscopic satellite and aerial images led to a comprehensive insight on the failure. The detachment was largely caused by a failure along a median crevasse partly filled by a huge volume of meltwater induced by highly anomalous late spring and early summer temperatures that reached 10.7 °C at the time of the event. The dense pattern of crevasses along with the morphology and properties of the basal rock surface predisposed to failure, which was finally driven by the overpressure caused by the excess of melting water. A combination of hydraulic jacking and buoyant pressure within a thin layer of basal till were probably the two mechanisms that caused instability resulting ultimately in the sudden glacier collapse.

Mosses of the Western Part of the Chukchi Highlands. 2. Number of Species and Cover on Gradients of Environmental Factors

Based on geobotanical studies conducted in the summer of 1989 in the western part of the Chukchi Highlands, it was found that the number of moss species varies depending on the altitude, slope exposure and angle. Taking into account samples of different volumes for different parameters, the following dependencies were revealed: the largest number of species (35) was noted in the altutude range of 250–300 m, the smallest (14) – for the altutudes above 400 m; the slopes of the northern exposure are characterized by the largest number of species (22), the south-eastern and north-western ones – by the smallest number (18); a decreasing tendency in the number of species manifests itself with an increase in the slope angle: on gentle slopes (up to 5°) there are 37 species, while on steep ones (more than 25°) their number decreases to 23. Based on the position of the species optimum on the scale of soil moisture, 7 groups of species were distinguished: xerotopes, mesoxerotopes, xeromesotopes, mesotopes, hygromesotopes, mesohygrotopes, hygrotopes. The total percent cover value of mosses varies differently on the slopes of different exposures (on gravelly-fine-stony substrates): on the northern slopes it increases to an altitude of 400 m, then decreases sharply; on the south-western slopes it only increases to an altitude of 450 m, on all the other slopes it monotonously decreases from an altitude of 230–250 m to 370–600 m. At different altitude levels, the maximum of the total percent cover value of mosses is also related to the slope exposure: in the lower altitude range, it is confined to the south-eastern slopes, in the medium altitudes, it shifts to the north-eastern slopes, and in the uppermost range to the south-western ones. With an increase in the slope steepness, the total percent cover value of mosses decreases on the slopes of all exposures, with the greatest intensity being on the eastern slopes.

Zoobenthos in Small Reservoirs of the Northern Slope of the Baltic-Caspian Watershed of the Volga-Baltic Waterway

Zoobenthos in Small Reservoirs of the Northern Slope of the Baltic-Caspian Watershed of the Volga-Baltic Waterway

Long-Term Dynamics of Forest Fires in Southern Siberia

The research focus. Wildfire is a critical environmental disturbance affecting forest dynamics, succession, and the carbon cycle in Siberian forests. Forests of southern Siberia experienced an increase of fire rate. We analyzed spatial and temporal dynamics of burned area in the southern Central Siberian Mountains. We considered burning rate within different forest types: dark needle conifers (DNC) composed by Siberian pine, spruce and fir, light-needle composed by Scotch pine and larch, and mix wood (composed by birch, aspen and conifers). Methods. We used long-term (1982–2021) climatic variables from the ERA5-Land database. Satellite observations included MODIS wildfire data (2002–2021) and gravimetric (GRACE) data (2002–2021) for estimation soil moisture content. We analyzed the spatial distribution of burned areas considering dominant forest stands and terrain (elevation, slope aspect and steepness). Results. We found a significant decreasing trend in burned area. On average, about 978.7 ± 447.5 thousand ha including 257.1 ± 154.3 thousand ha of forests are disturbed by fire annually. Light coniferous forests are characterized by the highest degree of the fire disturbance (relative burned area, RBA, was ca. 0.83% per year); whereas DNC stands have the lowest RBA (ca. 0.15% per year). The spatial distribution of fires in light coniferous forests showed predominance of fires on the southern slopes comparing to northern slopes (by 15–20%). We found a decreasing logarithmic trend in burned area between plains and low mountains and high mountains due to lower forest fuel loads and increased amount of precipitation on higher elevations. We also observed lower RBA values (by 300–400%) on steep slopes for light coniferous forests and mixed forests comparing to gentle slopes due to lower available forest fuels. The long-term dynamics of burned area in the region was related to the variation of climatic variables, such as soil moisture (r2 = 0.70, p < 0.01), moisture content (r2 = 0.63, p < 0.01) and drought index (r2 = 0.3, p < 0.05).

Unrecognized diversity, genetic structuring, and phylogeography of the genus Triplophysa (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) sheds light on two opposite colonization routes during Quaternary glaciation that occurred in the Qilian Mountains.

In recent years, the influence of historical geological and climatic events on the evolution of flora and fauna in the Tibetan Plateau has been a hot research topic. The Qilian Mountain region is one of the most important sources of biodiversity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Many species existed in the region during the Pleistocene glacial oscillation, and the complex geographical environment provided suitable conditions for the survival of local species. The shrinkage, expansion, and transfer of the distribution range and population size of species have significant effects on genetic diversity and intraspecific differentiation. To reveal the effects of geological uplift and climate oscillation on the evolution of fish populations in the Qilian Mountains, we investigated the genetic structure, phylogenetic relationship, and phylogeographical characteristics of genus Triplophysa species in the Qilian Mountains using the mitochondrial DNA gene (COI), three nuclear genes (RAG1, sRH, and Myh6) and 11 pairs of nuclear microsatellite markers. We collected 11 species of genus Triplophysa living in the Qilian Mountains, among which Triplophysa hsutschouensis and Triplophysa papillosolabiata are widely distributed in the rivers on the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains. There was a high degree of lineage differentiation among species, and the genetic diversity of endemic species was low. The different geographical groups of T. papillosolabiata presented some allogeneic adaptation and differentiation, which was closely related to the changes in the river system. Except for the population expansion event of T. hsutschouensis during the last glacial period of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (0.025 MYA), the population sizes of other plateau loach species remained stable without significant population expansion. Starting from the east and west sides of the Qilian Mountains, T. hsutschouensis, and T. papillosolabiata showed two species colonization routes in opposite directions. The geological events of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the climatic oscillation of the Quaternary glaciation had a great influence on the genetic structure of the plateau loach in the Qilian Mountains, which promoted the genetic differentiation of the plateau loach and formed some unique new species. The results of this study have important guiding significance for fish habitat protection in the Qilian Mountains.

Campanula aibgica (Campanulaceae) – a new species from vicinity of Sochi

The description of Campanula aibgica from basalt rocks of northern slope of Aibga Ridge (Sochi National Park, Krasnodar Territory) is presented. The species belongs to subgenus Campanula, sect. Cordifoliae (Fomin) Charadze. Apparently, it is close to sympatric Colchian taxa C. dzyschrica Kolak., C. kolakovskyi Charadze, C. collina Sims subsp. sphaerocarpa (Kolak.) Ogan., however, it differs exactly from them in morphology and ecology. It differs radically from other species of the section Cordifoliae in habitus and ecology. New species is narrow northern Colchis endemic, which developed under the periglacial conditions of the basalt rocks on northern slope of Aibga Ridge.

Utilizing 2D seismic forward modeling to constrain the seismic response and plane distribution of grain shoal reservoir in the northern slope of Central Sichuan Paleo-uplift, Sichuan Basin

Carbonate grain shoal reservoirs are well developed in the first member of the Longwangmiao Formation on the northern slope of the Central Sichuan Paleo-uplift. Influenced by the stratal thickness, reservoir heterogeneity, and development patterns, it is difficult to predict reservoirs by using the seismic data present. In this contribution, multiple sets of seismic models were established, and then the seismic forward modeling method was used to constrain the seismic response of the reservoirs. The results show: (1) When reservoirs are not developed in the Longwangmiao Formation, the top interface of the Longwangmiao Formation corresponds to 1/8 λ above the central lobe of the wave peak while the bottom interface corresponds to the central lobe of the wave trough; (2) If a single set of reservoirs is developed in the first member of the Longwangmiao Formation, the waveform of the top interface will be constant, but the bottom trough will shift upward and the frequency will decrease. Additionally, the scale of trough upward movement and frequency reduction is negatively correlated with reservoir velocity and positively correlated with reservoir thickness. (3) If multiple sets of reservoirs are developed in the first member of the Longwangmiao Formation, the waveforms of the top and bottom interface are consistent with that of a single reservoir which has the same total thickness. Similarly, the corresponding relationship between the wave trough variation and reservoir velocity or thickness remains constant. (4) When reservoirs are both developed in the first and second members of the Longwangmiao Formation, the top and bottom waveforms will vary regularly with the difference in reservoir velocity between them. If the reservoir velocity in the first member is less than that of the second member, the top peak is constant while the bottom trough shifts upward, and the frequency decreases. On the contrary, if the reservoir velocity in the second member is lower than that of the first member, the bottom trough is constant while the top peak moves downward, and the frequency increases. Finally, using the waveform clustering method, the reservoir is divided into three grades, namely high-, medium-, and poor-quality. Among them, high-quality reservoirs are mainly distributed in the southeast and northeast of the study area which is the key area for oil and gas exploration in the next step.

The Combination of Plant Diversity and Soil Microbial Diversity Directly and Actively Drives the Multifunctionality of Grassland Ecosystems in the Middle Part of the Northern Slopes of the Tian Shan under Grazing Disturbance

It is well known that biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) guarantee the well-being of human society. Most studies have focused on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function, and less is known about the individual and combined effects of above- and below-ground biodiversity on ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between plant and soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance by using multiple methods to assess ecosystem multifunctionality. We conducted experiments in desert grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains and compared the relationship between ecosystem multifunctionality and biodiversity assessed by different methods under light grazing and heavy grazing. Our results showed that at the heavy grazing level, ecosystem multifunctionality calculated by the mean method and plant diversity, soil fungal diversity, soil bacterial diversity and soil fertility calculated by the single function method showed a significant decrease (p &lt; 0.05), but grass productivity was significantly increased (p &lt; 0.05). Among them, ecosystem multifunctionality, soil carbon storage function and soil fertility all showed significant positive correlations with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity (p &lt; 0.05). We calculated that ecosystem multifunctionality also essentially showed positive correlation with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity using the multi-threshold method, and the effect curve was approximately a single-peaked curve, first increasing and then decreasing. Finally, we used plant diversity, soil fungal diversity and soil bacterial diversity under grazing disturbance as biotic factors and soil pH as an abiotic factor to construct structural equation models, and we found that grazing can have direct effects on ecosystem multifunctionality and indirect effects on ecosystem multifunctionality through above- and below-ground biodiversity. Our study emphasizes the importance of the combination of above- and below-ground biodiversity in maintaining the multifunctionality of desert grassland ecosystems on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains. A moderate reduction in grazing intensity can better conserve biodiversity and improve ecosystem multifunctionality, and it is a feasible strategy to maintain sustainable management of desert grasslands.

Study on of structural style of fault zone and reservoir characteristics in the northern slope of Tazhong Uplift, Tarim Basin, China

Study on of structural style of fault zone and reservoir characteristics in the northern slope of Tazhong Uplift, Tarim Basin, China

Seasonal Nutrient Resorption and Lignin Change in leaves of Turkey Oak on Northern and Southern Slope Aspects

Nutrient resorption is a critical factor for nutrient use strategies developed by plants. Especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the most essential reabsorbed nutrient elements. The leaves' N and P concentrations are closely related to foliar lignin contents. The study aimed to investigate the effects of northern and southern slope aspects on the foliar nutrient resorption in the Mediterranean species of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris var. cerris). The relationships among selected leaf traits, foliar nutrient resorption of N and P, the seasonal lignin change, and the soil traits were analyzed. A principal component analysis was performed to interpret the effect of soil properties on foliar N, P, and lignin concentrations. N resorption efficiency (78.84%) was higher on the northern slope. P resorption efficiency (53.87%) and seasonal lignin change (69.87) were higher on the southern slope. As a result, the slope aspect affects the foliar N, P, and lignin concentrations. Also, foliar lignin concentration was negatively correlated with N resorption efficiency and positively correlated with P resorption efficiency.

Эколого-ценотическая характеристика растительных сообществ с участием Colchicum bulbocodium subsp. versicolor (Colchicaceae) в Нижнем Поволжье

The article presents a phytocoenotic description of 23 plant communities with Colchicum bulbocodium subsp. versicolor studied during the period of mass flowering in 2014–2018. It was found that, across the Lower Volga region, the studied communities with C. bulbocodium subsp. versicolor are mostly confined to the slopes of south- and east-facing arroyos and more seldom to the southern and northern hill slopes, plains, arroyo and liman bases, and floodmeadows. During the period of mass flowering, 207 vascular plants were detected in the studied communities. Every community description included 9 to 36 species. Biological diversity was assessed with the Shannon index and polydominance index; the degree of dominance was measured with the Simpson index. The species similarity of the communities was evaluated through pairwise comparison with the Jaccard coefficient. It was revealed that C. bulbocodium subsp. versicolor occurs in communities varying in diversity and species composition. The subspecies is not confined to specific phytocoenoses. It usually grows on rich and, more seldom, fairly rich and slightly saline soils. Their alluviality is more often weak rather than moderate. Watering usually corresponds to the dry steppe or semi-desert climate type, rarely to the middle steppe type, being moderately variable and in some cases highly variable. The impact of grazing is usually weak, but it is either moderate or strong in some communities. The communities with C. bulbocodium subsp. versicolor are dominated by hemicryptophytes: mostly tap-root, short-rhizome and long-rhizome herbaceous perennials. In phytocoenotic terms, most species belong to the zonal type of vegetation, namely steppe vegetation. The participation of meadow species is prominent. The share of weed species is rather high, which indicates a significant anthropogenic load on the studied communities.

Aerosols characteristics, sources, and drive factors analysis in typical megacities, NW China

Cities in arid and semi-arid regions often confront harsher natural environments and severer industrial pollution. So these are frequently subjected to heavy air pollution, which has critical consequences for the health and production activities and well-being of local citizens. To curb the aggravation of air pollution, the Chinese government conducted an air pollution control action plan with unprecedented strength in September 2013. In this study, based on the fine-resolution aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, combined meteorological and other auxiliary data, utilizing information entropy, backward trajectory, source analysis, and multi-layer perceptron methods, we comprehensively analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics and variations of AOD in typical arid and semi-arid areas megacities (Lanzhou and Urumqi) from 2010 to 2019, and further explore the potential pollution sources and nature and anthropic influences on AOD. The main results indicate that Lanzhou AOD remains higher than Urumqi in almost all different time windows, especially in the spring. Specifically, the AOD shows a single-peaked distributed trend on the monthly scale, but the peak occurred one month later in Lanzhou than in Urumqi. In the seasons, Lanzhou and Urumqi all show a trend that spring and winter AOD are higher than summer and fall. Lanzhou and Urumqi overall show a tortuous decreasing and then rebounded trend between 2010 and 2019, but the AOD variation in the Urumqi is more dramatic than in Lanzhou. The high AOD mainly concentrates in low altitude areas and there is a downward tendency of AOD in high-AOD areas, but an upward trend in low-AOD areas. The AOD intensity of change is higher in Lanzhou than in Urumqi, but Lanzhou has more concentration. The seasonal differences in backward trajectories are stronger in Lanzhou than in Urumqi, generally, Lanzhou's potential trajectory is mainly distributed in the Hexi Corridor, while Urumqi is along the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains urban cluster distribution. The potential source area of AOD has a significant seasonal variation, and the closer to the object, the greater the contribution. Generally, Lanzhou pollution is more sensitive to the atmosphere condition and has a wider source area than Urumqi. The AOD was influenced by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, but natural variables seem to be more dominant. The impact of natural factors in Urumqi and Lanzhou is statistically obtained up to 75.04% and 52.01% respectively.

Freshwater Prawns Diversity (Crustacea: Decapoda) in the River Koshi, Eastern Bihar

Introduction: The river Koshi is one of the major tributary of river Ganga, which originated from the northern slopes of the Himalayas and flows southwards through north Bihar with draining of the Ganga basin near Kursela, in District Katihar, eastern Bihar.&#x0D; Objectives: Diversity and abundance of freshwater prawns were studied from January 2020 to December 2022 in the Koshi river of district Katihar eastern Bihar, India.&#x0D; Methodology: The prawn was collected from the bank of Koshi river with the support of fishermen at Kursela in Katihar district, eastern Bihar and preserved in 5% formalin for further study.&#x0D; Results: Koshi river is also known as Saptakoshi for its seven upper tributaries, that transports a large amount of nutrient and perhaps encourages species prosperity both culturally and individually. The efficiency of water is significant and therefore the freshwater prawns are divers. Prawn is a very important foodstuff in developing countries, due to high protein content and its other nutrition values. In present study we identified &amp; reports commercially and physically important total four species of prawn belonging to Macrobrachium genius in the river Koshi around Kursela, in Katihar district eastern Bihar. They are namely Macrobrachium gangeticum, M. gandaki, M. tiwari and M. lamarrei. The composition of prawn species among which M. lamarrei and M. tiwari were dominant species throughout the year. Whereas the catch of M. gangeticum and M. gandaki were restricted during June to September.&#x0D; Conclusion: The current investigation important to the presence of commercially important and environmentally sustainable inhabitants available in the river Koshi, Kursela Katihar, eastern Bihar. The suggests to needs appropriate management and conservation strategies to prevent the further loss of populations from this site. The details of data collected are in the flesh in this communication.

The Bobovica Village on The Visocica Mountain

The Bobovica village is located on the northern slopes of the Visocica mountain (Geographic coordinates: 43º38'27.83''N, 18º13'47.60''E, elevation: 1306). It belongs to the municipality of Trnovo, and it is 17.6 km away from Trnovo by air. The main resources of the village are its geographical position on the slopes of Visocica (on which there are extensive pastures), a lot of arable land, a wealth of sources of drinking water, the proximity of the Rakitnica river (whose power was traditionally used to operate water mills) and good traffic connections with other villages on the Bjelašnica plateau. The Bobovica village was burned down in the 1992-1995 war, with rarely preserved traditional structures. After the war, new houses were built, in new locations and next to the ruins of old houses. At the same time, the newly built buildings sometimes follow the patterns of traditional architecture, but, as a rule, they are made with a modern disposition, design and materialization. After the war, some facilities were built that did not exist before. According to the theory of Architecturally Defined Space (ADS) developed by the Author in 1987, the village of Bobovica will be observed in this paper as a system through consideration of its four basic elements: Environment, Man, Boundaries and Perspectives. The simultaneous presentation of these elements will establish their mutual cause-and-effect relationship and will not leave out anything that is important for the formation of the image of this space.

Timing and extent of late Quaternary glaciations on Karlik Mountain, eastern Tianshan range, China

Glacial landforms formed by multiple glaciations are well-preserved in the valleys around Karlik Mountain in the easternmost Tianshan range, Central Asia. These landforms are direct imprints of palaeoglaciers and represent important archives of past climatic and environmental conditions. Dating these landforms contributes to understanding the spatiotemporal variations of past glaciers and provides key information for reconstructing the palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment in Central Asia. In this study, thirty-two boulder and bedrock samples were collected from two glaciated valleys on the southern slope of Karlik Mountain for terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) 10Be surface exposure dating. Based on the geomorphic relationships and dating results, the innermost MS1 moraine complex was deposited during the Little Ice Age (LIA); the MS2 moraine complex was formed during the Lateglacial; the MS3 moraine complex was deposited during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGMG); the MS4 moraine complex, which is the largest moraine complex, is marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 4 in ages; and the MS5 moraine complex, which is only preserved at the interfluve ridges, has a similar age to MS4. The age of MS4 demonstrates that the largest local last glacial maximum (LGML) occurred during the early part of the last glacial cycle rather than during the LGMG. The MS4 and MS5 glacial complexes imply that a large ice cap with outlet valley glaciers developed on the whole of Karlik Mountain during MIS 4. These ages, combined with previous landform mapping and dating on the northern slope of the mountain, show that glacial advances since MIS 4 in this mountainous area were restricted to the valleys, rather than large ice cap scale, which is consistent with moraine records in the other valleys across the Tianshan range. The pattern and nearly synchronous timing of palaeoglacier fluctuations during the last glaciation in arid Central Asia imply that the main determinant for glacier fluctuations in this region has been changes in precipitation brought by the westerlies during periods of low temperature.

New data on the formation of local variations in the Upper Paleolithic of the Caucasus

As of today, very few Upper Paleolithic sites are known on both the southern and the northern slopes of the Caucasus. Their materials allow tracing settlement dynamics in the region from 40/39 to 20 cal ka BP. The change of the research methodology, which today is focused on thorough excavations involving a range of natural science disciplines for complex investigation of the materials, including complete water sieving of the cultural de-posits, enables obtaining many new, often unique data on human occupation, life-support strategies, and adapta-tions of humans in different periods of the Upper Paleolithic in the Caucasus. In our paper, a wide range of issues is discussed, concerned with the cultural affinity, diversity, and interaction of the Upper Paleolithic population of the Caucasus. The earliest Upper Paleolithic industries (40–35 cal ka BP) of the southern as well as the northern slopes of the Caucasus show the closest affinity. Studies of the raw-material strategies indicate the presence of contacts between populations of the northwestern and South Caucasus throughout the entire Upper Paleolithic and the development of extensive social networks. During the Late Upper Paleolithic period, the materials of the North and South Caucasus acquire certain features of distinctiveness, as in the stone industry and in bone tools and decorations. The appearance of geometric microliths in the South Caucasus contemporaneously with the Near East attests to the contacts between these regions. The delivery of seashells from the Caspian Sea coast to the Lesser Caucasus also indicates the southeastern direction of the contacts. The import of seashells from the Black Sea coast to the northwestern Caucasus indicates the southwestern direction of contacts. The unique finds that have analogies in the Upper Paleolithic of the Russian Plain indicate contacts between populations of the northwestern Caucasus and the Russian Plain that belong to different cultural areas. The current data demon-strate formation of local differences in the culture of the Upper Paleolithic populations in both the South and the North Caucasus, including under the influence of the neighboring regions.

Cold‐Season Surface Energy Balance on East Rongbuk Glacier, Northern Slope of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest)

AbstractAs the highest peak on the earth, Mt. Qomolangma provides an unparalleled platform to study glacier‐atmosphere interaction. Although glacier surface energy balance (SEB) on Mt. Qomolangma was examined during warm season, relevant knowledge during cold season is still unknown, which prevents a complete understanding of all‐season glacier SEB on it. Based on an in‐situ observation from October 2007 to January 2008, this study presents a cold‐season glacier SEB result at 6,523 m above sea level on Mt. Qomolangma and identifies its atmospheric control. Our results show that the observational period experienced strong winds and deficient clouds. Near‐surface wind speeds usually exceeded 10 m s−1, resulting in a substantial sensible heat transport toward glacier and thus enhancing outgoing longwave radiation, which, under the combined effect of deficient clouds, eventually caused an increase in longwave radiative loss. The large solar zenith angle and relatively high albedo of the glacier surface led to a small absorption of solar irradiance, which, in combination with the strong longwave radiation loss, resulted in a semi‐permanent surface radiative loss. Uncommon over the highly reflective glacier surface, clouds decreased the incident solar radiation more than increased the longwave radiation, demonstrating that the clouds' shading effect surpassed its greenhouse effect. As a vital heat sink, the turbulent latent heat induced an average sublimation rate of 0.8 mm water equivalent per day. This study provides valuable insights into the atmospheric control on the cold‐season glacier‐atmosphere interaction at high altitudes on Mt. Qomolangma when meteorological variables are subject to the westerlies.