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The Chinese government's use of fiscal policy, which includes fiscal income and spending, is crucial in its fight against environmental pollution and climate change. Innovation‐driven has arisen as a new alternative to reconcile economic success with environmental conservation in light of tighter resource restrictions and the suggestion of the Chinese High‐quality Development policy. The paper uses an econometric model to examine the connection between institutional resource consumption efficiency and carbon neutrality, using a data set consisting of Chinese inter‐provincial panel data from 2007 to 2020 as a research sample; fiscal decentralization is also discussed as a potential moderating factor. Collaborative innovation positively boosts ecological efficiency and produces geographical spillovers, and the findings suggest so long as the economic distance is considered. When it comes to increasing ecological efficiency, collaborative innovation plays a more important role than financial decentralization alone. Among these is the improvement of carbon neutrality, which is best achieved via the joint promotion of ecological efficiency and industrial organizations. By reducing the intensity of the positive effect of innovative cooperation on ecological efficiency, the moderating effect suggests that fiscal decentralization is a critical factor in this relationship. Promoting China's ecological efficiency necessitates a fair distribution of local budgetary spending. China should also actively encourage the degree of synergy between institutional resource consumption efficiency and associated institutions to improve eco‐efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among several devastating natural hazards, flooding is a common and serious threat to society causing huge loss of lives, properties, and infrastructure throughout the world. The intensity and frequency of this extreme weather event are expected to increase due to significant changes in the present‐day climate and land use and land cover (LULC) pattern. India has a very systematic and organized structural program and policies but lacks proper implementations, and adverse effect of climate change and the extreme event goes on in society. This paper is an analysis of floods in India and hazards due to climate change and LULC change patterns. Three models, namely "Eco‐biogeography‐based optimization (EBO), Random forest (RF), and Support vector machine (SVM)" were used to obtain the final output to prepare a "Flood susceptibility map". The result was validated through the "Receiver operating characteristics (ROC)" with "Area under curve (AUC)" values. The future rainfall scenario has been estimated by considering the "General circulation models" through different "shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs)". The values of AUC are 0.915 (EBO), 0.887 (RF), and 0.869 (SVM), respectively. After consideration of different SSPs, the result shows that there is an increasing tendency of flood hazards in the projected period. Among all the employed modelling approaches, the EBO model has notable potential in delineating the possible flood‐prone regions for effective flood planning and management. Decision‐makers can benefit from country‐specific information and regional planner to implement sustainable and long‐term measures to overcome this type of hazardous situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment, development and abandonment and/or destruction of ancient civilizations were catalytically controlled by geomorphic features such as lakes and rivers and the climate. This paper examined the possible influence of tectonism and climate on six habitations of the ancient Vaigai River Basin civilization in South India, using multiple proxies such as grain size, geochronology and geochemistry of the sedimentary archives. The tectonic setting of the basin changed between the active margin and passive margin; the discriminant diagrams suggested varying provenance and changing climatic conditions over the mid‐ and‐late Holocene. Tectonic activism and quiescence, base‐level change in the channel morphology led to the burial/marooning of the first habitation surface. Overall, arid conditions were punctuated with catastrophic flooding and peak discharge (flood) destroyed the second, third and fourth habitation sites. These flooding events were characterized by moderate weathering (CIA) and high values of Al, Fe and Rb/Sr and low Ca/Mg in the sediment records. The abandonment/destruction of the fifth habitation also occurred during an arid interval (droughts), possibly caused by weak monsoon. Along with the interactions between tectono‐climatic and fluvial geomorphic factors, the new results provided avenues to (a) check and recognize the archives for 8.2 and 4.2 ka‐like events in this part of the world, and (b) the utility of integrated analyses to constrain on the civilizational histories of the mankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar radiation or insolation at a specific locality on the Earth's surface is determined by the distance of this point from the sun and by the angle with which the radiation hits the earth's surface. The theory that variations in the earth's orbit determine the amount of radiation and therefore the climate which is the Milankovitch Cycle. In non‐marine lacustrine rift basin, the changes of climate can be recorded by the palaeontology, and it also plays an important role in controlling lacustrine fluctuations. The lacustrine fluctuations are indicated by coastal onlap, which is the landward or lake‐ward onlap of non‐marine coastal deposits. In this paper, based on borehole data, wireline logs, seismic datasets, biostratigraphic data and palaeontology, the lacustrine fluctuation curve can be reconstructed from the onlap of lacustrine deposits in non‐marine sequences. The durations and magnitudes of these changes can be used to construct charts showing cycles of the relative rising and falling of lake level. In addition, the changes of lake level can also be reflected by the palaeontology such as pollen. The living conditions and distributions of pollen can be a good indicator for climate changes and lacustrine fluctuations in an a non‐marine setting. The calculation of the Milankovitch Cycle can be determined by the GR log in the study area which keeps a record of cycle changes. All climatic changes and lacustrine fluctuations are mainly resulted from the Milankovitch Cycles, and therefore, through the reconstruction of lacustrine fluctuations, climate changes and the Milankovitch Cycle, the correspondences among them can be clearly addressed. All the results can contribute a lot in theory research in the study area and lead to a new focus in practical hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different parent rocks, climate, and relief control the provenance of beach sands on the coast of Mexico. This is the first paper to address the provenance problem of beach sands in south‐eastern Mexico considering a homogeneous climate and relative similarity in parental rocks but different relief. Two coastal areas are confined in this study: (a) the Western Gulf of Tehuantepec (WGT) and (b) the Eastern Gulf of Tehuantepec (EGT). The WGT beach sands are probably controlled by the denudation of orthogneisses, Eocene–Miocene basaltic–andesites–dacites–rhyolites from the Volcanic Belt of the Sierra Madre del Sur (VBSMS), and granites to diorites from the Coastal Plutonic Belt (CPB). The rocks exposed in the EGT are represented by orthogneisses and tonalite, granodiorite, and gabbro suites from the Palaeozoic–Mesozoic Chiapas Coastal Plutonic Belt (CHCPB). Quaternary andesites and dacites from the Tacaná Volcano are located in the eastern coastal area. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA) values indicate that the less weathered beach sands are in the WGT compared to the EGT coastal area. Plagioclase transport is preserved in a narrow coastal plain that contributes to a lower a weathering rate compared to the EGT sands deposited in a wider coastal plain. Geochemical analyses show that the WGT and EGT beach sands are admixtures of felsic, intermediate, metamorphic, and volcanic sources in their sands composition. Relief seems to play a major role in the composition of beach sand in both coastlines, since parental rocks are mostly similar in composition and climate remains homogeneous along the coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typhoons are commonly occurring disastrous events in the Western Pacific and have become more severe as the result of global climate changes, increasingly affecting the ocean and seafloor throughout the Western Pacific. However, studies on the influences of typhoon processes and dynamic mechanisms on the continental shelf remain rather limited because of insufficient observational data in the area. This paper uses observational records at a water depth of 110 m on the continental shelf of the East China Sea in the periods when the No. 1323 typhoon 'Fitow' and No. 1324 typhoon 'Danas' passed the East China Sea to study changes in the water temperature, salinity, current and turbidity. Observation results show that typhoon Fitow had limited effects on the measurement site because of the long distance to the centre of the typhoon, but during typhoon Danas, the measured surface current speed reached 2.95 m/s, and the turbidity of the sea water increased rapidly due to the vertical mixing of sea water. Typhoon Danas causes both near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) and diurnal currents to increase, which is considered to be the major factor that contributes to bottom water temperature changes and the suspension of bottom sediments after the passage of the typhoon. Typhoons can also cause the Kuroshio Current to shift towards the continental shelf, which may affect the Tsushima Current. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present volume is a special issue organized in the framework of NECLIME (Neogene Climate Evolution in Eurasia). This resulted in the 16 contributions on quantitative reconstructions of palaeovegetation from data and models presented here, aiming at understanding the interactions between Cenozoic climate and vegetation changes. Diversity patterns in microfloras recovered from Miocene brown coals of the Lower Rhine Basin reveal distinct coupling of the structure of the peat-forming vegetation and continental climate variability. [Extracted from the article]

The Qaidam Basin is one of the major coal‐bearing basins in northeastern China with the coal seams mainly preserved in the Lower–Middle Jurassic. The Middle Jurassic sedimentary environment, sequence stratigraphy, paleoclimate, and coal accumulation in the Qaidam Basin have been extensively studied, while the sedimentary characteristics and depositional evolution of the Lower Jurassic coal‐bearing series are less well known. We systematically analysed the facies association, depositional system, basin evolution, and coal accumulation of the Early Jurassic Pliensbachian‐aged coal‐bearing series from the Dameigou section in the northern Qaidam Basin. Five lithological types have been identified, ranging from conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, and mudstones to combustible organic rocks, which were further subdivided into 12 lithofacies. These lithofacies were grouped into four facies associations, representing the braided fluvial, meandering fluvial, lacustrine, and meandering fluvial‐lacustrine transition deposits, respectively. The Pliensbachian Stage mainly developed as a fluvial‐lacustrine depositional system and an evolution history from braided fluvial to meandering fluvial, then to lacustrine, and finally back to meandering fluvial was reconstructed. We suggest that climate change is the major controlling factor for depositional evolution during the Pliensbachian. The transition of the depositional environment from fluvial to lacustrine in the study area can be attributed to the rapid climatic change induced by volcanism at this interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate crisis hampers emerging economies, hindering textile manufacturers from implementing innovative measures to address climate change impacts in their daily operations amidst a complex and dynamic business environment. The key focus of the current study is to investigate the impact of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on the operational, organizational and environmental performance of textile firms. Data from 210 textile firms in a developing country context severely impacted by climate change and global warming was collected using cluster sampling for the study. The study shows that implementing SSCM practices can improve operational efficiency and organizational and environmental performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that environmental goals (environmental cost savings and environmental impact) can be enhanced by implementing proper SSCM practices through operational excellence. In conclusion, this study offers implications for managers and insights to policymakers and managers of the textile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has an effect on ecosystems and people all around the globe and causes land degradation. A long‐term decline in biological output, loss of ecological integrity, and a fall in the economic worth of the land are all signs of "land degradation", a downbeat trend in land condition. In the red lateritic zone of the tropical area, where "climate change" and "land degradation" are related, they impact one another. On the other hand, due to the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which slow the rate of carbon absorption, and the extent of various existing land degradation processes, which are worsened in pace and magnitude by "climate change". The world's expanding population poses a challenge to supplying the rising demand for food in recent decades. The need for additional land for farming, feed, and other forms of production is fuelled by poverty and the destruction of the environment. In tropical regions, "soil erosion" caused by "water and wind, salinization and alkalinity, acidity, losses of organic carbon, nutrient imbalance, pollution/contamination by toxic substances, and soil sealing and capping" all call for immediate action to stop the land degradation process and sustainably restore productivity for environmental security and food security for the world's expanding population. After fulfilling the requirement systematic knowledge about soil, scientific use of natural resources (water, land, minerals, vegetation, air and biodiversity) will present a healthy planet with a healthy ecological system for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the asymmetric and long‐run effects of energy productivity on the quality of the environment in Sweden. It covers the time series data from 1990Q1 to 2019Q4. Sweden was the first country in 1972 to host a United Nations conference on the environment. Unlike other countries in Europe, Sweden is cognizant of an innovative environment; it hopes to achieve 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040 and lead the way towards a low‐carbon community. The novelty of this study lies in the thorough analysis of how energy productivity affects the quality of the environment in Sweden while controlling for economic growth, trade openness, and financial development utilizing the non‐linear ARDL approach and other robust econometric techniques. Precisely, (i) results indicate non‐linear and asymmetric effects of the variables over long‐term horizons; (ii) energy productivity benefits the environment by lowering CO2 emissions (CO2E) in the long term; (iii) a growth in trade openness positively impacts CO2E; (iv) an increase in financial development and economic growth without eco‐friendly protocols contribute to an increase in CO2E. The findings of this study support the economic theory that energy productivity can stimulate green living and green economic growth. We recommend that policymakers in Sweden invest in energy productivity, pursue R&D that embraces cleaner technologies, and prioritize cleaner, cross‐cutting eco‐friendly policies to combat climate challenges and achieve the long‐term climate policy goals of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout Earth's history, dust deposits have been considered sensitive markers of fluctuations in global atmospheric circulation patterns. However, the identification of ancient dust deposits remains problematic, as their massive (structureless) nature impedes an unequivocal classification. In southern Africa, the Lower Jurassic Clarens Formation is dominated by intriguing structureless sandy siltstones that have been interpreted as loess even though classical diagnostic outcrop‐scale loess features are not observed. In this study, we utilized grain characteristics such as size, shape, sorting and fabric to assess the origin of these ubiquitous massive beds, as compared to strata with a known origin in the unit. Based on these grain characteristics, the massive beds can be grouped into six different facies types (Facies 1–6). Facies 1 has very similar grain features to the large‐scale cross‐bedded strata and thus it is interpreted as migrating dune deposits, only apparently massive. The dominant grain size with a large proportion of very fine‐grained sand and the random grain fabric suggests that Facies 2 resulted from sandy dust fall (short‐term suspension), whereas Facies 3 is interpreted as aeolian dust, having features consistent with modern and ancient loess due to its dominant silt grain size and random grain fabric. Features in Facies 4 are undiagnostic and could reflect a range of aeolian processes, although a dominant silt grain size may suggest an overwhelming loess component. Facies 5 and 6 show primary aeolian signatures with the preferred grain orientation being evidence of reworking in an aqueous setting (e.g., lake, stream). These six facies types represent a spectrum of depositional processes that occurred in response to erg migration and climatic changes along this Early Jurassic erg margin. Their facies diversity is evidence for: (1) dry and windy conditions in SW Gondwana during the Sinemurian to Pliensbachian, and (2) reworking of the aeolian sediments in various fluvial and lacustrine settings during the development of one of the largest known sand seas in Earth's history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A late Kasimovian (Pennsylvanian) coral reef is reported in the Yanbanzhai (YBZ) area, southern Guizhou Province, South China. The YBZ coral reef, with a thickness of approximately 5.5 m and a lateral exposure of nearly 50 m, is primarily composed of the colonial rugose coral Fomichevella. The fusulinids collected from the reef indicates a late Kasimovian age. Five microfacies types have been identified, including coated bioclastic grainstone, coral (Fomichevella) framestone, bioclastic wackestone, bioclastic grainstone, and peloidal grainstone. The vertical evolution of the microfacies in the YBZ coral reef indicates major sedimentary environmental changes associated with relative sea‐level changes. The growth of the reef‐builder Fomichevella was controlled by the transgression and regression. Deep water promoted the upward expansion of Fomichevella, while shallow water inhibited its growth. Published records of atmospheric pCO2 estimation and sea‐surface temperatures, combined with geochemical proxies, confirm a warm climatic period during the late Kasimovian. This is an interglacial period conducive to the growth of the coral reef. Sea‐level and climate changes associated with the Late Palaeozoic ice age (LPIA) are interpreted as significant controls of the development of the YBZ coral reef. This research of the YBZ coral reef in South China provides practical palaeobiological evidence for global sea‐level rising during the late Kasimovian period caused by the high‐latitude Gondwana delaciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Deh‐Molla Formation of the Alborz Zone in northern Iran is a key unit to understanding global sea‐level fluctuations, and likely climate changes during the Furongian Epoch. The sedimentological characteristics of the formation indicate that the succession was deposited on a gently sloping epeiric platform on the northern margin of Gondwana. The Paibian Member 1 of the Deh‐Molla Formation was deposited on a carbonate platform with stable environmental conditions, probably during a (semi)arid climate condition, as indicated by microbial–sponge patch reefs, thick‐bedded units formed in broad facies belts, and a thick dolomite unit formed under evaporative conditions. The overlying Member 2, considered to span the Jiangshanian–Age 10, includes thin‐bedded wavy, and rippled strata known as ribbon rocks. This sequence records considerable environmental fluctuations. Thin‐bedded strata with flat‐pebble conglomerates, hummocky cross‐stratification, lenticular, flaser, and wavy bedding, ripple cross‐lamination, and graded bedding signify that deposition of Member 2 took place in a depositional environment repeatedly affected by tidal currents, and storm waves. A comparison of the Deh‐Molla Formation, and particularly its ribbon rocks with coeval strata in Laurentia and North China reveals secular controls on their development. In contrast to the Furongian strata of the Great American Carbonate Bank, deposited under tropical conditions, the ribbon rocks of the Deh‐Molla Formation suggest deposition in a temperate latitude zone with dominant cool‐water conditions. However, the Deh‐Molla platform was seasonally subjected to monsoons that brought warm tropical waters to the region, and led to rapidly changing environments. Ooids, peloids, stromatolites, and other criteria suggestive of a tropical climate are frequent in Laurentian successions, but absent in the Deh‐Molla Member 2. However, both Laurentian and Gondwanan examples share characters that indicate comparable controls on their development. Significant environmental changes during the Furongian are indicated by the SPICE and HERB events, and the latter is taken as showing biotic and physico‐chemical changes in the ocean and atmosphere, possibly concurrent with the formation of ribbon rocks on different continental blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical study in the siliciclastic sediments of a basin provides an understanding of palaeoclimate, provenance and subsequently, it can be used to reconstruct the palaeo‐tectonics and evolution of the basin. Sedimentation in the Gondwana basins, worldwide, generally provides a record of climatic fluctuations and evidences of the Permo‐Triassic mass extinction. In spite of its global importance, our knowledge about the nature of sedimentation, basin development and conceptual regional tectonic model in the Satpura Basin, one of the Gondwana basins of India is limited. Major and trace element concentrations of the mudstones from the Denwa Formation along with the existing geochemical data of other formations are studied here for establishing a comprehensive idea about the palaeoclimate, tectonic settings, provenance and basin evolution. The composition of the sediments in the lowermost Talchir Formation revealed cold and dry climatic conditions at the sources, whereas the sources of the sediments for the overlying formations have experienced warm, humid and semiarid climates. The contributions of the mafic rock‐derived sediments are relatively higher in the Talchir, Barakar and Motur formations compared to the overlying formations. Approximately 60% of the sediments in the overlying Bijori, Pachmarhi and Denwa formations were derived from the felsic volcanic rocks and granites of the Sausar Mobile Belt and Betul‐Chindwara Mobile Belt (BCMB) with minor inputs from mafic volcanic rocks of the BCMB. Furthermore, the sediments of the Talchir Formation were derived from the BCMB when they became tectonically active, whereas the sediments in the younger formations have been derived from a passive tectonic setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speleothems are widely used terrestrial archives for the reconstruction of regional paleoclimatic conditions using mainly stable oxygen isotopes. However, the isotopic signals are quite vulnerable to post‐depositional recrystallization, and in the absence of detailed petrographic characterization, the validity of the isotopic dataset remains elusive. The present study is an attempt to bridge the gap between speleothem physical and geochemical proxies, their interrelationship and applicability, to reconstruct the regional climatic conditions in the northwestern Himalayas. We have identified different zones of depleted/enriched oxygen isotopes linked with the enhanced/decreased regional rainfall with strong/weak Indian summer monsoon. Prograding growth laminae and distinct columnar crystalline texture in calcite are associated with depleted oxygen isotopes. This suggests ample water availability and a higher drip rate in the cave, and further approves the wetter regional climate. Whereas, retractional growth laminae with dark micrite and microspar point towards slower drip rate and high evaporation associated with decreased rainfall. The presence of microspar in the studied stalagmite may indicate possible diagenetic alteration. However, oxygen isotopes data is unable to detect these small‐scale changes. Nevertheless, a coherency exists between isotopes and petrographic proxies for regional climate variability on a larger scale, and diagenesis in the studied sample possibly occurred during the early stage of precipitation. Therefore, isotopic studies coupled with detailed petrography can better ascribe paleoclimate conditions, and minimize the chances of erroneous interpretation because of diagenetic alterations of carbonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeoflood records have provided the extended perspective required to understand linkages between extreme floods and climate variability. During our palaeo‐hydrological investigations, two units of palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWD) were found on the river banks in the Maqu‐Oula reach along the mainstream of the Yellow River on the northeast (NE) Tibetan Plateau. A series of samples were taken from the sediment profiles at Taiwuruo (TWR) and Daerqiong (DEQ) sites for laboratory analysis. Grain‐size distribution and micro‐morphological characteristics of quartz grains indicate that these well‐sorted SWD units were derived from the suspended sediment load in floodwater. They have recorded two episodes of overbank flooding in the Yellow River source area. Using the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating technique, the first episode of overbank flooding was dated to 13.6–13.0 ka and correlated with the Bølling–Allerød warm interval of the last deglaciation. The second episode occurred at 11.0–10.0 ka, that is, the early Holocene. In a warm‐humid climate, these overbank flooding episodes may have resulted from the accelerated melting of mountain glaciers and snow over the headwaters of the alpine and subalpine regions on the NE Tibetan Plateau. These results are important in facilitating an in‐depth understanding of the hydro‐climatic response of the Tibetan Plateau to global climate warming occurring presently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Philippine Sea is a well‐preserved, extinct, marginal basin, and due to generally deeper than the carbonate compensation depth, the geochronology and its geological significance of the abyssal sediments are less studied in previous researches. In this work, we studied the magnetostratigraphy of four gravity cores from the centre of the West Philippian Basin and establish a reliable chronology for sedimentary sequences in the Pleistocene. The main results include: (a) several magnetozones are recognized in the studied four cores, which can be correlated to the geomagnetic polarity timescale from chrons C1n to C2An (0–3.0 Ma); (b) since ~1.2 Ma, the depositional rates across the West Pacific are relatively consistent, about 160–250 cm/Myr; (c) a transition in depositional rates around ~1.2 Ma was identified in the studied area, from a spatial variety in the Early Pleistocene to a persistent pattern since the Middle Pleistocene. Based on these findings, we report that this sedimentary shift in the Philippian Sea can be correlated to global climate changes during the Mid‐Pleistocene transition, representing a major change in the studied area. Therefore, we suggest that the sedimentary processes in the studied area can be linked to a common shift in palaeoclimatology across the inner Asian continent, the Philippian Sea, and the tropical Pacific during the late Early Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle to Late Ordovician carbonates were collected in South China (Anhui Province) from the Kuniutan, Datianba, and Pagoda formations in the Dingxiang and Daling sections and analysed for high‐resolution carbon isotope chemostratigraphy. An increase by 0.4‰ in δ13Ccarb is observed in the upper part of the Kuniutan Formation (Eoplacognathus pseudoplanus Biozone), representing the rising limb of the Middle Darriwilian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (MDICE). In the upper part of the Datianba Formation, positive shifts of ca. 1‰ are recorded in the studied section which compare with the carbon shifts reported in North America and Baltoscandia. A pronounced positive δ13Ccarb excursion of ca. 1.5‰ from the lower part of the Pagoda Formation can be correlated with the global Guttenberg Isotopic Carbon Excursion (GICE). The documentation of three carbon isotope shifts in this study provides new evidence for changes in the global carbon cycle from Darriwilian to Early Katian which could have been influenced by changes in global climate and primary productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palaeoenvironmental conditions of Pliocene sedimentation were rather different in the southern, central, and northeastern parts of Ukraine. In the southern regions, the transgressional–regressional phases of the Kimmerian marine basin influenced the vegetation cover. The Pliocene vegetation of the central and northeastern regions is driven by long‐term and short‐term climatic changes. The reconstruction of Early Pliocene vegetation is carried out according to the results of spore‐pollen analysis of Lower Pliocene marine and continental deposits exposed in 12 sections located within the Ukrainian Plain. Pollen data show, that regardless of the differences in palaeoenvironmental conditions in the studied regions, the general patterns of changes in vegetation composition of the plain part of Ukraine during the Early Pliocene can be clearly traced. The presently obtained patterns are closely related to global geological and climatic events. The Pliocene climatic optimum is timed to the middle Kimmerian. At that time, warmth‐loving broadleaf taxa occurred in the vegetation of the Ukrainian Plain. The developments of the Neogene vegetation of Ukraine clearly reflect the graduate cooling from the Miocene to Pliocene, and from the Early to Late Pliocene. In the composition of the Late Pliocene vegetation of Ukraine, thermophilic elements decreased in comparison to the Early Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fotan flora represents a tropical rainforest biome and is known by its abundance of fossil plant remains, which mainly include leaves and fruits. In this article, we describe three Smilax (Smilacaceae) fossil taxa, S. fujianensis sp. nov., S. zhangpuensis sp. nov., and Smilax sp., from the Middle Miocene of Fujian Province, in southeastern China. Three morphotypes were examined for their gross morphological characteristics and cuticular structures, with especial reference to the venation patterns and stomata complexes. These new Miocene species increase the known diversity of the genus Smilax in low‐latitude regions and contribute to a better understanding of its interspecific variability. Smilax is sensitive to climatic change, and their spatial and temporal distribution fluctuates in response to the periods of warming or cooling in the Cenozoic. Moreover, Smilax primarily grows in warm and moist forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Pleistocene sedimentary strata that is widely developed in North China records the signature of prehistoric human settlement. The Late Palaeolithic Shuidonggou Formation that is mainly distributed in the western Ordos Block of North China is best known for containing abundant palaeontological fossils and palaeolithic artefacts with an age span of ~35–20 ka B.P. However, its sequence and chronostratigraphy are poorly understood due to the lack of stratigraphic correlation of a uniform relative stratigraphy, hindering our understanding of the way of human adaptation to the environmental and climatic changes. In this article, analyses of high‐resolution stratigraphy of Shuidonggou Formation complemented with chronostratigraphic framework were performed based on our field investigations, Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating and literature survey, to reconstruct environmental and climatic conditions in western Ordos Block in the Late Pleistocene. Stratigraphic correlations and chronological evidence indicate that the sedimentary units of the Shuidonggou Formation are ~35–10 ka B.P. in age, and three lithologic units of Shuidonggou Formation that is well approximated on a regional basis were identified: gravel layers that were deposited in a fluvial environment at the bottom, rhythm layers consist of sand layers, and clay layers deposited in a lacustrine environment in the lower part, and cycles composed of lacustrine silt and loess in the upper part. These units are defined by sedimentology, matching to lake levels. Continuous and widely developed clay and sandy clay about 3–10 m thick occur at various levels within river terrace II and littoral deposits located 10–20 m above the current lake level provide evidence for the existence of the high lake level/palaeo‐lake in western Ordos Block between ~35 and 22 ka B.P. Palaeo‐lake shrinking occurred after when lakeshore sand and gravel, as well as sandy facies of aeolian origin, started to accumulate in the study area in 22–17 ka B.P. The development of the palaeo‐lake probably had been climate‐controlled since the warmer and humid climate conditions suggested by the lower sequences corresponds to the Marine Isotope Stage 3 while the cool and dry climate were identified in upper sequences corresponds to the Last Glaciation Maximum. Besides, the human occupation in the Shuidonggou site was synchronous with the development of the palaeo‐lake of the same time window. It is suggested that the evolution of the palaeo‐lakes in the Late Pleistocene, together with the environmental effects of climate change, play an important role in the human occupation and survival strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth's climate had undergone a global transition around 4–3 Ma, from warm to cool. The western Wei River Basin, its late Cenozoic tectonic evolution was mainly controlled by the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau, is affected by both Monsoon climate and Westerlies circulation. A set of lacustrine sediments between 4.2 and 3.6 Ma with clearly sedimentary rhythm are good materials for studying the palaeoclimate/palaeoenvironment changes and exploring the contained tectonic implications. We present a high‐resolution grain‐sized, magnetic susceptible, and carbonate content records from the palaeolake sediments at the global climate transition interval (4.2–3.6 Ma) in the western Wei River Basin. The abrupt changes of climate indicators at about 4.14–4.16 Ma, which is a regional response to global cooling, indicate that both westerly and monsoonal circulations were enhanced and should be attributed to global cooling rather than the uplift of TibetanPlateau. From 4.14 to 3.6 Ma, the climate represented stepwise strengthening or weakening with frequent fluctuations on the millennium scale and extreme dry events at 3.77–3.80 Ma. Combined with regional geological environment and palaeoclimate evolution data, the palaeolake that rapidly receded at 3.6 Ma provides evidence for the understanding the major climatic and environmental changes produced by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in western Wei River Basin and surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal sand dunes are sediment archives which can be used to reconstruct periods of aridity and humidity, past wind strength and variations in the sediment supply related to sea‐level changes. In this manner, the sedimentary record of fossil coastal dunes in Sri Lanka provides evidence for environmental and climatic changes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. As yet, these environmental shifts are poorly resolved because the sedimentary facies and their depositional architecture have not been studied and only very few age constraints are available. Facies analysis of a lithological section at the Point Kurdimalai sea cliff in the Wilpattu National Park (NW Sri Lanka) reveals a striking resemblance to the stratigraphic succession associated with the Teri Sands in southeastern India, which is better dated. The reason is that deposition occurred under the same geological, climatic and geomorphological conditions in the two regions. This special situation allows for litho‐ and climate stratigraphic correlations across the Gulf of Mannar and links the landscape evolution at Point Kudrimalai to late Quaternary climatic events and sea‐level changes. Our results show that the formation of red coastal dunes (Red Beds) in Sri Lanka was a multi‐phase process across the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary and hence the differentiation between an Older Group of Plio‐Pleistocene age (including the Red Beds) and a Younger Group of Holocene age in the Quaternary stratigraphic chart for Sri Lanka is not justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permo‐Carboniferous–Lower Jurassic Karoo succession in the Central Kalahari Karoo Sub‐basin of Botswana is largely confined to the subsurface, and contains coal, coalbed methane and groundwater resources, similar to other Karoo strata throughout southern Africa. Characterization of the stratigraphic architecture (i.e., spatiotemporal stacking character of sedimentary facies) is essential for various aspects of subsurface resource prediction (e.g., resource parameters; reservoir architecture; mining feasibility). This study uses sedimentary facies analysis on borehole cores from central Botswana and sequence stratigraphic principles to resolve large‐scale depositional style changes during the evolution of the greater Kalahari Karoo Basin in southwestern Gondwana. The results show that changes in the Karoo stratigraphic architecture define two, large‐scale overall fining‐upward depositional sequences (i.e., Lower and Upper Karoo) that are marked by regional subaerial unconformities. These regionally mappable depositional sequences contain pairs of high‐ to low‐amalgamation units, which are typified by stacked, multistorey sandstone bodies, succeeded by finer grained units that are sometimes rich in coal (e.g., the Dukwi‐Makoro‐Kamotaka vs. the Morupule‐Serowe‐Tlhabala formations in the Lower Karoo; the lower versus upper Mosolotsane‐Ntane formations in the Upper Karoo). The large‐scale depositional style changes, reflecting base‐level fluctuations and variation in the balance between accommodation and sediment supply, resulted from climatic changes (e.g., Permo‐Carboniferous deglaciation), tectonic events (e.g., regional pre‐Mosolotsane uplift event), and marine incursions. The latter is documented, for the first time, via the marine‐influenced ichnofauna in the uppermost Ecca Group. Further refining this initial sequence stratigraphic framework for the Botswanan Karoo will require acquisition of radioisotopic dates (e.g., U–Pb zircon ages) and modern seismic reflection data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Devonian Frasnian–Famennian (F‐F) transition witnessed one of the "big five" mass extinction events in the Phanerozoic. We here present high‐resolution conodont Sr isotopic data from Fuhe (South China) and Kowala (South Central Poland) sections to reveal coeval climatic and environmental variations and potential causes of this biotic crisis. Fuhe and Kowala sections yield 87Sr/86Sr ratios from 0.70815 to 0.70864 and 0.70808 to 0.70836, respectively. These Sr isotopic data demonstrate three distinctive variation cycles (I, II, and III), notably at Fuhe, fluctuating from low (negative) to higher Sr isotope ratios (positive excursion). Temporally, fluctuations I and II occurred immediately before the F‐F boundary, and fluctuation III started almost from the onset of the Famennian age. These conodont 87Sr/86Sr (low‐to‐high) fluctuations temporally match well the paces of conodont δ18O (low‐to‐high) and Δ13Ccarb‐org (high‐to‐low) fluctuations from the identical section published previously. These Sr isotopic fluctuations thus corroborate the cyclic variations in volcanic activity/flux and weathering intensity/riverine flux in parallel with climate warm‐to‐cool fluctuations. Mass balance modelling shows the first exceptionally high Sr isotope spike (I) could have been only yielded by a dramatic increase in terrestrial flux in a somewhat restricted Palaeo‐Tethys, likely due to the closure of the oceanic domain between Laurussia and Gondwana and sea‐level fall. This scenario would enhance the seawater eutrophication/anoxia in the pericontinental basins along the Palaeo‐Tethys, causing initial strikes on the low‐latitude shallow marine benthos. Subsequently, the frequent climatic fluctuations may have further caused escalating detrimental ecological pressures, leading to their massive demise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silurian red beds of the Tarim Basin were formed in a coastal tidal and fluvial delta environment. They consist of red mudstone layers of the lower Tataaiertag Formation and separate the grey‐green muddy sandstones of the Kalpintag Formation from the red sandstones of the upper Tataaiertag Formation. These mudstones are regarded as the most important regional seal for Silurian oil reservoirs. They contain a significant record of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate changes which is related to global sea‐level changes. Based on a systematic and continuous sedimentary study and multiple geochemistry analyses of samples taken from the Sishichang outcrop profile in west of the Tarim Basin, the Early–Middle Silurian palaeoclimate and sea‐level curve have been reconstructed. The Early–Middle Silurian Tarim Basin encountered five intervals of climate change, from humid transitioning to semi‐humid and dry–hot climate which shows signs of generally increasing oxidation. The reconstructed sea‐level curve indicates five sea‐level cycles throughout the Early–Middle Silurian succession. The most significant sea‐level drop occurred during the early Telychian stage, which represents the onset of the red mudstone section of the Tataaiertag Formation. This new sea‐level curve shows some differences compared with the earlier proposed global sea‐level curves. The dry–hot climate occurred during the late Telychian stage and the beginning of Wenlock age. The Early–Middle Silurian sea‐level change of the Tarim Basin was mostly synchronical to the eustacy. However, regional tectonic activities during the early Telychian stage further enhanced the effect of the global sea‐level fall and lead to a dry–hot climate trend which also caused the creation of the red beds of the Silurian period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been few high‐resolution investigations covering the last glacial and Holocene from Sichuan, Yunnan, or south Asia area in the south‐west monsoon domain region. High‐resolution analyses of lake sediments retrieved from Qionghai Lake, Sichuan Province, were conducted using a combination of variables including total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentration, low frequency magnetic susceptibility (χLF), particle size, carbonate content, and δ13C value of organic matter (δ13Corg), to provide a new perspective on the detailed paleoclimate history of south‐west China spanning the past 30 cal ka BP. Our findings suggest that organic matter in the Qionghai Lake was mainly derived from microorganisms, aquatic macrophytes, and terrestrial C3 plants. From 29.1 to 23.2 cal ka BP, low carbonate contents, high median grain size (Md values), and χLF values indicated a warm and wet climate. During the period 23.2 to 15.4 cal ka BP, low χLF, Md values, and high carbonate contents suggested a decrease in temperature and humidity. The cold and dry Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Heinrich 1 event (H1) were captured between 21.6 and 19.4 cal ka BP and 17.6 and 15.8 cal ka BP, respectively. During the interval 15.4 to 9.7 cal ka BP, low level of χLF values and Md values, together with relatively high carbonates, demonstrated that a dry climate prevailed in this period. Since 9.7 cal ka BP, the climate was warm and humid in the early to mid‐Holocene and shifted towards cold and dry condition in the late Holocene. A cold and dry period at 8.5 to 8.1 cal ka BP and warm and wet interval at 6.6 to 4.6 cal ka BP were identified, corresponding to the 8.2‐ka cold event and Holocene climatic optimum (HCO), respectively. These climate changes may reflect variations of the intensity of the south‐west summer monsoon, primarily in response to the Northern Hemisphere solar insolation on a millennial scale induced by orbital forcing. The position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) may add a complementary effect on the evolution of the monsoon strength in the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides have been considered widely as principal mass wasting agents in the valleys experiencing varied influence of tectonics and climate. However, pattern of landslides is rarely addressed in the literature that may act as a surface manifestation of interrelationship of tectonics, climate, and lithology. Here, we have attempted to understand such interrelationship in the context of landslide distribution pattern in the Satluj valley, Northwest Himalaya. Geomorphic indices such as steepness index, valley floor width to valley height ratio, and topographic swath profile were used for tectonic inference. Daily rainfall data of the year 2000–2016, using 5 rain‐gauge stations and swath profile of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, were used to deduce spatial variability of climate. Influence of lithological variability and regional faults; Sangla Detachment, Main Central Thrust, and Munsiari Thrust on the landslide distribution are also inferred. A total of 55 landslides (20 rock avalanche, 19 debris slides, and 16 rockfalls) are found to exist in 6 clusters along 130 km stretch of the Satluj valley. These landslides, covering a total area (A) and volume (V) of 1.05 × 107 m2 and 4.4 × 107 m3, respectively, are also noted to follow a power law (R2 = 0.8) and result in a scaling relationship of V = (0.180)A1.208. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The record of the Holocene millennial‐scale climate variations from the aeolian deposit around the monsoonal boundary zone in northern China is poorly understood because the desert sediments are usually scattered and geological archives are discontinuous. Here, we conducted magnetic, sedimentological, and geochemical analyses of the palaeosol‐aeolian sand sequence from the eastern Horqin dune field in northeastern China, which documented the detailed history of climatic variations during the past 7.0 ka. The results indicate that the climate became more humid around 7.0−5.0 ka and approached an optimal humid condition around 5.0–3.6 cal ka BP. Afterward, the moisture condition clearly declined in 3.6–1.3 cal ka BP and was replaced by dry climate at the end. Additionally, we discovered that 10 periodically dry events that punctuated the overall pattern of climatic variations in the region, with times of more than 7.0, 5.7–5.5, 5.5–5.0, 4.6–4.2, 4.2–3.7, 3.6, 3.5–3.3, and 1.3 cal ka BP. These intervals were not only very consistent with the dry/cold events in the monsoonal boundary zone of northern China, owing to weak summer monsoonal strength forced by solar radiation, but were also accordant with the increased Asian winter monsoon strengths induced by environment variations of the high latitude area. This phenomenon probably implies the antiphase relationship between Asian summer and winter monsoons on the Holocene millennial‐scale around the monsoonal boundary zone of northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palaeosol-loess-aeolian sand sequence in the eastern Gonghe Basin, which is located at the convergence of the Asian summer monsoon, winter monsoon and the westerlies, reveals detailed moisture changes in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (NETP) during the last 17 ka. Analysis of magnetic susceptibility (MS), total organic carbon, carbonate content, grain size and geochemical parameters indicate that the region was dominated by an extremely dry climate during ~17.0-15.82 ka, accompanying large-scale desert expansion in the last glacial maximum (LGM). Subsequently, the climate became generally dry during 15.82-14.6 ka, an interval in which loess rapidly accumulated. Enhanced humidity occurred at 14.6 ka, probably associated with increased strength of the East Asian summer monsoon. The region experienced slightly decreased moisture at around 6.5 and 5.8 ka. After 2.7 ka, the climate became wetter. This interpretation correlates with climatic records from lacustrine and aeolian deposits in the NETP during the LGM, the last deglaciation and the early-middle Holocene. High climatic moisture in the Late Holocene facilitated the formation of a well-developed palaeosol in the NETP. The effective moisture change in the Gonghe Basin is not simply ascribed to the influences of Asian summer monsoons; instead, it was possibly influenced by the interaction of evaporation and monsoonal precipitation forced by solar insolation variation. The balance between these variables was very influential on the effective moisture change in the closed inland basin of the NETP. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 40 years Andy Currant curated the Fossil Mammal Collections at the Natural History Museum, London, during which time he provided gentle fossil care to over 100 000 internationally important specimens collected from around the world. Specializing in the study of Pleistocene mammal bones, he rapidly became a leading research scientist in the British Quaternary faunal record. His research and fieldwork, on numerous excavations in the UK and abroad, led him to create a biostratigraphic model framework for the Quaternary mammal fauna which contributed to further knowledge about climatic changes during the later Pleistocene. As a curator, his own excavations into the Museum's collections resulted in the discovery or rediscovery of iconic historically important specimens. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]