南海北部表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫分布特征与环境意义

对南海北部12°以北海域表层沉积物中的浮游有孔虫丰度、属种数量与组合、碳酸盐含量以及硅质生物相对丰度等进行了分析和鉴定,结果表明:随水深的增加,浮游有孔虫的丰度降低、属种数量减少,碳酸盐含量降低,硅质生物相对丰度升高,浮游有孔虫优势种由易溶种转变为抗溶种。浮游有孔虫以及碳酸盐含量等的这些变化与深海碳酸盐的溶解作用密切相关,同时,浊流沉积作用和水团等环境因素也是影响浮游有孔虫丰度与组合以及碳酸盐含量变化的重要因子。     

东海2万年来碳酸盐溶解作用变化:翼足类的记录

对东海84个表层沉积样品和5个重力柱状样中的翼足类和浮游有孔虫丰度、浮游有孔虫碎壳率和底栖有孔虫群中胶结质类的比例等进行了定量分析,确定了东海现代文石补偿深度（ACD）位于约600 m处,碳酸盐溶跃面在约1 400 m处.末次冰期时随着碳酸盐溶解作用的显著减弱,ACD大幅度下降至现代的1 000 m之下.     

南海西部表层沉积物钙质浮游生物分布与碳酸盐溶解

对南海西部300多个表层沉积样品中的浮游有孔虫和钙质超微化石定量分析表明，几乎所有样品均含浮游有孔虫、钙质超微化石，但丰度相差十分悬殊，浮游有孔虫丰度介于0．5～36673个／g之间，钙质超微化石丰度为0～1725个／10个视域，两者的分布规律相似。在陆坡区钙质浮游生物最富集，尤其在西沙群岛西南、南沙西部礁滩附近海区丰度最高；向深海盆区和陆架浅水区，钙质浮游生物丰度均下降。但从两者的丰度分布来看，其溶解程度不同，浮游有孔虫更容易溶解，在200～2000m水深区，丰度最高，2000m以下丰度锐减；而钙质超微化石的最富集区在500～3000m，且3000m以下仍较丰富。从碳酸盐的分布来看，本区碳酸盐的临界补偿深度(CCrD)为3500m，而CCD大于4300m，碳酸盐的溶解主要由有孔虫和钙质超微化石构成。     

南海中部海区浮游有孔虫的溶解——碳酸盐溶解作用初探

深海碳酸盐溶解作用是海洋沉积学研究的重要内容之一。众所周知有孔虫遗壳是深海底质碳酸盐沉积的主要来源,浮游有孔虫壳的存在与沉积物中碳酸钙的含量密切相关。了解浮游有孔虫的被溶蚀情况,对了解深海碳酸盐溶解作用具有重要意义。 本文根据南海中部海区表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫的分布和碳酸钙含量的分析,对该海区的碳酸盐溶解作用和主要界面的深度作初步探讨。     

南海东北部表层沉积中有孔虫的分布及其环境意义

为了探讨南海东北部表层沉积中有孔虫分布的规律，选取184个表层样进行分析，结果发现有孔虫的垂向分布与碳酸盐的溶解作用密切相关。在2300－2500m水深以下，浮游有孔虫丰度迅速减小，而底栖有孔虫占有孔虫全群的比值BF／（BF＋PF）以及底栖有孔虫胶结质壳类的百分含量则迅速增加，这三者随水深的变化在3400－3500m处有一明显的转变，被认为是南海东北部CCD面（碳酸盐补偿深度）所在的位置，且该研究区内碳酸盐补偿深度南部较北部深100m。浮游有孔虫水平分布除了受表层海水温度的的控制外，黑潮南海分支以及吕宋岛北端上升流区带来的富营养水体的存在也起很重要的作用。     

冲绳海槽南部两万年来碳酸盐溶跃面的变迁

对冲绳海槽南部表层沉积和晚第四纪沉积柱状样中百余个样品进行了浮游及底栖有孔虫、翼足类等微体化石定量分析。通过表层沉积样品中底栖有孔虫占有孔虫全群比例、底栖有孔虫群中胶结质壳比例、浮游有孔虫碎壳率和浮游及底栖有孔虫丰度等多种标志的水深变化,确定冲绳海槽现代的碳酸盐溶跃面位于水深１５００～１６００ｍ处。进而,在高分辨率地层学基础上,检验这些指示溶解作用的标志和翼足类丰度等在柱状样中的变化,结果发现末次冰期冲绳海槽碳酸盐溶解作用显著减弱,碳酸盐溶跃面和文石补偿深度急剧变深;至冰后期碳酸盐溶解作用又急剧增强,溶跃面和文石补偿深度又变浅至与现代相当的位置。这些变化与南海等西太平洋其他海区的特征相一致。     

琉球群岛东部海区表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫分布及指示意义

对琉球群岛东部海区123个表层沉积物样品中浮游有孔虫因子分析结果表明,浮游有孔虫组合在溶跃面以上表现为Globigerinoides ruber-Globigerinata glutinata组合,溶跃面以下为Globorotalia inflata-Neoglobo-quadrina pachyderma (dex.)组合,局部受黑潮影响区域黑潮标志种Pulleniatina obliquiloculata含量相对丰富,为Neogloboquadrina dutertrei-P.obliquiloculata组合;表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫的丰度及组合分布特征对于碳酸盐溶跃面深度及碳酸盐补偿深度有一定的指示意义。另外,碳酸盐保存特征研究表明,该区域现代碳酸盐溶跃面深度约为3100 m,碳酸盐补偿深度约为4300 m。     

南海东北部表层沉积中微体化石与碳酸盐溶跃面和补偿深度

通过对南海东北部(12°～22°N,116°～122°E)表层沉积中的浮游有孔虫、底栖有孔虫、钙质超微化石、硅质与钙质生物丰度和比值的定量分析以及碳酸盐含量的测定,发现碳酸盐含量、浮游有孔虫、钙质超微化石丰度以及钙质生物比值随水深的增大迅速减小,而底栖有孔虫占有孔虫全群的比值和硅质生物比值以及底栖有孔虫胶结质壳类的百分含量却随水深的增大迅速增加.研究表明,调查区内微体化石丰度和比值以及碳酸钙含量的高低,与碳酸盐溶跃面(lysocline)和碳酸盐补偿深度密切相关,碳酸盐溶跃面和碳酸盐补偿深度南、北还存在一定差异,碳酸盐溶跃面南部较北部深,南部在2 600 m上下,北部则在2 200 m上下;碳酸盐补偿深度也是南部的较深,南部为3 600 m上下,而北部在3 400 m上下.     

南海东北部表层沉积中钙质和硅质微体化石与沉积环境

通过对南海东北部表层沉积中微体化石的丰度和各类比值以及碳酸钙含量的分析，发现易溶类微体化石丰度和比值以及碳酸盐含量随水深的增大而迅速减小，抗溶类微体化石丰度和比值则随水深的增大而迅速增加．各类微体化石丰度和比值以及碳酸钙含量都显示了在3500m附近存在着明显的分界线，应与深海碳酸盐溶解作用有关。浮游有孔虫Q型因子分析结果表明，其优势属种的分布主要受表层水温所控制，但黑潮暖流的南海分支和吕宋岛北端上升流的存在对调查区北部浮游有孔虫的属种分布所起的作用不应忽视。     

南海东沙海域末次冰期最盛期以来的沉积特征

对采自南海东北部东沙海域不同海区的14个大型重力活塞样进行肉眼观察描述、沉积物涂片分析和粒度分析,并利用浮游有孔虫氧碳同位素、AMS14C测年和碳酸盐地层学等方法对上述柱状样进行地层年代划分。有关沉积特征结果表明,末次冰期最盛期以来其沉积物组分、沉积特征、沉积速率存在较明显的时空差异,从区域上可划分成3个沉积区:Ⅰ区沉积物类型较单一,沉积连续,未见底栖生物扰动和非正常搬运沉积,钙质组分相对贫乏,CaCO3含量偏低,一般不超过10%,自生黄铁矿特别丰富。沉积速率偏高,全新世沉积速率最高达41.7cm/ka;Ⅱ区水深最大,超过3 000 m,位于深海盆区。该区以沉积搬运作用明显,岩性复杂多变、浊流沉积较发育为特征。沉积物粒度明显变粗,砂含量在3个海区中最高,陆源物质石英、长石和钙质生物群(主要是有孔虫)明显增加,其中石英、长石含量最高达83%,CaCO3含量最高达57%。全新世沉积速率最高达31.6 cm/ka;Ⅲ区以正常深海沉积为主,为青灰色含硅质钙质生物黏土质粉砂,富含生物化石,CaCO3含量一般介于10%~30%之间,石英、长石含量偏低,全新世沉积速率最高达20 cm/ka。造成上述差异的主要因素有水深、地理位置、陆源物质的稀释作用、沉积搬运和碳酸盐溶解作用等。     

Holocene and Pleistocene dissolution cycles in deep-sea cores of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait: Palaeoceano-graphic implications

Calcium-carbonate dissolution has been studied in several grab samples and piston cores from Baffin Bay and Davis Strait ranging in water depth from 200 to 2300 m. The intensity of dissolution was determined from examining: (1) the ratio of arenaceous to calcareous benthonic foraminifera; (2) the ratio of benthonic to planktonic foraminifera; (3) the relationships between the dissolution-susceptible and dissolution-resistant foraminifera; (4) the degree of foraminiferal test fragmentation; and (5) the relationships between plankton tows and the fauna in the surface sediments. All core tops and grab samples from Baffin Bay surface sediments below 600–900 m water depth demonstrated intense dissolution of calcium carbonate. Sediments below 900 m were biogenic carbonate free, indicating 100% foraminiferal loss due to dissolution. Possible causes of substantial undersaturation in calcium carbonate of Baffin Bay Bottom Water are very low temperatures, and higher concentrations of carbon dioxide. All cores also demonstrated intense dissolution during interglacial or interstadial isotope stages 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. Similarities in planktonic foraminiferal assemblages suggested the presence of similar bottom-water masses during these periods. The preservation state of biogenic carbonate debris in glacial isotope stages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 is similar to the assemblage found in the water at present.     

Late Quaternary variations in calcium carbonate preservation of deep-sea sediments in the northern Cape Basin: results from a multiproxy approach

In this study, we test various parameters in deep-sea sediments (bulk sediment parameters and changes in microfossil abundances and preservation character) which are generally accepted as indicators of calcium carbonate dissolution. We investigate sediment material from station GeoB 1710-3 in the northern Cape Basin (eastern South Atlantic), 280 km away from the Namibian coast, well outside today’s coastal upwelling. As northern Benguela upwelling cells were displaced westward and periodically preceded the core location during the past 245 kyr (Volbers et al., submitted), GeoB 1710-3 sediments reflect these changes in upwelling productivity. Results of the most commonly used calcium carbonate dissolution proxies do not only monitor dissolution within these calcareous sediments but also reflect changes in upwelling intensity. Accordingly, these conventional proxy parameters misrepresent, to some extent, the extent of calcium carbonate dissolution. These results were verified by an independent dissolution proxy, the Globigerina bulloides dissolution index (BDX′) (Volbers and Henrich, submitted). The BDX′ is based on scanning electronic microscope ultrastructural investigation of planktonic foraminiferal tests and indicates persistent good carbonate preservation throughout the past 245 kyr, with the exception of one pronounced dissolution event at early oxygen isotopic stage (OIS) 6.

The early OIS 6 is characterized by calcium carbonate contents, sand contents, and planktonic foraminiferal concentrations all at their lowest levels for the last 245 kyr. At the same time, the ratio of radiolarian to planktonic foraminiferal abundances and the ratio of benthic to planktonic foraminiferal tests are strongly increased, as are the rain ratio, the fragmentation index, and the BDX′. The sedimentary calcite lysocline rose above the core position and GeoB 1710-3 sediments were heavily altered, as attested to by the unusual accumulation of pellets, aggregates, sponge spicules, radiolaria, benthic foraminifera, and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages.

Solely the early OIS 6 dissolution event altered the coarse fraction intensely, and is therefore reflected by all conventional calcium carbonate preservation proxies and the BDX′. We attribute the more than 1000 m rise of the sedimentary calcite lysocline to the combination of two processes: (a) a prominent change in the deep-water mass distribution within the South Atlantic and (b) intense degradation of organic material within the sediment (preserved as maximum total organic carbon content) creating microenvironments favorable for calcium carbonate dissolution.     

Late Quaternary carbonate sedimentation at the Sierra Leone Rise (eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean)

In the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean, changes in the concentration of carbonate in Late Quaternary sediments resulted from reduced production of carbonate in surface waters and increased dilution with non-carbonate sediments during glacial maxima. During glacial stages, production of carbonate in surface water (measured as its accumulation rate in shallow, undissolved cores) decreased by one half. The glacial accumulation rate of non-carbonate components increased 1.5 to 4 times over Holocene values; the greatest increases occurred in the deepest cores.

Carbonate dissolution during stages 2, 3 and 4 increased the proportion of foraminiferal fragments and decreased the accumulation rate of susceptible species in the deep sites. In shallow sites, slightly increased dissolution can be detected during stage 3 while greatly increased dissolution occurred during stage 4. Bathymetric profiles of foraminiferal fragmentation and accumulation document a shoaling of the foraminiferal lysocline by 1000 m during glacial isotopic stages. We present a mass balance model of sediment accumulation for carbonate and insoluble components and from this model we estimate the rate of downslope transport and dissolution of carbonate at the Sierra Leone Rise. Our results show that during stage 4 the rate of carbonate loss to dissolution was greater than the rate observed today or during other interglacial stages. The calculated rates of dissolution for stages 2 and 3 are not significantly different from those calculated for stage 1.     

Planktonic foraminiferal flux to the deep ocean: Sediment trap results from the tropical Atlantic and the central Pacific

The flux of planktonic foraminifera between 100 μm and 1 mm to the seafloor has been estimated for the central Pacific (abyssal plain east of Hawaii) and the tropical Atlantic (Demerara Abyssal Plain) based on sediment trap samples collected from various water depths. The faunas in each region are quite similar, with 4 to 5 species generally accounting for 70–80% of the total assemblage.

At both study sites, the total foraminiferal flux and the carbonate flux tend to decrease with depth. In addition, the flux of individual species of planktonic foraminifera varies significantly with depth, with the number of small, solution-susceptible species decreasing with increasing water depth. These results suggest that there is significant dissolution of small (< 150 μm) foraminifera as they settle through the water column. Material collected from the sediment-water interface directly below the Pacific sediment trap array contains no planktonic foraminifera, suggesting that the residence time of an individual on the seafloor before it dissolves, is extremely short.     

Paleoenvironmental records from the northern South China Sea since the Last Glacial Maximum

Core ZHS-176 contains the paleoenvironmental records from the northern South China Sea (NSCS) since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A coupled approach based on clay mineral assemblages, planktonic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes, and calcium carbonate content is used to trace the sources of the fine-grained sediment and to investigate the paleoenviornmental evolution in this area. Clay mineral assemblages are dominated by illite (average about 39%) and chlorite (about 27%), which comes mainly from Taiwan and the East China Sea. Kaolinite, which accounts for about 13%, comes mainly from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River, and Luzon Island is the main source for smectite (about 21%). The planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotopic oscillations during the last glacial period are coeval with climate variations recorded in the Greenland ice core and Western Pacific sediment. These variations include the LGM, Heinrich event 1, Bφlling-Allerφd (B/A), and Younger Dryas. For the Holocene, three periods of strong precipitation (S1-S3) and three periods of weak precipitation (W1-W3) are identified. The oxygen isotopic record exhibits corre-lation with climate records from distant regions, including the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere, providing evidence for global tele-connection among regional climate. A brief, negative planktonic foraminiferal carbon isotopic excursion during B/A reflects increased methane released from marine gas hydrate due to the rapid warming of the water. By comparing calcium carbonate content curves of the core ZHS-176 with these of other five boreholes lying above the lysocline, a remarkable low calcium carbonate event is found during the early Holocene in NSCS.     

Seasonal and annual variations of marine sinking particulate flux during 1993~1996 in the central South China Sea

A total of 67 samples from the upper and lower sediment traps in the central South China Sea were analyzed, which were collected during 1993~1996. It is indicated that the distribution of stable isotope values, surface primary productivity, fluxes of total particulate matter, carbonate, biogenic opal, organic carbon, planktonic foraminiferal species and their total amount exhibit obviously seasonal and annual fluctuations. High values of the fluxes occurred in the prevailing periods of the northeastern and southwestern monsoons, and the low values occurred during the periods between the two monsoons. The fluxes of some planktonic foraminiferal species (Globigerinoides sacculifer, G. ruber, Globigerinita glutinata, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei) and their percentages also exhibit two prominent peaks during the prevailing periods of the northeastern and southwestern monsoons respectively, while those of Globigerina bulloides, Globorotalia menardii and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata only exhibit one peak in the prevailing periods of the northeastern monsoon. In addition, fluxes and percentages of Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globorotalia menardii as well as the fluxes of carbonate and total amount of planktonic foraminifera decrease gradually from 1993 to 1996, and those of Globigerina bulloides, Globigerinita glutinata and biogenic opal increase gradually from 1993 to 1996. The fluxes of carbonate and organic carbon in the upper trap are higher than those in the lower one. The study indicates that the seasonal and annual variations of the sediment fluxes and planktonic foraminiferal species are mainly controlled by the changes of surface primary productivity and hydrological conditions related to the East Asian monsoon. The lower carbonate and organic carbon fluxes in the lower trap are related to the dissolution.     

西菲律宾海15万年以来的浊流沉积及其成因

MD06-3052孔取自西菲律宾海吕宋岛岸外上陆坡,通过AMS14 C测年、沉积物粒度和浮游有孔虫氧同位素记录,揭示了15万年以来5个浊流沉积层的特征和浊积事件的发生时间。浊流沉积物粒度明显较上下层的粗,主要组分为砂质和粉砂质沉积。通过AMS14 C测年和氧同位素年代标尺,计算了5个浊流沉积层发生的时间分别为13.3、20.4、34.3、41.7和121.8kaBP,其中上部4次浊积事件发生于末次冰期,特别是MIS 3晚期和MIS 2期的低海平面时期,仅底部一次出现于末次间冰期MIS 5e中期相对低海平面时期,因而推测研究区浊流沉积事件的主要诱因是低海平面时期的海平面波动造成临近陆架上的沉积物不稳定,同时较陡的陆坡为浊流沉积提供了有利地形,因而造成了向陆坡方向的浊流搬运。     

Glacial-interglacial relationship between carbonate components and sediment reflectance in the North Atlantic

A high-resolution composite sediment record from intermediate water depths in the North Atlantic, dating back to marine isotope stage (MIS) 13, was investigated in order to determine the relationship between sediment reflectance (gray level%) and carbonate content (weight%). For this purpose, a detailed analysis of the coarse (>20 µm) and fine (<20 µm) carbonate components was carried out to assess which of the two carbonate components drives glacial-interglacial changes in sediment gray level. The results indicate that the bulk carbonate component is clearly dominated by the fine carbonate fraction, regardless of glacial or interglacial climatic mode, suggesting that the sediment gray level is usually controlled by fluctuations of the fine carbonate content. However, a comparison of MIS 1 and 5.5 indicates that, besides this difference in the contents of the two carbonate size fractions, changing modes in carbonate preservation, i.e., the preservational state of planktonic Foraminifera, may also have a profound influence on total sediment reflectance.