南海北部陆坡区海底峡谷地貌、沉积特征及控制因素

南海北部陆坡发育众多海底峡谷,其形成、发育、演化过程都存在较大差异。本文选取南海北部陆坡典型的珠江口外海底峡谷群、东沙海底峡谷、台湾浅滩南海底峡谷和澎湖海底峡谷进行研究,通过高分辨率多道地震数据和多波束测深数据,结合前人研究成果,对4条典型海底峡谷的形态特征、沉积充填特征及结构、形成发育过程及控制因素进行研究。结果表明,南海北部陆缘各个海底峡谷的形成受多个控制因素的影响,其影响程度及方式都有差别。构造活动、海平面变化及沉积物重力流与海底峡谷的演化密切相关,而陆地河流和局部构造因素也以不同方式影响着海底峡谷的发育。对于发育在主动大陆边缘的台湾岛东南侧的澎湖海底峡谷,其板块运动和岩浆活动活跃,其上发育的海底峡谷的控制因素以内营力地质作用为主。而具有被动大陆边缘属性的其他3条峡谷,由于构造运动较少或停止,其上发育的海底峡谷的控制因素以外营力地质作用为主。     

南海东北部海底沉积物波的形态、粒度特征及物源、成因分析

在南海东北部广泛发育沉积物波。通过高分辨率多波束数据、地震剖面以及重力柱状样,对沉积物波的形态特征、粒度特征、物源以及形成机制进行了分析。研究表明大致以台湾浅滩南海底峡谷为界,北侧为近北东向展布,南侧为近南北向展布。对其分布规律、地貌和形态特征及重力柱状样粒度分析表明这些沉积物波为浊流成因。沉积物波的发育与新生代晚期研究区的构造活动密切相关,自距今6.5 Ma以来台湾造山运动使台湾岛强烈抬升剥蚀,这些剥蚀物为研究区提供了大量的陆源物质,而在南海东北部陆坡区大量发育的峡谷-冲沟系统为陆缘物质向下陆坡的输送提供了良好的通道。研究区西侧的东沙隆起长期处于抬升剥蚀状态,这种抬升剥蚀也为研究区沉积物波的发育提供了部分物源。随着坡度的减缓,浊流沉积物开始堆积,在台湾浅滩南海底峡谷的北侧形成了展布方向与冲沟垂直的沉积物波,而在南侧由于台湾浅滩南海底峡谷发生转向,浊流从水道中漫溢出来,沉积物堆积下来,形成了与原先水道近于垂直的近南北向的沉积物波。     

南海北部陆坡海底峡谷形成机制探讨

通过对南海北部地震剖面的解释,并结合地貌以及区域地质特征等,对发育于南海北部陆坡区的珠江口外、台湾浅滩南以及澎湖海底峡谷的地貌和构造特征进行分析和对比,并对其形成机制进行探讨。研究结果显示,各海底峡谷具有相似的走向,并均具有转向的特征,但是其形成机制却各不相同,由此形成的地貌特征也各不同:珠江口外海底峡谷的形成与珠江带来的大量陆上沉积物的搬运相关,形成了喇叭型的水道;台湾浅滩南海底峡谷的形成受到NW向断裂构造的控制,这些断裂构造形成了薄弱带,经过沉积流的侵蚀而形成狭长的水道,当进入下陆坡后由于海山的阻隔作用而转为近EW向;澎湖海底峡谷带的上段主要是由陆坡沉积流的下向侵蚀、崩塌和滑移形成的,而其下段则主要具有沿马尼拉海沟北向延伸段发育的特征。     

南海北部陆坡一统峡谷群地貌特征及控制因素分析

基于最新的高分辨率多波束全覆盖测深数据、单道地震和多道地震剖面数据,对南海北部陆坡一统峡谷群9条峡谷的地形地貌及沉积特征进行了分析:峡谷群自陆坡向深海盆方向呈聚敛型,横断面主要呈"V"型,谷壁对称发育,坡度较陡;研究区海底地层受多条断裂控制,呈典型阶梯状发育,海底断陷、重力滑塌面和小型滑坡体等海底不稳定地质灾害高度发育,说明峡谷群海底环境处于极不稳定状态。在研究区海底峡谷群地貌演化过程中,西沙海槽区域沉降等新生代构造运动控制着峡谷群地貌格局的形成;来自北部陆架的充足沉积碎屑物质的输入往往伴随着高密度浊流、海底滑坡、坍塌等海底灾害的发生,控制着峡谷群的进一步发育;相对海平面变化直接改变了研究区的沉积环境,为陆源碎屑物质的搬运提供了更加直接的通道,这也是诱发陆坡海底失稳、塑造峡谷群地貌特征的重要因素之一。     

南海北部台湾峡谷“蛟龙号”第140潜次沉积物特征及其沉积过程指示意义

海底峡谷沉积物来源、输运机制和沉积过程的研究一直是深水沉积体系研究的关键,也是近年来深海浊流沉积研究中的热点问题。对"蛟龙号"第140潜次在南海北部台湾峡谷中段3个站位获取的沉积物短柱的粒度、有孔虫和黏土矿物进行综合分析,结果表明3个短柱上部均以粒度较细、变化较小并含半深海—深海环境的底栖有孔虫为特征的半深海沉积,下部以粒度明显变粗、含有较多浅水种底栖有孔虫的浊流沉积为主。AMS~(14)C测年结果显示该浊流沉积形成于约150aBP,表明台湾峡谷中段有典型的近现代浊流活动。此外,黏土矿物组成表明研究区正常半深海沉积与浊流沉积物源主要来自台湾,其次为珠江和吕宋岛的碎屑沉积物。     

南海东北部澎湖峡谷群沉积特征

海底峡谷是海底长条形且窄而深的负地形,在主动和被动大陆边缘以及岛弧附近都有出现。澎湖海底峡谷群具有坡度大、地貌复杂的特点。运用高分辨二维单道地震资料,解释了峡谷的下切侵蚀面。分析表明,澎湖海底峡谷在剖面上表现为"V"型、"U"型或者底部宽缓的"U"型下凹状地震反射。峡谷上游受到的侵蚀作用较强,谷底次级沟槽发育,坡面冲沟发育,峡谷内部未见现代沉积物充填。澎湖海底峡谷群的形成与第四纪晚期海平面的变化有关,低水位时期,陆架大片出露,大量碎屑物质可以直达陆架边缘甚至上陆坡,此时重力流活跃,不断切割地层,逐步形成了澎湖海底峡谷群。     

构造活动对海底峡谷地貌形态的影响

海底峡谷是大陆边缘最重要的地貌形态之一,是沉积物和陆源有机质向深海搬运的主要通道,在深海重力流沉积、全球碳循环、生物多样性、油气-水合物资源勘探及海底工程设施安全运营等方面的研究中具有重要意义。大量研究发现,海底峡谷常发育于构造活动较强烈的地区,其形成和演化与构造变形之间存在密切的关联。在文献调研基础上,着重就构造活动对海底峡谷地貌的控制作用进行综述。总结了5种与构造变形有关的海底峡谷平面分布端元模式,分别为限制型、转向型、偏转型、阻挡型及横向切穿型海底峡谷。分析了局部坡度变化对峡谷内部地貌特征的影响:构造变形引起的局部地形坡度增大会导致海底峡谷内部侵蚀作用的加剧与裂点的形成;局部地形坡度减小容易引起天然堤和决口扇的形成;坡度的变化还会引起峡谷弯曲度的动态响应。     

我国海底峡谷研究进展

海底峡谷是陆源物质向深海运移的重要通道和深海油气资源储集的重要场所,海底峡谷在我国近海也广泛发育。通过对国外海底峡谷研究成果和方法的介绍和学习,我国海洋学家开始对冲绳海槽西坡、台湾周边海域、南海北部海域及世界上其它海域的海底峡谷进行深入的调查和研究,并取得了丰硕的成果。但与国际相比,我国海底峡谷研究还处在发现和描述的阶段,还需要进行系统的观测和深入的研究,来探讨海底峡谷的形成发育机制和控制因子,及其与我国近海演化和油气成藏的关系。     

南海北部海洋沉积与环境研究的新篇章--南海北部开放航次沉积与环境研究内容及首航次采样成果

南海北部南临南海地块的主体部分,西部为印支地块,东靠台湾-菲律宾岛弧,地貌类型有海台、链状海山、海底谷和海底扇等。南海北部发育底辟构造、张性断层以及叠瓦状逆掩推覆构造和增生楔等,分布有珠江口、琼东南、莺歌海等常规油气盆地和琼东南-西沙海槽、台西南-东沙及笔架南新型能源——天然气水合物有利区。同时,南海北部受东亚冬季风影响,是现代南海冬季上升流所在地,     

三沙海底峡谷识别与地貌特征分析

三沙海底峡谷是连接西沙碳酸盐台地与南海西北次海盆的深水海底峡谷,起源于永兴岛和东岛之间的浅水区域,输送了大量碳酸盐碎屑到西北次海盆。三沙海底峡谷是迄今为止发现的南海最大碳酸盐型海底峡谷。海底峡谷的横断面呈现V、U字形,可以分为峡谷外侧、斜坡和谷底3个部分。峡谷外侧平缓、两侧斜坡陡峭、谷底平缓。沿着峡谷走向,可以分为上游、中游和下游3部分。上游部分坡度较陡、坡度变化较大,环礁周边的水道和海底滑坡体系是源区的碎屑物质搬运通道;中-下游部分坡度平缓、坡度变化小,主要以碎屑物质的搬运为主,汇入两侧斜坡上的侵蚀、坍塌形成的碎屑,在西北次海盆形成了喇叭状的入海盆口。通过三沙海底峡谷的研究,有助于揭示岛礁与海盆之间的沉积物输送、海底不稳定性等基础科学问题,为碳酸盐岩油气储层预测、岛礁生态旅游开发提供理论基础。     

Morpho-sedimentary evidence for a canyon�Cchannel�Ctrench interconnection along the Taiwan�CLuzon plate margin, South China Sea

Examining bathymetric and seismic reflection data collected from the deep-sea region between Taiwan and Luzon in 2006 and 2008, we identified a connection between a submarine canyon, a deep-sea channel, and an oceanic trench in the northern South China Sea. The seafloor of the South China Sea north of 21°N is characterized by two broad slopes: the South China Sea Slope to the west, and the Kaoping Slope to the east, intersected by the prominent Penghu Canyon. This negative relief axis parallels the strike of the Taiwan orogen, extends downslope in an approx. N–S direction, and eventually merges with the northern Manila Trench via a hitherto unidentified channel. The discovery of this channel is pivotal, because it allows connecting the Penghu Canyon to the Manila Trench. This channel is 80 km long and 20–30 km wide, with water depths of 3,500–4,000 m. The progressive morphological changes recorded in the aligned canyon, channel, and trench suggest that they represent three distinct segments of the same longitudinal sediment conduit from southern Taiwan to the northern Manila Trench. Major sediment input would be via the Kaoping Canyon and Kaoping Slope, with a smaller contribution from the South China Sea Slope. We determined the northern end of the Manila Trench to be located at about 20°15′N, 120°15′E, where sediment accumulation has produced a bathymetry shallower than 4,000 m, thereby abruptly terminating the trench morphology. Comparison with existing data reveals a similarity with, for example, the Papua New Guinea–Solomon Sea Plate convergent zone, another modern analog of a mountain source to oceanic sink longitudinal sediment transport system comprising canyon–channel–trench interconnections.     

Geological Characteristics and Distribution of Submarine Physiographic Features in the Taiwan Region

The sea floor topography around Taiwan is characterized by the asymmetry of its shallow and flat shelves to the west and markedly deep troughs and basins to the south and east. Tectonics and sedimentation are major controls in forming the submarine physiographic features around Taiwan. Three Pliocene-Quaternary shelves are distributed north and west of Taiwan: East China Sea Shelf (passive margin shelf), the Taiwan Strait Shelf (foreland shelf), and Kaoping Shelf (island shelf) from north to south parallel to the strike of Taiwan orogen. Off northeastern Taiwan major morpho/tectonic features associated with plate subduction include E-W trending Ryukyu Trench, Yaeyama accretionary wedge, forearc basins, the Ryukyu Arcs, and the backarc basin of southern Okinawa Trough. Off eastern Taiwan lies the deep Huatung Basin on the Philippine Sea plate with a relatively flat floor, although several large submarine canyons are eroding and crossing the basin floor. Off southeastern Taiwan, the forearc region of the Luzon Arc has been deformed into five alternating N-S trending ridges and troughs during initial arc-continent collision. Among them, the submarine Hengchun Ridge is the seaward continuation of the Hengchun peninsula in southern Taiwan. Off southwestern Taiwan, the broad Kaoping Slope is the major submarine topographic feature with several noticeable submarine canyons. The Penghu Canyon separates this slope from the South China Sea Slope to the west and merges southwards into the Manila Trench in the northern South China Sea. Although most of sea floors of the Taiwan Strait are shallower than 60?m in water depth, there are three noticeable bathymetric lows and two highs in the Taiwan Strait. There exists a close relationship between hydrography and topography in the Taiwan Strait. The circulation of currents in the Taiwan Strait is strongly influenced by seasonal monsoon and semidiurnal tides. The Penghu Channel-Yunchang Ridge can be considered a modern tidal depositional system. The Taiwan Strait shelf has two phases of development. The early phase of the rift margin has developed during Paleoocene-Miocene and it has evolved to the foreland basin in Pliocene-Quaternary time. The present shelf morphology results mainly from combined effects of foreland subsidence and modern sedimentation overprinting that of the Late Pleistocene glaciation about 15,000 years ago.     

Geological Characteristics and Distribution of Submarine Physiographic Features in the Taiwan Region

The sea floor topography around Taiwan is characterized by the asymmetry of its shallow and flat shelves to the west and markedly deep troughs and basins to the south and east. Tectonics and sedimentation are major controls in forming the submarine physiographic features around Taiwan. Three Pliocene-Quaternary shelves are distributed north and west of Taiwan: East China Sea Shelf (passive margin shelf), the Taiwan Strait Shelf (foreland shelf), and Kaoping Shelf (island shelf) from north to south parallel to the strike of Taiwan orogen. Off northeastern Taiwan major morpho/tectonic features associated with plate subduction include E-W trending Ryukyu Trench, Yaeyama accretionary wedge, forearc basins, the Ryukyu Arcs, and the backarc basin of southern Okinawa Trough. Off eastern Taiwan lies the deep Huatung Basin on the Philippine Sea plate with a relatively flat floor, although several large submarine canyons are eroding and crossing the basin floor. Off southeastern Taiwan, the forearc region of the Luzon Arc has been deformed into five alternating N-S trending ridges and troughs during initial arc-continent collision. Among them, the submarine Hengchun Ridge is the seaward continuation of the Hengchun peninsula in southern Taiwan. Off southwestern Taiwan, the broad Kaoping Slope is the major submarine topographic feature with several noticeable submarine canyons. The Penghu Canyon separates this slope from the South China Sea Slope to the west and merges southwards into the Manila Trench in the northern South China Sea. Although most of sea floors of the Taiwan Strait are shallower than 60 m in water depth, there are three noticeable bathymetric lows and two highs in the Taiwan Strait. There exists a close relationship between hydrography and topography in the Taiwan Strait. The circulation of currents in the Taiwan Strait is strongly influenced by seasonal monsoon and semidiurnal tides. The Penghu Channel-Yunchang Ridge can be considered a modern tidal depositional system. The Taiwan Strait shelf has two phases of development. The early phase of the rift margin has developed during Paleoocene-Miocene and it has evolved to the foreland basin in Pliocene-Quaternary time. The present shelf morphology results mainly from combined effects of foreland subsidence and modern sedimentation overprinting that of the Late Pleistocene glaciation about 15,000 years ago.     

基于水文分析法的海底峡谷特征要素自动提取方法研究及应用

海底峡谷是陆源沉积物向深海运移的主要通道,也是陆架/陆坡区重要的地貌单元。随着多波束测深技术的发展,如何快速而准确地从海量数据中识别并提取海底峡谷的特征要素,是一个亟待解决的重要热点问题。文中根据海底峡谷谷底下切、谷壁高而陡等地形特征,基于水文分析法和坡度分析等原理,通过ArcGIS中的数据建模工具建立了一种从数字高程模型(DEM)数据快速识别和提取海底峡谷特征要素的方法。以南海北部陆坡神狐峡谷区为例进行算例分析,结果表明,该方法在快速了解海底峡谷的发育位置和特征要素等方面是可行的,并可以获得峡谷头尾部水深、轴线长度、峡谷范围等特征信息。为获得该方法适用于研究区的最优参数组,文中讨论分析了峡谷形态、重分类阈值及数据分辨率等影响峡谷识别的因素。结果分析表明,峡谷形态会在一定程度上影响识别结果的准确性,但不影响对峡谷的总体了解;零值汇流累积量重分类阈值和DEM数据的空间分辨率是影响峡谷识别结果准确度的两个重要因素,在神狐峡谷群区,空间分辨率200 m且重分类阈值0.4时,海底峡谷识别和特征要素提取效果最佳。     

A buried submarine canyon in the northwest South China Sea:architecture,development processes and implications for hydrocarbon exploration

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon(Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwest South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the central canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene(～10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons(central canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time, smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, Huaguang Canyon is potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwest South China Sea. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.     

南海西沙海域永乐海底峡谷形成演化过程分析*

远海孤立碳酸盐台地周缘发育了碳酸盐岩峡谷, 对其开展研究有助于深刻理解碳酸盐碎屑沉积物的“源-汇”体系及深水油气成藏等方面。文章利用多波束测深、高分辨率二维多道地震等数据, 精细刻画南海西沙海域永乐海底峡谷的地貌形态及内部充填特征, 揭示该峡谷沉积演化过程, 分析峡谷成因控制因素及稳定性。永乐海底峡谷形成演化可分为萌芽、汇聚和拓展3个阶段, 随着演化过程的发展, 峡谷规模及对沉积物输运作用增加。永乐海底峡谷形成及演化主要受古地貌隆起形成的负地形和沉积物重力流侵蚀作用影响。峡谷在第四纪以后仍有较明显的活动迹象。分析显示永乐海底峡谷是西北次海盆的重要物质输送通道, 其沉积演化过程及稳定性对研究碳酸盐台地沉积物输运等深水沉积过程及岛礁工程建设具有一定参考意义。     

南海北部白云深水区东北部小型峡谷内的块体搬运

The process of mass movements and their consequent turbidity currents in large submarine canyons has been widely reported, however, little attention was paid to that in small canyons. In this paper, we document mass movements in small submarine canyons in the northeast of Baiyun deepwater area, north of the South China Sea(SCS), and their strong effects on the evolution of the canyons based on geophysical data. Submarine canyons in the study area arrange closely below the shelf break zone which was at the depth of –500 m. Within submarine canyons, seabed surface was covered with amounts of failure scars resulted from past small-sized landslides. A complex process of mass transportation in the canyons is indicated by three directions of mass movements.Recent mass movement deposits in the canyons exhibit translucent reflections or parallel reflections which represent the brittle deformation and the plastic deformation, respectively. The area of most landslides in the canyons is less than 3 km2. The trigger mechanisms for mass movements in the study area are gravitational overloading, slope angle and weak properties of soil. Geophysical data indicate that the genesis of submarine canyons is the erosion of mass movements and consequent turbidity currents. The significant effects of mass movements on canyon are incision and sediment transportation at the erosion phases and fillings supply at the fill phases. This research will be helpful for the geological risk assessments and understanding the sediment transportation in the northern margin of the SCS.     

A buried submarine canyon in the northwestern South China Sea: architecture,development processes and implications for hydrocarbon exploration

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon(Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwestern South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the Central Canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene(around 10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons(Central Canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time,smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within the Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in the Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, the Huaguang Canyon is a potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwestern South China Sea. The result of this paper may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.