Smectite formation in metalliferous sediments near the East Pacific Rise at 13°N

A 43 cm long E271 sediment core collected near the East Pacific Rise(EPR) at 13°N were studied to investigate the origin of smectite for understanding better the geochemical behavior of hydrothermal material after deposition.E271 sediments are typical metalliferous sediments. After removal of organic matter, carbonate, biogenic opal,and Fe-Mn oxide by a series of chemical procedures, clay minerals(2 μm) were investigated by X-ray diffraction,chemical analysis and Si isotope analysis. Due to the influence of seafloor hydrothermal activity and close to continent, the sources of clay minerals are complex. Illite, chlorite and kaolinite are suggested to be transported from either North or Central America by rivers or winds, but smectite is authigenic. It is enriched in iron, and its contents are highest in clay minerals. Data show that smectite is most likely formed by the reaction of hydrothermal Fe-oxyhydroxide with silica and seawater in metalliferous sediments. The Si that participates in this reaction may be derived from siliceous microfossils(diatoms or radiolarians), hydrothermal fluids, or detrital mineral phases. And their δ30 Si values are higher than those of authigenic smectites, which implies that a Si isotope fractionation occurs during the formation because of the selective absorption of light Si isotopes onto Feoxyhydroxides. Sm/Fe mass ratios(a proxy for overall REE/Fe ratio) in E271 clay minerals are lower than those in metalliferous sediments, as well as distal hydrothermal plume particles and terrigenous clay minerals. This result suggests that some REE are lost during the smectite formation, perhaps because their large ionic radii of REE scavenged by Fe-oxyhydroxides preclude substitution in either tetrahedral or octahedral lattice sites of this mineral structure, which decreases the value of metalliferous sediments as a potential resource for REE.     

鄂尔多斯盆地宜川地区二叠纪孢粉化石组合特征

通过对延长油矿延223井晚古生代孢粉组合研究以及古植被的恢复,探讨了该区晚古生代孢粉植物化石组合的地层学和古气候意义。根据孢粉化石主要属种的时代分布及其在各样品中百分含量的规律性变化,自下而上建立了3个孢粉组合:Gulisporites cochlearius-Laevigatosporites minimus组合、Sinulatisporites-Florinites组合和Lueckeisporites permianus-Platysaccus radialis组合。根据对划分孢粉组合的特征分析,通过与邻区及华北地区晚古生代孢粉组合的对比,探讨了孢粉组合的时代意义。通过孢粉组合,推测了相应时期的古植被类型,并与前人在相同地质时期所建立的大植物化石带进行了对比,分析了各地质时期植被的兴起、发展、繁盛以及衰退绝灭的历史过程,研究区二叠纪植物群属于典型的华夏植物群,反映了一种温暖潮湿的热带雨林气候,二叠纪晚期随着松柏类植物所占比例的增加,气候有变干旱的趋势。     

辽东半岛南部寒武系与奥陶系界线

笔者(1989)在辽东半岛南部复州湾和金县七顶山寒武系与奥陶系界线附近发现一层笔石,它们为:Airograptus furciferus,Staurograptus sp.,Dendrograptus sp.,并且建立了 Airograptus furciferus-Staurograptus 带,该带相当于华北的 Dictyonema flabelliforme-Staurograptus 带,相当于华南东南区的Staurograptus-Anisograptus 带,其层位相当于英国的特马豆克阶。由于该区寒武系顶部已建立了笔石带Dictyonema kelanense 带,因此,笔者将辽东半岛南部寒武系与奥陶系界线划在 Airograptus furciferus-Staurograptus 带与 Dictyonema kelanense 带之间。     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China——Ⅳ：Study on cross-bay transect from estuary to ocean

The authors analyzed the data collected in the Ecological Station Jiaozhou Bay from May 1991 to November 1994, including 12 seasonal investigations, to determine the characteristics, dynamic cycles and variation trends of the silicate in the bay. The results indicated that the rivers around Jiaozhou Bay provided abundant supply of silicate to the bay. The silicate concentration there depended on river flow variation. The horizontal variation of silicate concentration on the transect showed that the silicate concentration decreased with distance from shorelines. The vertical variation of it showed that silicate sank and deposited on the sea bottom by phytoplankton uptake and death, and zooplankton excretion. In this way, silicon would endlessly be transferred from terrestrial sources to the sea bottom. The silicon took up by phytoplankton and by other biogeochemical processes led to insufficient silicon supply for phytoplankton growth. In this paper, a 2D dynamic model of river flow versus silicate concentration was established by which silicate concentrations of 0.028–0.062 μmol/L in seawater was yielded by inputting certain seasonal unit river flows (m³/s), or in other words, the silicate supply rate; and when the unit river flow was set to zero, meaning no river input, the silicate concentrations were between 0.05–0.69 μmol/L in the bay. In terms of the silicate supply rate, Jiaozhou Bay was divided into three parts. The division shows a given river flow could generate several different silicon levels in corresponding regions, so as to the silicon-limitation levels to the phytoplankton in these regions. Another dynamic model of river flow versus primary production was set up by which the phytoplankton primary production of 5.21–15.55 (mgC/m²·d)/(m³/s) were obtained in our case at unit river flow values via silicate concentration or primary production conversion rate. Similarly, the values of primary production of 121.98–195.33 (mgC/m²·d) were achieved at zero unit river flow condition. A primary production conversion rate reflects the sensitivity to silicon depletion so as to different phytoplankton primary production and silicon requirements by different phytoplankton assemblages in different marine areas. In addition, the authors differentiated two equations (Eqs. 1 and 2) in the models to obtain the river flow variation that determines the silicate concentration variation, and in turn, the variation of primary production. These results proved further that nutrient silicon is a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. This study was funded by NSFC (No. 40036010), and the Director's Fund of the Beihai Sea Monitoring Center, the State Oceanic Administration.     

山东招远金矿矿石中首次发现宇宙尘埃—镍纹石

招远金矿田的人工重砂样品中首次发现宇宙尘埃——镍纹石.文中介绍了镍纹石的形态特征、物理性质和x射线粉晶与红外光谱分析结果.在此基础上,作者进一步认定招远金矿是在地层经过混合岩化和花岗岩化作用保留下来的产物.     

千年采石成景百矿示范还绿

采石成景是绍兴石文化的一大"看点",东湖洞天、柯岩云骨、吼山云石、羊山石佛等采石成景的杰作,无不与古城的色调相符,与水乡的风光相配,与绍兴的文化相融.悠悠千年开山采石的活动,展示出先民虽人工雕凿却浑然天成的博大智慧.