Implications of precise 10Be measurements in deep-sea sediments

Precise ¹⁰Be measurements in a vertical profile of a large-diameter gravity core with uniform chemical composition from the central equatorial Pacific have not shown the expected decrease with depth. The decay-corrected ¹⁰Be activities ranged from 5.79 ± 0.21 d.p.m. kg^?1 at the top of the core to 9.88 ± 0.46 d.p.m. kg^?1 at the bottom, with a mean of 7.24 ± 1.18 d.p.m. kg^?1. This variation is attributable to the combined variations in the intensity of cosmic rays and that of the earth's magnetic field during the past ～ 1 Ma.     

Marine biogeochemistries of Be and Al: A study based on cosmogenic10Be, Be and Al in marine calcite, aragonite, and opal

The geochemical behaviors of Be and Al in ocean waters have been successfully studied in recent years using natural, cosmogenic, radioactive¹⁰Be and²⁶Al as tracers. The present day dissolved concentrations and distribution of the stable and radioactive isotopes of Be and Al in ocean waters have revealed their short residence times and appreciable effects of exchange fluxes at the coastal and ocean-sediment interfaces. It follows that concentrations of these particle-active elements must have varied in the past with temporal changes in climate, biological productivity and aeolian flux of continental detritus to the oceans. We therefore investigated the feasibility of extending the measurements of Be and Al isotope concentrations in marine systems to the 10³–10⁶ y BP time scale. We report here the discovery of significant amounts of intrinsic Be and Al in marine foraminiferal calcite and coral aragonite, and of Al in opal (radiolarians) and aragonite (coral), which makes it possible to determine¹⁰Be/Be and²⁶Al/Al in oceans in the past. We also report measured¹⁰Be/⁹Be in foraminiferal calcite in Pacific Ocean cores, which reveal that the concentrations and ratios of the stable and cosmogenic isotopes of Be and Al have varied significantly in the past 30 ky. The implications of these results are discussed.     

四川盆地海相油气分布的构造控制理论

利用四川盆地深部地球物理、地球化学和地质资料,结合测井、岩心等并综合前人研究成果分析四川盆地构造特征、作用、演化过程对油气成藏要素和分布的影响。结果表明,四川盆地海相油气分布的控制因素复杂,主要受拉张槽、古隆起和盆山结构的联合控制。(1)"兴凯"和"峨眉"地裂运动形成的绵阳-长宁拉张槽和开江-梁平拉张槽控制了原生油气地质条件的发育,特别是对烃源岩和储集层展布的控制作用明显,致使烃类的富集区集中在这两个拉张槽周缘地区;(2)加里东和印支古隆起成为区域油气运移的指向区,油气向古隆起高部位运聚并形成古油气藏;(3)盆山结构对保存条件的影响决定了天然气的最终聚集。因而,四川盆地海相天然气勘探应重点选择拉张槽、古隆起与原地隆起-盆地区或突变型盆山结构区三者相叠合的区域。     

Chronology of marine sediments using the 10Be method: intercomparison with other methods

The concentrations of the radionuclides, ¹⁰Be, ²³⁰Th and ²³²Th have been measured in four gravity cores from the Pacific and one piston core from the Indian Ocean. Three of the Pacific Ocean cores were studied for the presence of magnetic reversals. Accumulation rates based on the nuclear and magnetic methods fall in the range of 1–6 mm/10³ yr and except in one case, are in fair agreement with each other. This result leads to the conclusion that the constants used in the ¹⁰Be-dating equation are approximately correct (within + 30 per cent) and the usefulness of the cosmic ray produced nuclei ¹⁰Be for dating Pliocene and recent sediments seems to be established, considering the underlying assumptions in the Be¹⁰-dating method.     

Automated counting of sand‐sized particles in marine records

Content and fluxes of ice‐transported sand‐sized and gravel‐sized, lithic particles in marine sediment cores are a common tool used to reconstruct glacial variability. Ice‐rafted debris data sets are currently acquired in several different and often time‐consuming ways, and within various grain‐size fractions. This article proposes a novel workflow using an automated method to count ice‐rafted debris to reduce analysis time and subjectivity. The described method is based on the instrument ‘Morphologi G3’ from Malvern Instruments Limited and includes all pre‐processing and post‐processing steps. This particle characterization tool is an automated microscope combined with a proprietary software package. In this study, the analysis was performed on the 150 to 1000 μ m fraction. If desired, grain counts can be carried out on the entire sand and silt fractions. However, this would result in a considerably greater turnover time. A total of 350 sediment samples from core MD99‐2283, taken on the upper continental slope at the southern part of the north‐east Atlantic margin, were counted with this automated method. In addition, a total of 161 samples were counted manually as a control on the reliability of the scanning. The comparison of automated versus manually counted biogenic and lithic material shows a convincing correlation between the two methods. The turnover time per automatically counted sample is around 20 min, the method requiring less experience and skills than manual counting. The results yield a promising, time‐saving new technique to achieve high‐resolution ice‐rafted debris counting records with acceptable error margins.     

Sediment incorporation in island-arc magmas: Inferences from 10Be

The radioisotope ¹⁰Be has been used as a tracer to evaluate subduction and recycling of sediments in island arcs. As a cosmogenic isotope strongly enriched in oceanic sediments, it is especially suitable for monitoring sediment subduction.We report here ¹⁰Be results for 106 arc volcanic rocks and 33 basalts from mid-ocean ridges, oceanic islands, continental rifts, and continental flood basalt provinces. The 33 basalts from non-arc environments all contain < 1 × 10⁶ atom/gram (g⁻¹) and form a reference or “control group” against which the arc data may be compared. Lavas from the Sunda, Mariana and Halmahera arcs, each with 12 samples, are indistinguishable from the control group. Nine samples from Japan range from 0.1 × 10⁶ to 13.5 × 10⁶ g⁻¹ of ¹⁰Be. Lavas from the Aleutians and Central America (excluding Costa Rica) consistently have ¹⁰Be contents greater than those of the control group, extending to 15.3 × 10⁶ g⁻¹ for the Aleutians and 24 × 10⁶ g⁻¹ for Central America. Both the Japan and Central American arcs show a geographic variation in ¹⁰Be abundances; the Aleutian arc does not.Conceptually, four models may be used to explain the incorporation of ¹⁰Be in island arcs. Model 1 is the limiting case calculation presented in Brownet al. (1982). Physically, it corresponds to an assumption that all ¹⁰Be in the uppermost sediment layers is carried to depth, the ¹⁰Be is mechanically decoupled from the sediment pile and is added to the arc magma source region. This model results in the highest calculated ¹⁰Be contents in arc lavas. In the more physically reasonable Model 2, the ¹⁰Be-rich upper sediments are assumed to mix with the deeper, ¹⁰Be-poor, sediments and the sediments are subsequently incorporated into the source region. Model 3 assumes ¹⁰Be to be incorporated from sedimentary layers encountered during magma ascent. In Model 4 only sediments contained within grabens in the downgoing slab may be subducted. As yet insufficient data exist to permit conclusive evaluation of these models, but correlations between ¹⁰Be contents in arc volcanic rocks and recent sedimentation rates and sediment thickness, measured outboard of the trench, suggest that Model 2 may be the most important mechanism for ¹⁰Be incorporation in many island arcs.     

A multi-domain decomposition-based Fourier finite element method for the simulation of 3D marine CSEM measurements

We introduce a multi-domain decomposition Fourier finite element (MDDFFE) method for the simulation of three-dimensional (3D) marine controlled source electromagnetic measurement (CSEM). The method combines a 2D finite element (FE) method in two spatial dimensions with a hybrid discretization based on a Fourier FE method along the third dimension. The method employs a secondary field formulation rather than the total field formulation. We apply the MDDFFE method to several synthetic marine CSEM examples exhibiting bathymetry and/or multiple 3D subdomains. Numerical results show that the use of the MDDFFE method reduces the problem size by as much as 87 % in terms of the number of unknowns, without any sacrifice in accuracy.     

Cosmogenic10Be: A critical view on its widespread dominion in geosciences

The radionuclide¹⁰Be (half-life = 1.5my), produced naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere by nuclear interactions of cosmic rays, was sought in ocean sediments in the late fifties, considering its potential usefulness as a radiotracer for dating sediments.¹⁰Be was discovered independently by two groups, one in India and the other in the USA, and used only for dating marine sediments and manganese nodules until the seventies. Subsequently, as a result of a technical advance resulting in the improvement in the sensitivity of measurement of¹⁰Be by about a factor of 10⁶, there was a global rush to measure this nuclide in most materials participating in the physical, chemical and biological processes in the dynamic geosphere. This paper outlines the reasons for this “isotope rush”, and the lessons learned from these studies. I also present my personal views of the special attractive features of this nuclide on the one hand, and on the other, the pitfalls or the wrong message this nuclide could convey!     

海洋沉积物的铁和锌同位素测定

介绍海洋沉积物Fe和Zn同位素化学前处理及测定方法,报道南海西部夏季上升流区两个沉积物柱样的Fe和Zn同位素组成。样品采用HF+HNO3+HClO4常压消解,经脱盐后,转化为氯化物形式并经离子交换柱分离纯化后,用多接收器等离子体质谱法测定Fe和Zn同位素比值。该前处理方法可以快捷地实现海洋沉积物的消解、有机质的去除和海盐脱离;结合相关测试流程,可获得较高的δ56Fe(0.10‰,2SD)和δ66Zn分析精度(0.11‰,2SD)。两个沉积物柱样的δ56Fe值(相对于IRMM-014)和δ66Zn值(相对于JMC3-0749C)随深度变化不明显,两柱之间也无明显差异。总体上,南海西部上升流区1～2 ka以来的沉积物δ56Fe值(0.04‰～0.20‰)和δ66Zn值(0.12‰～0.30‰)与已报道的黄土和气溶胶、火成岩以及大部分海洋沉积物接近,明显高于静海相海洋沉积物的δ56Fe值。     

Extent of the last ice sheet in northern Scotland tested with cosmogenic 10Be exposure ages

The extent of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) in northern Scotland is disputed. A restricted ice sheet model holds that at the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ca. 23–19 ka) the BIIS terminated on land in northern Scotland, leaving Buchan, Caithness and the Orkney Islands ice‐free. An alternative model implies that these three areas were ice‐covered at the LGM, with the BIIS extending offshore onto the adjacent shelves. We test the two models using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface exposure dating of erratic boulders and glacially eroded bedrock from the three areas. Our results indicate that the last BIIS covered all of northern Scotland during the LGM, but that widespread deglaciation of Caithness and Orkney occurred prior to rapid warming at ca. 14.5 ka. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interpretation of in situ stress measurements in anisotropic rocks with the doorstopper method

Summary A correct interpretation of in situ stress measurements by means of the doorstopper technique in cross anisotropic rocks requires that 10 stress concentration factors at the bottom of the borehole be known instead of the 3 which are needed for isotropic rocks. In order to analyse the data obtained in a site investigation in a gneiss of the Alpine region, these factors were determined by a three-dimensional high-order finite-element model. The results are presented and compared with those obtained by means of first approximation methods. The feasibility of carrying out measurements in anisotropic rock by means of only 2 boreholes is discussed and it is shown that in practice 3 properly oriented boreholes are needed in this case too.     

10Be meltwater signal in Orca basin sediments,Gulf of Mexico

An increase in the cosmogenic beryllium-10 content of the Orca basin sediments due to the flooding of the Gulf of Mexico (GM) by meltwaters during the late Wisconsin interglacial is reported. A strong negative correlation (γ =-0.99) betweenδ ¹⁸ O (in the range o f-1.5‰ to +0.5‰) and¹⁰Be/Al ratio is seen. During intense flooding reflected by a decrease in δ¹⁸O by ∼ 2‰, this correlation may not hold as some of the sediments with low¹⁰Be/Al ratio and deposited on the shelf and slope regions of the GM during the earlier glacial period would also be washed into the basin. The deposited sediment would then be a mixture with a¹⁰Be/Al ratio lower than expected from the correlation     

10 Be在大洋边缘海洋学中的应用及模型

主要讨论宇宙射线成因核素¹⁰Be（T _1/2＝ 1．5Ma）在大洋边缘海洋学尤其是中国近海海洋研究中的应用。在过去的近20年中，在中国开展的¹⁰Be研究在黄土堆积年龄及地层对比方面获得了诸多成果，但在海洋方面的应用研究距国际水平仍有一定的差距，尚需进一步加强。综述了海洋环境中¹⁰Be作为一个地球化学示踪剂的研究现状，着重介绍¹⁰Be在中国东部海域的收支平衡模式以及讨论¹⁰Be在太平洋西部边缘海及岛弧地区的应用前景。     

Investigating the last deglaciation of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in southwest Sweden with 10Be exposure dating

In this study we have obtained 17 cosmogenic exposure ages from three well‐developed moraine systems – Halland Coastal Moraines (HCM), Göteborg Moraine (GM) and Levene Moraine (LM) – which were formed during the last deglaciation in southwest Sweden by the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS). The inferred ages of the inner HCM, GM and LM are 16.7 ± 1.6, 16.1 ± 1.4 and 13.6 ± 1.4 ka, respectively, which is slightly older than previous estimates of the deglaciation based on the minimum limiting radiocarbon ages and pollen stratigraphy. During this short interval from 16.7 ± 1.6 to 13.6 ± 1.4 ka a large part (100–125 km) of the marine‐based sector of the SIS in southwest Sweden was deglaciated, giving an average ice margin retreat between 20 to 50 m a^?1. The inception of the deglaciation pre‐dated the Bølling/Allerød warming, the rapid sea level rise at 14.6 cal. ka BP and the first inflow of warm Atlantic waters into Skagerrak. We suggest that ice retreat in southwest Sweden is mainly a dynamical response governed by the disintegration of the Norwegian Channel Ice Stream and not primarily driven by climatic changes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种计算岩石中矿物组成的新方法

介绍根据显微下观察,应用岩石化学全分析结果和分子量计算法计算岩石中矿物组成的新方法。所得各种矿物的组成是整块岩石在三维立体体积中各种矿物的质量分数,比目前沿用的目测一个岩石切面上各种矿物的面积百分比法更准确,比CIPW标准矿物分子法更符合岩石样品组合的实际情况,而且可用于含云母族、绿泥石族和铀矿物等蚀变矿化的花岗岩及沉积岩、变质岩的矿物组成计算。     

怒江峡谷构造地貌的演化: 阶地宇宙成因核素定年的初步结果

地貌产生于构造活动和各种地表营力驱动的侵蚀夷平和堆积过程,如在构造抬升活跃的地区,河流强烈的侵蚀作用往往造就深切的峡谷地貌。对于这样的地区河流下切速率往往被用来衡量构造抬升速率[1,2]。然而河流下切速率的变化不仅与构造抬升有关,而且与气候变化有关。因此,正确理解     

10Be dating of Younger Dryas Salpausselkä I formation in Finland

Boulders of the Younger Dryas Salpausselkä I (Ss I) formation west of Lahti, southern Finland, were sampled for surface exposure dating. The ¹⁰Be concentrations, determined by accelerator mass spectrometry, yield minimum exposure ages of 11 930 ± 950, 11 220 ± 890, 11 050 ± 910 and 11 540 ± 990 years, using recently published production rates scaled for latitude and elevation. This includes a correction to the production rate resulting from postglacial uplift of the Fennoscandian lithosphere (i.e. changing elevation) during the time of exposure. The error‐weighted mean exposure age of 11 420 ± 470 years of the analysed boulders agrees with previous varve dates of Ss I, which range from 11 680 to 11 430 calendar years BP. However, erosion has to be taken into account as a process affecting rock surfaces and therefore influencing exposure ages. Available information suggests an erosion rate of 5 mm/kyr, which increases the error‐weighted mean exposure age to a value of 11 610 ± 470 years. Within the errors, the formation of Ss I in the Vesala area west of Lahti falls into the Younger Dryas time bracket, as defined by the GRIP and GISP 2 ice core (Greenland).     

Reductive transformation of iron and sulfur in schwertmannite-rich accumulations associated with acidified coastal lowlands

We examined the transformations of Fe and S associated with schwertmannite (Fe₈O₈(OH)₆SO₄) reduction in acidified coastal lowlands. This was achieved by conducting a 91 day diffusive-flux column experiment, which involved waterlogging of natural schwertmannite- and organic-rich soil material. This experiment was complemented by short-term batch experiments utilizing synthetic schwertmannite. Waterlogging readily induced bacterial reduction of schwertmannite-derived Fe(III), producing abundant pore-water Fe^II, SO₄ and alkalinity. Production of alkalinity increased pH from pH 3.4 to pH ∼6.5 within the initial 14 days, facilitating the precipitation of siderite (FeCO₃). Interactions between schwertmannite and Fe^II at pH ∼6.5 were found, for the first time, to catalyse the transformation of schwertmannite to goethite (αFeOOH). Thermodynamic calculations indicate that this Fe^II-catalysed transformation shifted the biogeochemical regime from an initial dominance of Fe(III)-reduction to a subsequent co-occurrence of both Fe(III)- and SO₄-reduction. This lead firstly to the formation of elemental S via H₂S oxidation by goethite, and later also to formation of nanoparticulate mackinawite (FeS) via H₂S precipitation with Fe^II. Pyrite (FeS₂) was a quantitatively insignificant product of reductive Fe and S mineralization. This study provides important new insights into Fe and S geochemistry in settings where schwertmannite is subjected to reducing conditions.     

琼西莺歌海盆地中深层天然气成藏条件分析及其与浅层成藏条件的比较

莺歌海盆地浅层天然气勘探和研究程度相对较高，绝大部分探井和发现的天然气储量亦主要集中于浅层。但迄今为止，浅层好的勘探目标、规模较大的局部构造大多已钻探，剩余好的勘探目标不多，故天然气勘探潜力不容乐观、本区中深层勘探领域则探井甚少，勘探和研究程度非常低，故发现并落实的天然气储量亦少，通过叶浅层与中深层勘探领域天然气成藏地质条件的综合分析、类比和评价，指出和强调中深层天然气成藏地质条件优于浅层、中深层应是本区手找大中型气田的勘探方向。