地质计时的天文"钟摆"

地球系统科学的发展,对于地质过程的时间度量提出了新要求。迄今为止,地球轨道参数的变化是地质尺度上惟一可以精确定量计算的周期现象,可以用作地质计时的标尺。40万年的偏心率长周期,是地质历史上最为稳定的轨道参数,至少在新生代以来通过低纬过程驱动着大洋碳储库的周期变化,是普遍出现而且容易辨认的轨道周期,可望作为地球历史的天文“钟摆”用于地质计时。     

南海南部中上新世以来沉积有机碳与古生产力变化

对南海南部ODP1143站上部150m的1005个沉积物样品进行了有机碳分析,求取中上新世3．5Ma以来表层生产力长期的演化趋势和短期的变化规律。有机碳含量、有机碳堆积速率和输出生产力在2．85～1．58Ma和0．9～0Ma两个时期呈现相对高值,反映具较高的古生产力,推测分别与上新世晚期北极冰盖形成和“中更新世革命”之后北极冰盖扩大事件密切相关。与有孔虫δ^18O记录对比,有机碳含量、有机碳堆积速率和输出生产力都显示在冰期增加,间冰期降低,反映了冰期具较高的表层生产力。冰期时较高的沉积物堆积速率和C／N比值反映低海平面时期陆源营养物质供应增加,是造成冰期表层生产力高的重要原因。同时推测冰期时低氧含量的底层水有利于有机物质的保存。频谱分析揭示,中上新世以来有机碳含量变化复杂,说明其变化除主要受到地球轨道周期变化的驱动外,还受到陆源物输入等其他因素的影响;而有机碳堆积速率和输出生产力主要受地球轨道周期变化的驱动。     

近100 Ma以来海平面变化机制

海平面变化不仅关系到全球环境的演变,而且与人类社会的发展有着极其密切的关系。关于海平面变化的机制研究与精确估算则一直以来是海洋学研究的重点方向之一。通过分析晚中生代以来全球海平面变化记录,在行星尺度和地球轨道尺度上,分析讨论了海平面变化的主要影响机制。结果显示:虽然近100Ma以来,海平面记录中构造和大洋碳储库周期连续小波分析信号显著,其滤波振幅强度变化也对应了全球性的构造、气候及生物演变事件,反映了由构造运动引起的海-陆格局变化、气候突变以及相应的生物演变事件等全球性变化对海平面变化的影响。但在南极冰盖形成之后,构造周期与大洋碳储库周期的影响对海平面变化的影响出现不同,特别是近5Ma以来两者出现相反的变化趋势;近10Ma以来,偏心率周期、斜率周期和岁差周期分别在约0.8、5.3及6.2Ma之后对海平面变化的影响开始增强,显示出不同地球轨道参数周期对海平面变化影响存在一定的时间差异。而在这一阶段,虽然极地冰盖体积变化与海平面变化的相关性最为显著,但是,海平面变化可能受到地球轨道参数变化引起的高纬度地区冰盖体积变化与低纬度季风演化引起的大洋碳储库变化等因素的共同影响。     

人类活动对碳循环的影响

在地球系统中,海洋、大气和陆地以及其中的生命与非生命部分都存在着相互联系。人类正在以各种方式根本性地改变着地球的各种系统和循环。一个崭新的地质时代“人类世”不期而至。碳循环是一个极其复杂的地球化学循环过程,包括碳元素在各个储库的贮存和在不同储库之间的流通。不同时间尺度的碳的自然循环都保持着动态平衡状态。人类活动触动了这种平衡机制,成为当前全球碳循环变化的主要驱动因子。     

越南岸外上升流区48万年来高分辨率的生源组分记录及其古海洋学意义

南海西部越南岸外MD05-2901孔沉积物分析显示,该孔覆盖氧同位素1-12期,底界年龄约为48万年。生源组分记录显示表层古生产力冰期高、间冰期低,体现间冰期海平面下降、陆源物质输入增强的影响。生产力在末次冰期达到最高,体现末次盛冰期海陆差异增强,东北风发育对生产力提高的促进作用。碳酸钙含量变化呈现冰期早期含量低、冰消期和间冰期含量高的趋势。其冰消期的高值在MIS1/2、MIS3/4和MIS5/6分界处,与浮游有孔虫碳同位素低值对应,揭示该地区的碳酸钙沉积旋回是“稀释旋回”。同时碳酸钙含量变化领先于同一地区浮游有孔虫氧同位素的变化,证明低纬海区碳酸钙泵作用对大气二氧化碳浓度和温度有影响。滤波分析结果显示碳同位素存在23 ka的岁差周期和偏心率长周期,生源组分的含量变化显示出典型的岁差周期,体现南海季风环流的轨道响应,证明低纬热带过程是调节气候变化的重要因素。     

南海北部ODP 1144站颜色反射率揭示的千年尺度气候波动

南海大洋钻探ODP1144站钻孔长517m，代表近100万年来的沉积记录，其颜色反射率是所有岩心物理性质测试中分辨率最高的，平均约60年一个测值，最高可达年级尺度，是研究千年尺度气候变化的理想材料。通过对颜色反射率、浮游有孔虫氧同位素的小波分析及其与地球轨道参数ETP的交叉频谱分析，表明两者在轨道周期上的变化极为相似，都反映出约70万年以来100ka的偏心率周期明显占优；与格棱兰冰心的对比亦揭示了颜色反射率同样记录了冰期中的类似D／O事件。对此站的颜色反射率短周期的小波分析，揭示出了约3ka、约1．5ka的变化周期，这些周期不仅仅出现在冰期(如MIS2—4、6、8期等)，也出现在间冰期(如MIS15、17、19、25期等)和冰消期(如MIS11／12、15／16)，且在70万年以来冰期信号强、间冰期信号弱，而在70万年之前正好相反，这不仅说明间冰期内部气候也存在不稳定性，而且进一步说明了中更新世的气候转型事件。     

南海南部第四纪表层海水古生产力变化的钙质超微化石证据

深海沉积中的钙质超微化石是古海洋表层生产力的替代性标志之一。通过对南海南部ODP1143站第四纪沉积中超微化石分析，从绝对丰度和堆积速率、Florisphaera profunda百分含量及碳同位素三个方面探讨了该区第四纪表层海水古生产力的变化特征。结果显示，1．56Ma以来南海南部表层海水古生产力呈现两种不同时间尺度的变化。一是随冰期－间冰期旋回而变化，间冰期时，表层海水生产力高，而冰期时则降低；另一种则是大约40万年的长周期变化，自1．56Ma以来，可以分成四个大的旋回，每个旋回内表层海水古生产力又经历了从低到高再到低的变化。     

西菲律宾海15万年以来碳酸盐含量变化及其控制因素

西菲律宾海本哈姆海台的MD06-3050柱状样岩心,上部15万年以来碳酸盐含量变化总体上显示为冰期低、间冰期高的"大西洋型"特征,碳酸盐含量的变化趋势与指示溶解作用强弱的粗组分含量以及有孔虫碎壳率指数总体上呈现相似性,碳酸盐含量虽然与有机碳含量变化趋势相似,但却与初级生产力变化存在较大的差异。该海区晚更新世的碳酸盐含量变化可能受到多个因素控制,其中,溶解作用对碳酸盐含量冰期-间冰期变化的影响最为明显;而溶解作用的发生可能与有机碳/碳酸钙雨率以及深部环流的流通有关。     

更新世以来南海表层水温变化及其古气候意义

南海南部2Ma以来古温度记录显示该海域更新世以来海水表层温度的不断降低,并且以冰期降低为特征,间冰期温度变化不大。南海南北经向表层海水温差的大小,反映了东亚冬季风的强弱变化,2 Ma以来的温差变化说明东亚冬季风在中更新世之前的持续强化,中更新世之后不断减弱,而在晚第四纪时又再次转为增强,同时叠加在长期变化趋势之上的是轨道时间尺度上冰期增强间冰期减弱的循环波动。青藏高原构造作用可能对中更新世时期东亚冬季风强化产生重要影响,而更新世以来东亚冬季风变化的整体趋势及轨道尺度变化主要受全球冰量变化和低纬ENSO影响。     

板块俯冲和岩浆过程中碳循环及深部碳储库

地球内部可能存储了地球上大部分的碳,地球的整个地质演化历史都伴随着碳循环。岩浆过程是重要的CO_2释放途径,引起地表碳的增加。板块俯冲起动之后,俯冲带成为地表碳重返地球内部的基本途径。板块俯冲和岩浆过程构成了地表过程和地球内部之间的碳循环,在地质历史时期影响着地表的碳总量,对于宜居地球环境和一些重要矿产资源的形成具有重大意义。然而,相对地表过程的碳循环而言,国际上对深部碳循环的研究程度和取得的认识远远不足。对于地球深部碳的富集机制、赋存部位,以及碳在地球内部各圈层之间的交换规律,还存在很大争议。本文对与深部碳循环密切相关的深部碳储库、岩浆中的碳组成及其对岩浆成因的影响,以及板块俯冲过程中碳行为进行了总结。结果表明,无论是洋中脊玄武岩或洋岛玄武岩,其源区CO_2组成都存在高度不均一性;与地幔柱有关的深源板内火山岩相对洋中脊具有异常高的CO_2组成,显示深部地幔比上地幔或软流圈更富集碳。地球的地幔转换带(410～660 km)、大陆岩石圈,甚至下地幔可能是重要的碳储库。碳酸岩熔体与岩石圈橄榄岩存在化学不平衡,长期的碳酸岩熔体交代作用可能导致大陆岩石圈是个重要碳储库;地幔转换带的高压还原环境可能使得来自上涌地幔或俯冲板片中的碳以金刚石形式存储。地幔转换带或更深的碳在上涌减压过程中通过氧化还原熔融可以转化为CO_2,对地幔初始熔融和板内火山岩的成因(尤其是碱性火山岩)可能具有至关重要的作用。综合认为,导致地球内部富集碳的地质作用最可能是长期板块俯冲,但是目前国内外对与板块俯冲过程相关的碳行为和碳通量估算还存在很大的不足,未来有必要针对岩浆过程的CO_2活动行为、俯冲板块中碳的转化行为以及脱碳规律重点开展研究。     

Microbial Biomass and Organic Nutrients in the Deep-Sea Sediments of the Central Indian Ocean Basin

In order to assess the impact of deep-sea mining on the in situ benthic life, we measured the microbial standing stock and concentration of organic nutrients in the deep-sea sediments of the Central Indian Ocean Basin in the Indian pioneer area. Sediments were collected using box core and grab samples during September 1996. The total bacterial numbers ranged from 10 10 -10 11 cells per g -1 dry weight sediment. There was a marginal decrease in the number of bacteria from surface to 30 cm depth, though the subsurface section registered a higher number than did the surface. The highest numbers were encountered at depths of 4-8 cm. The retrievable number of bacteria were two orders less in comparison with the direct total counts of bacteria. An almost homogeneous distribution of bacteria, total organic carbon, living biomass, and lipids throughout the depth of cores indicates active microbial and benthic processes in the deep sea sediments. On the other hand, a uniform distribution of total counts of bacteria, carbohydrates, and total organic carbon in all the cores indicates their stable nature and suggests that they can serve as useful parameters for long-term monitoring of the area after the benthic disturbance. Further studies on temporal variability in this region would not only verify the observed norms of distribution of these variables but would also help to understand restabilization processes after the simulated benthic disturbance.     

海上大直径钢管桩打桩过程中桩周土强度弱化研究

海上大直径钢管桩打桩过程中,桩周土体受到强烈扰动而发生强度弱化,掌握桩周土体强度弱化规律对于准确预测打桩过程、保证工程安全具有重要意义。为研究土体强度弱化规律,开展了环剪试验模拟打桩对桩周土体的扰动,测试土体强度随剪切速率的变化规律,建立了描述土体强度弱化规律的拟合公式,引入到打桩分析软件中。研究结果表明：土体的强度折减程度不仅与土体本身的性质有关还受到土体的埋深和剪切速率的影响,埋深越深土体强度折减程度越低,剪切速率越高土体强度折减越高,在打桩分析中可采用这里推荐的线性折减方法来模拟不同深度处土体强度的折减规律。     

Geoacoustic Inversion via Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to Manganese Sediment Identification

An acoustic inversion method using a wide-band signal and two near field receivers is proposed and applied to multiple layered seabed models including a manganese sediment. The inversion problem can be formulated into a probabilistic model comprised of signals, a forward model, and additive noise. The forward model simulates wide-band signals, such as chirp signals, and is chosen to be the source-waveletconvolution plane wave modeling method. The wavelet matching technique, using weighted least-squares fitting, estimates the sediment sound-speed and thickness on which determination of the possible numerical ranges for a priori uniform distribution is based. The genetic algorithm is applied to a global optimization problem to find a maximum a posteriori solution for determined a priori search space. Here the object function is defined by an L 2 norm of the difference between measured and modeled signals. Not only the marginal pdf but also its statistics are calculated by numerical evaluation of integrals using the samples selected during importance sampling process of the genetic algorithm.     

A Review of Some Environmental Issues Affecting Marine Mining

This article reviews information recently available from existing marine and coastal mining for responses to environmental issues affecting marine mining at different depths. It is particularly but not exclusively concerned with those issues affecting seabed biodiversity impact and recovery. Much information has been gathered in the past 10 years from shallow mining operations for construction aggregate, diamonds, and gold, from coastal mines discharging tailings to shallow and deep water, and from experimental deep mining tests. The responses to issues identified are summarized in a series of eight tables intended to facilitate site-specific consideration. Since impacts can spread widely in the surface mixing layer SML, and can affect the biologically productive euphotic zone, the main issues considered arise from the depth of mining relative to the SML of the sea. Where mining is below the SML, the issue is whether it is environmentally better to bring the extraction products to the surface vessel for processing (and waste discharge), or to process the extraction products as much as possible on the seabed. Responses to the issues need to be sitespecific, and dependent on adequate preoperational environmental impact and recovery prediction. For deep tailings disposal from a surface vessel, there are four important environmental unknowns: (1) the possible growth of "marine snow" (bacterial flocs) utilizing the enormous quantities of fine tailings particles (hundreds or thousands of metric tons per day) as nuclei for growth, (2) the possibility that local keystone plankton and nekton species may migrate diurnally down to and beyond the depth of deep discharge and hence be subjected to tailings impact at depth, (3) the burrow-up capability of deep benthos and their ability to survive high rates of tailings deposition, and (4) the pattern and rate of dispersion of a tailings density current through the deep water column from discharge point to seabed. Actions to obtain relevant information in general and site-specifically are suggested.     

Increased Particle Fluxes at the INDEX Site Attributable to Simulated Benthic Disturbance

Particle fluxes were measured 7 m above the sea bottom during the predisturbance, disturbance, and postdisturbance periods by using time series sediment traps attached to seven deep-sea moorings deployed in the INDEX experiment site in the Central Indian Basin. The predisturbance particle fluxes varied between 22.3 to 55.1 mg m -2 day -1 . Increased and variable particle fluxes were recorded by the sediment traps during the disturbance period. The increase observed was 0.5 to 4 times more than the background predisturbance fluxes. The increases in particle fluxes (~4 times) recorded by the sediment trap located in the southwestern direction (DMS-1) were the greatest, which could be the result of preferential movement of resuspended particles generated during the deep-sea benthic disturbance along the general current direction prevailing in this area during the experimental period. Also, the traps located closer to the disturbance area recorded greater fluxes than did the traps far away, across the Deep Sea Sediment Resuspension System path. This variability in recorded particle fluxes by the traps around the disturbance area clearly indicates that physical characteristics such as grain size and density of the resuspended particles produced during the disturbance had an important effect on particle movement. The postdisturbance measurements during ~5 days showed a reduction in particle fluxes of ~50%, indicating rapid particle settlement.     

Determination of In Situ Sediment Shear Strength from Advanced Piston Corer Pullout Forces

The advanced piston corer (APC) has been used by the Ocean Drilling Program since 1985 for recovering soft sediments from the ocean floor. The pullout force measured on extracting the core barrel from the sediment is shown to correlate with the average shear strength of the sediment core measured in the ship's laboratory. A simple rule of thumb is derived relating the shear strength of the sediment to the pullout force. Multiple APC holes at individual sites allow the consistency of the pullout measurements to be assessed. The effects of different operational procedures during APC coring are also explored. Although generally applicable, the correlation between pullout force and laboratory measurements of shear strength breaks down for some APC holes, possibly because of the disturbance of some sediment types during the APC coring process. A better understanding of the physical process of APC coring, and its effect on the properties of the sediment both inside and immediately outside the core barrel, would indicate what confidence can be put on the measurement of pullout force as a way of evaluating the in situ shear strength of deep sea sediments.     

Phylogenetic diversity and phenotypic characterization of cultivable bacterioplankton isolated from polar oceans

A set of 27 marine planktonic bacteria isolated from the polar regions was characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing and physiological and biochemical testing. More than half of these bacteria were positive for caseinase, gelatinase and 13-glucosidase, and could utilize glucose, maltose or malic acid as carbon source for cell growth. Twelve isolates expressed nitrate reduction activities. Except for one antarctic isolate BSwlO175 belonging to Actinobacteria phylum, these isolates were classified as γ-Proteobacteria, suggesting that γ-Proteobacteria dominated in cultivable marine bacterioplankton at both poles. Genus Pseudoalteromonas was the predominant group in the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea, and genus ShewaneUa dominated in cultivable bacterioplankton in the Prydz Bay. With sequence similarities above 97%, genus Psychrobacter was found at both poles. These 27 isolates were psychrotolerant, and significant 16S rDNA sequence similarities were found not only between arctic and antarctic marine bacteria （ 〉 99% ）, but also between polar marine bacteria and bacteria from other aquatic environments （ ≥ 98.8% ）, including temperate ocean, deep sea, pond and lake, suggesting that in the polar oceans less temperature-sensitive bacteria may be cosmopolitan and have a bipolar, even global, distribution at the species level.     

Deep-Sea Sediment Compression Curves: Some Controlling Factors, Spurious Overconsolidation, Predictions, and Geophysical Reproduction

Oedometer tests have been carried out on 70 undisturbed surficial clays (at approximately 250 mm below the mudline), mostly collected by free-fall corers from sites widely scattered throughout the deep-sea North Atlantic. Acoustic measurements were also made, initially on contiguous samples and ultimately on the same sample using a geophysically instrumented oedometer which also collected electrical resistivity data. Apart from those quiescent areas below the carbonate compensation depth, such as north of the West Indies where very fine clays exist, most of the samples are silty clays whose geotechnical-geophysical properties are dependent on the type of clay minerals present (and their ability to take in moisture), the sand-size fraction, and the quantity of carbonate present. Thus the pure clays have high compressibilities which decrease on the addition of coarse particles, while the converse is true for the acoustic parameters, these increasing with the sand fraction. Using the notion of the intrinsic compression line for all samples, and comparison to it of the measured compression curves, it is clear that, contrary to some previously held ideas, most deep-sea clays are normally consolidated; the addition of carbonate has the effect of creating an open, stronger sediment skeleton. Interestingly, where information is available, the variation with depth of a sample's acoustic velocity follows the void ratio pressure relationship of the compression curve. This allows the construction of an in-situ sediment compression curve using the in-situ geophysical observations.