海底沙脊地貌的研究现状及进展

综述了国内外海底沙脊地貌的研究成果、技术方法以及东中国海沙脊研究中存在的问题。弓京港辐射沙脊群成因的研究依然是国内沙脊研究的焦点;东海中北部陆架沙脊地貌形成时期(海进与海退期)、沉积类型(现代、残留及潮流沉积)、沉积动力及沉积模式等研究尚存在较多争议;古潮流场的研究尚未得到足够重视。最新多波束探测数据显示,东海中南部外陆架60 m以深海域广泛分布线状沙脊群,其规模较前人预测的更大、范围更广,与长江口外喇叭状地形区中的沙脊地貌在空间分布特征和发展趋势上均存在差异。未来若能在利用多波束探测数据的基础上,对单道地震剖面、柱状样品以及钻孔等获取的多种资料进行综合分析,将更有利于对沙脊地貌的精细结构、时空展布规律以及成因机制和演化模式的研究。     

中国东部陆架沉积环境对末次冰盛期以来海面阶段性上升的响应

到目前,还缺乏关于大型陆架系统对全球海面变化响应的研究,5年来我们对中国东部宽阔的陆架海底进行详细制图研究,结果表明:现代中国东部陆架海底沉积环境分布与末次冰盛期以来的海面变化之间有很好的响应关系;目前的陆架海底被3个沉积体系覆盖,即低海面期的古滨带、冰消期的海侵体系和高海面期的涡漩及近岸带沉积体系;末次冰期后期以来,可区分出3个快速海面上升期和3个慢速上升期。在快速上升期,海底形成了代表海岸快速移动的混杂沉积-海侵边界层,海岸平均移动速度10～22cm/a(最大64cm/a),缓慢上升期,形成了陆架广泛分布的潮流沙脊体系,三期沙脊体系之间有继承性演化关系。     

南海北部的潮波传播与海底沙脊和沙波发育

阐述了太平洋潮波传入南海北部的途径与海底沙脊和沙波的区域分布;分析了各沙脊和沙波区的潮流动力环境和地貌沉积特征。讨论了海义莎脊和沙波发育演变问题。     

南黄海太阳沙西侧潮流脊槽的沉积物分布特征和沉积环境演变

对南黄海太阳沙西侧潮流脊槽区进行了底质调查,采用密集站位的振动活塞柱状沉积物采样器取样。根据粒度分析结果,比较精细地研究了厚度约2～3 m浅表层沉积物的空间分布特征。结果表明:表层沉积物中,细砂主要分布在潮流脊和岸滩上,其它较细的沉积类型主要分布于潮流槽内,呈显“脊砂槽泥”的沉积地貌基本特征。同时,沙脊上的表层细砂的分布范围明显与沙脊至海岸的距离有关,除了潮流的影响外,主要与外侧沙脊的消浪作用有关。另外,根据表层沉积物分布的沉积地貌特征,探讨了潮流脊槽的沉积环境演变。     

舟山DZ-1钻孔沉积物粒度特征与沉积环境辨别

本文对在舟山群岛附近海域钻取的第四纪钻孔进行了粒度测试和分析。结果显示,沉积物平均粒径介于2.18~7.76 Φ,分选较差—差,偏度介于-1.75~2.76之间,表现为平坦、正态分布。这些粒径变化特征揭示了沉积动力环境的变化,粗粒沉积物对应了高水动能环境,细粒沉积物对应了低水动能环境。用粒度参数散点图对沉积环境判别表明粗粒沉积物与现代东海陆架沙脊、扬子浅滩、潮流沙脊间洼地和河道沉积等类型相近,可能指示快速海进过程中的高能沉积环境,如河道等,亦或是陆相侵蚀环境;细粒沉积物与现代泥质区沉积类似。沉积物粒度在垂向上的准旋回性变化可能指示了气候冷暖交替背景下沉积动力发生了显著变化。     

北部湾东侧莺东沙脊及其在管线工程中的负面作用

北部湾东侧莺东潮流沙脊是整个琼西南沙脊群之一,沙脊从感恩角岸外发育最好,至东方岸外已趋缓和。根据海底特征,由海向岸分为深水平坦段、沙波沙脊段和近岸段共3个区段。沙波沙脊区段主要分布4条沙脊,这些沙脊大都呈NS或NW—SE走向,与主水流平行,呈不甚规则的长条状,长约45km,宽度较大。脊槽高差约20~30m,脊顶水深5~8m,沙脊槽向不对称,向海侧缓,向陆侧陡。成因上属于全新世低海面形成的连滨沙脊,受现代浪流修蚀改造而成。这些沙脊的基础部分基本稳定,只在暴风浪或强潮流情况下表面活动性泥沙做少量迁移。2003年铺设的东方1-1气田输气管线路由经过北部湾莺东沙脊。通过对中国海洋大学东方1-1海底管线多年调查资料分析认为,本区沙波沙脊海底管线被严重掏空,已发现的130余掏空悬跨点平均长达33m,深度最大可达1m。管线掏空可归因于底形特征动态变化和管线改变海底水动力环境的综合作用。     

南海北部的潮波传播与海底沙脊和沙波发育

阐述了太平洋潮波传入南海北部的途径与海底沙脊和沙波的区域分布 ;分析了各沙脊和沙波区的潮流动力环境和地貌沉积特征 ;讨论了海底沙脊和沙波发育演变问题。     

南海东北部沉积环境和沉积演化模式的初步研究

本文根据本区沉积环境特征,划分为4个沉积相,阐明了各相带的特征标志及其相互关系。并从海底地形地貌、沉积物的特征、分布和沉积相以及韩江三角洲沉积过程,结合珠江三角洲发育阶段的对比,初步认为南海东北部的沉积物是多次海退和海进作用形成的,其沉积演化模式似可分为3个沉积旋回的6个阶段。     

扬子浅滩东南海域海底潮流沙脊、沙波特征

利用seabat8101多波束系统对扬子浅滩东南海底地形进行了高精度探测。发现海底呈明显近乎平行排列的条带状起伏,脊谷相间,沙脊大部分呈NW-SE向排列,发育在45~50 m水深范围之内,沙脊横剖面不对称,大部分沙脊西南侧坡度大、东北坡缓。沙脊规模略有差异,沙脊宽度约0.6~9.8 km,沙脊之间间距可达8.9~22.4 km,高度约1.8~13.3 m,研究区内最长可达53 km。部分脊槽过渡区域发育成片链状海底沙波,沙波大致呈NE-SW走向,波高约0.3~1 m,波长1 km左右。研究区中西部有海底礁石孤立地突兀于相对平坦的海底之上,暂定名为扬礁,最浅水深35.9 m,位于30°59'7.4'~31°N,124°36'48.7'~124°37'40'E。扬子浅滩东南海域沙脊是介于活动沙脊和衰亡沙脊之间的准活动沙脊。该研究将为我国海洋开发和海洋经济发展、海洋行政管理以及海洋安全保障提供服务。     

中国基岩海湾潮流地貌模式及其沉积动力特征

对我国基岩海湾内的潮流沉积和地貌进行了系统研究。根据潮滩、潮流水道、潮流沙脊等地貌单元的组合特征，概括出3种潮流地貌模式：潮滩型、滩-槽型和滩槽-脊型。通过各模式海湾环境特征的对比分析，设定紊动射流系数Rbjet做为判别潮流水道形成发育程度的水动力参数，发现潮流水道较为发育的滩-槽型和滩-槽-脊型海湾往往开敞度较小，纵深较长，而平均潮差较大，Rbjet大于45。潮流沙脊是区分滩-槽型和滩-槽脊型潮流地貌模式的标志地貌，粗颗粒泥沙来源是其发育的必备条件：残留沉积、海岸侵蚀来沙丰富的海湾内潮流沙脊发育；河流来沙则可以改造形成小规模现代潮流脊；而靠近大河河口，细颗粒来源丰富的海湾则不利于潮流沙脊发育，湾内形成滩-槽型潮流沉积。     

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.