Microstructures of Agulhas Bank phosphorites

Electron microscopic study of Agulhas Bank phosphorites has revealed a large variety in their microstructures, including gel-like, fibrous, ultramicrogranular, ultramicrocrystallic and microcrystallic as well as microstructures of intermediate types. The crystallisation is mostly developed on carbonate-phosphate contacts and in free spaces between mineral grains and does not depend on absolute age of the phosphorite.     

Nannostructure and significance of fish coprolites in phosphorites

Phosphatic coprolites (0.5–2 cm long) occurring in Cretaceous-Eocene phosphorites of Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and Egypt were investigated for their petrology by using SEM. They exhibit a homogeneous porous apatite structure with a few fish remains. The nannostructures of the coprolites consist of inframicron-sized and botryoid-type apatite microparticles. Spherical cavities and cavity-infill cavity-infilled inframicron-sized apatite globules are typical in the coprolites and are apparently formed by extracellular precipitation of phosphate around microbial organisms. We presume that the coprolites studied here may belong to fishes, whose excrements contain abundant organic matter and phosphate. Phosphatization of excrements appears to be a microbial process controlled by the microenvironment.

The nannostructures observed in the coprolites investigated here differ significantly from the nannostructures of other studied phosphatic grains (pellets and coated grains) in the same samples which are mostly heterogeneous and consist of ovoid-type apatite particles. In the case they are not reworked, the centimetre to decimetre thick coprolite beds in phosphorites indicate a lack of detrital input and strong bottom water currents at the sediment-water interface during deposition and subsequent phosphatization of the excrements.     

On the origin of phosphorites from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean

A detailed investigation of microstructures of the phosphorites from Christmas Island under a scanning electron microscope coupled with an analysis of their chemical composition revealed that both their structure and composition are quite similar to those of the granular and microgranular phosphorites on present-day continents, as well as those of the phosphorites on some of the Pacific guyots. Their composition, together with their geological position and interrelationships with the surrounding rocks, proves that the ornitogenic hypothesis based on the presumed guano accumulation followed by its transformation into phosphatic rock is not compatible with the field observations. Meanwhile, the problem of the source of the Fe and Mn impregnation in the phosphorites remains unresolved and needs further investigations.     

Carbon isotopic composition and lattice-bound carbonate of Peru-Chile margin phosphorites

New light-stable carbonate-carbon isotope and lattice-bound CO₂ data from Quaternary Peru-Chile margin phosphatic nodules, crusts and pelletal grains, and from associated dolomicritic concretions, are presented, which provide constraints on the timing and mechanisms of growth of these phases in organic carbon-rich sediments. Comparison of δ¹³C values from carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) nodules and pelletal grains (−4.8 to 0.0‰ and −2.9 to +1.0‰ PDB, respectively) with pore-water total dissolved δ¹³C values from these sediments suggests early authigenic CFA precipitation from pore waters within a few centimeters of the sediment-water interface in association with suboxic to perhaps anoxic microbial degradation of organic matter. In contrast, the dolomicritic cores of nodules recovered from about 12°S display both strongly negative to positive δ¹³C values (−10.8 to +6.1‰) characteristic of formation deeper in the sediments in association with methanogenic and perhaps sulfate reduction microbial processes.

The amount of structural carbonate in CFA suggests that carbonate substitution generally increases as δ¹³C in CFA decreases, a probable consequence of increasing carbonate and accompanying charge-balancing substitutions in the CFA lattice in response to increasing pore-water carbonate ion concentrations with depth below the sediment-water interface. In one buried upward-growing nodule, decreasing CFA δ¹³C and increasing structural CO₂ also correspond to decreasing CFA growth rates. These data suggest that in addition to other constraints such as pore-water phosphorus and fluoride availability, the lower limit of CFA precipitation in suboxic to anoxic sediments may be controlled by lattice poisoning due to excessive dissolved carbonate ion concentrations. In organic-rich Peru-Chile margin sediments this depth threshold appears to be at approximately 5–10 cm below the sediment-water interface where maximum CFA CO₂ contents of about 6 Wt.% occur; in less organic-rich settings, greater depths of precipitation of CFA may be anticipated. Below this relatively shallow depth of CFA precipitation on the Peru shelf, high pore-water alkalinity and associated elevated total dissolved carbon and carbonate ion concentration apparently favor the precipitation of authigenic carbonates.     

Accumulation of uranium in sediments and phosphorites on the South West African shelf

Organic-rich sediments and coexisting phosphorites from the continental shelf off South West Africa have been analysed for uranium and thiorum by alpha-spectrometry. The uranium concentrations in the sediments range from 10 to 55 ppm, with an isotopic composition close to that of sea-water, indicating that uranium is passing into the sediments at the present time. The phosphorites occur in the sediments as thin unconsolidated laminae and as lithified nodules and pellets, with uranium contents ranging from 79 to 158 ppm. Based on the uranium isotopic composition, only the unconsolidated phosphorite laminae are recent, while the lithified nodules and pellets, with ²³⁴U/²³⁸U and ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ratios close to radio-active equilibrium, appear to be inherited from a previous period of phosphorite deposition. Deposition of uranium appears to take place predominantly by incorporation into carbonate fluorapatite growing authigenically within the sediment. Uranium accumulation rates, computed from ¹⁴C-dated sections of the sediment cores, and using only uranium values with modern isotopic composition, range from 232 to 765 μg/cm² per 1,000 years. These results stress the importance of organic-rich sediments containing authigenic phosphorite beneath areas of high organic productivity as a major sink for uranium in the ocean.     

Generation of seiches by moving baric formations

We consider a plane problem of generation of barotropic seiches in the case of motion of a region of disturbances of atmospheric pressure over a bounded basin. The nonlinear system of equations of long waves with regard for the quadratic dependence of bottom friction is solved by the finite-difference method. The calculations are carried out for three basins of variable depth corresponding to rectangular sections of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. It is shown that the passage of the baric anomaly over the basin is accompanied by the generation of the lowest seiches. The oscillations of fluid are especially intense in the shallow-water zones of the basins. Seiches exhibit a trend to intensification as the velocity of motion of the atmospheric disturbance increases. The dependence on the width of the baric anomaly is not monotonic. In the shelf zone, the amplitude of oscillations of the level can be several times higher that the pure hydrostatic response of the sea surface. In the analyzed basins, the influence of nonlinearity on the seiches is weak. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 3–15, November–December, 2007.     

An improved model for estimating the TOC in shale formations

Determination of the total organic carbon (TOC) from well logs is an important step in formation evaluation of shale reservoirs. The ΔlogR model is one of the most commonly used methods in determining the TOC of the source rocks. Wang et al. (2016) made three revisions on ΔlogR model to enhance the prediction accuracy, one of which is to use a changeable slope of log₁₀R_t versus porosity logs to replace a fixed value. Based on the original ΔlogR model and Wang's revision, we propose an improved model for a better TOC estimation in this paper. Specifically, the approximate linear baseline is replaced by a theoretical one. Under this condition, both the slope and resistivity and porosity log values of the baselined rocks vary from depth to depth. The determination of theoretical baseline is presented, and the varied baseline log values are obtained by a simple mathematical technique. In addition to the shale play of Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, two study areas of Sichuan Basin and Ordos Basin in China, were used to assess the applications of the proposed model and its improvement over the original model. The analysis and discussions presented in this paper indicate that the improved model offers more reliable results in shale plays with large lithological variations. Also, the TOC content of the three study areas was estimated using the proposed model. The results showed that the TOC values estimated from well logs and core analysis are in good agreement.     

Investigation of microbial influences on seafloor gas-hydrate formations

Microbial communities flourish at gas hydrate occurrences in ocean sediments. Studies are reported in this paper on the laboratory production, separation, characterization and hydrate catalysis of biosurfactants from cultures of the Bacillus subtilis bacterium associated with Gulf of Mexico gas-hydrate accumulations. The B. subtilis bacterium from ATCC 21332 species was cultured anaerobically with glucose as carbon-source to produce surfactin, one of the more potent surface active agents known. The surface-active agent was removed from the broth in foam created by bubbling inert gas through the mixture, and biosurfactant was then recovered from the collapsed-foam distilled water solution by acid precipitation and dichloromethane extraction. According to HPLC spectra, five surfactin isomers were identified in the sample of laboratory-generated biosurfactant. Recovered surfactin was then used to perform gas-hydrate formation studies in porous media saturated with the surfactin-water solution. Gas-hydrate induction time and formation rate determinations showed that the anaerobically-produced biosurfactants catalyzed hydrate formation markedly. The tests suggest prolific surfactin production by the B. subtilis bacterium and of other species under prevailing anaerobic conditions around seafloor gas hydrates that promotes hydrate formation and the propensity of the bioproduct to be dispersed in the porous media by natural gas vents.     

Petrology and major element geochemistry of Peru margin phosphorites and associated diagenetic minerals: Authigenesis in modern organic-rich sediments

New petrographic and major element geochemical data from modern Peru margin upper slope-outer shelf phosphorites are presented, which provide insight into their origin and paragenetic relationship with other authigenic minerals (glauconite, pyrite and dolomite) occurring in organic-rich sediments. Glauconites are precipitated relatively early following the partial reduction of ferric iron and, following this process, phosphate, pyrite, and then dolomite precipitation take place at progressively deeper levels in the sediment in association with microbial reduction of sulfate. As in many ancient economic phosphorite deposits, the phosphatic facies here consist of nodules, crusts, coatings and strata composed of phosphatic pelletal grains (ooids, structureless grains, intraclasts, clumps and biogenic grains) in association with organic-rich biosiliceous sediments. All are considered to have formed within a few centimeters or within a few tens of centimeters below the sediment-water interface. Important factors that influence which morphology will tend to develop include the amount of available pore space, the presence of suitable nucleation sites, the amount and size of siliciclastic detritus incorporated as inclusions and the relative solution chemistries of the precipitating solutions. Bacterial mediation may play an important, but as yet unspecified role in the precipitation process. Textural data and factor analysis of chemical data suggest that structureless pellets are relatively inclusion-free Na-F-Mg-CO₃-substituted pore-water precipitates whereas ooids are inclusion-rich pore-water precipitates poor in lattice-substituted components. Variations in nodular cement birefringence and crystallinity are suggested to have been produced by similar lattice substitutions that directly reflect pore-water carbonate ion concentrations and thus relative degrees of organic-matter degradation. Phosphate and dolomite are intimately mixed, yet mineralogically distinct phases in phosphatized dolomicrites.

Depth-stratified threshold carbonate ion concentrations may control the lower limit at which phosphatic minerals may precipitate. Below depths of a few centimeters, excessive carbonate ion concentrations and diminished reactive iron and sulfate concentrations favor the development of dolomite while precluding further development of phosphatic minerals and pyrite. Periodic sediment reorganization (bioturbation, current winnowing and erosion, mass wasting, etc.) plays an important role in both concentrating pelletal grains and maintaining nodules and crusts at critical depth levels in the sediment, as well as mixing ordered mineral parageneses into complicated sequences.     

Estimation of compaction in marine geological formations from engineering data commonly available

The compaction of Quaternary marine formations can be estimated (under the conditions stated in this paper) by comparing values of 1 + 2.7w, where w is the water content, a figure usually provided in engineering reports for bridges, harbours and such. The procedure is to compare values for an older formation with those for a younger one in the same area, or a past formation with present sediments.     

Clay diagenesis in recent marine fecal pellets

Fecal pellets are ubiquitous in sediment collected from deep ocean ridge, continental shelf and fjord-type estuarine environments off the Canadian West Coast. Fecal pellets of the immature diagenetic stage are composed generally of the same mineral suite as the bulk sea-bottom sample; except that degraded biotite and/or illite has absorbed Fe and K to regrade into glauconite. These fecal pellets (<10 years old) contain 10 to 15% glauconite. Highly evolved monomineralic fecal pellets (e.g. glauconite, smectite) of such modern age show that diagenetic minerals commonly associated with burial can be produced by sediment-organism interactions.     

Rapid decrease in Antarctic sea ice in recent years

A 41-year Antarctic sea ice concentration(SIC) dataset derived from satellite passive microwave radiometers during the period of 1979–2019 has been used to analyze sea ice changes in recent decades. The trends of SIC and sea ice extent(SIE) are calculated during the periods of 1979–2019, 1979–2013, and 2014–2019. The trends show regionally dependent features. The SIC shows an increasing trend in most of the regions except the Bellingshausen Sea and Amundsen Sea(BA) during 1979–2019 and 1979–2013. The SIE trend shows a decreasing or decelerating trend in the period of 1979–2019((6 835±2 210) km2/a) compared with the 1979–2013 period((18 600±2 203) km~2/a). In recent years(2014–2019), the SIC and SIE have exhibited decreasing trends(–(34 567±3 521) km~2/month), especially in the Weddell Sea(WS) and Ross Sea(RS) during summer and autumn. The trends are related to regionally dependent causes. The analyses show that the SIC and SIE decreased in response to the warming trend of 2 m air temperature(T_(a-2m)) and have exhibited a good relationship with T_(a-2m) in summer and autumn in recent years. The sea ice decrease in the Antarctic is mainly caused by increases in absorbed energy and southward energy transportation in recent years, such as the increase in gained solar radiation and moist static energy from the south, which demonstrate notable regional characteristics. In the WS region, the local positive feedback from the additional absorbed solar radiation, resulting in warmer air and reduced sea ice, is the main reason for the sea ice decrease in recent years. The increase in southward energy transport has also favored a decrease in sea ice. In the RS region, the increase in southward-transported moist static energy has contributed to the decrease in sea ice, and the increases in cloud cover and longwave radiation have prevented sea ice growth.     

近年来我国海洋旅游变迁述论

以实证研究方法,梳理了近年来我国海洋旅游在旅游空间和旅游方式两方面的变迁。在海洋旅游空间变化中,呈现出从海滨游发展到海上游,进一步延伸到海底游的立体发展演变格局。在海洋旅游方式上呈现出多元化、个性化、参与性强的特点,并出现以放松身心、陶冶情操的休闲化旅游趋势。引发海洋旅游变化的原因首先来自于人均收入增长,为人们出游提供了物质基础;闲暇时间增加为人们出游提供了时间保证;旅游休闲观念的变化使人们将旅游作为生活方式的一部分;交通等旅游设施的建设使旅游更加便捷而舒适;海洋多层次开发使海洋旅游有了更丰富内容,为人们出游提供了更多选择。     

厦门近113a来降水量变化特征分析

利用福建漳州和东山站资料采用回归订正方法插补厦门站缺测资料，分析研究了厦门1893～2005年间年、季降水量变化趋势、旱涝时段、变化周期、降水量气候变率长期变化、降水量异常发生频率及降水量突变点．结果表明：近113a厦门年、夏季降水量呈增加趋势．1893～1902年和1948～1971年为少雨时段，1931～1947年和1983～2005年为多雨时段．年降水量存在着7～8a、60～65a和17a左右的振荡周期．年降水量和夏季降水量在1903～1931年这一时段年际变化较剧烈．秋季是各季降水中气候变率最大的季节．1951～1960年、1901～1910年和1990～2000年是降水量异常事件的频发期．年降水量在1971～1972年和1982～1983年、春季降水量在1942～1943年和1972～1973年、夏季降水量在1987～1988年、秋季降水量在1972～1973年时段都发生了突变．     

近30a来胶州湾潮间带动态变化分析

本研究基于1984~2016年间的3个时期遥感影像及潮汐潮位资料,利用相同潮位对比法,分析了胶州湾潮间带的面积及质心的空间分布特征和动态演变规律.结果表明,近30a来胶州湾潮间带减少明显.1984~2001年潮间带面积减少了52.80 km~2,2001~2016年潮间带面积减少了8.10km~2.潮间带质心偏移最明显的区域为黄岛地区.1984~2001年该区域质心向东南方向偏移量达1 061.48 m;2001~2016年该区域质心向东北方向偏移达2 881.64 m.在不同时间段内,引起潮间带面积和质心变化的原因并不相同.1984~2001年潮间带面积的减少和潮间带质心位置的偏移主要是由海水养殖规模的扩大和盐田的建造引起的;而2001~2016年潮间带面积的减少和潮间带质心的偏移主要是由于盐田、养殖池废弃,代之以大规模的填海造陆活动引起的;除此之外,河口泥沙淤积、冲刷等现象也对潮间带面积的变化和潮间带质心位置的偏移产生了一定的影响.     

南海现代沉积地质学的若干问题

本文根据大量实际调查资料,从地质学和海洋沉积学角度,论述南海现代沉积地质学7方面的规律问题,获得初步认识是:(1) 沉积物有8种沉积成因类型,5种沉积环境和相,及具有3次海退、海进旋回的沉积演化模式;(2) 沉积成因类型以陆源碎屑和生物源为主;(3) 生物沉积是判别沉积环境和相的重要标志。沉积物粒度特征,是反映主要水动力作用的可靠标志;(4) 海洋有用砂矿物和锰结核的沉积,受沉积成因类型和沉积环境所控制。     

Fatty acids in recent sediments in the St. Lawrence estuary

Surface sediments along the Rimouski section in the St. Lawrence estuary were sampled at the surface and at 10 cm depth. Fatty acids were extracted and analysed. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acid contents at the two depths vary with the nature of the sediments. The clay sediments rich in organic matter contain more fatty acids than the corresponding sand or gravel. Unsaturated fatty acids were more abundant in the surface sediments. Some iso- and anteiso-odd carbon fatty acids were detected in the sediments; these acids could indicate a microbial activity. Correlation is made with the fatty acid contents of the water column together with the surface microlayer of the estuarine water.     

Dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediment from Guangxi, China

Total of 33 species of dinoflagellate cysts were discovered from surface sediment in the searegion of Guangxi, among them 12 cyst types (Diplopsalopsis sp.1, D. sp. 2, D. sp. 3, Cochlodinium sp., Protoperidinium sp. 1, P. sp. 2, P. compressum , Scrippsiella sp. 1, S. sp. 2, Alexandrium sp. 1, A. sp. 2, A. sp. 3) were first reported from the South China Sea. And one cyst type (Cochlodinium sp.) was first reported in the world. Scrippsiella trochoidea is the dominant species in this area, accounting for 45% of all the cysts. There are 2 cysts of toxic dinoflagellate (Alexandrium tamarensis and Gymnodinium catenatum). But there is no relationship between cyst number and grain size distribution.     

杭州湾近期环境演变与沉积速率

本文追述了杭州湾4万年来的沉积环境演变,论述了近期湾内沉积环境的差异,以及不同时间尺度的沉积速率。从钻孔样品的综合分析得知,4万年来杭州湾和东海大陆架一样亦二经沧桑。陆海变迁不仅在岩性组合、微体古生物诸方面留下确凿证据,而且有确切地貌部位样品~(14)C测年印证。杭州湾3～5m厚的沉积结构特征,显示出其各沉积区环境的明显差异和数百年来的继承性。从全新世沉积层的厚度与年代推算,8000～9000a来其沉积速率一般平均为0.11～0.25cm/a;其口门段中北部细粒沉积物区(锋面活动区),近百年来的沉积速率(~(210)Pb)为1.0～1.2cm/a;有机农药以及风暴层比对的沉积速率与其吻合。     

太平洋沃克环流近几十年来的加强

太平洋沃克环流的强度随全球变暖而减弱,但有研究表明近几十年太平洋沃克环流呈增强趋势,两者是否矛盾?文章用1979年至2014年的再分析数据资料分析了近几十年来太平洋沃克环流强度的变化特征,各要素场均表明太平洋沃克环流的强度在过去几十年呈显著的增强趋势,且太平洋沃克环流的强度在年际变化尺度上与ENSO相关性很强。之前有关太平洋沃克环流的研究多局限于太平洋海盆内部,文章通过印太三极模态理论对太平洋沃克环流的年代际变化进行解释。研究发现,印度洋沃克环流与太平洋沃克环流存在同样的增强趋势。印太暖池海温、印度洋?太平洋沃克环流及海洋性大陆区域上升运动组成了一个简单的反馈系统,暖池海温的升高使海洋性大陆区域大气辐聚上升运动增强,两沃克环流随之增强;底层纬向风的增强使暖池区域的暖水堆积增多,从而使暖池区海温进一步升高,两沃克环流也进一步增强。同时近几十年太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)由暖位相到冷位相的转换导致中东太平洋海温降低,暖池增暖及中东太平洋变冷使太平洋海温梯度增加,最终导致太平洋沃克环流过去几十年的增强。