Factors influencing methane-derived authigenic carbonate formation at cold seep from southwestern Dongsha area in the northern South China Sea

This paper carried out mineral and geochemical studies on a profile through a diagenetic methane-derived authigenic carbonate sample that was collected from southwestern Dongsha area of the northern South China Sea. Five samples locating in the cross-sectional middle mainly consist of dolomite and quartz, and two samples close to the surface have a small amount of Mg-calcite. The δ¹³C values of the samples vary between ?30.59 and ?0.30 % VPDB, with δ¹⁸O values ranging from 3.07 to 3.59 % VPDB, δ^44/40Ca values ranging from 1.35 to 1.47 % SRM915a, indicating a contribution of methane to the carbon pool where the precipitation of authigenic carbonates occurred. Based on the isotope values alone, it can not be distinguished if the carbon source is thermogenic gas or a mixture of biogenic methane and marine dissolved inorganic carbon. The δ¹⁸O values are in general consistent with dolomite precipitation from a fluid similar to present seawater. The observed small variation might be related to the oxygen isotope composition of seep fluid. The relative small range in calcium isotope values suggests that relatively constant growth conditions and precipitation from seawater. The central part of the carbonate nodule formed under the strong influence of methane seepage, and the external part is less influenced by methane, either due to reduced methane flux to the surface or caused by erosional exhumation of the carbonate nodule from greater depth to the sediment surface.     

Biogeochemical processes in the Chukchi Sea

Study of biogeochemical processes in water and sediments of the Chukchi Sea in August 2004 revealed atypical maximums of the concentration of biogenic elements (N, P, and Si) and the rate of microbial sulfate reduction in the surface layer (0–3 cm) of marine sediments. The C: N: P ratio in the organic matter (OM) of this layer does not fit the Redfield-Richards stoichiometric model. Specific features of biogeochemical processes in sea are likely related to the complex dynamics of water, high primary productivity (110–1400 mg C/(m² day)), low depth of basin (<50 m in 60% of the water area), reduced food chain due to low population of zooplankton, high density of zoobenthos (up to 4230 g m^?2), and high activity of microbial processes. Drastic decrease in the concentration of biogenic elements, iodine, total alkalinity (Alk), and population of microorganisms beneath the 0–3 cm layer testify to a large-scale OM decay at the water-seafloor barrier. Our original experimental data support the high annual rate of OM mineralization at the bottom of the Chukchi Sea.     

Chemistry of Aerosols over Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea

The contents of elements in aerosols sampled during the First Chinese Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE-1) show great differences from one element to another. Na, K,Ca, Mg, A1, F, and Cl are the major components in the aerosols, whose contents are larger than 30 ng/m^3. The chemical elements whose contents vary between 0.1 - 30 ng/m^3 are Br,Sr, Cr, Ni, and Zn. The chemical elements whose contents are close to or slightly higher than 0.1 ng/m^3 are Rb, Ba, Zr, Th, and Pb. The contents of As, Sb, W, Mo, Au, La, Ce, Nd,Sin, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Sc, Co, Hf, Ta, and Cd are less than 0.1 ng/m^3. The mass concentration data for the same element, as observed during CHINARE-1, are almost accordant, but much lower than what is observed in the China‘ s seas or the coasts of China. The enrichment factor and electron microscopic analyses and lead isotope tracing were used to distinguish their sources.Four groups of sources can be classified as follows: anthropogenic: As, Sb, W, F, Mo, Au,Cu, Pb, Cd, V; crustal: La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Fe, Sc, Cr, Co, Ba, Zr, Hf,Ta, Cs, Mn, Th, U; oceanic:Na, K, Ca, and Mg; and mixing: Rb, Sr, Ca, and Mg.     

Noble metals in the bottom sediments of the Chukchi Sea

Abundance of noble metals (NM) and bulk chemical composition have been studied in bottom sediments of the Chukchi Sea. Distribution of NM and their correlation with major and trace elements in the sediments have been analyzed using multicomponent statistics. It was established that the average contents of NM in the bottom sediments of the Chukchi Sea significantly exceed those both in shelf terrigenous sediments and stratisphere. Osmium and iridium enrich mixed and pelitic sediments relative to shallow-water areas and their influx is presumably determined by erosion of coastal and bottom loose deposits. High Ag, Ru, Au, and Pt contents were identified in the clayey sediments enriched in biogenic elements in the individual areas of the Southern Chukchi plain (Chukchi sea) confined to the intersection zones of submeridional and sublatitudinal structures of the graben-rift system, which was formed in the Mesozoic and activated in the late Cenozoic time.     

Origin of authigenic carbonates in sediment from the deep Bering Sea

Forty beds of authigenic carbonate were identified from the deep Bering Sea in cores taken on Leg 19 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. Carbonate minerals were mainly high-magnesium calcite and protodolomite, less commonly siderite, rhodo-chrosite, low-magnesium calcite, and manganosiderite. Authigenic carbonates cement and replace diatom ooze, ash and bentonite beds, and, less commonly, clastic beds. Replacement zones are as much as 60 cm thick. Eighty-five per cent of carbonate beds occurred below 400 m sub-bottom depth and 70% in sediment older than 4 m.y. δ¹³C values averaged -17.20^0/00 PDB and δ¹⁸O ranged from 18.59 to 34–11^0/00SMOW. The carbon was derived from oxidation of organic matter under anaerobic conditions during bacterial reduction of sulphate, or from CO₂ produced in concert with CH₄ during degradation of organic matter. The cations (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn) were derived from alteration of ash beds. In Bering Sea deposits, ash beds altered to smectite within about 3–5 m.y. Carbonate precipitated simultaneously at different stratigraphic levels within the 627–1057 m sections at temperatures of 7–85°C. No apparent calcite precursor of biogenic origin was found for these authigenic carbonates.     

北极楚科奇海海冰特征研究——以1999年夏季为例

对北冰洋楚科奇海海冰分布、厚度、气/冰/海界面温度场观测,钻取海冰冰芯,观测冰结构的变化,发现3种海冰组合结构: 1)表面融化型; 2)表面和底部融化型; 3)整体融化型. 海冰结构形成的热力学过程为:在气/冰界面上,海冰上表面吸收辐射能使冰体升温,出现表面融化; 在冰/海水界面上,海冰盘与开阔水域的相间分布、相对运动,将周围温度较高的水体输送到海冰的底部,加热、融化海冰底部; 冰体升温,冰晶间盐水膜首先融化,分离冰晶,破坏海冰整体结构. 冰的相变吸热,使其温度维持在融点, 这些过程均衡了夏季北冰洋的温度变化.     

Synoptic forcing of wave states in the southeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska, at an offshore location

A bottom-mounted Recording Doppler Current Profiler was placed at an offshore location (depth of 34 m) in the southeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska, from July through December 2007 (UTC) with the objective of linking observed wave activity—wind-sea and swells—to their synoptic drivers. A total of 47 intervals of elevated wave state were recorded: 29 exceeding 1 m significant wave height (SWH), 16 exceeding 2 m SWH, and 3 m exceeded on two occasions; during one of those, a SWH of 4 m was observed. Detailed analysis of the two large events, including comparison with high-resolution reanalysis wind data (North America Regional Reanalysis), showed wave direction from the east, varied about 15° to the north (counterclockwise) from the wind direction, and current flow in the opposite direction (from the west). This is thought to be the influence of a strong “wind-sea” presence. Regarding classic wave limitations, although the SE Chukchi Sea is a large embayment bordered by land to the east, fetch limitations from the northeast and southeast did not appear to be a constraint for the wind speeds indicated by reanalysis. These two events appeared to be driven by winds associated with cyclonic systems that moved into the eastern Bering Sea and stalled. Examination of smaller waves associated with these events suggested that waves of 1.5 m SWH or less are likely part of another regime and can either be swell or wind-sea, moving in from the open Chukchi Sea to the northwest or through the Bering Strait to the south.     

Evolution and structure of the Ushakov structural zone in the Chukchi Sea

This paper describes the structure and the principal evolutionary stages of the Ushakov postdeposition anticline zone, which is located in the western part of the Chukchi Basin. The Albian-Upper Cretaceous deposits that filled riftogenic zones and the Paleocene-Lower Neocene rocks that formed under the conditions of continuing spreading make up the sedimentary cover, which has undergone substantial deformation because of strike-slip motions. As a result of paleoreconstructions, the principal period of formation for this structure was determined as the Paleocene-Late Miocene, when strike-slip motions of blocks beneath the South Chukchi Basin occurred.     

阿拉斯加北坡盆地楚科奇海域层序格架

阿拉斯加北坡盆地经历了石炭纪—中侏罗世的被动大陆边缘阶段、中侏罗世—早白垩世的波弗特海裂谷阶段、早白垩世晚期—现今的布鲁克斯造山和前陆盆地阶段,盆山格局在古生代和现今发生了反转。盆地楚科奇海域可划分为4个一级层序与8个二级层序:4个一级层序为富兰克林巨层序、埃尔斯米尔巨层序、波弗特海裂谷巨层序、布鲁克林巨层序,层序界面分别为T_(100)、JU、K1;8个二级层序为下埃尔斯米尔超层序(SQ1)、中埃尔斯米超层序(SQ2)、上埃尔斯米尔超层序(SQ3)、下波弗特海裂谷超层序(SQ4)、上波弗特海裂谷超层序(SQ5)、下布鲁克林超层序(SQ6)、中布鲁克林超层序(SQ7)、上布鲁克林超层序(SQ8),层序界面分别为MU、PU、LCU、MAU、MBU。楚科奇海域的有利勘探区带为汉娜坳陷。     

The First Colorimetric Characteristic of Bottom Sediments from the Chukchi Sea

Doklady Earth Sciences - The quantitative characteristics of the bottom sediment color of the Chukchi Sea is presented. The correlation relationships with the contents of grain-size fractions,...     

First data on the Cenozoic section of the Bering Sea Chukchi Shelf

The first deep hole (Tsentral’naya-1) drilled on the Russian shelf of the Bering Sea in 2002 recovered the Cenozoic sedimentary section up to depths of 2785 m¹ This paper discusses results from the log, core, and slime study. The section is composed of Paleocene-Quaternary sediments. It comprises nine sequences (from the top downward): upper Miocene-Pliocene sandy-silty; middle-upper Miocene tuffaceous-diatomite, silty-sandy, shale-siltstone, and coquina-sandstone-siltstone; Eocene-lower Miocene coaliferous and sandstone-shale; Paleocene-lower Eocene volcano-sedimentary. These sequences are correlated with onshore stratigraphic units. The section includes three large unconformities: at the base of the Pliocene (depth of 380 m, base of the Aleksandrovka stratigraphic horizon), at the base of the middle Miocene (depth of 1390 m, base of the Avtakul Horizon), and, presumably, at the base of middle Eocene (depth of 1390 m, base of the Tanyurer Horizon). The last unconformity is accompanied by a kaolinite weathering crust. The section drilled into by Tsentral’naya-1 Hole shows common features for the Cenozoic sedimentary cover through the entire Anadyr basin, despite its significant facies variability.     

Specific chemical and mineral composition of ferromanganese nodules from the Chukchi Sea

The specific chemical and mineral composition of discoid, cake-shaped, and platy ferromanganese nodules (FMNs) from the Chukchi Sea are considered. The main ore components of these FMNs are Fe, Mn, and P. The contents of trace elements (except for Ba and Sr) do not exceed hundredths of percent. Maximum concentrations of most of these elements are specific for the cake-shaped nodules. In general, Mn accumulates most intensely in FMNs. Next (in order of decrease) are Ag(?), Co, and Pb; Sr, Fe, P, Y, and Ca; and Ni, La, Zn, and Cu. As for Ba, Cr, Mg, and K, they do not accumulate in the FMNs. “Dilution” is typical of Si, Al, Na, and Ti. The main ore phases are strengite and amorphous Mn hydroxides. It has been revealed for the first time for the Chukchi Sea that Cu, Zn, Sn, Ni, Pb, W, Bi, Cr, Fe, Ti, Ag, Au, Y, Zr, and La–Nd lanthanides form individual mineral microphases in FMNs: native elements, intermetallic compounds, oxides, and, much more seldom, tungstates, silicates, and phosphates. Accessory ore mineralization is the best pronounced and most diverse in the platy nodules. Though the FMNs from the Chukchi Sea are diagenetic, high-temperature fluids are, most likely, the source of microinclusions of various accessory ore minerals.     

鄂尔多斯盆地渭北地区上三叠统延长组长7油层组碳酸盐结核中自生碳酸盐矿物的特征

早期形成的碳酸盐结核在埋藏期间会经历多种碳酸盐矿物相沉淀的复杂胶结作用,岩石学研究是探究结核成因的关键。通过野外剖面观察、岩石学观察和阴极发光技术,分析了鄂尔多斯盆地渭北地区上三叠统延长组长7油层组泥页岩中各种形状的方解石和白云石结核中自生碳酸盐矿物的特征。这些结核为成岩早期的产物,构成结核的自生碳酸盐矿物特征显著:(1)球粒方解石结核中,方解石呈纤维状或刃片状,球粒间充填晶粒方解石或因压实呈贴面结合,纤维状方解石发桔红色和暗红色2种光,刃片状方解石发暗红色光;(2)粉晶方解石结核中,方解石呈他形粒状,含有机质包裹体或纤维状晶形残余,晶间含沥青和纤维状方解石残余,主要发暗红色光;(3)白云石结核有泥晶和粉晶2种晶体类型,粉晶白云石结核含较多泥质,泥质条带或有机质条带处常见纤柱状白云石;(4)沿裂缝充填的方解石和白云石常呈纤维状或纤柱状结构,发暗红色光或不发光。研究区长7油层组碳酸盐结核中的方解石和白云石具有不同的成因类型和复杂的胶结作用:球粒方解石和泥晶白云石代表了结核开始形成时的胶结作用,可以准确地反映结核的成因;粉晶方解石、粉晶白云石反映了交代成因;裂缝中纤维状、纤柱状方解石和白云石集合体则为结核经历了较强压实作用之后充填裂缝而成。     

Microtextures of authigenic Or-rich feldspar in the Upper Jurassic Humber Group, UK North Sea

ABSTRACT Detrital alkali feldspars currently at burial depths of 3·2–3·5 km in the Upper Jurassic Humber Group of the Fulmar oilfield, UK North Sea, are overgrown and have been partially replaced by authigenic Or‐rich feldspar. Intracrystal microtextures suggest several different provenances for the detrital grains. The overgrowths are uniformly non‐cathodoluminescent and have occasional celsian‐rich zones. Transmission electron microscopy shows that they are composed of a microporous mosaic of subµm‐ to µm‐sized sub‐grains associated with barite, illite and pyrite. The subgrains are somewhat rounded but have an approximate {110} Adularia habit and display a faint modulated microtexture on the nanometre scale. They have triclinic symmetry, but the lattice angles depart only slightly from monoclinic symmetry. These features are characteristic of K‐feldspar precipitated relatively rapidly and at low temperature. Authigenic Or‐rich feldspar has also partially replaced microcline and perthitic albite within the detrital grains, often at a suboptical scale. Although, like diagenetic albitization, replacement by K‐feldspar is probably a very common diagenetic reaction, it has rarely been reported owing to difficulties in imaging the diagnostic textures with the scanning electron microscopy techniques used by most workers. The permeability of the subgrain microtexture may significantly hinder the use of feldspar overgrowths for K/Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of diagenesis, and the existence of suboptical, replacive authigenic K‐feldspar within detrital grains may significantly modify the apparent Ar ages of detrital grains. Similar subgrain microtextures in optically featureless quartz overgrowths are also illustrated.     

Sediment instability related to fluid venting in Miocene authigenic carbonate deposits of the northern Apennines (Italy)

Chemosynthetic carbonates, identified by isotopic, palaeoecological and sedimentological features, are concentrated in middle-late Miocene satellite and foredeep deposits of the northern Apennines. Chemoherms in the foredeep are hosted in thick pelitic intervals, probably deposited in intrabasinal structural highs, which are entirely or partly involved in large slumps, in many cases associated with extrabasinal slides. Sediment textures in carbonates and in the enclosing foredeep pelitic sediments indicate a link between hydrocarbon-fluid venting, sediment deformation and mobilisation, and tectonics. The intensity and style of fluid release phases directly influenced chemoherm typology, and also determined overpressure conditions in low shear strength pelitic sediments, favouring sediment mobilisation and influencing slope instability, which widely affected the Apennine foredeep. Chemosynthetic carbonates are associated with sites of tectonically fractured and compressed sediments in the Apennine foredeep-thrust belt system, thus indicating a relation with the tectonic loading of the Apennine thrust-sheets, which favoured fluid expulsion along forerunner faults. Possible gas hydrate contributions to fluid expulsion processes are discussed, based on sediment textures compared with modern vent areas. Finally, sediment instability may have facilitated a large amount of fluid escape, thus stopping carbonate precipitation.     

楚科奇海融冰过程中的海水结构研究

楚科奇海是北冰洋的陆架海,中部凸起的Herald浅滩对海水流动和海冰融化过程有显著影响。利用我国1999年夏季北冰洋考察数据,讨论了楚科奇海海冰融化过程中的海水结构。结果表明,海区内存在2个相继进入的水团,一个是海冰覆盖期进入的阿纳德尔水(AW),具有低温、高盐、高硅酸盐的特点;另一个是海冰融化后进入的白令海陆架水(BSW),具有高温、低盐、低硅酸盐的特点。在开阔水域,表层水温度达到7℃以上,高于当地气温,是当地太阳辐射的加热作用形成的。开阔海域的水体向冰下扩展,表层水温在1℃以上,形成冰下暖水区,加速了海冰的融化;Her-ald浅滩阻挡了海水的流动形成绕流,其北部处于绕流的死角,表层水温在-1℃以下,形成冰下冷水区。在开阔海域,上层海水的混合深度达到15~20 m,而渗入冰下的暖水深度小于5 m,体现了海冰对暖水渗入的阻滞作用。所有海冰覆盖站位10 m层的叶绿素-a含量都很高,表明冰下海水处于浮游植物大量繁殖的状态,有可能对海水吸收热量和海冰融化产生显著的影响。     

Conditions of the accumulation of organic matter and metals in the bottom sediments of the Chukchi Sea

The chemical composition of bottom sediments in the Chukchi and, partly, East Siberian Seas was studied. In the south and west of the Chukchi Sea, a zone has been detected with the accumulation of sediments rich in organic carbon, an increased background content and anomalies of sulfophile metals (Mo, Zn, Hg, Ag, Au), iron-group metals (V, Ni, Co), and some PGE (Ru, Pt). This zone is confined to the neotectonic active system of rift troughs extending from the Bering Strait and eastern Chukchi Peninsula to the continental slope, where it is bounded by the Cenozoic Charlie rift basin of the Canadian hollow. The geochemical features of the carbon-enriched sediments evidence that they formed under oxygen-deficient conditions and, sometimes, in suboxic and anoxic environments near endogenic water and gas sources. The high carbon and metal contents suggest that the very fine-grained sediments in the rift troughs of the Chukchi Sea are a possible analog of some types of ancient highly carbonaceous sediments belonging to black shales.