南海北部末次冰盛期晚期以来冰融水与气候事件记录:长链脂肪醇陆源输入指示

对南海北部陆坡Site4B站位末次冰盛期晚期至全新世(30~120cm)长链脂肪醇分布及碳同位素组成进行讨论,结果表明,长链脂肪醇碳优势指数(CPI,10.49~24.56)、平均碳链长(ACL,28.91~29.99)以及平均碳同位素组成(–28.85±0.97‰~–32.92±1.38‰)均反映了陆源C3植物来源,代表了沉积物中陆源输入。Site4B站位末次冰盛期末至晚更新世末(65~102cm,19.343~11.636ka BP)普遍较低的陆源输入均响应了大规模的冰融水事件19ka-MWP、MWP-1A、MWP-1B(melt water pulse,MWP)和暖气候事件(B/A事件),不具冰期/间冰期旋回变化特征。在末次冰盛期晚期(102~120cm)和全新世(30~60cm,10.490~约7.104 ka BP)陆源输入的旋回变化均反映了加强/减弱的冬季风/夏季风旋回变化,其中在末次冰盛期晚期记录一次冬季风最强事件,在早全新世至9.940ka BP记录一次夏季风最强事件。通过Site4B站位末次冰盛期末至晚更新世末(19.343~约11.636 ka BP)千年尺度陆源输入分布特征和全球冰期/间冰期旋回气候变化的对比,发现不具明确的区域对比性,可能受到低纬地区局地环境的作用所致。     

~(35)SO_4~(2-)示踪法测定九龙江河口沉积中硫酸盐还原速率

在2011年7月利用35SO2-4培养示踪法测定九龙江河口两个站位(A站位位于咸淡混合区,盐度3~5;B站位位于海相区,盐度20~25)沉积柱中硫酸盐还原速率的垂直分布。结果显示A站位沉积柱中硫酸盐还原速率变化范围为54~2 345nmol/(cm3·d),从表层到底部先增大后减小,最大值出现在20cm深度附近;B站位硫酸盐还原速率在24~987nmol/(cm3·d)之间,分别在10cm和78cm深度附近出现两个峰值,分别为876nmol/(cm3·d)和987nmol/(cm3·d)。综合分析两个站位孔隙水中SO2-4、甲烷浓度和沉积物中总有机碳、温度和氧化还原电位的垂直变化趋势与其硫酸盐还原速率的分布规律,表明A站位沉积物中硫酸盐还原以有机矿化为主;B站位受到有机质矿化和甲烷厌氧氧化的共同作用;两个站位硫酸盐还原速率及垂直分布趋势受孔隙水中SO2-4浓度、有机质活性和温度的共同影响;根据各个层位硫酸盐还原速率估算两个站位硫酸盐还原通量(以硫计)分别为527.9mmol/(m2·d)和357.1mmol/(m2·d),表明硫酸盐还原是九龙江河口有机质厌氧矿化的重要路径。     

泸沽湖沉积物正构烷烃分布特征及其古植被意义

利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪从泸沽湖沉积物中检测出丰富的正构烷烃系列分子化石,泸沽湖沉积物正构烷烃分布特征可归纳为双峰前峰型和双峰后峰型,说明泸沽湖沉积有机质母质来源为混源。较高丰度的中等长度正构烷烃及Paq和(C15+C17+C19)/(C27+C29+C31)比值等指标指示挺水植物及沉水/漂浮植物等水生植物贡献量较大,同时,也说明较大的内源输入可能是泸沽湖TOC含量较高的原因之一。主峰碳及正构烷烃代用指标(C27+C29)/(C31+C33)比值和ACL指示泸沽湖沉积有机质木本植物输入量占优势,这与现今泸沽湖流域植被类型特征相符。纵向上,(C27+C29)/(C31+C33)比值和ACL没有明显的阶段性和趋势性变化,反映出正构烷烃记录的泸沽湖流域草本植被与木本植被相对变化不明显。不同沉积时期正构烷烃分布特征有所不同。3万年以来泸沽湖流域植被演化特征可以分为3个阶段:30~20cal.kaBP气候偏干冷,沉积有机质母质主要为低等水生生物和藻类,沉水和漂浮植物也有较大贡献;20~5cal.kaBP为相对暖湿的气候环境,陆源高等植被对泸沽湖沉积有机质的贡献增加;5~0cal.kaBP(对应剖面205~0cm)气候有变冷干的趋势,沉积有机质物源以低等水生生物和藻类为主,同时,具有较多高等植物和沉水/漂浮植物输入。泸沽湖流域12kaBP为干冷气候时期,这在时间与气候特征上与YD事件相符,可能是西南季风对YD事件的响应。     

南黄海表层沉积物中正构烷烃的组成特征、分布及其对沉积有机质来源的指示意义

黄海是1个重要的碳汇,其沉积物有机质来源复杂多样,而且在碳循环中的作用不同。边缘海有机质来源的定量估算是碳循环研究中的1个重要内容。正构烷烃是1种常用的指示有机质来源的生物标志物。本文对南黄海63个表层沉积物中正构烷烃的分布及其组成特征进行分析,并与其它生物标志物指标进行对比。结果显示,南黄海区域表层沉积物中正构烷烃多呈现双峰群分布,前峰群短链烷烃无明显奇偶碳数优势,主要来自海洋浮游藻类和细菌;后峰群长链烷烃具有奇碳数优势,主要来自于陆地高等植物,其中草本植物和木本植物来源所占比例相近。短链和长链正构烷烃在黄海中部都有高值分布,主要受中部细颗粒沉积物的吸附作用及较低的沉积速率影响。陆源海源烷烃含量比(∑T/∑M)和陆源海源优势烷烃含量比(TAR)对沉积有机质来源的指示是一致的,北部和近苏北沿岸处有高比值分布,指示有较高的陆源输入;低比值区分布于中南部,指示陆源输入较少。∑T/∑M(以及TAR)与生物标志物指标(∑T/1.5∑B)的分布趋势相似,只是北部高值区相对明显程度有所差别,可能与北部细菌作用较强、水深较大导致短链正构烷烃降解程度较大有关。     

环雷州半岛近海表层沉积物有机碳分布及其控制因素分析

对环雷州半岛近海43个海底表层沉积物的总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)、沉积介质条件(包括沉积物粒度)进行了分析,探讨了沉积物TOC、TN的区域分布特征以及影响有机碳分布的主要因素。结果表明,环雷州半岛近海海域海底表层沉积物有机碳含量在0～0.79%之间,平均值为0.26%。与中国其它近海海域相比,环雷州半岛大部分近海区域海底表层沉积物有机碳含量明显偏低,为有机质贫乏区,仅雷州半岛西南部流沙湾近海海域为TOC相对高值区。总氮含量也不高,在0.011%到0.100%之间,TOC与TN存在较强的正相关性,且平面上TOC与TN分布高度重合,显示氮元素主要以有机化合物形式存在。TOC/TN比值在5.1～14.3之间,表明沉积有机质具有陆源输入和海洋自生来源的混合特征,但以雷州半岛西侧北部及东侧中部海域受陆源有机质输入影响更大。大多数站位海底沉积物粒度构成以粉砂为主、粘土次之,少数站位以砂质沉积为主。沉积物有机碳含量与粘土及粉砂含量呈弱正相关性,与沉积物pH值、Eh值及砂含量呈弱负相关性,这表明海底沉积物有机质丰度受有机质来源输入、海底氧化还原状态和沉积水动力条件(沉积物粒度)等因素综合控制。     

长江口及邻近海域现代沉积物中正构烷烃分子组合特征及其对有机碳运移分布的指示

报道了长江口及邻近海域现代沉积物中正构烷烃的浓度及分布特征,通过因子分析法对正构烷烃来源进行了探讨.结果表明,调查站位正构烷烃主要可归纳为3种类型:陆源输入优势型(单峰群)、陆源和海洋内生混合类型(双峰群)和石油类污染类型(单峰型,不具奇偶优势).长江口邻近站位正构烷烃色谱指标的突变,是长江河口区2种不同水团造成沉积物差异的客观反映.除P4外,研究站位总正构烷烃含量(∑n-Alk)与有机碳总量(TOC)相关性良好,且长江口东南-浙江沿岸软泥区正构烷烃的陆源高等植物组分(TER-Alk)、海洋内生组分(PL-1)、奇偶碳优势指数(CPI)等指标与运移距离呈线形关系.在因子分析显示不同来源的4种正购烷烃中,以陆源烷烃输入比重最大(51.5%),在陆源烷烃中又以东海河流物质贡献最大(49.1%);根据因子负荷差异,推测东海北部沉积有机质可能多数来源于苏北沿岸及老黄河口水下三角洲,冲绳海槽区则可能大部分来源于长江及东海内陆架物质,并探讨了其运移机理.     

渤海-北黄海表层沉积物中正构烷烃的组合特征及其指示意义的探讨

正构烷烃的组合特征是古环境研究的有力工具,但在渤海-北黄海低碳数正构烷烃的来源及其指示意义的研究还较缺乏。本文主要对渤海-北黄海60个站位表层沉积物中的正构烷烃(C14~C38)的组成、分布、各指标间的相关性及其来源进行了研究。研究结果表明:(1)渤海-北黄海的正构烷烃组成呈单峰模式,C27、C29、C31正构烷烃含量较高,且具有明显奇碳优势。(2)各个站位中高碳数正构烷烃碳优势指数(CPIH)空间分布表明该研究海域陆源输入主要沉积在河口;烷烃指数(AI)表示该海域整体上陆源输入的草本植物与木本植物所占比例相似;低碳数正构烷烃碳优势指数(CPIL)的平均值为0.9,不具有奇偶碳优势,可能受到石油及其衍生物的影响。(3)主成分分析(PCA)发现渤海-北黄海表层沉积物中高低碳数正构烷烃分布不仅受水动力影响,来源也是其分布的重要影响因素。(4)将高碳数正构烷烃相对含量((C27+C29+C31)/TOC)和低碳数正构烷烃相对含量((C15+C17+C19)/TOC)分别与三种浮游植物生物标志物相对含量((B+D+A)/TOC)做相关性分析,进一步表明该研究海域高碳数正构烷烃来自陆源输入,C15、C17、C19正构烷烃不能作为海源生物标志物。此外,降解指数(C26正构醇/C29正构烷烃)与C15+C17+C19正构烷烃含量的对比表明降解不是该研究海域低碳数正构烷烃分布的主要控制因素。低碳数正构烷烃的来源和分布控制机制还有待进一步研究。     

海南岛近海海域7个沉积岩芯的现代沉积速率及其分布特征

利用多道α能谱仪,对2005年8～9月在海南岛近海采集的7个沉积岩芯进行了210Pb的沉积速率测定,探讨了海南岛近海陆架上现代沉积速率的区域性分布特征,结果表明:位于港湾内的B1168站位由于沉积物供应充足,有最高的沉积速率,达2.9 cm/a;位于河口海湾附近且受沿岸流影响的B289站位,有很高的沉积速率,可达1.6 cm/a,沉积环境较稳定;位于西南海底沙脊区北缘且靠近昌化江河口的B97、B135、B10站位也有较高沉积速率,分别达到1.0、0.89和0.47 cm/a,在表层都出现了210Pb放射性活度倒置的现象,表明所处区域有较强混合作用;处于西南外陆架的C4站位受北部湾环流影响,沉积速率为0.6 cm/a;位于东部外陆架的B377站位处于上升流区,沉积速率较低,为0.21 cm/a.可见,海南岛近海陆架上的现代沉积速率存在着明显的区域分布:在物质来源丰富的沿岸流作用区和河口区附近,现代沉积速率很高;在陆架环流沉积作用区,现代沉积速率也较高;在水深较大的外陆架上,由于沉积物供应相对匮乏,沉积速率一般较低;在近岸潮流沙脊区,由于水动力很强,无法形成现代细粒沉积.同时,在陆架上,沉积速率有随着水深的增加而降低的趋势.由此可见,海南岛近海海域的沉积速率与该区的物质供应、水动力条件和海底地形等因素有密切关系.     

南海沉积物中的正构烷烃和多环芳烃的分布及来源(英文)

重点研究南海沉积物中烃类化合物的有机地球化学特征,讨论了南海沉积物中有机物质的分布和来源。其中正构烷烃分布在Ｃ１６－Ｃ３３奇偶优势不明显,结合其轻重比值,显示有机质的输入在大部分站位以海洋源为主,在一些站位陆源输入的贡献也比较明显,海源输入中又以藻类等有机碎屑的贡献最大。在南海沉积物中共检出６０余种环芳烃,高环化合物（四环和五环）的总含量明显高于其他组分。一些陆源特征标志物如惹烯、烷基屈等化合物被检出,在大多数样品中都发现有的存在,推测其可能来源应是燃烧产物,而非陆源输入。     

南黄海海底沉积物饱和烃类地球化学特征及其指示意义

南黄海海底沉积物正构烷烃分布具有3种类型：第1类以低碳数占优势,主要来源于以浮游生物和细菌为主的有机质;第2类以高碳数占优势,主要来源于以陆源高等植物蜡供应为主的有机质;第3类显示双峰特征,陆源高等植物蜡与浮游生物和细菌均具有一定的贡献。Pr／Ph比值的范围为0．174～0．753之间,显示植烷优势,代表还原环境,其中,一些Pr／Ph比值相对较高的站位也一定程度上反映了存在陆生高等植物的贡献。藿烷和甾烷组成指示,有机质主要来源于陆地植物,沉积物来源区所处的环境为大陆、港湾及河湾及其过渡环境。一些站位样品的藿烷和甾烷等相关参数显示,南黄海海底沉积物具有较高的成熟度,明显偏离现代生物所应有的藿烷和甾烷等相关参数范围,表明有石油源有机质混入的迹象,混入的石油源烃可能来自人类活动和海底油气渗漏。     

流体迁移和海底地形与天然气水合物的形成

使用重力取样器、渔网、深潜器等手段,已经在海底及以下浅表层的区域采获天然气水合物样品,但关于浅表层水合物的发育机制、分布规律、与海底地形的关系等问题还缺乏基本认识。根据2006年鄂霍次克海天然气水合物调查航次的调查数据,发现萨哈林东北陆坡区,特别是中、下陆坡区发育大量海底凸起。这些凸起一般呈不对称的丘形,宽几百米,高几十米。与海底沙波、沙脊不同,海底凸起为孤立海底地形,在南北方向上并不连续。海底剖面仪结果清楚地显示古陆坡凸起的发育。现今海底陆坡凸起的幅度普遍地要小于古陆坡凸起的幅度,个别地方古今陆坡凸起的形态有所变化,但大部分古、今陆坡凸起是一一对应的,基本形态没有根本变化。在萨哈林陆坡地区存在两个方向的挤压应力场,分别是由德鲁根盆地向萨哈林陆坡方向的挤压应力场和萨哈林陆坡沿萨哈林走滑断裂向南的挤压应力场,海底陆坡凸起是这两大应力场复合作用的结果。浊反射区中的游离气是底辟构造中的超高压多相物质向上迁移形成的,浊反射区上方对应的海底凸起应该是宏观构造挤压和局部底辟发育叠合的结果,浊反射区上方的海底凸起,在形态等方面应该和其他仅由挤压构造原因形成的凸起有所区别,比如顶部发育裂口等。在底辟构造中,由于游离气体的向上迁移,在整个水合物稳定域中从下到上,直至海底都可能形成水合物。     

Pore- and fracture-filling gas hydrate reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II Green Canyon 955 H well

High-quality logging-while-drilling (LWD) downhole logs were acquired in seven wells drilled during the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II in the spring of 2009. Well logs obtained in one of the wells, the Green Canyon Block 955 H well (GC955-H), indicate that a 27.4-m thick zone at the depth of 428 m below sea floor (mbsf; 1404 feet below sea floor (fbsf)) contains gas hydrate within sand with average gas hydrate saturations estimated at 60% from the compressional-wave (P-wave) velocity and 65% (locally more than 80%) from resistivity logs if the gas hydrate is assumed to be uniformly distributed in this mostly sand-rich section. Similar analysis, however, of log data from a shallow clay-rich interval between 183 and 366 mbsf (600 and 1200 fbsf) yielded average gas hydrate saturations of about 20% from the resistivity log (locally 50−60%) and negligible amounts of gas hydrate from the P-wave velocity logs. Differences in saturations estimated between resistivity and P-wave velocities within the upper clay-rich interval are caused by the nature of the gas hydrate occurrences. In the case of the shallow clay-rich interval, gas hydrate fills vertical (or high angle) fractures in rather than filling pore space in sands. In this study, isotropic and anisotropic resistivity and velocity models are used to analyze the occurrence of gas hydrate within both the clay-rich and sand dominated gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs in the GC955-H well.     

Pockmarks in the floor of Penobscot Bay,Maine

Hundreds of depressions (pockmarks) were found within a 40 square kilometer area of the sea floor near the head of Penobscot Bay, Maine. These roughly circular depressions range in diameter from 10 to 300 meters and extend as much as 30 meters below the surrounding sea floor. The pockmarks have formed in marine mud of Holocene age, which unconformably overlies glaciomarine deposits.The presence of shallow interstitial gas in the mud suggests that the pockmarks are related to the excipe of gas from the sediments, although other factors must be involved.     

The ICE-MOSES experiment: Mapping permafrost zones electrically beneath the Beaufort Sea

A novel variation of the geophysical technique known as MOSES, for Magnetometric Off-Shore Electrical Sounding, has been developed to map the electrical properties of the sea floor in Aretic regions. The particular target is the permafrost layer under the Beaufort Sea, a layer containing frozen or partially frozen sediment from 100 to 600 m thick underlying shallow sea water, typically 10 to 100 m deep, and several tens of metres of soft sediment. A detailed knowledge of the location and physical properties of the permafrost layer is essential for accurate interpretation of reflection seismic data. The permafrost can contain pockets, regions or layers of gas hydrate. The latter is both a possible resource and a hazard to drilling operations or hydrocarbon production. A local map of the permafrost zone is essential geotechnical information required prior to the construction of an offshore structure or pipeline.The MOSES method is particularly suitable for offshore electrical mapping as it can be made relatively insensitive to the shielding effects of the highly conductive sea water, in sharp contrast to many other electrical techniques. The transmitter is a vertical, long-wire bipole, extending from the sea surface to the sea floor. A commutated current is fed to two large electrodes: one near the sea surface and the other on the sea floor. The return current is through the sea water and the subjacent sediment. The receiver consists of two horizontal orthogonal coils located on the sea floor, and the data are measurements of two components of the magnetic field as a function of frequency and transmitter-receiver horizontal separation.The electrical conductivity of a sample of frozen material is much smaller than that of unfrozen or partially frozen sediment of the same type. Frozen and unfrozen thin layers are often observed sequentially throughout the geological section. The resistivity measured as a function of depth by an electrical logging tool is consequently highly variable. The resulting depth-averaged resistivity, the resistivity resolved by a surface electrical method, is macro-an-isotropic. An experimental design study reveals that both the vertical and horizontal averaged resistivities could be determined in a MOSES sounding without vertical scale distortion.A test of the methodology in very shallow water was conducted in the spring of 1986 at a site, approximate coordinates (70° N, 134.5° W), 85 km north-west of the town of Tuktoyaktuk. The instrumentation was lowered and subsequently recovered through holes in the ice which covers the Beaufort Sea at that time of the year. The transmitter power was obtained from a single lead-acid battery. Transmitter-receiver separations ranged from 10 to 300 m. A rapid increase in sediment resistivity with depth was observed. The higher resistivity values are consistent with those expected for a partially frozen zone.     

Time-evolution of high-resolution topographic measurements of the sea floor using a 3-D laser line scan mapping system

A laser line scan system was used to characterize the high-resolution spatial variability and temporal evolution of the sea floor as a function of environmental conditions for a small section of the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico during a period of nine days. High-resolution bathymetric profiles (<1 mm) covering about two sand ripple periods on the sea floor were acquired over a one-dimensional transect 1.35 m in length. The system was also used to measure reflectance and to produce three-dimensional bottom maps of the test area. Over the nine-day period, the sand ripple peak-to-trough height was observed to decrease slowly from about 2.5 cm to about 2.0 cm. Similar gradual changes we also observed in the time-evolution of bottom profile correlations and of the bottom roughness spectra. However, when smaller sections were examined individually, the time-evolution of the profile correlation was observed to vary acutely and in a transitory manner in some regions but not in others, and without preference for crests or troughs. In general, bottom roughness for spatial frequencies greater than 0.044 cycles/cm completely decorrelated within 20-30 h. However, this gradual trend was also marked by acute and transitory changes in bottom topography believed to be primarily from fish feeding on epibenthic prey.     

东海天然气水合物的地震特征

使用中国科学院海洋研究所“科学一号”调查船于2001年以及20世纪80年代在东海地区采集的多道地震资料,以海域天然气水合物研究为目的,对这些资料进行了数据处理并获得了偏移地震剖面。通过对地震剖面的解释,在6条剖面上确定了6段异常反射为BSR,均有振幅强、与海底相位相反的特点。6段BSR基本上都没有出现和沉积地层相交的现象。分析认为,这与东海地区第四纪以来的沉积特征有关,并不能由此否认这些异常反射是BSR。6段BSR出现的水深为750~2 000 m,埋深在0.1~0.5 s(双程时间)之间。随着海底深度的增大,BSR埋深有增大的趋势。计算结果显示,6段BSR所处的温度和压力条件都满足水合物稳定赋存所需要的温度和压力条件。本文的BSR主要与北卡斯凯迪亚盆地以及智利海域水合物的温度、压力条件相似,而与日本南海海槽、美国布莱克海台等海域水合物的温度、压力条件相差比较大。在地震剖面上,6段BSR所处的局部构造位置都和挤压、断层有关,有利于水合物的发育;在空间上,它们主要分布在东海陆坡近槽底的位置以及与陆坡相近的槽底。在南北方向上,除分布在吐噶喇断裂和宫古断裂附近外,还与南奄西、伊平屋和八重山热液活动区相邻。热液活动和水合物虽然没有直接的成因关系,但岩浆活动为水合物气源的形成提供了热源条件,为流体和气体的运移、聚集提供了通道条件,从而有利于水合物的发育与赋存。根据地震剖面反射特征推断,剖面A1A2和A14A23发育BSR的位置应该有气体或者流体从海底流出,可能是海底冷泉发育的位置。剖面A14A23上BSR发育处,振幅比的异常增大和BSR埋深的降低是相关联的。这种关联支持该处发育海底冷泉的推测。     

Hydrocarbon Potential of Pre-cenozoic Strata in the North Yellow Sea Basin

The North Yellow Sea Basin ( NYSB ), which was developed on the basement of North China (Huabei) continental block, is a typical continental Mesozoic Cenozoic sedimentary basin in the sea area. Its Mesozoic basin is a residual basin, below which there is probably a larger Paleozoic sedimentary basin. The North Yellow Sea Basin comprises four sags and three uplifts. Of them, the eastern sag is a Mesozoic Cenozoic sedimentary sag in NYSB and has the biggest sediment thickness; the current Korean drilling wells are concentrated in the eastern sag. This sag is comparatively rich in oil and gas resources and thus has a relatively good petroleum prospect in the sea. The central sag has also accommodated thick Mesozoic-Cenozoic sediments. The latest research results show that there are three series of hydrocarbon source rocks in the North Yellow Sea Basin, namely, black shales of the Paleogene, Jurassic and Cretaceous. The principal hydrocarbon source rocks in NYSB are the Mesozoic black shale. According to the drilling data of Korea, the black shales of the Paleogene, Jurassic and Cretaceous have all come up to the standards of good and mature source rocks. The NYSB owns an intact system of oil generation, reservoir and capping rocks that can help hydrocarbon to form in the basin and thus it has the great potential of oil and gas. The vertical distribution of the hydrocarbon resources is mainly considered to be in the Cretaceous and then in the Jurassic.     

The subaqueous delta of the modern Huanghe (Yellow River)

The subaqueous delta of the Huanghe (Yellow River) has been studied using high-resolution acoustic systems. There are many subtle variations in sea floor morphology and sediment geometries; smooth, featureless areas are rare. The main components of the subaqueous delta include broad, shallow channels; moderately disturbed areas with near-surface cut and fill structures; heavily disturbed areas with sea floor depressions, pits, and gullies; and a smooth, gently sloping distal delta apron or rise. These features are not directly related to sediment settling from dilute surface plumes but are due to gravity-driven hyperpycnal underflows, submarine mass movements, and silt flows.     

Late Pleistocene to Holocene sedimentation and hydrocarbon seeps on the continental shelf of a steep,tectonically active margin,southern California,USA

Small, steep, uplifting coastal watersheds are prolific sediment producers that contribute significantly to the global marine sediment budget. This study illustrates how sedimentation evolves in one such system where the continental shelf is largely sediment-starved, with most terrestrial sediment bypassing the shelf in favor of deposition in deeper basins. The Santa Barbara–Ventura coast of southern California, USA, is considered a classic area for the study of active tectonics and of Tertiary and Quaternary climatic evolution, interpretations of which depend upon an understanding of sedimentation patterns. High-resolution seismic-reflection data over >570 km² of this shelf show that sediment production is concentrated in a few drainage basins, with the Ventura and Santa Clara River deltas containing most of the upper Pleistocene to Holocene sediment on the shelf. Away from those deltas, the major factor controlling shelf sedimentation is the interaction of wave energy with coastline geometry. Depocenters containing sediment 5–20 m thick exist opposite broad coastal embayments, whereas relict material (bedrock below a regional unconformity) is exposed at the sea floor in areas of the shelf opposite coastal headlands. Locally, natural hydrocarbon seeps interact with sediment deposition either to produce elevated tar-and-sediment mounds or as gas plumes that hinder sediment settling. As much as 80% of fluvial sediment delivered by the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers is transported off the shelf (some into the Santa Barbara Basin and some into the Santa Monica Basin via Hueneme Canyon), leaving a shelf with relatively little recent sediment accumulation. Understanding factors that control large-scale sediment dispersal along a rapidly uplifting coast that produces substantial quantities of sediment has implications for interpreting the ancient stratigraphic record of active and transform continental margins, and for inferring the distribution of hydrocarbon resources in relict shelf deposits.     

Depositional environments inferred from variations of calcium carbonate,organic carbon,and sulfide sulfur: A core from southeastern Arabian Sea

The variations in CaCO₃ and organic carbon and their inter-relationship in a core from the southeastern Arabian Sea (water depth 2,212 m) have been used to demarcate the Holocene/Pleistocene boundary; an increased terrigenous deposition during Late Pleistocene has been inferred. The higher contents of organic carbon and sulfide sulfur and their negative relationship clearly establish the existence of a reducing environment below 65 cm subbottom depth. The occurrence of pyrite framboids and crystals, present only on the surface of fecal pellets (80–85 cm), has been discussed in terms of significance of reducing microenvironment.