Physical properties of sediment from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

This study characterizes cored and logged sedimentary strata from the February 2007 BP Exploration Alaska, Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey (BPXA-DOE-USGS) Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well on the Alaska North Slope (ANS). The physical-properties program analyzed core samples recovered from the well, and in conjunction with downhole geophysical logs, produced an extensive dataset including grain size, water content, porosity, grain density, bulk density, permeability, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and petrography.This study documents the physical property interrelationships in the well and demonstrates their correlation with the occurrence of gas hydrate. Gas hydrate (GH) occurs in three unconsolidated, coarse silt to fine sand intervals within the Paleocene and Eocene beds of the Sagavanirktok Formation: Unit D-GH (614.4 m-627.9 m); unit C-GH1 (649.8 m-660.8 m); and unit C-GH2 (663.2 m-666.3 m). These intervals are overlain by fine to coarse silt intervals with greater clay content. A deeper interval (unit B) is similar lithologically to the gas-hydrate-bearing strata; however, it is water-saturated and contains no hydrate.In this system it appears that high sediment permeability (k) is critical to the formation of concentrated hydrate deposits. Intervals D-GH and C-GH1 have average “plug” intrinsic permeability to nitrogen values of 1700 mD and 675 mD, respectively. These values are in strong contrast with those of the overlying, gas-hydrate-free sediments, which have k values of 5.7 mD and 49 mD, respectively, and thus would have provided effective seals to trap free gas. The relation between permeability and porosity critically influences the occurrence of GH. For example, an average increase of 4% in porosity increases permeability by an order of magnitude, but the presence of a second fluid (e.g., methane from dissociating gas hydrate) in the reservoir reduces permeability by more than an order of magnitude.     

Grain size and depositional environment as predictors of permeability in coastal marine sands

More than half of the surface sediments covering the continental shelves are sandy, which may permit substantial sub-seafloor pore water advection. Knowledge of sediment permeability is required for quantifying advection and associated solute transport, but studies of marine sediments typically report grain size analyses rather than permeability. Here data from 23 studies were examined to determine the range in permeabilities reported for sublittoral marine sands and to assess the utility of permeability–grain size relationships in this setting. In the resulting database, the permeability of small (∼30 cm) undisturbed cores collected from the sea floor all fell between 2 × 10⁻¹² and 4 × 10⁻¹⁰ m², a range where advective transport induced by wave and current action should be pervasive. The range in grain size was very similar for near-shore (<10 m water depth) and continental shelf samples (>10 m water depth), but the permeability of the continental shelf samples was consistently lower for the same median grain size. Empirical permeability–grain size relationships generated a poor fit (r² = 0.35) for the aggregate data, but separate relationships for near-shore and continental shelf samples were significantly better, r² = 0.66 and 0.77, respectively. Permeability–grain size relationships thus may be useful for sublittoral sands, but a larger database needs to be accumulated before reliable fit parameters and variability can be predicted. Thus it is recommended that permeability be routinely determined when characterizing sedimentological properties of marine sand deposits. Concurrent determinations of sediment bulk density and porosity may further improve estimates of permeability.     

A comparison of non-hydrolytic methods for extracting amino acids and proteins from coastal marine sediments

Advances in analytical techniques now allow for the potential analysis of intact peptides and proteins isolated from marine sediments. However, there is no established technique for the extraction of macromolecular materials from marine sediments. Six different methods for extracting the amino acid component from coastal marine sediments were compared to the standard hot acid hydrolysis technique for their percent recovery and amino acid composition. The standard hot acid hydrolysis on dried, whole sediments released the greatest concentration of total amino acids (PS-THAA; 3.52 mg gdwt^− 1 ± 10% (SMD)), yet this only accounted for 22% of the total nitrogen in Puget Sound sediments (Washington, USA). Repeated hydrolysis of the same samples did not improve the recovery of nitrogen by more than an additional 10%. Base extraction (0.5 N NaOH) was the second best method for recovering amino acid nitrogen, releasing 60% of the Puget Sound total hydrolyzable amino acids (PS-THAA) (corresponding to 13% of the total sedimentary nitrogen), and has the advantage that it does not rely on peptide hydrolysis to free the nitrogenous component from the sediment matrix. The amino acid distribution of the 0.5 N NaOH extract was not significantly different than the initial THAA. Other non-hydrolyzing methods released lower yields of amino acids (Triton X-100 ≥ hot water > 50 mM NH₄HCO₃ > HF), but might prove to be of use to investigators interested in specific fractions of sedimentary organic nitrogen because these four methods had distinctly different amino acid compositions (enrichments in basic amino acids and depletions in acidic amino acids). Treatments with HF both before and after traditional hydrolysis and/or extractions with base did not release any more of the sedimentary nitrogen. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a large fraction of the sedimentary nitrogen (TN) is protected within an organic matrix.     

A cross-system analysis of sedimentary organic carbon in the mangrove ecosystems of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam

A cross-system analysis of bulk sediment composition, total organic carbon (TOC), atomic C/N ratio, and carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) in 82 surface sediment samples from natural and planted mangrove forests, bank and bottom of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and the subtidal habitat was conducted to examine the roles of mangroves in sedimentation and organic carbon (OC) accumulation processes, and to characterize sources of sedimentary OC of the mangrove ecosystem of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam. Sediment grain sizes varied widely from 5.4 to 170.2 μm (mean 71.5 μm), with the fine sediment grain size fraction (< 63 μm) ranging from 11 to 99.3% (mean 72.5%). Bulk sediment composition suggested that mangroves play an important role in trapping fine sediments from river outflows and tidal water by the mechanisms of tidal current attenuation by vegetation and the ability of fine roots to bind sediments. The TOC content ranged from 0.08 to 2.18% (mean 0.78%), and was higher within mangrove forests compared to those of banks and bottoms of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and subtidal sediments. The sedimentary δ¹³C ranged from − 27.7 to − 20.4‰ (mean − 24.1‰), and mirrored the trend observed in TOC variation. The TOC and δ¹³C relationship showed that the factors of microbial remineralization and OC sources controlled the TOC pool of mangrove sediments. The comparison of δ¹³C and C/N ratio of sedimentary OC with those of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources indicated that the sedimentary OC within mangrove forests and the subtidal habitat was mainly composed of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources, respectively. The application of a simple mixing model showed that the mangrove contribution to sedimentary OC decreased as follows: natural mangrove forest > planted mangrove forest > tidal flat > creek bank > creek bottom > subtidal habitat.     

Modelling of thermal convection in sedimentary basins and its relevance to diagenetic reactions

Mathematical calculations of thermal convection have been carried out using a porous three-player model to simulate pore-water flow in a sedimentary basin with layers of different permeabilities. The calculated flow lines demonstrate that even very thin layers (< 1 m) with low permeability, like shales in a more permeable sandstone sequence, will split potentially larger convection cells into smaller units of clean sandstone beds which may then be too small to exceed the critical Rayleigh number. In a situation where we have horizontal isotherms, a sandstone bed with 1 Darcy permeability must have a thickness of more than 330 m without shale interbeds for convection to occur. This situation is rarely met in sedimentary basins. In the case of sloping isotherms, non-Rayleigh convection will always occur but the flow rate is proportional to the effective thickness of the bed and the slope of the isotherms. Calculations suggest that the flow rates are insignificant for diagnetic reactions except in situations where we have steeply sloping isotherms eg, around salt domes and igneous or hydrothermal intrusions.Analyses of formation waters from sedimentary basins like the North Sea often show evidence of a crude stratification of the pore water with respect to salinity and isotopic composition. This is evidence suggesting that large scale convection, or other types of mixing, does not take place and positive salinity depth gradient may help to physically stabilize the formation water. The fact that many of the shallow reservoir rocks from the North Sea have formation water with low salinity and negative δ ¹⁸O values suggest that this is modified meteoric water and that migration of petroleum from deeper parts of the basin occurred as a separate phase along restricted migration pathways and was not associated with a high flux of pore water. In the absence of thermal convection the total pore water flux through sandstones will be rather small except locally where we may have focused compactional flow through small cross-sections. Diagenetic reactions will, therefore, normally be relatively isochemical during deeper burial.     

“Uniform geothermal gradient” and heat flow in the Qiongdongnan and Pearl River Mouth Basins of the South China Sea

The Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) and Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) are oil and gas bearing basins in the northern margin of the South China Sea (SCS). Geothermal survey is an important tool in petroleum exploration. A large data set comprised of 199 thermal conductivities, 40 radioactive heat productions, 543 measured geothermal gradient values, and 224 heat flow values has been obtained from the two basins. However, the measured geothermal gradient data originated from diverse depth range make spatial comparison a challenging task. Taking into account the variation of conductivity and heat production of rocks, we use a “uniform geothermal gradient” to characterize the geothermal gradient distribution of the PRMB and QDNB. Results show that, in the depth interval of 0–5 km, the “uniform geothermal gradient” in the PRMB varies from 17.8 °C/km to 50.2 °C/km, with an average of 32.1 ± 6.0 °C/km. In comparison, the QDNB has an average “uniform geothermal gradient” of 31.9 ± 5.6 °C/km and a range between 19.7 °C/km and 39.5 °C/km. Heat flows in the PRMB and QDNB are 71.3 ± 13.5 mW/m² and 72.9 ± 14.2 mW/m², respectively. The heat flow and geothermal gradient of the PRMB and QDNB tend to increase from the continental shelf to continental slope owing to the lithosphereic/crustal thinning in the Cenozoic.     

Sedimentary iron inputs stimulate seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) population growth in carbonate sediments

The relationship between sedimentary Fe inputs and net seagrass population growth across a range of Posidonia oceanica meadows growing in carbonate Mediterranean sediments (Balearic Islands, Spain; SE Iberian Peninsula, Spain; Limassol, Cyprus; Sounion, Greece) was examined using comparative analysis. Sedimentary Fe inputs were measured using benthic sediment traps and the net population growth of P. oceanica meadows was assessed using direct census of tagged plants. The meadows examined ranged from meadows undergoing a severe decline to expanding meadows (specific net population growth, from −0.14 yr⁻¹ to 0.05 yr⁻¹). Similarly, Fe inputs to the meadows ranged almost an order of magnitude across meadows (8.6–69.1 mg Fe m⁻² d⁻¹). There was a significant, positive relationship between sedimentary iron inputs and seagrass net population growth, accounting for 36% of the variability in population growth across meadows. The relationship obtained suggested that seagrass meadows receiving Fe inputs below 43 mg Fe m⁻² d⁻¹ are vulnerable and in risk of decline, confirming the pivotal role of Fe in the control of growth and the stability of seagrass meadows in carbonate sediments.     

The role of permeability evolution in fault zones on the structural and hydro-mechanical characteristics of shortening basins

We examine the role of basin-shortening on the development of structural compartments in passive margin basins. A coupled flow-deformation model is used to follow the evolution of an idealized prismatic basin during lateral shortening. This includes the deformation-induced generation (lateral compaction) and dissipation (hydraulic fracturing) of pore fluid pressures and the resulting natural evolution of an underlying décollement and subsidiary fault structures. This model is used to examine the influence of strata stiffnesses, strain softening, permeability-strain dependence, permeability contrast between layers, and deformation rate on the resulting basin structure and to infer fluid charge within these structures. For a geometry with a permeability contrast at the base of the basin a basal décollement forms as the basin initially shortens, excess pore pressures build from the impeded drainage and hydrofracturing releases fluid mass and resets effective stresses. As shortening continues, thrust faults form, nucleating at the décollement. Elevated pore pressures approaching the lithostat are localized at the hanging wall boundary of the faults. Faults extend to bound blocks that are vertically offset to yield graben-like structural highs and lows and evolve with distinctive surface topography and separate pore pressure signatures. Up-thrust blocks have elevated fluid pressures and reduced effective stresses at their core, and down-thrust blocks the converse. The development of increased permeability on localized fault structures is a necessary condition to yield this up-thrust and down-thrust geometry. In the anti-physical case where evolution of permeability with shear strain is artificially suppressed, pervasive shear develops throughout the basin depth as fluid pressures are stabilized everywhere to the lithostat. Correspondingly, permeability evolution with shear is an important, likely crucial, feedback in promoting localization.     

Geochemical overview and undiscovered gas resources generated from Hamitabat petroleum system in the Thrace Basin,Turkey

Since the first drill in 1957, three oil, 19 gas and condensate fields have been discovered in the Thrace Basin. However, any petroleum system with its essential elements and processes has not been assigned yet. This study consists of two parts, (1) geochemical overview of the previous work in order to get a necessary help to construct a petroleum system and (2) calculation of quantitative undiscovered hydrocarbon resources generated from this system. An extensive overview study showed that the primary reservoir and source rocks in the Thrace Basin are the Middle Eocene Hamitabat sandstones and shales, respectively, hence it appears that the most effective petroleum system of the Thrace Basin becomes the Hamitabat (!) petroleum system. Currently, 18.5 billion m³ of in-place gas, 2.0 million m³ (12.7 million bbl) in-place waxy oil as well as minor amount of associated condensate were discovered from this system. This study showed that the regional distribution of the oil and gas fields almost overlapped with the previously constructed pod of active Hamitabat shales implying that short and up-dip vertical migration pathway of hydrocarbons from the source to trapping side was available. Thermal model demonstrated that hydrocarbon generation from the Hamitabat shales commenced in the Early Miocene. The amount of quantitative gas generation based on the mean-original TOC = 0.94 wt%, mean-original HI = 217 HC/g TOC and the volume of the pod of active source rock = 49 km³ is approximately 110 billion m³ of gaseous hydrocarbons that results in a high generation–accumulation efficiency of 17% when 18.5 billion m³ of already discovered hydrocarbons are considered.     

A simple analysis of oil-induced fracturing in sedimentary rocks

Geometric form of kerogen patches control oil-induced fracturing in impermeable source rocks. Thin elongate kerogen flakes cause lateral fracturing. Kerogen has to occur in spherical or cylindrical forms to induce vertical fractures. If length to width ratio of kerogen flakes is sufficiently large, then lateral fractures are definitely initiated during oil generation in impermeable source rock. Oil and rock compressibilities, and lateral to vertical stress ratio are decisive factors in vertical fracturing in impermeable rocks. Lateral to vertical stress ratio is generally higher than the maximum for oil-induced vertical fracturing in tectonically relaxed sedimentary basins. Oil generation cannot initiate vertical fractures, except when the lateral to vertical stress ratio is reduced below critical level either by tectonic tension or erosion of overburden.When the source rock is permeable, then the rate of oil seepage from kerogen into the surrounding rock is crucial in fracture initiation. Oil-induced fractures cannot form unless permeability, and hence rate of oil seepage from kerogen into the surrounding rock, is non-existent or negligible. Most source rocks have some permeability. Therefore, oil-induced fracture initiation should be a rare phenomenon.     

Extension of the Paraná Basin to offshore Brazil: Implications for coalbed methane evaluation

Coalbed methane (CBM) is a worldwide exploration target of the petroleum industry. In Brazil, the most important coal-bearing succession is associated with the Permian Rio Bonito Formation of the Paraná Basin. The gas-prone areas are located at the southeastern margin of the Paraná Basin and possibly in the offshore region of the northern part of the Pelotas Basin. Coalfields end abruptly at the present day shoreline, a result of rifting of Gondwana and the evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean. All geologic indicators suggest that in pre-rift times the coal seams extended further eastwards, probably now lying deeply buried below the sedimentary succession of the Pelotas Basin. The present paper discusses structural, stratigraphic, seismic and aeromagenetic data that support the preservation of continental crust beneath ocean sediment. If the coal beds had similar lateral extent to known onshore coals, and coal beds extended across the projected extension of the Parana basin, and there was a conservative 5 m of cumulative coal thickness, then a potential methane volume can be estimated for this newly inferred resource. Average onshore coal gas content is 32 scf/ton (1.00 m³/ton). If this is similar in the offshore coal deposits, then the hypothetical methane volume in the offshore area could be in excess of 1.9 × 10¹² scf (56 × 10⁹ m³). Metamorphism from dikes associated with rifting are potential complicating factors in these deposits, and since no borehole reaching the deep-lying strata in the offshore area are available, this is a hypothetical gas resource with a certain level of uncertainty which should be tested in the future by drilling a deep borehole.     

Integrated coastal zone management at Marina di Carrara Harbor: sediment management and policy making

Sediment management is becoming a critical issue around the world, particularly where the development of Harbor facilities, the conservation of coastal environments and needs of tourism compete for sustainable use of sediment resources. In order to apply an Integrated Coastal Zone Management policy, new approaches for management of the dredged harbor material need to be considered by the scientific community and local stakeholders. The information contained in the Italian Ministry of the Environment Acts related to dredging of Carrara Harbor determined the sediment volume dredged between 1993 and 2008 (849,500 m³) and allows us to estimate an average rate of material dredged from the harbor mouth (10,000-13,000 m³/yr). Different management options were chosen by the authorities based on the contamination level of dredged sediment: nourishment (344,500 m³), offshore dumping (305,000 m³), disposal in landfill (10,000 m³) or in Confined Disposal Facilities (215,000 m³). The present study’s goal is to determine the sedimentary budget of the Apuo-Versilian coast and to use the result to guide a compensation strategy to reduce the sediment deficit caused by the disposal of sediments out of the sand-sharing system. In particular, the present study provides a detailed reference frame that can lead to adopt a compensation strategy to balance the eroding evolutionary trend of the coastline adjacent to shallow water dredging areas. The procedure described in the paper is a policy initiative based on scientific results and could provide a model for other jurisdictions developing their own sediment quantitative estimation within an ICZM approach and a sustainable development of sedimentary resource’s management.     

Systematic sequence-scale controls on carbonate cementation in a siliciclastic sedimentary basin: Examples from Upper Cretaceous shallow marine deposits of Utah and Coloradao,USA

Whilst the relationship between stratigraphic development and carbonate cementation within siliciclastic succession has been documented through a number case studies, these studies have been generally restricted to observations upon individual sequences and/or limited sub-surface data. In this paper, long-term (5 million years), large-scale (>200 km) stratigraphic controls on carbonate cementation patterns are documented from the Upper Cretaceous Panther Tongue Member, Blackhawk Formation and Castlegate Sandstone exposed in the Book Cliffs in Utah and Colorado, USA. Together, these comprise eight progradational wedges of sandstones, which interfinger with the Mancos Shale, deposited within the Western Interior Seaway foreland basin. Petrographic analyses of ferroan dolomite cement bodies within these sandstone wedges show that the ferroan dolomite cements are all early, relative to burial diagenesis within the host sandstones. Stable isotope analyses indicates that a significant meteoric component was present in precipitating fluids and this is consistent with the observation that cements, are always present down-dip of sequence boundaries and/or leached whitecaps beneath coals. In addition, the lateral distribution of cement bodies increases consistently up-succession from less than 5 km in extent in the older sequences, to 30 km in extent in the youngest sequences. These changes in distribution are in response to the increased progradation and increased and more aerially extensive sequence-boundary development in younger sequences. The implications of these data are that whilst localized spatial patterns of diagenesis, and in particular carbonate cementation, are predictable and controlled by the nature and presence of individual stratal surfaces, systematic diagenetic alteration patterns are also present at the sedimentary basin scale and controlled by the nature of larger-scale stratigraphic development and basin evolution. This evolution may be driven by eustatic shifts, or through tectonic or climatic driven base-level shifts. These observations allow an improved insight into the basin-scale processes that control the macroscopic diagenetic properties of sedimentary successions and sub-surface hydrocarbon reservoirs.     

How conservative is arsenic in coastal marine environments? A study in Irish coastal waters

The conservative potential of arsenic in the relatively pristine waters of Galway Bay, an estuarine system in the west of Ireland, is examined through the inter-seasonal variations in the distribution of its total, hydride and non-hydride fractions. The arsenic concentrations in Galway Bay and local fresh water sources at all seasons were lower than what is considered the natural seawater concentration of 2 μg L⁻¹ (27 nM). The effects of physical mixing, biological uptake and regeneration of arsenic on its distribution are considered. The degree of biological uptake and regeneration of the element are determined by a first order speciation between total arsenic (a small part of which should be of organic origin) and hydride arsenic (mostly of inorganic origin). The structural similarity of arsenic species to phosphate in seawater causes arsenic to be taken up by biota, which then have to detoxify it, so results are presented against phosphate to determine the degree of biological transformation of arsenic at different seasons. An in-house, batch type system of hydride generation coupled to electro-thermal atomic absorption spectrometry is used for the analysis of arsenic; this is preceded by UV-digestion prior to the measurement of total arsenic. Results show only a small association of arsenic with phosphate but a near linear, positive distribution pattern between arsenic and salinity in Galway Bay (R² ∼ 0.6), which is reproducible among seasons, indicating that in this environment the biological uptake of arsenic is likely to be a much slower process than the physical mixing of the water masses.     

Heat flow anomalies in the Gulf of Cadiz and off Cape San Vincente,Portugal

Heat flow anomalies provide critical information in active tectonic environments. The Gulf of Cadiz and adjacent areas are affected by the plate convergence between Africa and Europe, causing widespread deformation and faulting. Active thrust faults cause lateral movement and advection of heat that produces systematic variations in surface heat flow. In December 2003 new heat flow data were collected during the research vessel Sonne cruise SO175 in the Gulf of Cadiz over two sites of recent focused research activity: (i) the Gulf of Cadiz sedimentary prism and (ii) the Marques de Pombal escarpment. Both features have also been discussed as potential source areas of the Great Lisbon earthquake and tsunami of 1755. Background heat flow at the eastern terminus of the Horseshoe abyssal plain is about 52–59 mW/m². Over the Gulf of Cadiz prism, heat flow decreases from ∼57 mW/m² to unusually low values of 45 mW/m² roughly 120 km eastward. Such low values and the heat flow trend are typical for active thrusting, supporting the idea of an east-dipping thrust fault. Slip rates are 10 ± 5 mm per year, assuming that the fault dips at 2°. A fault dipping at 5°, however, would result into slip rates of 1.5–5 mm per year, suggesting that subduction has largely ceased. Based on seismic data, the Marques de Pombal fault is interpreted as part of an active fault system located ∼100 km westward of Cape San Vincente. Heat flow over the fault is affected by refraction of heat caused by the 1 km high escarpment. Thermal models suggest that the slip rate along the fault must either be small or shear stresses acting on the fault are rather high. With respect to other fault zones, however, it is reasonable to assume that the fault's slip rate is small.     

Temporal changes of accretion rates on an estuarine salt marsh during the late Holocene — Reflection of local sea level changes? The Wadden Sea, Denmark

The temporal variability of estuarine sedimentation has been investigated in the northernmost part of the Wadden Sea (Denmark), using an estuarine sedimentary sequence at Ho Havn. The sedimentary sequence appears to have been deposited within the last ∼ 2000 yr based on detailed luminescence dating of the estuarine mud, whose ages range between 225 ± 40 and 2050 ± 300 yr. The age-depth profile reveals that the sedimentation rate has varied considerably in the past. Estuarine sedimentation was very rapid ∼ 1400 yr ago; the ages over almost 1 m of sediment are indistinguishable. After this accretion rate of ∼ 9 mm a^− 1, the rate dropped abruptly to ∼ 0.3 mm a^− 1 some time between 1340 and 970 yr ago. This slow rate of accretion continued until ∼ 350 yr ago, when it accelerated to ∼ 1.3 mm a^− 1. These abrupt changes in the accretion rate are possibly related to local sea level fluctuations, thus the period with low accretion rate most probably reflects a situation with a stable or decreasing relative sea level. The rapid deposition of ∼ 0.9 m of sediment within about one century some 1400 yr ago shows that large amounts of fine-grained sediment were available for deposition in the region at that time, and an increasing relative sea level was most probably responsible for the creation of the accommodation space for sedimentation. Recent studies on mudflats and salt marshes in the region also tend to show high accretion rates, indicating that the coastal lagoons could be less vulnerable and threatened by a future sea level rise than generally believed.     

Sediment accumulation rates in subpolar fjords – Impact of post-Little Ice Age glaciers retreat,Billefjorden, Svalbard

The Little Ice Age (∼1600–1900 AD) and 20th century sediment accumulation rates in Billefjorden, a subpolar fjord on Svalbard, were reconstructed by applying ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs and AMS ¹⁴C datings. The modern sediment accumulation rate decreases from more than 0.39 cm y⁻¹ at the fjord head to 0.08 cm y⁻¹ close to the fjord mouth. However, during the Little Ice Age the sediments accumulated at a much lower rate of 0.02 cm y⁻¹ in the central fjord basin. This difference is most likely related to the rapid retreat of glaciers during the 20th century, when most of them withdrew up to 2 km. The post-Little Ice Age increases in temperature and a negative glacier mass balance resulted in a larger meltwater discharge transferring substantial amounts of sediments released from the glaciers, as well as those eroded from previously stored unconsolidated glacial sediments. A comparison of data from the subpolar fjords of Svalbard suggests that the increase in the sediment accumulation rate is a common trend, and further increases might be expected if climate warming continues. The properties of the fjord sediments (grain size, IRD, coarse-fraction composition, clay mineralogy) from the Little Ice Age and the 20th century showed no distinct differences. The change in the accumulation rate may be the most evident sedimentary record of this climatic change.     

Petroleum pollution in surface sediments of Daya Bay,South China,revealed by chemical fingerprinting of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons

Nine surface sediments collected from Daya Bay have been Soxhlet-extracted with 2:1 (v/v) dichloromethane-methanol. The non-aromatic hydrocarbon (NAH) fraction of solvent extractable organic matter (EOM) and some bulk geochemical parameters have been analyzed to determine petroleum pollution of the bay. The NAH content varies from 32 to 276 μg g⁻¹ (average 104 μg g⁻¹) dry sediment and accounts for 5.8–64.1% (average 41.6%) of the EOM. n-Alkanes with carbon number ranging from 15 to 35 are identified to be derived from both biogenic and petrogenic sources in varying proportions. The contribution of marine authigenic input to the sedimentary n-alkanes is lower than the allochthonous input based on the average n-C₃₁/n-C₁₉ alkane ratio. 25.6–46.5% of the n-alkanes, with a mean of 35.6%, are contributed by vascular plant wax. Results of unresolved complex mixture, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, hopanes and steranes also suggest possible petroleum contamination. There is strong evidence of a common petroleum contamination source in the bay.     

The Greenland Sea tracer experiment 1996-2002: Horizontal mixing and transport of Greenland Sea Intermediate Water

In summer 1996, a tracer release experiment using sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) was launched in the intermediate-depth waters of the central Greenland Sea (GS), to study the mixing and ventilation processes in the region and its role in the northern limb of the Atlantic overturning circulation. Here we describe the hydrographic context of the experiment, the methods adopted and the results from the monitoring of the horizontal tracer spread for the 1996-2002 period documented by ∼10 shipboard surveys. The tracer marked “Greenland Sea Arctic Intermediate Water” (GSAIW). This was redistributed in the gyre by variable winter convection penetrating only to mid-depths, reaching at most 1800 m depth during the strongest event observed in 2002.For the first 18 months, the tracer remained mainly in the Greenland Sea. Vigorous horizontal mixing within the Greenland Sea gyre and a tight circulation of the gyre interacting slowly with the other basins under strong topographic influences were identified. We use the tracer distributions to derive the horizontal shear at the scale of the Greenland Sea gyre, and rates of horizontal mixing at ∼10 and ∼300 km scales. Mixing rates at small scale are high, several times those observed at comparable depths at lower latitudes. Horizontal stirring at the sub-gyre scale is mediated by numerous and vigorous eddies. Evidence obtained during the tracer release suggests that these play an important role in mixing water masses to form the intermediate waters of the central Greenland Sea.By year two, the tracer had entered the surrounding current systems at intermediate depths and small concentrations were in proximity to the overflows into the North Atlantic. After 3 years, the tracer had spread over the Nordic Seas basins. Finally by year six, an intensive large survey provided an overall synoptic documentation of the spreading of the tagged GSAIW in the Nordic Seas. A circulation scheme of the tagged water originating from the centre of the GS is deduced from the horizontal spread of the tracer. We present this circulation and evaluate the transport budgets of the tracer between the GS and the surroundings basins. The overall residence time for the tagged GSAIW in the Greenland Sea was about 2.5 years. We infer an export of intermediate water of GSAIW from the GS of 1 to 1.85 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹) for the period from September 1998 to June 2002 based on the evolution of the amount of tracer leaving the GS gyre. There is strong exchange between the Greenland Sea and Arctic Ocean via Fram Strait, but the contribution of the Greenland Sea to the Denmark Strait and Iceland Scotland overflows is modest, probably not exceeding 6% during the period under study.     

Nekton distribution and midwater hypoxia: A seasonal,diel prey refuge?

Hypoxia affects the distribution of pelagic nekton (i.e., fish and large invertebrates) in both marine and freshwater systems. Bottom hypoxia is common, but midwater oxygen minimum layers (OMLs) also develop in marine offshore regions, fjords, and freshwater lakes. Studies of nekton responses to OML in marine ecosystems have primarily occurred in deep, offshore regions with thick, persistent OMLs. Our study examined the response of pelagic nekton to an OML in a shallow temperate fjord, Hood Canal, WA, U.S.A. Using acoustics, we quantified vertical distribution of nekton at two sites (Hoodsport and Duckabush) before (July) and after (September) OML development. Both Hoodsport and Duckabush had strong OML between 10 and 35 m in September, with lower (minimum 0.63 mg L⁻¹) oxygen levels at Hoodsport compared to Duckabush (1.58 mg L⁻¹). The OML did not affect daytime distribution of fish or invertebrates, with both occupying depths >60 m. At night in July, with no OML, invertebrates migrated into waters <20 m and fish dispersed to within 15 m of the surface at both sites. In the presence of the September OML, invertebrates migrated into waters <20 m, but the upper limit of fish vertical distribution stopped at the base of the OML (35 m) at Hoodsport. Fish vertical distribution at Duckabush was less pronounced within and above the OML (10–35 m) than it had been in July. Our results suggest that the OML did not affect invertebrate vertical distribution, but did affect fish vertical migration, and may provide a seasonal, diel prey refuge.