The biogeochemistry of sediments in two Gulf of Maine basins

Pore water, sediment and microbiological samples were collected from two areas in the Gulf of Maine. The Jeffreys Basin sediments had low organic carbon and low reduced sulfur values; the quality of their pore water indicated that nitrification and subsequent denitrification were major biogeochemical processes occurring in the upper 115 cm. Sediments from the Wilkinson Basin had higher values of organic carbon and higher reduced sulfur and total plate-count bacteria. These data indicate that the major biogeochemical processes occurring in these sediments are denitrification followed by sulfate reduction. The differences in the rates of these microbially mediated processes can be related to differences in sedimentation rates at the two sites.     

Retention of Co-60 by the sediments of Montsweag Bay,Maine

The retention of radiocobalt, derived from a nuclear power plant, in the sediments of a shallow bay in the Sheepscot estuary, Maine, was examined using a combination of field and laboratory data. Adsorption experiments were designed to simulate the adsorption of cobalt onto natural sediments under natural conditions of suspended particulate concentrations, pH, salinity and flushing time of the bay. These experiments indicated that less than 40 % of the effluent radiocobalt would be expected to be scavenged by suspended particulates. An inventory of Co-60 in the sediments of the bay showed that probably less than 13 % of the total documented release was present. Highest activities of Co-60 were found in the upper parts of intertidal coves of the bay. A qualitative model is presented proposing scavenging of radiocobalt by wind-induced resuspension of fine-grained bottom sediments followed by preferential accumulation of these fine-grained materials in the upper intertidal.     

Seasonal record for alkenones in sedimentary particles from the Gulf of Maine

C_37–39 alkenones and C₃₆ alkenoates, biomarkers of haptophyte origin, were measured in a 10-month sediment trap times series from the Wilkinson Basin in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Highest biomarker flux to the seabed was observed in summertime, the period when surface waters are stratified and a persistent, subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) exists within the upper thermocline and at the base of the euphotic zone throughout the GOM. Comparison of biomarker content and composition of sediment trap particles and underlying surface sediments indicates significant loss (>50%) of signal due to the impact of early diagenesis. Despite such loss, however, C₃₇ alkenone unsaturation patterns (U₃₇^K′) are not altered. Estimates of algal growth temperature made from analysis of U₃₇^K′ in these sedimentary materials correspond with water temperature measured at the SCM, identifying this biological oceanographic feature as a key site of alkenone export production to the GOM sediment record. Given the common occurrence of SCM in surface waters of the world ocean, particularly the expansive oligotrophic regions of the subtropical to temperate ocean, export of alkenones produced within such features is a potentially widespread biological oceanographic phenomenon which shapes the sediment record for these biomarkers.     

芬迪湾、缅因湾和圣劳伦斯湾潮汐共振的数值研究

本文采用"初值方法"研究了芬迪湾、缅因湾和圣劳伦斯湾的潮汐共振情况。结果表明,缅因-芬迪湾系统共振是由陆架共振造成的,最强共振周期约为13.0h。芬迪湾次强共振周期约为9.2h,是由该海湾本身的四分之一波长共振引起的。圣劳伦斯湾共振现象主要体现在其东北海区,共振周期约为9.2h,可能是由半波长共振引起的。     

Physical properties of the shallow sediments in late Pleistocene formations,Ursa Basin,Gulf of Mexico,and their implications for generation and preservation of shallow overpressures

Understanding the evolution of abnormally high fluid pressures within sedimentary formations is critical for analysing hydrogeological processes and assessing drilling risks. We have constructed a two-dimensional basin model and have performed numerical simulations to increase the understanding of the history of fluid flow and shallow overpressures in the Pleistocene and Holocene formations in the Ursa basin, deepwater Gulf of Mexico. We measured physical properties of sediments, such as porosity and permeability, in the laboratory and estimated in situ pore pressures from preconsolidation pressures. We obtained porosity–effective stress relationships from measurements of bulk density, grain density and preconsolidation pressures in the laboratory. Porosity–effective stress relationships were also obtained from downhole density logs and measured pore pressures. The porosity–effective stress and porosity–permeability relationships obtained were applied in two-dimensional basin simulations. Results showed that high pore pressures developed shortly after sediment deposition. Peaks in pore pressure ratios were related to high sedimentation rates of mass transport deposits and the incision of the Ursa channel. Lateral flows from the area where the overburden is thick towards the area where it is thin have occurred at least since 30 ka. Present pore pressure and temperature distributions suggest that lateral flows play a role in re-distributing heat in the basin.     

Economic tradeoffs in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem: Herring and whale-watching

This research attempts to quantify some of the effects of localized depletion of herring by examining the search times of commercial whale-watching vessels. Whale-watching vessels are indirect users of herring; whales feed on herring and may disperse when prey availability is low. A dataset of daily whale-watching outcomes is combined with fishing effort and oceanographic data to test the hypothesis that intensive fishing effort increases the search time of whale-watching companies. Our results suggest that fishing may have a detrimental impact on search time; however, the magnitude of this effect is fairly small. We find policy that the recently enacted policy which prohibits fishing for herring in whale-watching areas would decrease search times by a small amount. We find some evidence of a localized aggregation effect; search times are the lowest when herring are spawning in the inshore areas. These results should be of interest to policymakers in determining future fishing regulations in an ecosystem-based fisheries management context.     

Investigation of Cd, Cu, Ni and Th in the colloidal size range in the Gulf of Maine

Size-fractionated seawater samples were collected from the Gulf of Maine to determine the fraction (f_c/d) of total dissolved (< 1 μm) Cd, Cu, Ni and ²³⁴Th in the colloidal size range (1,000 nominal molecular weight, NMW, to 1 μm) using cross-flow filtration. Colloidal Cd, Cu and Ni represents < 1–7% of the total dissolved concentration in these shelf waters and increases with an increase in particle concentration. By comparison, results obtained for particle-reactive ²³⁴Th indicate that < 1–47% of total dissolved is associated with the colloidal size fraction. A revised relationship between the concentration of colloids (C_c) and suspended particles (C_p) is reported (log C_c = 0.66 log C_p −2.01 kg L⁻¹) and used to examine the dependence of f_c/d for these metals on the concentration of suspended particles for C_p = 0.01–100 mg L⁻¹. Results indicate that a significant fraction (˜ 10–30%) of Cd, Cu, Ni and ²³⁴Th in the traditionally defined ‘dissolved’ fraction may exist in the colloidal size range in regions characterized by high particle concentrations (C_p > 1–10 mg L⁻¹), such as in near-shore and estuarine waters.     

Processing and attenuation of noise in deep seismic-reflection data from the Gulf of Maine

The U.S. Geological Survey deep crustal studies reflection profile across the Gulf of Maine off southeastern New England was affected by three sources of noise: side-scattered noise, multiples, and 20-Hz whale sounds. The special processing most effective in minimizing this noise consisted of a combination of frequency-wavenumber (F-K) filtering, predictive deconvolution, and spectral whitening, each applied in the shot domain (prestack). Application of the F-K filter to remove side-scatter noise in the poststack domain resulted in a much poorer quality profile. The prestack noise suppression processing techniques resulted in a reflection profile with good signal-to-noise ratios and reliable strong reflections, especially at depths equivalent to the lower crust (24–34 km). Certain geologic features, such as a buried rift basin and a crustal fault are resolved much better within the upper crust after this processing. Finite difference migration of these data using realistic velocities produced excellent results. Migration was essential to distinguish between abundant dipping and subhorizontal reflections in the lower crust as well as to show an essentially transparent upper mantle.     

Organic geochemistry of sediments from chemosynthetic communities,Gulf of Mexico slope

We used a research submersible to obtain 33 sediment samples from chemosynthetic communities at 541–650 m water depths in the Green Canyon (GC) area of the Gulf of Mexico slope. Sediment samples from beneath an isolated mat of H₂S-oxidizing bacteria at GC 234 contain oil (mean = 5650 ppm) and C₁–C₅ hydrocarbons (mean = 12,979 ppm) that are altered by bacterial oxidation. Control cores away from the mat contain lower concentrations of oil (mean = 2966 ppm) and C₁–C₅ hydrocarbons (mean = 83.6 ppm). Bacterial oxidation of hydrocarbons depletes O₂ in sediments and triggers bacterial sulfate reduction to produce the H₂S required by the mats. Sediment samples from GC 185 (Bush Hill) contain high concentrations of oil (mean = 24,775 ppm) and C₁–C₅ hydrocarbons (mean = 11,037 ppm) that are altered by bacterial oxidation. Tube worm communities requiring H₂S occur at GC 185 where the sea floor has been greatly modified since the Pleistocene by accumulation of oil, thermogenic gas hydrates, and authigenic carbonate rock. Venting to the water column is suppressed by this sea-floor modification, enhancing bacterial activity in sediments. Sediments from an area with vesicomyid clams (GC 272) contain lower concentrations of oil altered by bacterial oxidation (mean = 1716 ppm) but C₁–C₅ concentrations are high (mean = 28,766 ppm). In contrast to other sampling areas, a sediment associated with the methanotrophic Seep Mytilid I (GC 233) is characterized by low concentration of oil (82 ppm) but biogenic methane (C₁) is present (8829 ppm).     

Use of surface sediments in Pagassitikos Gulf, Greece, to detect anthropogenic influence

Volos city and its port are situated in the northern part of Pagassitikos Gulf, a shallow, semi-enclosed marine area in central Greece. A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and pipeline operate in the same area. Muddy sediments with low carbonate contents cover most of the seabed, except for the Volos embayment and the western part of the gulf where sandy carbonates prevail. Bulk organic carbon contents and the organic carbon contents of the clay fractions are high in the vicinity of Volos embayment. High element (Pb, Cu, and Zn) contents and Igeo (geoaccumulation index) values were found for the clay fractions in the northern part of Pagassitikos Gulf. This enrichment is attributed to the discharge of raw domestic and industrial effluents of Volos city and port before the WWTP was installed. The dispersal of pollutants is essentially controlled by diffusion from point sources (city, port and WWTP) and is limited to Volos Bay. Relatively high Mn levels are ascribed to diagenetic formation of manganese carbonates (authigenic phase), whereas Cr and Ni are elevated due to weathering of ultrabasic formations on land.     

Use of surface sediments in Pagassitikos Gulf, Greece, to detect anthropogenic influence

Volos city and its port are situated in the northern part of Pagassitikos Gulf, a shallow, semi-enclosed marine area in central Greece. A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and pipeline operate in the same area. Muddy sediments with low carbonate contents cover most of the seabed, except for the Volos embayment and the western part of the gulf where sandy carbonates prevail. Bulk organic carbon contents and the organic carbon contents of the clay fractions are high in the vicinity of Volos embayment. High element (Pb, Cu, and Zn) contents and Igeo (geoaccumulation index) values were found for the clay fractions in the northern part of Pagassitikos Gulf. This enrichment is attributed to the discharge of raw domestic and industrial effluents of Volos city and port before the WWTP was installed. The dispersal of pollutants is essentially controlled by diffusion from point sources (city, port and WWTP) and is limited to Volos Bay. Relatively high Mn levels are ascribed to diagenetic formation of manganese carbonates (authigenic phase), whereas Cr and Ni are elevated due to weathering of ultrabasic formations on land.     

A numerical model investigation of tidal phenomena in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine

A numerical model is developed to examine tidal properties of the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine. The model is run with a pure M₂ tidal input on the open boundary, and calibrated by adjusting the friction coefficient to achieve good agreement with inshore observations. An examination of aspects of the tidal regime is made, with particular attention paid to the upper reaches of the bay. Mean energy and work values are computed. The fundamental period of the system is estimated. The effects of tidal power plants on the tidal regime are examined.     

Comparison of geosat and gravimetric geoid profiles in the North Sea

Sea surface height profiles derived from 2‐year, repeat track, Geosat altimeter data have been compared with a regional gravimetric geoid in the western North Sea, computed using a geopotential model and terrestrial gravity data. The comparison encompasses 18 Geosat profiles covering a 750 × 850 km area of the North Sea. After a second‐order polynomial was used to model the long‐wavelength differences which cannot be clearly separated over an area of this size, results show agreement to better than ±3 cm for wavelengths between approximately 20 and 750 km. In regions where terrestrial gravity data were not available to improve the geoid, similar comparisons with the OSU91A geopotential model alone show differences of up to ±6 cm. This illustrates the importance of incorporating local gravity data in regional geoid computations, and partly validates the regional gravimetric geoid solution and Geosat sea surface profiles in the western North Sea. It is concluded that, in marine areas where the sea surface topography is known to be small in magnitude, Geosat sea surface profiles can act as an independent control on gravimetric geoids in the medium‐wavelength range.     

Interstitial water trace-metal chemistry of laminated sediments from the Gulf of California,Mexico

This report presents major and minor element profiles for interstitial waters recovered from the oxygen-minimum zone of the Gulf of California. The major elements and nutrients show concentration-depth profiles typical for anoxic, laminated sediments, with sulfate-reduction occurring close to the sediment-water interface, accompanied by increases in alkalinity and ammonia. Barium is solubilized near the sediment-water interface, but decreases below 10 cm depth, showing concentrations consistent with barite solubility. The dissolved concentrations of Mn, Fe, and Al are higher in the upper part of the sedimentary column; Mn and Fe due to reduction of oxides and Al probably because of dissolution of siliceous material. In contrast, dissolved Mo, V, and Cr show concentrations increasing with depth. The strong correlation of the concentrations of Mo, V and Cr with “yellow substance” absorbance reflect the importance of dissolved organic matter for the mobility of these elements during early diagenesis.     

Acoustical and geological characteristics of near-surface sediments,upper continental slope of northern Gulf of Mexico

The continental slope off Texas and Louisiana is the most structurally and sedimentologically complex area in the Gulf of Mexico. This 120,000 km² area is dominated by diapiric tectonics, resulting in numerous faults, oil and gas seeps, and other geological phenomena that affect near-surface sediments. Bottom gradients range from 0 to 20°. High-resolution seismic surveys, foundation borings, and drop cores reveal several mass-movement features, acoustic wipeout zones, sea floor erosion, faults, hardgrounds, bioherms, reefs, and outcrops. Recent data indicate that most geological activity takes place during relative sea level lowering and low stands.     

Distribution and dispersal pattern of clay minerals in surface sediments, eastern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

Clay minerology of sediments are useful in determining distribution,sources and dispersal routes of fine-grained sediments.In the present paper,clay minerals of surface sediments throughout the eastern part of Beibu Gulf has been investigated to reveal sources and transport of detrital finegrained sediments.Four distinct clay mineral suites were observed from cluster analysis of clay mineral compositions of the samples.From the distribution pattern of clay minerals,we conclude that kaolinte in the eastern gulf is mainly derived from South China Landmass;Smectite could not be transported mainly by surface current from north-western Hainan Island,and maybe minor portion of it from Red River;Illite is mainly transported by the currents from South China Sea.Chlorite has two sources,namely South China Sea and South China Landmass.The Zhujiang River derived sediments could not be one of the sources for the clay mineral here,because of very different composition and ratios.The distribution pattern of clay minerals in the eastern Beibu Gulf is mainly controlled by fine-grained sediment source and local currents.The Silt/Clay,Smectite/Kaolinte,and Smetite/(Chlorite+Illite) ratios could be used as indicators of fine-grained sediment dispersal in the gulf.     

Variability of the apparent quantum efficiency of CO photoproduction in the Gulf of Maine and Northwest Atlantic

The photochemical oxidation of colored, dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is important for carbon cycling in the ocean. This oxidation process produces a number of products, including carbon monoxide (CO). While the photochemical production efficiency of CO (apparent quantum yield, AQY, defined in terms of CDOM absorbance) has been reported to be similar for many water types, a full evaluation of the observed natural variability in CO AQY requires additional study. Here we use a polychromatic irradiation system to determine twenty AQY spectra at sea on fresh samples ranging from the near coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine to the offshore waters of the Northwest Atlantic. Despite the geographic variability of these marine samples the AQY of CO production in the Gulf of Maine and Northwest Atlantic exhibited only a small degree of variability, none of which was not correlated with measured environmental parameters. Consequently, a single aggregate AQY spectrum _λ = e^{(−(9.134+0.0425(λ−290)))+e(−(11.316+0.0142(λ−290)))} was found to adequately represent the entire data set. Significantly, the accuracy of an AQY spectrum determined using this multispectral/statistical technique was confirmed with data obtained from a monochromatic irradiation technique on a single open ocean sample. Taken together, the AQY spectra determined in this study were similar in magnitude and shape to those previously published for marine samples and, overall, were somewhat lower than those previously reported for freshwater studies.     

Dissolved iodine in waters overlying and in the Orca Basin,Gulf of Mexico

The distribution and speciation of iodine, a biophilic redox-sensitive trace element, in waters overlying and in the Orca Basin, Gulf of Mexico, which contains hypersaline, anoxic and yet non-sulfide-bearing brine have been determined. The distribution of iodate and iodide in the oxic waters overlying the anoxic brine are similar to those reported in other oceans. However, in the oxic-anoxic mixing zone, iodate disappears while the concentration of iodide reaches a maximum of 8.1 μM, the highest concentration ever reported in open oceans. There is also a maximum in specific iodine of 30.7 nM‰^?1 at this depth. Specific iodine in oxic seawater is only about 10–14 nM ‰^?1. These features may be explained by the preferential dissolution of biogenic particles that have accumulated in a strong pycnocline. In the anoxic brine proper, the concentration of iodide is 3.8 μM and can be explained almost entirely by the simultaneous mobilization of chloride and iodide during the dissolution of evaporite beds as the specific iodine of 14.5 nM‰^?1 is only slightly higher than those observed in the oxic waters.