Carbon isotope composition of the Lower Triassic marine carbonates, Lower Yangtze Region, South China

The Early Triassic is a critical period in earth his- tory. A series of events such as volcano eruptions[1,2], sea-level fluctuations, changes in environmental con- ditions[3], mass extinctions[4,5] as well as global negative carbon isotope excursions[6-9] have been discovered in the uppermost Permian or across the Permian-Triassic boundary. Large scale sea-level rise[10-12], restoration of environment conditions, re- covery of ecosystem[13], including gradual carbon iso- tope rise[14] occur…     

A record of Miocene carbon excursions in the South China Sea

High-resolution δ¹³C records are presented for the Miocene benthic foraminifersCibicidoides wuellerstorfi andC. kullenbergi (24-5 Ma) and the planktonic foraminiferGlobigerinoides sacculifer (18-5 Ma) from ODP Site 1148A (18° 50.17’N, 116° 33.93’E, water depth 3308.3 m), northern South China Sea. The general pattern of parallel benthic and planktonic δ¹³C shows a decrease trend of δ¹³C values from the early-middle Miocene to the middle-late Miocene. Two distinct δ¹³C positive excursions at 23.1-22.2 and 17.3-13.6 Ma, and two negative excursions at 10.2-9.4 and 6.9-6.2 Ma have been recognized. All these events are cosmopolitan, providing the good data for the stratigraphic correlation of the South China Sea with the global oceans as well as for studying the changes of the global carbon reservoir and its corresponding climate.     

Sudden enhancement of sedimentation flux of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb<Subscript>ex</Subscript> as an indicator of lake productivity as exemplified by Lake Chenghai

The fundamental assumption of ²¹⁰Pb sediment dating is the stable flux of ²¹⁰Pb_ex, which was derived from atmosphere and then transferred into sediments via lake water. When the sedimentation rate is relatively constant, the ²¹⁰Pb_ex activity in sediments will be exponentially reduced with sedimentation age. ²¹⁰Pb_ex in lake water is incorporated into sediments mainly via organic particulates. If the sedimentation flux of organic matter in lake water is suddenly increased, ²¹⁰Pb_ex will be significantly deposited and then transferred into sediments. On the one hand such sudden purification effect is obviously unfit for the fundamental assumption of ²¹⁰Pb dating; on the other hand, the sudden enhancement of ²¹⁰Pb_ex flux would be indicative of the conspicuous variation of primary productivity of lake water. This problem will be discussed in accordance with the variation trend of ²¹⁰Pb_ex in the vertical profile of recent sediments of Lake Chenghai, Yunnan Province. The sediment core was collected from the deep-water area of Lake Chenghai in June 1997. The vertical profile of ¹³⁷Cs activity is characterized by a tree-peak pattern. This profile gave reliable ages, and also showed the stability of sediment accumulation in the recent ten years. The vertical profile of ²¹⁰Pb_ex activity displays a specific distribution of peaks, and is similar to the vertical profile of C_org. This phenomenon seems to be related to the mechanism of constraining the transfer of ²¹⁰Pb_ex into lake sediments. The average atomic ratios of H_org/C_org and C_org/N_org in Lake Chenghai sediments are 5.51 and 7.04, respectively, indicating that the organic matter was predominantly derived from the remains of endogenic algae. In terms of the three-stage evolutionary characteristics of organic matter in sediments, i.e., “deposition-de-composition-accumulation”, the sedimentation fluxes (F(C_org)) of organic carbon (C_org) since 1970 were calculated by modeling. The sedimentation fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb_ex (F(²¹⁰Pb_ex)) in different years display good synchronous relations with the sedimentation flux of organic carbon (F(C_org)), especially in the years of 1972–1974 and 1986–1989. The variation of F(C_org) led to the variation of F(²¹⁰Pb_ex); the variation of F(²¹⁰Pb_ex) reflects, to some extent, the historical variation of lake productivity.     

近百年来洱海沉积物有机碳埋藏时空变化

湖泊沉积物有机碳埋藏是陆地碳循环中重要的环节,对全球碳平衡起着重要的作用.洱海是云贵高原第二大淡水湖,目前对洱海生态环境变化、重金属与营养盐污染等已展开了较为深入的研究,但对近百年来沉积物有机碳埋藏时空变化与驱动因素缺乏系统的分析.本文通过对洱海北部湖区典型岩芯（编号EH2012）以及其他湖区13个沉积岩芯中有机碳（OC）含量的分析,结合湖泊生态环境与气候因子变化,研究了近百年来沉积物有机碳埋藏时空变化特征与影响因素.C/N摩尔比值表明洱海沉积物中OC以湖泊内源为主,不同湖区岩芯中OC含量变化趋势基本相似.以EH2012岩芯为例,OC含量历史变化可分为3个阶段：1970年以前,表现出较稳定的低值;1970-2000年,OC含量逐渐增加;2000年以来,OC含量增加更加明显并达到近百年来的最大值.近百年来,EH2012岩芯有机碳累积速率（OCAR）呈逐渐增加趋势,变化范围为7.9~87.2 g/（m²·a）,平均OCAR（OCAR）为24.1 g/（m²·a）;OCAR变化与OC含量和区域气温呈显著正相关,全球变暖与营养驱动下的湖泊生产力提高可能是近年来OCAR增加的主要原因之一.基于重金属Cd污染初始时间建立的时标,1982年以来不同湖区OCAR为17.1~44.7 g/（m²·a）,采用克里金插值得到的全湖OCAR均值为31.4 g/（m²·a）;不同湖区OCAR与磷累积速率呈显著正相关,指示了湖泊营养水平对有机碳埋藏空间变化的重要影响.     

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of gas hydrate-bearing sediment from Hydrate Ridge,Cascadia Margin

Serious interest has been directed toward natural gas hydrate as a potential energy resource; factor in global climate change, and submarine geohazard since naturally occurring gas-hydrate deposits were found in the 1960s. Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia convergent mar- gin, is characterized by abundant methane hydrates at and below the seafloor, active venting of fluids and gases, chemosynthetic communities, and some of the highest methane oxidation rates ever found in the ma-rine environment. All of…     

Quantitative recuperation of climatic sequences for the last 200 years in Xingcuo Lake,eastern Tibetan Plateau

The functional relation between theδ18O values in the shell of gastropod Gyraulus sibirica and the air temperature in the warm half-yearly period, and that between Sr/Ca ratio and the precipitation in the warm half-yearly period were established by calibrating the δ18O and δ13C values, Sr/Ca ratio and Mg/Ca ratio in the shell Gyraulus sibirica, as well as the total organic carbon (TOC) and its δ13C values in the Xingcuo Lake sediment in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The sequences of air temperature and precipitation in the last 200 years in the region were quantitatively recuperated on this basis. The results showed the following: (i) There was a negative correlativity between Sr/Ca ratio and the precipitation in the warm half-yearly period, its correlation coefficient was 0.86. (ii) There was an obviously positive correlativity between indexδ18O and the running average temperature in the warm half-yearly period, its correlation coefficient was 0.89. (iii) Evolution of the air temperature and the precipitation in the last 200 years can be divided into three phases distinctly. The precipitation in the later mid-19th century was 220 mm higher than that today; the air temperature in the warm half-yearly period was 2℃ lower than that of the present. The precipitation in the minimum air temperature period of the early 20th century was below that today by 60 mm, and the air temperature in the warm half-yearly period was 3.4℃ lower than that today. (iv) An evidently warming and drying trend existed in the last five decades.     

Carbon isotopic characteristics and their genetic relationships for individual lipids in plants and sediments from a marsh sedimentary environment

The carbon isotopic compositions of individual lip-ids can provide the genetic information about sedi-mentary lipids so that it has extensively applied pros-pects in geochemically studied field[1―8]. However, this applied research relies heavily on the accumula-tion of studied data in the genetic relationships between carbon isotopic compositions of individual lipids and their biological precursors in different sedi-mentary environments. Recently, the useful δ 13C data of individual lipids f…     

Carbon isotopic studies of individual lipids in organisms from the Nansha sea area, China

Sediments contain abundant lipid compounds in general, which are used as biomarker compounds to study organic matter sources and reconstruct the pa-laeoenvironments[1—7]. However, lipid compounds in sediments are generally a mixture of various genetic components so that it is difficult to correctly decouple their biological sources only by the results of bio-chemical researches. Carbon isotopic studies of indi-vidual sedimentary lipid compounds can discover their genetic information, which pr…     

Carbon isotopes in eclogite and apatite separate from Huangzhen and Shima in SE Dabie

The carbon isotope compositions of high- and ultrahigh-pressure eclogite and apatite separate from Huangzhen and Shima in SE Dabie Mountains were analyzed by EA-MS online technique. The δ13C values of the eclogites cover a wide range of -30.7‰ - +1.5‰, whereas those of apatites only have a small range of -28.1‰--21.0‰. Some of the eclogites with the high δ13C values suffered retrogressive alteration by CO2-bearing fluids. The low δ13C values of the apatites indicate that the eclogites contain surficial carbon of organic origin. It is concluded that protoliths of the eclogites were exposed to the surface of the Earth, and that the carbon-bearing fluid was depleted in 13C during the eclogite-facies metamorphism.     

Stable isotopic studies of dinosaur eggshells from the Nanxiong Basin, South China

Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes have been observed in dinosaur eggshell samples,identified as Macroolithus yaotunensis,collected in two sections of the Nanxiong Basin,Guangdong Province,South China.Multiple positiveδ18O perturbations that occurred during the K/T transition of about 150 ka suggest that there may have been at least three periods of the extreme dry climate with a mean annual air temperature over 27℃.δ13C ranges from -8.37‰ to -11.60‰ of the dinosaur eggshells,added to the metabolic enrichment of 16‰,may indicate that the dinosaurs represented by this type of eggshells probably consumed the plant species of C3 type with the δ13C values of -24.3‰- -27.6‰.Moreover,the trend toward more negative δ13C values of the eggshells during the K/T transition could be an indirect consequence of a lasting increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration.     

Climatic significance of δ <Superscript>18</Superscript>O records from an 80.36 m ice core in the East Rongbuk Glacier,Mount Qomolangma (Everest)

The δ ¹⁸O variations in an 80.36 m ice core retrieved in the accumulation zone of the East Rongbuk Glacier, Mount Qomolangma (Everest), is not consistent with changes of air temperature from both southern and northern slopes of Himalayas, as well as these of the temperature anomalies over the Northern Hemisphere. The negative relationship between the δ ¹⁸O and the net accumulation records of the ice core suggests the “amount effect” of summer precipitation on the δ ¹⁸O values in the region. Therefore, the δ ¹⁸O records of the East Rongbuk ice core should be a proxy of Indian Summer Monsoon intensity, which shows lower δ ¹⁸O values during strong monsoon phases and higher values during weak phases.     

1850年以来呼伦湖沉积物无机碳埋藏时空变化

湖泊沉积物碳埋藏及其驱动机制是陆地生态系统碳循环及全球变化研究的热点问题之一,但以往湖泊碳循环的研究大多局限于有机碳,较少考虑无机碳的地位和作用.我国干旱-半干旱地区湖泊众多、无机碳储量丰富,在区域碳循环过程中的作用日益突出,因此探讨这些地区湖泊沉积物无机碳埋藏变化对深入理解区域碳循环具有重要意义.本研究通过对内蒙古高原呼伦湖15个沉积岩芯样品无机碳含量(TIC)的测定,结合沉积岩芯210Pb、137Cs年代标尺,分析了1850年以来呼伦湖无机碳埋藏速率时空变化,并揭示了影响呼伦湖无机碳埋藏的主要因素.结果表明,1980s之前,呼伦湖无机碳含量总体维持在相对稳定的低值,1980s之后开始快速增加,且近百年来呼伦湖平均无机碳含量在不同湖区差异不显著.1850年以来呼伦湖无机碳埋藏速率变化范围约为7.10～74.29 g/(m2·a),平均值约为36.15 g/(m2·a),且大体上可分为3个阶段,即1900s以前相对稳定的低值阶段、1900s-1950s期间的快速增加阶段以及1950s以来的波动增加阶段,各阶段无机碳埋藏速率平均值分别约为10.40、26.29和41.00 g/(m2·a).空间上,呼伦湖无机碳埋藏速率整体表现为中部高、南北两端低的分布格局,这可能与湖心水动力条件相对稳定,有利于碳酸盐沉积有关.此外,呼伦湖无机碳埋藏速率与湖区温度变化呈显著正相关,而与周边人类活动影响关系不明显,表明在未来全球变暖背景下,呼伦湖无机碳埋藏速率将进一步增加,湖泊在区域碳循环中的作用将更加显著.     

Carbon isotopic variations of Proterozoic carbonates in Jixian,Tianjin, China

Along the Proterozoic stratigraphic sections of Jixian, Tianjin, the δ13C values of carbonates are mostly negative in the Changchengian (Changcheng System), varying approximately within a range of (0±1 )‰in the Jixianian (Jixian System), and have commonly positive values of (2±2)‰ in the Qingbaikouan (Qingbaikou System). From Chuanlinggou Formation to Dahongyu Formation, i.e. from ca. 1700 Ma to 1600 Ma, the δ13C values of carbonates increase from about -3‰ to 0‰, but oscillate with large excursion in Dahongyu Formation. Two large excursions occur in the Jixianian, one in Yangzhuang Formation and the other in the third sub-member of Wumishan Formation overlaying. These integrated and continuous records of carbon isotope reflect secular variations of δ13C value in ancient seawater from ca. 1700 Ma to ca. 800 Ma. The increase and subsequent oscillation of seawater δ13C value occurring from the ages of ca. 1700 to ca. 1600 Ma and <1300 Ma may signify two correlative global tectonic events.     

Temperature and methane records over the last 2 ka in Dasuopu ice core

High resolution δ¹⁸O and methane records over the last 2ka have been reconstructed from Dasuopu ice core recovered from the Himalayas. Analysis shows that the δ¹⁸O record correlates well with the Northern Hemispheric temperature, Dunde ice core record, and with temperature record in eastern China. The warming trend detected in δ¹⁸O record from the last century is similar to that during the Medieval warm period. There is a dramatic increasing in methane concentration in the Dasuopu ice core, which reached 1031 nmol ⋅ mol^-1 in 1997. Moreover, methane concentration in the Dasuopu ice core is about 15%-20% higher than that in Antarctica and Greenland. There is a positive correlation between methane concentration and δ¹⁸O in Dasuopu ice core.     

Carbon isotope ratios of C4 plants in loess areas of North China

Carbon isotope ratios (δ ¹³C) of 89 C₄ plant samples were determined from the loess area in North China. δ ¹³C values vary between −10.5‰ and −14.6‰ with a mean of −12.6‰. Along a precipitation gradient from the semi-moist area to the semiarid area, then to the arid area, the δ ¹³C values of C₄ plants show a slight decreasing trend. The δ ¹³C values of C₄ plants in the dry season are found lower than those in the wet season. These trends are opposite to those observed for C₃ species.     

Climatic significance of the stable carbon isotope composition of tree-ring cellulose: Comparison of Chinese hemlock (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tsuga chinensis</Emphasis> Pritz) and alpine pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus densata</Emphasis> Mast) in a temperate-moist region of China

In the reconstruction of past climate using stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) in tree ring, the responses of the stable carbon composition (δ13C) of multiple tree species to environmental factors must be known detailedly. This study presented two δ13C series in annual tree rings for Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis Pritz) and alpine pine (Pinus densata Mast), and investigated the relationships between climatic parameters and stable carbon discrimination (Δ13C) series, and evaluated the potential of climatic reconstruction using Δ13C in both species, in a temperate-moist region of Chuanxi Plateau, China. The raw δ13C series of the two species was inconsistent, which may be a result of different responses caused by tree's inherent physiological differences. After removing the low-frequency effects of CO2 concentration, the high-frequency (year-to-year) inter-series correlation of Δ13C was strong, indicating that Δ13C of the two tree species were controlled by common environmental conditions. The Δ13C series of the species were most significantly correlated with temperature and moisture stress, but in different periods and intensity between the species. During the physiological year, the impacts of temperature and moisture stress on Δ13C occur earlier for Chinese hemlock (previous December to February for moisture stress and February to April for temperature, respectively) than for alpine pine (March to May for moisture stress and April to July for temperature, respectively). In addition, in temperatemoist regions, the control on Δ13C of single climatic parameter was not strongly dominant and the optimal multiple regressions functions just explained the 38.5% variance of the total. Therefore, there is limited potential for using δ13C alone to identify clear, reliable climatic signals from two species.     

Stable isotopic records of the glacial deep-water properties in the South China Sea

Based on the oxygen and carbon stable isotopic records of benthic foraminifera in nine deep-sea cores of the South China Sea (SCS), the bathymetric profiles of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C since the last glacial maximum (LGM) are preliminarily established. The bathymetric gradients of deep-water δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C in the SCS are obviously greater during the LGM than during the Holocene, showing the existence of the deep thermocline and nutricline at water depth of about 2 000 m. Particularly, the differences in δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C between the LGM and Holocene, from which the ice-volume effect and the global mean shift have been subtracted respectively, are positive values at water depths of 1 000–2 500 m in the SCS. This indicates the existence of deep-water mass with relatively cool temperature or higher salinity, better ventilation and more δ¹³C within the water depth range of the SCS during the LGM, which is distinctly different from that at present. These changes further confirm the existence of the glacial “North Pacific Deep Water” which, however, is possibly confined to the water depth range of 1 000–2 500 m. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 49576286 and 49732060).     

Chemocline instability and isotope variations of the Ediacaran Doushantuo basin in South China

Stable isotope analyses in sections across a shelf to basinal transect of the Ediacaran Doushantuo basin show substantial isotope variabilities. In Songlin section where sediments were deposited in an intrashelf basin, δ 13C values are persistently negative (_3‰ to _5‰, VPDB) through the entire Doushantuo Formation, similar to those obtained from the slope section in Wuhe (_5‰ to _10‰, VPDB). Shallow water sections in Weng'an and Duoding show two broad δ 13C anomalies overprinted with significant meter-scale variations, but none of the curves has similar absolute δ 13C values compared to the Yangtze Gorges areas in South China and other sections globally. Such isotope variations, if partially recording ancient seawater signature, imply spatial and temporal chemocline instability in the Doushantuo basin. In combination with available δ 13C records from other Ediacaran successions globally, the data from the Doushantuo basin are consistent, in first order, with the existence and oxidation of a large dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir in Ediacaran oceans, but imply local environmental controls on Neoproterozoic isotope values and call attentions for using δ 13C anomalies as time lines in stratigraphic correlation.     

Stable carbon isotope evidence for tracing the diet of the host <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hepialus</Emphasis> larva of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cordyceps sinensis</Emphasis> in the Tibetan Plateau

Two types of Hepialus larvae with different diets were distinguished in the Sejila Mountain, Tibetan Plateau based on the stable carbon isotope data of the host Hepialus larva of Cordyceps sinensis and its closely adjacent tender plant roots and humus fractions. Type I is the larva chiefly fed by soil humus, and characterized by the δ ¹³C values of −22.6‰ to −23.4‰, and more than −23.4‰ in its heads. Type II is the larva chiefly fed by tender plant roots, and characterized by the δ ¹³C values of −24.6‰ to −27.6‰, and less than −24.6‰ in its heads. Our result has exceeded the traditional understanding that their food sources only come from the tender plant roots, and may provide evidence for choosing cheap and high-quality foods and further establishing artificial habitats in their large-scale reproduction. Supported by the National Key Technology R & D Program (Grant No. 2007BAI32B05)     

Temporal and spatial variations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis><Superscript>15</Superscript>N and <Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis><Superscript>18</Superscript>O for atmospheric N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O above the oceanic surface from Shanghai to Antarctica

During the 22nd Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE-22), the atmospheric gas samples above the oceanic surface and near the surface were collected on the track for the scientific ship “Xuelong” and on Millor Peninsula of eastern Antarctica, respectively, using the Tedlar gas bags. Every day the sampling times were 10:00 and 22:00 (local time), respectively. In the laboratory, high-precision measurement of the isotopic compositions for N₂O in these gas samples was conducted using Thermo Finnigan MAT-253 Isotopic Mass Spectrometer with a fully automated interface for the pre-GC concentration (PreCon) of trace gases. The temporal and spatial variations of δ ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O in atmospheric N₂O were analyzed. The mean δ ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O-N₂O values above the oceanic surface were (7.21±0.50)‰ and (44.52±0.52)‰, respectively. From 30°N to Antarctica, the δ ¹⁵N (6.05‰–7.88‰) linearly increased with the rate of about 0.01‰ with the latitude while the δ ¹⁸O (43.05‰–48.78‰) showed a large fluctuation. The δ ¹⁵N negatively correlated with air temperature and N₂O concentration, and slightly positively correlated with δ ¹⁸O. The summertime variations of δ ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O-N₂O appeared the same trend on Millor Peninsula of eastern Antarctica. They significantly positively correlated with each other and negatively with N₂O concentration. The δ ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O-N₂O at different sites averaged (7.42±0.35)‰ and (44.69±0.49)‰, respectively, slightly higher than those above the oceanic surface, significantly higher than those of atmospheric N₂O in the low-latitude regions of Northern Hemisphere. The predominant factors affecting the spatial variations of δ ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O values were also discussed. The isotopic data given in this study can help to investigate the global and regional N₂O budgets. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40676005 and 40406001)