Character and distribution of hybrid sediment gravity flow deposits from the outer Forties Fan, Palaeocene Central North Sea, UKCS

Seven categories of event bed (1–7) are recognised in cores from hydrocarbon fields in the outer part of the Palaeocene Forties Fan, a large mixed sand-mud, deep-water fan system in the UK and Norwegian Central North Sea. Bed Types 1, 6 and 7 resemble conventional high-density turbidite, debrite and low-density turbidite, respectively. However the cores are dominated by distinctive hybrid event beds (Types 2–5; 81% by thickness) that comprise an erosively-based graded and structureless and/or banded sandstone overlain by an argillaceous sandstone or sandy-mudstone unit containing mudstone-clasts and common carbonaceous fragments. Many of the hybrid beds are capped by a thin laminated sandstone–mudstone couplet (the deposit of a dilute wake behind the head of the turbidity current). Different types of hybrid event bed Types are defined on the basis of the ratio of sandier lower part to upper argillaceous part of the bed, and the internal structure, particularly the presence of banding. Although the argillaceous and clast-rich upper divisions could reflect post-depositional mixing, sand injection or substrate deformation, they can be shown to be dominantly primary depositional features and record both a temporal (and by implication) spatial change from turbidite to debrite deposition beneath rheologically complex hybrid flows. Where banding occurs between lower sandy and upper argillaceous divisions, the flow may have passed through a transitional flow regime. Significantly, the often soft-sediment sheared and partly sand-injected argillaceous divisions are present in cores both close to and remote from salt diapirs and hence are not a local product of remobilisation around salt-cored topography. Lateral correlations between wells establish that sandy hybrid beds (Types 2, 3S) pass down-dip and laterally into packages dominated by muddier hybrid beds (Types 3M, 4) over relatively short distances (several km). Type 5 beds have minimal or no lower sandier divisions, implying that the debritic component outran the sandier component of the flow. The Forties hybrid beds are thought to record flow transformations affecting fluidal flows following erosion and bulking with mudstone clasts and clays that suppressed near-bed turbulence and induced a change to plastic flow. Hybrid beds dominate the muddier parts of sandying-upward, muddying-upward and sandying to muddying-upward successions, interpreted to record splay growth and abandonment, overall fan progradation, and local non-uniformity effects that either delayed or promoted the onset of flow transformations. The dominance of hybrid event beds in the outer Forties Fan may reflect very rapid delivery of sand to the basin, an uneven substrate that promoted flow non-uniformity, tilting as a consequence of source area uplift and extensive inner-fan erosion to create deep fan valleys. This combination of factors could have promoted erosion and bulking, and hence transformations leading to the predominance of hybrid beds in the outer parts of the fan.     

Core lithologies and their constraints on gas-hydrate occurrence in the East Sea, offshore Korea: Results from the site UBGH1-9

Drilling at the site UBGH1-9, offshore Korea in 2007, revealed varied gas-hydrate saturation with depth and a wide variety of core litholgies, demonstrating how the variations in the lithology are linked with those in gas-hydrate saturation and morphology. Discrete excursions to low chlorinity values from in situ background chlorinity level occur between 63 and 151 mbsf. In this occurrence zone, gas-hydrate saturations estimated from the low chlorinity anomalies range up to 63.5% of pore volume with an average of 9.9% and do not show a clear depth-dependent trend. Sedimentary facies analysis based on grain-size distribution and sedimentary structures revealed nine sediment facies which mainly represent hemipelagic muds and fine- to medium-grained turbidites. According to the sedimentary facies distribution, the core sediments are divided into three facies associations (FA): FA I (0–98 mbsf) consisting mainly of alternating thin- to medium-bedded hemipelagic mud and turbidite sand or mud beds, FA II (98–126 mbsf) dominated by medium- to very thick-bedded turbidite sand or sandy debris flow beds, and FA III (126–178 mbsf) characterized by thick hemipelagic mud without intervening discrete turbidite sand layers. Thermal anomalies from IR scan, mousse-like and soupy structures on split-core surfaces, non-destructive measurements of pressure cores, and comparison of gas-hydrate saturations with sand contents of corresponding pore-water squeeze cakes, collectively suggest that the gas hydrate at the site UBGH1-9 generally occurs in two different types: “pore-filling” type preferentially associated with thin- to medium-turbidite sand beds in the FA I and “fracture-filling” type which occurs as hydrate veins or nodules in hemipelagic mud of the FA III. Gas-hydrate saturation in the FA II is generally anomalously low despite the dominance of turbidite sand or sandy debris flow beds, suggesting insufficient methane supply.     

Particle-size distribution of inferred tsunami deposits in Sur Lagoon,Sultanate of Oman

The sedimentary characteristics of shell beds within an interpreted tsunami deposit from Sur Lagoon, Oman were examined using shell taphonomy and high-resolution particle-size analysis. The tsunami bed was deposited by the 28 November, 1945 tsunami generated by the Makran subduction zone. Q-mode cluster analysis of particle-size data was evaluated as a means of discriminating individual tsunamite shell layers from lagoonal intertidal deposits. Results showed that the tsunami shell bed was more poorly sorted, and heterogeneous (in both the digested and undigested samples) than the background lagoonal sediments. The tsunami bed thickness correlated generally with the thickness of the shell-bed, however, cluster analysis extended the tsunami unit several centimeters above or below the shell bed in some cores. The particle-size analysis also showed subtle textural trends in the tsunami unit, suggesting that the tsunami bed was deposited in several distinctive phases during tsunami incursion into Sur Lagoon. The findings indicate that cluster analysis of particle-size data can be used to identify tsunami beds in intertidal environments and holds potential for identifying paleotsunami deposits in sediments from embayed intertidal–subtidal siliciclastic systems where obvious sedimentary structures may be absent.     

Restoration of oiled mussel beds in Prince William Sound, Alaska

Natural loss of hydrocarbons was often low from mussel (Mytilus trossulus) beds (which were typically not cleaned after the Exxon Valdez oil spill), thus this habitat remained a long-term source of oil. Consequently, experimental restoration of nine contaminated beds was attempted in 1994; mussels were removed, contaminated surface sediment was replaced (33 metric tons), and original mussels were returned. Hydrocarbon concentrations and mussel populations were monitored for 5 years thereafter. Post-restoration mussel population fluctuations were indistinguishable from regional changes. Increased short-term oil loss was apparent, but long-term (5 year) improvement was equivocal and difficult to distinguish from natural losses. By 1999, oil concentrations in mussels were typically at baseline levels in restored and oiled reference beds; concentrations in replaced sediment were elevated in one third of restored beds, indicating recontamination from underlying or surrounding sediment. Our results suggest mussel relocation is feasible but suggest oil might more effectively be removed from sediment mechanically or chemically than manually.     

The glacimarine sedimentary environment of Expedition Fiord, Canadian High Arctic

Expedition Fiord is a small, shallow inlet on the west coast of Axel Heiberg Island near 80°N latitude. It receives runoff and sediment at its head from a 1079 km² drainage basin, 72% of which is glacier-covered. Subbottom acoustic survey and cores from the fiord floor were used to assess the sedimentary environment. Most of the sediment is deposited within 3 km of the inflow from suspension in the overflowing cap and by gravity flows on the foreset beds of the delta. Occasionally, weak turbidity currents reach the mid fiord where they deposit fine-grained sediments. Icebergs from a large calving glacier in an adjacent fiord raft additional sediment, especially to the outer part of the fiord. They also scour the seafloor, although the persistent ice cover and slow currents in the fiord restrict this process. Except near the inflow, the total sediment accumulation since deglaciation is less than 20 m, and the rates of 0.5–1 mm/yr have not varied significantly to the present. A thicker deposit in the outer fiord is probably related to an early Holocene glacier margin near that location.     

Navy Fan,California Borderland: Growth pattern and depositional processes

Navy Fan is a Late Pleistocene sand-rich fan prograding into an irregularly shaped basin in the southern California Borderland. The middle fan, characterized by one active and two abandoned “distributary” channels and associated lobe deposits, at present onlaps part of the basin slope directly opposite from the upper-fan valley, thus dividing the lower-fan/basin-plain regions into two separate parts of different depths. Fine-scale mesotopographic relief on the fan surface and correlation of individual turbidite beds through nearly 40 cores on the middle and lower fan provide data for evaluating the Late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional processes.     

Features and sealing mechanism of shallow biogenic gas in incised valley fills (the Qiantang River,eastern China): A case study

Late Quaternary shallow biogenic gas reservoirs have been discovered and exploited in the Qiantang River (QR) estuary area, eastern China. The fall of global sea level during the Last Glacial Maximum resulted in the formation of the QR incised valley. From bottom to top, the incised valley successions can be grouped into four sedimentary facies: river channel facies, floodplain–estuarine facies, estuarine-shallow marine facies, and estuarine sand bar facies.All commercial biogenic gas pools occur in floodplain–estuarine sand bodies of the QR incised valley and its branches. The deeply incised valleys provided favorable conditions for the generation and accumulation of shallow biogenic gas.The clay beds that serve as the direct cap beds of the gas pools are mostly restricted within the QR incised valley, with burial depths ranging from 30 to 80 m, remnant thicknesses of 10–30 m, and porosities of 42.2–62.6%. In contrast, the mud beds cover the whole incised valley and occur as indirect cap beds, with burial depths varying from 5 to 35 m, thicknesses of 10–20 m, and porosities of 50.6–53.9%. The pore-water pressures of clay and mud beds are higher than that of sand bodies, and the difference can be as much as 0.48 MPa. The pore-water pressures of clay or mud beds can exceed the total pore-water pressure and gas pressure of underlying sand reservoirs. Shallow biogenic gas can be completely sealed by the clay and mud beds, which have higher pore-water pressure. The direct cap beds have better sealing ability than the indirect cap beds.Generally, the pore-water pressure dissipation time of clay and mud beds is conspicuously longer than that of sand beds. This indicates that the clay and mud beds have worse permeability and better sealing ability than the sand beds. However, once the gas enters the sand lenses, the pore-water pressure cannot release efficiently.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of seagrass habitat use by fishes at the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

To investigate whether or not regional–temporal patterns of seagrass habitat use by fishes existed at the Ryukyu Islands (southern Japan), visual surveys were conducted in seagrass beds and adjacent coral reefs in northern, central, and southern Ryukyu Islands, in November 2004, and May, August, and November 2005, the northern region having less extensive seagrass beds compared with the central and southern regions. During the study period, the seagrass beds were utilized primarily by 31 species, the densities of some of the latter differing significantly among regions. With the exception of Apogonidae and Holocentridae, all species were diurnal and could be divided into 6 groups based on seagrass habitat use patterns; (1) permanent residents A (10 species, e.g. Stethojulis strigiventer), juveniles and adults living in seagrass beds as well as other habitats; (2) permanent residents B (5 species, e.g. Calotomus spinidens), juveniles and adults living only or mainly in seagrass beds; (3) seasonal residents A (4 species, e.g. Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus), juveniles living in seagrass beds as well as other habitats; (4) seasonal residents B (6 species, e.g. Lethrinus atkinsoni), juveniles living only or mainly in seagrass beds; (5) transients (5 species, e.g. Parupeneus indicus), occurring in seagrass beds in the course of foraging over a variety of habitats; and (6) casual species (1 species, Acanthurus blochii), occurring only occasionally in seagrass beds. Regarding temporal differences, juvenile densities in each group were high in May and August compared with November in each region, whereas adult densities did not differ drastically in each month. For regional differences, juvenile and adult densities of permanent residents A and B were higher in the southern and central regions than in the northern region. Moreover, some seasonal residents showed possible ontogenetic habitat shift from seagrass beds to coral reefs in each region. These results indicated that seagrass habitat use patterns by fishes changed temporally and regionally and there may be habitat connectivity between seagrass beds and coral reefs via ontogenetic migration in the Ryukyu Islands.     

Navy Fan, California Borderland: Growth pattern and depositional processes

Navy Fan is a Late Pleistocene sand-rich fan prograding into an irregularly shaped basin in the southern California Borderland. The middle fan, characterized by one active and two abandoned “distributary” channels and associated lobe deposits, at present onlaps part of the basin slope directly opposite from the upper-fan valley, thus dividing the lower-fan/basin-plain regions into two separate parts of different depths. Fine-scale mesotopographic relief on the fan surface and correlation of individual turbidite beds through nearly 40 cores on the middle and lower fan provide data for evaluating the Late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional processes. Margin setting represents fan and/or source area     

Autogenic controls on hybrid bed distribution in submarine lobe complexes

Hybrid beds, the deposits of sediment gravity flows that show evidence for more than one flow regime (turbulent, transitional and/or laminar), have been recognized as important components of submarine lobe deposits. A wide range of hybrid bed types have been documented, however, quantitative analysis of the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of these enigmatic bed types is rare. Here, extensive exposures integrated with research borehole data from Unit A of the Laingsburg Formation and Fan 4 of the Skoorsteenberg Formation, Ecca Group, South Africa, provide the opportunity to examine geographical and stratigraphic patterns over a range of hierarchical scales.For this purpose, >23,000 individual beds have been evaluated for deposit type and bed thickness. On average, hybrid beds make up < 5% of all events and <10% of the cumulative thickness. Lobe complex 1 (LC1) of Fan 4,Skoorsteenberg Formation, preserves a prominent geographical trend of hybrid beds becoming more prevalent towards the frontal fringes of a lobe complex (up to 33.2% of beds), whereas their proportion in proximal and medial lobe complex settings is <10%.Data from Unit A, Laingsburg Formation, show hybrid beds are less common in the basal (A.1) and top (A.6) subunits compared to A.2-A.5 in both core data sets. The bases and tops of some lobe complexes (A.2, A.3 and A.5.7) are observed to be slightly enriched in hybrid beds, whereas others (A.5.1, A.5.5 and A.6.1) show no hybrid beds in their bases, which does not conform to expected allogenically-driven distributions that predict more hybrid beds during the initiation of lobe complexes. Instead, the occurrence and distribution of hybrid beds in lobe complexes are interpreted to be controlled by autogenic processes, including flow transformation processes on the basin-floor meaning enrichment in frontal lobe fringe settings. Therefore, the 1D distribution of hybrid beds in lobe complexes reflects the dominant stacking pattern of lobes within a lobe complex, with enrichment at the base and top of lobe complexes due to overall progradational to retrogradational stacking patterns. Individual lobes show a wide range of hybrid bed distributions, due to stacking patterns of the component lobe elements. These findings highlight the importance of autogenic processes rather than allogenic controls in the distribution of hybrid beds, which has implications for reservoir evaluation and the assessment of lobe stacking patterns in 1D core data sets.     

Sources and timing of trace metal contamination to sediments in remote sealochs,N.W. Scotland

Sediment cores from a transect of sealochs, Etive, Sunart, Nevis, Duich, Broom and Torridon in N.W. Scotland were analysed for the trace metals lead, copper, and zinc. In addition, sediment cores from the Clyde Sea Basin (Loch Fyne, the Gareloch, Clyde dumpsite) and from the Irish and Celtic Seas were analysed as possible source areas for contaminated particles. The sediment cores were dated using excess ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs, and Al normalisation was used to correct for sediment compositional effects. All cores showed increased concentrations of all trace metals (and M/Al) towards the surface, with a maximum of 280–500% above background being observed in Loch Etive. Only cores from Duich and Torridon (Zn/Al and Pb/Al) and Etive (Zn/Al) did not continue to show an increase in trace metals to the uppermost samples. The burden of atmospherically derived trace metals accumulated over the past 100 years was compared with similar published burdens from a series of freshwater lochs adjacent to the sealochs. Plots of excess ²¹⁰Pb (used to correct for sediment focusing) against atmospherically derived Pb showed a series of linear relationships of systematically decreasing gradient towards the north-west, away from potential urban sources of lead. It was calculated that 49% (15–77%) of the Pb but only 3% (1–4%) of the Zn and 2% (0–3%) of the Cu reached the sealochs from atmospheric sources. The remaining trace metals deposited in the sealochs came from marine particles. Using trace metal ratios as an indicator of pollutant provenance, it was shown that the trace metals came predominantly from the Irish Sea. There was no evidence of trace metals derived from the Firth of Clyde basin. It was concluded that trace metal contamination from the Clyde and the surrounding industrialised urban area was mainly deposited in the estuary and the Clyde Sea basin with its adjoining sealochs, such as the Gareloch and Loch Fyne.     

东北太平洋胡安·德富卡隆起西翼晚第四纪以来的碳酸盐记录

通过对东北太平洋胡安·德富卡隆起西翼沉积柱样中的碳酸盐含量和浮游有孔虫氧同位素测试以及浮游有孔虫丰度、溶解指数和粗组分的统计,发现在晚第四纪约65 ka以来碳酸盐含量变化幅度大(0 4%~77 2%),相差非常悬殊,但其变化未呈现出冰期时溶解作用减弱、间冰期时溶解作用强烈这样明显的旋回性。粗组分分析结果显示,地层中有明显的浊流沉积发育。另外,碳酸盐含量和浮游有孔虫丰度分析结果揭露了研究区的 CCD在3 500 m左右。研究认为,在约65 ka来水深浅于3 500 m的区域碳酸盐含量的无规律性变化应与浊流沉积影响有直接的关系,而水深深于3 500 m的区域碳酸盐含量主要受控于深海碳酸盐的溶解作用。     

山东荣成天鹅湖海草场大型底栖贝类时空分布研究

为了了解天鹅湖不同微生境条件下底栖贝类的群落结构及时空分布特征,于2013年12月至2014年11月,对天鹅湖矮大叶藻区、空白区、大叶藻区边缘及其内部的底栖贝类和环境特征进行了调查。共发现15种大型底栖贝类,隶属14科15属;贝类种类组成、分布密度、生物量以及物种多样性指数在4种生境中差异显著,但均无明显的季节变化。空白区域中贝类总密度和单位面积生物量最高,大叶藻区内部最低,但矮大叶藻区和大叶藻区内部多样性指数较高。大叶藻区内部的贝类以腹足类锈凹螺、日本月华螺、刺绣翼螺等刮食者为主,而双壳贝类则更倾向于选择无海草覆盖的空白区或者海草较为稀疏的草场边缘。综合分析表明,天鹅湖底栖贝类的分布和多样性受底质特征和海草覆盖影响最为显著,同时与水深密切相关。     

Application of an ecosystem model for the environmental assessment of the reclamation and mitigation plans for seagrass beds in Atsumi Bay

An ecosystem model was used to evaluate the effects of reclaiming seagrass beds and creating artificial shallows with seagrass beds to mitigate the effects of the reclamation. The applied model can simulate the pelagic and benthic ecosystems including seagrass beds and tidal flats. The objectives of this study were (a) to investigate the likelihood of cultivating and maintaining seagrass beds in artificial shallows (Part 1), and (b) to understand the effects of the reclamation of seagrass beds and the creation of artificial shallows on the water quality in the estuary (Part 2). In Part 1, first, the nutrient turnover rates due to both biochemical and physical processes in the natural seagrass beds where reclamation is proposed were analyzed. Biological processes rather than physical processes were the most significant driving forces of nutrient cycles in seagrass beds. Second, the effects of filter feeding benthic fauna (suspension feeders) in the seagrass beds were analyzed. The scenario with suspension feeders resulted in higher transparency of the water column (8.7% decrease in the light attenuation coefficient) and an increase in nutrient supply (24.9% increase in NH₄-N in the water column) contributing to the high specific growth rate of seagrass. Third, the specific growth rate of seagrass on the proposed artificial shallows was measured. The value on the artificial shallows set at a depth of datum line minus 0.8 m (D.L. − 0.8 m) was approximately the same as that of the natural seagrass beds. In Part 2, first, water quality in the estuary was compared among the scenarios with/without natural seagrass beds and artificial shallows. Then, the defined values of the water purification capability of (a) artificial shallows with/without seagrass beds, and (b) natural seagrass beds per unit area were evaluated. The reclamation of the natural seagrass beds resulted in a decrease of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a loss in the purification rate). In contrast, the creation of artificial shallows resulted in an increase of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a gain in the purification rate). Based on an annual average, approximately twice as much phytoplankton was removed from the artificial shallows at the depth D.L. − 0.8 m, than at the depth, D.L. − 1.5 m, and the artificial shallows with seagrass beds removed pelagic DIN and DIP at a rate 120% higher than that without seagrass beds.     

Sound velocity in carbonate sediments from the Whiting Basin,Puerto Rico

A series of sediment cores were obtained from the Whiting Basin southeast of Puerto Rico to investigate the factors affecting the velocity of sound in marine carbonate deposits. The cores indicated that the deposits in the Whiting Basin are similar to abyssal-plain deposits with lenticular turbidite sequences alternating with pelagic sediments. The sediment, comprised of highly porous sands and silts, averaged 80% calcium carbonate consisting of aragonite, low-Mg calcite and high-Mg calcite.Normal methods for predicting sound velocity from the physical properties of the deposits were found to be inaccurate for these samples. The established relationships of grain size and porosity to sound velocity were invalid because the sands found in the cores consisted of hollow-foram tests, causing high porosity independent of grain size. The rigidity of the deposit was the most significant factor determining sediment sound velocity and was itself controlled by the sediment source, transportation effects and the packing of the deposit. Future work is needed to accurately measure the effect of these factors on the rigidity modulus.     

An overview of sedimentation on the amazon continental shelf

Sedimentological, geochemical, and physical-oceanographic studies of the Brazilian continental shelf near the Amazon River help provide a broad understanding of this major sediment dispersal system. Amazon River sediment accumulates as a subaqueous delta, with the most rapid accumulation (10 cm/yr) occurring near the seaward edge of the topset beds and in the foreset beds. Amazon River sediment is dispersed northwestward along the shelf and is transported beyond the Brazilian border. Radiographic studies of sediment cores delineate three sedimentary environments: interbedded mud and sand, faintly laminated mud, and bioturbated mud. The distribution of these environments is a function of proximity to the river mouth and of sediment accumulation rate.     

An ichnological-assemblage approach to reservoir heterogeneity assessment in bioturbated strata: Insights from the Lower Cretaceous Viking Formation,Alberta, Canada

Facies-scale trends in porosity and permeability are commonly mapped for reservoir models and flow simulation; however, these trends are too broad to capture bed and bed-set heterogeneity, and there is a need to up-scale detailed, bed-scale observations, especially in low-permeability reservoir intervals. Here we utilize sedimentology and ichnology at the bed- and bedset-scale to constrain the range of porosity and permeability that can be expected within facies of the Lower Cretaceous Viking Formation of south-central, Alberta, Canada.Three main facies were recognized, representing deposition from the middle shoreface to the upper offshore. Amalgamated, hummocky cross-stratified sandstone facies (Facies S_HCS) consist of alternations between intensely bioturbated beds and sparsely bioturbated/laminated beds. Trace fossil assemblages in bioturbated beds of Facies S_HCS are attributable to the archetypal Skolithos Ichnofacies, and are morphologically characterized by vertical, sand-filled shafts (VSS). Bioturbated beds show poor reservoir properties (max: 10% porosity, mean: 85.1 mD) compared to laminated beds (max 20% porosity, mean: 186 mD). Bioturbated muddy sandstone facies (Facies S_B) represent trace fossil assemblages primarily attributable to the proximal expression of the Cruziana Ichnofacies. Four ichnological assemblages occur in varying proportions, namely sediment-churning assemblages (SC), horizontal sand-filled tube assemblages (HSF), VSS assemblages, and mud-filled, lined, or with spreiten (MLS) assemblages. Ichnological assemblages containing horizontal (max: 30% porosity, mean: 1.28 mD) or vertical sand-filled burrows (max: 10% porosity, mean: 2.2 mD) generally have better reservoir properties than laminated beds (max: 20% porosity, mean: 0.98 mD). Conversely, ichnological assemblages that consist of muddy trace fossils have lower porosity and permeability (max 10% porosity, mean: 0.89 mD). Highly bioturbated, sediment churned fabrics have only slightly higher porosity and permeability overall (max: 15% porosity, mean: 1.29 mD). Bioturbated sandy mudstone facies (Facies M_B) contain ichnofossils representing an archetypal expression of the Cruziana Ichnofacies. Four ichnological assemblages occur throughout Facies M_B that are similar to Facies S_B; SC, HSF, VSS, and MLS assemblages. The SC (max: 15% porosity, mean: 21.67 mD), HSF (max: 20% porosity, mean: 3.79 mD), and VSS (max: 25% porosity, mean: 7.35 mD) ichnological assemblages have similar or slightly lower values than the laminated beds (max: 20% porosity, mean: 10.7 mD). However, MLS assemblages have substantially lower reservoir quality (max: 10% porosity, mean: 0.66 mD).Our results indicate that the most likely occurrence of good reservoir characteristics in bioturbated strata exists in sand-filled ichnological assemblages. This is especially true within the muddy upper offshore to lower shoreface, where vertically-oriented trace fossils can interconnect otherwise hydraulically isolated laminated sandstone beds; this improves vertical fluid transmission. The results of this work largely corroborate previous findings about ichnological impacts on reservoir properties. Unlike previous studies, however, we demonstrate that the characteristics of the ichnological assemblage, such as burrow form and the nature of burrow fill, also play an important role in determining reservoir characteristics. It follows that not all bioturbated intervals (attributed to the same facies) should be treated equally. When upscaling bed-scale observations to the reservoir, a range of possible permeability-porosity values can be tested for model sensitivity and to help determine an appropriate representative elementary volume.     

Distribution, texture and composition of modern phosphate pellets in Peru shelf muds

Textural analysis, including estimates of concentrations of authigenic phosphate pellets, were made for eight sediment cores from the Peru continental margin. Phosphatic pellets separated from these modern organic-rich sediments are black, spherical-ovoidal in shape, and in thin section often display a concentric structure around a nucleus consisting of inorganic mineral grains. Some pellets have a gray-white exterior coating which appears to be secondary diagenetic calcite. Phosphatic pellets account for upwards of 80% of the sediment mass in some cores. Pellets concentrate in specific size classes, generally between 125 and 500 μm in diameter, and occur within a poorly sorted sediment.     

In situ hydrocarbon concentrations from pressurized cores in surface sediments, Northern Gulf of Mexico

Two newly developed coring devices, the Multi-Autoclave-Corer and the Dynamic Autoclave Piston Corer were deployed in shallow gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico during research cruise SO174 (Oct–Nov 2003). For the first time, they enable the retrieval of near-surface sediment cores under ambient pressure. This enables the determination of in situ methane concentrations and amounts of gas hydrate in sediment depths where bottom water temperature and pressure changes most strongly influence gas/hydrate relationships. At seep sites of GC185 (Bush Hill) and the newly discovered sites at GC415, we determined the volume of low-weight hydrocarbons (C₁ through C₅) from nine pressurized cores via controlled degassing. The resulting in situ methane concentrations vary by two orders of magnitudes between 0.031 and 0.985 mol kg^− 1 pore water below the zone of sulfate depletion. This includes dissolved, free, and hydrate-bound CH₄. Combined with results from conventional cores, this establishes a variability of methane concentrations in close proximity to seep sites of five orders of magnitude. In total four out of nine pressure cores had CH₄ concentrations above equilibrium with gas hydrates. Two of them contain gas hydrate volumes of 15% (GC185) and 18% (GC415) of pore space. The measurements prove that the highest methane concentrations are not necessarily related to the highest advection rates. Brine advection inhibits gas hydrate stability a few centimeters below the sediment surface at the depth of anaerobic oxidation of methane and thus inhibits the storage of enhanced methane volumes. Here, computerized tomography (CT) of the pressure cores detected small amounts of free gas. This finding has major implications for methane distribution, possible consumption, and escape into the bottom water in fluid flow systems related to halokinesis.     

Distribution and origin of hybrid beds in sand-rich submarine fans of the Tanqua depocentre, Karoo Basin, South Africa

This study documents the stratigraphic and palaeogeographic distribution of hybrid event beds that comprise both debris-flow (cohesive) and turbidity current (non-cohesive) deposits. This is the first study of such beds in a submarine fan system to combine outcrop and research borehole control, and uses a dataset from the Skoorsteenberg Formation of the Tanqua depocentre in the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Three types of 0.1–1.0 m thick hybrid beds are observed, which have a basal weakly graded fine-grained sandstone turbidite division overlain by a division of variable composition that can comprise 1) poorly sorted carbonaceous-rich material supported by a mud-rich and micaceous sand-matrix; 2) poorly sorted mudstone clasts in a mud-rich sand-silt matrix; or 3) gravel-grade, rounded mudstone clasts in a well sorted (mud-poor) sandstone matrix. These upper divisions are interpreted respectively as: 1) the deposit of a debris-flow most likely derived from shelf-edge collapse; 2) the deposit of a debris flow, most likely developed through flow transformation from turbidity current that eroded a muddy substrate; and 3) from a turbidity current with mudstone clasts transported towards the rear of the flow. All three hybrid bed types are found concentrated at the fringes of lobes that were deposited during fan initiation and growth. The basinward stepping of successive lobes means that the hybrid beds are concentrated at the base of stratigraphic successions in medial and distal fan settings. Hybrid beds are absent in proximal fan positions, and rare and thin in landward-stepping lobes deposited during fan retreat. This distribution is interpreted to reflect the enhanced amounts of erosion and availability of mud along the transport route during early lowstands of sea level. Therefore, hybrid beds can be used to indicate a fan fringe setting, infer lobe stacking patterns, and have a sequence stratigraphic significance.