High-resolution upper Pliocene to Pleistocene calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy in Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1146A in the South China Sea

We established a high-resolution calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy for the late Pliocene–Pleistocene by analyzing a 242 m-thick, continuous sedimentary succession from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1146, Hole A, in the South China Sea (SCS). A total of 14 calcareous nannofossil datums were detected in the SCS succession. They are, in descending order: first occurrence (FO) of Emiliania huxleyi, last occurrence (LO) of Pseudoemiliania lacunosa, LO of Reticulofenestra asanoi, FO of Gephyrocapsa parallela, FO of R. asanoi, LO of large Gephyrocapsa spp., FO of large G. spp., FO of Gephyrocapsa oceanica, FO of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica, LO of Calcidiscus macintyrei, LO of Discoaster brouweri, LO of Discoaster pentaradiatus, LO of Discoaster surculus, and LO of Discoaster tamalis. The FO of E. huxleyi was not precisely detected due to poor preservation and dissolution of nannofossils in the underlying strata. We refined the previous calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy in the SCS by identifying Gephyrocapsa species and four evolutionary extinction events of the genus Discoaster. The proposed calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy correlates with those reported in other terrestrial and marine areas/sites and global benthic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O records. The age–depth curves based on nannofossil biostratigraphy indicate a significant increase in the sedimentation rates at the LO of R. asanoi (0.91–0.85 Ma). The timing of this increase corresponds to reef expansion in the Ryukyu Islands linked to a stepwise increase in Kuroshio Current intensity. This timing is broadly coeval with a sea surface temperature increase of ∼2 °C in the northwestern Pacific due to expansion of the Western Pacific Warm Pool towards the north and south subtropical regions. This can be explained by increased weathering and erosion of terrestrial areas in glacial periods and increased rainfall causing higher sediment transport in interglacial periods, which were both linked to Middle Pleistocene Transition-related climatic changes.     

Late Changhsingian radiolarian biostratigraphy from Guangxi,South China and its correlation to conodonts

A well-preserved, abundant radiolarian fauna was obtained from three sections: the Dongpan, Liuqiao, and Paibi sections, in southern Guangxi, South China. Sixteen species belonging to Albaillella and Neoalbaillella, including seven undetermined species, are recognized. On the basis of stratigraphic distribution of these species, two radiolarian zones, the Albaillella triangularis Zone and the Albaillella yaoi Zone, are established. The correlation between radiolarian zones and conodont zones is suggested based on the discovery of coexisting conodonts. Albaillella triangularis and Albaillella yaoi zones correspond to Neogondolella postwangi and Neogondolella yini zones respectively.     

Radiolarian biostratigraphy in the Southern Bering Sea since Pliocene

Detailed radiolarian biostratigraphy in the Plio-Pleistocene was analyzed by using samples from IODP Site U1340 that was drilled to a core depth of 604 m in the southern Bering Sea. A total of 227 species belonging to 102 genera were identified. Based on the distributions of the radiolarian index species at Site U1340, five radiolarian zones since the Pliocene were established in the southern Bering Sea for the first time, and 25 radiolarian bioevents were recognized. Their ages were estimated on the basis of the age-depth plot that was constructed by the synthetical datum of the effective biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic events. The radiolarian zones at Site U1340 were systematically compared with those in its adjacent regions since the late Early Pliocene, which further improved and interpreted the biostratigraphic datum as well as their correlations in the middle-high latitude of the North Pacific. In addition, the comparative results of radiolarian zones show that Botryostrobus aquilonaris Zone emended in this paper is equivalent to the upper part of the same zone defined by Hays, 1970, and Druppatractus irregularis-Dorydruppa bensoni Zone as well as Spongodiscus sp. Zone, newly proposed in this paper, are well correlated with Cycladophora sakaii Zone and Stylatractus universus Zone in the subarctic North Pacific, respectively.     

Palynological record during the Pleistocene (between 1.05 Ma and 0.36 Ma) from ODP1144, northern South China Sea

This paper presents the pollen record from the lower section of ODP1144 (depth 501.3-225.7 m, ca. 1.05-0.36 Ma). Two pollen zones (PA and PB) and eleven pollen subzones are recognized. Within zone PB, the 11 pollen subzones (PB21-11) are defined according to the pine, fern and herb variations, and are equivalent to the marine isotope stages 21-11 (MISs 21-11). The interglacial periods are typified by an increase in pine pollen and fern spores, and a decrease in herbaceous pollen, while the patterning during the glacial periods is just the opposite. During the interglacial periods, pollen assemblages were dominated by pine similar to those of the present day, suggesting that the paleoenvironment of the interglacial periods was similar to that of the present day, whereas the glacial periods are marked by an increase in herbaceous pollen, mainly Gramineae and Cyperaceae, indicating that grassland covered the exposed continental shelf when sea level declined. Increased Artemisia percentages and the highest     

基于古地磁与~(230)Th定年的西沙西科1井乐东组生物礁沉积年代的初步研究

生物礁是重要的自然资源,在全球气候变化与碳循环中扮演了重要角色.磁性地层学是建立年代框架的有效手段,但是,由于生物礁沉积物中天然剩磁强度弱,南海地区生物礁的磁性地层学研究尚未很好展开.为此,本文利用西沙群岛西科1井乐东组生物礁沉积样品进行了详细的岩石磁学和磁性地层学研究.结果显示,西沙群岛乐东组记录了布容正极性时、奥杜维尔正极性时和松山负极性时.通过对比已有的钻孔资料,本文认为应基于岩石地层特征这一标准将西沙地区的乐东组埋深予以统一.在此基础上,综合磁性地层与~(230)Th定年结果,本文将乐东组的底界限定在~2.0 Ma.     

Microtektites in the Middle Pleistocene deep-sea sediments of the South China Sea*

This is a preliminary study on the microtektites that were found in large numbers from the interval between 7.80 and 8.10 m depth of core S095-17957-2 (10°53.9’N, 115°18.3’E, water depth 2 195 m), northern Nansha area of the South China Sea. The microtektites vary in shape, with spherules predominating, and are commonly less than 1 mm in diameter, transparent or semitransparent, brownish in color, with bubbles inside. Based on coarse fraction stratigraphy and foraminifera/nanofossil biostratigraphical events the microtektite layer was assigned to nearly the Bm-hes/Matuyama magnetic reversal boundary (some 0.78 MaBP). Obviously, the present microtektites, and those found from the middle Pleistocene of the Indian Ocean, Australia and loess of northern China, were products of the same impact event and therefore, are useful as a reliable mark in Quaternary stratigraphy, as well as in paleoclimatic studies. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 49676287, 49732060).     

Oxygen isotope stratigraphy and events in the northern South China Sea during the last 6 million years

Based on the stable isotopic analysis of more than 1000 samples of planktonic and benthic foraminifers from ODP Site 1148 in the northern South China Sea (SCS), the oxygen isotope stratigraphy has been applied to the last 3 million years for the first time in the SCS. Furthermore, the paleoceanographic changes in the northern SCS during the last 6 million years have been unraveled. The benthic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O record shows that before δ3.1 Ma the SCS was much more influenced by the warm intermediate water of the Pacific. The remarkable decrease in the deepwater temperature of the SCS during the period of 3.1-2.5 Ma demonstrates the formation of the Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet. However, the several sea surface temperature (SST) reductions during the early and middle Pliocene, reflected by the planktonic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O, might be related to the ice-sheet growth in the Antarctic region. Only those stepwise and irreversible SST reductions during the period of δ2.2-0.9 Ma could be related to the formation and growth of the Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet.     

南黄海南部与东海北部之间的深部构造

针对南黄海南部与东海之间的深部构造，根据前一段地球物理研究的结果，与有关文献进行对比探讨，发现其差异．在重力和三维地震层析成像结果基础上，探讨分析了该海域的深部构造，给出分布在南黄海南部与东海北部之间的苏浙-济州岛构造带的分布位置、形态特征，并讨论了该构造带的性质、与周边构造体系和构造演化的关系．并指出这一构造由于朝鲜半岛西缘断裂带的存在而并未延伸进入朝鲜半岛．     

菲律宾海板块与南海协同构造演化探讨

菲律宾海板块(Philippine Sea Plate,PSP)与南海(South China Sea,SCS)处于欧亚板块、太平洋板块和澳大利亚板块的交汇区域,其构造演化对东南亚、西太平洋乃至全球板块构造重建具有重要意义.虽然PSP和SCS的构造演化模型已经分别建立,但二者之间的协同演化关系还不明确.本文综述了PSP和SCS的古地磁数据、海底磁异常条带资料,并结合地震层析成像以及其他地质结果的约束,对二者的演化关系进行了探讨.PSP四国盆地与SCS在渐新世开始时,受控于统一的地球动力学系统,两者具有地质意义上的亲缘性.早中新世,澳大利亚板块与东南亚地块碰撞,致使PSP发生旋转,四国盆地开始与SCS发生分离,并逐渐向北运动和顺时针旋转,直至演化至现今位置.本文最后提出了这种协同构造演化模式有待解决的问题以及未来的研究展望.

     

华南及南海北部地区瑞利面波层析成像

基于华南及周边地区106个宽频带地震台站多年记录的MS≥5.0中浅源地震事件, 开展瑞利面波层析成像和速度结构特征研究, 获得了华南大陆及南海北部地区10~100 s瑞利波群速度分布图像和典型剖面下方地壳上地幔速度结构, 为理解该地区构造演化和深部过程提供约束.考虑到实际地震射线的覆盖情况以及华南地区主要构造的主体展布特征, 本文同时采用传统的规则网格剖分和平行主要构造走向的非规则网格剖分方法, 分别进行分格频散反演, 开展了不同参数化方案对反演结果影响的对比分析研究.基于瑞利面波层析成像结果, 进行了典型剖面横波速度结构反演, 重建了华南地区由内陆至南海海域主要构造单元的壳幔横波速度结构.研究结果表明, 扬子和华夏块体地壳上地幔结构特征差异显著, 扬子块体地壳和岩石圈厚度均大于华夏地块, 且扬子块体上地幔顶部速度较华夏块体低, 岩石圈厚度在雪峰山造山带下方发生过渡和转换;南海北部陆缘和南海海盆上地幔速度较高且形态相对完整, 表现为非火山型大陆边缘和已停止扩张海盆的壳幔结构特征.     

南海北部地震危险性分析

在建立了比较可靠的南海北部地震目录以后,采用编制中国地震动参数区划图（2001）的方法,重新划分了南海北部海域的潜在震源区和调整了相关的地球物理参数,最终计算了南海北部海域50年超越概率10％的地震动峰值加速度。南海北部的地震动峰值加速度可分成东部高值区和西部低值区。东区的地震动峰值加速度在0．160g以上,西区大部分海域的地震动峰值加速度小于0．114g,并且与它们北侧的陆区大致相似。     

Middle Miocene to Pleistocene radiolarian biostratigraphy in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, ODP Leg 186

Abstract The Upper Cenozoic sedimentary sequences drilled at Sites 1150 and 1151, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 186, enabled establishment of radiolarian zonation and calibration of the age of bioevents in the forearc area of the northern Japan Islands. The sequences were divided into nine zones from the Pleistocene Botryostrobus aquilonaris Zone to the Upper Miocene Lipmanella redondoensis Zone at Site 1150, and 11 zones from the Pleistocene Stylatractus universus Zone to the Middle Miocene Dendrospyris? sakaii Zone at Site 1151. These zones correlate successfully with the studied sequences of many of deep‐sea cores in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and with some sections of onshore Japan. Of 67 important radiolarian bioevents recognized during the study, 29 Pleistocene to Upper Miocene events were directly tied to the geomagnetic polarity time scale through the well‐defined paleomagnetic polarity records, and 21 Upper Miocene events were calibrated based on the diatom biostratigraphy. Of these events, 24 geographically widespread events were selected to test synchroneity and usefulness as time‐horizons within the mid‐to‐high latitude of the Northwest Pacific, involving eight other offshore and onshore sections. Examination showed that most of the zonal boundary events are synchronous within the considered region, and that many diachronous events, most of which are eliminated from the zonal scheme, are unreliable events linked to rare and sporadic occurrences of the species. Radiolarian biostratigraphy of the studied cores clearly indicates three major hiatuses in the Middle Pleistocene, Late Miocene and late Middle Miocene. The latter two hiatuses can be correlated to two global oceanic hiatuses, NH6 and NH3, respectively.     

Tectono-thermal modeling of the Yinggehai Basin,South China Sea

Based on the observed data, the average value of surface heat flow in the Yinggehai Basin is calculated and it turns out to be 84.1 mW/m². The thermal evolution of the basin since the Cenozoic era has been attempted by tectono-thermal modeling. Three-phase extension made the basin become hotter and hotter, reaching its climax in paleo-temperature history since 5.2 Ma. And nowadays, the basin is in the heat flow decreasing period. During the Cenozoic era, the basement heat flow remained at 50–70 mW/m² all the time. This is related to the degree of each extension phase, stretching rate mode and also the limited basin scale. Modeling results also show that, the surface heat flow is controlled mainly by the basement heat flow, and less than 20% comes from radiogenic heat production in the sediments of the basin     

南海磁性基底分布特征的地球物理研究

利用南海最新的磁力资料,在岩石物性分析基础上,选择南海一条典型剖面拟合反演其密度与磁性结构并以拟合结果作为约束,反演全海域磁性基底的宏观分布.对南海磁力数据进行了低纬度化极处理,利用Halo小波基对化极磁异常进行了多尺度分析并依据磁力异常特征进行了磁场分区.根据剖面与全海域磁性基底反演结果认为：南海北部陆缘更倾向于非火山型的构造属性.磁性基底对浅部沉积作用的控制关系在莺歌海一带表现得非常明显.中—西沙和南沙块体的磁性基底特征十分相似,推测在海盆拉张之前,二者为同一块体.     

Levels of endocrine disrupting compounds in South China Sea

The occurrence of estrogens in the aquatic environment has become a major concern worldwide because of their strong endocrine disrupting potency. In this study, concentrations of four estrogenic compounds, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), estriol (E3) were determined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses in surface water from South China Sea, and distributions and potential risks of their estrogenic activity were assessed. The estrogenic compounds E1, E2 and E3 were detected in most of the samples, with their concentrations up to 11.16, 3.71 and 21.63 ng L⁻¹. However, EE2 was only detected in 3 samples. Causality analysis, EEQ values from chemical analysis identified E2 as the main responsible compounds. Based on the EEQ values in the surface water, high estrogenic risks were in the coastal water, and low estrogenic risks in the open sea.     

南海地震与海啸

地震海啸的形成要具备3个条件:一是有深海盆地,可以容纳巨量海水;二是海底地形隆起与拗陷反差强烈;三是存在倾滑型活断层,可发生6级以上倾滑型的地震。查南海及其周边地形地貌,北西南三面都有宽阔的大陆架,中部又是平坦的深海平原,都不具备发生地震海啸的条件,惟独东侧马尼拉海沟才具备产生地震海啸的条件。南海地壳属于大洋型地壳与大陆型地壳之间的过度类型。其断裂构造非常发育,不同地段具有明显差异。北部为拉张型,南部为挤压型,西部为剪切型,东部为俯冲型,中部是扩张型。按断裂展布方向可分为NE向、NW向、EW向、SN向4组;按断裂切割深度,可分为岩石圈断裂、地壳断裂、基底断裂和盖层断裂。这些断裂多数为活动断裂,而东缘俯冲型断裂又是发震断裂。从地震分布、震源机制解分析,南海北、西、南以及中部都不具备引发地震海啸的条件,只有台南—菲律宾地震带东西两侧的贝尼奥夫带发生的倾滑型或具倾滑分量的走滑型6级以上地震,才有可能引发海啸,并可能对南海及我国东南沿海诸省以及港澳地区产生影响。     

Records of Toba eruptions in the South China Sea

Three layers of volcanic tephra, sampled from ODP 1143 Site in the South China Sea, were observed at the mcd depth of 5.55 m, 42.66 m, and 48.25 m, and named, in this paper, layers of A, B, and C, respectively. All of these tephra layers have an average thickness of ca. 2 cm. They were constrained in age of ca. 0.070 Ma, ca. 0.80 Ma, and ca. 1.00 Ma, respectively, by the microbiostratigraphy data. These tephra layers were predominated by volcanic glass shards with a median grain size of 70–75 μm in diameter. Major chemical compositions analyzed by EMPA and comparison with the previous data from other scatter areas suggest that these three layers of tephra can correspond to the three layers of Toba tephra, YTT, OTT, and HDT, respectively, erupting during the Quaternary. The occurrence of these tephra layers in the South China Sea implies that the Toba eruptions often occurred in the summer monsoon seasons of the South China Sea during the Quaternary, and that the strength of eruptions was probably stronger than that previously estimated.     

南海油气资源潜力及勘探现状

南海的油气资源极为丰富,享有“第二个波斯湾”的美誉.南海地貌类型多样,地形复杂,其战略位置极为重要,是东亚及相邻各国必经之路.资源之争,使得周边各国使出浑身解数,发展海洋经济与技术,1981年至2002年,越南就从南沙海域的油田中开采了1亿吨石油、15亿多立方米的天然气,获利250亿美元,南海石油已成为越南国民经济的第一大支柱产业.近半世纪中国南海油气勘探工作取得巨大的成就,发现了26个新生代盆地,取得了南海海域的基本石油地质成果,为南海的勘探开发奠定了基础.南海具有巨大的勘探空间及技术发展空间,每一次的技术进步,都会带来南海油气勘探的质的飞跃.     

南海岩石层及边界构造的地球物理特征

南海经历了中生代主动大陆边缘到新生代被动大陆边缘的转换,其岩石层地球物理场具有明显的块、带特征.本文通过综合分析南海地区深地震探测、面波层析成像、重磁异常以及地热与岩石层流变学等各种地质地球物理资料,对南海地壳及岩石层的综合地球物理特征进行了深入总结,发现深地震探测剖面所确定的洋、陆壳转换位置与空间重力异常梯级带位置较为一致,据此拟定了南海洋、陆壳的转换边界;依据多条地壳结构剖面中拉张减薄的程度确定了正常减薄陆壳、洋陆壳过渡带及洋壳等属性特征,并初步圈定了南海下地壳高速层的分布范围.对比分析了南、北陆缘地壳结构及其拉张减薄的变化特征,从综合地球物理特征的相似性上推测了北部陆缘的中西沙陆块与南部陆缘的南沙礼乐滩陆块具有共轭对称性.依据S波速度梯度变化确定了南海岩石层厚度分布情况,揭示出南海北部陆缘存在一条岩石层厚度的减薄带,且该减薄带与高热流带具有较好的一致性.在综合分析的基础上,以深地震探测剖面与重、磁异常变化的对应性为基础,划定了南海边界构造的位置.     

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.