Scavenging of thorium isotopes in the Arctic regions: implications for the fate of particle-reactive pollutants

The sources of inorganic pollutants to the Arctic areas are reviewed using previously published results. The removal of particle-reactive pollutants is discussed using thorium scavenging as an analog. The scavenging of 234Th from the upper water column (approximately 100 m) and sediment inventory of 230Th from the deep Arctic waters is compared to different ocean basins in the subarctic areas. Such a comparison shows that 234Th is in equilibrium with its parent, 238U, in certain regions of the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean, while it is deficient in other regions of the arctic as well as in sub-polar ocean basins. This implies that the particle-reactive pollutants in the deep Arctic of the Canada Basin are less likely to be removed from the deep waters and will eventually be transported out of this area. We have utilized the 230Th inventory in sediments from the Arctic area to determine the removal rates of particle-reactive nuclides. The 230Th inventory in the deep Arctic Ocean of the Canada Basin is much lower than the Norwegian Sea and the Fram Strait of the Arctic as well as all other sub-polar world oceans. These observations suggest that any pollutants into the deep Arctic areas of the Canada Basin are less likely to be removed locally and may be transported out of this area. In those areas, the colloidal material could potentially play a major role in the removal of particle-reactive contaminants.     

Anthropogenic iodine-129 in the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas: numerical modeling and prognoses

A numerical model simulation has been used to predict extent and variability in the anthropogenic (129)I pollution in the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas region over a period of 100 years. The source function of (129)I used in the model is represented by a well-known history of discharges from the Sellafield and La Hague nuclear reprocessing facilities. The simulations suggest a fast transport and large inventory of the anthropogenic (129)I in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. In a fictitious case of abrupt stop of the discharges, a rapid decline of inventories is observed in all compartments except the North Atlantic Ocean, the deep Nordic Seas and the deep Arctic Ocean. Within 15 years after the stop of releases, the model prediction indicates that near-equilibrium conditions are reached in all compartments.     

4D Arctic: A Glimpse into the Structure and Evolution of the Arctic in the Light of New Geophysical Maps,Plate Tectonics and Tomographic Models

Knowledge about the Arctic tectonic structure has changed in the last decade as a large number of new datasets have been collected and systematized. Here, we review the most updated, publicly available Circum-Arctic digital compilations of magnetic and gravity data together with new models of the Arctic’s crust. Available tomographic models have also been scrutinized and evaluated for their potential to reveal the deeper structure of the Arctic region. Although the age and opening mechanisms of the Amerasia Basin are still difficult to establish in detail, interpreted subducted slabs that reside in the High Arctic’s lower mantle point to one or two episodes of subduction that consumed crust of possibly Late Cretaceous–Jurassic age. The origin of major igneous activity during the Cretaceous in the central Arctic (the Alpha–Mendeleev Ridge) and in the proximity of rifted margins (the so-called High Arctic Large Igneous Province—HALIP) is still debated. Models of global plate circuits and the connection with the deep mantle are used here to re-evaluate a possible link between Arctic volcanism and mantle plumes.     

Long-term ocean simulations in FESOM: evaluation and application in studying the impact of Greenland Ice Sheet melting

The Finite Element Sea-ice Ocean Model (FESOM) is formulated on unstructured meshes and offers geometrical flexibility which is difficult to achieve on traditional structured grids. In this work, the performance of FESOM in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean on large time scales is evaluated in a hindcast experiment. A water-hosing experiment is also conducted to study the model sensitivity to increased freshwater input from Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) melting in a 0.1-Sv discharge rate scenario. The variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the hindcast experiment can be explained by the variability of the thermohaline forcing over deep convection sites. The model also reproduces realistic freshwater content variability and sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean. The anomalous freshwater in the water-hosing experiment leads to significant changes in the ocean circulation and local dynamical sea level (DSL). The most pronounced DSL rise is in the northwest North Atlantic as shown in previous studies, and also in the Arctic Ocean. The released GrIS freshwater mainly remains in the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean and the west South Atlantic after 120 model years. The pattern of ocean freshening is similar to that of the GrIS water distribution, but changes in ocean circulation also contribute to the ocean salinity change. The changes in Arctic and sub-Arctic sea level modify exchanges between the Arctic Ocean and subpolar seas, and hence the role of the Arctic Ocean in the global climate. Not only the strength of the AMOC, but also the strength of its decadal variability is notably reduced by the anomalous freshwater input. A comparison of FESOM with results from previous studies shows that FESOM can simulate past ocean state and the impact of increased GrIS melting well.

     

Reflection of Large Tectonic Structures of the Eastern Part of the Arctic Ocean in the Lithospheric Magnetic Field

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The article considers maps of the field of lithospheric magnetic anomalies—images of the deep structures of the Arctic Ocean—constructed from observations by...     

Long-term ocean simulations in FESOM: evaluation and application in studying the impact of Greenland Ice Sheet melting

The Finite Element Sea-ice Ocean Model (FESOM) is formulated on unstructured meshes and offers geometrical flexibility which is difficult to achieve on traditional structured grids. In this work, the performance of FESOM in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean on large time scales is evaluated in a hindcast experiment. A water-hosing experiment is also conducted to study the model sensitivity to increased freshwater input from Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) melting in a 0.1-Sv discharge rate scenario. The variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the hindcast experiment can be explained by the variability of the thermohaline forcing over deep convection sites. The model also reproduces realistic freshwater content variability and sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean. The anomalous freshwater in the water-hosing experiment leads to significant changes in the ocean circulation and local dynamical sea level (DSL). The most pronounced DSL rise is in the northwest North Atlantic as shown in previous studies, and also in the Arctic Ocean. The released GrIS freshwater mainly remains in the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean and the west South Atlantic after 120 model years. The pattern of ocean freshening is similar to that of the GrIS water distribution, but changes in ocean circulation also contribute to the ocean salinity change. The changes in Arctic and sub-Arctic sea level modify exchanges between the Arctic Ocean and subpolar seas, and hence the role of the Arctic Ocean in the global climate. Not only the strength of the AMOC, but also the strength of its decadal variability is notably reduced by the anomalous freshwater input. A comparison of FESOM with results from previous studies shows that FESOM can simulate past ocean state and the impact of increased GrIS melting well.     

Evaluating the hydrological and hydrochemical responses of a High Arctic catchment during an exceptionally warm summer

The Arctic has experienced substantial warming during the past century with models projecting continued warming accompanied by increases in summer precipitation for most regions. A key impact of increasing air surface temperatures is the deepening of the active layer, which is expected to alter hydrological processes and pathways. The aim of this study was to determine how one of the warmest and wettest summers in the past decade at a High Arctic watershed impacted water infiltration and storage in deeply thawed soil and solute concentrations in stream runoff during the thaw period. In June and July 2012 at the Cape Bounty Watershed Observatory, we combined active layer measurements with major ion concentrations and stable isotopes in surface waters to characterize the movement of different runoff sources: snowmelt, rainfall, and soil water. Results indicate that deep ground thaw enhanced the storage of infiltrated water following rainfall. Soil water from infiltrated rainfall flowed through the thawed transient layer and upper permafrost, which likely solubilized ions previously stored at depth. Subsequent rainfall events acted as a hydrological flushing mechanism, mobilizing solutes from the subsurface to the surface. This solute flushing substantially increased ion concentrations in stream runoff throughout mid to late July. Results further suggest the importance of rainfall and soil water as sources of runoff in a High Arctic catchment during mid to late summer as infiltrated snowmelt is drained from soil following baseflow. Although there was some evaporation of surface water, our study indicates that flushing from solute stores in the transient layer was the primary driver of increased ion concentrations in stream runoff and not evaporative concentration of surface water. With warmer and wetter summers projected for the Arctic, ion concentrations in runoff (especially in the late thaw season), will likely increase due to the deep storage and subsurface flow of infiltrated water and subsequent flushing of previously frozen solutes to the surface.     

Surface Wave Tomography of the Arctic from Rayleigh and Love Wave Group Velocity Dispersion Data

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - The results of studying the deep structure of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle of the Arctic from surface wave data are presented. For this purpose,...     

滇西龙陵地区地壳电性结构及其对大瑞铁路地质选线影响研究

高黎贡山地处印度板块与欧亚板块碰撞缝合带附近的横断山脉南段,是大理一瑞丽铁路(大瑞线)的必经之地,地形起伏大、构造复杂、活动性强,高黎贡山隧道作为全线控制性工程之一,其地质选线的最大困难就是对隧道深部构造环境的了解,特别是缺少对与地热、地震等联系紧密的深部地质构造的认识.为此,本文以大地电磁方法为手段,以高黎贡山隧道为主要研究对象,通过对滇西龙陵地区高黎贡山隧道越岭段两条大地电磁剖面数据的处理解释对研究区的地壳电性结构特征进行了勘探研究.结合区域地质构造特征与主要工程地质问题之间关系的分析,根据隧道主要断层地质条件设计了三维垂直断层模型,利用三维有限元开展正演模拟研究发现,测点点距、位置与横向分辨率密切相关,点距越密,分辨率越高,测点位于断层在地表投影位置能有效提高分辨率.采用大地电磁阻抗张量分解技术对两条剖面上各测点的二维偏离度和电性走向进行了计算和分析,对剖面视电阻率和阻抗相位数据进行了二维NLCG联合反演研究,揭示了沿剖面的腾冲地块、龙陵一瑞丽断裂带及保山地块10 km深度的电性结构特征及相互关系.结果表明:剖面CD电性结构呈现区域构造的三分性,腾冲地块电性结构成层性较好,保山地块成层性较差,两者均以中高阻电性特征为主,中间夹龙陵一瑞丽断裂带,电性结构反映从3 km深度以下存在几乎近于直立延伸的低阻带,推测为班公湖一怒江缝合带滇西段丁青一怒江缝合带的反映;剖面AB共划分了6条与工程密切相关的深部隐伏断裂,结合地震地质、地表地质及龙陵地震深部背景研究,推测F7-3断裂为1975龙陵7.3级地震断裂;从地表黄草坝断裂开始向下延伸,有一条发育最大深度约为4 km的低阻通道,推测为地热断裂深循环通道,其与黄草坝断裂共同控制研究区地下热水的补给、径流和排泄条件,在高黎贡山隧道线位位置形成了一个相对低温通道,为隧道方案成立的关键工程地质条件.勘探结果表明:滇西龙陵地区地壳电性结构有效的反映了高黎贡山隧道深部隐伏断裂和地热断裂深循环通道等深部构造特征,为大瑞线隧道工程地质选线提供了深部地质背景依据.     

Characteristics of pCO_2 in surface water of the Bering Abyssal Plain and their effects on carbon cycle in the western Arctic Ocean

The global warming has obviously been causingthe Arctic sea ice shrinking and thinning during thelast 30 years, which would increase free ice waters andenhance biological productivity. These changes willimpact the source and sink of carbon in the ArcticOcean and subarctic waters as well as a feedback tothe global change[1—3]. The Chukchi Sea is located in the southwest ofthe western Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea in thenorthwest of the North Pacific Ocean. Both seas are 1997—2001) and…     

应用于城市活断层调查的地震方法技术

用地震方法探测城市直下型活动断裂是一种不可替代的勘探技术。地震方法能够准确确定断层的位置，但对于断层的地质年代问题，地震方法本身难以解决，然而结合钻孔资料和测区标准地质剖面，根据地震深度剖面，可以定性地(或半定量地)确定反射波组的地质年代。确定城市直下型活动断裂的上断点需要采用高分辨率的地震反射技术，为有效地确定深部断裂的几何特征，特别是确定深浅断裂构造之间的关系，反射地震方法优于折射地震方法。     

Seismotectonic Study on the West Part of the Interaction Zone Between Southern Tianshan and Northern Tarim

The interaction zone between southern Tianshan and northern Tarim is located at the northeast side of Pamir. It is a region with high seismicity. We constructed a seismotectonic model for the west part of this zone from geological profiles, deep crust seismic detection and earthquake focal mechanisms data. Based on the synthesized geological features, deep crust structure, and earthquake focal mechanisms, we think that the main regional tectonic feature is that the Tianshan tecto-lithostratigraphic unit overthrusts on the Tarim block. The Tianshan tectonic system includes the Maidan fault and thrust sheets in front of the fault; The Tarim tectonic system includes the underground northern Tarim margin fault, conjugate faults in basement and overthrust fault in shallow. The northern Tarim margin fault is a high angle fault deep in the Tarim crust, adjusting different trending deformation between Tianshan and Tarim. It is a major active fault that can generate large earthquakes. The other faults, such as the Tianshan overthrust system and the Tarim basement faults in this area may generate moderately strong earthquakes with different styles.     

第八届青藏高原东部构造与地球物理研讨会（WTGTP2020）反映的新进展

印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞是新生代全球最重要的地质事件,由此青藏高原快速隆升,成为了世界第三极,并不断向外扩展,其内部大型断裂体系发育、地质构造复杂、地震及火山活动性强烈。青藏高原东部及其周边地区作为研究高原隆升、深部变形的动力学机制的天然试验场,也是国际地学领域、地球物理与大陆动力学领域的一个重要焦点。本文根据第八届青藏高原东部构造与地球物理研讨会（WTGTP2020）的学术报告,对高原深部结构与动力学研究的一些新进展进行阐述。本次研讨会对青藏高原及其周边地区岩石圈结构、变形机制及物质运移动力学模式等关键问题进行了较为系统的讨论,围绕青藏高原的形成演化历史,从深部构造与岩浆变质响应,到浅部地表过程以及其对资源气候的影响进行探讨研究,将地球深部动力学、地表过程和气候变化等不同圈层的相互作用有机地联系在一起。      

The distribution of deep source rocks in the GS Sag: joint MT–gravity modeling and constrained inversion

The coal-bearing strata of the deep Upper Paleozoic in the GS Sag have high hydrocarbon potential. Because of the absence of seismic data, we use electromagnetic (MT) and gravity data jointly to delineate the distribution of deep targets based on well logging and geological data. First, a preliminary geological model is established by using three-dimensional (3D) MT inversion results. Second, using the formation density and gravity anomalies, the preliminary geological model is modified by interactive inversion of the gravity data. Then, we conduct MT-constrained inversion based on the modified model to obtain an optimal geological model until the deviations at all stations are minimized. Finally, the geological model and a seismic profile in the middle of the sag is analysed. We determine that the deep reflections of the seismic profile correspond to the Upper Paleozoic that reaches thickness up to 800 m. The processing of field data suggests that the joint MT–gravity modeling and constrained inversion can reduce the multiple solutions for single geophysical data and thus improve the recognition of deep formations. The MT-constrained inversion is consistent with the geological features in the seismic section. This suggests that the joint MT and gravity modeling and constrained inversion can be used to delineate deep targets in similar basins.     

Regional variations in the crustal structure of Northern Canada from surface wave dispersion

Rayleigh and Love wave group velocities in the Arctic islands and adjacent mainland of northern Canada exhibit large regional variations which can be attributed to variations in crustal structure. The shield and platform regions, the eastern Sverdrup basin, and the western Sverdrup basin are characterized by progressively slower velocities. Inversions of the regionalized group velocity data lead to three distinct shear-velocity models. The shield and platform model is similar to earlier models obtained for the Canadian shield. The Sverdrup basin models have low near-surface velocities which may correspond to thick accumulations of sediment. A sediment thickness of about 12 km obtained for the eastern basin corresponds to the maximum thickness inferred from earlier geological studies. An even thicker zone of low velocities occurs in the upper crust of the western basin. This zone may represent the true thickness of a very deep basin or slow velocities in basement rock may underlie the shallower sediments. A third alternative is that low apparent velocities for the western Sverdrup basin result from systematic errors in group velocity determinations produced by epicentral mislocations or origin time errors of the earthquakes used, but such mislocation or errors would have to be quite large to explain the observations. It is not possible to explain the group velocities across the basin areas by simply adding sediments to the shield and platform model. The resulting discrepancies with the data suggest an altogether different crustal structure beneath the basin than that beneath the shield and platform areas.     

兰州地区深部电性结构的初步研究

利用兰州地区现有的大地电磁资料，对该区的深部电性结构进行了初步研究。结果表明，兰州地区各地质构造单元的电性差异较明显，与区域构造有较好的对应性。     

Annual variations in the electromagnetic field of the earth and electrical conductivity of the geological environment

Synchronous annual variations in the geoelectric and geomagnetic field are studied on the basis of long-term electromagnetic monitoring. It is shown that the annual geoelectric variations have intraterrestrial origin and are not related to the annual geomagnetic variations. Temporal variations in the magnetotelluric impedance and magnetic tipper, which characterize the electrical conductivity of the geological environment, are analyzed. It is established that annual variations in the magnetotelluric impedance mainly describe the variations in the electrical conductivity of surface crustal layers and are less sensitive to the deep electrical conductivity of the Earth. The annual variations in the imaginary magnetic tipper at the periods of 1000–3000 s probably reflect the changes in conductivity of a deep transversal low-resistive zone (the fault). It is suggested that annual variations in the geoelectrical and geomagnetic fields, as well as in the electrical conductivity of the geological environment, arise as a response to the changes in the geodynamical processes caused by the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

     

Water mass distribution in Fram Strait and over the Yermak Plateau in summer 1997

The water mass distribution in northern Fram Strait and over the Yermak Plateau in summer 1997 is described using CTD data from two cruises in the area. The West Spitsbergen Current was found to split, one part recirculated towards the west, while the other part, on entering the Arctic Ocean separated into two branches. The main inflow of Atlantic Water followed the Svalbard continental slope eastward, while a second, narrower, branch stayed west and north of the Yermak Plateau. The water column above the southeastern flank of the Yermak Plateau was distinctly colder and less saline than the two inflow branches. Immediately west of the outer inflow branch comparatively high temperatures in the Atlantic Layer suggested that a part of the extraordinarily warm Atlantic Water, observed in the boundary current in the Eurasian Basin in the early 1990s, was now returning, within the Eurasian Basin, toward Fram Strait. The upper layer west of the Yermak Plateau was cold, deep and comparably saline, similar to what has recently been observed in the interior Eurasian Basin. Closer to the Greenland continental slope the salinity of the upper layer became much lower, and the temperature maximum of the Atlantic Layer was occasionally below 0.5 °C, indicating water masses mainly derived from the Canadian Basin. This implies that the warm pulse of Atlantic Water had not yet made a complete circuit around the Arctic Ocean. The Atlantic Water of the West Spitsbergen Current recirculating within the strait did not extend as far towards Greenland as in the 1980s, leaving a broader passage for waters from the Atlantic and intermediate layers, exiting the Arctic Ocean. A possible interpretation is that the circulation pattern alternates between a strong recirculation of the West Spitsbergen Current in the strait, and a larger exchange of Atlantic Water between the Nordic Seas and the inner parts of the Arctic Ocean.     

Warming in Arctic intermediate and deep waters around Chukchi Plateau and its adjacent regions in 1999

Warming in the Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) has been reported in a series of articles in recent years. Prior to 1992, the water temperature of AIW off the Chukchi Continental Slope had never exceeded 0.5℃. Aagaard et al.[1] and Carmack[2] were the first to report that the temperature in AIW in the area in 1993 was close to 1℃, based on the data observed in a Canadian expedition. In 1994, the temperature of AIW around the Chukchi Sea and Mendeleyev Ridge again rose by at least an…     

西伯利亚板块与华北克拉通碰撞带地电结构及对深部缝合边界的讨论

西伯利亚板块与华北克拉通碰撞导致古亚洲洋闭合,形成了幅员辽阔的中亚造山带,该带内记录了丰富的板块碰撞信息,揭示深部缝合边界对于研究洋-陆俯冲到陆-陆碰撞的深部动力学过程具有重要的科学意义.本文对查干敖包—化德410km大地电磁测深(MT)剖面数据进行反演,获得二维电性结构,为研究西伯利亚板块与华北克拉通碰撞带深部构造形迹、碰撞边界问题提供地电结构的依据.结合人工反射地震及地质资料获得以下认识:(1)西伯利亚板块与华北克拉通碰撞带地壳存在多组"U"型低阻异常,多对应弧型、倾斜或"鳄鱼嘴"状反射界面.莫霍面存在两处错断现象,并与深部电性梯度带对应.岩石圈地幔除白乃庙岛弧呈低阻块体外,均为高阻块体,这些电性结构特征反映了南北汇聚所形成的构造形迹.(2)碰撞带可分为二连—贺根山和索伦—西拉木伦河两个不同时期的汇聚体系,晚泥盆世—晚石炭世早期形成的二连—贺根山汇聚体系由二连—贺根山增生杂岩带、宝力岛弧地体及断裂带组成,深部缝合边界位于二连浩特.而晚二叠—早三叠的索伦—西拉木伦河汇聚体系由二道井子增生杂岩带和温都尔庙增生杂岩带及断裂带组成,深部缝合边界位于苏尼特右旗.(3)在锡林浩特地区软流圈内部存在高阻异常,可能为俯冲消失的洋壳或碰撞造山后拆离的岩石圈残片.