An investigation into the effects of diffusion on salinity distribution beneath the Fraser River Delta, Canada

Electrical conductivity (EC) and geochemical data were interpreted to determine the nature, origin and distribution of salinity in pore waters of sediments in a deltaic environment. The role of diffusion as a mechanism for transporting saline water within lower permeability prodelta and delta slope sediments is specifically investigated. Characteristic vertical salinity profiles at several different regions of the Fraser River Delta, British Columbia (Canada) are identified, including relatively shallow salinity zones in areas currently and historically near main river channels, and deeper salinity zones reaching up to 300 m depth in delta-front and inland areas. Comparison of salinity profiles with the results of a simple salt transport model suggests that diffusion may be a significant mechanism controlling the observed distribution of salinity in current or former estuarine areas of the delta.Density-effects were found not to be significant given the low permeability of the silt through which the salt is diffusing; however, in similar environments with higher permeability sediments, density effects may be significant. In inland and delta front areas, salinity extends to a considerable depth in the silts, beyond what would appear to be possible by diffusion alone, and points to a connate origin.     

Powerful unconfined turbidity current captured by cabled observatory on the Fraser River delta slope,British Columbia,Canada

Turbidity currents are one of the main sediment transport processes on Earth, yet are notoriously difficult to monitor directly. This article presents the first direct and high bandwidth observation of a turbidity current using a cabled sea floor observatory. On 5 June 2012, a platform on Ocean Networks Canada, located in 107 m of water on the Fraser River delta slope, was displaced downslope and severed from its data cable. The platform weighed ca 1000 kg in water. The event took place during high river discharge, high tides and rapid sediment accumulation on adjacent upslope areas of the sea floor. Data recorded as it tumbled downslope allow a reconstruction of the flow, which is inferred to have been an unconfined turbidity current. Lines of evidence indicate that the flow came in as a bed hugging wedge, and built up to between 1 m and 4 m in height as the head passed through. Comparison with laboratory data suggest that the flow was initially supercritical. While the adjacent slope offset to the north clearly exhibits change over an annual resurvey period, the bathymetry directly at the event location show no resolvable change over a period from seven months before the event to one month after. Sediment cores collected after the event were pervasively biototurbated and they contain no obvious deposit connected with this event. The remarkable aspects of this research follow. The flow was powerful enough to carry a 1 tonne platform and sever a heavily armoured cable. The current occurred on the unchannelized open slope. This powerful event failed to cause discernible seabed elevation change. The flow was triggered by tidal conditions. The event was detected by a purpose‐designed cabled observatory, thus providing high bandwidth data and also alerting researchers in real time to mount follow‐on investigations.     

A model for the growth and development of wave-dominated deltas fed by small mountainous rivers: Insights from the Elwha River delta,Washington

Observations from ground-penetrating radar, sediment cores, elevation surveys and aerial imagery are used to understand the development of the Elwha River delta in north-western Washington, USA, which prograded as a result of two dam removals in late 2011. Swash-bar, foreshore and swale depositional elements are recognized within ground-penetrating radar profiles and sediment cores. A model for the growth and development of small mountainous river wave-dominated deltas is proposed based on observation of both the fluvial and deltaic settings. If enough sediment is available in the fluvial system, mouth-bars form after higher than average river discharge events, creating a large platform seaward of the subaqueous delta plain. Swash-bars form concurrently or within a month of mouth-bar deposition as a result of wave action. Fair-weather waves drive swash-bar migration landward and in the direction of littoral drift. The signature of swash-bar welding to the shoreline is landward-dipping reflections, as a result of overwash processes and slipface migration. However, most swash-bars are eroded by the river mouth, as only 10 of the 37 swash-bars that formed between August 2011 and July 2016 survived within the Elwha River delta. The swash-bars that do survive either amalgamate onto the shoreline or an earlier deposited swash-bar, forming a single larger barrier at the delta front. In asymmetrical deltas, the signature of swash-bar welding is more likely to be preserved on the downdrift side of the delta, where formation is more likely and accommodation behind newer swash-bars preserves older deposits. On small mountainous river deltas, welded swash-bars may be more indicative of a large sediment pulse to the system, rather than large hydrological events.     

Using a modern analogue to interpret depositional position in ancient fluvial-tidal channels: Example from the McMurray Formation,Canada

The fluvial–tidal transition (FTT) is a complex depositional zone, where fluvial flow is modified by tides as rivers approach a receiving marine basin. Variations in the relative importance of tidal versus fluvial processes lead to a distinctive distribution of sediments that accumulate on channel bars. The FTT generally consists of three broad zones: (1) a freshwater-tidal zone; (2) a tidally influenced freshwater to brackish-water transition; and (3) a zone of relatively sustained brackish-water conditions with stronger tides. A very common type of deposit through the fluvial–tidal transition, especially on the margins of migrating channels, is inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS). At present, a detailed account of changes in the character of IHS across the FTT of a paleo-channel system has not been reported, although a number of modern examples have been documented. To fill this gap, we quantitatively assess the sedimentology and ichnology of IHS from seven cored intervals in three geographic areas situated within the youngest paleovalley (“A” Valley) in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation of Alberta, Canada. We compare the data to trends defined along the FTT in the present-day Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada to interpret paleo-depositional position in the ancient fluvial–tidal channels.Analysis determined that the mean mudstone thickness is 8.2 cm in the southern study area (SA). Mean thickness increases to 11 cm in the central study area (CA), and decreases again to 4.4 cm in the northern study area (NA). The proportion of mudstone is 31% in SA, 44% in CA, and 27% in NA. Thickness-weighted mean bioturbation intensity in sands varied from 0.29 in SA and CA, to 0.28 in NA. On the other hand, thickness-weighted mean bioturbation intensity (BI) in mudstone increases from 1.46 in SA, to 1.77 in CA, and is 1.94 in NA. The ichnological diversity also increased from south to north.Sedimentological results show similar trends to those of the Fraser River, enabling the identification of a freshwater to brackish-water transition zone with tidal influence. The interpreted position of the transition is underpinned by the bioturbation intensity and trace-fossil diversity trends, indicating periodic brackish-water conditions throughout SA in the McMurray Formation during low river flow conditions. Together, these data suggest that a broad FTT existed in the “A” Valley, with fluvial-dominated channels to the south that experienced seasonal brackish-water inundation during base flow, and channels experiencing increasing brackish-water influence lying further north towards a turbidity maximum zone. The FTT zone appears to have extended for several hundred kilometers from south to north.Based on the sedimentological and ichnological data, as well as estimations of lateral accretion rates, we refute the commonly applied Mississippi River depositional analogue for McMurray Formation channels. Rather, we show that while not a perfect fit, the tidally influenced Fraser River shows much greater agreement with the depositional character recorded in McMurray Formation IHS. Future work on the McMurray system should focus on characterizing tide-dominated deltaic and estuarine systems, such as the Ganges-Brahmaputra, and on forward-modeling the evolution of tide-dominated and tide-influenced river systems.     

Linking invertebrate burrow distributions (neoichnology) to physicochemical stresses on a sandy tidal flat: implications for the rock record

Invertebrate burrow distributions (neoichnology) across a modern tidal flat are presented as an analogue for interpreting the ichnology of palaeo‐tidal‐flat successions. Burrow distributions are linked to physical and chemical (physicochemical) stresses to establish the main controls on the distribution of biosedimentary structures. Across the tidal flat, there is clear heterogeneity in both the diversity of traces and the intensity of burrowing. This heterogeneity reflects a myriad of physicochemical stresses, with the sedimentation rate dominating burrow distributions. Across all substrates, the total area occupied by organisms rarely exceeds 3% of the tidal‐flat surface, and is commonly <1%; this equates to a bioturbation index value of one. To reach bioturbation index values of two to six, sediments must be available to biogenic reworking and/or recolonization. With an increasing sedimentation rate, substrates are rapidly buried and re‐exposed, which limits the time when a substrate is available to colonization. For palaeo‐ichnological studies, this research presents several key results. (i) Burrow cross‐cutting relationships in tidal‐flat successions commonly reflect natural heterogeneities in the areal distribution of infaunal communities, rather than infaunal tiering. (ii) Ichnofabric analysis of palaeo‐tidal flats with a high sedimentation rate would yield fabrics that reflect heterogeneities in the areal distribution of infaunal communities rather than variability in the physicochemical stresses of the environment. (iii) The composite trace‐fossil assemblage of tidal flats cannot be attributed to a single ichnofacies, but instead comprises elements typical of multiple ichnofacies. (iv) The main controls on trace assemblages across tidal flats in fully marine settings are sedimentological and include the sedimentation rate and, to a lesser extent, grain size.     

长江三角洲的形成和演变

文章从地质构造背景、泥沙来源、动力条件和海底坡度四个方面阐述了长江三角洲的形成条件：长江三角洲主体位于构造下沉区；塑造长江三角洲的泥沙主要来自长江，少量来自废黄河三角洲和钱塘江；长江口门地区的波浪、潮流及沿岸流的作用比较适中、海底坡度平缓，有利于三角洲的保存。文章进而对不同历史时期三角洲岸线的变迁做了描述。最后，文章对本世纪三峡工程等流域人类活动将导致的河流来沙锐减对三角洲演变的影响做了初步的展望。     

黄河三角洲滨海湿地表层土壤稀土元素分布特征

通过对黄河三角洲北部滨海湿地49个站位表层土壤样的稀土元素(REE)分布特征及其生态效应的研究,笔者认为:研究区表层土壤∑REE含量为143.14~251.78 mg/kg,平均含量为182.98 mg/kg;REE分馏程度均低于黄河流域沉积物和长江流域沉积物的REE分馏程度;研究区δEu和δCe与黄河流域和长江流域沉积物亦有一定差异.REE经球粒陨石和北美页岩标准化后显示,研究区表层土壤与现代黄河流域沉积物的REE总体配分曲线相近,但其REE的总体含量均高于黄河流域沉积物中REE的含量,尤其HREE更为明显;不同植被区,表层土壤中∑REE、LREE平均含量均为芦苇地<光滩<柽柳地<翅碱蓬地,而HREE平均含量为芦苇地<翅碱蓬地<柽柳地<光滩,其分馏程度芦苇地<光滩<柽柳地<翅碱蓬地,δEu和δCe平均值亦相对较低,推测可能在湿地,特别是芦苇地里REE更多地参与了生物地球化学循环.     

莱州湾凹陷垦利油区沙三上亚段辫状河三角洲沉积特征表征

渤海湾盆地莱州湾凹陷垦利油区沙三上亚段是目前中深层油气勘探开发的重点主力含油层系。综合研究区沉积背景,以三维地震资料、岩心及测井资料为依托,结合地震沉积学研究,开展了垦利油区沙三上亚段辫状河三角洲沉积特征及演化规律研究。结果表明,莱州湾凹陷垦利油区沙三上亚段沉积期,发育以莱北低凸起、垦东凸起及潜在物源区潍北低凸起供源形成的辫状河三角洲沉积体系。研究区辫状河三角洲平原砂体以细—中砂岩为主,前缘砂体以粉—细砂岩为主,分选性中等较好。牵引流性质的沉积构造十分发育,多见生物扰动构造,反映三角洲前缘动荡的水体环境。顺物源方向发育斜交前积反射地震相,垂直物源方向识别出多期丘状反射地震相。综合古地貌、沉积特征及振幅属性切片,明确研究区沙三上亚段以北部物源莱北低凸起供源为主导,沉积中块及沉积东块为主体沉积区,莱北低凸起供源的三角洲呈后退趋势,其展布面积大（95~130 km2）。沉积西块及东块为多物源供给区,来自垦东凸起的三角洲前缘沉积逐渐萎缩,来自潍北低凸起的三角洲区前缘沉积逐渐向湖盆中央推进。上述沉积展布及演化规律为进一步精细勘探开发提供了沉积地质基础。     

基于包气带水分运移数值模型的黄河三角洲蒸发量研究

蒸发是重要的水循环过程,在野外试验和室内分析的基础上,建立了黄河三角洲地下水浅埋区观测试验场土壤水分运移数值模拟模型,模型中对上边界条件处理采用了考虑气象因素、地表覆盖条件和表层土壤含水量的Penman Wilson公式。利用模型对试验点1999年、2000年、2002年的蒸发量进行了数值模拟计算,计算并分析了裸地、棉花地、芦苇地不同地表植被条件下,地表蒸发量(包括棵间裸地蒸发量和植物蒸腾量)的变化规律。从时间上看,黄河三角洲7、8月是蒸发量较高的时期, 1、2月是蒸发量最低时期,一般日蒸发量在0~8 mm/d。影响地面蒸发的主要因素除气象因素外,还有植被类型和覆盖程度、地下水位埋深等因素。植被覆盖程度越高、地下水位埋深越浅,则蒸发量越大,从而导致裸地蒸发量相对较小,农田年蒸发量稍大,而芦苇地蒸发量最大。研究表明,土壤水分运移模型是估算各种复杂条件下蒸发量的有效工具。     

Contamination and bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments from the Yangtze River Delta Region

The Yangtze River Delta Region is one of the most important economic development areas in China. In the process of its industrialization and urbanization, a great deal of wastewater is poured into rivers, lakes and coasts. Researches on contamination and bioavailability of heavy metals can help us to assess the ecological risks in the aquatic environment of the Yangtze River Delta. The samples were collected from three environmental compartments including the Yangtze River, Taihu Lake, and the south coast of Jiangsu. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by ICP-MS. Metal speciation was determined by the sequential extraction procedure modified based on Tessier＇s scheme. Among the seven elements of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, Co, Ni detected, the contents of Cr, Zn did not vary significantly, while Cd and Pb varied significantly. Compared to the background values （loess in the basement）, all metals detected except Co, Cr exceeded the background level. Cd had the greatest exceeding values, reaching 2 to 7 times. Ni and Pb were followed. The contents of Zn were comparatively high in lake sediments, especially in the lake bays. Ni was enriched in fiver sediments and Cu was highest in sediments from the Yangtze River estuary. Cd and Pb were concentrated in the coastal sediments. Comparatively, in space, Cr was associated with the carbonate fractions in the bay of lake. Cu-bound Fe-Mn oxides and Ni in residual form were highest in the open lake. In the river environment, Fe/Mn oxide-bound Pb, exchangeable Cd were the highest fractions. In the estuary environment, Pb and Zn bound carbonates, Cd-bound Fe-Mn oxides are the largest fractions. Cd in the exchangeable fraction, Cu-bound Fe-Mn oxides had the larger proportions in the coast. In general, the bioavailability of Cu and Cd were high in lake environment, the available Pb, Cd were remarked in river environment, and Pb and Zn were easily assimilated by creatures in estuary.     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater from the two main aquifers in the Red River Delta,Vietnam

In the Red River Delta, situated in the northern part of Vietnam, nearly its entire population depends solely on groundwater for daily water consumptions. For this reason, groundwater quality assessments must be carefully carried out using hydrogeochemical properties, to ensure effective groundwater resource planning for the Delta’s present and future groundwater use. In this study, the spatial and seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the two main aquifers of the RRD were investigated by analyzing the physicochemical data obtained in 2011 from 31 conjunctive wells in the Delta’s Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) and Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) using the Piper diagram and the Gibbs diagram. Results of the data analysis show that the groundwater in both aquifers in the upstream area of the delta is dominated by the [Ca²⁺–HCO₃⁻] water-type, while the [Na⁺–Cl⁻] dominates along the middle-stream and downstream areas. Seasonal changes in the hydrogeochemical facies in both aquifers, comparing the results for the dry and the rainy seasons, were detected in about one third of the sampling wells, which were mainly located at the upstream portion of the Delta. The hydrogeochemical facies of HUA were different from that of PCA by about 45% of the sampling wells in both the dry and the rainy seasons, which were found mostly in the upstream and middle-stream areas.     

Advance of alpine glaciers during final retreat of the Cordilleran ice sheet in the Finlay River area, northern British Columbia, Canada

Sharp-crested moraines, up to 120 m high and 9 km beyond Little Ice Age glacier limits, record a late Pleistocene advance of alpine glaciers in the Finlay River area in northern British Columbia. The moraines are regional in extent and record climatic deterioration near the end of the last glaciation. Several lateral moraines are crosscut by meltwater channels that record downwasting of trunk valley ice of the northern Cordilleran ice sheet. Other lateral moraines merge with ice-stagnation deposits in trunk valleys. These relationships confirm the interaction of advancing alpine glaciers with the regionally decaying Cordilleran ice sheet and verify a late-glacial age for the moraines. Sediment cores were collected from eight lakes dammed by the moraines. Two tephras occur in basal sediments of five lakes, demonstrating that the moraines are the same age. Plant macrofossils from sediment cores provide a minimum limiting age of 10,550-10,250 cal yr BP (9230 ± 50 ¹⁴C yr BP) for abandonment of the moraines. The advance that left the moraines may date to the Younger Dryas period. The Finlay moraines demonstrate that the timing and style of regional deglaciation was important in determining the magnitude of late-glacial glacier advances.     

Dissolved trace elements in river water: spatial distribution and the influencing factor, a study for the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China

Twenty-nine water samples were collected from different river channels of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China. An inductively coupled plasma-mass spectromonitor (ICP-MS) was used to measure concentrations of the trace elements in these samples. The results suggest that the average concentrations of rare earth elements in river water show an increasing trend from the West River, the North River, the rivers of the Pearl River Delta, and the Shenzhen River to the East River. Relatively high concentrations of heavy metals appear in the East River, the rivers of the Pearl River Delta and the Shenzhen River, while the West River and the North River have relatively low heavy metal concentrations. Trace element concentrations in samples collected near urban or industrial areas are much higher than those of samples collected from distant areas, away from urban and industrial areas. After natural conditions, human activities have significant influence on the trace element concentrations in river water. This trace element concentration’s spatial distribution in the river water from the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone is actually an integrated effect of natural conditions and human activity.     

一个辫状河三角洲的沉积特征——以民和盆地朱家台组为例

本文论述了民和盆地朱家台组辫状河三角洲的主要沉积特征,及其与扇三角洲的异同点进行了重点讨论。对正确识别两类粗粒三角洲沉积,对盆地演化的研究及其储集性具有重要意义。     

黄河三角洲沉积物重金属、氮和磷污染研究

黄河三角洲河流、沼泽、湖坪环境主要为粉砂质沉积、重金属Cd,Pb,Zn和Hg的含量范围分别为0．07－0．30μg/g，9．7－36．3μg/g，37．4－110μg/g和0．01－0．25μg/g，Cu,Ni,Cr和Mn的含量范围分别为18．4－58．0μg/g，17．9－43．7μg/g，38．7－80．7μg/g和423－980μg/g。由于Pb,Zn,Cd和Hg的含量较低，Cu,Ni,Cr和Mn的含量与背景值无明显差别，黄河三角洲沉积可能未遭受明显的污染。黄河三角洲富粘土粒级的粉砂质沉积明显富集重金属。但若排除其影响，黄河口沉积物剖面从下至上Pb,Zn,Cd和Hg含量仍呈现上升趋势，反映出自八十年代以来黄河流域经济快速增长对环境的影响。黄河三角洲沉积物的总氮含量一般较低（110－670μg/g)，其中NH3态氮的比例仅为0．01－0．06。沉积物中总磷含量为430－760μg/g，主要为钙磷酸盐，以FePO4和AlPO4形式存在的磷的含量仅分别占0．00－0．08和0．00－0．03。因此，沉积物的氮和磷不会对环境产生较严重的影响。     

Distribution of arsenic and other trace elements in the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Bangladesh

Geochemical study of the Holocene sediments of the Meghna River Delta, Chandpur, Bangladesh was conducted to investigate the distribution of arsenic and related trace and major elements. The work carried out includes analyses of core sediments and provenance study by rare earth element (REE) analysis. Results showed that the cores pass downward from silty clays and clays into fine to medium sands. The uppermost 3 m of the core sediments are oxidized [average oxidation reduction potential (ORP) + 230 mV], and the ORP values gradually become negative with depths (−45 to −170 mV), indicating anoxic conditions prevail in the Meghna sediments. The REE patterns of all lithotypes in the study areas are similar and are comparable to the average upper continental crust. Arsenic and other trace elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) have greater concentrations in the silts and clays compared to those in the sands. Positive correlation between As and Fe was found in the sediments, indicating As may be adsorbed on Fe oxides in aquifer sediments.     

Coastal Inundation due to Sea Level Rise in the Pearl River Delta,China

This paper examines the increased potential risk of tidalinundations in the Pearl River delta, China, due to futurerises in sea level. The research is based on tidal recordsof 54 tide gauges distributed across the delta plain, andemploys mathematical calculations to predict potentialrises of water level in different parts of the delta undera number of flood scenarios. After assessing a 72-yeartidal record of Hong Kong and factors such as estuarinebackwater effects and long-term geological subsidence,it suggests that a 30 cm rise in relative sea level at themouth of the estuary is possible by 2030. Based on theprediction and five freshwater discharge scenarios, thepotential impacts on water levels across the delta plain arecalculated. Three zones are identified as least affected,heavily affected and severely affected. The impacts arealso translated into return periods of water level. It issuggested that in a large part of the delta plain, returnperiods will be shortened and hence will be increasinglyvulnerable to tidal inundation. Finally, managementimplications are discussed along with assessment ofthe adequacy of the existing tidal flood defences, as well asevaluation of the cost implications if they are to be improved.     

长三角部分地区土壤中22种有机氯农药的分布特征

针对长三角地区长期工业化对农业生态环境构成较大风险,本文利用气相色谱法对该地区不同利用类型土壤中22种有机氯农药进行测定,研究了有机氯农药的残留状况及其在4条土壤垂向剖面中的分布特征。结果表明,不同利用类型表层土壤中有机氯农药残留平均值为工业园区菜地(139.87 ng/g)工业园区荒地(103.1 ng/g)农业区传统菜地(26.27 ng/g)农业区水稻田(2.50 ng/g)。表层土壤中DDTs和HCHs是主要污染物,DDTs含量为0.14~485.73 ng/g(均值44.43 ng/g),HCHs含量为0.69~66.69 ng/g(均值7.73 ng/g),(DDD+DDE)/DDTs值表明该地区近期外源DDTs输入较少。土壤剖面样品分析表明,DDTs和HCHs的含量均随土壤深度增加而迅速降低,这与剖面土壤包气带岩性均以黏土和亚黏土为主,削弱了地表径流对有机氯农药的垂直迁移动力有关。本研究可为控制和改善该地区污染状况提供相关数据。     

The Shengli I Point Bar on the Yellow River Delta: Three-Dimensional Structures and Their Evolution

Point bars are well developed on the Yellow River delta, among which the Shengli I point bar is the most typical. The point bar, being about 4 km in length and several tens to more than 100 meters in width, is located on the south side of the Shengli Bridge in Kenli County, Dongying, Shandong. It is a typical fine-grained point bar with silt, which is predominant, some clay and minor plant debris and clay boulders. The Shengli I point bar has complicated 3-D structures. Firstly, in a plane view, it comprises mainly eight sedimentary units, bar edge, bar ridge, bar platform, bar plain, bar channel, bar gully, bar pond and bar bay, developing side by side and superimposed one by one in a complex way. Secondly, its vertical structures are very complex due to the partial superimposition of the 8 sedimentary units. Besides hydatogenesis, very intensive wind erosion, eolian, ice and meltwater actions are also visible on the Shengli I point bar. The complex form is made even more complicated because of the abo