Particle flux in the twilight zone of the eastern Indian Ocean: A constraint from 234U–230Th and 228Ra–228Th disequilibria

Total ²³⁰Th and ²²⁸Th vertical distributions were measured in the eastern Indian Ocean. Based on disequilibria of ²³⁴U–²³⁰Th and ²²⁸Ra–²²⁸Th, we estimated the particle flux from the surface to 950 m. The estimated particle flux ranged from 190±60 (150 m in the Southern Ocean) to 8.4±2.5 mg/m²/day (950 m in the West Australian Basin). The particle fluxes correlate well with estimates of nitrate supply by vertical mixing to the euphotic zone, suggesting local control by new production. Flux attenuation at mesopelagic depths appears to be related to biogenic carbonate and silica remineralization based on comparison to alkalinity and dissolved silicate distributions, with possible additional control by lithogenic particle inputs. The particle flux estimates obtained by combining the ²³⁴U–²³⁰Th and ²²⁸Ra–²²⁸Th disequilibria offer advantages over those from ²²⁸Ra–²²⁸Th disequilibrium alone, in that they can account for some aspects of vertical mixing and thus are applicable to a wider range of oceanographic settings.     

Nitrate-nitrogen isotopic patterns in surface waters of the western and central equatorial pacific

To understand the processes transporting nitrate to the surface layer of the western and central equatorial Pacific, we measured the nitrogen isotopic ratio of nitrate (δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ ), which is a very useful tracer of the source of nitrate, above 200 m depth in this region in December 1999. δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ is higher (about 13.0‰) in the surface water than in the subsurface water (where it is about 6.5‰) due to isotopic fractionation during nitrate uptake by phytoplankton. The δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ value has a roughly linear relationship with the natural logarithm of nitrate concentration (ln[NO ₃ ⁻ ]). However, for values above 150 m depth, the intercept of this linear relationship varies with position from east to west. On the other hand, the data at 200 m depth at all observation stations are concentrated around a single point (ln[NO ₃ ⁻ ] = 2.5 and δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ = 6.5‰) and do not fit the linear relationships for the shallower values. To examine the meaning of the observed distributions of δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ and nitrate concentration we developed a box model including nitrogen and nitrogen isotopic cycles. By reproducing the observed relationship between δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ and nitrate concentration using this model we found that most nitrate is transported horizontally from the eastern equatorial Pacific. We also conducted case studies and investigated the effects of differences in pathways of nitrate transport on the distributions of δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ and nitrate concentration. From these studies we concluded that the observed linear relationships between δ ¹⁵NO ₃ ⁻ and ln[NO ₃ ⁻ ], having a common slope around 6‰ but different intercepts at each station, are evidence of the significant horizontal transport of nitrate to the surface water in this area.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes in surface sediments from the western Arctic Ocean and their implications for sedimentary environments

1 IntroductionFor several reasons, the Arctic Ocean and itsmarginal seas are key areas for understanding ocean-ic circulation and global climate system ( Clark,1982; Hansen et al., 1983; Walsh et al., 1996;Overpeck et al., 1997). First, the Arctic Ocean i…     

北冰洋西部沉积物有机碳、氮同位素特征及其环境指示意义

通过对楚科奇海及邻近的北冰洋深水区表层沉积物中有机碳同位素含量(δ13C)、氮同位素含量(δ15N)及生物成因SiO₂(BSiO₂)含量分析,结果表明海源和陆源有机质的分布受海区环流结构和营养盐结构所制约.楚科奇海中西部和楚科奇海台受太平洋富营养盐海水的影响,海洋生产力高,沉积物中海源有机质和BSiO₂含量高;靠阿拉斯加一侧海域海水的营养盐含量和生产力都偏低,沉积物中陆源有机质比重增加;在研究区北部和东北部的楚科奇高地和加拿大海盆,冰封时间较长,营养盐供应少,海洋生产力低,但来自马更些河和阿拉斯加北部的陆源有机质增多,沉积物中BSiO₂含量小于5%,海源有机质百分含量小于40%.由于亚北极太平洋水通过楚科奇海向北冰洋海盆输送,研究区营养盐池表现为开放系统,营养盐的利用率与它的供应成反比,与海洋生产力成反比.     

Short-lived radium isotopes in the Hawaiian margin: Evidence for large fluid fluxes through the Puna Ridge

We measured significant activities of short-lived radium isotopes, ²²³Ra (half-life = 11 days) and ²²⁴Ra (half-life = 3.7 days), around the margins of the Hawaiian Islands to water depths of 3500 m. These measurements suggest fluid inputs from the basalt to the surrounding ocean. In general ²²³Ra activities were considerably greater than ²²⁴Ra in spite of the expected higher production rate of ²²⁴Ra activity in basalt. The ²²³Ra was not supported by dissolved ²²⁷Ac. The highest enrichments of ²²³Ra were measured over the Puna Ridge (2100 m depth) east of Hawaii. Here ²²³Ra activities reached 19 dpm/m³, similar to activities measured near sites of active submarine groundwater discharge in the South Atlantic Bight. To explain the high activities of ²²³Ra unaccompanied by ²²⁴Ra, we postulate that thermally-driven circulation of seawater through the Puna Ridge deposits ²³¹Pa on basalt surfaces. With time the ²³¹Pa produces ²²⁷Ac and ²²³Ra; and ²²³Ra desorbs into the circulating fluids. These fluids then transport ²²³Ra into the overlying ocean. Based on the inventory of ²²³Ra above the Puna Ridge, we estimate the flow of fluids through the ridge to be on the order of 20–60 cm³ cm^− 2 day^− 1. In less than 1000 years the incoming seawater could provide enough ²³¹Pa to basalt surfaces to balance the inventory of ²²³Ra above the ridge if only 8% of the ²²³Ra was transported to the overlying water. These observations on the flanks of a volcanically-active ocean island have significant implications for quantifying fluid fluxes from the flanks of the mid-ocean ridge system. By mapping ²²³Ra inventories in the ocean above ridge flanks and measuring the activity of ²²³Ra in the emerging fluids, the fluid flux can be obtained.     

228Ra, 226Ra, 224Ra and 223Ra in potential sources and sinks of land-derived material in the German Bight of the North Sea: implications for the use of radium as a tracer

Activities of the naturally occurring radium nuclides ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra were determined in waters of the open German Bight and adjacent nearshore areas in the North Sea, in order to explore the potential use of radium isotopes as natural tracers of land–ocean interaction in an environment characterised by extensive tidal flats, as well as riverine and groundwater influx. Data collected at various tidal phases from the Weser Estuary (²²⁸Ra: 46.3 ± 4.6; ²²⁶Ra: 17.1 ± 1.1; ²²⁴Ra: 26.1 ± 8.2 to 36.5 ± 6.1; ²²³Ra: 1.8 ± 0.1 to 4.0 ± 0.4), tidal flats near Sahlenburg (²²⁸Ra: 39.3 ± 3.8 to 46.0 ± 4.5; ²²⁶Ra: 15.5 ± 1.5 to 16.5 ± 1.7; ²²⁴Ra: 34.3 ± 2.2 to 85.3 ± 6.3; ²²³Ra: 3.6 ± 0.5 to 8.0 ± 1.2), freshwater seeps on tidal flats near Sahlenburg (²²⁸Ra: 42.1 ± 4.1; ²²⁶Ra: 21.3 ± 2.2; ²²⁴Ra: 5.1 ± 0.9; ²²³Ra: 2.6 ± 1.3) and also in permanently inundated parts of the North Sea (²²⁸Ra: 23.0 ± 2.3 to 28.2 ± 2.8; ²²⁶Ra: 8.2 ± 0.8 to 11.8 ± 1.2; ²²⁴Ra: 3.1 ± 1.0 to 10.1 ± 0.9; ²²³Ra: 0.1 ± 0.02 to 0.9 ± 0.05; units: disintegrations per minute per 100 kg water sample) reveal that, except for the fresh groundwater, the potential end-members of nearshore water mass mixing have quite similar radium signatures, excluding a simple discrimination between the sources. However, the decreasing activities of the short-lived ²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra isotopes recorded towards the island of Helgoland in the central German Bight show a potential to constrain fluxes of land-derived material to the open North Sea. The largest source for all radium isotopes is generally found on the vast tidal flats and in the Weser Estuary. Future work could meaningfully combine this so-called radium quartet approach with investigations of radon activity. Indeed, preliminary data from a tidal flat site with fresh groundwater seepage reveal a ²²²Rn signal that is clearly lower in seawater.     

有机氯农药在粤西海域沉积物和生物体中的累积研究

2007年11月在粤西海域采集鱼、虾和螺类等生物样品及表层沉积物样品, 探讨生物体和沉积物中滴滴涕(DDTs)和六六六(HCHs)累积水平和各组分的组成规律.调查发现, 沉积物中HCHs和DDTs的总含量分别是4.77ng·g-1和9.06ng·g-1, 沉积物中γ-HCH未检出, 且δ-HCH和β-HCH所占比例较大, 表明粤西沿岸海区近期无新的HCHs输入.沉积物中(DDE+DDD)/T-DDT=0.97≈1, 表明粤西沿岸海区基本上没有新的DDT的输入.生物体内HCHs和DDTs的含量分别为0.84-14.90ng·g-1和0.60-18.40ng·g-1, 其中天竺鲷Apogon cyanosoma和日本对虾Penaeus japonicus中累积的HCHs主要以α-HCH的形式存在, 分别占73.96%和100%, 而纵带箬鳎Brachirus swinhonis、斑节对虾Penaeus monodon和疣荔枝螺Thais clavigera中HCHs的主要存在形式分别是γ-HCH(66.10%)、β-HCH(57.14%)和δ-HCH(61.48%), 这说明不同生物体对HCHs的累积方式存在很大差异;疣荔枝螺、天竺鲷、斑节对虾、日本对虾和纵带箬鳎中的(DDE+DDD)占DDTs总量的百分比分别是100%、100%、91.5%、91.4%和60.5%, 表明这些生物体具有较强的降解DDT能力.各种生物体内DDTs和HCHs的含量都未超过世界卫生组织所规定的食用安全标准, 但是其复合毒性对人类健康的潜在危害值得引起人们的高度关注.     

巴丹吉林沙漠南缘高台盐湖记录的中晚全新世气候变化

位于季风边缘区和受西风环流显著影响的巴丹吉林沙漠南缘的高台盐湖提供了中晚全新世亚洲干旱区气候变化的可靠记录。在OSL测年的基础上,通过对高台盐湖剖面CaCO3含量、色度（L*、a*、b*）、粒度端元组分（EM）等环境代用指标的综合分析,重建了我国西北地区中晚全新世的气候变化。结果表明,中晚全新世高台盐湖地区气候变化经历了4个阶段：约7.1～5.3 ka,代表河流作用的EM2占主导,为浅湖/滨湖相沉积环境,气候相对干旱;5.3～1.2 ka期间,代表悬移作用的EM1占主导,指示深湖相沉积环境,CaCO3含量和a*和b*指示流域降水增多,地表侵蚀加强,近源物质输入较多,为中晚全新世以来的最湿润期;1.2～0.2 ka期间,EM2指示沉积环境转为滨湖/浅湖相沉积,气候变干;0.2 ka以来,气候进一步变干,湖泊消亡,演变为现代沙丘堆积。区域古气候替代记录的对比表明,高台地区中晚全新世以来演化过程与中亚干旱区湖泊记录具有一致性,气候变化主要受西风环流与高纬度北大西洋共同影响。     

Evidence for multiple Quaternary ice advances and fan development from the Amundsen Gulf cross-shelf trough and slope,Canadian Beaufort Sea margin

The seismic stratigraphy and sedimentary architecture of the Amundsen Gulf Trough and adjacent slope, Canadian Beaufort Sea margin, are investigated using a grid of 2-D seismic reflection data. The inner-shelf of the Amundsen Gulf Trough is interpreted to be composed predominantly of exposed or near-surface bedrock, overlain by a spatially-discontinuous veneer of glacimarine to open-marine sediment. There is a seaward transition from exposed bedrock on the inner-shelf to a thick (up to 500 m) outer-shelf prograding wedge of acoustically semi-transparent sediment. Eight seismic sequences, divided into four megasequences, are described from the outer-shelf stratigraphy. Eight till sheets are identified from Megasequences A to C, providing evidence for at least eight Quaternary ice-stream advances through the Amundsen Gulf Trough to the shelf break. A trough-mouth fan with a minimum volume of about 10,000 km³ is present on the adjacent slope. The Amundsen Gulf ice stream probably represented the most northwesterly marine-terminating ice stream of the Laurentide Ice Sheet through much of the Quaternary, providing a major route for ice and sediment transfer to the Arctic Ocean. The youngest till sheet within the Amundsen Gulf Trough, Megasequence D, was probably deposited by a subsidiary ice stream, the Anderson ice stream, subsequent to retreat of the last, Late Wisconsinan Amundsen Gulf ice stream. This provides evidence of dynamic ice-sheet behaviour and the reorganisation of the northwest Laurentide Ice Sheet margin during the last deglaciation. A number of buried glacigenic landforms, including palaeo-shelf break gullies and a grounding-zone wedge with a volume of 90 km³, are described from the Amundsen Gulf Trough stratigraphy. Lateral grounding-zone wedges are identified at the northern and southern lateral margins of the Amundsen Gulf and M'Clure Strait troughs, respectively, and are interpreted to have been formed roughly contemporaneously by ice streams in Amundsen Gulf and M'Clure Strait.     

Distribution and sources of organic matter in surficial sediments on the shelf and slope off Tokachi, western North Pacific, inferred from C and N stable isotopes and C / N ratios

Organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N) contents and corresponding isotope ratios were determined in surficial sediment (0–3 cm) at 94 stations ranging from 21 to 1995 m water depth off Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan, to elucidate the distribution and source of sedimentary organic matter. Suspended particulate organic matter (POM) in the seawater and suspended POM and sediment in the Tokachi River were also examined. δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and C / N ratios of the samples in the Tokachi River suggest that the spring snowmelt is an important process for the transport of terrestrial organic matter to the coastal waters. δ¹³C values of suspended POM in the surface seawater were higher in May and November than in August, while δ¹⁵N values of the POM were higher in May and August than in November. These changes are attributed to seasonal changes in phytoplankton growth rate and nitrate availability. δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in the sediments off Tokachi were lowest near the Tokachi River mouth, and increased offshore to constant values that persisted from 134 to 1995 m water depth. The spatial variation in C / N ratios in the sediment mirrored those of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N. Comparison of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and C / N ratios in the sediments off Tokachi with those in the Tokachi River and seawater indicates that about half of the organic matter in the sediment was of terrestrial origin near the Tokachi River mouth, and the sedimentary organic matter from 134 to 1995 m water depth was of marine origin. The organic C content in the sediment was high near the Tokachi River mouth, and also around 1000 m water depth. The C content was significantly correlated with silt plus clay content, with different regression lines for those stations shallower and deeper than 134 m, owing to several stations of higher C content with the elevated C / N ratio on the inner shelf. These results suggest that transport and deposition of organic-rich fine sediment particles by hydrodynamic processes were major factors controlling C content off Tokachi. In addition, the supply of a fraction of terrestrial organic matter with high C / N probably also affected C content on the inner shelf.     

Evidence for the grazing hypothesis: Grazing reduces phytoplankton responses of the HNLC ecosystem to iron enrichment in the western subarctic pacific (SEEDS II)

A mesoscale iron-enrichment study (SEEDS II) was carried out in the western subarctic Pacific in the summer of 2004. The iron patch was traced for 26 days, which included observations of the development and the decline of the bloom by mapping with sulfur hexafluoride. The experiment was conducted at almost the same location and the same season as SEEDS (previous iron-enrichment experiment). However, the results were very different between SEEDS and SEEDS II. A high accumulation of phytoplankton biomass (∼18 mg chl m⁻³) was characteristic of SEEDS. In contrast, in SEEDS II, the surface chlorophyll-a accumulation was lower, 0.8 to 2.48 mg m⁻³, with no prominent diatom bloom. Photosynthetic competence in terms of F _v/F _m for the total phytoplankton community in the surface waters increased after the iron enrichments and returned to the ambient level by day 20. These results suggest that the photosynthetic physiology of the phytoplankton assemblage was improved by the iron enrichments and returned to an iron-stressed condition during the declining phase of the bloom. Pico-phytoplankton (<2 μm) became dominant in the chlorophyll-a size distribution after the bloom. We observed a nitrate drawdown of 3.8 μM in the patch (day 21), but there was no difference in silicic acid concentration between inside and outside the patch. Mesozooplankton (copepod) biomass was three to five times higher during the bloom-development phase in SEEDS II than in SEEDS. The copepod biomass increased exponentially. The grazing rate estimation indicates that the copepod grazing prevented the formation of an extensive diatom bloom, which was observed in SEEDS, and led to the change to a pico-phytoplankton dominated community towards the end of the experiment.     

Paleomagnetic records and mineral-magnetic properties of deep-sea sediments in the NW pacific: Paleoenvironmental implication

The paleomagnetic records and mineral-magnetic properties of unconsolidated core sediment from the east Mariana Basin of the western Pacific have been analyzed to trace the time-dependent variations in sedimentary environments. Progressive alternating field demagnetization effectively extracts a stable remanent magnetization showing both normal and reverse polarities. Comparison of successive polarity changes, recorded in the sediment core, with reference magnetic polarity time-scale, reveals that the recovered sediment column was deposited since the late Pliocene. From the sediment age model, calculated sedimentation rate during the late Pliocene was 9.8 times higher than that during the Pleistocene. Considering the oceanic environments and geologic setting in the study area, the anomalous high sediment flux during the late Pliocene was probably caused by enhanced current flows, such as North Equatorial Current, associated with atmospheric circulation as well as by debris flows from adjacent sea mounts. In addition, the systematic variation of mineral-magnetic properties indicates periodical fluxes of coarse and magnetically stable particles, on the fine-grained dominant sedimentary environments. Such influxes, however, would not be related to syn-volcanic activities, because the summits of seamounts were totally blanketed by biogenic Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments. It is, hence, reasonable to interpret that paleomagnetic and mineral-magnetic data probably reflect drastic paleoenvironmental changes at the boundary between the Pliocene and Pleistocene, where strong current and atmospheric circulations decreased.     

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in suspended matter and sediments from the Godavari estuary

Spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen content and their isotopic enrichment in suspended matter and sediments were measured in the Godavari estuary to identify the sources and transformation mechanism of organic matter. Significant variability in isotopic distribution was found over the entire length of the Godavari estuary, suggesting multiple sources of organic matter. The mean isotopic ratios (δ¹³C_sed −25.1 ± 0.9, δ¹³C_sus −24.9 ± 1, δ¹⁵N_sed 8.0 ± 2 and δ¹⁵N_sus 6.5 ± 0.9‰) and elemental concentrations (C_sed 0.45 ± 0.2%, C_sus 0.9 ± 0.7%, N_sed 0.07 ± 0.05% and N_sus 0.16 ± 0.1%) support a predominantly terrigenous source. Significant enrichment in the isotopic ratios of δ¹³C from the upper to lower estuary in both suspended (−27.5 and −24.3‰, respectively) and sedimentary (−26.2 and −24.9‰, respectively) phases indicates a decrease in the influence of terrigeneous material toward the mouth of the estuary. A significant positive relationship exists between the δ¹³C of suspended and sediment, which indicates that these two organic carbon pools are likely coupled in the form of a significant exchange between the two phases. A positive relationship exists between chlorophyll a and suspended organic matter, which may mean that a significant source of organic carbon is the in situ produced phytoplankton. But, applying a simple mixing model to our isotopes, data yielded about 46% as the contribution of the terrestrial source to suspended matter, which may support the excessive heterotrophic activity in the Godavari estuary reported earlier.     

Seasonal variation in the Ra/Ra ratio of coastal water within the Sea of Japan: Implications for the origin and circulation patterns of the Tsushima Coastal Branch Current

In the current study, low-background γ-spectrometry was employed to determine the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratio and ¹³⁷Cs activity of 84 coastal water samples collected at six sites along the main island of Japan (Honshu Island) within the Sea of Japan, including the Tsushima Strait, and two other representative sites on Honshu Island (a Pacific shore and the Tsugaru Strait) at 1-month intervals in 2006.The ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio of coastal waters in the Sea of Japan exhibited similar patterns of seasonal variation, with minimum values during early summer (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra = 0.6–0.8), maximum values during autumn (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra = 1.5–3), and a time lag in their temporal changes ( 2.5 months and over  1300 km distance). However, the 2 other sites represented no clear periodic variation.In contrast to the positive correlation between ¹³⁷Cs activity (0.6–1.7 mBq/L) and salinity (15–35), the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio of coastal water samples from the Sea of Japan was not observed to correlate with salinity, and the increase in the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio was not as marked (0.5–1; May–June 2004 and 2005) during the migration along Honshu Island. The input of land-derived water and/or the diffusion of radium from coastal sediments is unlikely to have affected the wide seasonal variation in the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio observed in these water samples.The seasonal variation in the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio recorded for the coastal waters of the Sea of Japan is considered to be mainly controlled by the remarkable changes in the mixing ratio of the ²²⁸Ra-poor Kuroshio and the ²²⁸Ra-rich continental shelf waters within the East China Sea (ECS). After passing through the Tsushima Strait, this water mass moves northeast along the coastline of the Sea of Japan as the Tsushima Coastal Branch Current (TCBC).     

Seismic velocities and quantification of gas-hydrates from AVA modeling in the western continental margin of India

The most commonly used marker for the investigation of gas-hydrates is the bottom simulating reflector (BSR), which is caused by gas-hydrate laden sediment underlain by either brine or gas-saturated sediment. A BSR has been identified by seismic experiment in the Kerala-Konkan Basin of the western continental margin of India. Here we perform AVA modeling of seismic reflection data from a BSR to investigate the seismic velocities for quantitative assessment of gas-hydrates and to understand the origin of the BSR. The result reveals a P-wave velocity of 2.245 km/s and an S-wave velocity of 0.895 km/s for the sediments above the BSR. This corresponds to a Poisson ratio of 0.406 and hydrates saturation of ∼30% in the study area. The comparison of estimated P-wave velocity (1.77 km/s) above the hydrates-bearing sediment to that (1.78 km/s) below the BSR implies that the origin of the BSR is mainly due to gas-hydrates, as the presence (even in small quantities) of free-gas reduces the P-wave velocity considerably.     

Organic carbon accumulation and sulfate reduction rates in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin,East/Japan Sea

This study investigated the organic carbon accumulation rates (OCARs) and sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea. These sediments have high organic contents at depths greater than 2,000 m; this is rare for deep-sea sediments, except for those of the Black Sea and Chilean upwelling regions. The mean organic carbon to total nitrogen molar ratio was estimated to be 6.98 in the Ulleung Basin sediments, indicating that the organic matter is predominantly of marine origin. Strong organic carbon enrichment in the Ulleung Basin appears to result from high export production, and low dilution by inputs of terrestrial materials and calcium carbonate. Apparent sedimentation rates, calculated primarily from excess ²¹⁰Pb distribution below the zone of sediment mixing, varied from 0.033 to 0.116 cm year⁻¹, agreeing well with previous results for the basin. OCARs fluctuated strongly in the range of 2.06–12.5 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, these rates being four times higher at the slope sites than at the basin sites. Within the top 15 cm of the sediment, the integrated SRRs ranged from 0.72 to 1.89 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹, with rates approximately twice as high in the slope areas as in the basin areas. SRR values were consistently higher in areas of high sedimentation and of high organic carbon accumulation, correlating well with apparent sedimentation rates and OCARs. The sulfate reduction rates recorded in the basin and slope sediments of the Ulleung Basin are higher than those reported for other parts of the world, with the exception of the Peruvian and Chilean upwelling regions. This is consistent with the high organic carbon contents of surface sediments of the Ulleung Basin, suggesting enhanced organic matter fluxes.     

Grain size,La/Yb and Th/Sc of settling particles in the western North Pacific: Evidence for lateral transport of small Asian loess

To understand the transport process of lithogenic particles in the ocean, we measured the grain size distributions of lithogenic particles and measured the opal, La, Yb, Th, and Sc concentrations of the settling particles collected from time-series sediment traps at Sta. KNOT (44°N, 155°E, water depth 5320 m) from June 2002 to May 2004. The annual mean lithogenic particle flux observed at the lower sediment trap (5100 m) was twice as high as that at the upper sediment trap (770 m). The contribution of Asian loess estimated by the La/Yb and the Th/Sc ratios in the lower layer was greater than that in the upper layer. The fluxes of small lithogenic particles with sizes of 3–4 μm at the lower layer (5 to 65 mg/m²/day) were approximately four times larger than that at the upper layer (0.6 to 27 mg/m²/day). These results indicate that the horizontal addition of small particle sizes of Asian loess is a main factor in the increase of lithogenic particles at the lower layer. The temporal variations in the small lithogenic particle flux at the lower layer had a positive correlation with those at the upper layer (r = 0.71). The small lithogenic particle fluxes showed a strong positive correlation with the opal fluxes (r = 0.9). We therefore conclude that the small lithogenic particles were laterally transported and scavenged by the formation of aggregates with opal.     

Geochemical investigation of selected elements in coastal and riverine sediments from Ube, Kasado, and Suo-Oshima Bays in the western Seto Inland Sea, Southwest Japan

This paper presents the geochemical study of sediments along Ube, Suo-Oshima, and Kasado Bays in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. We examined the distribution and abundances of 13 elements (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Sr, Ca, Fe, Ti, P, Mn, and total S) in 40 coastal and river sediment samples, to evaluate the factors controlling their abundances, possible sources, and environmental implications. Average concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr at Ube were 12, 26, 86, 16, 43, and 92?mg/kg, 6, 25, 31, 8, 9, and 29?mg/kg at Kasado, and 5, 20, 28, 3, 5, and 18?mg/kg at Suo-Oshima, respectively. Average As, Pb, Zn, and Cr concentrations at Ube were comparable or enriched relative to those of the upper continental crust and Japan upper crust, whereas most major elements, Cu, and Ni were depleted at Kasado and Suo-Oshima. Enrichment factor values show low to moderate enrichment of Zn, Ni, and Cr, whereas As and Pb show significant contamination at some sites, suggesting contributions from anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic contributions of most metals mainly originate from natural processes; however, As and Pb ranges of 73–79 and 66–81?%, respectively, confirm their anthropogenic contribution. Factor analysis and correlation matrices suggest that elevated metal concentrations at Ube, especially in samples located in the river basin, may be controlled by Fe–Mn oxy-hydroxides. Deposition of metals at Kasado and Suo-Oshima might be controlled by non-ferrous metal (i.e., aluminosilicates), sediment grain size, or source rock composition (granite and gneiss).     

Tephrostratigraphy and paleo-environmental implications of Late Quaternary sediments and interstitial water in the western Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea

Two piston cores, collected from the western Ulleung Basin of the East/Japan Sea, were used to investigate the Late Quaternary tephrostratigraphy, lithology, and mineralogy of the sediments, as well as the elemental composition of both sediments and interstitial water, and their paleo-environmental implications. The cores show two lapilli tephra layers and one rhyolitic ash layer at the boundaries between sedimentary lithofacies units I, II, and III. These layers can be correlated with the well-known Ulleung-Oki (ca. 9.3 ka; boundary of units I/II), Ulleung-Yamato (ca. 25–33 ka), and Aira-Tanzawa (ca. 25.1 ka; boundary of units II/III) layers, respectively. These data suggest that the cores cover the period from the middle stage of marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 to the Holocene. In each core, a so-called dark laminated mud (DLM) layer in unit II commonly has high contents of Si and Al, suggesting that the DLM layer generally contains significant amounts of fine-grained silicates and/or aluminosilicates. In addition, these DLM layers are enriched in Fe relative to Mn, iron being predominantly bound in framboidal pyrite. The size distribution of pyrite in the DLM layers suggests that these have formed under anoxic (euxinic) conditions at times of reduced water circulation in the basin during sea-level lowstand (euxinic environment). The C/N ratios [5–12] suggest that sedimentary organic matter in the cores is predominantly of marine origin. Total organic carbon (TOC) contents increased shortly before Termination I. This could have been caused by an increased flux of marine organic matter in association with sea-level rise. The C and S values of units II and III (Late Pleistocene sediments; C: <2.0%; S: 0.5–2.1%) suggest a more euxinic environment than that of unit I (Holocene sediments; C: 1.0–3.5%; S: <1.0%). Concentrations of SO₄^2– in the interstitial water decrease with increasing burial depth, whereas CH₄ concentrations show the reverse trend. Therefore, it seems that sulfate reduction, probably related to microbial activity, predominates in the upper core sections (<5 m), shifting to methanogenesis in the lower core sections.