Lipid geochemistry of sediments from Upton Broad,a small productive lake

Major lipid classes isolated from 3 sections of the sediment profile of Upton Broad, a shallow lake formed about 500 yr ago, were correlated with input and with changes attributable to early diagenesis. Surficial sediment contains lipids characteristics of the known recent algal and microbial input; preservation of chlorophyll pigments and absence of appropriate markers suggest that diagenesis is minimal. Older deposits from the eutrophic phase of the lake's history contain higher levels of bacterial lipids and diagenetic products. The earliest sediment contains lipids characteristic of terrigenous input subjected to more extensive diagenesis than the younger sediment. Recognition of early diagenesis in anoxic sediment suggests that distributions of the shorter-chain homologous free n-alkanes, alkanols and alkanoic acids result from microbial synthesis using material initially deposited at the sediment surface, rather than partial preservation of the lipids of primary source organisms.     

Fossilization and degradation of intact polar lipids in deep subsurface sediments: A theoretical approach

Intact polar membrane lipids (IPLs) are frequently used as markers for living microbial cells in sedimentary environments. The assumption with these studies is that IPLs are rapidly degraded upon cell lysis and therefore IPLs present in sediments are derived from in situ microbial production. We used a theoretical approach to assess whether IPLs in surface sediments can potentially represent fossilized IPLs derived from the upper part of the water column and whether IPLs can be preserved during sediment burial. Previous studies which examined the degradation kinetics of IPLs show that phospholipids, i.e. ester-linked lipids with a phosphor-containing head group, degrade more rapidly than glycosidic ether lipids, i.e. ether-linked lipids with a glycosidically bound sugar moiety. Based on these studies, we calculate that only a minor fraction of phospholipids but a major fraction of glycosidic ether lipids biosynthesized in the upper part of the water column can potentially reach deep-sea surface sediments. Using a simple model and power law kinetic degradation parameters reported in the literature, we also evaluated the degradation of IPLs during sediment burial. Our model predicts a log-log relationship between IPL concentrations and depth, consistent with what has been observed in studies of IPLs in subsurface sediments. Although our results do not exclude production of IPLs in subsurface sediment, they do suggest that IPLs present in the deep biosphere may contain a substantial fossil component potentially masking in situ IPL production.     

Matrix protected organic matter in a river dominated margin: A possible mechanism to sequester terrestrial organic matter?

The provenance of organic matter in surface sediments from the northern Gulf of Mexico was investigated by analyzing the compositions of lipid biomarkers (n-alkanes, fatty acids, sterols) liberated after a series of chemical treatments designed to remove different organo-mineral matrix associations (i.e. freely extractable, base-hydrolyzable, unhydrolyzable). Bulk analyses of the organic matter (carbon content, carbon:nitrogen ratios, stable and radiocarbon isotopic analyses) were also performed on the intact sediments and their non-hydrolyzable, demineralized residue. We found recognizable lipids from distinct sources, including terrestrial vascular plants, bacteria and marine algae and zooplankton, within each of the isolated fractions. Based on the lipid signatures and bulk compositions, the organic matter within the unhydrolyzable fractions appeared to be the most diagenetically altered, was the oldest in age, and had the highest abundance of terrigenous lipids. In contrast, the base-hydrolyzable fraction was the most diagentically unaltered, had the youngest ages and was most enriched in N and marine lipids. Our results indicate that fresh, autochthonous organic matter is the most important contributor to base-hydrolyzable lipids, whereas highly altered allochthonous sources appear to be predominant source of unhydrolyzable lipids in the surface sediments from the Atchafalaya River shelf. Overall, the lipid biomarker signatures of intact sediments were biased towards the autochthonous source because many of the organic compounds indicative of degraded, terrigenous sources were protected from extraction and saponification by organo-mineral matrices. It is only after these protective matrices were removed by treatment with HCl and HF that these compounds became evident.     

Compositions and sources of extractable organic matter in Mesopotamian marshland surface sediments of Iraq. I: aliphatic lipids

Shallow surface sediment samples from the Mesopotamian marshlands of Iraq were collected and analyzed to determine the distribution, concentrations and sources of aliphatic lipid compounds (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, and methyl n-alkanoates) and molecular markers of petroleum in these wetlands. The sediments were collected using a stainless steel sediment corer, dried, extracted with a dichloromethane/methanol mixture and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The aliphatic lipid compounds included n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols and methyl n-alkanoates with concentrations ranged from 6.8 to 31.1 μg/g, 4.1 to 5.0 μg/g, 5.9 to 7.7 μg/g and from 0.3 to 5.9 μg/g, respectively. The major sources of aliphatic lipids were natural from waxes of higher plants (24–30%) and microbial residues (42–30%), with a significant contribution from anthropogenic sources (27–30%, petroleum), based on the organic geochemical parameters and indices. Further studies are needed to characterize the rate, accumulation and transformation of various organic matter sources before and after re-flooding of these wetlands.     

Biomarker lipids of the freshwater fern Azolla and its fossil counterpart from the Eocene Arctic Ocean

Eocene sediments recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 302 contain high amounts of fossil remains of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla. Both extant Azolla and the sediments from the Arctic Azolla interval were found to contain relatively high quantities of compounds identified as 1,ω20 C₃₀–C₃₆ diols. Furthermore, structurally related mid-chain hydroxy fatty acids, long chain n-alkanols and keto-ols were discovered. The different series have a common feature: there is always a hydroxy group at the ω20 position. In addition, structurally related C₂₉ ω20,ω21 diols, C₂₉ 1,20,21 triols, C₂₉ dihydroxy fatty acids as well as a series of wax esters containing these mono- and dihydroxy lipids are reported. Selective extraction of Azolla surface lipids revealed that these compounds are most likely present in the leaf waxes of the fern. The suite of long-chain, mid-chain ω20 hydroxy wax constituents is described for the first time. As they are well preserved in the Eocene sediments, these lipids may serve as palaeo-environmental indicators of the Arctic Azolla interval and as markers for the past occurrence of Azolla in general.     

Marine and terrigenous lipids in coastal sediments from the Peru upwelling region at 15°S: Sterols and triterpene alcohols

The distributions of free 4-desmethyl sterols in sediments from the Peru coastal zone at 15°S have been determined. Major free sterols in the surface sediments include cholesterol, which is mainly derived from zooplankton, and two C₂₈ sterols: 24-methylcholesta-5,24(28)-dien-3β-ol and 24-methylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol both of which are derived fro diatoms. Their concentrations decrease by almost an order of magnitude in the top 20 cm of sediment depth, indicating that free sterols are rapidly degraded in this sedimentary environment. Lipids from higher plants were also detected: long chain fatty acids and alcohols and various triterpenoid alcohols, including taraxerol, lupeol and α- and β-amyrin. The concentrations of most terrigenous lipids varied by less than a factor of 3 over the same depth, and these changes were not correlated with changes in the concentrations of total organic carbon. Below 3 cm, lipids from higher plants predominated in the extractable lipid distributions due to the more rapid degradation of marine lipids. We postulate that there are significant marine sources of the higher plant sterols 24-ethylcholesterol, 24-ethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol and 24-methylcholesterol in these sediments. A high proportion of many of the terrigenous lipids in these sediments are probably transported into the coastal zone by rivers, rather than from the atmosphere, and then redistributed by bottom currents.     

The lipid chemistry of an interfacial sediment from the Peru Continental Shelf: Fatty acids,alcohols, aliphatic ketones and hydrocarbons

A sample of the sediment-water column interface which lies on the continental shelf under the Peru upwelling regime, has been examined for fatty acids, fatty alcohols, ketones and hydrocarbons. Fatty acids were the most abundant compound class, ranging from C₁₂-C₂₄, with 16:0 as the major component (765.5 μg/g dry sediment). The alcohols were dominated by 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2-en-ol (phytol), with even-chain n-alcohols in the range C₁₄-C₂₀. The ketones consisted of C₃₇-C₃₉ di- and tri-unsaturated alken-2-ones and alken-3-ones. Both alkanes and alkenes were present in the hydrocarbon fraction; the alkanes ranging from C₁₃ — C₂₀ and comprising both straight chain and isoprenoid compounds; the alkenes consisting of isomeric pairs of C₂₅ branched trienes and tetraenes. The data indicate that the organic content has been contributed very largely from marine sources (probably mainly from phytoplankton and bacteria), showing little terrigenous influence. The presence of labile compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (with two to six double bonds), implies that the sediment has undergone very little diagenetic alteration, and the lipids are probably largely unchanged from the state in which they actually reached the sediment. They may therefore serve as a useful baseline in assessing diagenesis in older sediments, where diagenetic transformations are more advanced.     

Sediment flux distribution in the Southern Brazil Basin during the late Quaternary: the role of deep-sea currents

Detailed sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses were carried out on seven Kullenberg cores collected across the Brazilian continental margin during the French cruises Byblos and Apsara III, in order to highlight the factors controlling the sediment flux distribution in the Southern Brazil Basin during the late Quaternary. On the continental slope and upper continental rise above 3000 m depth, sediment fluxes are important and highly variable (4·2–14·2 g cm^?2 10^?3 yr). The sediments show a pelagic or turbiditic character, depending on the width of the shelf and proximity of canyons. The material is characterized by high kaolinite contents, and originates from the coastal rivers draining the South American continent north of Rio de Janeiro. On the middle continental rise between 3000 and 4000 m depth, sediment fluxes are the lowest observed in the area (0·9 g cm^?2 10^?3 yr), because terrigenous input is trapped at shallower depths on the São Paulo Plateau. Pelagic settling is the dominant process. In the deep domains, below 4000 m depth, contouritic accumulations are developed on the path of the northwards moving Antarctic bottom water (AABW) currents. The deposits consist of fine-grained silty-clayey muds with very low carbonate contents. The sediment fluxes (1·45 g cm^?2 10^?3 yr) are higher than on the middle continental rise, as a consequence of fine-grained terrigenous supply derived from higher latitudes (Argentine Basin and Southern Ocean), and transported in the basin through the Vema Channel by the AABW currents. This material is characterized by high smectite and chlorite contents. These data reveal large sediment flux variations which are linked to distinct depth-related domains. Such a distribution is the consequence of the presence of two available sources of terrigenous sediments: (1) the Brazilian continental areas with a downslope material transport and a sediment distribution controlled by the morphology of the margin, and (2) the Argentine Basin with an alongslope material transport by deep-sea currents which dominate the sedimentation in the abyssal domains.     

Hydrothermal alteration of organic matter in sediments of the Northeastern Pacific Ocean: Part 2. Escanaba Trough,Gorda Ridge

Samples from the Ocean Drilling Program Leg 169 in Escanaba Trough, Gorda Ridge, NE Pacific Ocean, were analyzed to study maturation by accelerated diagenesis and/or by catagenesis of the sedimentary organic matter to hydrothermal petroleum. At Site 1038 the hydrothermal petroleums have migrated after generation to shallower horizons. The n-alkane maturation was indicated by the strong even C number preference (i.e., CPI <1.0) as in the case of Middle Valley. All samples contained admixed organic matter of terrigenous and marine components as indicated by the distributions of the biomarkers. The biological precursors were catagenetically altered to their equivalent mature compounds. The presence of high molecular weight PAHs in some sediment sections at Site 1038 reflected the high temperature alteration and reworking of organic matter into mature hydrothermal petroleum. At Site 1037, the reference hole in the Escanaba Trough, the n-alkanes with a strong predominance of odd C number homologs reflected immature non-marine lipid components essentially throughout the hole. Maturation of organic matter was only observed below 450 mbsf with n-alkanes showing a CPI <1.0. The strong even C number predominance in those intervals was attributed to initial maturation by high heat flow during the early rifting process.     

Carbon isotope composition of long chain leaf wax n-alkanes in lake sediments: A dual indicator of paleoenvironment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C values) of long chain n-alkanes in lake sediments has been considered a reliable means of tracking changes in the terrigenous contribution of plants with C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways. A key premise is that long chain leaf wax components used for isotope analysis are derived primarily from terrigenous higher plants. The role of aquatic plants in affecting δ¹³C values of long chain n-alkanes in lacustrine sediments may, however, have long been underestimated. In this study, we found that a large portion of long chain n-alkanes (C₂₇ and C₂₉) in nearshore sediments of the Lake Qinghai catchment was contributed by submerged aquatic plants, which displayed a relatively positive carbon isotope composition (e.g. −26.7‰ to −15.7‰ for C₂₉) similar to that of terrestrial C₄ plants. Thus, the use of δ¹³C values of sedimentary C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes for tracing terrigenous vegetation composition may create a bias toward significant overestimation/underestimation of the proportion of terrestrial C₄ plants. For sedimentary C₃₁, however, the contribution from submerged plants was minor, so that the δ¹³C values for C₃₁ n-alkane in surface sediments were in accord with those of the modern terrestrial vegetation in the Lake Qinghai region. Moreover, we found that changes in the δ¹³C values of sedimentary C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes were closely related to water depth variation. Downcore analysis further demonstrated the significant influence of endogenous lipids in lake sediments for the interpretation of terrestrial C₄ vegetation and associated environment/climate reconstruction. In conclusion, our results suggest that the δ¹³C values of sedimentary long chain n-alkanes (C₂₇, C₂₉ and C₃₁) may carry different environmental signals. While the δ¹³C values of C₃₁ were a reliable proxy for C₄/C₃ terrestrial vegetation composition, the δ¹³C values of C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes may have recorded lake ecological conditions and sources of organic carbon, which might be affected by lake water depth.     

Molecular composition and chemosystematic aspects of Cretaceous amber from the Amazonas,Araripe and Recôncavo basins,Brazil

Amber occurrences in Brazil are rare. In this regard, the molecular composition of three such fossil resin samples from Brazilian Cretaceous sedimentary basins has been analyzed to determine the botanical origin of the resins. The samples were collected from the Amazonas (Alter do Chão Formation), Araripe (Santana Formation, Crato Member) and Recôncavo (Maracangalha Formation, Caruaçu Member) basins. The mono-, sesqui- and diterpenoids in the extracts were used as chemosystematic markers when compared with terpenoids in extant conifers. The compounds were mainly diterpenoids and their degradation products from the labdane, podocarpane, pimarane and isopimarane classes, in addition to paraffins, methoxyphenols and carboxylic acids. Tetracyclic diterpenoids such as phyllocladane, kaurenol and kauranol were also present. The biomarker compositions are certainly typical for conifers and, given the absence of triterpenoids and diterpenoids such as ozic acid, angiosperms can be excluded as a botanical source. The absence of phenolic diterpenoids (ferruginol, totarol) and their derivatives excludes podocarpaceous affinities for the ambers from the Amazonas and Araripe basins. The fossil records of the embedding sediments (e.g. Araucariaceae pollen and leaves) support the proposal of an Araucariacae origin for these ambers, but Cupressaceae and Cheirolepidiaceae cannot be excluded. On the other hand, the presence of phyllocladane and kaurane derivatives is evidence for Araucariaceae or Podocarpaceae origins for the amber from the Recôncavo basin, but Cupressaceae cannot be excluded.     

Straightchain geolipids of deep-sea sediments: Comparison of two extraction procedures

The effects of carbonate demineralization with acid upon geolipid extraction yields were assessed in samples of Pleistocene and Miocene deep-sea sediments. Distributions of free and bound geolipids were similar in extracts from demineralized and intact sediment. Although amounts of n-alkanes were not affected, n-alkanoic acids and n-alkanols experienced losses as a result of demineralization. The biogenic carbonates in these old but nonlithified sediments evidently harbor low concentrations of lipid material, and demineralization of sediments is not recommended for routine use without prior testing.     

The importance of atmospheric input of terrestrial organic material to deep sea sediments

The concentrations of lipids were determined in atmospheric particle, gas and rain samples collected from the tropical North Pacific to assess lipid sources, transport mechanisms and fluxes to the ocean surface. Four lipid compound classes (aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, and salts) all unequivocally show a terrestrial vascular plant source. These aerosol lipids originate from wind erosion of Asian and American soils and direct emission from vegetation. The major fluxes result from rain rather than dry deposition. These fluxes are large enough to have a major potential impact on the inventory of terrestrially derived lipid material found in deep-sea sediments. This has been showm for n-alkanes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, total lipids and for organic carbon. By comparing atmospheric and sediment trap fluxes with sediment accumulation rates, it is suggested that some biogenic terrestrial material is more protected from degradation than marine-derived material.     

Distribution and transport of hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the alaskan outer continental shelf

Surface sediments from the Outer Continental Shelf of Alaska were analyzed for hydrocarbons as part of an environmental survey sponsored by NOAA/BLM. Sediments were collected from the proposed oil lease areas of Beaufort Sea, southeastern Bering Sea, Norton Sound, Navarin Basin, Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak Shelf and lower Cook Inlet. Data on normal and branched alkanes and di- and triterpenoids from capillary gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/ MS) indicate that the area displays little evidence of petroleum hydrocarbons (i.e., seeps) except at a few isolated stations. Beaufort Sea sediments have the highest hydrocarbon budget, whereas Kodiak Shelf sediments have the lowest. The molecular markers of the hydrocarbons are of a mixed marine autochthonous and terrestrial allochthonous origin. Norton Sound and Cook Inlet sediments contain the highest levels of terrigenous lipids and Kodiak Shelf the lowest. The abundance of alkenes implies that relatively low oxidizing conditions exist in some of the depositional areas studied, suggesting that extraneous petroleum hydrocarbons introduced into these sediments would be expected to have a relatively long residence time. The distribution of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is complex and shows a pyrolytic origin. The data on perylene strongly favor the hypothesis that it is “performed” from terrigenous precursors and transported into the marine environment with no apparent in situ generation. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons of diagenetic origin are probably dominant in Gulf of Alaska and Kodiak Shelf sediments.Two stations, north of Kalgin Island, in lower Cook Inlet and one in southeastern Bering Sea show typical weathered petroleum distribution of n-alkanes and triterpenoids. Probable pathways of transport and fate of petroleum hydrocarbons in case of an oil spill are also briefly discussed.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987115000584

The spatial distribution patterns of surficial sediment samples from different sedimentary domains(shallow to deep-sea regions) of the eastern Arabian Sea were studied using sediment proxies viz.environmental magnetism,geochemistry,particle size and clay mineralogy.Higher concentrations of magnetic minerals(high x_(lf)) were recorded in the deep-water sediments when compared with the shallow water sediments.The magnetic mineralogy of one of the shallow water samples is influenced by the presence of bacterial magnetite as evidenced from the x_(ARM)/x_(lf)~(vs).x_(arm_/x_(fd)biplot.However,the other samples are catchment-derived.The high correlation documented for x_(lf).anhysteretic remanent magnetisation(x_(arm)) and isothermal remanent magnetisation(IRM) with Al indicates that the deep-sea surficial sediments are influenced by terrigenous fluxes which have been probably derived from the southern Indian rivers,the Sindhu(the Indus) and the Narmada-Tapti rivers.A lower Mn concentration is recorded in the upper slope sediments from the oxygen minimum zone(OMZ) but a higher Mn/Al ratio is documented in the lower slope and deep-sea sediments.Clay minerals such as illite(24-48.5%),chlorite(14.1-34.9%),smectite(10.6-28.7%) and kaolinite(11.9-27.5%) dominate the sediments of shallow and deep-sea regions and may have been derived from different sources and transported by fluvial and aeolian agents.Organic carbon(OC) data indicate a low concentration in the shallow/shelf region(well oxygenated water conditions) and deeper basins(increased bottom-water oxygen concentration and low sedimentation rate).High OC concentrations were documented in the OMZ(very low bottom-water oxygen concentration with high sedimentation rate).The calcium carbonate concentration of the surface sediments from the continental shelf and slope regions( 1800 m) up to the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge show higher concentrations(average = 58%) when compared to deep basin sediments(average = 44%).Our study demonstrates that particle size as well as magnetic grain size,magnetic minerals and elemental variations are good indicators to distinguish terrigenous from biogenic sediments and to identify sediment provenance.     

A geochemical study of long-chain n-aldehydes in Washington coastal sediments

A series of n-aldehydes, C₂₀ to C₃₂, with strong even-to-odd carbon preference was identified in the mixture of solvent extractable lipids isolated from various Washington coastal sediments. A limited survey of the lipid composition of surface waxes of foliage and cuticular waxes of pollen from several major plant species indigenous to the Pacific Northwest revealed that similar series of n-aldehydes are intrinsic to regional vegetation. Debris from such plants, discharged at the mouth of the Columbia River, represents a “preformed” source of the n-aldehyde series accumulating in sediments from the Washington coastal region. Although the evidence suggests n-aldehydes are largely introduced erosionally to this region as a chemical component of land-derived debris and are not formed in situ in the coastal sediments, further study is warranted to establish the postdepositional stability of this series of compounds relative to other lipids of higher plantwax origin. Despite but few literature reports of the occurrence of these geochemicals, long-chain n-aldehydes are very likely common in many sediments from environments that receive an input of detrital organic matter from higher plants.     

Spatial heterogeneity in lipid biomarker distributions in the catchment and sediments of a crater lake in central India

The basin-scale spatial variability in lipid biomarker proxies in lacustrine sediments, which are established tools for studying continental environmental change, has rarely been examined. It is often implicitly assumed that a lake sediment core provides an average integral of catchment sources. Here we evaluated the distribution of lipid biomarkers in a modern ecosystem and compared it with the sedimentary record. We analyzed lipid biomarkers in terrestrial and aquatic organisms and in lake surface sediments from 17 locations within the saline–alkaline Lonar crater lake in central India. Terrestrial vegetation and lake surface sediments were characterized by relatively high average chain length (ACL) index values (29.6–32.8) of leaf wax n-alkanes, consistent with suggestions that plants in drier and warmer climates produce longer chain alkyl lipids than plants in cooler and humid areas. A heterogeneous spatial distribution of ACL values in lake surface sediments was found: at locations away from the shore, the values were highest (31 or more), possibly indicating different sources and/or transport of terrestrial biomarkers. In floating, benthic microbial mats and surface sediment, n-heptadecane, carotenoids, diploptene, phytol and tetrahymanol occurred in large amounts. Interestingly, these biomarkers of a unique bacterial community were found in substantially higher concentrations in nearshore sediment samples. We suggest that human influence and subsequent nutrient supply resulted in increased primary productivity, leading to an unusually high concentration of tetrahymanol in the nearshore sediments.In summary, the data showed that substantial heterogeneity existed within the lake, but leaf wax n-alkanes in a core from the center of the lake represented an integral of catchment conditions. However, lake level fluctuation may potentially affect aquatic lipid biomarker distributions in lacustrine sediments, in addition to source changes.     

西太暖池区生物组分对海底表层沉积物物理力学性质的影响

西太平洋暖池区是指位于热带西太平洋及印度洋东部海表温度常年在28 ℃以上的海域,是全球海表温度最高的深海区,构造环境与沉积环境复杂,沉积物中的生物组分含量差异较大,生物组分会对深海沉积物物理力学性质产生显著影响,但目前对沉积物中生物组分含量和沉积物物理力学性质之间的相关性关系尚不明确。本文对西太平洋暖池区核心部位的表层沉积物样品进行现场物理力学性质测试和室内涂片鉴定,研究深海表层沉积物的物理力学性质与生物组分之间的关系。结果表明:研究区表层沉积物含水率范围为61.1%~435.1%,天然密度范围为1.04~1.76 g/cm³,贯入阻力范围为0~100 kPa,十字板剪切强度范围为0~8.6 kPa,整体具有高含水率、低密度、低强度等典型的深海沉积物物理力学性质特点。西加洛林海脊、海山等CCD以浅的区域为钙质生物组分>50%的钙质沉积区;西加洛林海槽西南部及其周边的深水沟槽地区一般为硅质生物组分>50%的硅质沉积;西加洛林海盆内部则主要为黏土沉积区。随钙质生物组分减少和硅质生物组分增多,表层沉积物类型分别为钙质沉积物、黏土沉积物和硅质沉积物,天然含水率变高,天然密度、贯入阻力和十字板剪切强度降低,表明深海表层沉积物的物理力学性质与生物组分含量密切相关:贯入阻力、十字板剪切强度、天然密度与钙质生物组分含量呈正相关,与硅质生物组分含量呈负相关;而天然含水率正好相反,与钙质生物组分含量呈负相关,与硅质生物组分含量呈正相关。本文建立了深海沉积物中生物组分与物理力学性质之间的相关关系,提出了沉积物生物组分含量与物理力学性质之间的拟合公式,可以为深海沉积物工程性质的评价提供参考。     

A comparison of terpenoid and leaf fossil vegetation proxies in Paleocene and Eocene Bighorn Basin sediments

Plant-derived terpenoids, long recognized as biomarkers, can help reveal the major taxonomic groups of land plants present in ancient environments, even if rocks and sediments do not preserve plant macro- or microfossils. Previous studies have used simple di- to triterpenoid ratios to reconstruct floral changes in the geologic past, but few have compared terpenoid ratios with estimates of floral composition from fossils. Further, reconstructions have not taken into account differences in biomarker production (i.e. concentration relative to leaf biomass) between different types of plants. Here, we have examined terpenoids from early Cenozoic fluvial rocks from the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming, USA), where fossil flora has been studied in detail. We analyzed the distributions of diterpenoids, triterpenoids and n-alkanes from leaf wax in a total of 43 samples from 15 stratigraphic horizons of late Paleocene (63 Ma) to early Eocene (53 Ma) in age. In nearly all samples, triterpenoids, derived from angiosperms, were significantly lower in abundance than conifer-specific diterpenoids, a finding that contrasted with plant fossil evidence for the same rocks. This suggests that di- to triterpenoid ratios severely underestimate the abundance of angiosperms in paleovegetation. Angiosperms dominated n-alkane production among modern plants, and we propose a new paleovegetation proxy based on the ratio of diterpenoids (conifers) to n-alkanes (angiosperms), corrected for lipid production estimated from extant vegetation. Using diterpenoids and alkanes, we infer the composition of paleovegetation to be similar to that inferred from plant fossils. Although the approach works well for the Bighorn Basin, we stress the new paleovegetation proxy will need to be evaluated for other time periods, communities, paleogeography and depositional environments with pollen or megafossil data available.     

Alternative chronologies for Late Quaternary (Last Interglacial–Holocene) deep sea sediments via optical dating of silt-sized quartz

We summarize the results of a test on the potential of optical dating for the age assessment of Late Quaternary deep-sea sediments. Our approach combines a single aliquot regeneration (SAR) protocol for equivalent dose (D_e) estimation on fine silt-sized quartz with a time-dependent evaluation of supported and unsupported long-lived radioisotopes within the deposited sediment matrix. For this purpose nine samples from two independently dated deep-sea cores from the Indian Ocean were obtained. The SAR analysis resulted in mean D_e estimates with precisions ranging from 0.9% to 3.7%. Combination of these data with measured radioisotope concentrations resulted in stratigraphically sensible ages ranging from ca 7 to 120 ka. These ages exhibit good agreement with existing chronologies for the cores based on radiocarbon age determinations and correlation of key volcanic, palaeoecological and isotopic events. Optical dating may provide an important additional dating method for Late Quaternary deep-sea sediments.