Early diagenesis of organic matter in recent Black Sea sediments: characterization and source assessment

The organic matter in 9 recent (not more than 250 years old) and ‘organic-rich’ sediments from the southern Black Sea shelf and upper slope have been characterized semi-quantitatively by Pyrolysis/Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (PY/GC/MS) and¹³C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (CPMAS-NMR) spectrometry. The organic matter of 7 of the studied sediments was found to be ligno-carbohydrate with a proteinaceous component, one sediment appeared to contain oxidized coal dust and one contained thiophenes in association with pyrite. The ligno component is derived from grasses and soft wood lignin. Material entrapped in an anoxic environment contained the highest proportions of carbohydrate and protein. All the samples had suffered diagenesis as is generally shown by the attachment of carboxyl groups and the removal of methoxyl groups. The evidence suggests that diagenesis occurred whilst the particles traversed the oxic water column.     

A quantitative reconstruction of organic matter and nutrient diagenesis in Mediterranean Sea sediments over the Holocene

A multicomponent diagenetic model was developed and applied to reconstruct the conditions under which the most recent sapropel, S1, was deposited in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Simulations demonstrate that bottom waters must have been anoxic and sulphidic during the formation of S1 and that organic matter deposition was approximately three times higher than at present. Nevertheless, most present day sediment and pore water profiles — with the exception of pyrite, iron oxyhydroxides, iron-bound phosphorus and phosphate — can be reproduced under a wide range of redox conditions during formation of S1 by varying the depositional flux of organic carbon. As a result, paleoredox indicators (e.g., C_org:S ratio, C_org:P_org ratio, trace metals) are needed when assessing the contribution of oxygen-depletion and enhanced primary production to the formation of organic-rich layers in the geological record. Furthermore, simulations show that the organic carbon concentration in sediments is a direct proxy for export production under anoxic bottom waters.The model is also used to examine the post-depositional alteration of the organic-rich layer focussing on nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon dynamics. After sapropel formation, remineralisation is dominated by aerobic respiration at a rate that is inversely proportional to the time since bottom waters became oxic once again. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken to identify the most pertinent parameters in regulating the oxidation of sapropels, demonstrating that variations in sedimentation rate, depositional flux of organic carbon during sapropel formation, bottom water oxygen concentration, and porosity have the largest impact. Simulations reveal that sedimentary nutrient cycling was markedly different during the formation of S1, as well as after reoxygenation of bottom waters. Accumulation of organic nitrogen in sediments doubled during sapropel deposition, representing a significant nitrogen sink. Following reventilation of deep waters, N₂ production by denitrification was almost 12 times greater than present day values. Phosphorus cycling also exhibits a strong redox sensitivity. The benthic efflux of phosphate was up to 3.5 times higher during the formation of S1 than at present due to elevated depositional fluxes of organic matter coupled with enhanced remineralisation of organic phosphorus. Reoxygenation of bottom waters leads to a large phosphate pulse to the water column that declines rapidly with time due to rapid oxidation of organic material. The oxidation of pyrite at the redox front forms iron oxyhydroxides that bind phosphorus and, thus, attenuate the benthic phosphate efflux. These results underscore the contrasting effects of oxygen-depletion on sedimentary nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The simulations also confirm that the current conceptual paradigm of sapropel formation and oxidation is valid and quantitatively coherent.     

Effect of diagenesis on clay mineralogy and organic matter in the Tunisian southern subsurface

This study aims to follow the effect of the diagenetic transformations on the clayey fraction and the organic matter of the Tunisian southern sub-surface. 61 samples from oil well named NWA-1 were recuperated for series of analyses. This study follows a comparative approach between the mineralogical, geochemical and petrographic studies. To discuss results from a statistical viewpoint, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied in order to find out any correlation between different components. The associated minerals quartz, feldspar, calcite, pyrite, anhydrite, gypsum, dolomite and olivine are also detected. These associated minerals remove by-products by the illitization reaction. The Index of Crystallinity (IC) of illite shows that, except some anomalies, the studied samples are between the epizone and the anchizone. Downward, samples show the effect of diagenetic processes and weak signs of low-grade metamorphism. As regards to the organic matter, values of Tmax range between 333°C and 463°C. On the other hand, potential hydrocarbon compounds (S2) show low values compared to those of (S1); but they maintain a similar variability from 0.63 to 21.12. SEM observations and X-ray microanalyses supported the formation of authigenic micro-quartz. The PCA of clay minerals, chemical components, and the depth shows three different populations. Feldspar, chlorite and quartz make up a population positively correlated with the depth. The second population seems to be indifferent to depth variation; it is made up of two sub-populations: the population of illite, gypsum and anhydrite, which is obtained by a counter clock rotation of depth population; and the population of pyrite, kaolinite, olivine phyllosilicate, which is obtained by an anticlockwise rotation of depth population. Third, the population of smectite, calcite and dolomite is inversely proportional to the depth variation. On the other hand, the PCA of TOC, Tmax, HI, S1, S2 and the depth make up a homogenous statistical population following the depth evolution.     

上扬子盆地西缘晚白垩世物源变化及指示

对上扬子盆地西缘的上白垩统—古近系剖面开展沉积构造研究、传统重矿物分析、金红石微量元素地球化学研究。研究发现:①晚白垩世晚期,柳嘉剖面出现中酸性岩浆岩指数(ATi)升高和中低级变质岩指数(GZi)升高,宜就剖面出现中酸性岩浆岩指数(ATi)升高;柳嘉剖面富含石榴子石是与宜就剖面最大的不同。②柳嘉剖面和宜就剖面金红石母岩类型均主要为泥质变质岩,以角闪岩相/榴灰岩相为主。晚白垩世晚期,柳嘉剖面麻粒岩相达到最大,为39%,宜就剖面麻粒岩相出现最小值,达到13%,上扬子盆地西缘的麻粒岩相变化趋势的差异是物源差异的一种表现。③上扬子盆地西缘的晚白垩世物源变化揭示出松潘—甘孜褶皱带和龙门山构造带在晚白垩世晚期发生大规模快速隆升剥蚀事件。     

The magnetic properties of Quaternary and Tertiary sediments in the southern North Sea

Cores from boreholes penetrating late Quaternary, glacial, interglacial and postglacial sediments and the underlying late Cenozoic delta complex of the southern North Sea have been examined for their magnetic properties. A magnetic polarity stratigraphy has been established as an aid to biostratigraphic dating of the sediments; the Kaena-Gauss and Gauss—Matuyama transitions and the base and top of the Olduvai subchron have been identified. The strength and stability of laboratory-induced isothermal remanent magnetisation display clear magneto-petrological variations, which match lithostratigraphic changes in the cores. Principal component analysis has picked out a basin-wide and palaeoenvironmental consistency in the magnetic data. Large, multi-domain magnetite grains predominate in the post-deltaic and fluvio-deltaic sediments, whereas smaller greigite or titanomagnetite grains are concentrated in the intertidal and marine deltaic facies. Since heavy mineral analysis indicates that most of the deltaic detritus derived from common source areas, the differences in magnetic mineralogy have probably been caused by the sediment transport processes operating within the delta complex.     

Uronic and other organic acids in Baltic Sea and Black Sea sediments

Organic acids were released from marine sediments by acid hydrolysis. Ion-exchange chromatography and GC-MS were used to separate and identify the acids. The major compounds detected were galacturonic, glucuronic, mannuronic, 4-O-methylglucuronic, cellobiouronic, guluronic, glyceric, glycolic, lactic and erythronic acids. Numerous biouronic (sugar-uronic acid compounds) and aldonic acids were also found. The low abundance of uronic acids characteristic of terrigenous plants and the similarity of the biouronic composition to that of marine algae indicate a marine algal source for the acids in the sediment. Results from the Black Sea are compared with those from the Baltic Sea and several diagenetic transformations are discussed.     

Tectonic evolution of the southern margin of Laurasia in the Black Sea region

The Black Sea region comprises Gondwana-derived continental blocks and oceanic subduction complexes accreted to Laurasia. The core of Laurasia is made up of an Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic shield, whereas the Gondwana-derived blocks are characterized by a Neoproterozoic basement. In the early Palaeozoic, a Pontide terrane collided and amalgamated to the core of Laurasia, as part of the Avalonia–Laurasia collision. From the Silurian to Carboniferous, the southern margin of Laurasia was a passive margin. In the late Carboniferous, a magmatic arc, represented by part of the Pontides and the Caucasus, collided with this passive margin with the Carboniferous eclogites marking the zone of collision. This Variscan orogeny was followed by uplift and erosion during the Permian and subsequently by Early Triassic rifting. Northward subduction under Laurussia during the Late Triassic resulted in the accretion of an oceanic plateau, whose remnants are preserved in the Pontides and include Upper Triassic eclogites. The Cimmeride orogeny ended in the Early Jurassic, and in the Middle Jurassic the subduction jumped south of the accreted complexes, and a magmatic arc was established along the southern margin of Laurasia. There is little evidence for subduction during the latest Jurassic–Early Cretaceous in the eastern part of the Black Sea region, which was an area of carbonate sedimentation. In contrast, in the Balkans there was continental collision during this period. Subduction erosion in the Early Cretaceous removed a large crustal slice south of the Jurassic magmatic arc. Subduction in the second half of the Early Cretaceous is evidenced by eclogites and blueschists in the Central Pontides and by a now buried magmatic arc. A continuous extensional arc was established only in the Late Cretaceous, coeval with the opening of the Black Sea as a back-arc basin.     

Soil organic matter as an important contributor to Late Quaternary sediments of the tropical West African continental margin

The contribution of soil organic matter (SOM) to continental margins is largely ignored in studies on the carbon budget of marine sediments. Detailed geochemical investigations of late Quaternary sediments (245-0 ka) from the Niger and Congo deep-sea fans, however, reveal that C_org/N_tot ratios and isotopic signatures of bulk organic matter (δ¹³C_org) in both fans are essentially determined by the supply of various types of SOM from the river catchments thus providing a fundamentally different interpretation of established proxies in marine sciences. On the Niger fan, increased C_org/N_tot and δ¹³C_org (up to −17‰) were driven by generally nitrogen-poor but ¹³C-enriched terrigenous plant debris and SOM from C₄/C₃ vegetation/Entisol domains (grass- and tree-savannah on young, sandy soils) supplied during arid climate conditions. Opposite, humid climates supported drainage of C₃/C₄ vegetation/Alfisol/Ultisol domains (forest and tree-savannah on older/developed, clay-bearing soils) that resulted in lower C_org/N_tot and δ¹³C_org (< −20‰) in the Niger fan record. Sediments from the Congo fan contain a thermally stable organic fraction that is absent on the Niger fan. This distinct organic fraction relates to strongly degraded SOM of old and highly developed, kaolinite-rich ferallitic soils (Oxisols) that cover large areas of the Congo River basin. Reduced supply of this nitrogen-rich and ¹²C-depleted SOM during arid climates is compensated by an elevated input of marine OM from the high-productive Congo up-welling area. This climate-driven interplay of marine productivity and fluvial SOM supply explains the significantly smaller variability and generally lower values of C_org/N_tot and δ¹³C_org for the Congo fan records. This study emphasizes that ignoring the presence of SOM results in a severe underestimation of the terrigenous organic fraction leading to erroneous paleoenvironmental interpretations at least for continental margin records. Furthermore, burial of SOM in marine sediments needs more systematic investigation combining marine and continental sciences to assess its global relevance for long-term sequestration of atmospheric CO₂.     

Origin and composition of organic matter in tidal flat sediments from the German Wadden Sea

Two sediment cores of up to 550 cm length from an intertidal flat of the German Wadden Sea near the island of Spiekeroog were investigated for the quantity and composition of fossil organic matter (OM). The lowermost parts of the cores are dominated by grey mud of a salt marsh facies containing mainly terrestrial OM estimated to account for 60–75% of the total OM, based on δ¹³C values and the ratio of short to long chain n-alkanols. The terrigenous origin of the dominant fraction is indicated, among others, by high proportions of C₂₉ sterols and long chain n-alkanes typical of plant waxes. Coarse shell beds overlying the grey mud at 2–2.5 m depth represent a flooding and erosion event possibly related to heavy storm floods in the Middle Ages. Within the intertidal sand-dominated sediments in the upper parts of the cores total organic carbon (TOC) contents are generally low, ranging from 0.1% to 0.5%, and correlate well with the amount of mud fraction (r² 0.90). At the surface, marine OM has not undergone intense diagenetic alteration and so is the dominant fraction. Eroded peat particles are common throughout most of the sequence and values of the Phragmites peat indicator (PPI) > 5 indicate an origin from reed peat due to a high relative abundance of the n-C₂₄ alkane. Changes in the composition of microbial communities over the depth interval investigated are documented by varying compositions of unsaturated fatty acids with 16 and 18 carbons. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was detected along the entire cores and indicates the presence of EPA-producing bacterial strains.     

Energy sources for diagenesis: Evidence from the Black Sea

Complex investigations of recent and Drevnechernomorian (ancient Black Sea) sediments from the outer shelf, continental slope, and deep-water basin of the Russian Black Sea sector have been carried out using samples collected during cruise of the R/V Professor Shtokman organized by the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (March 2009) and expedition of “YUZHMORGEO” (summer 2006). Rates of the main anaerobic processes during diagenesis (sulfate reduction, dark CO₂ fixation, methanogenesis, and methane oxidation) were studied for the first time in sediment cores of the studied area. Two peaks in the rate of microbial processes and two sources of these processes were identified: the upper peak near the water-sediment contact is related to the solar energy (OM substrate of the water column) and the lower peak at the base of the Drevnechernomorian sediments with high(>1000 μM) methane concentration related to the energy of anaerobic methane oxidation. The neogenic labile OM formed during this process is utilized by other groups of microorganisms. According to experimental data, the daily rate of anaerobic methane oxidation is many times higher than that of methanogenesis, which unambiguously indicates the migration nature of the main part of methane.     

Origin and formation pathways of kerogen-like organic matter in recent sediments off the Danube delta (northwestern Black Sea)

The chemical structure, source(s), and formation pathway(s) of kerogen-like organic matter (KL) were investigated in recent sediments from the northwestern Black Sea, off the Danube delta. Three sections from a sediment core collected at the mouth of the Sulina branch of the delta, under an oxic water column, were examined: S₀ (0–0.5 cm bsf), S₁₀ (10–13 cm bsf), and S₂₀ (20–25 cm bsf). The bulk geochemical features of these sediments (total organic carbon, organic C/N atomic ratio, δ¹³C_org) were determined. Thereafter, KL was isolated from the samples, as the insoluble residue obtained after HF/HCl treatment. KL chemical composition was investigated via spectroscopic (FTIR, solid state ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR) and pyrolytic (Curie point pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) methods, and the morphological features were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Similar morphological features and chemical composition were observed for the three KLs and they suggested that the selective preservation of land-plant derived material as well as of resistant aliphatic biomacromolecules (probably derived from cell walls of freshwater microalgae) was the main process involved in KL formation. Besides, some melanoidin-type macromolecules (formed via the degradation-recondensation of products mainly derived from proteinaceous material) and/or some encapsulated proteins also contributed to the KL chemical structure.     

Early oxidation of organic matter in pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic: suboxic diagenesis

Pore water profiles of total-CO₂, pH, PO^3?₄, NO^?₃ plus NO^?₂, SO^2?₄, S^2?, Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ have been obtained in cores from pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic under waters of moderate to high productivity. These profiles reveal that oxidants are consumed in order of decreasing energy production per mole of organic carbon oxidized (O₂ > manganese oxides ~ nitrate > iron oxides > sulfate). Total CO₂ concentrations reflect organic regeneration and calcite dissolution. Phosphate profiles are consistent with organic regeneration and with the effects of release and uptake during inorganic reactions. Nitrate profiles reflect organic regeneration and nitrate reduction, while dissolved iron and manganese profiles suggest reduction of the solid oxide phases, upward fluxes of dissolved metals and subsequent entrapment in the sediment column. Sulfate values are constant and sulfide is absent, reflecting the absence of strongly anoxic conditions.     

西藏南部冈底斯南缘松卡晚白垩世埃达克质高镁闪长岩地球化学特征及其成因

松卡岩体地处藏南冈底斯岩基南缘的东段,主要由闪长岩和花岗岩脉组成,为详细研究与大洋俯冲有关的岩浆过程提供了良好的记录。锆石U-Pb地质年代学研究表明松卡岩体闪长岩的形成年龄为97Ma,具有高Sr、低Y和高Sr/Y比的特点,显示出埃达克质岩石的特征,同时具有高MgO含量和高Mg~#值,以及较低的~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr(t)(～0.7042)和较高的ε_(Nd)(t)(+4.6～+8.8),是俯冲新特提斯洋壳和少量海洋沉积物部分熔融并随后与上覆地幔楔发生相互作用形成的。与91Ma松卡埃达克质岩石相比,97Ma松卡埃达克质闪长岩具有更多地幔物质参与。松卡花岗岩脉的锆石U-Pb年龄为93Ma,同样具有较低的~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr(t)(0.7046)值和较高的ε_(Nd)(t)(+7.5～+7.8)值,可能是具有亏损地幔特征的中基性岩浆经过分离结晶作用演化而来。上述数据表明,在100～90Ma期间,较年轻的俯冲新特提斯板片可能发生过部分熔融,板片部分熔融熔体与上覆地幔楔的相互作用是形成高镁闪长岩(安山岩)的重要机制之一。     

Carbonate recrystallisation and organic matter maturation in heat-affected sediments from the Shaban Deep,Red Sea

Parasound profiles across the Shaban Deep in the Red Sea indicate turbiditic transport of surface sediments from the topographic height (basalt ridge) into the interior of the deep. This is supported by petrographical and (isotope-) geochemical evidence in the East Basin of the Shaban Deep where the presence of variable mixtures of authochtonous and allochthonous sediment compounds had been found.The uppermost 170 cm of both sediment cores 17008-1 and 17009-3 reveal “normal” stable oxygen isotope values for the planktonic foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber near ?1‰ which is indicative for carbonate formation in Red Sea surface water around 27 °C. However, below 182 cm in core 17008-1 highly variable δ ¹⁸O values for G. ruber between 0.26 and ?10.68‰ occur which are not the result of temperature-controlled oxygen isotope fractionation between foraminiferal carbonate and Red Sea surface water. The lowest δ¹⁸O values of ?10.68‰ measured for highly-altered foraminifera shells suggests carbonate precipitation higher than 90 °C.Organic petrographical observations show a great diversity of marine-derived macerals and terrigenous organic particles. Based on petrographical investigations sediment core 17008-1 can be subdivided in intervals predominantly of authochtonous character (i.e. 1, 3, 5 corresponding to core depths 0–170 cm, 370–415 cm, 69–136 cm), and allochthonous/thermally altered character (e.g. 2 and 4 corresponding to core depths 189–353 cm and 515–671 cm). Allochthonous/thermally altered material displays a wide to an extremely wide range of maturities (0.38–1.42% R_r) and also natural coke particles were found.Similarly, the organic geochemical and pyrolysis data indicate the predominance of well-preserved, immature algal and bacterial remains with a minor contribution of land plant material. Sediments below 170 cm (core 17008-1) contain contributions of re-sedimented pre-heated material most likely from the area of the basaltic ridge. This is documented by individual coke particles reduced hydrogen indices and elevated T_max values up to 440 °C.An “oil-type” contribution (evidenced by mature biomarkers, hopene/hopane ratios, elevated background fluorescence, n-alkane distribution) is also present in the sediments which most likely originated at greater depth and impregnated the surface sediments.The heat source responsible for recrystallisation of foraminiferal carbonate and maturation of organic particles in Shaban Deep sediments most likely is attributed to modern basalt extrusions which now separate the Shaban Deep subbasins.     

Steroid biological marker hydrocarbons as indicators of organic matter diagenesis in Deep Sea sediments: geochemical reactions and influence of different heat flow regimes

Specific geochemical transformation reactions of steroid hydrocarbons have been chosen to illustrate the molecular evolution of organic matter in deep sea sediments. The progression of isomerisation of (⁵⁴)-sterenes, (20R 20S)-diasterenes, (20R20S)-spirosterenes, and (1414) monoaromatic anthrasteroids with depth has been monitored in core samples from ten DSDP sites. Areas with high geothermal gradients are compared to those with low geothermal heat flow. The formation of regular sterenes and anthrasteroids from functionalized precursors starts close to the sediment/water interface soon after deposition of the organic matter. Due to the high reaction rates these low temperature reactions are independent of the geothermal regime within the limits of sample resolution of this study. In contrast to this, the depth of formation of diasterenes and spirosterenes is dependent on the geothermal gradient. Sedimentation rates indirectly determine, through the effect of the resulting burial depth, the age of the sediments in which these compounds first occur. There is a significant effect of the geothermal gradient on most of the isomerisation reactions studied, and it is most pronounced for the conversion of the 14(H)-B ring monoaromatic anthrasteroids to the 14(H) isomers.

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Zusammenfassung Spezifische geochemische Umwandlungsreaktionen von Steroidkohlenwasserstoffen wurden ausgewählt, um die molekulare Entwicklung des organischen Materials in Tiefseese-dimenten zu illustrieren. Die zunehmende Isomerisierung von (⁵⁴)-Sterenen, (20R20S)-Diasterenen, (20R 20S)-Spirosterenen und (1414)-monoaromatischen Anthrasteroiden mit zunehmender Teufe wurde in Kernproben von zehn DSDP-Bohrlokationen untersucht. Regionen mit hohen geothermischen Gradienten werden solchen mit niedrigem geothermischem Wärmefluß gegenübergestellt. Die Bildung der Sterene und Anthrasteroide aus Vorläufern mit funktionellen Gruppen beginnt bereits in der Nähe der Sediment/Wasser-Grenze kurz nach der Ablagerung des organischen Materials. Wegen der hohen Reaktionsgeschwindigkeiten schon bei niedrigen Temperaturen sind diese Reaktionen innerhalb der für diese Studie zur Verfügung stehenden Probendichte unabhängig vom geothermischen Regime. Im Gegensatz dazu hängt die Bildung der Diasterene und der Spirosterene vom geothermischen Gradienten ab. Über den Einfluß der Versenkungstiefe bestimmt die Sedimentationsrate indirekt das Alter der Sedimente, in denen diese beiden Verbindungsklassen zuerst auftreten. Der Einfluß des geothermischen Gradienten auf die meisten der hier untersuchten Isomerisierungsreaktionen ist erheblich, und er ist am stärksten bei der Umwandlung der 14(H)-B-Ring-monoaromatischen Anthrasteroide in die 14(H)-Isomeren.

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Résumé L'évolution de la matière organique dans les sédiments des grands fonds océaniques est illustrée à l'aide de certaines réactions bien définies de transformation géochimique des stéroïdes. Pour les réactions d'isomérisation du type (⁵⁴)-stérènes, (20R20S)-diastérènes, (20R20S)-spirostérènes et (1414)-anthrastéroïdes aromatiques, la progression en fonction de la profondeur a été étudiée dans une série d'échantillons carottés provenant de dix forages DSDP. Des régions à gradient géothermique élevé sont comparées à d'autres où le flux géothermique est plus faible. La formation des stérènes et anthrastéroïdes réguliers à partir de précurseurs à groupements fonctionnels appropriés débute à proximité de l'interface eau-sédiment peu de temps après le dépôt de la matière organique et progresse assez rapidement même à de basses températures; toutefois le nombre limité d'échantillons disponibles ne permet pas de déceler une influence nette de la situation géothermique. En revanche, la formation des diastérènes et des spirostérènes dépend du gradient géothermique. Puisque la profondeur d'enfouissement augmente avec la vitesse de sédimentation, celle-ci détermine indirectement l'âge des sédiments dans lesquels ces composés apparaissent pour la première fois. La plupart des réactions d'isomérisation étudiées sont sensiblement affectées par le gradient géothermique dont l'influence se manifeste particulièrement pour la transformation des 14(H)-B cyclo-anthrastéroïdes monoaromatiques en leurs 14(H)-analogues.

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, . 10- DSDP (^{5 4})-, (20R 20S)- , (20R 20S)- (14 14)- . . , , /, . .. , , , . . , 14 (H)-B-Ring-oapoaec 14 ()-.

     

Late Cretaceous seasonal palaeoclimatology and diatom palaeoecology from laminated sediments

Laminated diatom-rich marine sediments from California and the Arctic Ocean provide a window into the seasonal climate and oceanography of the mid- and high-latitude Late Cretaceous. These remarkable shallow-buried sediments constitute palaeo-sediment traps that record exceptionally well-preserved sequential biogenic and lithogenic flux events. Many of the diatom laminae are composed of a few dominant taxa, and we use a species-based approach for palaeoecological interpretation. Contrary to many earlier interpretations, results indicate that both sites preserve a major flux of taxa adapted to exploit a strongly stratified ocean. The uppermost Maastrichtian Marca Shale of California records a seasonal cycle initiated with a spring bloom flux of diatom resting spores followed by a summer lithogenic sediment input likely driven by monsoonal storms providing river runoff and aeolian input. This is followed by a dominant diatom flux of species that thrived in the summer stratification in deep chlorophyll maxima and were sedimented in the fall when this stratification broke down. Dominant taxa comprising this group include Hemiaulus, Stephanopyxis, Stellarima and Rhizosolenia. The uppermost Campanian CESAR 6 core from the Arctic Alpha Ridge, records a spring bloom flux of resting spores followed by a more dominant summer and fall flux of diatom vegetative cells which were likely concentrated in subsurface summer blooms that generated a “summer export pulse” and by the breakdown of stratification in the fall that gave massive flux of deep chlorophyll maxima species in the fall dump. The dominance and diversity of Hemiaulus in the CESAR 6 core together with widespread evidence of N₂-fixation may indicate that some diatom blooms were powered by intracellular N₂-fixing cyanobacteria as in the modern oligotrophic ocean. Thin lenses of fine lithogenic sediment that occur mostly in the spring layer represent rafting by winter sea ice and support other evidence that suggests intermittent winter freezing in the Late Cretaceous Arctic.     

Provenance and depositional environments of Quaternary sediments from the western North Sea Basin

As the majority of the data on Quaternary sediments from the North Sea Basin are seismostratigraphical, we analysed the Elsterian Swarte Bank Formation, the Late Saalian Fisher Formation and the Late Weichselian (Dimlington Stadial) Bolders Bank Formation in order to determine genesis and provenance. The Swarte Bank Formation is a subglacial till containing palynomorphs from the Moray Forth and the northeastern North Sea, and metamorphic heavy minerals from the Scottish Highlands. The Fisher Formation was sampled from the northern and central North Sea. In the north, it is interpreted as a subglacial till, with glaciomarine sediments cropping out further south. These sediments exhibit a provenance signature consistent with the Midland Valley of Scotland, the Eocene of the North Sea Basin, the Grampian Highlands and northeast Scotland. The Bolders Bank Formation is a subglacial till containing palynomorphs from the Midland Valley of Scotland, northern Britain, and a metamorphic heavy‐mineral suite indicative of the Grampian Highlands, Southern Uplands and northeast Scotland. These data demonstrate that there was repeated glaciation of the North Sea Basin during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, with ice sheets originating in northern Scotland. There was no evidence for a Scandinavian ice sheet in the western North Sea basin. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

孙吴-嘉荫盆地晚白垩世地层物源及构造背景

为揭示孙吴-嘉荫盆地晚白垩世富饶组和太平林场组的物源特征及其构造背景,对两组样品进行了碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年和地球化学特征研究.富饶组碎屑锆石55个测点产生以下年龄峰值:65 Ma、280 Ma和496 Ma,太平林场组碎屑锆石78个测点产生以下年龄峰值:98 Ma,189 Ma,240 Ma和488...     

Low temperature hydrothermal maturation of organic matter in sediments from the Atlantis II Deep,Red Sea

Hydrocarbons and bulk organic matter of two sediment cores (No. 84 and 126, CHAIN 61 cruise) located within the Atlantis II Deep have been analyzed. Although the brines overlying the coring areas were reported to be sterile, microbial inputs and minor terrestrial sources represent the major sedimentary organic material. This input is derived from the upper water column above the brines.Both steroid and triterpenoid hydrocarbons show that extensive acid-catalyzed reactions are occurring in the sediments. In comparison with other hydrothermal (Guaymas Basin) or intrusive systems (Cape Verde Rise), the Atlantis II Deep exhibits a lower degree of thermal maturation. This is easily deduced from the elemental composition of the kerogens and the absence of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons of a pyrolytic origin in the bitumen.The lack of carbon number preference among the n-alkanes suggests, especially in the case of the long chain homologs, that the organic matter of Atlantis II Deep sediments has undergone some degree of catagenesis. However, the yields of hydrocarbons are much lower than those observed in other hydrothermal areas. The effect of lower temperature and poor source-rock characteristics appear to be responsible for the differences.