http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000156

Employing the Unit Soil Carbon Amount (USCA) approach, soil carbon storage was calculated across the Northeast Plain of China based on the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey conducted in 2004 – 2006 (MRGS). The results indicated that the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in topsoil (0 – 0.2 m), subsoil (0 – 1 m) and deep soil (0 – 1.8 m) was 768.1 Mt, 2978.4 Mt and 3729.2 Mt with densities of 3327.8 t/km2, 12,904.7 t/km2 and 16,157.5 t/km2, respectively. These values were consistent with national averages, whereas the soil carbon densities showed a clear increasing trend from the southern area of the Northeast Plain (Liaoning), to the middle (Jilin) and the northern Plain (Heilongjiang) — particularly in terms of topsoil carbon density, which increased from 2284.2, to 3436.7 and 3861.5 t/km2, respectively. In comparison to carbon data obtained from the Second National Soil Survey in 1984 – 1986 (SNSS), the topsoil SOC storage values from the MRGS were found to have decreased by 320.59 Mt (29.4%), with an average annual decline of 16.0 Mt (l.73%) over the 20 years. In the southern, middle and northern areas of the plain, soil carbon densities decreased by 1060.6 t/km2, 1646.4 t/km2 and 1300.2 t/km2, respectively, with an average value of 1389.0 t/km2 for the whole plain. These findings indicate that the decrease in soil carbon density varied according to the different ecosystems and land use types. Therefore, ratios of soil carbon density were calculated in order to study the carbon dynamic balance between ecosystems, and to further explore distribution characteristics, as well as the sequestration potential of SOC.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000917

Important ecological changes of the Earth(oxidization of the atmosphere and the ocean) increase in nutrient supply due to the break-up of the super continent(Rodinia) and the appearance of multi-cellular organisms(macroscopic algae and metazoan) took place in the Ediacaran period,priming the Cambrian explosion.The strong perturbations in carbon cycles in the ocean are recorded as excursions in carbonate and organic carbon isotope ratio(δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org)) from the Ediacaran through early Cambrian periods.The Ediacaran-early Cambrian sediment records of δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org),obtained from the drill-core samples in Three Gorges in South China,are compared with the results of numerical simulation of a simple one-zone model of the carbon cycle of the ocean,which has two reservoirs(i.e.,dissolved organic carbon(DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC).The fluxes from the reservoirs are assumed to be proportional to the mass of the carbon reservoirs.We constructed a model,referred to here as the Best Fit Model(BFM),which reproduce δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org) records in the Ediacaran-early Cambrian period noted above.BFM reveals that the Shuram excursion is related to three major changes in the carbon cycle or the global ecological system of the Earth:(1) an increase in the coefficient of remineralization by a factor of ca.100,possibly corresponding to a change in the dominant metabolism from anaerobic respiration to aerobic respiration,(2) an increase of carbon fractionation index from 25‰ to 33‰,possibly corresponding to the change in the primary producer from rock-living cyanobacteria to free-living macro algae,and(3) an increase in the coefficient of the organic carbon burial by a factor of ca.100,possibly corresponding to the onset of a biological pump driven by the flourishing metazoan and zooplankton.The former two changes took place at the start of the Shuram excursion,while the third occurred at the end of the Shuram excursion.The other two excursions are explained by the tentative decrease in primary production due to cold periods,which correspond to the Gaskiers(ca.580 Ma) and Bikonor(ca.542 Ma) glaciations.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000400

Monitoring of regional groundwater levels provides important information for quantifying groundwater depletion and assessing impacts on the environment Historically,groundwater level monitoring wells in Beijing Plain,China,were installed for assessing groundwater resources and for monitoring the cone of depression.Monitoring wells are clustered around well fields and urban areas.There is urgent need to upgrade the existing monitoring wells to a regional groundwater level monitoring network to acquire information for integrated water resources management.A new method was proposed for designing a regional groundwater level monitoring network.The method is based on groundwater regime zone mapping.Groundwater regime zone map delineates distinct areas of possible different groundwater level variations and is useful for locating groundwater monitoring wells.This method was applied to Beijing Plain to upgrade a regional groundwater level monitoring network.     

Solid-solution partitioning of arsenic （As） in the paddy soil profiles in Chengdu Plain, Southwest China

To predict the long-term behavior of arsenic(As) in soil profiles,the solid-solution partitioning of As was studied in four paddy soil profiles obtained from agricultural areas in Chengdu Plain,Southwest China.Paddy soil profile samples were collected and soil solution samples were extracted.Total As contents in soil solution and soil solid were analyzed,along with the soil solid phase properties.The As in soil solution was significantly higher in the upper layer(0—20 cm) and had a definite tendency to decrease towards 40 cm regardless of the sampling locations.When the concentration of arsenic in soil solution decreased,its content in solid phase increased.Field-based partition coefficient(K_d) for As was determined by calculating the ratio of the amount of As in the soil solid phase to the As concentration in the soil solution.K_d values varied widely in vertical samples and correlated well with soil pH,total organic carbon(TOC) and total As. The results of this study would be useful for evaluating the accumulation trends of arsenic in soil profiles and in improving the management of the agricultural soils.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000752

A series of environmentalegeological problems have been caused by over-exploitation of deep groundwater (i.e., confined aquifer water) in the North China Plain. In order to better understand the status of deep groundwater over-exploitation and the resultant environmentalegeological problems on a regional scale, the over-exploitation of groundwater has been assessed by way of the groundwater exploitation potential coefficient (i.e., the ratio of exploitable amount of deep groundwater to current exploitation), cumulative land subsidence, and long-term average lowering rate of the groundwater table. There is a good correlation among the results calculated by the different methods. On a regional scale, deep groundwater has been over-exploited and there is no further exploitation potential under the current conditions. The groundwater exploitation degree index takes the exploitation in 2003 as the reference for the calculations, so the results mainly reflect the degree of current groundwater exploitation. The results of over-exploitation of deep groundwater obtained by land subsidence data and long-term average rate of depression of the water table mainly reflect environmentalegeological problems caused by exploitation of deep groundwater.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001083

Stable carbon isotope geochemistry provides important information for the recognition of fundamental isotope exchange processes related to the movement of carbon in the lithosphere and permits the elaboration of models for the global carbon cycle.Carbon isotope ratios in fluid-deposited graphite are powerful tools for unravelling the ultimate origin of carbon（organic matter,mantle,or carbonates） and help to constrain the fluid history and the mechanisms involved in graphite deposition.Graphite precipitation in fluid-deposited occurrences results from CO₂- and/or CH₄-bearing aqueous fluids.Fluid flow can be considered as both a closed（without replenishment of the fluid） or an open system（with renewal of the fluid by successive fluid batches）.In closed systems,carbon isotope systematics in graphite is mainly governed by Rayleigh precipitation and/or by changes in temperature affecting the fractionation factor between fluid and graphite.Such processes result in zoned graphite crystals or in successive graphite generations showing,in both cases, isotopic variation towards progressive ^l3C or ¹²C enrichment（depending upon the dominant carbon phase in the fluid.CO₂ or CH₄,respectively）.In open systems,in which carbon is episodically introduced along the fracture systems,the carbon systematics is more complex and individual graphite crystals may display oscillatory zoning because of Rayleigh precipitation or heterogeneous variations of 5’ C values when mixing of fluids or changes in the composition of the fluids are the mechanisms responsible for graphite precipitation.     

Biostratigraphy of a Paleocene–Eocene Foreland Basin boundary in southern Tibet

This study of the Paleocene–Eocene boundary within a foreland basin of southern Tibet, which was dominated by a carbonate ramp depositional environment, documents more complex environmental conditions than can be derived from studies of the deep oceanic environment. Extinction rates for larger foraminiferal species in the Zongpu-1 Section apply to up to 46% of the larger foraminiferal taxa. The extinction rate in southern Tibet is similar to rates elsewhere in the world, but it shows that the Paleocene fauna disappeared stepwise through the Late Paleocene, with Eocene taxa appearing abruptly above the boundary. A foraminifera turnover was identified between Members 3 and 4 of the Zongpu Formation—from the Miscellanea–Daviesina assemblage to an Orbitolites–Alveolina assemblage. The Paleocene and Eocene boundary is between the SBZ 4 and SBZ 5, where it is marked by the extinction of Miscellanea miscella and the first appearance of Alveolina ellipsodalis and a large number of Orbitolites. Chemostratigraphically, the δ13C values from both the Zongpu-1 and Zongpu-2 Sections show three negative excursions in the transitional strata, one in Late Paleocene, one at the boundary, and one in the early Eocene. The second negative excursion of δ13C, which is located at the P–E boundary, coincides with larger foraminifera overturn. These faunal changes and the observed δ13C negative excursions provide new evidence on environmental changes across the Paleocene–Eocene boundary in Tibet.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113001060

Type division and controlling factor analysis of 3rd-order sequence are of practical significance to tec-tonic analysis, sedimentary environment identification, and other geological researches. Based on the comprehensive analysis of carbon and oxygen isotope trends, paleobathymetry and spectral-frequency of representative well logs, 3rd-order sequences can be divided into 3 types： （a） global sea level （GSL） sequence mainly controlled by GSL change;（b） tectonic sequence mainly controlled by regional tectonic activity;and （c） composite sequence jointly controlled by GSL change and regional tectonic activity. This study aims to identify the controlling factors of 3rd-order sequences and to illustrate a new method for classification of 3rd-order sequences of the middle Permian strata in the Sichuan Basin, China. The middle Permian strata in the Sichuan Basin consist of 3 basin-contrastive 3rd-order sequences, i.e., PSQ1, PSQ2 and PSQ3. Of these, PSQ1 is a GSL sequence while PSQ2 and PSQ3 are composite sequences. The results suggest that the depositional environment was stable during the deposition of PSQ1, but was activated by tectonic activity during the deposition of the middle Permian Maokou Formation.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000546

In the eastern part of the Indian shield,late PaleozoiceMesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Talchir Basin lie precisely along a contact of Neoproterozoic age between granulites of the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt(EGMB)and amphibolite facies rocks of the Rengali Province.At present,the northern part of the basin experiences periodic seismicity by reactivation of faults located both within the basin,and in the Rengali Province to the north.Detailed gravity data collected across the basin show that Bouguer anomalies decrease from the EGMB(wt15 mGal),through the basin(w 10 mGal),into the Rengali Province(w 15 mGal).The data are consistent with the reportedly uncompensated nature of the EGMB,and indicate that the crust below the Rengali Province has a cratonic gravity signature.The contact between the two domains with distinct sub-surface structure,inferred from gravity data,coincides with the North Orissa Boundary Fault(NOBF)that defnes the northern boundary of the Talchir Basin.Post-Gondwana faults are also localized along the northern margin of the basin,and present-day seismic tremors also have epicenters close to the NOBF.This indicates that the NOBF was formed by reactivation of a Neoproterozoic terrane boundary,and continues to be susceptible to seismic activity even at the present-day.     

Mantle convection modeling of the supercontinent cycle： Introversion,extroversion, or a combination？

The periodic assembly and dispersal of continental fragments,referred to as the supercontinent cycle,bear close relation to the evolution of mantle convection and plate tectonics.Supercontinent formation involves complex processes of"introversion"(closure of interior oceans),"extroversion"(closure of exterior oceans),or a combination of these processes in uniting dispersed continental fragments.Recent developments in numerical modeling and advancements in computation techniques enable us to simulate Earth’s mantle convection with drifting continents under realistic convection vigor and rheology in Earth-like geometry(i.e.,3D spherical-shell).We report a numerical simulation of 3D mantle convection,incorporating drifting deformable continents,to evaluate supercontinent processes in a realistic mantle convection regime.Our results show that supercontinents are assembled by a combination of introversion and extroversion processes.Small-scale thermal heterogeneity dominates deep mantle convection during the supercontinent cycle,although large-scale upwelling plumes intermittently originate under the drifting continents and/or the supercontinent.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114001297

The southern boundary of the Singhbhum Craton witnessed multiple orogenies that juxtaposed thin slice of granulite suite of the Rengali Province against the low-grade granite-greenstone belt of the cra...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000193

Geochemical subsoil data obtained from China and European laboratories have been compared in this study. 787 C horizon subsoil samples from FOREGS (Forum of European Geological Surveys) geochemical baselines mapping project were sent to China’s IGGE (Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration) laboratory and composited to 190 samples according to the 160 km 160 km GNT (Global Terrestrial Network) cells. In addition to the FOREGS elemental analysis package, Au, Pt, Pd, B, Ge, Br, Cl, Se, N, Li and F were also analyzed by using the IGGE’s 76 element analytical scheme. Geochemical data statistics, scatter plotting, and geochemical map compilation techniques have been employed to investigate differences between FOREGS and IGGE analytical results. The results of two datasets, the IGGE’s analysis data for composited samples, and the FOREGS average data of samples in each GNT cell, agree extremely well for about 23 elements, viz: SiO2, Sr, Al2O3, Zr, Ba, Fe2O3, Ti, Rb, Mn, Gd, CaO, Ga, MgO, P, Pb, Na2O, Y, Th, As, U Sc, Cr, and Co. There are slight differences between-laboratory biases shown as proportional errors between the datasets for Ni, K2O, Tb, Tl, Cu, S, Sm, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ta, Nb, Hf, and Dy. For Cd, Cs, Be, Sb, In, Mo, I, Sn, and Te, the correlation of the two datasets and the similarity of the geochemical maps are fairly good, but obvious biases exist between the two datasets at values near detection limits. Sensitivities of FOREGS analytical methods for W, Bi, Sn, Te, Be, and I are insufficient to produce reportable values in at least 80% of the samples. Although the detection limits of Ag for both FOREGS and IGGE are sufficient to provide reportable values, a large bias was found between the two datasets. This study demonstrates that consistent analytical data for certain elements of global geochemical mapping samples can be achieved by different qualified laboratories, such as China’s IGGE laboratory and some European laboratories. For some elements, such as Ag, further research on the selection of the proper analytical methods and on the development of quality control methods should be undertakendwith final recommendations adhered to by all participants of the global geochemical mapping program.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000405

This study has focused on the processes of soil degradation and chemical element concentration in tea-growing regions of Rwanda, Africa. Soil degradation accelerated by erosion is caused not only by topography but also by human activities. This soil degradation involves both the physical loss and reduction in the amount of topsoil associated with nutrient decline. Soil samples were collected from eleven tropical zones in Rwanda and from variable depth within each collecting site. Of these, Samples from three locations in each zone were analyzed in the laboratory, with the result that the pH of all soil samples is shown to be less than 5 (pH < 5) with a general average of 4.4. The elements such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) are present in high concentration levels. In contrast calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) are present at low-level concentrations and carbon (C) was found in minimal concentrations. In addition, elements derived from fertilizers, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) which is also from minerals such as feldspar, are also present in low-level concentrations. The results indicate that the soil in certain Rwandan tea plantations is acidic and that this level of pH may help explain, in addition to natural factors, the deficiency of some elements such as Ca, Mg, P and N. The use of chemical fertilizers, land use system and the location of fields relative to household plots are also considered to help explain why tea plantation soils are typically degraded.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001570

The supercontinent cycle,by which Earth history is seen as having been punctuated by the episodic assembly and breakup of supercontinents,has influenced the rock record more than any other geologic phenomena,and its recognition is arguably the most important advance in Earth Science since plate tectonics.It documents fundamental aspects of the planet’s interior dynamics and has charted the course of Earth’s tectonic,climatic and biogeochemical evolution for billions of years.But while the widespread realization of the importance of supercontinents in Earth history is a relatively recent development,the supercontinent cycle was first proposed thirty years ago and episodicity in tectonic processes was recognized long before plate tectonics provided a potential explanation for its occurrence.With interest in the supercontinent cycle gaining momentum and the literature expanding rapidly,it is instructive to recall the historical context from which the concept developed.Here we examine the supercontinent cycle from this perspective by tracing its development from the early recognition of long-term episodicity in tectonic processes,through the identification of tectonic cycles following the advent of plate tectonics,to the first realization that these phenomena were the manifestation of episodic supercontinent assembly and breakup.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000929

Global sea-level has changed in a cyclic manner through geologic history, but the regularities of these changes are yet to be fully understood. Despite certain (and sometimes significant) differences, ...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000820

The combined use of Hf,Nd and Sr isotopes is more useful in understanding the supercontinent cycle than the use of only Hf isotopic data from detrital zircons.Sr and Nd seawater isotopes,although not as precise as εNd and εHf distributions,also record input from ocean ridge systems.Unlike detrital zircons where sources cannot be precisely located because of crustal recycling,both the location and tectonic setting often can be constrained for whole-rock Nd isotopic data.Furthermore,primary zircon sources may not reside on the same continent as derivative detrital zircons due to supercontinent breakup and assembly.Common to all of the isotopic studies are geographic sampling biases reflecting outcrop distributions,river system sampling,or geologists,and these may be responsible for most of the decorrelation observed between isotopic systems.Distributions between 3.5 and 2 Ga based on εHf median values of four detrital zircon databases as well as our compiled εNd database are noisy but uniformly distributed in time,whereas data between 2 and 1 Ga data are more tightly clustered with smaller variations.Grouped age peaks suggest that both isotopic systems are sampling similar types of orogens.Only after 1 Ga and before 3.5 Ga do we see wide variations and significant disagreement between databases,which may partially reflect variations in both the number of sample locations and the number of samples per location.External and internal orogens show similar patterns in εNd and εHfwith age suggesting that both juvenile and reworked crustal components are produced in both types of orogens with similar proportions.However,both types of orogens clearly produce more juvenile isotopic signatures in retreating mode than in advancing mode.Many secular changes in εHf and εNd distributions correlate with the supercontinent cycle.Although supercontinent breakup is correlated with short-lived decreasing εHf and εNd （≤ 100 Myr） for most supercontinents,there is no isotopic evidence for the breakup of the Paleoproterozoic supercontinent Nuna.Assembly of supercontinents by extroversion is recorded by decreasing εNd in granitoids and metasediments and decreasing εHf in zircons,attesting to the role of crustal reworking in external orogens in advancing mode.As expected,seawater Sr isotopes increase and seawater Nd isotopes decrease during supercontinent assembly by extroversion.Pangea is the only supercontinent that has a clear isotopic record of introversion assembly,during which median εNd and εHf rise rapidly for ≤ 100 Myr.Although expected to increase,radiogenic seawater Sr decreases （and seawater Nd increases） during assembly of Pangea,a feature that may be caused by juvenile input into the oceans from new ocean ridges and external orogens in retreating mode.The fact that a probable onset of plate tectonics around 3 Ga is not recorded in isotopic distributions may be due the existence of widespread felsic crust formed prior to the onset of plate tectonics in a stagnant lid tectonic regime,as supported by Nd and Hf model ages.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001034

A comprehensive methodology that integrates Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation（RUSLE） model and Geographic Information System（GIS） techniques was adopted to determine the soil erosion vulnerability of a forested mountainous sub-watershed in Kerala,India.The spatial pattern of annual soil erosion rate was obtained by integrating geo-environmental variables in a raster based GIS method.GIS data layers including,rainfall erosivity（R）,soil erodability（K）,slope length and steepness（LS）,cover management （C） and conservation practice（P） factors were computed to determine their effects on average annual soil loss in the area.The resultant map of annual soil erosion shows a maximum soil loss of 17.73 t h^-1 y^-1 with a close relation to grass land areas,degraded forests and deciduous forests on the steep side-slopes（with high LS ）.The spatial erosion maps generated with RUSLE method and GIS can serve as effective inputs in deriving strategies for land planning and management in the environmentally sensitive mountainous areas.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000035

The well SK-I in the Songliao Basin is the first scientific borehole targeting the continental Cretaceous strata in China.Oval concretions,thin laminae and beds of dolostone are found intercalated within mudstone and organic-rich black shale in the Nenjiang Formation of Campanian age.Low ordered ferruginous dolomite is composed of euhedral-subhedral rhombs with cloudy nucleus and light rims formed during the diagenesis.which are typical features of replacement.The heavy carbon isotopes (δ¹³C_PDB-1.16-16.0) are results of both the fermentation of organic matter by microbes and degassing of carbon dioxide during the period of diagenesis,and the presence of light oxygen isotopes(δ¹⁸O_Pdb- 18.53～-5.1) is a characteristic feature of fresh water influence which means the carbonate may have been altered by ground water or rainwater in the late diagenesis.Marine water incursions into the normally lacustrine basin have been proved by both the salinity of Z value and the occurrence of foraminifera in the same strata where dolomite occurs.Pyrite framboids observed by SEM are usually enclosed in the dolomite crystals or in the mudstones,supporting the sulfate reducing bacteria（SRB）.The formation of both dolomite and pyrite are associated with marine water incursions,which not only supply magnesium ion for dolomite,but also result in limited carbonate precipitation in the basin.The presence of pyrite tramboids indicates the development of an anoxic environment associated with salinity stratification in the lake.The dolomite in the Nenjiang Formation is the results of marine water incursions,diagenetic replacement of calcareous carbonate and sulfate reducing bacteria（SRB）.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000508

This paper presents the results of a set of numerical models focussing on structural controls on hydrothermal mineralization.We first give an overview of natural phenomena of structurally-controlled ore formation and the background theory and mechanisms for such controls. We then provide the results of a group of simple 2D numerical models validated through comparison with Cu-vein structure observed near the Shilu Copper deposit(Yangchun,Guangdong Province, China) and finally a case study of 3D numerical modelling applied to the Hodgkinson Province in North Queensland(Australia).Two modelling approaches,discrete deformation modelling and continuum coupled deformation and fluid flow modelling,are involved.The 2D model-derived patterns are remarkably consistent with the Cu-vein structure from the Shilu Copper deposit,and show that both modelling approaches can realistically simulate the mechanical behaviours of shear and dilatant fractures.The continuum coupled deformation and fluid flow model indicates that pattern of the Cuveins near the Shilu deposit is the result of shear strain localization,development of dilation and fluid focussing into the dilatant fracture segments.The 3D case-study models(with deformation and fluid flow coupling) on the Hodgkinson Province generated a number of potential gold mineralization targets.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000308

The Panguan Syncline contains abundant coal resources,which may be a potential source of coalbed methane.In order to evaluate the coalbed methane production potential in this area,we investigated the pore-fracture system of coalbed methane reservoirs,and analyzed the gas sorption and seepage capacities by using various analytical methods,including scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,optical microscopy,mercury-injection test,low-temperature N₂ isotherm adsorption/desorption analyses,lowfield nuclear magnetic resonance and methane isothermal adsorption measurements.The results show that the samples of the coal reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline have moderate gas sorption capacity.However, the coals in the study area have favorable seepage capacities,and are conductive for the coalbed methane production.The physical properties of the coalbed methane reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline are generally controlled by coal metamorphism:the low rank coal usually has low methane sorption capacity and its pore and microfractures are poorly developed;while the medium rank coal has better methane sorption capacity,and its seepage pores and microfractures are well developed,which are sufficient for the coalbed methane’s gathering and exploration.Therefore,the medium rank coals in the Panguan Syncline are the most prospective targets for the coalbed methane exploration and production.