云南4个湖泊浮游生物碳、氮稳定同位素的季节变化及其影响因子

浮游生物是湖泊食物网的重要组成,其碳、氮稳定同位素能够反映元素地球化学循环和食物来源的波动,是了解水域生态系统结构变化的重要手段之一.本文选取云南4个不同类型湖泊,开展浮游生物碳、氮稳定同位素组成(δ13C、δ15N)的季节变化与湖泊对比研究.大型深水湖泊(抚仙湖和阳宗海)中,浮游植物δ13C值在夏、秋季(-20.34...     

Organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the intertidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China

The natural isotopic compositions and C/N elemental ratios of sedimentary organic matter were determined in the intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were respectively −29.8‰ to − 26.0‰ and 1.6‰–5.5‰ in the flood season (July), while they were −27.3‰ to − 25.6‰ and 1.7‰–7.8‰ in the dry season (February), respectively. The δ¹³C signatures were remarkably higher in July than in February, and gradually increased from the freshwater areas to the brackish areas. In contrast, there were relatively complex seasonal and spatial changes in stable nitrogen isotopes. It was also reflected that δ¹⁵N and C/N compositions had been obviously modified by organic matter diagenesis and biological processing, and could not be used to trace the sources of organic matter at the study area. In addition, it was considered that the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine materials generally dominated sedimentary organic matter in the intertidal flat. The contribution of terrigenous inputs to sedimentary organic matter was roughly estimated according to the mixing balance model of stable carbon isotopes.     

三峡库区消落带土壤有机质和全氮含量分布特征

在三峡库区消落带落干期间(2010年4月),对库区巫山-重庆主城区段消落带土壤有机质(OM)和全氮(TN)含量分布及与土壤理化性质的相关性进行了调查研究.结果表明该区域消落带土壤OM和TN含量均较低,分别为10.70±4.03和0.84±0.39 mg/g,且服从正态分布.消落带土壤碳氮比(C/N)较低,推测消落带土壤无机氮在淹水期间存在向上覆水体释放的可能性.在与其它关于土壤OM和TN含量研究的比较中,研究区域内土壤OM和TN含量处于偏低的水平;而在与对照带样品的比较分析中发现,消落带样品的OM和TN含量变异系数均偏低,因此消落带干湿交替可减小不同区域消落带之间土壤OM和TN含量差异.相关性分析表明,消落带土壤pH、ORP、TN与OM之间呈显著正相关,可见研究范围内消落带土壤氮形态可能主要以有机氮的形式存在于有机质中,而C/N与TN呈负相关,与OM相关性不显著,表明C/N的大小主要取决于TN含量.     

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of gas hydrate-bearing sediment from Hydrate Ridge,Cascadia Margin

Serious interest has been directed toward natural gas hydrate as a potential energy resource; factor in global climate change, and submarine geohazard since naturally occurring gas-hydrate deposits were found in the 1960s. Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia convergent mar- gin, is characterized by abundant methane hydrates at and below the seafloor, active venting of fluids and gases, chemosynthetic communities, and some of the highest methane oxidation rates ever found in the ma-rine environment. All of…     

Soil C and N response to changes in winter precipitation in a subalpine forest ecosystem,NW Italy

Among the potential effects of climate change on subalpine forest ecosystems during the winter season, the shift in snowline towards higher altitudes and the increase in frequency of rain events on the snowpack are of particular interest. Here, we present the results of a 2‐year field experiment conducted in a forest stand (Larix decidua) in NW Italy at 2020 m a.s.l. From 2009 to 2011, we monitored soil physical characteristics (temperature and moisture), and soil and soil solution chemistry, in particular carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) forms and their change in time, as affected by simulated late snowpack accumulation and rain on snow events. Late snowpack accumulation determined a stronger effect on soil thermal and moisture regimes than rain on snow events. Also soil chemistry was significantly affected by late snowfall simulation. Although microbial biomass C and N were not reduced by soil freezing, soil contents of the more labile dissolved organic carbon and inorganic N increased when the soil was affected by mild/hard freezing. Variations in the soil solution were shifted with respect to those observed in soil, with an increase in N‐NO₃^? concentrations occurring during spring and summer. This study highlights the potential N loss in subalpine soils under changing environmental conditions driven by a changing climate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organic carbon flow in the Ob, Yenisey Rivers and Kara Sea of the Arctic region

Stable carbon isotope and elemental C/N ratios of the organic fraction of a set of samples along a transect in the Ob and Yenisey Rivers into the Kara Sea in the Arctic were measured. Previously, the concentrations of 239,240Pu and 137Cs in these same samples had been determined. The coupled measurements were carried out to assess possible connectivity between organic carbon flow into the Kara Sea and transport of radioactive nuclides in this marine environment. Organic carbon flow into the Kara Sea is influenced significantly by terrigenous sources carried by the Ob and Yenisey Rivers. The carbon isotope-organic carbon relationship provides evidence that a rich source of terrigenous carbon exists in the riverine system. A weak, but significant relationship between stable carbon isotope ratio and 137Cs suggests that most of the 137Cs is derived from riverine particles, as compared to Pu which is also derived from in situ scavenging within the water column.     

Characteristics and distributions of humic acids in two soil profiles of the southwest China Karst area

Characteristics and distributions of humic acid(HA) and soil organic matter(SOM) in a yellow soil profile and a limestone soil profile of the southwest China Karst area were systematically investigated to reveal their evolutions in different soils of the study area. The results showed that characteristics and distribution of SOM along the two soil profiles were notably different. Total organic carbon(TOC) contents of soil samples decreased just slightly along the limestone soil profile but sharply along the yellow soil profile. TOCs of the limestone soils were significantly higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils, and C/N ratios of SOMs showed a similar variation trend to that of TOCs, indicating that SOM can be better conserved in the limestone soil than in the yellow soil. The soil humic acids were exhaustively extracted and further fractionated according to their apparent molecular weights using ultrafiltration techniques to explore underlying conservation mechanisms. The result showed that C/N ratios of HAs from different limestone soil layers were relatively stable and that large molecular HA fractions predominated the bulk HA of the top soil, indicating that HA in the limestone profile was protected while bio and chemical degradations were retarded. Combined with organic elements contents and mineral contents of two soils, weconcluded that high calcium contents in limestone soils may play a key role in SOM conservation by forming complexation compounds with HAs or/and enclosing SOMs with hypergene CaCO_3 precipitation.     

A high resolution palaeoclimatic record for the last 27,500 years in tropical West Africa from the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of lacustrine organic matter

Variations in the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk organic matter in the sediments of Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana reflect climatically induced changes to the lake and the catchment flora. Cores spanning the last 27.5 kyr of sedimentation in the lake show large oscillations inδ¹³C_org PDB andδ¹⁵N_org Air. The late Pleistocene record is particularly detailed, showing changes of ca. 20‰ in carbon and ca. 10‰ in nitrogen isotopic compositions. These variations are of complex origin. Although different in magnitude, major isotopic excursions in the two records are generally in phase and reveal the occurrence of two major dry intervals at and immediately following the Last Glacial Maximum. The Allerød-Younger Dryas period also seems to have been marked by generally dry conditions in this part of tropical West Africa. Nitrogen isotopic evidence suggests that during the period 9.2–3.2 kyr the lake had an extremely stable water column, probably due to the absence of a windy or cool, dry season, or both. Regular circulation of the water column recommenced during the late Holocene and has persisted until the present day.     

Isotopic fractionation induced by a surface effect influences the estimation of the hydrological process of topsoil

Isotopic heterogeneity in soil water has hindered the application of isotope compositions (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) in soil water dynamics. This heterogeneity has been suggested to be caused by soil properties such as organic matter (OM) and clay content. However, this is yet to be verified in field soil. We sampled the organic layer (O-horizon soil) with highly decomposed organic material and the A-horizon soil in western Sichuan, China, and equilibrated these samples with vapour created by unconfined labelling water. The relationship between soil properties and isotopic fractionation (ε_T/U) between unconfined water and the total soil water was used to determine the line-conditioned excess (lc-excess) and source rain of A-horizon field soil by removing the influence of confined water. Equilibration experiments demonstrated a significant isotopic difference between the ε_T/U levels in the A-horizon and O-horizon soils, indicating that OM plays an important role in isotopic fractionation. In field samples, the lc-excess of the unconfined A-horizon water was, on an average, 2.5‰ higher than that of bulk soil water. The average offsets between the annual rain and the estimated source rain of soil water decreased by 5.0 and 0.5‰ for hydrogen and oxygen after removing the influence of confined water. Isotopic heterogeneity should not be ignored while examining the evaporation of soil water, soil source rain, and hence the recent ‘two water worlds’ hypothesis, which is especially true for cases in which the soils contain high levels of OM.     

Carbon isotopic composition of modern soil and paleosol as a response to vegetation change on the Chinese Loess Plateau

The relationship between the carbon isotopic composition of paleosols and pale-ovegetation on the Loess Plateau is still unclear. One of the main reasons is that we are short of knowledge about the characteristics of the carbon isotopic composition of modern soil in this area. A preliminary investigation of the carbon isotopic compositions of the modern soil and the loess/paleosol sequence on the Loess Plateau shows that the carbon isotopic composition of modern soil is consistent with the distribution of modern plants on the Loess Plateau, where the ecosystem is dominated by a mixture of C4 and C3 plants. Comparing the δ13C values of modern soil and loess-paleosol sequences from the Xunyi profile, we conclude that C3 plants dominated the landscape during loess sediment stages, while C4 plants expanded during paleosol stages.     

A comparison of the toluene distillation and vacuum/heat methods for extracting soil water for stable isotopic analysis

Hanford Loam, from Richland, Washington, was used as a test soil to determine the precision, accuracy and nature of two methods to extract soil water for stable isotopic analysis: azeotropic distillation using toluene, and simple heating under vacuum. The soil was oven dried, rehydrated with water of known stable isotopic compositions, and the introduced water was then extracted.

Compared with the introduced water, initial aliquots of evolved water taken during a toluene extraction were as much as 30 ‰ more depleted in D and 2.7 ‰ more depleted in ¹⁸O, whereas final aliquots were as much as 40 ‰ more enriched in D and 14.3 ‰ more enriched in ¹⁸O. Initial aliquots collected during the vacuum/heat extraction were as much as 64 ‰ more depleted in D and 8.4 ‰ more depleted in ¹⁸O than was the introduced water, whereas the final aliquots were as much as 139 ‰ more enriched in D, and 20.8 ‰ more enriched in ¹⁸O. Neither method appears quantitative; however, the difference in stable isotopic composition between the first and last aliquots of water extracted by the toluene method is less than that from the vacuum/heat method. This is attributed to the smaller fractionation factors involved with the higher average temperatures of distillation of the toluene. The average stable isotopic compositions of the extracted water varied from that of the introduced water by up to 1.4 ‰ in δD and 4.2 ‰ in δ¹⁸O with the toluene method, and by 11.0 ‰ in δD and 1.8 ‰ in δ¹⁸O for the vacuum/heat method.

The lack of accuracy of the extraction methods is thought to be due to isotopic fractionation associated with water being weakly bound (not released below 110°C) in the soil. The isotopic effect of this heat-labile water is larger at low water contents (3.6 and 5.2% water by weight) as the water bound in the soil is a commensurately larger fraction of the total. With larger soilwater contents the small volume of water bound with an associated fractionation is not enough to affect the remaining unbound introduced soil water. Pretreatment of the soil to equilibrate the heat-labile water to the test water produced good results for the toluene distillation but not the vacuum/heat extraction method.

Vapors collected over the soils also show stable isotopic variations related to soilwater content. These vapors also appear to be in closer equilibrium with the free water, as extracted by the toluene method, than with the originally introduced water; thus, the soil vapors do not appear to be isotopically affected by the heat-labile water.

The toluene method appears to be better for extracting soil water for stable isotopic analysis because it allows more precise temperature control and excludes the extraction of heat-labile water which is isotopically fractionated. The bound nature of this heat-labile water limits association with the hydrologically active soil water; thus, the exclusion of this water from the soil water attained by toluene distillation may be advantageous. However, the azeotropic nature of toluene distillation affords no benefit and the extraction procedure must continue to completion.     

贵州草海湿地不同水位梯度土壤碳、氮、磷含量及其生态化学计量比分布特征

对贵州草海湿地4种水位梯度下(农田区、过渡区、浅水区和深水区)表层土壤(0~10 cm)碳、氮、磷含量及其生态化学计量比进行研究,以期揭示草海湿地不同水位梯度下土壤碳、氮、磷生态化学计量比的分布特征及其影响因素.结果表明:土壤总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)及总磷(TP)含量在不同水位梯度之间均差异显著,由过渡区至深水区,土壤TOC及TN含量均呈递增趋势,而TP含量呈先降低后增加的趋势;农田区土壤TN含量显著高于浅水区,但深水区土壤TP含量显著低于农田区.不同水位梯度土壤碳氮比(C/N)、碳磷比(C/P)和氮磷比(N/P)也存在显著差异,由过渡区至深水区,土壤C/P和N/P均呈递增趋势,而C/N呈先增加后降低的趋势;与过渡区相比,农田区土壤C/N、C/P和N/P总体偏低.相关性分析表明:土壤C/N、C/P和N/P的空间分布与土壤TOC、TN、含水量等理化性质有关.可见,草海湿地水位变化对土壤TOC、TN和TP含量以及C/N、C/P及N/P的空间分布具有显著影响,且水位升高有利于增强土壤碳、氮、磷的固存潜力.     

Effect of intensity and duration of freezing on soil microbial biomass,extractable C and N pools,and N2O and CO2 emissions from forest soils in cold temperate region

Freezing can increase the emissions of carbon dioxide(CO_2) and nitrous oxide(N_2O) and the release of labile carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) pools into the soil. However, there is limited knowledge about how both emissions respond differently to soil freezing and their relationships to soil properties. We evaluated the effect of intensity and duration of freezing on the emissions of CO_2 and N_2 O, net N mineralization, microbial biomass, and extractable C and N pools in soils from a mature broadleaf and Korean pine mixed forest and an adjacent secondary white birch forest in northeastern China. These soils had different contents of microbial biomass and bulk density. Intact soil cores of 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm depth sampled from the two temperate forest floors were subjected to -8, -18, and -80°C freezing treatments for a short(10 d) and long(145 d) duration, and then respectively incubated at 10°C for 21 d. Soil cores, incubated at 10°C for 21 d without a pretreatment of freezing, served as control. Emissions of N_2 O and CO_2 after thaw varied with forest type, soil depth, and freezing treatment. The difference could be induced by the soil water-filled pore space(WFPS) during incubation and availability of substrates for N_2 O and CO_2 production, which are released by freezing. A maximum N_2 O emission following thawing of frozen soils was observed at approximately 80% WFPS, whereas CO_2 emission from soils after thaw significantly increased with increasing WFPS. The soil dissolved organic C just after freezing treatment and CO_2 emission increased with increase of freezing duration, which paralleled with a decrease in soil microbial biomass C. The cumulative net N mineralization and net ammonification after freezing treatment as well as N_2 O emission were significantly affected by freezing temperature. The N_2 O emission was negatively correlated to soil p H and bulk density, but positively correlated to soil K_2SO_4-extractable NO_3~--N content and net ammonification. The CO_2 emission was positively correlated to the cumulative net N mineralization and net ammonification. From the above results, it can be reasonably concluded that for a wide range of freezing temperature and freezing duration, N_2 O and CO_2 emissions after thaw were associated mainly with the changes in soil net N mineralization and the availability of substrate liberated by freezing as well as other soil properties that influence porosity.     

Nitrogen isotopes in lunar highlands breccias

Some breccias from the lunar highlands have probably trapped solar wind gases at a very early epoch in the history of the moon, as implied by their high contents of parentless fissiogenic xenon and sometimes, of parentless radiogenic¹²⁹Xe. Four samples of this type, on which noble gas data already exist, have been selected for analysis of nitrogen contents and isotopic composition, by using step-wise heating techniques: 14047, 14055, 14307, 60255. Since uncertainties in the evolution of the solar wind¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio with time are due in part to uncertainties in the measurement of the epoch of exposure, those samples provided the opportunity to measure the isotopic composition of nitrogen which has been trapped in the remote past, avoiding the problems inherent in the use of spallogenic nuclides. Results show that, in the samples studied from the Apollo 14 landing site, nitrogen is not particularly light, and has not been acquired, as a whole, in very ancient times. The conflicting presence of both parentless xenon and nitrogen of relatively “recent” isotopic signature can be explained if the hypothetical light nitrogen is diluted by more abundant, heavier nitrogen. Accordingly, the very ancient soil components which are implied in these objects by the presence of excess fission xenon have been re-exposed at a much later epoch, or mixed with some younger soil components, before the compaction event. The present data do not question the hypothesis of a secular isotopic variation of lunar trapped nitrogen, but cannot prove that very light nitrogen was trapped together with parentless fission xenon in the soil components of the highlands soil breccias. The very unusual release pattern of nitrogen in breccia 60255 can result from nitrogen isotopic homogenization with gas loss.     

Variation in the photochemical lability of dissolved organic matter in a large boreal watershed

Boreal watersheds contain a vast quantity of terrestrially derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) originating from wetland and forest soils, yet variation in the potential for photochemical transformation of boreal aquatic DOM sources remains poorly understood. Laboratory solar radiation exposure experiments were conducted on DOM samples collected in three seasons, across nine sites, representing contrasting catchment composition and watershed position to assess variation in the photochemical lability of boreal DOM source and stable carbon isotopic signature (δ¹³C) of photomineralized DOM. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss rates during laboratory exposure were lowest in summer, suggesting that DOM may have been more photo-degraded during summer. DOM from upstream portions of forested stream sites and wetland-influenced sites was more photolabile relative to downstream portions and the river DOM, suggesting potential losses in photolabile DOM downstream and in the lower reaches of the watershed. Increased a₂₅₄:a₃₅₀ and spectral slope following sample exposure suggest photoproduction of low molecular weight (LMW) CDOM and/or a higher photoreactivity of high molecular weight versus LMW compounds. Photomineralization of nitrogen was regulated by organic nitrogen concentration and resulted in NH₄ ⁺-photoproduction rates between 0.01 and 0.3?μM N?h^?1 and ecologically significant increases in NH₄ ⁺ for these waters. The δ¹³C of the photomineralized DOM was positively correlated to initial DOC concentration and generally lower when initial DOC concentrations were lower, suggesting variation in photomineralized DOM δ¹³C may be a result of kinetic isotope fractionation. Results from this study demonstrate significant variation in the photochemical lability of boreal watershed sources of DOM. Such variation suggests landscape and environmental change has the potential to alter the biogeochemical role photochemical transformations play in downstream portions of boreal watersheds.     

Extraction of soluble collagen and its feasibility in the palaeodietary research

In current palaeodietary research, gelatinization is the main method to extract insoluble collagen(ISC) from ancient bones. However, the degradation products of ISC, i.e., soluble collagen(SC), is often neglected and abandoned. In this work, we try to separate the extracts of ancient bones using gel chromatography and compare the contents of carbon and nitrogen, atomic C/N ratio, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of the extracts from three peaks to determine which peak can be attributed to SC. At last, the potential application of SC in palaeodietary research is discussed based on the comparison of stable isotopic values between ISC and SC. Among the three peaks, the second with the retention time between 17.5 min and 27.5 min had the most broad peak shape, indicating that the molecular weights of proteins collected were most variable. Besides, the contents of carbon and nitrogen and atomic C/N ratio of extracts in this peak were closest to the corresponding ISC. Based on the above, we conclude that the extract in second peak is SC. More important, the δ 13C and δ 15N values of ISC and SC are very similar. For ISC and SC with atomic C/N ratios within the normal range(2.9–3.6), the mean difference of δ 13C value was only(0.3±0.2)‰(n=2) while δ 15N value was(0.6±0.1)‰(n=2). Although the atomic C/N ratios of some SC are slightly beyond the normal range, the mean differences of δ 13C and δ 15N values were still only(0.4±0.1)‰ and(0.3±0)‰(n=2) respectively. These isotopic differences are quite below the isotope fractionation in one trophic level(δ 13C values of 1‰–1.5‰ and δ 15N values of 3‰–5‰), suggesting that SC had great application potentials in palaeodietary research.     

Distribution and sources of sedimentary organic matter in a tropical estuary,south west coast of India (Cochin estuary): A baseline study

Surface sediments samples were collected from 9 stations of the Cochin estuary during the monsoon, post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons and were analyzed for grain size, total organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotopic ratios of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) to identify major sources of organic matter in surface sediments. Sediment grain size is found to be the key factor influencing the organic matter accumulation in surface sediments. The δ¹³C values ranges from ?27.5‰ to ?21.7‰ in surface sediments with a gradual increase from inner part of the estuary to the seaward side that suggest an increasing contribution of marine autogenous organic matter towards the seaward side. The δ¹⁵N value varies between 3.1‰ and 6.7‰ and it exhibits complex spatial and seasonal distributions in the study area. It is found that the dynamic cycling of nitrogen through various biogeochemical and organic matter degradation processes modifies the OC/TN ratios and δ¹⁵N to a considerable degree. The fraction of terrestrial organic matter in the total organic matter pool ranges from 13% to 74% in the surface sediments as estimated by δ¹³C based two end member mixing model.     

The case for a martian origin of the shergottites: nitrogen and noble gases in EETA 79001

Nitrogen and noble gases were measured in samples of a glass inclusion and the surrounding basaltic matrix from the antarctic shergottite EETA 79001. A nitrogen component trapped in the glass, but not present in the matrix, has a δ¹⁵N value at least as high as +190‰. Ratios of⁴⁰Ar/¹⁴N and¹⁵N/¹⁴N in the glass are consistent with dilution of a martian atmospheric component (δ¹⁵N = 620 ± 160‰,⁴⁰Ar/¹⁴N= 0.33 ± 0.03) by either terrestrial atmosphere adsorbed on the samples or by indigenous nitrogen from the minerals of the rock. Trapped noble gases in the glass reproduce, within error, the elemental and isotopic compositions measured in Mars' atmosphere by Viking, and are in general agreement with previous measurements except for much lower abundances of neutron-generated krypton and xenon isotopes. The most reasonable explanation at the present time for the noble gas pattern and the isotopically heavy nitrogen is that a sample of martian atmosphere has been trapped in the EETA 79001 glass, and that this meteorite, and thus the shergottites and probably the nakhlites and chassignites as well, originated on Mars.Nitrogen in the non-glassy matrix of EETA 79001 amounts to less than 0.5 ppm and has a spallation-corrected δ¹⁵N value in the range 0 to ?20‰; it may reflect indigenous nitrogen in the basalt or a mixture of indigenous and adsorbed terrestrial nitrogen. Spallogenic noble gases yield single-stage exposure ages between 400,000 and 900,000 years, depending on irradiation geometry. Trapped argon may have an unusually low³⁶Ar/³⁸Ar ratio. Trapped krypton, except for a small excess at⁸⁰Kr, is smoothly mass-fractionated with respect to either terrestrial or chondritic Kr. The trapped xenon composition is consistent with addition of neutron-capture, radiogenic and fissiogenic isotopes to a base composition resembling terrestrial atmospheric Xe. The elemental⁸⁴Kr/¹³²Xe ratio of 25 is close to the terrestrial value and very different from the chondritic ratio.     

Noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances in deep-sea trenches in the western Pacific

Noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances were measured in seven deep-sea water samples from five different sampling sites in the Nankai Trough, the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench. The samples were obtained by the manned submersible “Nautile”. Most of the sampling sites are associated with clam colonies and/or fluid venting. Excesses both in³He/⁴He ratio and He concentration are observed in a seawater sample collected a few kilometers off the clam colonies which were found at a depth of 3830 m at the mouth of the Tenryu Canyon. Concentrations of noble gases (Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) in this sample show progressive depletion from Ne to Xe relative to those in 1°C air-saturated seawater, which can be attributed to mixing of hot water ( 15°C) with cold ambient water ( 1°C). Isotopic compositions of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe in this sample are atmospheric. These observations may reflect venting of hot pore water around the Tenryu Canyon. All the other samples show a significant excess in concentration of all noble gases relative to 1°C air-saturated seawater and the isotopic compositions are atmospheric. This excess of noble gas concentrations may appear to be air contamination in the samples. However, results of hydrocarbon analyses of the Kaiko samples imply that such large amount of air contamination is improbable. Decomposition of gas hydrate in deep-sea sediments is a more likely explanation for the observed excess of noble gas concentration.