Carbon and nitrogen cycling in the Zhubi coral reef lagoon of the South China Sea as revealed by Po and Pb

The radionuclides ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were examined to trace the cycling of particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) in the Zhubi coral reef lagoon. The net export flux of POC to the open sea is 14 mgC m⁻² d⁻¹. However, the net exchange of PON has not yet been observed. On average, the vertical export fluxes in the lagoon of POC and PON, as derived from ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb disequilibria, are 43 mgC m⁻² d⁻¹ and 13.8 mgN m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. The deficit of ²¹⁰Po relative to ²¹⁰Pb in particulate matter provides evidence for the degradation of particulate organic matter. According to the mass balance budgets, 310 mgC m⁻² d⁻¹ and 121 mgN m⁻² d⁻¹ were recycled into dissolved fractions. Based on a first-order kinetics model, the degradation rate constants of POC and PON are 0.28 and 0.30 m⁻¹, respectively. Thus, ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb can quantify the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in this coral lagoon.     

Disequilibria between ~(210)Po and ~(210)Pb in surface waters of the southern South China Sea and their implications

Naturally occurring 210Po (half-life 138.4d) is the granddaughter of 210Pb (half-life 22.3a), both are members of 238U decay series and have been inten-sively utilized to study kinetic aspects of material cy-cling in the ocean[1]. Based on radioactive disequilibria in the 226Ra-210Pb-210Po system, oceanographical processes with different timescales have been widely studied. Rama et al.[2] first detected excess 210Pb rela-tive to its precursor 226Ra in surface waters, and considered this exc…     

Disequilibria between 210Po and 210Pb in surface waters of the southern South China Sea and their implications

Activities of the naturally occurring radionuclides, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po, were measured in both dissolved (<0.45 μm) and particulate (>0.45 μm) phases from surface waters of the southern South China Sea. The average activity of particulate ²¹⁰Pb, 0.23 Bq/m³ (n=23), accounted for about 12% of the total ²¹⁰Pb, which corresponds with values of open oceans. Particulate ²¹⁰Po, with an average activity of 0.43 Bq/m³, accounted for about 40% of the total ²¹⁰Po, which was much higher than those of open and eutrophic oceans. The residence times of total ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in surface waters estimated from an irreversible steady-state model were 0.82 a and 1.16 a, respectively. The consistently high fractionation factor calculated either by scavenging rate constants (5.42) or K_d values (6.69) suggested that a significant fractionation occurred between ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb during their removal from solution to particles and that the two radionuclides had different biogeochemical cycling pathways in the oligotrophic South China Sea. Furthermore, our results indicated that there exist different fractionation mechanisms between ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in different marine environments: in eutrophic ocean, plankton detritus and fecal pellets are the main carrier of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb, by which ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb have been scavenged and removed; while in oligotrophic ocean, microbes could become the main carrier of ²¹⁰Po and fractionate ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb significantly as a result of scarce plankton detritus and fecal pellets. These results suggest the use of ²¹⁰Po to trace marine biogeochemical processes relating to microbial activities and the cycling of sulfur group elements (S, Se, Te and Po).     

New production in the South China Sea

Measurement of²²⁸Ra activities in the upper 300 m water column was conducted at two stations in the South China Sea using an MnO₂-fiber extraction/β-counting technique of²²⁸Ac. Results showed that²²⁸Ra activities ranged from 0.38 to 3.60 Bq · m^-3. The vertical profiles of²²⁸Ra at the time-series station favored a steady state assumption. Based on a one-dimensional steady state model,²²⁸Ra-nitrate coupled approach was applied to stations NS97-43, NS99-53 (T₁), NS99-53 (T₂). New production thus quantified were 4.4, 5.1 and 5.7 mmolC · m^-2 · d^-1, respectively,f ratios in the South China Sea were estimated from the derived new production and the documented primary productivity in the regime, to be 0.12–0.15.     

137Cs and 210Po in Pacific walrus and bearded seal from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

The activity concentration of Cesium-137 ((137)Cs) and naturally-occurring Polonium-210 ((210)Po) were measured in the muscle tissue, kidney and liver of Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) collected by native hunters from the Bering Sea during May 1996. The mean (137)Cs concentrations in muscle, liver and kidney of Pacific walrus were 0.07, 0.09 and 0.07 Bq kg(-1) (n=5, wet weight), respectively, and 0.17, 0.10, and 0.17 Bq kg(-1) (n=2, wet weight), respectively, in bearded seal. In general, (137)Cs tissue concentrations are significantly lower than those previously reported for mammals from other regions. By comparison, (210)Po activity concentrations are more variable and appear to be higher level compared with mammal data from other regions. The mean (210)Po concentration in the muscle tissue, liver and kidney of Pacific walrus (n=5, wet weight) were 28.7, 189, and 174 Bq kg(-1), respectively. This compares with (210)Po concentration values (n=2, wet weight) of 27, 207 and 68 Bq kg(-1) measured in the muscle tissue, liver and kidney, of bearded seal, respectively. Estimated concentration factors--as defined by the radionuclide concentration ratio between the target tissue to that in sea water--were two to three orders of magnitude higher for (210)Po that those of (137)Cs. We conclude from radiological dose estimates that ingestion of (137)Cs in foods derived from walrus and seal will pose no threat to human health. This work has important implications for assessment of risks of Alaskan coastal communities concerned about the dumping of nuclear waste in the Russia Arctic.     

Occurrence of brackish water phytoplankton species at a closed coral reef in Nansha Islands, South China Sea

The phytoplankton assemblage of Zhubi Reef, a closed coral reef in Nansha Islands (South China Sea, SCS) was studied in June 2007. A total of 92 species belonging to 53 genera and four phyla have been identified. The dominant taxa in the lagoon were the diatom Chaetoceros and cyanobacteria Nostoc and Microcystis, while in reef flats were cyanobacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum, dinoflagellates Gymnodinium and Prorocentrum. The species richness and diversity were consistently lower in the lagoon than in reef flats. Classification and nMDS ordination also revealed significant dissimilarity in phytoplankton community structure between the reef flat and lagoon, with statistical difference in species composition and abundance between them (ANOSIM, p = 0.025). Nutrient concentrations also spatially varied, with ammonium-enrichment in the lagoon, while high Si-concentration existed in reef flat areas. Both nutrient levels and currents in SCS may play important roles in determining the composition and distribution of microalgae in Zhubi Reef and SCS.     

Concentration and distribution of 210Po in the tissues of the scallop Chlamys varia and the mussel Mytilus edulis from the coasts of Charente-Maritime (France)

Polonium-210 (210Po) has been analysed in the soft parts of two bivalves species, the scallop Chlamys varia and the common mussel Mytilus edulis, from the Bay of La Rochelle and Ré Island, on the French Atlantic coast. Between those sites, the highest 210Po concentrations have been found in whole scallop soft parts from La Rochelle, reaching 1,181 +/- 29 Bq kg(-1) dry weight (dwt), a size effect being related to the highest 210Po concentration in the smallest scallops. The results show a significant difference in concentrations for similar size individuals between species in each site (C. varia > M. edulis) and between sites for each species (Ré Island > Bay of La Rochelle). Very high 210Po concentrations have been found in the digestive gland of C varia, ranging 3,150-4,637 Bq kg(-1) dwt. Thus, the digestive gland contains up to 60% of the radionuclide. Subcellular investigations have shown that approximately 40% of the 210Po contained in the digestive gland is in the cytosolic fraction, suggesting a high bioavailability of the 210Po from this fraction to the trophic upper level. Calculations will show that approximately 4 kg of scallops flesh intake would be necessary to reach the annual incorporation limit of 1 mSv.     

南海岛礁场地地震稳定性研究中的关键问题探讨

目前我国针对陆域地区的建筑物和构筑物已建立了比较完备的抗震设计理论和技术体系,但对于海洋工程的抗震研究工作开展得不充分,尤其是海洋岛礁场地的地震反应分析尚属空白。伴随着近年来我国南海地区的迅速开发建设,有必要对南海岛礁的地震危险性分析和抗震设计展开研究。介绍南海岛礁场地的特殊工程地质条件和地震活动性特征,通过比较目前国内外常用的场地地震反应分析方法,针对岛礁这一特殊工程地质体,提出岛礁场地地震反应分析中需要考虑的四个显著因素,包括(1)南海岛礁体的特殊地形;(2)南海岛礁特殊的岩土工程材料;(3)海水-岛礁体动力相互作用;(4)南海地区海底输入地震动的确定,并探讨解决这些问题的思路。为分析地震作用下岛礁场地的稳定性、场地反应分析提供研究思路,同时为南海岛礁建设中的地震危险性分析提供参考。     

Mercury contamination history of an estuarine floodplain reconstructed from a Pb-dated sediment core (Berg River, South Africa)

Mercury deposition histories have been scarcely documented in the southern hemisphere. A sediment core was collected from the ecologically important estuarine floodplain of the Berg River (South Africa). We establish the concentration of Hg in this ²¹⁰Pb-dated sediment core at <50 ng g⁻¹ Hg_T throughout the core, but with 1.3 ng g⁻¹ methylmercury in surface sediments. The ²¹⁰Pb dating of the core provides a first record of mercury deposition to the site and reveals the onset of enhanced mercury deposition in 1970. The ratio of methylmercury to total mercury is relatively high in these sediments when compared to other wetlands.     

Source and distribution of lead in the surface sediments from the South China Sea as derived from Pb isotopes

Rapid economic development in East Asian countries has inevitably resulted in environmental degradation in the surrounding seas, and concern for the environment and its protection against pollutants is increasing. Identification of sources of contaminants and evaluation of current environmental status are essential to environmental pollution management, but relatively little has been done in the South China Sea (SCS). In order to investigate the abundance, distribution, and sources of Pb within the SCS, stable Pb isotopes and their ratios were employed to assess the contamination status and to differentiate between natural and anthropogenic origins of Pb in the surface sediments. The total Pb concentrations in sediments varied from 4.18 to 58.7 mg kg⁻¹, with an average concentration of 23.6 ± 8.9 mg kg⁻¹. The observed Pb isotope ratios varied from 18.039 to 19.211 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 15.228 to 16.080 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 37.786 to 39.951 for ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 1.176 to 1.235 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb, and 2.468 to 2.521 for ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁷Pb. The majority of these ratios are similar to those reported for natural detrital materials. Combined with Pb enrichment factor values, our results show that Pb found within most of the SCS sediments was mainly derived from natural sources, and that there was not significant Pb pollution from anthropogenic sources before 1998. Further studies are needed to reconstruct deposition history and for trend analysis.     

Carbon and nitrogen cycling in the Zhubi coral reef lagoon of the South China Sea as revealed by 210Po and 210Pb

The radionuclides (210)Po and (210)Pb were examined to trace the cycling of particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) in the Zhubi coral reef lagoon. The net export flux of POC to the open sea is 14 mg Cm(-2) d(-1). However, the net exchange of PON has not yet been observed. On average, the vertical export fluxes in the lagoon of POC and PON, as derived from (210)Po/(210)Pb disequilibria, are 43 mg Cm(-2) d(-1) and 13.8 mg Nm(-2) d(-1), respectively. The deficit of (210)Po relative to (210)Pb in particulate matter provides evidence for the degradation of particulate organic matter. According to the mass balance budgets, 310 mg Cm(-2) d(-1) and 121 mg Nm(-2) d(-1) were recycled into dissolved fractions. Based on a first-order kinetics model, the degradation rate constants of POC and PON are 0.28 and 0.30 m(-1), respectively. Thus, (210)Po and (210)Pb can quantify the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in this coral lagoon.     

Tectono-thermal modeling of the Yinggehai Basin,South China Sea

Based on the observed data, the average value of surface heat flow in the Yinggehai Basin is calculated and it turns out to be 84.1 mW/m². The thermal evolution of the basin since the Cenozoic era has been attempted by tectono-thermal modeling. Three-phase extension made the basin become hotter and hotter, reaching its climax in paleo-temperature history since 5.2 Ma. And nowadays, the basin is in the heat flow decreasing period. During the Cenozoic era, the basement heat flow remained at 50–70 mW/m² all the time. This is related to the degree of each extension phase, stretching rate mode and also the limited basin scale. Modeling results also show that, the surface heat flow is controlled mainly by the basement heat flow, and less than 20% comes from radiogenic heat production in the sediments of the basin     

Pleistocene radiolarian biostratigraphy in the South China Sea*

Based on a quantitative radiolarian analysis, 5 radiolarian zones (NR1-NR5) have been defined at Core. 17957-2 from the South China Sea, considering radiolarian zonations from low latitudes. The absolute age assignment of the radiolarian zones and the ranges of the six marker species is based on the direct correlation with the paleomagnetic and isotopic record, respectively. A comparison of the radiolarian stratigraphic data obtained from Core 17957-2 from the South China Sea with those from the equatorial Pacific and the tropical Indian Ocean shows a close similarity to the ages defined in the equatorial Pacific. The obtained biostratigraphic data provide an excellent tool for further dating of Pleistocene sediments in the China Sea. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49291100) and by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF) as part of a GermadChinese scientific cooperation program. This is Alfred Wegener Contribution No. 1473.     

菲律宾海板块与南海协同构造演化探讨

菲律宾海板块(Philippine Sea Plate,PSP)与南海(South China Sea,SCS)处于欧亚板块、太平洋板块和澳大利亚板块的交汇区域,其构造演化对东南亚、西太平洋乃至全球板块构造重建具有重要意义.虽然PSP和SCS的构造演化模型已经分别建立,但二者之间的协同演化关系还不明确.本文综述了PSP和SCS的古地磁数据、海底磁异常条带资料,并结合地震层析成像以及其他地质结果的约束,对二者的演化关系进行了探讨.PSP四国盆地与SCS在渐新世开始时,受控于统一的地球动力学系统,两者具有地质意义上的亲缘性.早中新世,澳大利亚板块与东南亚地块碰撞,致使PSP发生旋转,四国盆地开始与SCS发生分离,并逐渐向北运动和顺时针旋转,直至演化至现今位置.本文最后提出了这种协同构造演化模式有待解决的问题以及未来的研究展望.

     

A record of Miocene carbon excursions in the South China Sea

High-resolution δ¹³C records are presented for the Miocene benthic foraminifersCibicidoides wuellerstorfi andC. kullenbergi (24-5 Ma) and the planktonic foraminiferGlobigerinoides sacculifer (18-5 Ma) from ODP Site 1148A (18° 50.17’N, 116° 33.93’E, water depth 3308.3 m), northern South China Sea. The general pattern of parallel benthic and planktonic δ¹³C shows a decrease trend of δ¹³C values from the early-middle Miocene to the middle-late Miocene. Two distinct δ¹³C positive excursions at 23.1-22.2 and 17.3-13.6 Ma, and two negative excursions at 10.2-9.4 and 6.9-6.2 Ma have been recognized. All these events are cosmopolitan, providing the good data for the stratigraphic correlation of the South China Sea with the global oceans as well as for studying the changes of the global carbon reservoir and its corresponding climate.     

Deep water bottom current deposition in the northern South China Sea

There are some active bottom currents on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea (SCS). Reflection seismic profiles show that the bottom current channels occur in the water depth range of 1000 to 2700 m,extending from the NE to the SW,leading to accumulation of discontinuous drifts with higher sedimentation rates on the eastern side of the channel. The stacking pattern of the layers sug-gests that these drifts propagated southwestward,following the direction of the bottom currents. One sedimentary drift to the southeast of the Dongsha Islands has the highest sedimentation rate of 97cm/ka in the last 12 ka. The sedimentary characteristics of the sediment layers indicate that these bottom currents are most likley caused by the water movement of a branch of the West Pacific Ocean Current,which enters the northern SCS via the Bashi Strait. Once formed,the bottom currents trans-port sediments along the northern slope of SCS southwestward and finally disappear into the central basin of the SCS. Due to the bottom current activity,the deep-sea sedimentary process in the northern SCS is complex.     

Assessment of health safety from ingestion of natural radionuclides in seafoods from a tropical coast, India

The activities of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were determined in commonly consumed seafoods to evaluate the internal exposure and risk to humans residing Kudankulam coast where a mega nuclear power plant is under construction. The concentration of ²¹⁰Po in seafoods ranged from 1.2 ± 0.7 to 248 ± 8.1 Bq kg⁻¹. Meanwhile, ²¹⁰Pb ranged between 1.1 ± 0.05 and 14.8 ± 1.6 Bq kg⁻¹. The committed effective dose (CED) due to ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb varied from 11.04 to 515.6 and 3.93 to 23.5 μSv yr⁻¹, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk for the public due to ²¹⁰Po was in the range of 3.47 × 10⁻⁵-1.62 × 10⁻³ and it was 4.03 × 10⁻⁵-1.96 × 10⁻⁴ due to ²¹⁰Pb. The activity intake, effective dose and cancer risk was found lesser than international guidelines and the seafood intake was considered to be safe for human consumption.     

南海磁性基底分布特征的地球物理研究

利用南海最新的磁力资料,在岩石物性分析基础上,选择南海一条典型剖面拟合反演其密度与磁性结构并以拟合结果作为约束,反演全海域磁性基底的宏观分布.对南海磁力数据进行了低纬度化极处理,利用Halo小波基对化极磁异常进行了多尺度分析并依据磁力异常特征进行了磁场分区.根据剖面与全海域磁性基底反演结果认为：南海北部陆缘更倾向于非火山型的构造属性.磁性基底对浅部沉积作用的控制关系在莺歌海一带表现得非常明显.中—西沙和南沙块体的磁性基底特征十分相似,推测在海盆拉张之前,二者为同一块体.     

Levels of endocrine disrupting compounds in South China Sea

The occurrence of estrogens in the aquatic environment has become a major concern worldwide because of their strong endocrine disrupting potency. In this study, concentrations of four estrogenic compounds, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), estriol (E3) were determined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses in surface water from South China Sea, and distributions and potential risks of their estrogenic activity were assessed. The estrogenic compounds E1, E2 and E3 were detected in most of the samples, with their concentrations up to 11.16, 3.71 and 21.63 ng L⁻¹. However, EE2 was only detected in 3 samples. Causality analysis, EEQ values from chemical analysis identified E2 as the main responsible compounds. Based on the EEQ values in the surface water, high estrogenic risks were in the coastal water, and low estrogenic risks in the open sea.     

关于南海北部滨海断裂带的研究

南海北部的滨海断裂带是位于南澳岛之东粤东南滨海地区的一条北东东走向的构造带。由于其所处的构造位置而一直被地球科学工作者所关注,并从不同角度作了不少研究。在广泛收集有关断裂带的资料和研究成果的基础上,对前人关于断裂带存在的依据、断裂带发育的时代、断裂带的构造属性和第四纪活动情况的认识作了简要归纳,并就断裂带的分布、构造属性等作了初步分析。