Global geoenvironmental problems: Black Sea basin

The issue of the geoenvironmental state of Black Sea basin, the final basin receiving the runoff of many large rivers of the European continent (Danube, Dnieper, Don, etc.) and considerable runoff from the nearby watersheds, including Turkish, is considered. The extent and geoenvironmental consequences of the large-scale changes in the hydrology, water balance, and hydrochemistry of the sea basin under the effect hydrotechnical interception and industrial pollution of river runoff are discussed. The genetic role of Black Sea rifting in one of the world’s largest oil-and-gas-bearing basins with its inherent thermal and geochemical processes, geoenvironmental conditions, and risks is emphasized. Improved information is given about the genesis of hydrogen sulfide dissolved in seawater and related to the processes of geochemical sulfate reduction of silt water sulfates under the effect of hydrocarbon gases, which mostly form in zones of deep catagenesis of sedimentary formations and lower crust rock metamorphism. It is emphasized that the ecological stability of a sea basin showing such complex and contradictory relationships with natural and technogenic objects and processes can be ensured only by joint and well coordinated efforts of the countries of the Black Sea and nearby regions aimed on rational nature and water management, including when laying pipelines on Black Sea bed and developing the power resources of the Black Sea oil-and-gas-bearing basin.     

Wavenumber of the guided wave supported by a thin resistive layer in marine controlled‐source electromagnetics

This paper discusses the asymptotic behaviour of the electromagnetic fields received on the sea‐bed (target response), as well as the fields distributed inside a thin resistive target, generated by a horizontal electric dipole above the sea‐bed in marine controlled‐source electromagnetics for hydrocarbon exploration. It is found that the guided wave supported by a thin resistive target can be expressed as a single‐mode exponential function. A simple closed‐form expression is derived to relate the single‐mode wavenumber of the guided wave to the model parameters: the resistivity and thickness of the target layer, the sea‐bed resistivity and the frequency. When the air‐wave is removed, the guided wave is dominant among the fields received on the sea‐bed at far offset. Hence the wavenumber of the guided wave can be calculated from the fields measured on the sea‐bed. The closed‐form expression can then be used to invert the target property from the calculated wavenumber and hence, can be considered as a hydrocarbon indicator.     

Mapping the geochemistry of the northern Rub' Al Khali using multispectral remote sensing techniques

Spatial variations in sand sea geochemistry relate to mixing of different sediment sources and to variations in weathering. Due to problems of accessibility, adequate spatial coverage cannot be achieved using field surveys alone. However, maps of geochemical composition produced from remotely sensed data can be calibrated against limited field data and the results extrapolated over large, inaccessible areas. This technique is applied to part of the Rub' Al Khali in the northern United Arab Emirates. Trend surface analysis of the results suggests that the sand sea at this location can be modelled as an east–west mixing zone of two spectral components: terrestrial reddened quartz sands and marine carbonate sands. Optical dating of these sediments suggests that dune emplacement occurred rapidly around 10 ka BP , when sea level was rising rapidly. The spatial distribution of mineralogical components suggests that this phase of dune emplacement resulted from coastal dune sands being driven inland during marine transgression, thereby becoming mixed with rubified terrestrial sands. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediments and pollution in the Northern Adriatic Sea: a statistical analysis

Data concerning grain-size distribution, mineralogy, geochemistry, and chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations, obtained from 246 surface sediment samples collected in the Northern Adriatic sea (Italian area), provide the basis for a multivariate statistical analysis which evaluates the influence of riverine inputs, the differences among various depositional environments and the presence of polluted zones.Cluster analysis applied to grain size has identified nine groups of lithotypes associated with the morphology and the hydrology of the basin.In the Gulf of Venice, principal component analysis on clay minerals and carbonates has permitted recognition of two main areas located north and south of the Brenta river. More subareas correspond to other lithological types.Principal component analysis of nine metal (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Fe, Ni, and Co) concentrations reveals that the studied sea area is more complex from the geochemical point of view. Three geochemical zones related to riverine inputs, different lithotypes and specific forms of contamination are identified. High pollution of both halocarbons and heavy metals is associated with fine grain size.     

北黄海盆地烃渗漏蚀变带“磁亮点”的识别研究

北黄海盆地是我国近海海域尚未取得油气勘探突破的盆地之一.在海洋环境中应用海底油气藏的烃渗漏现象寻找油气有利区具有良好应用前景,为了给该区的含油气远景评价及下一步油气勘探缩小靶区提供地球物理依据,本文利用磁法这一经济、有效的油气渗漏异常地球物理判别手段,开展了识别海底烃渗漏引发磁异常的方法研究.给出一种根据“有导师”的模式识别技术,在充分利用磁异常多种数值特征及纹理特征的基础上,提取烃渗漏蚀变带磁异常的方法.通过已知约束信息（如见油井位等）的点、线、面三种基元及其邻近数据网格点组成基类,将其提取的模式或特征向量作为待识别异常匹配或学习的模板,利用加权欧氏距离函数计算待识别异常特征向量与模板向量之间的相似性,进行模式匹配,从而识别出与模板相似程度较高的异常.应用此方法圈定了北黄海盆地的烃渗漏“磁亮点”分布,从“磁亮点”异常区与中生代地层的分布以及地球化学异常（低层大气烃类检测和海底微生物异常）的对应情况来看,表明该识别方法是识别烃渗漏弱磁异常的一种有效手段.对研究区构造特征、磁异常及地球化学异常特征的综合分析表明,位于北黄海研究区东部和北部的“磁亮点”异常区可能是北黄海盆地较好的含油气远景区.     

Spectrometric gamma radiation of shale cores applied to sweet spot discrimination in Eastern Pomerania,Poland

This paper describes the application and calculation of hydrocarbon anomalies in two different boreholes located in Eastern Pomerania (northern Poland). Spectrometric data from borehole geophysical probe (borehole 1) and portable gamma logger (borehole 2) were used to analyze shale formations. The results from borehole 1 presented a statistically significant, moderate correlation between calculated hydrocarbon anomalies and hydrocarbon saturation data obtained from well log interpretation. Borehole 2 has been analyzed focusing on the gamma radiation of the core samples, and the positive results of borehole 1. Hydrocarbon anomalies calculated from spectral gamma radiation are reliable indicators of sweet spots, based solely on a cursory evaluation of core measurements. These preliminary information acquired from gamma-ray measurements could help increase sampling precision of further geochemical analysis.     

Phosphate removal from sea water by adsorption on volcanogenic ferric oxides

Chemical data presented in this paper indicate a good correlation between P₂O₅ and Fe₂O₃ in some iron-rich volcanogenic sediments from the East Pacific Rise. In addition, adsorption experiments and chemical analyses of deuterically altered and unaltered samples of submarine basalts strongly suggest that this association is due to the reaction of phosphate in sea water with poorly crystallized hydrous ferric oxides. East Pacific Rise sediments adsorb far greater amounts of phosphate from sea water than either carbonate or non-carbonate sediments from other areas of the ocean. From geochemical flux calculations it is concluded that an appreciable proportion of dissolved phosphate delivered to the oceans by rivers is removed by ridge crest volcanogenic iron oxides either as absorbed surface coatings or as discrete, but highly disordered, ferric phosphate phases. This process should be taken into consideration when considering oceanic phosphate budgets, both in the present and past oceans.     

Insight into the marine controlled‐source electromagnetic signal propagation

In marine controlled‐source electromagnetic (CSEM) surveys the subsurface is explored by emitting low‐frequency signals from an electric dipole source close to the sea‐bed. The main goal is often to detect and describe possible thin resistive layers beneath the sea‐bed. To gain insight into how CSEM signals propagate, it is informative to study a stratified model. The electromagnetic field is then given in terms of integrals over TE‐ and TM‐polarized plane‐wave constituents. An asymptotic evaluation of the field integrals for large propagation distances results in explicit spatial expressions for the field components and the derived expressions can be used to analyse how the CSEM signals propagate. There are two major signal pathways in a standard CSEM model. One of these pathways is via the thin resistive layer and the resulting response is accounted for by a pole in the reflection response for the TM mode. The signal is propagating nearly vertically down to the resistor from the source, then guided while attenuated along the reservoir, before propagating nearly vertically up to the receiver. The response is slightly altered by the sea‐bed interface and further modified in shallow water due to multiple reflections between the sea‐surface and sea‐bed at both the source and receiver sides. The other major signal pathway is via the resistive air half‐space, the so‐called airwave. The airwave is generated by the TE mode and interacts with the subsurface via vertically propagating signals reflected between the sea‐surface and subsurface at both the source and receiver sides.     

Mathematical modeling of oil hydrocarbon transformations in different parts of the White Sea

The available observational data on variations of oil hydrocarbon concentrations in White Sea tributaries and in individual parts of the sea are analyzed, and the contributions of different external sources to marine environment pollution are evaluated. The results of calculations are used to determine the possible total input of hydrocarbons from additional potential sources—internal natural (production by microorganisms) and external anthropogenic (navigation and sea shipping), which are most active in the summer and autumn. The hydroecological CNPSi-model is used to reproduce the processes of pollution of nine areas in the White Sea by oil hydrocarbons and their subsequent biodegradation in the marine environment. The annual dynamics of hydrocarbon concentrations was calculated using the long-term annual observations of monthly variations of the temperature, light intensity, and transparency of water, data on the morphometry of sea areas (the squares, mean depths, and water volumes) and water exchange between the chosen areas, calculated by a hydrodynamic model. For large bays (Dvina, Kandalaksha), the calculated concentrations of oil hydrocarbons are shown to be in agreement with the available estimates (the mean and maximal concentrations). The annual variations of oil hydrocarbon concentrations; the biomasses, oxidation activity and bioproduction characteristics of oil hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria are characterized. The calculated internal fluxes of oil hydrocarbons (the inputs from different sources, horizontal transport, and biotransformation) were used to calculate their annual balances for individual areas and the sea as a whole, showing the balanced character of their fluxes with the total balance discrepancies for individual areas varying within 0.3–4.1%.     

Modelling the hydrodynamics of offshore sandbanks

This paper describes the details of a quasi-three-dimensional model (3DBANK), which has been developed to investigate medium and long-term morphological evolution and development of offshore sandbanks. The model is based on a three-dimensional tidal module using the Galerkin-eigenfunction method, but also includes four sub-modules to compute: the instantaneous bedform characteristics from which the temporal and spatial variations of the shear stresses at the sea bed can be derived; the suspended sediment concentration through the water column; the bed-load and suspended sediment fluxes at a point-in-plan; and the resulting morphological changes, respectively. The model also includes the effects of the wind and waves at the sea surface, as well as the wave–current interaction (WCI), and operates with full hydrodynamic and morphodynamic interaction. The components of the model were tested against laboratory and field data, and the complete model was then applied to Middlekerke Bank off the Flemish coast where extensive field measurements were taken during the European Community (EC) funded Circulation and Sediment Transport Around Banks (CSTAB) Project using various advanced instrumentation including STABLE and HF OSCR. Comparisons of the model results with the field measurements and observations show that the model is capable of reproducing the current and wave-induced bedforms, bed roughness, tidal currents and tidal residuals around the sandbank satisfactorily, and can be used to study the long-term sandbank evolution under various offshore conditions. This paper, however, focuses on the hydrodynamic aspects of the model, while the details of the morphological components will be given in a companion paper.     

塔里木盆地北部中、新生代钻孔岩芯古地磁研究──喜山期岩石重磁化与油气移聚

对来自塔里木盆地北部５口钻井的部分中、新生代沉积岩岩芯样品进行了古地磁研究，通过对重磁化组分和特征剩磁组分与露头样品的比较，确定了井下样品的喜山期严重重磁化；并通过烃类分析和对磁性分选颗粒的扫描电镜观察，发现了与碳氢化合物有关的球形磁铁矿颗粒和具有黄铁矿格架颗粒的球形磁铁矿聚集体，从而认为重磁化与油气移聚相关，据此确认了喜山期的油气移聚．     

Chromatographic separation of diasteriomeric isoprenoids for the identification of fossil oil contamination

In aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions of crude oils eight acyclic isoprenoid alkanes were separated from accompanying n-alkanes and iso-alkanes by high-performance glasscapillary gas chromatography. Four of these: 2,6,10-trimethyltetradecane (V), norpristane (IV), pristane (III), and phytane (II) could be resolved further to reveal a doublet produced by the different diastereoisomers.In these doublets the front peak represents stereoisomers formed during maturation of crude oil while the rear peak indicates the respective hydrocarbons carrying the original biogenic precursor configuration. This appearance of doublets demonstrates the loss of stereospecificity in hydrocarbons derived from phytol (I). By using the front peaks as diagenetic ‘maturity markers’ attributable to fossil fuels, hydrocarbon mixtures extracted from sea water samples contaminated with fossil oil could be investigated in detail. The quantitative relationship between recent biogenic and fossil fuel hydrocarbons could be determined in extracts in the lower boiling point range.     

塔里木盆地北部中、新生代钻孔岩芯古地磁研究──喜山期岩石重磁化与油气移聚

对来自塔里木盆地北部５口钻井的部分中、新生代沉积岩岩芯样品进行了古地磁研究，通过对重磁化组分和特征剩磁组分与露头样品的比较，确定了井下样品的喜山期严重重磁化；并通过烃类分析和对磁性分选颗粒的扫描电镜观察，发现了与碳氢化合物有关的球形磁铁矿颗粒和具有黄铁矿格架颗粒的球形磁铁矿聚集体，从而认为重磁化与油气移聚相关，据此确认了喜山期的油气移聚．     

Elastic interferometry for ocean bottom cable data: Theory and examples‡

Elastic imaging from ocean bottom cable (OBC) data can be challenging because it requires the prior estimation of both compressional‐wave (P‐wave) and shear‐wave (S‐wave) velocity fields. Seismic interferometry is an attractive technique for processing OBC data because it performs model‐independent redatuming; retrieving ‘pseudo‐sources’ at positions of the receivers. The purpose of this study is to investigate multicomponent applications of interferometry for processing OBC data. This translates into using interferometry to retrieve pseudo‐source data on the sea‐bed not only for multiple suppression but for obtaining P‐, converted P to S‐wave (PS‐wave) and possibly pure mode S‐waves. We discuss scattering‐based, elastic interferometry with synthetic and field OBC datasets. Conventional and scattering‐based interferometry integrands computed from a synthetic are compared to show that the latter yields little anti‐causal response. A four‐component (4C) pseudo‐source response retrieves pure‐mode S‐reflections as well at P‐ and PS‐reflections. Pseudo‐source responses observed in OBC data are related to P‐wave conversions at the seabed rather than to true horizontal or vertical point forces. From a Gulf of Mexico OBC data set, diagonal components from a nine‐component pseudo‐source response demonstrate that the P‐wave to S‐wave velocity ratio (V_P/V_S) at the sea‐bed is an important factor in the conversion of P to S for obtaining the pure‐mode S‐wave reflections.     

Mathematical modeling of marine environment pollution processes by petroleum hydrocarbons and their degradation in Caspian Sea ecosystem

The available observational data on the pollution of tributaries and areas of the Caspian Sea by petroleum hydrocarbons and products are examined. The possible petroleum input from sources in the sea is assessed using up-to-date data of satellite observations of sea surface pollution by oil films. The hydroecological CNPSi-model is applied to studying water pollution processes by petroleum hydrocarbons in ten areas chosen in the Caspian Sea and the subsequent biodegradation of those pollutants. The model calculations of the within-year dynamics of petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations use mean annual observational data on within-year variations in water mediium characteristics (water temperature, light intensity, and transparency), as well as the morphometric parameters of sea areas (the area, mean depth, and water volumes). The characteristics of water exchange between the areas were evaluated using a hydrodynamic model. The model calculations were used to characterize the within-year variations in petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations, the biomasses of petroleum-oxidizing bacteria, the characteristics of their oxidation activity and bioproduction, and the internal fluxes of petroleum hydrocarbons (their input from various sources, horizontal and vertical transport, and biotransformation) in different sea areas. Calculation results were used to compile annual balances for the processes of input and consumption of petroleum hydrocarbons in the chosen and aggregated sea areas.     

Unraveling Hydrocarbon Microseepages in Onshore Basins Using Spectral–Spatial Processing of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Data

This study focuses on the spectral characterization of superficial effects caused by natural gaseous hydrocarbon (HC) escapes (microseepages) on onshore basins and means to detect the phenomena using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery. The Northern Tucano basin (NTB) (Brazil) displays archetypal onshore microseepages, and it is used here as a case study area. Regional HC geochemical data yielded from NTB soil samples helped to outline the strategies for imagery processing and assessment of results. We firstly devised a generic detection model for onshore basins in which microseepages indicated by HC geochemistry should spatially match a number of surface expressions with key remote sensing signatures, such as bleached soil and rocks (i.e., reduction in Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺), concentration of specific clays (kaolinite), and carbonates (siderite) and geobotanical markers. These evidences guided the use of remote sensing data and information extraction techniques to find more sites favorable to host HC microseepages in the NTB. ASTER data processed through spectral mixing analysis and supervised and unsupervised neural network systems highlighted sites where features predicted in the detection model concurred seamlessly with geochemical anomalies. The approach also revealed other sites with similar characteristics, but for which no geochemical data exist. These sites are taken as new potential targets for the presence of microseepages and possibly HC reservoirs. The research demonstrated the potential of remote sensing data and spectral–spatial methodologies for economical, onshore detection of HCs for exploration purposes. Potential ramifications of the study include indirect detection of gaseous HC reservoirs in terrestrial planets (fostering the search for signs of life) and depiction of non-negligible, replenishable continental sources of HC emissions on Earth that may contribute to global warming.     

On the development mechanism of the lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks of Chang 9<Subscript>1</Subscript> member in Ordos Basin

As revealed from recent drilling and organic geochemical testing and research, a series of lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks was discovered in the upper section of the Chang 9 oil reservoir member of upper Triassic in Ordos Basin. The hydrocarbon source rocks show average TOC content as high as 5.03%, average bitumen “A” content as high as 0.8603%, and good quality organic precursors, which are of the sapropelic type mainly derived from lower aquatic plants and have reached the thermal evolution stage featured by oil-producing climax. Generally the lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks were developed in local depressions of a lake basin, and the Chang 9₁ member was particularly formed in a depositional environment characterized by fresh water to weakly saline water, weakly oxidizing to weakly reducing setting and semi-deep lake facies, as was demonstrated by a variety of organic to inorganic geochemical parameters. As a result, high productivity constitutes the principal controlling force for generation of this series of high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks. Deposition of thinly-bedded and laminated tuffs as well as positive Eu anomaly corroborate the possible occurrence of anoxic geological event closely related to contemporaneous volcanic eruption, which would play a key part in development of the Chang 9₁ member of high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks.     

Hydrocarbons in the water, particulate matter, seston, and bottom sediments of the White Sea in the late summer

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were studied in water, filtration and separation particulate matter, seston, and bottom sediments with the aim to determine their concentrations and origin and compare them with the concentrations of lipids and C_org (August 2006). The effect of anthropogenic hydrocarbons was identified mostly in the Northern Dvina mouth area and in the apex of Dvina Bay. In other parts of the sea, natural compounds dominate in all examined objects, since anthropogenic hydrocarbon cannot pass through the Northern Dvina-the White Sea geochemical barrier. The low temperatures in the high-latitude water areas are shown not to reduce the rate of diagenetic processes in the sedimentary strata.     

On the development mechanism of the lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks of Chang 91 member in Ordos Basin

As revealed from recent drilling and organic geochemical testing and research, a series of lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks was discovered in the upper section of the Chang 9 oil reservoir member of upper Triassic in Ordos Basin. The hydrocarbon source rocks show average TOC content as high as 5.03%, average bitumen “A” content as high as 0.8603%, and good quality organic precursors, which are of the sapropelic type mainly derived from lower aquatic plants and have reached the thermal evolution stage featured by oil-producing climax. Generally the lacustrine high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks were developed in local depressions of a lake basin, and the Chang 9₁ member was particularly formed in a depositional environment characterized by fresh water to weakly saline water, weakly oxidizing to weakly reducing setting and semi-deep lake facies, as was demonstrated by a variety of organic to inorganic geochemical parameters. As a result, high productivity constitutes the principal controlling force for generation of this series of high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks. Deposition of thinly-bedded and laminated tuffs as well as positive Eu anomaly corroborate the possible occurrence of anoxic geological event closely related to contemporaneous volcanic eruption, which would play a key part in development of the Chang 9₁ member of high-grade hydrocarbon source rocks.

     

Chronology of an oyster reef on the coast of Bohai Bay, China: Constraints from optical dating using different luminescence signals from fine quartz and polymineral fine grains of coastal sediments

Fossil oyster reefs are indicators of past sea levels, and their formation is usually dated by means of radiocarbon. However, radiocarbon dating of the shells from coastal areas may be complicated by the varying sources of carbon. Here we applied optical dating methods to date the samples from above and below a fossil oyster bed in a section on the coast of Bohai Bay, China. The optical ages of the sediments were used to constrain the oyster bed. Single-aliquot regenerative-dose procedures using the OSL signal from fine grain quartz, the IRSL and post-IR OSL signals from polymineral fine grains were employed to determine equivalent dose (D_e). The behaviors of the different luminescence signals from quartz and polymineral grains during D_e measurements were examined. The results showed that the quartz OSL signal is more reliable than the polymineral IRSL and post-IR OSL signals with respect to dating for these coastal samples. The optical ages indicated that the oyster reef formed between ca. 6.2 and 5.0 ka.