Comparison of glacial and interglacial oceanographic conditions in the South Atlantic from variations in calcium carbonate and radiolarian distributions

Temperature estimates produced by a radiolarian-based transfer function, factor distributions of radiolarian assemblages, and variations in calcium carbonate were used to reconstruct the oceanographic conditions in the South Atlantic during the last glacial maximum (18,000 yr B.P.). This study suggests that while the position of the Subtropical Convergence at 18,000 yr B.P. was very similar to its present position, the Antarctic Polar Front shifted northward 1° to 3° of latitude in the eastern South Atlantic and 3° to 5° of latitude in the western South Atlantic. The largest temperature changes occurred in the subantarctic region and along the eastern portion of the Subtropical Gyre.     

A new concept for the paleoceanographic evolution of Heinrich event 1 in the North Atlantic

New records of planktonic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O and lithic and foraminiferal counts from Eirik Drift are combined with published data from the Nordic Seas and the “Ice Rafted Debris (IRD) belt”, to portray a sequence of events through Heinrich event 1 (H1). These events progressed from an onset of meltwater release at ～19 ka BP, through the ‘conventional’ H1 IRD deposition phase in the IRD belt starting from ～17.5 ka BP, to a final phase between 16.5 and ～15 ka BP that was characterised by a pooling of freshwater in the Nordic Seas, which we suggest was hyperpycnally injected into that basin. After ～15 ka BP, this freshwater was purged from the Nordic Seas into the North Atlantic, which preconditioned the Nordic Seas for convective deep-water formation. This allowed an abrupt re-start of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation in the Nordic Seas at the Bølling warming (14.6 ka BP). In contrast to previous estimates for the duration of H1 (i.e., 1000 years to only a century or two), the total, combined composite H1 signal presented here had a duration of over 4000 yrs (～19–14.6 ka BP), which spanned the entire period of NADW collapse. It appears that deep-water formation and climate are not simply controlled by the magnitude or rate of meltwater addition. Instead the location of meltwater injections may be more important, with NADW formation being particularly sensitive to surface freshening in the Arctic/Nordic Seas.     

Controls on the distribution of rare earth elements in deep-sea sediments in the North Atlantic Ocean

Deep-sea sediments can contain relatively high concentrations of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY), with a growing interest in their exploitation as an alternative to land-based REY resources. To understand the processes that lead to enrichment of the REY in deep-sea sediments, we have undertaken a detailed geochemical study of sediments recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, on a transect along ~ 24°N that includes the deep Nares Abyssal Plain and the Canary and North America Basins.Total REY concentrations (ΣREY) range from 7.99 to 513 ppm, and total concentrations of the heavy REY (Eu - Lu) range from 0.993 to 56.3 ppm. REY concentrations are highest in slowly accumulating pelagic red clays, especially in samples that contain ferromanganese micronodules. Factor analysis reveals that hydrogenous Fe- and Mn-(oxyhydr)oxides are the primary REY carrier phase in the red clays. In situ analysis of individual micronodules confirms that they have high ΣREY (up to 3620 ppm). REY concentrations are higher in micronodules that have a hydrogenous source, characterised by higher Fe/Mn, compared to micronodules that have a diagenetic source.The ΣREY content of North Atlantic deep-sea sediments is ~ 4 times lower than in Pacific deep-sea sediments. We calculate that the area of seafloor required to extract ~ 10% of the global annual REY demand is ~ 100 km², assuming removal of the upper 1 m of sediment.     

Inherited basement canyons: Impact on sediment distribution in the North Atlantic

Studies of basement‐bounded canyons in West Greenland show that these were long‐lasting features that extended inland for several hundreds of kilometres, acting as prominent sediment conduits sourcing the Albian–Palaeocene Nuussuaq Basin during several phases of basin evolution. The Ilulissat Icefjord canyon was the major conduit for sediment into the basin and provenance data indicate that it had a huge catchment area that extended to East Greenland. The Uparuaqqusuitsut canyon was also an important conduit for sediment in the northern part of the basin. It is suggested that the initial canyon formation occurred during uplift events in the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic when the deeply weathered basement surface formed during Early–Middle Triassic time was eroded. The recognition of these canyons as long‐lasting sediment conduits have huge implications for understanding the sediment distribution, source‐to‐sink studies and the palaeogeography of the North Atlantic basins.     

A method for quantitative evaluation of carbonate dissolution in deep-sea sediments and its application to paleoceanographic reconstruction

A method is proposed by which the degree of attrition of the tests of certain foraminifera species, such as Globorotalia menardii and Globorotalia tumida, is used to “scale” the amount of CaCO₃ that has been dissolved from sediment. The scale is calibrated experimentally in the laboratory. The method has been applied to three calcareous cores from the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. It is shown that the original CaCO₃ contents in these cores were high (82–95%) and relatively uniform compared to the present down-core values. About 65 to 85% of the originally deposited CaCO₃ has been dissolved, corresponding to dissolution rates on the order of 0.1-0.3 moles/cm²/yr. These results indicate that appreciable solution could have occurred on sea floor rich in calcareous sediments and that the variation in CaCO₃ content in a core may have resulted largely from dissolution. The difference in the degree of solution between glacial and interglacial sediments in these cores is not so distinct, with ? 10% less intense dissolution during glacial times on the average. However, the dissolution minimum occurring around the late Wisconsin glaciation (10,000–20,000 yr B.P.) previously noted in several cores elsewhere is confirmed. At that time, near the site of core M70 PC-20 in the southwest Pacific, the $\text{CO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{2?}}$ concentration of the bottom water is estimated to have been approximately 5% higher than the present value, and the calcite lysocline was about 300 m deeper. To evaluate possible variations in CaCO₃ deposition rate across the glacial-interglacial transitions requires precise age control, which the present study lacks.     

Tephrostratigraphy study for the last 18,000 14C years in a deep-sea sediment sequence for the South Adriatic

A detailed tephrostratigraphy supported by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ¹⁴C dating and isotopic and geochemical analyses has been carried out for a deep-sea core collected from the Southern Adriatic Sea, which spans the last 18 ¹⁴C kyr. Fourteen ash layers have been recognized in the marine core and the origin was determined by comparing their age and geochemistry with tephra detected in terrestrial deposits. The geochemical signatures of marine ash layers indicate a prevailing Campanian and subordinate Etnean and Eolian provenances. Collectively, they are attributed to sources in the Phlegraean Fields (LAM-Lagno Amendolare; LN1/LN2-GM1; C-2/NYT-Neapolitan Yellow Tuff; C-1-Agnano Pomici Principali; AMS/PF-Agnano Monte Spina; AST-Astroni), Somma-Vesuvius (L9-Pomici di Base; L8-Greenish), Mount Etna (Et1-Y1-Biancavilla Ignimbrite), Lipari (E-1-Gabellotto-Fiumebianco) and Palinuro seamount (Pal 1). Some of these eruptions have been detected for the first time in marine cores (Astroni, LAM, L9, L8), and three were detected and dated by marine tephra (LN1, LN2, and Pal 1) providing new more precise stratigraphic markers for the last 18  kyr in the South Adriatic marine record.     

Amino acids in a surface sediment core of the Atlantic abyssal plain

The amino acids in a 56 cm sphincter core (K-19-4-9, Woods Hole Oceanographie Institution) from 30°N latitude, 60°W longitude—approximately 300 miles southeast of Bermuda—at a water depth of 5454m were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography. Amino acids decreased rapidly with depth with β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid predominating in deeper sections. Most of the amino acids are tightly bound in the sediment and are released only upon hydrolysis with 6N HC1. Amino acids accounted for only 0.40% of total nitrogen in the non-carbonate minerals in the top 0–8 cm and 7.9 × 10^?4 percent in the bottom 48–56 cm. The remaining nitrogen is removed from the sediment by amino acid extraction.     

Reconstruction of palaeoceanographic conditions in the South Atlantic Ocean at the last two Terminations based on calcareous dinoflagellate cysts

 Despite the increasing interest in the South Atlantic Ocean as a key area of the heat exchange between the southern and the northern hemisphere, information about its palaeoceanographic conditions during transitions from glacial to interglacial stages, the so-called Terminations, are not well understood. Herein we attempt to increase this information by studying the calcareous dinoflagellate cysts and the shells of Thoracosphaera heimii (calcareous cysts) of five Late Quaternary South Atlantic Ocean cores. Extremely high accumulation rates of calcareous cysts at the Terminations might be due to a combined effect of increased cyst production and better preservation as result of calm, oligotrophic conditions in the upper water layers. Low relative abundance of Sphaerodinella albatrosiana compared with Sphaerodinella tuberosa in the Cape Basin may be the result of the relatively colder environmental conditions in this region compared with the equatorial Atlantic Ocean with high relative abundance of S. albatrosiana. Furthermore, the predominance of S. tuberosa during glacials and interglacials at the observed site of the western Atlantic Ocean reflects decreased salinity in the upper water layer. Received: 9 November 1998 / Accepted: 26 October 1999     

基于正态分布时间函数地表动态沉陷预测研究

为了研究地表动态沉陷规律,基于正态分布时间函数,结合地表沉陷预测公式,构建了能够进行任意点任意时刻地表动态沉陷预测的函数模型,分析曲线形态系数对时间函数和计算误差的影响,讨论正态分布时间函数的时空完备性,建立了基于时间函数的地表动态下沉计算公式。以辛置煤矿五采区开采为例,利用空间曲面拟合方法求取了地表动态沉陷预测参数,并对特征点的下沉趋势进行了预测。结果表明,地表沉陷预测时曲线形态系数δ > 2为其合理取值,理论预测相对中误差不会超过±4.55%,且随着δ的增大,预测误差逐渐减小;正态分布时间函数在地表下沉、下沉速度以及加速度方面均体现了地表沉陷时空分布的完备性。基于叠加原理的空间曲面拟合求参方法能够进行预测参数的自动求取,地表特征点下沉趋势预测最大中误差为±64 mm,相对中误差为±5.7%,理论值与实测值相吻合,基于正态分布时间函数的预测模型能够体现地表动态下沉的时空分布特征。     

冲绳海槽表层沉积物放射虫属种空间分布特征及其影响因素

为探究冲绳海槽放射虫属种的空间分布特征及其海洋学意义,对采自冲绳海槽北部、中部和南部3个海域的34个表层沉积物中的放射虫群落组成特征进行了系统研究。总体看来,冲绳海槽表层沉积物放射虫丰度较高,群落组成以热带-亚热带暖水放射虫属种为主,其中优势种为Tetrapyle octacantha group、Spongodiscus resurgens和Euchitonia furcata。结果表明冲绳海槽放射虫属种存在明显的区域差异性,除T.octacantha group以外,其余暖水指示种含量总体上均呈现南高北低的变化趋势。冲绳海槽北部陆架-陆坡区受长江冲淡水的影响,温度和盐度变化较为剧烈,因此可能不利于大多数放射虫暖水指示种的发育,但T.octacantha group却因自身适宜生存的温度范围较大,进而得以在冲绳海槽北部陆坡区呈现出高值。较高的中层水温度可能是抑制亚北极中层水指示种Cycladophora davisiana在冲绳海槽分布的主要因素,而冲绳海槽的高海槛则限制了太平洋深层水种Carpocanistrum papillosum和Cornutella profunda的入侵。冲绳海槽放射虫的空间分布对区域海洋环境特征有着很好的响应,因此可以为古环境重建研究提供重要依据。     

Heavy metal distribution in sediment profiles of the Pearl River estuary,South China

The Pearl River estuary is created by the inflow of freshwater from the largest river system that drains into the South China Sea. In recent years, massive economic growth and development in the region has led to excessive release of waste into the environment. The accumulation of contaminants in sediments is likely to pose serious environmental problems in surrounding areas. The study of sediment profiles can provide much information on the metal contamination history and long term potential environmental impacts. In this project, 21 core samples (up to 3.65 m deep) were collected in the Pearl River estuary. About 15 subsamples from each core were analysed for moisture content, total organic matter (L.O.I.), particle size and heavy metal and major element concentrations. The results show that Pb and Zn contents are elevated in the sediments at most of the sampling sites. Compared with historical monitoring results, the sediment metal contents have increased over the last 20 a, particularly for Pb. The west side of the Pearl River estuary tends to be more contaminated than the east side due to the contaminants inputs from the major tributaries and different sedimentation conditions. There are close associations between Fe, Co, Ni and Cu concentrations in the sediments. Zinc and Pb contents in the sediment profiles reflect a combination of the natural geochemical background, anthropogenic influences and the mixing effects within the estuary. The distribution of Pb in the sediments shows strong influences of atmospheric inputs, probably from the coal burning activities in the region.     

基于等效粒径的无粘性泥沙起动条件对比研究

通过将等效粒径引入非均匀沙起动条件表达式,得到了基于等效粒径的非均匀沙起动条件统一表达式,并从反映泥沙的非均匀性引起的荫蔽(暴露)作用与分选作用角度对当前有一定影响的非均匀沙起动条件的等效粒径表达式进行了对比研究。结果表明,各家公式都能够反映泥沙的非均匀性引起的荫蔽(暴露)作用,较粗泥沙颗粒的等效粒径小于其自身粒径,容易起动,较细泥沙颗粒的等效粒径大于其自身粒径,较难起动。但是不同公式之间还是有一定的差异,主要反映在细颗粒的荫蔽作用方面。不同公式区分非均匀沙颗粒间荫蔽(暴露)作用的特征粒径是不同的。韩其为、张启卫、刘兴年公式能较好的反映泥沙起动时的分选作用。对于细颗粒泥沙而言,Egiazaroff、Hayashi与秦荣昱公式在冲刷时体现由于床沙粒径不同而产生的分选作用相对较差。     

南海西部表层沉积物碳酸盐分布特征及其溶解作用

碳酸盐是海洋沉积物的重要组成部分,在南海表层沉积物中含量最高可超过 70%,因此深入研究现代碳酸盐的分布特征具有十分重要的意义.对南海西部底质的大量取样分析表明,该区 CaCO3含量在上陆坡最高,其中在北部和中南部含量较高,中部和东南部含量较低,其分布特征主要受陆源物质供给量的控制,与陆架的宽度和陆坡的坡度密切相关.CaCO3最富集区出现在水深 400～600 m的上陆坡区,其中水深 500～600 m内的平均含量最高,达 44.37%,水深超过 1 300 m时含量开始明显下降,表明溶解作用增强.对 CaCO3含量与水深关系进行多项式拟合,结果表明,本区没有出现碳酸盐溶解作用突然增强的溶跃面;但在水深 3 500 m附近,拟合曲线出现转折点, CaCO3含量由随水深迅速下降变为相对稳定,因此该水深应为碳酸盐临界补偿深度.     

基于GIS的三维对称边坡滑面正应力分布逼近函数构造

基于栅格柱体单元构造出对称边坡滑面正应力分布的逼近函数,为在GIS(地理信息系统)中建立基于滑面正应力假定的极限平衡法提供了理论计算基础。结合GIS的强大空间数据分析能力,建立出一个基于栅格柱体单元的三维边坡稳定性分析极限平衡模型,且在无任何力的假设条件下,推导出基于栅格单元的滑面正应力分布构成。结合算例分析表明:在滑体滑动方向上,滑面正应力的分布一部分由滑体自重和外力构成,且对滑面正应力的贡献所占比例很大,为已知函数,另一部分由柱间作用力构成,所占比例很小,为未知函数,因此,柱间作用力分布可选用三阶拉格朗日多项式来近似逼近拟合;在垂直于滑体滑动方向上,滑面正应力分布采用抛物线近似逼近拟合;进而构造出对称边坡的基于栅格单元的滑面正应力分布逼近函数。并通过算例对该逼近函数的合理性进行了验证。     

乌梁素海沉积物重金属潜在生态风险评价

文章利用生态风险指数法,对内蒙古乌梁素海表层沉积物进行了生态风险研究。结果表明,乌梁素海表层沉积物重金属的生态风险由大由小依次为:Hg>Cd>As>Cu>Pb>Cr>Zn,Hg和Cd的生态风险远远大于其它金属。乌梁素海不同区域生态风险大小不同,湖区西部和北部较大,东部和南部较小,这与自然因素和人为活动有关。乌梁素海底泥由于具有重金属污染风险,因此作为农田肥料要慎重使用。     

流域底泥分布调查的探讨

流域底泥是水体生态环境系统的重要组成部分,不同的水动力和地质环境条件,导致水体底泥的分布在时间和空间上存在巨大差异。尝试将高密度电阻率法和微分电测深法结合应用于流域底泥的分布调查,并在河流底泥调查中进行了试验,结果发现勘测结果与钻孔资料较为吻合,是一种可以在流域底泥分布调查中推广的方法。     

A new equation for estimating the maximum surface settlement above tunnels excavated in soft ground

Nowadays, due to urbanization and population increase, need for metro tunnels, has been considerably increased in urban areas. Common characterization of urban area tunnels is that they are excavated in very shallow depths and soft ground. In such excavations, main challenge for tunneling is low bearing capacity and easy deformation characteristic of the ground. Tunnel face instability and the potential surface settlement are the most hazardous factors that should be considered in all tunneling methods applied in urban areas. Incorrect estimation of the maximum surface settlement value can lead to irreparable damages to the buildings and other nearby structures. There are several published relationships concerned with field measurements and analytical solutions to estimate the amount of the maximum surface settlement value due to tunneling. These relationships are not precise for calculating the aimed values. Therefore, providing accurate equations for estimation of these values is certainly useful. First purpose of this study is to determine the effective parameters such as geotechnical factors (cohesion, internal friction angle, density, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio), and engineering factors (tunnel depth, tunnel diameter and face support pressure) on the maximum surface settlement value. In this study, three metro project constructions namely Istanbul, Tehran, Mashhad in the Middle East were chosen. FLAC3D (Itasca Consulting Group 2002) was used for detailed numerical analysis. The second aim is to present better equations in estimating the maximum surface settlement-based actual data set from several tunnel projects and numerical modeling. The results from the new estimation equation are compared with results of empirical and field observations. The maximum surface settlement values obtained from the new equation have good agreement with the actual results for three different metro case studies.