The effects of surface area, grain size and mineralogy on organic matter sedimentation and preservation across the modern Squamish Delta, British Columbia: the potential role of sediment surface area in the formation of petroleum source rocks

Surface sediment samples were collected from the Squamish River Delta, British Columbia, in order to determine the role of sediment surface area in the preservation of organic matter (OM) in a paralic sedimentary environment. The Squamish Delta is an actively prograding delta, located at the head of Howe Sound.Bulk total organic carbon (TOC) values across the Squamish Delta are low, ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt.%. The carbon/total nitrogen ratio (C_org/N) ranges from 6 to 17, which is attributed to changes in OM type and facies variations. The <25-μm fraction has TOC concentrations up to 2.0 wt.%, and a C_org/N ratio that ranges from 14 to 16. The 53–106-μm fraction has higher TOC concentrations and C_org/N ratios relative to the 25–53-μm fraction. The C_org/N ratio ranges from 9 to 18 in the 53–106-μm fraction and 5.5–10.5 in the 25–53-μm fraction. Surface area values for bulk sediments are low (0.5–3.0 m²/g) due to the large proportion of silt size material. Good correlation between surface area and TOC in bulk samples suggests that OM is adsorbed to mineral surfaces. Similar relationships between surface area and TOC were observed in size-fractionated samples. Mineralogy and elemental composition did not correlate with TOC concentration.The relationships between surface area, TOC and total nitrogen (TN) can be linked to the hydrodynamic and sedimentological conditions of the Squamish Delta. As a result, the Squamish Delta is a useful modern analogue for the formation of petroleum source rocks in ancient deltaic environments, where TOC concentrations are often significantly lower than those in source rocks formed in other geological settings.     

Organic Facies Characteristics of Quaternary Sediments,Gulf of Izmit,Marmara Sea,Turkey

The classification of organic facies from samples obtained by submarine drilling between Hersek Burnu and Kaba Burun in the Gulf of Izmit was determined using organic geochemistry methods. The host sediment is composed of pebbles, sand, silt, and clay, some of which are rich in organic matter. Results indicate an early diagenesis stage according to total organic carbon (0.11-1.78%) and vitrinite reflectance (0.12-0.32%) values. Rock-Eval pyrolysis data display hydrogen indices (HI) of 3 to 97 mg HC/g TOC and oxygen indices (OI) of 29 to 245 mg HC/g CO₂. Microscopic studies show that the dominant organic matter is oxic and terrestrial. These data demonstrate that the organic facies were developed in this environment. The CD facies reflects a mixture of source materials including terrestrial plant detritus, and reworked and fine-grained amorphous organic matter. The D facies consists of highly decomposed, reworked organic matter. These types of organic facies generally appear to be weakly sorted in marine and lake sediments.     

Origin and composition of organic matter in tidal flat sediments from the German Wadden Sea

Two sediment cores of up to 550 cm length from an intertidal flat of the German Wadden Sea near the island of Spiekeroog were investigated for the quantity and composition of fossil organic matter (OM). The lowermost parts of the cores are dominated by grey mud of a salt marsh facies containing mainly terrestrial OM estimated to account for 60–75% of the total OM, based on δ¹³C values and the ratio of short to long chain n-alkanols. The terrigenous origin of the dominant fraction is indicated, among others, by high proportions of C₂₉ sterols and long chain n-alkanes typical of plant waxes. Coarse shell beds overlying the grey mud at 2–2.5 m depth represent a flooding and erosion event possibly related to heavy storm floods in the Middle Ages. Within the intertidal sand-dominated sediments in the upper parts of the cores total organic carbon (TOC) contents are generally low, ranging from 0.1% to 0.5%, and correlate well with the amount of mud fraction (r² 0.90). At the surface, marine OM has not undergone intense diagenetic alteration and so is the dominant fraction. Eroded peat particles are common throughout most of the sequence and values of the Phragmites peat indicator (PPI) > 5 indicate an origin from reed peat due to a high relative abundance of the n-C₂₄ alkane. Changes in the composition of microbial communities over the depth interval investigated are documented by varying compositions of unsaturated fatty acids with 16 and 18 carbons. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was detected along the entire cores and indicates the presence of EPA-producing bacterial strains.     

长江口表层沉积物孢粉相特征及其在碳循环中的意义

选自长江口F2-F5站住的4个表层沉积物及其粒度分级（1～8Ф）样品,经过孢粉相和热解检测,探讨有机质特征及其在碳循环中的命运。未分级样品的孢粉相主要由木质组织、丝炭和黑团块组成,显示陆地输入有机质的贡献巨大。样品分级后,孢粉相面貌发生显著变化。细粒的8函中无定形为主,其他粒级（2～7Ф）中主要由结构有机质组成。细粒的...     

泰国湾百年来有机碳埋藏记录及环境响应

受热带季风气候和周边陆源输入的影响,低纬泰国湾海—陆相互作用强烈,是研究海洋沉积有机碳与陆源输入、海洋初级生产力等气候环境变化响应关系的理想区域.通过对泰国湾泥质区T43柱样中总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)、稳定碳同位素(δ13C)以及粒度等指标的分析,基于210Pb建立的高分辨年代地层框架,重建了该区百年来有机碳的...     

Bacteriohopanepolyol biomarker composition of organic matter exported to the Arctic Ocean by seven of the major Arctic rivers

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are a diverse group of membrane lipids produced by a wide variety of bacteria and can be used as molecular biomarkers for bacterial processes and populations in both modern and ancient environments. A group of BHPs, including adenosylhopane and structurally related compounds, have been identified as being specific to soils, enabling the transport of terrestrial organic matter (terrOM) to the marine realm to be monitored. Estuary surface sediment samples were obtained from the five Great Russian Arctic Rivers (GRARs; Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Indigirka and Kolyma) and river sediments were obtained from two North American Rivers (Yukon and Mackenzie). Analysis of the BHP signatures, using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MSⁿ), indicated the presence of 15 different BHPs originating from a variety of different bacteria, as well as a significant presence of terrestrially derived OM. Total BHP abundance and the contribution of the “soil-marker” BHPs to the total BHP pool increased eastwards among the GRAR sediments. This suggests increasing terrestrial OM or increased preservation of OM as a result of shorter periods of permafrost thawing. The North American rivers showed greatly differing BHP levels between the Yukon and Mackenzie rivers, with a greater BHP input and thus a relatively higher soil OM contribution from the Yukon. The Indigirka River basin in the eastern Siberian Arctic appeared to be the epicentre in the pan-Arctic BHP distribution trend, with the highest “soil-marker” BHPs but the lowest tetrafunctionalised BHPs. Aminobacteriohopanepentol, an indicator of aerobic methane oxidation, was observed in all the sediments, with the source being either the marine environment or methane producing terrestrial environments.     

Amino acids and hexosamines in the Hess Rise core during the past 220,000 years

Core sediment samples collected from the Hess Rise, North Pacific, were analyzed for 20 common amino acids (AA) and two hexosamines (HA) to understand the relation between glacial–interglacial variations and deposition/preservation of sedimentary organic matter (OM). The sediments are predominantly carbonaceous (carbonates 35–80%). AA-based parameters—aspartic acid/glycine ratio and serine+threonine relative mole content—suggest that calcareous plankton was the major source of OM in these sediments. This inference is supported by the similarity in distribution patterns of AA and HA contents with that of organic carbon. Low values of AA/HA and glucosamine/galactosamine ratios (average 4.4 and 1.1, respectively) imply that much of the planktonic OM was replaced by microbial OM. The relative molar concentration of two nonprotein AA (β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid) varied with age of sediments; i.e., they were less abundant in recent sediments and more abundant in the oldest sediments. This trend is an indicator of extremely slow but continuous enzymatic degradation of proteinaceous OM within the sediments. So far, bulk OM has been believed to be one of the best proxies for estimation of primary productivity. However, it may be an underestimate, even for the late Quaternary sediments. Comparison of AA and HA content variations with SPECMAP stack revealed their enhanced deposition and preservation during glacial periods relative to interglacial periods. This, in turn, affected not only the planktonic production in surface waters but also the benthic community, including bacteria on the seafloor.     

Vertical Profiles of Major Organic Geochemical Constituents and Extracellular Enzymatic Activities in Sandy Sediments of Aransas and Copano Bays, TX

Vertical distribution patterns of organic geochemical constituents and the enzymes aminopeptidase and β-glucosidase provide insights about the nature and reactivity of sediment organic matter in the sandy sediments of two shallow “South Texas” estuaries. Sediment total organic carbon (TOC) δ¹³C values indicated that the organic matter (OM) was derived more from a mixture of seagrass and phytoplankton than from terrigenous OM. Down-core amounts of TOC and total nitrogen (TN) were <0.2% of dry weight, respectively. Enzyme activities were highest near surface and ranged from 25 to 1 μM/h for aminopeptidase as compared to 5 to 0.2 μM/h for glucosidase. In Aransas Bay, aminopeptidase activity correlated with sediment TN content (r _s = 0.30) and β-glucosidase with TOC content (r _s = 0.27). In Copano Bay, aminopeptidase correlated with TOC, TN, and carbohydrate content (r _s = 0.89, 0.90, and 0.83, respectively). Variations of glucosidase activity also related positively to TOC, TN, and total carbohydrate content (r _s = 0.68, 0.77, and 0.48, respectively). Overall, enzyme activities in these low OM, sandy sediments resembled those for other benthic marine environments.     

Organic matter and lipids in sediments of Lake Bled (NW Slovenia): Source and effect of anoxic and oxic depositional regimes

Sources of organic matter (OM) and lipids were assessed and factors affecting OM degradation were studied for two sediment cores representing distinct depositional regimes (i.e., the oscillating oxic to suboxic/anoxic western basin and oxic Zaka Bay) for eutrophic Lake Bled, NW Slovenia. Lower surface organic carbon (OC) concentration was determined in the western basin than for Zaka Bay sediments (5.1 vs. 5.4 wt% dry sediment, respectively), but one order of magnitude greater total lipid concentration was observed in the former. Also, there was a higher proportion of autochthonous OM in the western basin (77% vs. 66%) on the basis of atomic C/N ratios. Lipid-based origin assessment suggested a similar contribution of autochthonous OM in the western basin (64–77%), but a lower one in Zaka Bay (<50%). It seems that redox potential is the main factor governing OM degradation in the western basin. In contrast, a contribution from more refractory terrestrial OM, via the surface inflow in Zaka Bay, and higher sedimentation rates may surpass redox effects in Zaka Bay. Overall, oxygen may play a more important role in degradation of the more labile pool (i.e., lipids) than bulk OM. Higher apparent degradation rate constants (k′) for lipids also suggested a greater lability than for OC, while respective k′ values were higher in the oxic than anoxic environment.     

Pyrolysis of modern wetland sediment: extracting climate records from fens in the Uinta Mountains and Fish Lake Plateau,Utah, USA

Rock‐Eval pyrolysis provides a quick, relatively inexpensive means of characterizing organic‐rich strata, and has been used for decades to understand global petroleum systems. Although designed to characterize ancient kerogens, pyrolysis is increasingly being used to understand Holocene systems as well. The ability of this technique to distinguish between types of preserved organic matter is useful in characterizing climatic evolution, particularly in systems sensitive to climatic fluctuation such as isolated fens and bogs. Cores collected from the Tokewanna and Garden Basin Cattail fens in central/eastern Utah exhibit variability of organic source, with the mixture of terrestrial and algal sources varying through time, as shown through the hydrogen index (HI) and oxygen index pyrolysis parameters. A sediment core was collected at each fen, and 176 samples were taken from the cores at 6‐cm intervals. Total organic carbon (TOC) for all samples ranges from 1.3 to 44.2%, with an average of 18.2% TOC. Samples range from 84 to 687 HI, equivalent to Type I (lacustrine algal) to Type III (terrestrial) organic material (OM). Variability in HI response represents mixing of the two OM sources, and the relative amount of aqueous organic input can be estimated through time based on age‐calibrated HI curves at the two sites. The balance of organic input serves as an accurate, high‐resolution proxy for climate, and calibration with palynological data near both sites confirms patterns shown by pyrolysis, showing the utility of this method in quickly, affordably and accurately characterizing Holocene sediments for use in understanding palaeoclimate.     

Bimodal volcanism in northeast Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Greater Antilles Island Arc): Genetic links with Cretaceous subduction of the mid-Atlantic ridge Caribbean spur

Bimodal extrusive volcanic rocks in the northeast Greater Antilles Arc consist of two interlayered suites, including (1) a predominantly basaltic suite, dominated by island arc basalts with small proportions of andesite, and (2) a silicic suite, similar in composition to small volume intrusive veins of oceanic plagiogranite commonly recognized in oceanic crustal sequences. The basaltic suite is geochemically characterized by variable enrichment in the more incompatible elements and negative chondrite-normalized HFSE anomalies. Trace element melting and mixing models indicate the magnitude of the subducted sediment component in Antilles arc basalts is highly variable and decreases dramatically from east to west along the arc. In the Virgin Islands, the sediment component ranges between< 0.5 to  1% in Albian rocks, and between  1 and 2% in succeeding Cenomanian to Campanian strata. In comparison, sediment proportions in central Puerto Rico range between 0.5 to 1.5% in the Albian to 2 to > 4% during the Cenomanian-Campanian interval. The silicic suite, consisting predominantly of rhyolites, is characterized by depleted Al₂O₃ (average < 16%), low Mg-number (molar Mg/Mg + Fe < 0.5), TiO₂ (< 1.0%), and Sr/Y (< 10), oceanic or arc-like Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope signatures, and by the presence of plagioclase. All of these features are consistent with an anatexic origin in gabbroic sources, of both oceanic and arc-related origin, within the sub-arc basement. The abundance of silicic lavas varies widely along the length of the arc platform. In the Virgin Islands on the east, rhyolites comprise up to 80% of Lower Albian strata (112 to 105 Ma), and about 20% in post-Albian strata (105 to 100 Ma). Farther west, in Puerto Rico, more limited proportions (< 20%) of silicic lavas were erupted. The systematic variation of both sediment flux and abundance of crustally derived silicic lavas are consistent with current tectonic models of Caribbean evolution involving approximately perpendicular subduction of the Caribbean spur of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, which was located approximately midway between North and South America until Campanian times. Within this hypothetical setting the centrally positioned Virgin Islands terrain remained approximately fixed above the subducting ridge as the Antilles arc platform swept northeastward into the slot between the Americas. Accordingly, heat flow in the Virgin Islands was elevated throughout the Cretaceous, giving rise to widespread crustal melting, whereas the subducted sediment flux was limited. Conversely, toward the west in central Puerto Rico, which was consistently more remote from the subducting ridge, heat flow was relatively low and produced limited crustal melting, while the sediment flux was comparatively elevated.     

Spatial and temporal variation of organic carbon in the northern South China Sea revealed by sedimentary records

Three sediment cores were taken from the Pearl River estuary and adjacent northern South China Sea (SCS). These sediment cores span the time interval 1900–2000 AD. The stratigraphy of the concentration, the ratio of total organic carbon (TOC) to total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotope (δ¹³C_org) of organic carbon (OC) from three high-resolution sediment cores were analyzed. The stratigraphic profiles of OC concentration, TOC/TN ratios and δ¹³C_org for the near past 100 yrs indicate that terrestrial organic matter decreases from 68.3% to 27.4% of the TOC in the Pearl River estuary, while Dapeng Bay (offshore east of Hong Kong) apparently had throughout little terrestrial organic matter input. The highest deposited OC occurs at the Humen River mouth and the OC concentrations are higher in the outer estuary than in the inner shelf of the northern SCS. The deposited OC at the River mouth increased with time, which could be caused by the high precipitation of land-derived organic matter and the high input of terrestrial organic matter, which is likely related to the rapid urbanization and industrial development in the Pearl River Delta since the 1970s. The OC concentrations did not exhibit an obvious increase with time in most areas of the Pear River estuary and adjacent inner shelf of the SCS, but the algal-derived OC concentration inferred from the δ¹³C_org values increased with time especially from 1980 to 2000 in the outer Pearl River estuary and Dapeng Bay. This increase is presumably caused by enhanced primary marine productivity supported by higher anthropogenic nutrient inputs.     

CRUSTAL GRANITOIDS

Eocene organic-rich sediments are widespread in the Amasya region of north-central Turkey and have been studied in outcrop. Detailed data from thick Eocene sediments (Derealan Formation) made it possible to construct an organic-facies framework using different zonations.

Organic matter is composed predominantly of autochthonous algal and amorphous material, with a minor contribution of allochthonous terrestrial material. Kerogen in the deposits is primarily Type I, as indicated by organic petrographic observations and Rock-Eval data. Total organic-carbon content (TOC) of this deposit decreases from over 54% in limestone and shale to less than 2% in the other deposits of the Derealan Formation. Tmax values vary between 441 ° and 456° C, confirming the increase in maturation trends indicated by vitrinite reflectance data.

Both organic petrographic and geochemical maturation parameters place the Eocene sediments of the Northern Gumushacikoy (Amasya) region within the B organic facies. According to the organic-carbon/sedimentation-rate relationship, the preservation of matter took place under anoxic conditions.     

Biogeochemical processes involving acetate in sub-seafloor sediments from the Bering Sea shelf break

Biogeochemical processes involving acetate in sub-seafloor sediments from piston core PC23B from the Bering Sea shelf break were inferred by examining the stable carbon isotopic relationships between acetate and other relevant carbon compounds: total organic carbon (TOC) in the sediment solid phase, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in pore water. Throughout the core, the isotopic composition of acetate (δ¹³C_acetate), from −31‰ to −29‰, was ¹³C-depleted by ca. 7‰ vs. DOC (δ¹³C_DOC) and its depth profile approximately paralleled that of δ¹³C_DOC, suggesting that the principal process producing acetate was fermentation of dissolved organic compounds. However, the ¹³C depletion in δ¹³C_acetate indicates some contribution of acetogenesis to total acetate production, because acetogenesis results in ¹³C depletion of the acetate produced. The relative contribution of acetogenesis via the H₂/CO₂ reaction, calculated by using a two source isotope mixing model, increased with depth in the sulfate reduction zone from 10% to 15% and was constant at 19% in the methanogenic zone. The acetogenic contribution to acetate production in the methanogenic zone underlying the sulfate reduction zone is consistent with reported observations, whereas the occurrence of acetogenesis in the sulfate reduction zone may be related to the contribution of terrestrial organic matter (OM) to the sedimentary OM in that depth interval, because the terrestrial component likely includes precursors that favor organoautotrophic acetogenesis. The high acetate concentration (up to 81 μM) and TOC content (up to 1.4%) at the same depth (<200 cmbsf) suggest that some relationship exists between acetate production rate and TOC content, or that a temperature increase during core storage at room temperature might stimulate acetate-producing microbial activity in the high TOC sediment.     

Organic matter and nutrients in an altered subtropical marsh system,Chiricahueto, NW Mexico

Seven sediment push-cores were extracted from Chiricahueto, a marsh affected by urban, industrial and agricultural wastes. Concentrations of total phosphorus (300-1,620 µg g^-1), organic carbon (4-39 mg g^-1) and total nitrogen (0.5-4.5 mg g^-1) in the sediments showed an exponential decrease with depth, related to the decomposition of organic matter (OM). Between 20 and 40% of OM initially deposited is degraded at the sediment-water interface under oxic conditions. Another fraction (40-60%) of non-refractory OM is decomposed within the sediments by oxidants other than oxygen. Likewise, the preservation of OM (<20%) was estimated as burial concentrations of C, N and P linked to organic compounds. The C/N ratios, '¹³C and '¹⁵N suggested that the major source of OM to the sediments derives from marine phytoplankton. The allochthonous sources of OM were overprinted by the high flux of marine autochthonous OM. However, an indirect terrestrial influence is recognised, in which high nutrient load derived from agricultural, domestic and industrial activities promoted high productivity.     

Wetland soil organic matter composition in a Mediterranean semiarid wetland (Las Tablas de Daimiel, Central Spain): Insight into different carbon sequestration pathways

Wetland soils from a Mediterranean semiarid wetland (Las Tablas de Daimiel, Central Spain) were studied to characterize the organic matter (OM) and determine its origin and transformation. Cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mathematical molecular mixing allowed analysis of the organic fraction in terms of six generic components (carbohydrate, protein, lignin, lipid, char and “carbonyl”). Las Tablas is an active carbon sink, with total organic carbon (TOC) content independent of soil OM quality; the TOC content of the upper sediment is 10.0 ± 7.8%. The inorganic carbon content is also high (5.4 ± 3.3%) and is associated mainly with OM of aliphatic character. The OM composition is variable; samples predominantly aliphatic (carbohydrate, lipid and protein) are characteristic of the northern sector, whereas predominantly aromatic samples are typical of the southern Tablas. A strong negative relationship between protein content and lignin content was found, interpreted as a consequence of different proportions of vascular vs. non-vascular (mostly charophyte) litter input. The effect of perturbation is apparent in the extended presence of char, particularly abundant in fire-prone areas. OM quantity and quality do not seem to depend on hydrology (although seasonal flooding is associated with lower TOC wetland soils) or soil characteristics. Dominant vegetation and fire are the main drivers of OM content and composition. Structural carbohydrate, protein and lipid (>60% of total organic fraction) dominate. Widespread anaerobic conditions and the recent character of the sediments could explain the preservation of different fractions of the original detritus composition (due to different vegetation and presence of microbes).     

Assessing the factors controlling high sedimentation rates from the latest Barremian–earliest Aptian in the hemipelagic setting of the restricted Organyà Basin,NE Spain

The Organyà Basin, south–central Spanish Pyrenees, developed as a marginal depocenter during a rapid extensional phase of anticlockwise rotation of the Iberian plate. As a result of increased subsidence, an important change in sedimentation occurred from the late Barremian to the Aptian leading to unusually high sediment accumulation rates. Approximately 1000 m of hemipelagic marls and limestones accumulated during this time interval.Here we studied the basal 85 m of the hemipelagic facies of the El Pui section, Organyà Basin, that are characterized by alternating 15 cm – ∼3 m thick beds of limestone and marls. Geochemical analyses indicate high total inorganic carbon (TIC) values (average 70%) suggesting enhanced CaCO₃ production and deposition. SEM analyses of the samples indicate high abundance of calcareous nannofossils, which together with the absence of shallow water taxa characteristic of the Urgonian Carbonate platform of Organyà, and the lack of sedimentary facies attributable to carbonate platform components point to nannofossils as the main source for the elevated TIC. Organic-rich levels (total organic carbon (TOC) up to 1.74%) concurrent with positive excursions up to 2‰ in δ¹³C_org, imply enhanced preservation of organic matter (OM) in the basin. In addition, pronounced peaks of δ¹³C_org higher than the global average suggest superimposed local factors related to intensified ¹²C removal due to primary productivity. Biomarker analyses and the δ¹³C_org profile suggest an autochthonous origin of the OM from phytoplankton and possible additional contributions from microbial communities.X-ray diffraction (XRD) results attest for sustained terrestrial fluxes as the source of nutrients to the basin because of a 30% average non-carbonate bulk mineral content in the sediment. The non-carbonate fraction is dominated by quartz (average, 14%) whereas the clay mineral assemblages are characterized by high illite content (>73 relative%) with minor concentrations of kaolinite (<5%), illite /smectite mixed layers (<17%) and chlorite (<15%), consistent with a provenance from the Paleozoic metamorphic terranes adjacent to the Organyà Basin.The integrated results suggest a high sediment accumulation rate (5 cm/ky–7.5 cm/ky) and enhanced carbon burial during the latest Barremian–earliest Aptian in the hemipelagic setting of the El Pui section.     

A 35 kyr record of organic matter composition and δ13C of n-alkanes in bog sediments close to Lake Baikal: Implications for paleoenvironmental studies

We characterized the compositions of organic compounds in a Cheremushka bog sediment core (deposited over the last 35 kyr), located at the eastern coast of Lake Baikal, to obtain basic information about the terrestrial organic matter (OM) which contributed to Lake Baikal sediments. The bog sediment was analyzed for the molecular composition of n-alkanes, lignin phenols and n-C₂₄ to C₃₀ alkanoic acids, as well as the carbon isotopic composition of plant wax derived n-C₂₇ to C₃₃ alkanes.Concentrations of lignin phenols [vanillyl (V) plus syringyl (S) phenols] normalized to total organic carbon (TOC) in the Holocene are twice those for the last glacial maximum (LGM), while concentrations of TOC-normalized n-C₂₄ to C₃₀ alkanoic acids do not change markedly in this period. Thus, the ratio of lignin phenols to n-C₂₄ to C₃₀ alkanoic acids increases from the LGM to the Holocene. This result is essentially consistent with pollen analysis indicating an expansion of woody plants in the Holocene and a prevailing herb-abundant environment for the LGM. The δ¹³C values of n-C₂₇ to C₃₃ alkanes (e.g. ?29‰ to ?33‰ for C₃₁) indicate the presence of C₃-dominant plants throughout the core.The contribution of terrestrial OM to Lake Baikal sediments was estimated using the biomarkers, on the assumption that the OM in the bog sediments is a representative of the terrestrial OM around the lake. Hence, the estimation using lignin phenol or n-C₂₄ to C₃₀ alkanoic acid parameters indicates that 11–24% of the TOC in the Academician Ridge sediments is land-derived for both the Holocene and the LGM, which is similar to the estimates from C/N values of bulk OM. However, the estimates for terrestrial OM using the n-C₂₇ to C₃₃ alkane parameter are generally higher than those using lignin phenol or n-C₂₄ to C₃₀ alkanoic acid parameters. The difference is thought to be associated with the difference in source and behavior of these biomarkers.     

Source potential and palynofacies of Late Jurassic “Lemeš facies”, Croatia

Laminated limestone and calcareous shale outcrop samples from the Late Jurassic “Leme?” facies (Croatia) were investigated to characterize their organic facies and palynofacies and their hydrocarbon generative potential. The results indicate that the organic rich sediments of “Leme?” facies were deposited within a relatively shallow marine environment at low redox potential, characterized as an oxygen depleted depositional setting with stratified bottom waters of the carbonate platform (Adriatic Carbonate Platform). The organic rich samples contain a high portion of lipid rich amorphous kerogen of algal/phytoplankton origin, enriched by bacterial biomass. Most of the analyzed samples have total organic carbon contents (TOC) greater than 3%, Rock-Eval S2 >20 mg HC/g rock, yielding Hydrogen Index (HI) values ranging from 509–602 mg HC/g TOC. According to these results, the analyzed samples have very good to excellent oil generative potential. Relatively high sulfur content suggests that the kerogen is best described as Type II-S. Biomarker maturity parameters, as well as the fluorescence of the isolated kerogen, show that the organic matter is at early to peak oil thermal maturity. The observed level of thermal maturity indicates that these samples were once buried to depths of ～5.5–5.8 km before being uplifted in the late Tertiary. The surface outcrops of the “Leme?” facies suggest that these strata have significant source potential and are the likely source of oil in the Croatian External Dinarides.     

A sedimentary facies model for glacial-age sediments in Baldwin Lake, Southern California

A combined sedimentological and high-resolution petrographic analysis was conducted on a glacial-age (20,000–65,000 cal yr BP) sediment core from Baldwin Lake, Southern California. The results of this research represent the most complete glacial-age, terrestrial climate record from Southern California to date. These results are used to characterize the different sediment types and to investigate the difference in depositional processes and environments between the core's three predominant sediment types: massive, semi-laminated, and laminated sediments. Massive sediments are commonly associated with a blocky texture and/or desiccation cracks, are organic-poor, have high magnetic susceptibility values, and are coarser-grained. Thin-sections from massive sediments reveal a homogenous sediment fabric. Sub-centimeter-scale laminated and centimeter-scale semi-laminated sediments are generally organic-rich, have low magnetic susceptibility values, and are finer grained. Thin-sections from laminated and semi-laminated sediments reveal diffuse sub-millimeter- to millimeter-scale laminae. This combination of sedimentological and high-resolution petrographic data enabled us to characterize four sediment facies, each related to specific depositional processes and environments: (1) a playa lake; (2) a perennial shallow lake; (3) an intermediate lake with variable lake level; and, (4) a perennial deep lake. At centennial-to millennial-timescales, lower lake levels are represented by deposition of massive to semi-laminated sediments in a playa to a perennial shallow lake environment. At similar timescales, higher lake levels are recorded by semi-laminated to laminated sediments deposited in an intermediate lake to a perennial deep lake environment. These results provide an additional sedimentological study for comparison to similar arid environment basins, and for comparison to existing regional paleoclimatic reconstructions.