Tide and current observations in the central Chukchi Sea during the summer of 2012

Current data from a moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(ADCP) deployed at 69?30.155′N,169?00.654′W in the central Chukchi Sea during 2012 summertime is analyzed in the present paper.Characteristics of tidal and residual currents are ob-tained with Cosine-Lanczos filter and cross-spectral analyses.The main achievements are as follows:1) Along with the local inertial frequency of 12.8 h,two other peaks at ~12-h and ~10-d dominate the time series of raw velocity;2) The M_2 dominates the 6 resolved tide constituents with significant amplitude variations over depth and the ratios of current speed of this constituent to that of the total tidal current are 54% and 47% for u and v components,respectively.All the resolved tidal constituents rotate clockwise at depth with the exception of MM and O1.The constituents of M_2 and S_2 with the largest major semi-axes are similar in eccentricity and orientation at deeper levels;3) The maximum of residual currents varies in a range of 20–30 cms~(-1) over depth and the current with lower velocities flow more true north with smaller magnitudes compared to the current in surface layer.The ~10 d fluctuation of residual current is found throughout the water column and attributed to the response of current to the local wind forcing,with an approximate 1.4 d lag-time at the surface level and occurring several hours later in the lower layer;4) Mean residual currents flow toward the north with the magnitudes smaller than 7 cms~(-1) in a general agreement with previous studies,which suggests a relatively weaker but stable northward flow indeed exists in the central Chukchi Sea.     

Phase characteristic analysis of continuous depth air-gun source wavelet

Air guns are important sources for marine seismic exploration. Far-field wavelet of air gun arrays, as a necessary parameter for pre-stack processing and source models, plays an important role during marine seismic data processing and interpretation. When an air gun fires, it generates a series of air bubbles. Similar to onshore seismic exploration, the water forms a plastic fluid near the bubble; the farther the air gun is located from the measurement, the more steady and more accurately represented the wavelet will be. In practice, hydrophones should be placed more than 100 m from the air gun; however, traditional seismic cables cannot meet this requirement. On the other hand, vertical cables provide a viable solution to this problem. This study uses a vertical cable to receive wavelets from 38 air guns and data are collected offshore Southeast Qiong, where the water depth is over 1000 m. In this study, the wavelets measured using this technique coincide very well with the simulated wavelets and can therefore represent the real shape of the wavelets. This experiment fills a technology gap in China.     

Zircon M127 – A Homogeneous Reference Material for SIMS U–Pb Geochronology Combined with Hafnium,Oxygen and,Potentially, Lithium Isotope Analysis

In this article, we document a detailed analytical characterisation of zircon M127, a homogeneous 12.7 carat gemstone from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. Zircon M127 has TIMS‐determined mean U–Pb radiogenic isotopic ratios of 0.084743 ± 0.000027 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U and 0.67676 ± 0.00023 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²³⁵U (weighted means, 2s uncertainties). Its ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 524.36 ± 0.16 Ma (95% confidence uncertainty) is concordant within the uncertainties of decay constants. The δ¹⁸O value (determined by laser fluorination) is 8.26 ± 0.06‰ VSMOW (2s), and the mean ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf ratio (determined by solution ICP‐MS) is 0.282396 ± 0.000004 (2s). The SIMS‐determined δ⁷Li value is ?0.6 ± 0.9‰ (2s), with a mean mass fraction of 1.0 ± 0.1 μg g^?1 Li (2s). Zircon M127 contains ~ 923 μg g^?1 U. The moderate degree of radiation damage corresponds well with the time‐integrated self‐irradiation dose of 1.82 × 10¹⁸ alpha events per gram. This observation, and the (U–Th)/He age of 426 ± 7 Ma (2s), which is typical of unheated Sri Lankan zircon, enable us to exclude any thermal treatment. Zircon M127 is proposed as a reference material for the determination of zircon U–Pb ages by means of SIMS in combination with hafnium and stable isotope (oxygen and potentially also lithium) determination.     

Provenance of buried esker groundwater: the case of Vars-Winchester esker aquifer,Eastern Ontario,Canada

An innovative mode of groundwater recharge to a buried esker aquifer is considered. The current conceptual model affords a natural safeguard to underlying aquifers from the overlying muds. A hypothesis of groundwater recharge to a buried esker aquifer via preferential pathways across its overlying muds is tested here by heuristic numerical one-dimensional and two-dimensional modeling simulations. The hypothesis has been tested against two other conventionally accepted scenarios involving: (1) distal esker outcrop areas and (2) remote shallow-bedrock recharge areas. The main evidence comes from documented recharge pressure pulses in the overlying mud aquitard and in the underlying esker hydraulic-head time series for the Vars-Winchester esker aquifer in Eastern Ontario, Canada. These perturbations to the potentiometric surface are believed to be the aquifer response to recharge events. The migration rate of these pressure pulses is directly related to the hydraulic diffusivity of the formation. The measured response time and response amplitude between singular radar precipitation events and well hydrographs constituted the heuristic model calibration targets. The main evidence also includes mud-layering deformation (water escape features) which was observed in seismic surveys of the over-esker muds. These disturbed stratigraphic elements provide a realistic mechanism for migrating water to transit through the muds. The effective hydraulic conductivities of these preferential pathways in the muds were estimated to be between 2?×?10^?6 and 7?×?10^?6 m/s. The implications of these findings relate to the alleged natural safeguard of these overlying muds.     

渤海湾海岸带地区~(137)Cs参考剖面——意义、方法及初步结果

海岸带地区近百年来的现代地质过程重建必须以精确的年代学研究为基础,~(137)Cs时标法和~(210)Pb_(exc)测年法是目前广泛应用的方法。由于易受到河流沉积物供给变化、潮位状况、极端天气事件等的影响,海岸带现代过程的定量研究一直是高分辨率研究的瓶颈。区域性参考剖面可以提升现代沉积物测年方法在海岸带应用中的可靠性。因此,建立区域性的~(210)Pb_(exc)和~(137)Cs比活度-深度参考剖面,将改善对海岸带及邻近海区实测数据的解释。以渤海湾海岸带为研究区,选取沉积环境相对稳定、水平搬运作用较小的地区,采用人工探坑、Eijkelkamp槽型取样器获取了2个柱状岩心,通过γ能谱仪对样品进行~(210)Pb、~(226)Ra及~(137)Cs比活度测试,绘制剖面图,结合研究区已有数据,总结出6类海岸带常见的~(210)Pb_(exc)和~(137)Cs比活度-深度剖面类型,并重建了渤海湾海岸带~(137)Cs区域性参考剖面。结果显示,~(137)Cs在渤海湾地区的最大峰值指示1963年,可以作为区域性主要参考时标。但是,最大峰值上部的次峰在不同区域指示不同的时标,S4和S5两个站位该峰值指示的并非1986年时标。     

津冀海岸线现状、变化特征及保护建议

根据覆盖全区的3期遥感影像和实地调查,以及对滨海新区和滦河口2个典型区更深入的案例研究(包括回溯至1870年、1950年的基准岸线及逐年遥感信息),对津冀沿海海岸线现状进行解译和分类,并分析岸线变化特征及成因。津冀沿海现状岸线总长度894km,可以划分为自然岸线、半开发岸线和人工岸线3类,长度分别为90km、329km和475km。1950年以前为自然因素主导的岸线变化,1950年以后变为人类活动主导的岸线向海推进,逐渐加强的人类活动至2010年达到顶峰。在全球海面上升和区域地面下沉的大背景下,海岸线的自然演化趋势应该是向陆蚀退,但是人类活动主导的岸线变化却表现为违反自然趋势的向海推进。今后,向海推进最前沿的围海造陆区将受到来自海洋越来越强烈的影响,亟需加强监测和防护。兼顾环境保护与开发两方面的长远需求,建议赋予海岸线新的定义与内涵,划定岸线保护红线,恢复部分岸线的自然属性。     

莱州湾南岸全新世相对海平面变化重建

在对莱州湾南岸8个钻孔沉积物沉积结构及有孔虫特征分析基础上,识别相关海面标志层位,辅以加速器质谱AMS14C测年,重建了全新世相对海面变化历史,并讨论了海面变化的沉积响应及控制因素。约9200cal BP以前,海面快速上升,研究区海侵时海面于-21.5m左右;9200~8400cal BP海面上升速率减缓至约2mm/a;8400~8000cal BP海面由-14m快速上升至-5.5m,速率约为33mm/a;8000~7600cal BP,海面持续数百年停滞或微弱下降;7600~7000cal BP海面由-5.5m快速上升至0m以上,速率至少约为13mm/a;7000~6000cal BP海面缓慢上升至+2~+3m位置,速率约为3mm/a;约6000cal BP以后海面缓慢下降至现今水平。约9200cal BP以前、8400~8000cal BP、7600~7000cal BP时期的3次海面快速上升,是MWP-1C融水脉冲、诱发8.2ka冷事件的融水脉冲,以及MWP-2融水脉冲的中纬度地区响应。中全新世全球冰融趋于停滞后,由于研究区沉积盆地沉降速度较慢,在冰川均衡调整效应下,使+2~+3m的相对高海面得以呈现。     

西藏改则县多不扎地区上侏罗统对望山组的建立及意义

对望山组是发育在羌南板块南缘的一套岩石组合,以安山岩、流纹岩、玄武质凝灰岩为主,有少量的玄武安山岩夹层,具有明显的岩浆喷出相和沉积相韵律分布的特点。利用LA-ICP-MS同位素定年技术对对望山组安山岩中的锆石进行了U-Pb同位素测年,获得锆石的~(206)Pb/~(238)U年龄加权平均值为150.5±0.6Ma,表明对望山组的形成时代为晚侏罗世中晚期,在详细剖面测制和区域对比的基础上建立了对望山组。对望山组的建立对完善班公湖-怒江缝合带的地层系统、探讨班公湖-怒江洋的晚侏罗世构造演化具有重要的地质意义。     

渤海湾西岸QX02孔Ⅱ海的识别及OSL年龄

以渤海湾沿海低地的QX02孔为研究对象,进行了沉积岩石学分析和底栖有孔虫统计,结合加速器质谱~(14)C测年和光释光(optically stimulated luminescence,OSL)测年,探讨了该孔记录的第Ⅱ海相层埋深和形成时代。第Ⅱ海相层厚度11.4m,记录相对海面高度-26.83~-15.43m。AMS~(14)C年龄表明,Ⅱ海形成于MIS 3早期、甚至更早。OSL年代学研究显示,Ⅱ海样品等效剂量离散度较高,并且主要集中在2个区间,计算得到新、老2个年龄阶段。基于OSL测年原理的常规判断,认为较老的83.5~62.6ka阶段系受曝光不充分组分的影响,通常采用较年轻的51.9~39.9ka阶段为QX02孔的Ⅱ海沉积年龄。但是,较老的一组年龄从新的视角,暗示了可能的原始沉积过程及相应的海侵发生时间,因而具有重要的年代学和沉积学意义。     

渤海湾巨葛庄贝壳堤与下伏泥层有孔虫组合的海面变化意义

根据巨葛庄贝壳堤及下伏泥层的有孔虫研究,讨论了贝壳堤底板和下伏泥层各类沉积环境的海面意义,以此作为海面标志点重建的古海面误差范围为±0.225~±0.625m。结合该贝壳堤底板和下伏泥层顶板的年龄数据,重建了3900~3300cal BP时的海面高度为-2.955~-2.715m。