Contemporary Deposition and Long-Term Accumulation of Sediment and Nutrients by Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands Impacted by Sea Level Rise

Contemporary deposition (artificial marker horizon, 3.5 years) and long-term accumulation rates (²¹⁰Pb profiles, ~150 years) of sediment and associated carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) were measured in wetlands along the tidal Savannah and Waccamaw rivers in the southeastern USA. Four sites along each river spanned an upstream-to-downstream salinification gradient, from upriver tidal freshwater forested wetland (TFFW), through moderately and highly salt-impacted forested wetlands, to oligohaline marsh downriver. Contemporary deposition rates (sediment, C, N, and P) were greatest in oligohaline marsh and lowest in TFFW along both rivers. Greater rates of deposition in oligohaline and salt-stressed forested wetlands were associated with a shift to greater clay and metal content that is likely associated with a change from low availability of watershed-derived sediment to TFFW and to greater availability of a coastal sediment source to oligohaline wetlands. Long-term accumulation rates along the Waccamaw River had the opposite spatial pattern compared to contemporary deposition, with greater rates in TFFW that declined to oligohaline marsh. Long-term sediment and elemental mass accumulation rates also were 3–9× lower than contemporary deposition rates. In comparison to other studies, sediment and associated nutrient accumulation in TFFW are lower than downriver/estuarine freshwater, oligohaline, and salt marshes, suggesting a reduced capacity for surface sedimentation (short-term) as well as shallow soil processes (long-term sedimentation) to offset sea level rise in TFFW. Nonetheless, their potentially large spatial extent suggests that TFFW have a large impact on the transport and fate of sediment and nutrients in tidal rivers and estuaries.     

Iron Reduction Along an Inundation Gradient in a Tidal Sedge (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyperus malaccensis</Emphasis>) Marsh: the Rates,Pathways, and Contributions to Anaerobic Organic Matter Mineralization

Incubation experiments were adopted to characterize the rates and pathways of iron reduction and the contributions to anaerobic organic matter mineralization in the upper 0–5 cm of sediments along a landscape-scale inundation gradient in tidal marsh sediments in the Min River Estuary, Southeast China. Similar sediment characteristics, single-species vegetation, varied biomass and bioturbation, distinct porewater pH, redox potential, and electrical conductivity values have resulted in a unique ecogeochemical zonation along the inundation gradient. Decreases in solid-phase Fe(III) and increases in nonsulfidic Fe(II) and iron sulfide were observed in a seaward direction. Porewater Fe²⁺ was only detected in the upland area. High rates of iron reduction were observed in incubation jars, with significant accumulations of nonsulfidic Fe(II), moderate accumulations of iron sulfides, and negligible accumulations of porewater Fe²⁺. Most of the iron reduction was microbially mediated rather than coupled to reduced sulfides. Microbial iron reduction accounted for 20–89 % of the anaerobic organic matter mineralization along the inundation gradient. The rate and dominance of microbial iron reduction generally decreased in a seaward direction. The contributions of microbial iron reduction to anaerobic organic matter mineralization depended on the concentrations of bioavailable Fe(III), the spatial distribution of which was significantly related to tidal inundation. Our results clearly showed that microbial iron reduction in the upper sediments along the gradient is highly dependent on spatial scales controlled primarily by tidal inundation.     

Depth classification of underwater targets based on complex acoustic intensity of normal modes

In order to solve the problem of depth classification of the underwater target in a very low frequency acoustic field, the active component of cross spectra of particle pressure and horizontal velocity (ACCSPPHV) is adopted to distinguish the surface vessel and the underwater target. According to the effective depth of a Pekeris waveguide, the placing depth forecasting equations of passive vertical double vector hydrophones are proposed. Numerical examples show that when the sum of depths of two hydrophones is the effective depth, the sign distribution of ACCSPPHV has nothing to do with horizontal distance; in addition, the sum of the first critical surface and the second critical surface is equal to the effective depth. By setting the first critical surface less than the difference between the effective water depth and the actual water depth, that is, the second critical surface is greater than the actual depth, the three positive and negative regions of the whole ocean volume are equivalent to two positive and negative regions and therefore the depth classification of the underwater target is obtained. Besides, when the 20 m water depth is taken as the first critical surface in the simulation of underwater targets (40 Hz, 50 Hz, and 60 Hz respectively), the effectiveness of the algorithm and the correctness of relevant conclusions are verified, and the analysis of the corresponding forecasting performance is conducted.     

Tropical Atlantic climate response to different freshwater input in high latitudes with an ocean-only general circulation model

Tropical Atlantic climate change is relevant to the variation of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) through different physical processes. Previous coupled climate model simulation suggested a dipole-like SST structure cooling over the North Atlantic and warming over the South Tropical Atlantic in response to the slowdown of the AMOC. Using an ocean-only global ocean model here, an attempt was made to separate the total influence of various AMOC change scenarios into an oceanic-induced component and an atmospheric-induced component. In contrast with previous freshwater-hosing experiments with coupled climate models, the ocean-only modeling presented here shows a surface warming in the whole tropical Atlantic region and the oceanic-induced processes may play an important role in the SST change in the equatorial south Atlantic. Our result shows that the warming is partly governed by oceanic process through the mechanism of oceanic gateway change, which operates in the regime where freshwater forcing is strong, exceeding 0.3 Sv. Strong AMOC change is required for the gateway mechanism to work in our model because only when the AMOC is sufficiently weak, the North Brazil Undercurrent can flow equatorward, carrying warm and salty north Atlantic subtropical gyre water into the equatorial zone. This threshold is likely to be model-dependent. An improved understanding of these issues may have help with abrupt climate change prediction later.     

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。     

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。     

Mechanisms of partly flooded loose sand deposits

Partly flooded loose sand deposits are left back from lignite mining, particularly in east Germany. After flooding, gas inclusions in macropores enhance the pore pressure increase by total stress cycles without drainage, and this can cause the transition into a kind of suspension. Thus, natural and technical changes of surface loads triggered flow slides in chain reactions of sometimes catastrophic extent. Such collapsible deposits were and are stabilized by blast-induced liquefaction and densification. Successive collapse fronts in flooded grain skeletons are seismogeneous, and this appears as wavering in the near-field and leads to power-law spectra in the far-field. Apart from this evidence of mild fractality, the wild fractality of chain reactions eludes mathematical treatment. Therefore, uncommon methods of geotechnical design, operations and monitoring are required.