Submarine landslides on the north continental slope of the South China Sea

Recent and paleo-submarine landslides are widely distributed within strata in deep-water areas along continental slopes, uplifts, and carbonate platforms on the north continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS). In this paper, high-resolution 3D seismic data and multibeam data based on seismic sedimentology and geomorphology are employed to assist in identifying submarine landslides. In addition, deposition models are proposed that are based on specific geological structures and features, and which illustrate the local stress field over entire submarine landslides in deep-water areas of the SCS. The SCS is one of the largest fluvial sediment sinks in enclosed or semi-enclosed marginal seas worldwide. It therefore provides a set of preconditions for the formation of submarine landslides, including rapid sediment accumulation, formation of gas hydrates, and fluid overpressure. A new concept involving temporal and spatial analyses is tested to construct a relationship between submarine landslides and different time scale trigger mechanisms, and three mechanisms are discussed in the context of spatial scale and temporal frequency: evolution of slope gradient and overpressure, global environmental changes, and tectonic events. Submarine landslides that are triggered by tectonic events are the largest but occur less frequently, while submarine landslides triggered by the combination of slope gradient and over-pressure evolution are the smallest but most frequently occurring events. In summary, analysis shows that the formation of submarine landslides is a complex process involving the operation of different factors on various time scales.     

Seismic stratigraphy of the Qiongdongnan deep sea channel system,northwest South China Sea

Based on more than 4000 km 2D seismic data and seismic stratigraphic analysis, we discussed the extent and formation mechanism of the Qiongdongnan deep sea channel. The Qiongdongnan deep sea channel is a large incised channel which extends from the east boundary of the Yinggehai Basin, through the whole Qiongdongnan and the Xisha trough, and terminates in the western part of the northwest subbasin of South China Sea. It is more than 570 km long and 4–8 km wide. The chaotic (or continuous) middle (or high) a...     

Seismic characteristics of a reef carbonate reservoir and implications for hydrocarbon exploration in deepwater of the Qiongdongnan Basin,northern South China Sea

Our analysis of approximately 40,000 km of multichannel 2-D seismic data, reef oil-field seismic data, and data from several boreholes led to the identification of two areas of reef carbonate reservoirs in deepwater areas (water depth ≥ 500 m) of the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB), northern South China Sea. High-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis revealed that the transgressive and highstand system tracts of the mid-Miocene Meishan Formation in the Beijiao and Ledong–Lingshui Depressions developed reef carbonates. The seismic features of the reef carbonates in these two areas include chaotic bedding, intermittent internal reflections, chaotic or blank reflections, mounded reflections, and apparent amplitude anomalies, similar to the seismic characteristics of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the Dongsha Uplift and Island Reef of the Salawati Basin, Indonesia, which house large oil fields. The impedance values of reefs in the Beijiao and Ledong–Lingshui Depressions are 8000–9000 g/cc × m/s. Impedance sections reveal that the impedance of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the northern South China Sea is 8000–10000 g/cc × m/s, whereas that of pure limestone in BD23-1-1 is >10000 g/cc × m/s. The mid-Miocene paleogeography of the Beijiao Depression was dominated by offshore and neritic environments, with only part of the southern Beijiao uplift emergent at that time. The input of terrigenous sediments was relatively minor in this area, meaning that terrigenous source areas were insignificant in terms of the Beijiao Depression; reef carbonates were probably widely distributed throughout the depression, as with the Ledong–Lingshui Depression. The combined geological and geophysical data indicate that shelf margin atolls were well developed in the Beijiao Depression, as in the Ledong–Lingshui Depression where small-scale patch or pinnacle reefs developed. These reef carbonates are promising reservoirs, representing important targets for deepwater hydrocarbon exploration.     

Fine-grained Pleistocene deepwater turbidite channel system on the slope of Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Recently, as oil exploitation has become focused on deepwater slope areas, more multi-channel high resolution 2D and 3D seismic data were acquired in the deepwater part of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea. Based on 3D seismic data and coherence time slice, RMS and 3D visualization, a series of deepwater channels were recognized on the slope that probably developed in the late Quaternary period. These channels trend SW–NE to W–E and show bifurcations, levees, meander loops and avulsions. High Amplitude Reflections (HARs), typical for channel–levee complexes, are of only minor importance and were observed in one of the channel systems. Most of the detected channels are characterized by low-amplitude reflections, and so are different from the typical coarse-grained turbidite channels that had been discovered worldwide. The absence of well data in the study area made it difficult to determine the age and lithology of these channels. Using a neighboring drill hole and published data about such depositional systems worldwide, the lithology of these channels is likely to be dominated by mudstones with interbedded thin sandstones. These channels are formed by turbidity currents originated from the little scale mountain river of mid-Vietnam in SW direction and were probably accompanied by a relative sea level drop in the last glacial age. These channels discovered on the northern South China Sea slope are likely to be fine-grained, mud-dominant and low N:G deposits in a deepwater paleogeographic setting.     

侵入砂体对深水油气勘探的研究意义

侵入砂体是指深水沉积砂体在超压流体作用下侵入至上覆泥质沉积物中形成的砂体,它是深水盆地松散沉积物变形构造中常见的地质现象。侵入砂体由于其特殊的形成特点,可以明显改变原生沉积地层的几何形态和深水沉积物的物性参数,进而使储层复杂化,影响深水油气的勘探与开发,主要表现在:①侵入砂体改变了深水储层的性质及分布;②侵入砂体可能形成油气运移或散失的通道,并且改变了深水油气储层的垂向连通性;③大规模的侵入砂体本身也可以作为良好的油气储层;④侵入砂体的研究可以揭示未固结砂的流动机理,对于研究深水环境中广泛出现的浅水流的成因具有重要的借鉴意义。     

准噶尔盆地成藏动力学系统划分

本文在对成藏动力学系统的概念重新描述的基础上,选择经历了多旋回构造与沉积演化的准噶尔盆地进行成藏动力学系统划分。准噶尔盆地发育6套烃源岩、多套储集层、2套区域性盖层和数个局部盖层,它们构成6套生、储、盖组合。同时,钻井揭示盆地超压发育,结合测井与地震资料,将地层压力在垂向上划分为2个常压系统和3个超压系统。该盆地垂向通道众多,构造活动期流体上下连通性好,整体可划为一个复杂的成藏动力学系统。然而,断裂活动具幕式特征,相对盆地演化史,大部分时期处于静止封闭状态。因此,进一步将准噶尔盆地划分为6个成藏动力学子系统:①二叠系自源超压半封闭型成藏动力学子系统;②三叠系他源超压半封闭型成藏动力学子系统;③侏罗系混源超压半封闭型成藏动力学子系统;④白垩系—侏罗系混源常压开放型成藏动力学子系统;⑤古近系—白垩系混源超压封闭型成藏动力学子系统;⑥新近系他源常压开放型成藏动力学子系统。不同的子系统,成藏条件、成藏动力和成藏规律不同。     

Identification of fucans from four species of sea cucumber by high temperature 1H NMR

Acidic polysaccharide, which has various biological activities, is one of the most important components of sea cucumber. In the present study, crude polysaccharide was extracted from four species of sea cucumber from three different geographical zones, Pearsonothuria graeffei (Pg) from Indo-Pacific, Holothuria vagabunda (Hv) from Norwegian Coast, Stichopus tremulu (St) from Western Indian Ocean, and Isostichopus badionotu (Ib) from Western Atlantic. The polysaccharide extract was separated and purified with a cellulose DEAE anion-exchange column to obtain corresponding sea cucumber fucans (SC-Fucs). The chemical property of these SC-Fucs, including molecular weight, monosaccharide composition and sulfate content, was determined. Their structure was compared simply with fourier infrared spectrum analyzer and identified with high temperature ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum analyzer (NMR) and room temperature ¹³C NMR. The results indicated that Fuc-Pg obtained from the torrid zone mainly contained 2,4-O-disulfated and non-sulfated fucose residue, whereas Fuc-Ib from the temperate zone contained non-, 2-O- and 2,4-O-disulfated fucose residue; Fuc-St from the frigid zone and Fuc-Hv from the torrid zone contained mainly non-sulfated fucose residue. The proton of SC-Fucs was better resolved via high temperature ¹H NMR than via room temperature ¹H NMR. The fingerprint of sea cucumber in different sea regions was established based on the index of anomer hydrogen signal in SC-Fucs. Further work will help to understand whether there exists a close relationship between the geographical area of sea cucumber and the sulfation pattern of SC-Fucs.     

The Research Progress of Turbidity Currents and Related Deep-water Bedforms

Since turbidity current was reported in the 19th century, its flow dynamics, depositional processes and products have drawn much attention of geoscience community. In the last decades, with the help of rapid development of geophysical technology in deep-water areas, superficial bedforms formed by turbidity currents like cyclic steps have been widely documented on the seafloor, and they have been interpreted to be closely related to turbidite facies defined by the Bouma sequence. However, there is still a lack of direct observation on turbidity currents due to difficulties in the design and deployment of flow-measuring instruments under the sea. Such difficulties also result in much uncertainties in the explanations for the formation of bedforms and related flow processes. This paper summarized and discussed current research status of turbidity-currents classification, the formation and evolution of bedforms. Examples of supercritical-bedform studies using various methods such as experiments, numerical simulation, bathymetric data and seismic data, were shown in this paper. As one of main supercritical flow bedforms, cyclic steps were described in detail in this paper, including its formation, evolution and relationship with Bouma sequence. The variations in initial bed morphology and hydrodynamic parameters are responsible for the changes in the shapes of bedforms. Turbidites formed under different hydrodynamic conditions correspond to different units of Bouma sequence. Not all turbidity events can form a complete Bouma sequence. Therefore, traditional Bouma sequence cannot be applied to all turbidite studies. A more complete turbidite facies model must be established through studies from modern deep-sea sediments, outcrops, physical and numerical simulations. Additionally, turbidity currents and related supercritical bedforms are receiving more and more attention. They are important components of understanding the dynamic evolution of deep-water continental slope. The study of cyclic steps and other bedforms related to turbidity currents not only helps to characterize flow dynamics, but also provides a theoretical basis for the research of turbidite reservoirs. Finally, we proposed future research directions of turbidity currents and their related supercritical bedforms.     

The assessment of submarine slope instability in Baiyun Sag using gray clustering method

It is a significant task to evaluate the seafloor stability for the exploitation of marine resources and the construction of marine structures. This paper analyzes the impact factors of submarine slope instability using geological and geophysical data of the Baiyun Sag in the Pearl River Mouth Basin and builds the evaluation index system of submarine slope instability. The weight of each index is calculated by analytic hierarchy process method to weaken subjective effect. Gray clustering method is applied to estimate the risk of submarine slope instability in Baiyun Sag qualitatively and quantitatively. The assessment standard is divided into five grades, and the whitening function of each gray cluster is determined by the assessment scheme. The gray evaluation weight vector of each indicator is calculated by the table-dispatching method. The gray assessment value is estimated by making the gray assessment weight vector single value, and the gray grade is determined according to the maximum principle. The evaluation results show quantitatively that the risk grade of submarine slope instability in the Baiyun Sag is medium, and the gray clustering method is reasonable and feasible.     

Analysis of the effects of slope geometry on the dynamic response of a near-field mountain from the Wenchuan Earthquake

Fourier spectra and acceleration response spectra of near-field acceleration records of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake have been calculated. Relative fundamental frequencies (or predominant periods) were characterized. Then, the natural frequencies of a range of slopes with different geometric characteristics, such as height, slope ratio, and pattern, were analyzed. The seismic responses of the slopes were compared, and the variability of seismic response with the above geometric elements was found. Results show that if slope height increases, and provided that other conditions are unchanged, the natural frequency of the first mode of a double-surface slope will change as a power law. However, natural frequencies will diminish (based on a parabolic function) as the slope angle becomes large. Both the surface pattern and the number of surfaces on a slope can have a great impact on the seismic response of the slope. Moreover, within a certain range of slope heights or angles, either height or angle will also greatly influence the variability of the seismic response. The results of this research will be helpful to understanding seismic dynamic response features and explaining the ways that slope stability can be affected by earthquakes