Diploptene: an indicator of terrigenous organic carbon in Washington coastal sediments

The pentacyclic triterpene 17 beta(H),21 beta(H)-hop-22(29)-ene (diploptene) occurs in sediments throughout the Columbia River drainage basin and off the southern coast of Washington state in concentrations comparable to long-chain plantwax n-alkanes. The same relationship is evident for diploptene and long-chain n-alkanes in soils from the Willamette Valley. Microorganisms indigenous to soils and soil erosion are indicated as the biological source and physical process, respectively, for diploptene in coastal sediments. Similarity between the stable carbon isotopic composition (delta 13CPDB) of diploptene isolated from soil in the Willamette Valley (-31.2 +/- 0.3%) and from sediments deposited throughout the Washington coastal environment (-31.2 +/- 0.5%) supports this argument. Values of delta for diploptene in river sediments are variable and 8-17% lighter, indicating that an additional biological source such as methane-oxidizing bacteria makes a significant contribution to the diploptene record in river sediments. Selective biodegradation resulting from a difference in the physicochemical association within eroded particles can explain the absence of the more-13C-depleted form of diploptene in Washington coastal sediments, but this mechanism remains unproven.     

Fractionation of carbon isotopes by phytoplankton and estimates of ancient CO2 levels

Reports of the 13C content of marine particulate organic carbon are compiled and on the basis of GEOSECS data and temperatures, concentrations, and isotopic compositions of dissolved CO2 in the waters in which the related phytoplankton grew are estimated. In this way, the fractionation of carbon isotopes during photosynthetic fixation of CO2 is found to be significantly correlated with concentrations of dissolved CO2. Because ancient carbon isotopic fractionations have been determined from analyses of sedimentary porphyrins [Popp et al., 1989], the relationship between isotopic fractionation and concentrations of dissolved CO2 developed here can be employed to estimate concentrations of CO2 dissolved in ancient oceans and, in turn, partial pressures of CO2 in ancient atmospheres. The calculations take into account the temperature dependence of chemical and isotopic equilibria in the dissolved-inorganic-carbon system and of air-sea equilibria. Paleoenvironmental temperatures for each sample are estimated from reconstructions of paleogeography, latitudinal temperature gradients, and secular changes in low-latitude sea surface temperature. It is estimated that atmospheric partial pressures of CO2 were over 1000 micro atm 160 - 100 Ma ago, then declined to values near 300 micro atm during the next 100 Ma. Analysis of a high-resolution record of carbon isotopic fractionation at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary suggests that the partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere was drawn down from values near 840 micro atm to values near 700 micro atm during the anoxic event.     

攀西裂谷存在吗？

大陆裂谷以地幔上隆、岩石圈伸展、减薄、断陷和沉降为特征，伸展构造环境是大陆裂谷形成的必要条件和本质特征。中国学者以前所认为攀枝花-西昌裂谷的主要标志是海西期层状堆晶杂岩、晚二叠世峨眉山玄武岩、印支期环状碱性杂岩和晚三叠世裂谷盆地沉积。最近一系列研究成果表明攀西地区海西期-印支期构造岩浆热事件是地幔柱和岩石圈相互作用的结果，不是裂谷作用的产物。进一步对上扬子西缘二叠纪-三叠纪的沉积作用和构造特征综合分析表明攀西地区不存在裂谷盆地沉积。该区晚二叠世-中三叠世为古陆隆起遭受剥蚀，晚三叠世断陷型类磨拉石建造是前陆走滑复合盆地的产物。本文根据对攀西地区二叠纪-三叠纪的岩浆活动、沉积作用、构造特征和地球物理资料等方面综合研究对攀西裂谷的存在提出质疑，并以峨眉山地幔柱活动为主线探讨了攀西地区古生代和中生代的地质构造演化历史。     

滇西孟连曼信一带火山岩微枕状构造特征及其地质意义——兼论曼信—老厂一带火山岩时代

首次发现报道了曼信一带海相火山岩微枕状构造的地质特征。主要根据野外第一手资料，分析探讨了曼信—老厂一带火山岩的时代，主要认识是：“依柳组”火山岩的主要形成于晚二叠世；老厂地区泥盆纪—中晚石炭世有少量基性—中性火山活动及三叠纪火山活动。     

火星资源赋存状况及其原位利用技术研究进展与展望

太空资源的勘探及利用是深空探测的重要目的之一。火星是人类最容易到达和资源利用最为迫切的行星,对火星资源进行勘查和原位利用是未来火星载人探测及基地建设需要解决的重要问题。本文对火星大气资源、水资源、土壤与岩石矿物资源、风能与太阳能资源等可利用资源的类型及赋存状况进行了分析,制作了火星资源的全球分布图,并从资源分布的角度提出了未来火星资源探测及火星基地建设的首选区域。同时,本文也总结了火星原位资源利用技术的研究进展及问题,认为未来需要从以下几个方面开展进一步研究：加强火星资源的针对性勘查与评估;开发新的资源利用模式与技术;建立资源利用成本的综合评估模型;完善资源开发与利用相关的法律法规。     

An index of biotic integrity based on the summer polyhaline zooplankton community of the Chesapeake Bay

A zooplankton index of biotic integrity was developed for the polyhaline waters of the Chesapeake Bay using data from a long-term environmental assessment program in which both zooplankton and water quality were regularly monitored. Summer (July to September) sampling events were classified as either coming from impaired or reference (least-impaired) conditions based on water quality conditions. Seventeen zooplankton community metrics were evaluated under these criteria and nine were chosen for a composite index. These were the Simpson diversity index, and abundance of barnacle larvae, rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, total mesozooplankton, and predators. The composite index of biotic integrity correctly classified about 94% of the impaired samples and about 82% of the reference samples. Average classification efficiency was 88%. This index appears to be an effective measure of eutrophication for the summer polyhaline waters of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.