Geochemical and Isotopic Techniques Constraints on the Origin, Evolution, and Residence Time of Low-enthalpy Geothermal Water in Western Wugongshan, SE China

Geothermal resources are increasingly gaining attention as a competitive, clean energy source to address the energy crisis and mitigate climate change. The Wugongshan area, situated in the southeast coast geothermal belt of China, is a typical geothermal anomaly and contains abundant medium- and low-temperature geothermal resources. This study employed hydrogeochemical and isotopic techniques to explore the cyclic evolution of geothermal water in the western Wugongshan region, encompassing the recharge origin, water–rock interaction mechanisms, and residence time. The results show that the geothermal water in the western region of Wugongshan is weakly alkaline, with low enthalpy and mineralization levels. The hydrochemistry of geothermal waters is dominated by Na-HCO3 and Na-SO4, while the hydrochemistry types of cold springs are all Na-HCO3. The hydrochemistry types of surface waters and rain waters are Na-HCO3 or Ca-HCO3. The δD and δ18O values reveal that the geothermal waters are recharged by atmospheric precipitation at an altitude between 550.0 and 1218.6 m. Molar ratios of major solutes and isotopic compositions of 87Sr/86Sr underscore the significant role of silicate weathering, dissolution, and cation exchange in controlling geothermal water chemistry. Additionally, geothermal waters experienced varying degrees of mixing with cold water during their ascent. The δ13C values suggest that the primary sources of carbon in the geothermal waters were biogenic and organic. The δ34S value suggests that the sulfates in geothermal water originate from sulfide minerals in the surrounding rock. Age dating using 3H and 14C isotopes suggests that geothermal waters have a residence time exceeding 1 kaBP and undergo a long-distance cycling process.     

Diagnosis of trace metal contamination in sediments: the example of Ensenada and El Sauzal, two harbors in Baja California, Mexico

Total metal concentrations in sediments from within Ensenada and El Sauzal Harbors are generally higher than at the mouths. Grain-size analyses suggested that this enrichment could be due to the presence of fine-grained sediments in the inner part of the harbors rather than to anthropogenic perturbations. The (Me/Al)(sample) ratios for Pb, Co, Ni and Fe were significantly higher for Ensenada Harbor relative to El Sauzal Harbor, whereas the ratios for Cd, Mn, Zn and Cu were statistically equivalent for both harbors. Calculated enrichment factors [EF(Me)=(Me/Al)(sample)/(Me/Al)(shale)] indicated that the metals showing slight enrichment were those associated with anthropogenic contamination (Pb, Zn), or probably related to primary productivity in the water column (Cd, Co). The levels of most of the metals were not greatly enriched, a consideration that is of the utmost importance when contamination issues are at stake.     

Field detection of chlorophyll-a concentration in the sea surface layer by an airborne oceanographic lidar

An airborne oceanographic lidar, with a frequency-tripled Q-switched Nd： YAG laser of 355 nm, has been designed to measure chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） concentration in the sea surface layer by the Ocean Remote Sensing Institute, OUC. The field experiment was carried out in the bay which is located south of the Liaodong Peninsula on the 10th of September 2005. After the flight, the raw data were processed and analyzed by the fluorescence-to-Raman ratio method with seawater attenuation coefficients calculated from signal profiles. The results of Chl-a concentration sea water were also compared with those of Chl-a concentration by measurements by lidar are shown. The measurements in clear a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS）.     

Landscape change in response to multiperiod glacial debris flows in Peilong catchment,southeastern Tibet

High-magnitude glacial debris flows in small basins in Himalayas have a significant impact on landscape.The Peilong catchment,a tributary of the Parlung Zangbo river in southeastern Tibet,was chosen as a case study of topographic response to multi-period glacial debris flows.There are few large debris flow records in the catchment before 1983,but four large-scale glacial debris flows with peak discharge up to 8195 m3/s blocked the river during 1983–1985 and in 2015.A combination of field survey,examination of historical records and interpretation of multi-period remote sensing images was used to assess triggering factors and geomorphic impact of the events.The results show that the debris flows during 1983 and 1985 may be attributed to seismic events in 1981 and 1982,while the event in 2015 resulted from large amount of landslide deposits caused by glacier retreat during 1993~2013 and high precipitation in 2015.In the upper-midstream broad valley,erosion and accumulation of the debris flows changed the channel morphology,resulting in course diversion.In the lower-midstream narrow valley,lateral erosion of debris flows induced a large number of landslides but had little impact on the channel longitudinal profile.The ability of massive glacial debris flows to change valley topography is more than ten times that of regular water flows.The landscape of the accumulation fan at the outlet of the valley is controlled by the interaction between the sediment transportation capacity of debris flows and erosional capacity of the main river.The sediment transport capacity of the Peilong river is greater than the delivery capacity of the Parlung Zangbo river,resulting in continuous aggradation of the confluence zone.     

Evaluation of the four potential Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundaries in the Nanxiong Basin based on evidences from volcanic activity and paleoclimatic evolution

Determining the location of the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K-Pg) boundary in terrestrial strata is highly significant for studying the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems at the end of the Cretaceous(especially the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs). At present, research on terrestrial K-Pg boundaries worldwide is concentrated in the middle and high latitudes, such as North America and Northeast China. Although many studies have also been carried out in the Nanxiong Basin, located at low latitudes(which has become the standard for dividing and comparing the continental K-Pg stratigraphy in China), many researchers have proposed four possible boundaries from different perspectives. Therefore, the exact location remains to be determined. In this study, the total mercury(Hg) content, environmental magnetism, geochemistry, and other parameters for the samples collected near the four boundaries were determined and compared with existing records. Results indicated that: 1) The total Hg content significantly increased in the upper part of the Zhenshui Formation and Pingling part of the Shanghu Formation with sharp fluctuations. As per latest dating results of Deccan Traps, the significantly high Hg value was attributed to the Deccan Traps eruption. Boundary 1 was located in the middle of the Hg anomaly interval, which was consistent with the relationship between the global K-Pg boundary and time of volcanic eruption. 2) The reconstructed paleoclimate evolution curve revealed that the red sediments in the basin recorded the late Maastrichtian warming event(66.2 Ma). Regarding the relationship between the four boundaries and this warming event, only boundary 1 was found to be closest to the real K-Pg boundary of the Nanxiong Basin.     

Anisotropic dispersion mechanism of inter-salt shale oil reservoir in terrestrial saline lake sediments using cross-band experiments

The rock mechanical properties and elastic anisotropy of terrestrial shale oil reservoirs are affected by various factors,such as lithology, structure, pores, fractures, and fluids. The experimental study of dynamic and static elastic properties can provide important mechanism analysis for the prediction of geological and engineering “sweet spots” in shale reservoirs. There are a large number of studies on the measurement of static mechanical properties of shale, but the experiments on dynamic c...     

Molecular evolution of nitrogen-containing compounds in highly mature organic matter: Implications for the hydrocarbon generation potential

Evaluating the hydrocarbon generation potential of highly mature organic matter is a key and critically challenging area of research in petroleum geochemistry. To explore this issue, we used negative ion electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry to investigate the molecular evolution of N-containing compounds in Carboniferous-lower Permian source rocks with a range of maturities in the northwestern Junggar Basin, China. The N₁ compounds formed...     

From active fault segmentation to risks of earthquake hazards and property and life losses——A case study from the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault zone

Strong earthquakes generally rupture along active faults, and associated ground motion can cause earthquake disasters, property losses, and casualties from kilometers to tens of kilometers away. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to find earthquake’s dangerous parts of faults is to study the seismic hazards on fault segments. After that, we can also evaluate the probabilities of landslides hazard, property losses, and casualties. In this study, using fault slip rates and magnitude-frequen...