Rare earth element fingerprints in Korean coastal bay sediments: Association with provenance discrimination

Rare earth elements (REEs: La-Lu) in surface sediments collected from the mouth and middle tidal flats of Gomso Bay, South Korea, in August 2011 and May 2012 were analyzed to investigate the fine-grained sediment provenance. The upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized light REEs (LREEs: La to Nd) were more enriched than the middle REEs (MREEs: Sm to Dy) and heavy REEs (HREEs: Ho to Lu), resulting in large (La/Yb)_UCC (1.9 ± 0.4) to (Gd/Yb)_UCC (1.4 ± 0.2) ratios. The monthly (La/Yb)_UCC values differed between the mouth and middle tidal flats due to deposition of fine-grained sediments that originated from distant rivers (the Geum and Yeongsan) and the Jujin Stream, located on the southern shore of the inner bay. We observed relative reductions in the (La/Yb)_UCC value and REE content in the sediments from the mouth of the bay compared with those from Jujin Stream sediments. Confined to the middle tidal flat around the KH Line of Jujin Stream, the sediments, most enriched in LREEs but depleted in Eu, were distributed in August as strong Jujin Stream runs. Here, we suggest that an increase in LREE/HREE and decrease in MREE/LREE ratios can be used as a proxy to identify the Jujin Stream provenance in mixed riverine sediments and to trace Jujin Stream sediments within the Gomso Bay tidal flat, especially in the summer rainy season.     

Genetic stock identification of immature chum salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus keta</Emphasis>) in the western Bering Sea, 2004

Genetic stock identification studies have been widely applied to Pacific salmon species to estimate stock composition of complex mixed-stock fisheries. In a September-October 2004 survey, 739 chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) specimens were collected from 23 stations in the western Bering Sea. We determined the genetic stock composition of immature chum salmon based on the previous mitochondria DNA baseline. Each regional estimate was computed based on the conditional maximum likelihood method using 1,000 bootstrap resampling and then pooled to the major regional groups: Korea - Japan - Primorie (KJP) / Russia (RU) / Northwest Alaska (NWA) / Alaska Peninsula - Southcentral Alaska - Southeast Alaska - British Columbia - Washington (ONA). The stock composition of immature chum salmon in the western Bering Sea was a mix of 0.424 KJP, 0.421 RU, 0.116 NWA, and 0.039 ONA stocks. During the study period, the contribution of Asian chum salmon stocks gradually changed from RU to KJP stock. In addition, North American populations from NWA and ONA were small but present near the vicinity of the Russian coast and the Commander Islands, suggesting that the study areas in the western Bering Sea were an important migration route for Pacific chum salmon originating both from Asia and North America during the months of September and October. These results make it possible to better understand the chum salmon stock composition of the mixed-stock fisheries in the western Bering Sea and the stock-specific distribution pattern of chum salmon on the high-seas.     

Responses of meiofauna and nematode communities to crude oil contamination in a laboratory microcosm experiment

We examined the effects of crude oil contamination on community assemblages of meiofauna and nematodes after exposure to total petroleum hydrocarbons in the laboratory. We administered a seawater solution that had been contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons to seven treatment groups at different concentrations, while the control group received uncontaminated filtered seawater. The average density of total meiofauna in the experimental microcosms diluted with 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% contaminated seawater was higher than the density in the control. The average density of total meiofauna in the 8%, 15%, and 20% microcosms was lower than the density in the control. The density of nematodes was similar to that of the total meiofauna. Cluster analysis divided the microcosms into group 1 (control, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% microcosms) and group 2 (8%, 15%, and 20% microcosms). However, SIMPROF analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Bolbolaimus spp. (37.1%) were dominant among the nematodes. Cluster analysis showed similar results for nematode and meiofaunal communities. The total meiofaunal density, nematode density, and number of Bolbolaimus spp. individuals were significantly negatively associated with the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (Spearman correlation coefficients, p < 0.05). Within the nematodes, epistrate feeders (group 2A: 46%) were the most abundant trophic group. Among the treatment groups, the abundance of group 2A increased in low-concentration microcosms and decreased in high-concentration microcosms. Thus, our findings provide information on the effects of oil pollution on meiofauna in the intertidal zones of sandy beaches.     

海洋重力测量数据精度分析

海洋重力测量仪器工作环境的特殊性,决定了其测量数据精度分析与检测难以方便实现。在分析一般数据处理方法的基础上,研究了海洋重力测量精度分析的特点,采用一种以重复测线不符值、测线网交叉点不符值的标准差对海洋重力测量的内符合精度进行分析,并根据重复测线、交叉点内符合精度评估方法,通过对某型海洋重力测量仪器的多次航行试验,获取了该型仪器测量数据的部分精度数据,分析结果表明该方法可以全面衡量仪器性能。     

Strategy of photo-protection in phytoplankton assemblages in the Kongsfjorden,Svalbard, Arctic

Photo-protective functions were investigated in phytoplankton assemblages at Kongsfjorden, Svalbard in spring, using their UV-absorbing compounds (mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs)), xanthophyll pigments (diadinoxanthin (DD) and diatoxanthin (DT)) and < beta >- dimethylsulphoniopropionate (< beta >_-DMSP). The dominant phytoplankton species in the inner bay were dominated by Phaeocystis spp. and nanoflagellates, while the offshore waters were dominated by Thalassiosira spp. In the inner bay, UVabsorbing compounds and xanthophyll pigments exhibited higher ratios of MAA to chlorophyll a (MAA:chl a ratio), and both DD and DT to chlorophyll a (DD:chl a ratio and DT:chl a ratio), respectively. Thus, the photoprotective-pigments such as DD and DT appear to complement MAAs in the natural phytoplankton assemblage. However, the ratio of < beta >_-DMSP to chlorophyll a (< beta >_-DMSP:chl a ratio) did not show a distinct spatial distribution according to environmental factors or interspecies differences. In this study, we found that photoprotective compounds occurred in a manner dependent on the phytoplankton species composition in Kongsfjorden Bay, where Phaeocystis is the dominant species.     

Provenance Study of Fe–Ti Oxide Minerals in the Quaternary Sediments in Yichang Area and Its Implication of Formation Time of the Yangtze Three Gorges, China

The Three Gorges are considered to be critical to understand the formation of Yangtze River. Recent research results suggest that the Yangtze Three Gorges was created during the Quaternary but the exact time is debatable. Fe–Ti oxide minerals are seldom used to study sediment provenance, expecially using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). In this study, the provenance of Quaternary sediments in Yichang area, which is located to the east of the Yangtze Three Gorges, was investigated by using SEM and EDS to research Fe–Ti oxides. The Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite and Emeishan basalt outcrop are located to the west of the Three Gorges. Further, the materials from them are observed in the Quaternary sediments of Yichang area. Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite are observed in the Yunchi and Shanxiyao Formations, which were formed before 0.75 Ma B.P., whereas Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite, Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite, and Emeishan basalt are observed in the riverbed and fifth-terrace sediments of the Yangtze River, which were formed after 0.73 Ma B.P.. Thus, we can infer that the Three Gorges formed after the deposition of the Shanxi Formation and before the fifth-terrace; i.e., 0.75–0.73 Ma B.P..     

南海北部潮汕坳陷侏罗系沉积特征及对储层的控制作用研究

南海北部潮汕坳陷侏罗系具有很大的油气勘探潜力,沉积特征对其储层的发育具有明显的控制作用。通过对研究区最新地震资料精细解释,可以划分出4个典型地震反射界面和3个地震反射层,根据层序界面圈出侏罗系分布特征和残留厚度;通过地震相-沉积相转换对比分析研究,识别出侏罗纪地层不同时期的沉积相类型及其分布特征,重塑了潮汕坳陷侏罗系沉积演化史。该区主要发育5类沉积相、8种沉积亚相,其中滨岸三角洲前缘亚相和深水扇中亚相分别控制了碎屑流砂岩优质储层的发育;此外,浊流砂岩储层主要受控于物源供给的影响,距离三角洲砂体朵叶越近,滑塌浊积体数量越多,面积也越大。总体上,滨岸三角洲前缘亚相、深水扇中亚相和滑塌浊积体是研究区良好的储集相带,该类储集体由于埋藏较深加之被泥岩覆盖,对油气聚集较为有利。     

岷江上游槽谷曲流段大型古滑坡成因与复活性分析——以松潘县元坝子古滑坡为例

岷江上游靠近分水岭部位的槽谷曲流河段,由于地壳抬升缓慢,河谷宽、岸坡缓,降雨量相对偏少,通常被认为发生大型滑坡的可能性较小。但通过笔者近年来的调查发现,在岷江上游红桥关至西宁关的槽谷曲流段两岸大型滑坡密集发育,且大多具有地震滑坡的特征,同时个别滑坡受后期江水冲刷、工程开挖等因素影响复活。文章选取其中较为典型的元坝子滑坡为例进行解剖,元坝子滑坡位于岷江曲流凹岸,长780 m,宽480 m,体积293×104 m3。通过地质分析、测年鉴定和数值模拟,认为该滑坡是历史地震引发的大型岩质古滑坡,其发展经历了斜坡裂缝、地震滑坡、河流下切和前缘复活等阶段。稳定性计算结果显示,目前滑坡整体天然工况下稳定性好,极端暴雨工况下欠稳定,受江水冲刷、降雨、融雪等因素影响,出现局部变形复活。建议应加强滑坡变形监测,避免整体滑动造成堵江、威胁成兰铁路安全。