Characteristics and origin of carbon isotopes of n-alkanes in crude oils from the western Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China sea

The quantitative characterization of carbon isotopes of n-alkanes is commonly carried out in organic geochemical studies. Possible controls on carbon isotopes include source organic matter, maturity, fractionation during oil expulsion and migration, and the mixing of different oils. In this study of the origin of crude oils in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin, the influences of all of these factors have been considered in reaching a conclusion. Carbon isotopes of n-alkanes in the crude oils, and the extracts of the two effective source rocks (the Wenchang and Enping formations) in the basin, exhibit clear differences. The Wenchang source rocks have heavy δ¹³C values that remain almost constant or become slightly heavier with increasing carbon number. The Enping source rocks have light δ¹³C values that become lighter with increasing carbon number. Two groups of oils in this area were identified based on the carbon isotopes of the n-alkanes; groupIoils are similar to extracts of the Wenchang source rocks. However, the groupIIoils are different from both the Wenchang and Enping source rocks and the carbon isotopic profiles of their n-alkanes exhibit a “V” feature with increasing carbon number. The results of artificial thermal maturation experiments indicate that, from the early stage to the peak stage of oil generation (with EasyRo between 0.64% and 1.02%), the δ¹³C values of n-alkanes in the pyrolysis oils become heavier by about 3‰ with increasing thermal maturity, but the shape of the carbon isotopic profiles are not significantly changed. Calculated δ¹³C values of n-alkanes in “mixed” artificial pyrolysis oils indicate that the mixture of oils generated from the same source rocks with different maturities could not change the carbon isotopic profile of the n-alkanes, however, a mixing of the Wenchang and Enping oils could give the “V” feature in the profiles, similar to the groupIIoils in this area. The groupIIoils appear to be mixed Wenchang and Enping oils, the latter being the dominant component in the mixture. We conclude that the source organic matter and the degree of mixing are the main factors controlling the carbon isotopic characteristics of n-alkanes in crude oils in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin.     

Evaluating the economic damage of climate change on global coral reefs

This paper evaluates the global economic damage arising from the effects of climate change and associated carbon dioxide concentrations on the loss of coral reefs. We do this by first estimating the effects of sea surface temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations on coral cover. We develop a statistical relationship between coral coverage and sea surface temperature that indicates that the effects are dependent on the temperature range. For example, we find that increasing sea surface temperature causes coral coverage to decrease when sea surface temperature is higher than 26.85 °C, with the estimated reduction being 2.3% when sea surface temperature increases by 1%. In addition, we find that a 1% carbon dioxide increase induces a 0.6% reduction in global coral coverage. We also estimate the resultant loss in economic value based on a meta-analysis of the recreational and commercial value of reef coverage and a crude proportional approach for other value factors. The meta-analysis shows that the coral reef value decreases by 3.8% when coral cover falls by 1%. By combining these two steps we find that the lost value in terms of the global coral reef value under climate change scenarios ranges from US$3.95 to US$23.78 billion annually.     

Effects of anthropogenic seawater acidification on acid-base balance in the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris

The purple-tipped sea urchin, Psammechinus miliaris, was exposed to artificially acidified seawater treatments (pH(w) 6.16, 6.63 or 7.44) over a period of 8 days. Urchin mortality of 100% was observed at pH(w) 6.16 after 7 days and coincided with a pronounced hypercapnia in the coelomic fluid producing an irrecoverable acidosis. Coelomic fluid acid-base measures showed that an accumulation of CO(2) and a significant reduction in pH occurred in all treatments compared with controls. Bicarbonate buffering was employed in each case, reducing the resultant acidosis, but compensation was incomplete even under moderate environmental hypercapnia. Significant test dissolution was inferred from observable increases in the Mg(2+) concentration of the coelomic fluid under all pH treatments. We show that a chronic reduction of surface water pH to below 7.5 would be severely detrimental to the acid-base balance of this predominantly intertidal species; despite its ability to tolerate fluctuations in pCO(2) and pH in the rock pool environment. The absence of respiratory pigment (or any substantial protein in the coelomic fluid), a poor capacity for ionic regulation and dependency on a magnesium calcite test, make echinoids particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic acidification. Geological sequestration leaks may result in dramatic localised pH reductions, e.g. pH 5.8. P. miliaris is intolerant of pH 6.16 seawater and significant mortality is seen at pH 6.63.     

Effects of ulvoid (Ulva spp.) accumulation on the structure and function of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) bed

The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of ulvoid (Ulva spp.) accumulation on the structure and function of an eelgrass bed by the coast of Iwakuni, Seto Inland Sea, Japan. We monitored eelgrass shoot density and volume of ulvoid accumulation in the study site and evaluated effects of the accumulated ulvoid canopy on the percent survival, seedling density, growth rates, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and carbon contents of eelgrass. Eelgrass shoot density decreased by the accumulation of ulvoid. Also, seedling density decreased by the increase in the ulvoid volumes. Shoot density, seedling density and leaf elongation were negatively correlated with ulvoid volume. Carbon contents in eelgrass decreased by the accumulation of ulvoid (canopy height: 25cm). These results suggest that accumulation of ulvoid bloom has significant negative impacts on the structure and function of eelgrass bed, i.e. decreases in vegetative shoot density, seedling density, shoot height and growth rate.     

Neoproterozoic chemostratigraphy

Chemostratigraphy has diverse applications to investigating the rock record, such as reconstructing paleoenvironments, determining the tectonic setting of sedimentary basins, indirect dating, and establishing regional or global correlations. Chemostratigraphy is thus an integral component of many investigations of the ancient sedimentary record. In this contribution, we review the principle inorganic geochemical methods that have been applied to the Neoproterozoic sedimentary record. Analysis of the traditional stable and radiogenic isotope systems, such as δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, is routine, particularly in successions rich in carbonate. These mainstay applications have yielded invaluable data and information bearing on the chronology and evolution of this eventful era in Earth history. Alongside the growing database of traditional data, a series of novel geochemical techniques have given rise to important new models and constraints on Neoproterozoic biogeochemical change. In particular, a range of proxies for water column redox, mainly obtained from black shales, have shed light on the pace and tempo of Neoproterozoic oxygenation and its link to the appearance of early animal evolution. Increased integration of diverse geochemical, sedimentological, and paleontological datasets, and the gradual radiometric calibration of the stratigraphic record promise to bring the details of the evolution of the Neoproterozoic Earth system into ever greater focus.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000113

<正>Against the current background of global climate change,the study of variations in the soil carbon pool and its controlling factors may aid in the evaluation of soil's role in the mitigation or enhancement of greenhouse gas.This paper studies spatial and temporal variation in the soil carbon pool and their controlling factors in the southern Song-nen Plain in Heilongjiang Province,using soil data collected over two distinct periods by the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey in 2005—2007, and another soil survey conducted in 1982—1990.The study area is a carbon source of 1479 t/km~2 and in the past 20 years,from the 1980s until 2005.the practical carbon emission from the soil was 0.12 Gt.Temperature,which has been found to be linearly correlated to soil organic carbon,is the dominant climatologic factor controlling soil organic carbon contents.Our study shows that in the relevant area and time period the potential loss of soil organic carbon caused by rising temperatures was 0.10 Gt,the potential soil carbon emission resulting from land-use change was 0.09 Gt,and the combined potential loss of soil carbon(0.19 Gt) caused by warming and land-use change is comparable to that of fossil fuel combustion(0.21 Gt).Due to the time delay in soil carbon pool variation,there is still 0.07 Gt in the potential emission caused by warming and land-use change that will be gradually released in the future.     

Growth and physiological responses of larch trees to climate changes deduced from tree-ring widths and δ13C at two forest sites in eastern Siberia

Tree-ring chronologies of ring width and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) over the past 160 years were developed using living larch trees at two forest sites, each with different annual precipitation, in eastern Siberia: Spasskaya Pad (SP) (62°14′N, 129°37′E); and Elgeeii (EG) (60°0′N, 133°49′E). Intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) was derived from tree-ring δ¹³C. The physiological responses of the larch trees to climate varied between these sites and over time. Ring widths correlated negatively with summer temperatures at SP, where summer precipitation is lower than at EG, probably due to temperature-induced water stress. Since the 1990s, however, the negative effect of warming has been more severe at EG, where the productivity of larch trees is higher than at SP. A greater reduction of larch tree growth and higher increase rate of iWUE at EG reflects greater temperature-induced water stress, which is incident to the larger forest biomass. Our results suggest that effect of increase in atmospheric CO₂ on larch tree growth is not sufficient to compensate for temperature-induced water stress on larch growth in eastern Siberia and differences in precipitation and forest productivity largely affect the larch tree response to changing climate in eastern Siberia.     

Carbon cycle and sea-water palaeotemperature evolution at the Middle–Late Jurassic transition,eastern Paris Basin (France)

A very high-resolution carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis (bulk-carbonate) of a biostratigraphically well-constrained Callovian–Oxfordian series is provided here for the first time. The homogeneity of the clayey series and the weak diagenetic alteration allow the isotopic signal variations to be considered as primary in origin. A prominent and brief negative excursion in the δ¹³C curve (−2‰), occurring at the start of the Middle Callovian (Jason Zone – Obductum Subzone) and correlated regionally, suggests a possible methane release. The increasing δ¹³C values thereafter up to the Early Oxfordian, concomitant with a warming episode, highlight the burial of carbon in organic-rich layers which, in return, may have triggered a decrease in atmospheric pCO₂. At higher frequencies, observed fluctuations of the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values are orbitally driven (405-kyr and 100-kyr eccentricity cycles) and may correspond to the salinity and temperature variability recorded in sea water. The δ¹⁸O isotopic measurements from well-preserved diagenetically screened belemnites and bivalves along the series, compared to available data from Tethyan domains, agree with the scenario of a global cooling at the Middle-Late Jurassic transition. The well-dated δ¹⁸O isotopic curve suggests that the onset of this cooling event occurred at the end of the Coronatum Zone (Middle Callovian).