Response of a warm temperate peatland to Holocene climate change in northeastern Pennsylvania

Studying boreal-type peatlands near the edge of their southern limit can provide insight into responses of boreal and sub-arctic peatlands to warmer climates. In this study, we investigated peatland history using multi-proxy records of sediment composition, plant macrofossil, pollen, and diatom analysis from a ¹⁴C-dated sediment core at Tannersville Bog in northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Our results indicate that peat accumulation began with lake infilling of a glacial lake at ~ 9 ka as a rich fen dominated by brown mosses. It changed to a poor fen dominated by Cyperaceae (sedges) and Sphagnum (peat mosses) at ~ 1.4 ka and to a Sphagnum-dominated poor fen at ~ 200 cal yr BP (~ AD 1750). Apparent carbon accumulation rates increased from 13.4 to 101.2 g C m^? 2 yr^? 1 during the last 8000 yr, with a time-averaged mean of 27.3 g C m^? 2 yr^? 1. This relatively high accumulation rate, compared to many northern peatlands, was likely caused by high primary production associated with a warmer and wetter temperate climate. This study implies that some northern peatlands can continue to serve as carbon sinks under a warmer and wetter climate, providing a negative feedback to climate warming.     

蓟县下马岭组地层中菱铁矿成因及古海洋意义

蓟县铁岭子村附近新出露的下马岭组下部黑色岩系中富含菱铁矿,对这些菱铁矿形成机制的认识直接关系到对下马岭期乃至中元古代古海洋氧化还原状态和地球化学性质的判断。文中利用碳同位素对其成因加以制约,进而反演该时期的古海洋环境。结果显示,这些菱铁矿的碳同位素组成变化范围为-19.2‰~-7.8‰,平均约-15.0‰,明显偏离正常海相沉积碳酸盐岩,而更接近有机质来源的碳酸盐或重碳酸根的δ13C值,说明菱铁矿碳酸根的碳主要源自于有机质。这意味着这些菱铁矿是在早期成岩过程中由三价铁的氧化物或氢氧化物转化而来,而不是直接从海水中沉淀形成。海洋中的铁首先以氧化铁或氢氧化铁的形式发生沉淀,并与有机质一起埋藏于海底缺氧带中。后在成岩过程中发生氧化还原反应,三价铁作为氧化剂氧化有机质使之生成CO2,有机质则作为还原剂将三价铁还原为二价铁,二者结合即构成菱铁矿。同时,有机质热脱羧反应提供的CO2保证了更多的二价铁以菱铁矿的形式保存在地层中。据此可推断,至少在燕辽盆地,下马岭期古海洋已呈现广泛氧化状态,其氧化程度足以将海洋中的铁氧化为三价铁。同时,地层中硫含量极低,说明该时期古海洋贫硫。下马岭期燕辽盆地这种氧化、贫硫的古海洋特征不同于传统的分层海洋模式,因此有必要进行更深入系统的研究。     

Holocene peatland development along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Knowledge of peatland initiation, accumulation, and decline or cessation is critical in understanding peatland development and the related carbon source/sink effect. In this study, we investigated the development of three peat profiles along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (ETP) and compared the results with those of our previous work along this transect. Our work showed that the initiation over the northern ETP is later and the slowdown/cessation earlier than in the middle to southern ETP. The timing of optimum peatland formation over the northern ETP lags the Holocene climatic optimum. These spatio-temporal differences are likely to be related to the intensity of Asian summer monsoon. Our work suggests that some peatlands along the ETP transect have returned or are now returning their previously captured carbon to the atmosphere and thus act as carbon sources. Some peatlands still have net accumulation at present, but the rates have been reduced concomitant with the decreasing summer monsoon intensity. We speculate that more of the previously stored carbon in the ETP peatlands will be re-emitted to the atmosphere if the aridity continues, as might occur under a continuous global-warming scenario.     

Upper Albian OAE 1d event in the Chihuahua Trough,New Mexico,U.S.A.

Oceanic anoxic events are clues to ocean processes and are correlation datums. In North America only OAE 1a and 2 are well documented. Based on a low-resolution sampling program, a multi-proxy geochemical approach constrained by a biostratigraphic framework was utilized to identify OAE 1d in the upper part of the upper Albian Mesilla Valley Formation near El Paso, Texas. Chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic evidence indicate that the OAE 1d event in the Mesilla Valley section is located in the lower part of the upper Albian–Cenomanian Ovoidinium verrucosum zone, which correlates with the uppermost Albian Parathalmanninella appenninica and Stoliczkaia dispar zones. The chronostratigraphic age of the geochemical event in the Mesilla Valley Formation is uppermost Albian (97.39–97.30 Ma).The classic geochemical signatures for OAEs are enriched total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and coupled positive δ¹³C excursions. OAE 1d at this location records TOC values ranging from 0.25 to 0.69 wt.% throughout the Mesilla Valley Formation, where TOC increases during the OAE (21.0–40.0 m) to more than 0.40 wt.%. Interestingly, the organic matter in the Mesilla Valley is dominantly type III, which indicates a pervasive terrigenous source. Although marine organic matter is abundant from the base into the middle of the proposed OAE interval, it is progressively replaced by terrestrial material above the OAE section during progradation. The δ¹³C_organic values record a positive δ¹³C shift of +1.6‰ from −26.41 to −24.80‰ across the stratigraphic interval from 21.0 to 40.0 m, which correlates with OAE 1d.Mn and Fe geochemistry suggest the depositional conditions of the Mesilla Valley Formation were dominated by anoxic and possibly Fe-rich bottom waters, specifically during the time period associated with the OAE 1d event. This interpretation is supported by the presence of Fe enrichment recorded by Fe_Total/Al and Fe_{Highly Reactive}/Fe_T with the lack of Fe_pyrite/Fe_{Highly Reactive} associated with Mn depletion.     

Strontium and carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Late Jurassic shallow marine limestone in western Palaeo-Pacific,northwest Borneo

Strontium and carbon isotope stratigraphy was applied to a 202 m-thick shallow marine carbonate section within the Late Jurassic Bau Limestone at the SSF quarry in northwest Borneo, Malaysia, which was deposited in the western Palaeo-Pacific. Strontium isotopic ratios of rudist specimens suggest that the SSF section was formed between the latest Oxfordian (155.95 Ma) and the Late Kimmeridgian (152.70 Ma), which is consistent with previous biostratigraphy. The δ¹³C_carb values of bulk carbonate range from −0.10 to +2.28‰ and generally show an increasing upward trend in the lower part of the section and a decreasing upward trend in the upper part of the section. A comparable pattern is preserved in the δ¹³C_org isotope record. Limestone samples of the SSF section mainly preserve the initial δ¹³C_carb values, except for the interval 84–92 m, where an apparent negative anomaly likely developed as a result of meteoric diagenesis. Comparing with the Tethyan δ¹³C_carb profile, a negative anomaly in the lower SSF section can be correlated with the lowered δ¹³C values around the Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian boundary. In addition, δ¹³C_carb values of the Bau Limestone are generally ∼1‰ lower than the Tethyan values, but comparable with the values reported from Scotland and Russia, located in Boreal realm during the Late Jurassic. This suggests that either the Tethyan record or the other records have been affected by the δ¹³C values of regionally variable dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The Late Jurassic δ¹³C_DIC values are thought to have been regionally variable as a result of their palaeoceanographic settings. This study shows that δ¹³C chemostratigraphy of the Palaeo-Pacific region contributes to an improved understanding of global carbon cycling and oceanography during this time period.     

海相碳酸盐岩干酪根热解成气过程及其碳同位素演化特征

应用高压封闭体系,对海相碳酸盐岩干酪根进行了热裂解模拟实验,并从气态烃、非气态烃产率及碳同位素演化特征等方面,探讨了海相碳酸盐岩烃源岩干酪根作为气源的生气机理。在模拟实验基础上,结合专用Kinetics软件求取碳酸盐岩烃源岩干酪根裂解产气动力学参数(活化能和指前因子),并将模拟实验结果外推至地质条件下,探讨其动力学模型的实际应用。结果表明,在该地质条件下,甲烷在EasyRo为0.9%时进入主生气期(转化率为10%),2.9%时主生气期结束(转化率为90%)。乙烷至戊烷在EasyRo为1.1%时进入主生气期(转化率10%),2.7%时主生气期结束(转化率90%)。该研究成果为我国海相碳酸盐岩裂解气的判识、资源评价提供了可靠的实验依据。     

黄土碳酸盐的研究

黄土是过去气候变化研究的重要对象之一。黄土中的碳酸盐则是黄土研究的一个重要内容。黄土碳酸盐的研究涉及了对次生碳酸盐的辨识、碳酸盐的含量、碳酸盐中的碳氧同位素以及碳酸盐的Sr同位素及其它微量元素等内容。对前人在这几个方面的研究作一初步的归纳总结,包括次生碳酸盐的辨识和提取对解释古气候环境有重要意义;碳酸盐的含量可反映出黄土和古土壤之间的不同气候状况;根据碳酸盐中的碳氧同位素则能大体定量得到古温度以及古植被状况进而反映古降水情况;而Sr同位素及其它微量元素则能反映出当时的化学风化程度,指示季风的强弱变化。     

Perceptions of sub-seabed carbon dioxide storage in Scotland and implications for policy: A qualitative study

The geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) offers notable potential, as part of larger carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) processes, to be a significant climate change mitigation technology. This paper challenges the argument often put forward that, due to the greater distances from centres of population, it will be ‘easier’ to garner public and stakeholder support for offshore CO₂ storage than onshore. Based on the results of research interviews carried out with stakeholders and informed publics in Scotland, challenges for public and stakeholder acceptance of sub-seabed CO₂ storage that may require further policy attention are identified. Whilst existing policy for sub-seabed CO₂ storage is cognisant of the need for societal engagement, it may be the case that these regulations may need further reinforcement to ensure future developments are able to address social acceptability issues as fully as possible. The value of taking into account social as well as physical characteristics at the site selection phase, the need for mechanisms to take seriously stakeholder conceptions of uncertainty, and the importance of extending social engagement beyond risk communication are discussed.