Nitrous oxide production and denitrification rates in estuarine intertidal saltmarsh and managed realignment zones

Increasing concerns over habitat loss and rising costs of sea defence maintenance due to rising sea levels, has seen increases in the practice of managed realignment and reflooding of former reclaimed areas of intertidal saltmarsh and mudflat around the world. These practices are taking place with little knowledge of their impact on soil biogeochemical processes. Rates of denitrification (using the acetylene inhibition technique) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) production were measured from a long-established saltmarsh (SM) and an adjacent, recently re-flooded managed realignment (MR) site comprising former arable land in the estuary of the River Torridge, Devon, UK. Incubations were carried out in closed chambers in which patterns of tidal flooding were simulated automatically. Measurements were made during periods of flood and non-flood over a total of four tidal inundations with estuarine water. During the latter two flooding episodes floodwater was amended with nitrate (NO₃⁻). Nitrous oxide production in the SM soil generally was lower than in the MR soil, with mean values and standard errors over the whole incubation of 0.27 ± 0.16 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ and 0.65 ± 0.15 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ respectively. Denitrification rates demonstrated a similar trend although generally were an order of magnitude higher than N₂O production, with mean rates and standard errors of 2.88 ± 1.12 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ in the SM soil and 3.39 ± 1.16 mg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹ in the MR soil. The data suggest that both soils are net sinks for NO₃⁻ and net sources for N₂O. Both patterns of tidal inundation and floodwater chemistry affect the process rates in each soil differently. The impact of flooding with NO₃⁻ – amended water was greater on the SM soil than the MR soil, and it is likely that decomposing vegetation buried in the accreting sediments following reflooding at the MR site were supplying a source of N in the soil, and so process rates were less dependent upon external supplies. The act of managed realignment in intertidal zones could therefore result in an increase in mean production of N₂O in intertidal zones, at least in the short term.     

台风作用下的港湾型潮滩沉积过程 以2008年“凤凰”台风对福建省罗源湾的影响为例

通过对"凤凰"台风的现场观测和沉积物样品的分析,结果表明,在台风影响下潮水淹没时间增长,增水达1.1 m;台风期间互花米草盐沼内流速变化较复杂,而且盐沼内部流速大于盐沼边缘的;台风期间盐沼边缘潮周期平均悬沙含量是台风前2 d的7倍;台风期间十分之一波高最大为1.54 m。滩面重复测量结果显示,台风登陆期间整个光滩滩面都发生了侵蚀,盐沼内部有部分地区发生侵蚀,侵蚀深度为4.5~5.5 cm,盐沼边缘的侵蚀深度仅为0.7 cm,侵蚀原因主要是植被在风浪作用下从根部折断,从而带走了滩面的沉积物;随着台风强度的减弱,整个滩面均接受悬沙沉降;台风带来的强降雨是影响滩面沉积物活动的重要因素。     

灌河口潮滩重金属累积特征及污染评价

河口地区潮滩是重金属重要的"汇"。测定了灌河口(燕尾港)潮滩高中低滩的33个表面样粒度、重金属数据,研究了4根柱状样的重金属和粒度特征,利用地累积指数法、潜在生态危害指数法及富集指数法等评价指标,对灌河口重金属的污染状况进行了评价,并对其结果进行了相互比较和印证。分析结果显示,灌河口潮滩重金属的分布主要受水动力影响,特别是受粘土分布的控制。Cd与粒径Ф值相关性不显著,相关系数只有0.099,而与粘土含量呈明显正相关关系,Hg的变化趋势恰恰相反,其含量随着距离河口距离的加大反而有增加的趋势;其他元素的变化趋势不明显。重金属元素Zn、Pb、Cu、Hg含量变化走势基本相同,用Li作归一化标准元素归一化后,所有重金属元素的归一化值变化波动范围均比重金属含量值明显收窄,波峰和波谷有后延的趋势。灌河口滩涂总体重金属环境尚可,但存在一定程度的Hg、Cu污染富集。柱状样Hg、Cu的地累积污染指数总体上均呈现随深度增加而降低的趋势。     

福建省推覆构造研究及其意义

本文主要是根据“闽西南地区推覆构造与隐伏煤田预测研究”的主要成果来写的。在概述两次研究课题取得主要成果的同时，对福建省重大基础地质有关的问题提出了新的认识。文中重点是总结了福建省推覆构造发育的特征，将推覆构造划分为两大类（逆冲推覆构造，拆离构造）和五种类型（中深层次逆冲推覆构造、浅层次逆冲推覆构造、褶皱逆冲推覆构造和拆离（滑脱）构造、褶皱拆离构造），对各类型的主要特征、分布规律、组合特征和推覆构造的发生和发展进行系统的总结，明确指出了燕山早期中深层次边冲推覆构造是福建省规模最大、对今后寻找隐伏矿产关系最密切和最重要的推覆构造，对研究我省的推覆构造具有重要意义。并结合福建省的实际，从基础地质和找矿两方面进行论述。     

吉林省南部下元古界集安群地质特征与沉积期古环境分析

根据集安群地质特征,岩石化学,稳定同位素特征分析认为:蚂蚁河组沉积期古环境为强氧化泻湖相;荒岔沟组沉积期为强还原的泻湖相、大东岔组沉积期为开阔正常浅海潮坪相。集安群从发生发展到结束古环境演化规律是:构造上,由优地槽向冒地槽演化,气候上由炎热向温湿演化;古地理环境从有障壁的局限海变为无障壁的开阔海;从咸化海向正常海,从泻湖相向潮坪相转化。     

Geomorphology and sedimentary/biosedimentary structures of the intertidal environment along the coast of Kuwait,north-western Arabian Gulf

The coast of Kuwait can be divided into nine intertidal geomorphological subunits, of which four are found along the northern muddy shoreline and five along the southern sandy shoreline. In the north the coast is characterized by wide intertidal mudflats, bounded landward by an extensive coastal sabkha which is partly covered by sand drifts. The upper part of the intertidal environment is covered with a mixture of aeolian sands and muddy sediments of marine origin. A number of shallow tidal channels dissect the intertidal flats and small sand bars occur near the low water line. In contrast, the southern shore is characterized by relatively steep sandy beaches fronted by narrow to moderately wide rocky intertidal platforms which are partly covered by sand, bioherms, skeletal debris and algal mats. In some areas the rocky surface is dissected by numerous small gulleys and shallow channels. Multiple sand bars lying either parallel or diagonal to the shoreline are developed near the low water line. This southern intertidal environment is bounded landward by a sandy berm and a wave-cut cliff.Ripple marks are developed almost parallel to the shoreline, showing different flow directions. Energy levels are moderate to high along the southern shore, but low along the northern shore. In the south, waves induced by winds blowing mostly from the north-east and south-east form the dominant energy source, whereas tidal and wind-driven currents are the only tangible process acting along the northern shore.     

山西寿阳—阳泉地区石炭—二叠系沉积环境及其沉积特征

本区石炭—二叠系是在海湾背景下发育的一套由滨海平原—三角洲平原—冲积平原沉积组成的海退层系。主要沉积环境是三角洲平原,其上部为冲积平原包括网状河和辫状河;下部为海湾（或分支间湾）、潮下碳酸盐岩、潮间介壳滩、碎屑岩潮坪及滨海沼泽湿地等。三角洲为河控浅水三角洲。上述沉积环境,随海水退却在时空上具明显的规律性变化。     

苏北潮滩湿地不同生态带碳、氮、磷分布特征*

通过对比苏北潮滩湿地不同生态带的表层以及柱状沉积物中总有机碳、总氮、总磷和有机磷含量,并结合不同植被不同植株部位中碳、氮、磷的含量变化,分析了潮滩沉积物中碳、氮、磷的垂向和水平分布特征与规律,探讨了不同生态带以及潮滩植被对碳、氮、磷等生源要素的富集作用。对比分析结果表明:苏北潮滩湿地各生态带对不同的测量指标有着不同的富集作用,互花米草滩的总有机碳、总氮和有机磷含量要远大于其他几个生态带,光滩沉积物中总磷的含量最高; 粒度效应是控制互花米草前缘地带以及互花米草滩沉积物中有机碳和氮分布的一个重要因素,盐蒿和芦苇滩中有机碳和氮的分布更多的是受粒度之外的其他因素影响; 不同生态带表层沉积物中的C/N比值分布,大致可反映其有机物来源的差异,而不同生态带中柱状沉积物中的C/N比值相对接近,很难根据C/N比值大小来对不同生态带中的有机物来源进行判断,这可能是埋藏在柱状沉积物中的有机物更多的受到了早期成岩作用造成的。植被对潮滩湿地中碳、氮、磷的分布有着重要影响,3种物质在互花米草、盐蒿和芦苇中的含量差别不是很大,因此潮滩植被对沉积物中上述3种物质的贡献差别主要是由不同植被的生物量和其所处环境的沉积动力差异造成的。     

Calibration of the high-pressure cohesive strength meter (CSM)

Coastal erosion is an immense economic and social problem that has been receiving increased attention in recent years. A number of devices have been developed to determine the sediment stability in coastal areas: laboratory and field flumes; a range of different erosion devices; shear vanes and fall cone penetrometers. The cohesive strength meter (CSM) erosion device was developed to determine in situ the temporal and spatial variations in the erosion threshold of muddy intertidal sediments. Technological developments have enabled considerable improvements to be made to the original design over the last 15 years.     

In situ measurements of surficial mud strength: A new vane tester suitable for soft intertidal muds

A vane fitted to a standard shear vane tester is described, the purpose of which is to obtain better measurements of the rheological properties of soft, surficial, intertidal muds (and consequently, variations in their erodability). Specifications and geometry of this vane are presented. The computation procedure is detailed, so that the methodology can be applied to any vane tester. The main improvement is a greater vertical resolution, typically less than 1 cm. Sets of direct measurements with this equipment and correlation with dry densities for three intertidal mudflats (estuaries and bay) are presented.