Prediction of the calcium carbonate budget in a sedimentary basin: A “source-to-sink” approach applied to Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

Most source-to-sink studies typically focus on the dynamics of clastic sediments and consider erosion, transport and deposition of sediment particles as the sole contributors. Although often neglected, dissolved solids produced by weathering processes contribute significantly in the sedimentary dynamics of basins, supporting chemical and/or biological precipitation. Calcium ions are usually a major dissolved constituent of water drained through the watershed and may facilitate the precipitation of calcium carbonate when supersaturating conditions are reached. The high mobility of Ca²⁺ ions may cause outflow from an open system and consequently loss. In contrast, in closed basins, all dissolved (i.e. non-volatile) inputs converge at the lowest point of the basin. The endoreic Great Salt Lake basin constitutes an excellent natural laboratory to study the dynamics of calcium on a basin scale, from the erosion and transport through the watershed to the sink, including sedimentation in lake's waterbody. The current investigation focused on the Holocene epoch. Despite successive lake level fluctuations (amplitude around 10 m), the average water level seems to have not been affected by any significant long-term change (i.e. no increasing or decreasing trend, but fairly stable across the Holocene). Weathering of calcium-rich minerals in the watershed mobilizes Ca²⁺ ions that are transported by surface streams and subsurface flow to the Great Salt Lake (GSL). Monitoring data of these flows was corrected for recent anthropogenic activity (river management) and combined with direct precipitation (i.e. rain and snow) and atmospheric dust income into the lake, allowing estimating the amount of calcium delivered to the GSL. These values were then extrapolated through the Holocene period and compared to the estimated amount of calcium stored in GSL water column, porewater and sediments (using hydrochemical, mapping, coring and petrophysical estimates). The similar estimate of calcium delivered (4.88 Gt) and calcium stored (3.94 Gt) is consistent with the premise of the source-to-sink approach: a mass balance between eroded and transported compounds and the sinks. The amount of calcium deposited in the basin can therefore be predicted indirectly from the different inputs, which can be assessed with more confidence. When monitoring is unavailable (e.g. in the fossil record), the geodynamic context, the average lithology of the watershed and the bioclimatic classification of an endoreic basin are alternative properties that may be used to estimate the inputs. We show that this approach is sufficiently accurate to predict the amount of calcium captured in a basin and can be extended to the whole fossil record and inform on the storage of calcium.     

Seep mounds on the Southern Vøring Plateau (offshore Norway)

Multidisciplinary study of seep-related structures on Southern Vøring Plateau has been performed during several UNESCO/IOC TTR cruises on R/V Professor Logachev. High-resolution sidescan sonar and subbottom profiler data suggest that most of the studied fluid discharge structures have a positive relief at their central part surrounded by depression. Our data shows that the present day fluid activity is concentrated on the top of these “seep mounds”. Number of high hydrocarbon (HC) gas saturated sediment cores and 5 cores with gas hydrate presence have been recovered from these structures. δ¹³C of methane (between −68 and −94.6‰ VPDB) and dry composition of the gas points to its biogenic origin. The sulfate depletion generally occurs within the upper 30–200 cm bsf and usually coincides with an increase of methane concentration. Pore water δ¹⁸O ranges from 0.29 to 1.14‰ showing an overall gradual increase from bottom water values (δ¹⁸O ∼ 0.35‰). Although no obvious evidence of fluid seepage was observed during the TV surveys, coring data revealed a broad distribution of living Pogonophora and bacterial colonies on sea bottom inside seep structures. These evidences point to ongoing fluid activity (continuous seepage of methane) through these structures. From other side, considerable number and variety of chemosynthetic macro fauna with complete absence of living species suggest that present day level of fluid activity is significantly lower than it was in past. Dead and subfossil fauna recovered from various seep sites consist of solemyid (Acharax sp.), thyasirid and vesicomyid (cf. Calyptogena sp.) bivalves belonging to chemosymbiotic families. Significant variations in δ¹³C (−31.6‰ to −59.2‰) and δ¹⁸O (0.42‰ and 6.4‰) of methane-derived carbonates collected from these structures most probably related to changes in gas composition and bottom water temperature between periods of their precipitation. This led us to ideas that: (1) seep activity on the Southern Vøring Plateau was started with large input of the deep thermogenic gas and gradually decries in time with increasing of biogenic constituent; (2) authigenic carbonate precipitation started at the near normal deep sea environments with bottom water temperature around +5 °C and continues with gradual cooling up to negative temperatures recording at present time.     

Authigenic carbonates from the eastern Black Sea as an archive for shallow gas hydrate dynamics – Results from the combination of CT imaging with mineralogical and stable isotope analyses

Authigenic carbonates associated with cold seeps provide valuable archives of changes in the long-term seepage activity. To investigate the role of shallow-buried hydrates on the seepage strength and fluid composition we analysed methane-derived carbonate precipitates from a high-flux hydrocarbon seepage area (“Batumi seep area”) located on the south-eastern Black Sea slope in ca. 850 m. In a novel approach, we combined computerized X-ray tomography (CT) with mineralogical and isotope geochemical methods to get additional insights into the three-dimensional internal structure of the carbonate build-ups.     

Holocene cool‐water carbonate and terrigenous sediments from southern Spencer Gulf,South Australia

Holocene sediments from southern Spencer Gulf are cool‐water carbonate‐rich gravels and sands, dominated by molluscs and Bryozoa. Five sedimentary fades are recognized: (i) molluscan gravel; (ii) branching coralline‐algal gravel, associated with shallow partially protected environments; (iii) molluscan‐biyozoan sand; (iv) mixed bioclastic sand, representative of the deeper central region of the lower gulf; and (v) bryozoan gravel, an isolated fades developed in a semi‐protected micro‐environment. The southern gulf is characterized by complex oceanographic conditions together with variations in water depth and substrate. The sediments share the characteristics of both the southern shelf and upper Spencer Gulf. Grain‐size distribution and sedimentary facies are controlled by a combination of all the above processes. Past sea level fluctuations are recognized from sea floor strand‐line deposits. The relic component of the palimpsest sediments has eroded from the Pleistocene aeolianite dunes. The sediments, therefore, reflect both the modern marine and past environments.     

碳同位素与早元古代地层对比

本文首次较详细地研究了早元古代碳酸盐地层的碳同位素组成，样品采自华北早元古代标准地层单元──山西五台地区滹沱群，结果表明碳同位素组成随地质时代有明显的变化，并与地层层位有很好的对应关系。作者认为，碳同位素对于早元古代碳酸盐地层的对比是很有用的。     

青藏高原北缘哈拉湖近800年来 湖泊沉积及其环境意义*

文章以青藏高原北缘高山祁连山湖泊——哈拉湖作为研究对象,利用放射性核素²¹⁰ Pb和¹³⁷ Cs测年资料,通过对此高海拔湖泊沉积碳酸盐氧碳同位素、碳酸盐含量、总有机碳含量、磁化率等环境代用指标的分析,揭示了这一地区近800年来的气候环境变化过程。分析表明哈拉湖记录的气候环境变化经历了3个阶段:1206~1700A.D.环境较为寒冷、湿润,并有持续变湿的趋势;1700~1920A.D.环境由冷湿的状况趋向温暖干旱,1771年之后,环境保持相对稳定;1920~2002A.D.是自1206年以来最为温暖干旱的阶段。     

云南老王寨金矿区煌斑岩中碳酸盐的化学成分及其意义

本文报道了云南老王寨金矿区非矿化、矿化煌斑岩中不同产状碳酸盐的化学成分，结果表明本区煌斑岩中为次生碳酸盐，原生碳酸盐含量不超过１％；煌斑岩蚀变、矿化为不同阶段的产物；碳酸盐脉活动发生在成矿作用之后。     

An 8.1Ma calcite record of Asian summer monsoon evolution on the Chinese central Loess Plateau

Carbonates in loess-red clay sequences consist mainly of calcite and dolomite. The EDTA analysis of carbonates in different size fractions and magnetic susceptibility reveal that calcite is a sensitive index of summer monsoon. The chemical analysis of carbonates and calcite from an 8.1 Ma loess-red clay sequence at Chaona on the Chinese central Loess Plateau shows that the evolution of the Asian summer monsoon experienced four stages, namely 8.1―5.5 Ma, 5.5―2.8 Ma, 2.8―1.5 Ma and 1.5―0 Ma, with increasing intensification and fluctuation, suggesting a possible combining impacts of uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and global changes on the Asian summer monsoon.     

东营凹陷沙河街组湖相碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素组分及其古湖泊学意义

湖相碳酸盐岩的碳、氧稳定同位素分析能提供重要的环境信息。山东东营凹陷沙河街组湖相碳酸盐岩主要分布在沙一段和沙四段。对47个碳酸盐岩样品碳、氧同位素组分的分析表明:沙一段、沙四中和沙四上亚段下部沉积时期东营湖均是程度不同的封闭型湖泊。古盐度和蒸发／降雨:沙四中亚段和沙四上亚段下部沉积时期＞沙一段沉积时期＞沙四上亚段上部沉积时期;古湖水面:沙四上亚段上部沉积时期＞沙一段沉积时期＞沙四中亚段和沙四上亚段下部沉积时期;古生产力:沙一段沉积时期＞沙四上亚段上部沉积时期＞沙四中亚段和沙四上亚段下部沉积时期。     

塔里木盆地塔中地区奥陶系碳酸盐岩储层空隙研究

空隙是构成碳酸盐岩储层的基本单元,空隙发育史对应了成岩演化史,且不同类型空隙的储层具有不同的分布规律。塔里木盆地塔中地区奥陶系碳酸盐岩储层的空隙可以分为６类２１种,以裂缝—孔洞型为主,礁、丘、滩相碳酸盐岩、中—细晶白云岩与古岩溶和构造岩溶的复合区为有利空隙发育带,也是风化壳型油气藏和内幕型油气藏的有利储集相带。