Spatiotemporal aspects of silica buffering in restored tidal marshes

Losses of pelagic diatom production resulting from silica limitation have not only been blamed for toxic algal blooms, but for the reduction in ability of coastal food webs to support higher trophic levels. Recent research has shown the importance of advective seepage water fluxes of dissolved silica (DSi) from freshwater marshes to pelagic waters during moments of riverine Si-limitation. In this study, we investigated the potential impact of recently installed new tidal areas along the Schelde estuary, located in former polder areas and characterized by so-called controlled reduced tidal regimes (CRT). Nine mass-balance studies were conducted in a newly constructed CRT in the freshwater Schelde estuary. During complete tidal cycles both DSi and amorphous silica (ASi) concentrations were monitored at the entrance culverts and in different habitats in the marsh. A swift DSi-delivery capacity was observed despite the shifted spatiotemporal frame of exchange processes compared to reference marshes. As silica-accumulating vegetation is not yet present, and difference with reference marshes’ deliveries is surprisingly small, we indicate diatomaceous debris and phytoliths to be the main silica source. Although further research is necessary on the driving forces of the different processes involved, restoration of former agricultural areas under CRT-regime provide the potential to buffer silica in the estuary.     

Deep crustal structure and rheology of the Gascoyne volcanic margin,western Australia

Interpretation of deep seismic reflection data across the Gascoyne Margin reveals six distinct seismic facies units related to the tectono-magmatic breakup history. On the outer Exmouth Plateau four large scale units are identified: (1) an extensively block-faulted upper crust; (2) a middle-crustal unit of discontinuous, undulatory reflectors; (3) a reflection-free deep crustal unit; and (4) a lower-crustal band of low-frequency, high-amplitude reflectors. Two additional units are found near the continent-ocean boundary (COB); (5) seaward-dipping reflectors (SDR); and (6) landward-dipping reflectors in the lower crust below the SDR. The lower-crustal high-reflectivity band, located near the top of a high-velocity unit (V_p > 7 kms^–1), is interpreted as magmatic underplating. There is a spatial correlation between the underplated area and the presence of extensive upper-crustal block-faulting and intrusive rocks in the shallow crust. The undulatory middle-crustal reflector unit is also only identified in the outer plateau area, and is interpreted as a zone in which the upper-crustal faults terminate. The inner parts of the margin consist of a deep basin showing little upper-crustal faulting and no evidence of middle crustal deformation or underplating. Theoretical modeling of the effect of rifting and magmatic underplating on crustal strength profiles suggests that the brittle-ductile transition may migrate at least 5 km upwards during several million years after the underplating event. Based on the seismic interpretation and crustal strength modeling we propose that the seismic structure of the outer Exmouth Plateau is severely modified by a transient change in the crustal rheological structure associated with magmatic underplating.     

陆丰凹陷韩江组旋回地层学分析及天文年代标尺的建立

珠江口盆地为新生代典型的海相盆地,也是我国重要的海上油气生产基地。前期已有很多学者对珠江口盆地的地层划分与对比开展了研究,但研究的精度不够。为了提高珠江口盆地陆丰凹陷韩江组地层划分与对比的精度,选择珠江口盆地陆丰凹陷A、B井韩江组的自然伽马数据序列作为古气候替代性指标,使用频谱分析、滤波等方法进行旋回地层学分析。通过深度域频谱分析和小波分析认为,该套地层中保存了米兰科维奇旋回信号,且主要受405 ka长偏心率周期的影响。利用稳定的405 ka长偏心率周期进行天文调谐,结合古生物地层年代框架,建立起陆丰凹陷“绝对”天文年代标尺;结合碳氧同位素变化曲线,估算出2次碳同位素负漂移和1次碳同位素正向偏移事件的持续时间;利用天文旋回周期计算出陆丰凹陷韩江组的沉积速率,发现沉积速率的变化与海平面变化具有相关性。     

菲律宾海板块东南边界地质过程与研究展望

晚中生代期间,由于古太平洋俯冲板片俯冲于欧亚板块之下,从而在欧亚大陆东缘存在一条巨型的类似于现今太平洋东侧的安第斯型俯冲带。岩浆活动记录显示,70 Ma左右,可能由于外来的正地形地体拼贴上该俯冲带,从而导致这条巨型安第斯型俯冲带逐渐消失,欧亚大陆东缘逐渐从主动大陆边缘变为被动大陆边缘。然而,新生代早期以来,伴随着菲律宾海板块从赤道北移,该被动大陆边缘又重新活化,变为主动大陆边缘,并逐渐形成了巨型的沟-弧-盆系统,期间西太平洋地区大致经历了三期的弧后扩张,即始新世、渐新世—中新世、上新世以来,且菲律宾海板块正好包括了这3个扩张期的弧后扩张盆地：西菲律宾海盆、四国海盆-帕里西维拉海盆以及马里亚纳海槽。本文详细总结了太平洋板块与次级的板块—菲律宾海板块及卡罗琳板块的地质演化历史,且详细探讨了以上3个主要板块之间相互作用的典型区域（菲律宾海板块东南侧）的地质学和岩石学特征以及尚存在的重要科学问题,并展望了未来该区域的研究方向。     

Semidiurnal Dynamics of Salinity, Nutrients and Suspended Particulate Matter in an Estuary in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, during a Spring Tide Cycle

The physical and chemical variability of the water column at subtidal station of an estuary in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, was studied over a 24-hour period during a spring tide (tidal range ca. 2 m) in May 1995. Surface water and several depths through the water column were monitored every one and two hours, respectively. At each occasion, water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen concentration were measured and water samples were collected for the determination of nutrients and suspended particulate matter (SPM). Disruptive changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of the water was produced by the tidal cycle and the mixing of water masses of different origin. These changes were highly significant both spatially and temporally, yet with varying effects on physical parameters, nutrients and the different components of SPM. Significant differences in nutrient concentrations were also observed when the data-set was divided into ebb and flood components, irrespective of the depth. Nitrate and nitrite rose to 1.8 times higher during the flood. Spatial differences of SPM were less marked than those of nutrients, only particulate organic carbon (POC) being significantly higher at the surface than in the intermediate and the lower layer. Both POC and pheopigment concentrations increased markedly through the water column, being highest shortly before the lower low tide. In contrast, suspended solid (SS) content increased sharply after the lower low tide (>40 mg l⁻¹) and this coincided with a marked decrease of the C/SS content (<20 mg g⁻¹). The lagtime between POC and SS tidal transport was caused by particle resuspension from the exposed intertidal sediments as the tidal level rose, and particle transport selection in relation to the tidal state. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Atmospherically-promoted photosynthetic activity in a well-mixed ecosystem: Significance of wet deposition events of nitrogen compounds

Wet atmospheric deposition of dissolved N, P and Si species is studied in well-mixed coastal ecosystem to evaluate its potential to stimulate photosynthetic activities in nutrient-depleted conditions. Our results show that, during spring, seawater is greatly depleted in major nutrients: Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN), Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus (DIP) and Silicic acid (Si), in parallel with an increase of phytoplanktonic biomass. In spring (March–May) and summer (June–September), wet atmospheric deposition is the predominant source (>60%, relative to riverine contribution) for nitrates and ammonium inputs to this N-limited coastal ecosystem. During winter (October–February), riverine inputs of DIN predominate (>80%) and are annually the most important source of DIP (>90%). This situation allows us to calculate the possibility for a significant contribution to primary production in May 2003, from atmospheric deposition (total input for DIN ≈300 kg km⁻² month⁻¹). Based on usual Redfield ratios and assuming that all of the atmospheric-derived N (AD-N) in rainwater is bioavailable for phytoplankton growth, we can estimate new production due to AD-N of 950 mg C m⁻² month⁻¹, during this period of depletion in the water column. During the same episode (May 2003), photosynthetic activity rate, considered as gross primary production, was estimated to approximately 30 300 mg C m⁻² month⁻¹. Calculation indicates that new photosynthetic activity due to wet atmospheric inputs of nitrogen could be up to 3%.     

GEOCHRONOMETRY & ISOTOPE GEOLOGY

正20141655 Gao Linzhi(Institute of Geology,CAGS,Beijing 100037,China);Ding Xiaozhong The Revision of the Chentangwu Formation in Neoproterozoic Stratigraphic Column:Constraints on Zircon U-Pb Dating of Tuff from the Mengshan Section in Pujiang County,Zhejiang Province(Geological Bulletin of China,ISSN1671-2552,CN11-4648/P,32(7),2013,p.988-995,5 illus.,1 plate,2 tables,24 refs.)     

中更新世气候转型时期南海生态环境的南北差异

中更新世气候转型在南海浮游有孔虫、氧同位素和其它生物记录上主要反映在900 ka BP前后发生高频率变化,特别是指示表层水骤然降温。北部冬季表层水温从24~25℃降至17~28℃,而南部也从26~27℃降至23~24℃。总的降温趋势与开放西太平洋一致,直接反映了西太平洋暖池在900 ka BP之后MIS22期间有明显的减弱。表层水大幅度降温还发生在后继的MIS 20、18、16几大冰期,说明主要冰期旋回周期由41 ka转变为100 ka经历了长达400 ka的过渡时期,并且冬季风增强也在过渡时期的后半段最明显。南海南北生物组合和δ18O值的差异,突出了中更新世气候转型期边缘海区南北气候梯度反差和冬季风在冰期增强的讯号。结论是：生态环境系统反应总体表现与冰期旋回一致的同时,还包含了独特的地区性系统演变特征。但是,南海—西太平洋地区在0.9 Ma BP前后表层海水盐度因东亚冬季风和海平面下降的定量变化,以及这些变化对气候转型时期海—气耦合过程和生态环境系统的影响,尚缺乏足够的资料和证据。     

中国岩浆硫化物矿床新分类与小岩体成矿作用

中国镍(铜、钴)、铂族等许多重要金属矿产都产出于岩浆硫化物矿床,该类矿床是矿床地质研究的热点之一。笔者综合构造背景、侵入方式、岩体规模、矿床模式、主成矿元素等因素,对中国岩浆硫化物矿床提出了新的分类:①古大陆内的小侵入体矿床;②与大陆溢流玄武岩有关的侵入体矿床;③造山带内小侵入体矿床;④蛇绿岩型矿床。认为小侵入体(小岩体)岩浆矿床是中国主要的矿床类型,并在此基础上,从小岩体矿床的相关概念、3种地质背景、3种火山岩_岩体_矿床组合形式以及成矿的主要因素等方面详细阐述了小岩体成矿作用。结合国内外勘查实践指出,小岩体岩浆矿床仍具有很大的找矿潜力,是中国应继续重点研究的主要矿床类型。最后,还讨论了小岩体矿床不仅在基性_超基性岩体中广泛发育,而且在中酸性岩体中也具有重要的经济价值和研究意义。     

扬子板块西缘攀西地区白草矿区黄铁矿标型元素特征及其指示意义

黄铁矿是重要的金属硫化物矿物,在多种矿床中均有产出,其标型特征对矿床成因、矿体空间分布等具有重要的指示意义.以扬子板块西缘攀西地区白草矿区黄铁矿为研究对象,利用矿相学、电子探针等分析方法来对比研究浸染状、致密块状、斑杂状、网脉状矿石中黄铁矿的标型元素特征.结果表明:白草矿区黄铁矿Fe、S平均含量(质量分数,下同)分别为...