Sedimentology,stratigraphy and architecture of the Nicobar Fan (Bengal–Nicobar Fan System), Indian Ocean: Results from International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 362

Drill sites in the southern Bay of Bengal at 3°N 91°E (International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 362) have sampled for the first time a complete section of the Nicobar Fan and below to the oceanic crust. This generally overlooked part of the Bengal–Nicobar Fan System may provide new insights into uplift and denudation rates of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. The Nicobar Fan comprises sediment gravity-flow deposits, mostly turbidites, that alternate with hemipelagite drapes and pelagite intervals of varying thicknesses. The decimetre-thick to metre-thick oldest pre-fan sediments (limestones/chalks) dated at 69 Ma are overlain by volcanic material and slowly accumulated pelagites (0.5 g cm⁻² kyr⁻¹). At Expedition 362 Site U1480, terrigenous input began in the early Miocene at ca 22.5 Ma as muds, overlain by very thin-bedded and thin-bedded muddy turbidites at ca 19.5 Ma. From 9.5 Ma, sand content and sediment supply sharply increase (from 1–5 to 10–50 g cm⁻² kyr⁻¹). Despite the abundant normal faulting in the Nicobar Fan compared with the Bengal Fan, it offers a better-preserved and more homogeneous sedimentary record with fewer unconformities. The persistent connection between the two fans ceased at 0.28 Ma when the Nicobar Fan became inactive. The Nicobar Fan is a major sink for Himalaya-derived material. This study presents integrated results of International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 362 with older Deep Sea Drilling Project/Ocean Drilling Program/International Ocean Discovery Program sites that show that the Bengal–Nicobar Fan System experienced successive large-scale avulsion processes that switched sediment supply between the Bengal Fan (middle Miocene and late Pleistocene) and the Nicobar Fan (late Miocene to early Pleistocene). A quantitative analysis of the submarine channels of the Nicobar Fan is also presented, including their stratigraphic frequency, showing that channel size/area and abundance peaked at ca 2 to 3 Ma, but with a distinct low at 3 to 7 Ma: the intervening stratigraphic [sub]unit was a time of reduced sediment accumulation rates.     

放射虫现代生态学的研究进展及其应用前景--利用放射虫化石揭示古海洋、古环境的基础研究

放射虫以其不易溶解的硅质壳体在古海洋、古环境研究中起着不可替代的作用,其种类组合与海洋物理、水文环境有着很好的对应关系。随着放射虫在古海洋环境研究中的广泛应用以及研究手段的改进,放射虫现代生态学研究在世界各大洋得到了广泛开展。中国加入综合大洋钻探计划,势必会加快[JP2]我国古海洋学的研究步伐,放射虫作为海洋微体古生物中的一个重要类群,其生态学知识是重建古海洋、古环境的基础。因此,有必要向我国学术界提供放射虫现代生态学的研究成果及最新发展趋势,促使我国放射虫的研究与国际接轨,以提供更多的古海洋、古环境替代性指标。     

基于IP的安徽省地震视频会议系统研究

在中国地震局与各省地震局进行视频会议连通的基础上,安徽省地震局建设了基于IP的视频会议系统,实现了安徽省地震系统内部省局与地市局及台站的异地会商和协同工作,改变了安徽省地震局传统、低效的地震会商、会议、学术交流以及联动方式,具有一定的现实意义。     

IODP 311航次底栖有孔虫碳稳定同位素对天然气水合物地质系统的指示

为了探索海洋天然气水合物背景下有孔虫特征的响应,对综合大洋钻探计划(IODP)311航次岩芯沉积物中底栖有孔虫Uvigerina peregrina和Bulimina mexicana进行了初步研究。通过对冷泉站位U1328和毗邻的非冷泉站位U1327沉积物中底栖有孔虫Uvigerina peregrina和Buliminamexicana的显微形貌特征和碳、氧稳定同位素测试等,证实有孔虫壳体未受到后期成岩作用的改造和自生碳酸盐岩的交代影响,有孔虫壳体的碳稳定同位素呈现明显的负偏。其中U1327站位中U.peregrinaδ13C为-0.67‰~-2.75‰(PDB),B.mexicanaδ13C为-0.51‰~-1.52‰(PDB);U1328站位中U.peregrinaδ13C为-0.72‰~-2.71‰(PDB),B.mexicanaδ13C为-0.58‰~-1.45‰(PDB)。底栖有孔虫壳体的碳稳定同位素负偏成因可能与水合物不稳定分解释放的甲烷厌氧氧化作用和食物源有关,因而可较好地指示海底天然气水合物系统地质背景。     

Clay Minerals in an Active Hydrothermal Field at Iheya‐North‐Knoll,Okinawa Trough

Iheya‐North‐Knoll is one of the small knolls covered with thick sediments in the Okinawa Trough back‐arc basin. At the east slope of Iheya‐North‐Knoll, nine hydrothermal vents with sulfide mounds are present. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 studied Iheya‐North‐Knoll in September 2010. The expedition provided us with the opportunity to study clay minerals in deep sediments in Iheya‐North‐Knoll. To reveal characteristics of clay minerals in the deep sediments, samples from the drilling cores at three sites close to the most active hydrothermal vent were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The sediments are classified into Layer 0 (shallow), Layer 1 (deep), Layer 2 (deeper) and Layer 3 (deepest) on the basis of the assemblage of clay minerals. Layer 0 contains no clay minerals. Layer 1 contains smectite, kaolinite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral. Layer 2 contains chlorite, corrensite and chlorite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral. Layer 3 is grouped into three sub‐layers, 3A, 3B and 3C; Sub‐layer 3A contains chlorite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral, sub‐layer 3B contains chlorite/smectite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer minerals, and sub‐layer 3C contains chlorite and illite. Large amounts of di‐octahedral clay minerals such as smectite, kaolinite, illite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral are found in Iheya‐North‐Knoll, which is rarely observed in hydrothermal fields in mid‐ocean ridges. Tri‐octahedral clay minerals such as chlorite, corrensite and chlorite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral in Iheya‐North‐Knoll have low Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratios compared with those in mid‐ocean ridges. In conclusion, the characteristics of clay minerals in Iheya‐North‐Knoll differ from those in mid‐ocean ridges; di‐octahedral clay minerals and Fe‐poor tri‐octahedral clay minerals occur in Iheya‐North‐Knoll but not in mid‐ocean ridges.     

Provenance analysis of the Upper Miocene turbidite sand-bodies in deep-sea basin of northern South China Sea

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 367/368 reported massive Upper Miocene deep-sea turbidite in the northern South China Sea basin. The Upper Miocene turbidite sand-bodies at Site U1500 were examined with detrital zircon U-Pb dating to conduct the source-to-sink analysis. This study shows that the U-Pb age spectrums of Site U1500 sample are similar to those detrital zircons from the Miocene Qiongdongnan Basin and the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot also shows that the turbidite sand-bodies at Site U1500 are closely related to the sediments in the Pearl River Mouth Basin and Qiongdongnan Basin. It is likely that the thick deep-sea turbidite succession in the deep-water basin of northern South China Sea was formed by a mixed provenance pattern during the late Miocene. On the one hand, terrigenous sediments from the west of the South China Sea were transported along the Central Canyon to the eastern South China Sea deep-sea basin in the form of turbidity current. On the other hand, terrigenous sediments were also transported from the Pearl River through the slope canyon system to the northern South China Sea in the form of gravity flow . Those mixed sediments from two different source areas have collectively deposited at the deep-sea basin and thus, give rise to turbidite sequence of hundred meters. Provenance analysis of the thick turbidites sand-bodies in the deep-sea basin is of great significance to the profound understanding of the tectonic evolution, filling processes, provenance evolution, and the palaeogeographic characteristics of the Cenozoic basins of the South China Sea.     

Formation of Hengchun Accretionary Prism Turbidites and Implications for Deep‐water Transport Processes in the Northern South China Sea

Located at the end of the northern Manila Trench,the Hengchun Peninsula is the latest exposed part of Taiwan Island,and preserves a complete sequence of accretionary deep-sea turbidite sandstones.Combined with extensive field observations,a’source-to-sink’approach was employed to systematically analyze the formation and evolutionary process of the accretionary prism turbidites on the Hengchun Peninsula.Lying at the base of the Hengchun turbidites are abundant mafic normal oceanic crust gravels with a certain degree of roundness.The gravels with U-Pb ages ranging from 25.4 to23.6 Ma are underlain by hundreds-of-meters thickness of younger deep-sea sandstone turbidites with interbedded gravels.This indicates that large amounts of terrigenous materials from both the’Kontum-Ying-Qiong’River of Indochina and the Pearl River of South China were transported into the deep-water areas of the northern South China Sea during the late Miocene and further eastward in the form of turbidity currents.The turbidity flow drastically eroded and snatched mafic materials from the normal South China Sea oceanic crust along the way,and subsequently unloaded large bodies of basic gravel-bearing sandstones to form turbidites near the northern Manila Trench.With the Philippine Sea Plate drifting clockwise to the northwest,these turbidite successions eventually migrated and,since the Middle Pleistocene,were exposed as an accretionary prism on the Hengchun Peninsula.     

Microstructures documenting Cenozoic extension processes in the northern continental margin of the South China Sea

ABSTRACT

In order to investigate the thinning process of the northern continental margin of the South China Sea, petrographic and microstructural analysis were carried out on 20 greenschistfacies mylonite samples, which were obtained from Site U1504 of IODP Expedition 367/368 in the Outer Margin High of the region. The mineral assemblage of the greenschist-facies mylonite is chlorite + epidotite + albite (Ab = 94.7–99.9) + quartz, which contains 10-30% gravel components. Microstructural analysis indicates that the greenschist-facies mylonite experienced two episodes of deformation：early ductile deformation followed by a later stage of brittle deformatio. Both episodes of deformation suggest an extensional environment. The extensive development of bulging recrystallization (BLG) of quartz, microscopic fractures and fine granulation of albite suggest that the temperature of ductile deformation is about 300-400°C, compatiable with a ductile shearing at shallow crust levels (~5-10 km). Petrographic features suggest that the greenschist-facies mylonite might originate from volcanic sedimentary rocks or sedimentary rocks affected by the intrusion of mafic magma. Combined with seismic interpretation, we propose that the greenschist-facies mylonite might be formed by crustal exhumation after thick Mesozoic sediments were denuded by a major extension.     

南海IODP 367-368钻探区深地震探测的OBS站位设计分析

借助于国际大洋发现计划平台, 于2017年2月—6月间在南海实施第三次科学钻探(IODP 367-368航次)。海底地震仪(OBS)深地震探测和国际大洋发现计划(IODP)钻探成果相结合, 可以对南海北部洋陆转换带(COT)边界及地质属性的确定提供更好、更全面的深部地质过程解释。文章基于IODP 367-368钻探提出的三种可能设想(下地壳出露、最老洋壳出露、上地幔出露), 分别建立了三种初始速度模型。利用Rayinvr及Tomo2d软件, 对每一种初始模型分别开展了不同OBS间距的射线追踪和走时模拟测试对比, 以及模型的分辨率测试。测试结果表明: OBS间隔为7km比间隔为10km具有更好的射线路径与密度覆盖; 对于上地幔出露模型, 需要足够长的探测测线(>100km), 才能有效得到30km深处信息; 分辨率测试说明, OBS间距需要设置小于或等于7km时, 才能有效分辨20km速度异常体(即模糊带)。     

Evaluation and modelling of Tertiary source rocks in the central Arctic Ocean

With the recently recovered organic-rich sediments of early Tertiary age from the Lomonosov Ridge by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302, the first data collection directly from source rocks of the central basins of the Arctic Ocean is now available. Using the results of seismic interpretations and published sedimentological and organic geochemical data from Expedition 302, the framework for the first quantitative assessment of source-rock quality and distribution of the Palaeogene sediments was modelled in the central Arctic Ocean. The modelling results suggest that an approximately 100-m-thick Early to Middle Eocene sedimentary sequence of good to very good source rocks exists along a 75 km long transect across the Lomonosov Ridge. In-situ generation of hydrocarbons is unlikely because the overburden (200–250 m) and consequently the thermal maturity are too low. Burial history and thermal modelling reveal that an additional overburden of at least 1000 m is necessary to start hydrocarbon generation along the ridge. However, source-rock modelling results show that good source-rock potential may exist in correlative units in the adjacent Amundsen Basin. Simulated organic carbon contents of 1.5–5%, coupled with an overburden of 1000–1200 m, and heat flow anomalies (117 and 100 mW m⁻²) due to the vicinity to the Gakkel Ridge spreading centre indicate that necessary conditions for hydrocarbon expulsion are already reached, and point to viability of a potential petroleum system. Our results support the hypothesis that deposition of a potentially good hydrocarbon source rock occurred across the entire Arctic Basin and adjacent margins during the early Tertiary.