Mercury in river sediments, floodplains and plants growing thereon in the drainage area of the Idrija mine, Slovenia

Half a millennium mercury production at Idrija is reflected in increased mercury contents in all environmental segments. The bulk of roasting residues from the middle of the 19th century to 1977 was discharged directly into the Idrijca River, and the material was carried at high waters to the Soca River and farther into the Adriatic Sea. It has been estimated that 45500 tons of mercury were emitted into the environment during the operating period of the mine, which ceased production in 1994. In the lower reaches of the Idrijca the riverine deposits with high mercury contents have been, and will be in the future a source of mercury polluted sediment. Stream sediments were monitored at the same locations along the Idrijca and Soca rivers （70 kin） every 5 years since 1991 （1991-2005）. Grain size distribution was determined by dry sieving and fractions for geochemical analysis were prepared （〈0.04 and 〈0.125 mm）. Soils on river terraces were sampled at 5 localities in the lower course of Idrijca. At two locations of the terrace profiles the samples of averaged meadow forage and plantain （Plantago lanceolata） were collected within a 50-meters radius. We found that there was no decrease in mercury concentration in active river sediments during the last 20 years. Upstream from the Idrija Town the mercury concentrations in active river sediments vary from 1 to 10 mg/kg （average 3.3 mg/kg）. From Idrija to Spodnja Idrija the mercury concentrations increase extremely and vary greatly （32-4,121 mg/kg, the average is 734 mg/kg）. From Spodnja ldrija to the Idrijca-Soca confluence is the average 218 mg/kg, and 57 mg/kg downstream in the Soca River sediments.     

扇三角洲高分辨率层序地层对比及砂体分布规律

笔者依据岩心、测井资料,通过岩性、电性对比,对胡状集油田沙三中亚段4～8油层组的扇三角洲相储层进行高分辨率层序地层研究,确立了不同级次旋回界面和旋回类型的识别特征,将研究层段分为1个长期旋回和6个中期旋回。依据中期旋回对砂体沉积的控制作用以及垂直、平行物源方向短期旋回与古地貌的变化关系,确定了短期旋回的对比原则和对比方法,建立了短期旋回对比格架。短期旋回地层在中期基准面旋回的不同时期的砂体分布特征差异明显,是造成储层层间和平面非均质性的主要原因,在细分油气开发层系时应区别对待。     

Holocene environmental change and vegetation contraction in the Sonoran Desert

Two types of microtopographic features (plant scar mounds and plant scar depressions) on surfaces of barren desert pavements provide a unique record of the former presence of large perennial plants. Evidence of bioturbation by burrowing animals extends more than 1 m beneath each type of plant scar, indicating that both features originated as large bioturbation mounds. Formation of bioturbation mounds in desertscrub environments is generally restricted to areas beneath widely separated, large perennial plants. The contrasting forms of plant scars (mounds vs. depressions) represent time-dependent changes following disappearance of the large plants and eventual cessation of bioturbation. Plant scar mounds represent a geologically recent episode of plant mortality, whereas plant scar depressions represent the disappearance of plants at a considerably earlier time, possibly at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Contrasting spatial distributions of the two kinds of plant scars indicate that vegetation on alluvial fans has progressively contracted from a more diffuse, former vegetation cover, yielding the wide, barren pavement surfaces present today. In less arid portions of the Sonoran Desert, spatial distribution of recent plant mortality due to persistent, severe drought provides an analog of the progressive loss of plants from different parts of the landscape in the past.     

Sea-level and tectonic control of middle to late Pleistocene turbidite systems in Santa Monica Basin, offshore California

Small turbidite systems offshore from southern California provide an opportunity to track sediment from river source through the turbidity‐current initiation process to ultimate deposition, and to evaluate the impact of changing sea level and tectonics. The Santa Monica Basin is almost a closed system for terrigenous sediment input, and is supplied principally from the Santa Clara River. The Hueneme fan is supplied directly by the river, whereas the smaller Mugu and Dume fans are nourished by southward longshore drift. This study of the Late Quaternary turbidite fill of the Santa Monica Basin uses a dense grid of high‐resolution seismic‐reflection profiles tied to new radiocarbon ages for Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1015 back to 32 ka. Over the last glacial cycle, sedimentation rates in the distal part of Santa Monica Basin averaged 2–3 mm yr^?1, with increases at times of extreme relative sea‐level lowstand. Coarser‐grained mid‐fan lobes prograded into the basin from the Hueneme, Mugu and Dume fans at times of rapid sea‐level fall. These pulses of coarse‐grained sediment resulted from river channel incision and delta cannibalization. During the extreme lowstand of the last glacial maximum, sediment delivery was concentrated on the Hueneme Fan, with mean depositional rates of up to 13 mm yr^?1 on the mid‐ and upper fan. During the marine isotope stage (MIS) 2 transgression, enhanced rates of sedimentation of > 4 mm yr^?1 occurred on the Mugu and Dume fans, as a result of distributary switching and southward littoral drift providing nourishment to these fan systems. Longer‐term sediment delivery to Santa Monica Basin was controlled by tectonics. Prior to MIS 10, the Anacapa ridge blocked the southward discharge of the Santa Clara River into the Santa Monica Basin. The pattern and distribution of turbidite sedimentation was strongly controlled by sea level through the rate of supply of coarse sediment and the style of initiation of turbidity currents. These two factors appear to have been more important than the absolute position of sea level.     

河控型扇三角洲沉积特征及控制因素:以准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷上乌尔禾组为例*

近年来对扇三角洲相带及沉积模式的研究有力地支撑了油气勘探大发现,因而扇三角洲类型细化研究受到越来越多的重视。依据23口井岩心资料、大量录测井资料、古地貌和地震等资料,分析了准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷上乌尔禾组河控型扇三角洲沉积特征和控制因素。结果表明: (1)玛湖凹陷上乌尔禾组发育3大类、8亚类、23细类岩相类型,牵引流成因的岩相比例高,砾石间多为砂质充填或是半充填;(2)可分为辫状河道、碎屑流带、水下分流河道、河口坝等10个微相,以辫状河道与水下分流河道微相为主;(3)河控型扇三角洲平面形态多呈长轴扇形,玛湖凹陷上乌尔禾组发育中拐、克拉玛依、白碱滩、达巴松4个长轴形扇体;(4)河控型扇三角洲的沉积受潮湿气候和古地貌因素控制。在此基础上,建立了上乌尔禾组河控型扇三角洲沉积纵向相带序列模式和沉积模式,可为扇三角洲具体类型的判别以及类似盆地的油气勘探提供地质依据。     

Hybrid event bed character and distribution linked to turbidite system sub‐environments: The North Apennine Gottero Sandstone (north‐west Italy)

This study documents the character and occurrence of hybrid event beds (HEBs) deposited across a range of deep‐water sub‐environments in the Cretaceous–Palaeocene Gottero system, north‐west Italy. Detailed fieldwork (>5200 m of sedimentary logs) has shown that hybrid event beds are most abundant in the distal confined basin‐plain domain (>31% of total thickness). In more proximal sectors, hybrid event beds occur within outer‐fan and mid‐fan lobes (up to 15% of total thickness), whereas they are not observed in the inner‐fan channelized area. Six hybrid event bed types (HEB‐1 to HEB‐6) were differentiated mainly on basis of the texture of their muddier and chaotic central division (H3). The confined basin‐plain sector is dominated by thick (maximum 9·57 m; average 2·15 m) and tabular hybrid event beds (HEB‐1 to HEB‐4). Their H3 division can include very large substrate slabs, evidence of extensive auto‐injection and clast break‐up, and abundant mudstone clasts set in a sandy matrix (dispersed clay ca 20%). These beds are thought to have been generated by highly energetic flows capable of delaminating the sea floor locally, and carrying large rip‐up clasts for relatively short distances before arresting. The unconfined lobes of the mid‐fan sector are dominated by thinner (average 0·38 m) hybrid event beds (HEB‐5 and HEB‐6). Their H3 divisions are characterized by floating mudstone clasts and clay‐enriched matrices (dispersed clay >25%) with hydraulically fractionated components (mica, organic matter and clay flocs). These hybrid event beds are thought to have been deposited by less energetic flows that underwent early turbulence damping following incorporation of mud at proximal locations and by segregation during transport. Although there is a tendency to look to external factors to account for hybrid event bed development, systems like the Gottero imply that intrabasinal factors can also be important; specifically, the type of substrate available (muddy or sandy) and where and how erosion is achieved across the system producing specific hybrid event bed expressions and facies tracts.     

Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of a retrogradational fan-delta system within Lower Triassic in the Mabei area,Junggar Basin (northwestern China)

The sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of a retrogradational fan-delta system within Lower Triassic in the Mabei area of Junggar Basin in northwestern China were investigated using seismic, well log, and core data, complemented by the modern deposition and a flume tank experiment. The Lower Triassic in the Mabei area is dominated by fan deltas, which are composed of fan-delta plain (including subaerial debris flow, braided channel, conglomerate overbank, and floodplain), fan-delta front (including conglomerate shoal and sandy shoal), and prodelta. The braided channels form during the low flood period. The conglomerate overbanks form during the flood period and occupy most part of the fan-delta plain. The conglomerate shoals and sandy shoals form by a sheet flow prograding into lakes and occur as a sheet. The braided channels, conglomerate shoals, and sandy shoals are easy to form high-porosity reservoirs. One long-term base level cycles (LSC1), three middle-term base level cycles (MSC1, MSC2, and MSC3), and fifteen short-term base level cycles are identified. MSC1 is dominated by the fan-delta plain; MSC2 is dominated by the fan-delta front; and MSC3 is dominated by the fan-delta front and prodelta. The stratigraphy shows a proximal-middle-distal trend demonstrating an overall retrogradation stacking pattern. The sequence architecture is controlled by an interplay between lake level changes and sediment supply. The quick rise in the lake level and the creation of accommodation outpacing the rate of sediment supply result in a retrogradational fan-delta syste.     

Machine learning-based identification for the main influencing factors of alluvial fan development in the Lhasa River Basin,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Alluvial fans are an important land resource in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with the expansion of human activities. However, the factors of alluvial fan development...     

Sedimentary characteristics and tectonic setting of sublacustrine fans in a half-graben rift depression,Beibuwan Basin,South China Sea

Drilling has shown that there is a large petroleum reserve in the Liushagang Formation of the Fushan Depression, South China Sea from reservoirs of the sublacustrine fans. To reduce the risk associated with exploration, the sedimentary characteristics of the sublacustrine fans should be identified and described. Analysis of the drilling cores, well data and 3D seismic data was conducted to identify and interpret the sublacustrine fans which formed in a lacustrine succession as the low-stand fan of the 2nd member of Liushagang Formation (SQEls2). The reservoirs were commonly associated with pebbly conglomerates, mudstone shivers, muddy debris, various deformation structures including micro-faults, liquified deformation structure, ball and pillow structure, slump and stress-release deformation. Further contrastive analysis of sedimentary characteristics and palaeogeomorphology between the western and eastern sublacustrine fans indicates that they belong to two different types of sublacustrine system in continental basins. More specifically, the western fan, controlled by the multi-level step-fault belt, is a typical gravel-rich sublacustrine system which is characterised by structurally controlled, high gradient (2.8–3.3°), admixtures of muddy debris and pebbly conglomerates and poor reservoir quality, while the eastern fan, controlled by the flexure slope-break belt, is a sand-rich sublacustrine system dominated by relatively low gradient (2.0–2.5°), general fining-upwards trend with good reservoir quality. Therefore, the development of future exploration should be conducted at different levels in the Fushan Depression.