The Byers Basin: Jurassic-Cretaceous tectonic and depositional evolution of the forearc deposits of the South Shetland Islands and its implications for the northern Antarctic Peninsula

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses the Jurassic–Cretaceous stratigraphic evolution of fore-arc deposits exposed along the west coast of the northern Antarctic Peninsula. In the South Shetland Islands, Upper Jurassic deep-marine sediments are uncomformably overlain by a Lower Cretaceous volcaniclastic sequence that crops out on Livingston, Snow and Low islands. U-Pb zircon ages are presented for the upper Anchorage Formation (153.1 ± 1.7 Ma) and the Cape Wallace granodiorite of Low Island (137.1 ± 1.7 Ma) as well as ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of 136–139 Ma for Low Island andesites. Data are also presented for a U-Pb age of 109.0 ± 1.4 Ma for the upper volcanic succession of Snow Island. In combination with published stratigraphy, these data provide a refined chrono- and litho-stratigraphic framework for the deposits herein referred to as the Byers Basin. Tentative correlation is explored with previously described deposits on Adelaide and Alexander islands, which could suggest further continuation of the Byers Basin towards the south. We also discuss possible correlation of the Byers Basin with the Larsen Basin, a sequence that shows the evolution of foreland to back-arc deposits more or less contemporaneously with the fore-arc to intra-arc evolution of the Byers Basin.     

南极半岛东北海域表层沉积有机质来源及其沉积环境

采用气相色谱-质谱技术对南极半岛东北海域海底表层沉积物的总有机碳、有机质碳同位素(δ13 Corg)和生物标志化合物等进行了测试分析。研究区表层沉积物总有机碳TOC平均值高于现代深海沉积物中的平均含量。δ13 Corg的变化说明该海域有机碳来源呈海洋水生生物来源和陆源混合的特征。正构烷烃的峰型分布、主峰碳、饱和烃轻重比C-21/C+22和(C21+C22)/(C28+C29)、甾烷组合和藿烷组合证实研究区西部表层沉积物有机质来源以陆源高等植物为主,其陆源可能来自于附近的南极半岛和南舍得兰群岛;研究区东部表层沉积物有机质来源偏以海源为主,且以低等浮游生物、藻类及细菌生物等海源输入为主。碳优势指数(Carbon preference index,CPI)、奇偶优势指数(Odd-even Predominance,OEP)和甾烷C29ααα20S/(20S+20R)比值显示研究区D1-7站位和D5-9沉积物有机质演化程度较高,D5-2和D2-4站位的有机质演化程度低,其他站位介于中间状态。饱和烃中姥鲛烷、植烷及其比值(Pr/Ph)等组合显示研究区西部以氧化-弱还原的沉积环境为主,其可能是受高温低盐别林斯高晋海水流和附近火山喷发的影响所致;研究区东部以还原—强还原沉积环境为主,可能是受低温高盐的威德尔底层水(WSBW)和威德尔海深层水(WSDW)影响所致。     

红树林海岸的沉积物输运和碳沉降特征

Mangroves play an important role in sequestering carbon and trapping sediments. However, the effectiveness of such functions is unclear due to the restriction of knowledge on the sedimentation process across the vegetation boundaries. To detect the effects of mangrove forests on sediment transportation and organic carbon sequestration, the granulometric and organic carbon characteristics of mangrove sediments were investigated from three vegetation zones of four typical mangrove habitats on the Leizhou Peninsula coast. Based on our results, sediment transport was often "environmentally sensitive" to the vegetation friction. A transition of the sediment transport mode from the mudflat zone to the interior/fringe zone was often detected from the cumulative frequency curve. The vegetation cover also assists the trapping of material, resulting in a significantly higher concentration of organic carbon in the interior surface sediments. However, the graphic parameters of core sediments reflected a highly temporal variability due to the sedimentation process at different locations. The sediment texture ranges widely from sand to mud, although the sedimentary environments are restricted within the same energy level along the fluvial-marine transition zone. Based on the PCA results, the large variation was mainly attributed to either the mean grain size features or the organic carbon features. A high correlation between the depth and δ13C value also indicated an increasing storage of mangrove-derived organic carbon with time.     

深圳大鹏半岛南岸西冲海滩的沉积物来源、平面形态稳定性及横向变化

The coast of the Dapeng Peninsula has been honored as one of "the eight most beautiful coasts in China". The most precious tourism resource for the peninsula is headland bay beaches, among which the beach at Xichong on the southern coast of the peninsula is the longest and the most important one. The information of the stability, sedimentary source and shape change of the beach is very important for maintaining the beach in terms of sustainable development of the peninsula. Heavy minerals in the sand of the beach and the inland stream at Xichong are compared with those of a nearby beach on the same coast to determine the beach sand source; with help of a computer software, MEPBAY, the equilibrium planforms of the beaches on the peninsula are compared with those of an island without rivers to evaluate the stream’s effects on the beach stability; cross shore profiles along the Xichong beach are also surveyed in different seasons of a year to assess the annual shore normal beach changes affected by the stream input, and the relation between the equilibrium planform state and cross shore changes of the beach. It is shown that(1) stream is the main sedimentary source of the beach and the weathering materials of the rocky headlands on both sides of the bay transported by waves are the second source for the beach but it is limited, sand from an inner shelf is not the sedimentary source for the beach at present and was not even during the Holocene transgression;(2) the Xichong beach cannot reach static equilibrium around the entire bay shoreline, the segment of the shoreline where a stream outlet is located is in dynamic equilibrium, and the unstable section occurs in the wave shadow region in the lee of an offshore island;(3) no matter whether the section of the beach shoreline at Xichong is in an equilibrium state or not, it is eroded in the typhoon season and recovered after the season, the maximum change in erosion and accretion occurs in the unstable segment;(4) the Xichong beach can only have small sand body since it is supplied with sand mainly form inland streams, resulting in a possible danger in which sand loss induced by human activities or huge storms cannot be replenished naturally.     

山东半岛北部滨浅海区表层沉积物铝物源鉴别

Surface sediment samples in the near shore area of the north Shandong Peninsula are collected for grain size and element analyses. The results indicate that the surface sediments in the study area are primarily composed of the silt-sized components similar to the Huanghe River. The total concentration of aluminum varies from 5.57% to7.37%(average(6.33 ± 0.40)%), and its spatial distribution is mainly controlled by the grain size. Correlations between the ratio of aluminum to titanium concentration and aluminum concentration, titanium concentration and the mean grain size indicate that aluminum in the near shore surface sediments is affected majorly by the terrigenous source, and partially by the anthropogenic source. The ratios of aluminum to titanium concentrations are larger than the background value of loess matter at some stations due to the existence of excess aluminum associated with human activities. Thus, the sources of aluminum should be identified firstly when aluminum is used as an index of terrigenous matter even in the near shore area dominated by terrigenous deposits.     

山东半岛冷流强降雪和非冷流强降雪的对比分析

利用1981—2000年常规气象观测和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,采用合成分析和动力诊断分析方法,对冷流强降雪与非冷流强降雪的空间分布、大气环流、水汽输送、稳定度和垂直运动进行对比分析。结果表明：冷流强降雪是发生在槽后西北气流里的中小尺度不稳定降雪,非冷流强降雪是发生在槽前西南气流中大尺度稳定性降雪。冷流强降雪具有明显的地方性特点,是强冷空气对下垫面物理状态强迫响应的结果。提出强冷空气与渤海暖水面相互作用产生的大气边界层不稳定是产生冷流降雪的本质,在这种边界层不稳定层结中发生的降雪是冷流降雪的概念。     

南极半岛周边海域表层沉积物粒度分布特征及其环境指示意义

基于南极半岛周边海域表层沉积物调查以及收集的资料,并通过分析表层沉积物粒度数据研究沉积物类型和分布特征,探讨沉积物的变化规律。南极半岛周边海域的沉积物类型比较丰富,主要分为四大类:砾质、砂质、粉砂质以及泥质沉积物;根据不同的水深和地貌单元可分为陆架(或岛架)碎屑沉积物、陆坡(或岛坡)沉积物和深海沉积物。研究区沉积物属于冰海沉积物,并可划分为残副冰碛物和混合副冰碛物。沉积物的搬运介质以冰川、冰筏为主,海流对沉积物的影响较为明显,沉积物类型随地形变化而呈有规律的分布。     

Comparison of tide model outputs for the northern region of the Antarctic Peninsula using satellite altimeters and tide gauge data

This study compares the common harmonic constants of the O₁, K₁, P₁, Q₁, M₂, S₂, N₂, and K₂ tidal constituents from eight global and four regional tide models with harmonic constants from satellite altimeter and tide gauge data for the northern region of the Antarctic Peninsula (58°S–66°S, 53°W–66°W). To obtain a more representative comparison, the study area was divided into three zones with different physical characteristics but similar maximum tidal amplitude variations: Zone I (north of 62°S), Zone II (south of 62°S and west of the Antarctic Peninsula), and Zone III (between 62°S and 64.3°S, and east of 58.5°W). Root sum square (RSS) values are less than or equal to 3.0, 4.2, and 8.4 cm for zones I, II, and III, respectively. No single model shows superior performance in all zones. Because there are insufficient satellite altimetry observations in the vicinity of Matienzo Base (64.9761°S, 60.0683°W), this station was analyzed separately and presents the greatest values of both root mean square misfit and RSS. The maximum, minimum, and average amplitude values of the constituents that follow in importance after the eight common tidal constituents, and which have amplitudes greater than 1 cm, are also analyzed.