The arenig in South Wales: Sedimentary and volcanic processes during the initiation of a marginal basin

Marine clastic sediments and volcanics of Arenig (Ordovician) age crop out in South Wales. These were deposited after presumed late Tremadoc erosion and subsequent arc volcanicity. Arenig sedimentation was transgressive, and followed significant erosion of the arc volcanics. Arenig conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones were deposited in deltaic and turbiditic systems. Storm and tidal processes influenced the shallow marine deposits. The minor rhyolitic volcanics extruded during the Arenig reflect the development of Ordovician marginal basin-type volcanics across Wales. Five sandstone petrofacies are defined and reflect differing proportions of these volcanics and of Cambrian and Precambrian basement material. Sedimentation patterns were controlled by intra-Arenig tectonism during an overall rise in sea level. Facies and petrofacies were ponded in small, interconnected, marine sub-basins. Earliest Arenig tectonism and sedimentation, also recognized in North Wales, reflects the initiation of a marginal basin in Wales.     

六盘山植物区系基本特征的初步分析

六盘山位于陕甘宁交接地区,属于半湿润气候向半干旱气候的过渡带,是黄土高原生物多样性最丰富的地区之一,有维管植物836种,隶属于93科,359属。本区属于泛北极植物区、中国-日本森林植物亚区、华北植物地区的黄土高原亚地区。全部种子植物可分为13个分布区类型和12个变型,以北温带分布类型为主,与其他植物区系联系广泛,但特有属较贫乏。六盘山与小陇山、太白山和中条山的属相似性系数较高,均达60%以上,表明几座山体处于相似的生物气候背景之下,地理隔离性不明显。与贺兰山的属相似性系数低于60%,因为贺兰山位于干旱的荒漠与半荒漠区,可能有地理隔离作用。     

南海冬季之西边界流：1998年2月的水文结构与体积输运

The unique survey in December 1998 mapped the entire western boundary area of the South China Sea(SCS),which reveals the three-dimensional structure and huge volume transport of the swift and narrow winter western boundary current of the SCS(SCSwwbc) in full scale. The current is found to flow all the way from the shelf edge off Hong Kong to the Sunda Shelf with a width around 100 km and a vertical scale of about 400 m. It appears to be the strongest off the Indo-China Peninsula, where its volume transport reached over 20×10~6 m~3/s. The current is weaker upstream in the northern SCS to the west of Hong Kong. A Kuroshio loop or detached eddy intruded through the Luzon Strait is observed farther east where the SCSwwbc no more exists. The results suggest that during the survey the SCSwwbc was fed primarily by the interior recirculation of the SCS rather than by the"branching" of the Kuroshio from the Luzon Strait as indicated by surface drifters, which is likely a near-surface phenomenon and only contributes a minor part to the total transport of the SCSwwbc. Several topics related to the SCSwwbc are also discussed.     

南海北部冷泉区深水珊瑚的发现及其特征

冷水珊瑚也称为深水珊瑚, 在生物多样性、生态资源和科研价值等方面具有重要意义。文章对采自南海北部冷泉区的冷水珊瑚骨骼碎屑进行测定, 鉴定出冷水珊瑚2个种(Crispatotrochus sp.1和Crispatotrochus sp.2), 以及4个属[Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia)、Balanophyllia (Eupsammia)、Lochmaeotrochus和Enallopsammia]。测定的冷水珊瑚的δ¹³C为-7.36‰~-1.15‰, δ¹⁸O为-1.38‰~3.67‰, 与全球冷水珊瑚碳氧同位素组成相似, 但明显不同于南海暖水珊瑚、冷泉碳酸盐岩及低温热液成因碳酸盐岩的碳氧同位素组成。     

南海北部陆坡深水区浅层天然气藏特征

南海北部陆坡深水区的浅层天然气藏是一种伴随天然气水合物的新型油气藏, 具有埋藏浅、规模大的特点, 其埋藏深度一般小于300m。浅层天然气藏由深部裂解气沿断裂上升被天然气水合物封盖而形成, 识别似海底反射(BSR)是寻找浅层天然气藏有效方法。浅层天然气藏的气源主要有热解气、生物气和混合气, 陆坡张性断裂是气体运移的主要通道, 水合物下部的砂层是浅层天然气藏的主要储集层, 水合物层则是封盖层。从南海发现的天然气水合物分布特征看, 浅层天然气藏在陆坡深水区广泛分布且气藏厚度大, 潜在资源量非常可观, 是一种新型的开采成本相对低廉的油气藏。     

基于SODA资料的南海表层风能输入的空间分布与长期趋势研究

海面风不仅是驱动上层海洋运动的主要动力, 其能量也是维持海洋表层流动的主要机械能来源。为了分析南海表层流风能输入的变化, 用SODA(Simple Ocean Data Assimilation)(1901—2010)资料估算了风向南海表层流(表层地转流+表层非地转流)的能量输入。结果表明, 风向南海表层流、表层地转流和表层非地转流输入的能量总体均呈减少趋势, 110年间分别减小了约56%、65%和49%。导致风能输入减小的最主要因素是风应力的减弱(减小了35%)。由于南海受季风系统的控制, 风向表层流及其各成分输入的能量呈现出显著的季节性变化。冬季风能输入最强, 高值区位于南海西部及北部区域, 呈一个显著的“回力镖”状结构。这些结果对深入认识南海环流具有理论意义。     

南海北部冬季和夏季浮游哲水蚤类群落

根据2004年2月10日-3月6日(冬季)和8月26日-9月6日(夏季)在南海北部的两个航次中用浮游动物大网垂直拖网采集的浮游动物样品,对该海域的浮游桡足类群落进行分析。结果表明,共发现哲水蚤类70种,冬季航次62种,夏季航次62种,种类的季节变化不大。在海洋站位,每个站位出现的哲水蚤类为4-41种,近岸的站位出现的种数少,向远海逐渐增多。哲水蚤总丰度冬季为10-353个/m3,夏季为13-205个/m3,从近岸到远海减少。哲水蚤生物量干重冬季为0.80-33.39mg/m3,夏季为0.64-5.81mg/m3,从近岸到远海减少。种类多样性指数采用香农-威弗指数,冬季为0.80-4.39,夏季为2.12-4.66,在近岸较低,远海较大。优势度大于2%的种被认为是优势种。冬季的优势种为:中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)、小拟哲水蚤(Paracalanus parvus)、狭额真哲水蚤(Subeucalanus subtenuis)、弓角基齿水蚤(Clausocalanus arcuicornis)、长尾基齿水蚤(Clausocalanus furcatus)、达氏波水蚤(Cosmocalanus darwini)。夏季的优势种(类)为:微刺哲水蚤(Canthocalanus pauper)、小哲水蚤(Nannocalanus minor)、狭额真哲水蚤、亚强真哲水蚤(Subeucalanus subcrassus)、小拟哲水蚤、锥形宽水蚤(Temora turbinata)、柱形宽水蚤(T.stylifera)、异尾宽水蚤(T.discaudata)。这些种在各个站位占总丰度的15%-92%(平均为48%)。优势度大于5%的种有中华哲水蚤、小拟哲水蚤、狭额真哲水蚤、锥形宽水蚤、异尾宽水蚤,各种的丰度(除狭额真哲水蚤外)从近岸向远海降低。在远海深水的站位,出现了热带暖水种乳点水蚤属的腹突乳点水蚤(Pleuromamma abdominalis)、瘦乳点水蚤(P.gracilis)和粗乳点水蚤(P.robusta)。哲水蚤目种丰富度、桡足类丰度、多样性指数、优势种丰度从近岸到远海的变化趋势,反映了桡足类群落从近岸到远海的演替。     

The effect of a storm surge event on the macrophytes of a temporarily open/closed estuary,South Africa

Temporarily open/closed estuaries typically open to the sea due to freshwater inflow coupled with storm surge events. In September 2008, in the absence of freshwater inflow, the mouth of the East Kleinemonde Estuary breached in response to a storm surge. The mouth of the estuary closed the following day at a high level. Marine overwash events following the breach introduced large volumes of saline water into the estuary and raised the water level by 0.07–0.33 m. Salinity was significantly higher in the 15 month closed phase after the breach (31 ± 0.9) compared to 21.9 ± 0.9 in the closed brackish phase before the breach. The historical average salinity for the estuary during a closed period is 23–25. The increase in salinity has reduced submerged macrophytes Ruppia cirrhosa and Chara vulgaris cover by 38.1%. Macroalgal cover of species such as Dictyota dichotoma, Caulacanthus ustulatus, Codium tenue and Ulva spp. have increased by 7.9%. The saline high water levels have also significantly reduced supratidal salt marsh cover by 15.2%, and reed and sedge cover by 19.7%. Loss of these habitats may result in bank destabilisation and erosion. This is the first record of an extended saline period in the 15 years the estuary has been monitored. Sea level rise in association with climate change, together with localised freshwater inflow reduction is likely to result in an increase in marine overwash events. The frequency and duration of closed saline periods are likely to increase in this type of estuary. A loss of submerged macrophytes may have significant impacts on faunal composition and abundance and on the subsequent functioning of temporarily open/closed estuaries. This has serious ecological implications since these estuaries represent 70% of the different types of estuaries found in South Africa.     

南海西北陆缘新型多金属结核的发现及意义

近年南海西北陆缘西沙东北海域发现大型多金属结核,尽管其外观与大洋结核别无二致,具有个体大、外部形态规整、层状结构清晰的特点,但其地球化学组成与大洋多金属结核存在明显差别:TMn/TFe的比值小,仅为0.73,富Fe、Si、Al、稀土元素而贫Mn、Cu、Co、Ni。Be同位素质谱法测年和钙质超微生物地层学方法研究表明,结核生长速度达7.41～15.38 mm/Ma,远大于大洋多金属结核的平均生长速率和以前发现于南海北部的多金属结核。依据其综合特征,初步认定其为边缘海区域赋存的一种新型多金属结核。该类型结核所蕴含丰富的边缘海区域古海洋、古气候、古环境信息,有助于探讨新生代末期青藏高原隆升、东亚季风加强、北半球冰期发生等重大地质事件所引起的区域沉积响应。     

Early Cretaceous Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Central Jiangnan Orogen in South China: Geochemical and Sr-Nd Isotope Evidence from the Tuanshanbei Dolerite

It is well established that Cretaceous magmatism in the South China Block (SCB) is related to the Paleo-Pacific subduction. However, the starting time and the associated deep crust-mantle processes are still debatable. Mafic dike swarms carry important information on the deep earth (including mantle) geodynamics and geochemical evolution. In the Jiangnan Orogen (South China), there is no information on whether the Mesozoic magmatic activities in this region are also directly related to the Pacific subduction or not. In this study, we present detailed zircon U-Pb geochronological, whole-rock element and Sr-Nd isotope data for Early Cretaceous Tuanshanbei dolerite dikes, and provide new constraints on the condition of the lithospheric mantle and mantle dynamics of the SCB during that time. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating suggests that this dolerite erupted in the Early Cretaceous (~145 Ma). All samples have alkaline geochemical affinities with K2O + Na2O = 3.11–4.04 wt%, K2O/Na2O = 0.50–0.72, and Mg# = 62.24–65.13. They are enriched in LILE but depleted in HFSE with higher initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0.706896–0.714743) and lower εNd(t) (?2.61 to ?1.67). They have high Nb/U, Nb/La, La/Sm and Rb/Sr, and low La/Nb, La/Ta, Ce/Pb, Ba/Rb, Tb/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios. Such geochemical signatures suggest that the fractional crystallization is obvious but crustal contamination play a negligible role during magmatic evolution. Tuanshanbei dolerite were most likely derived from low-degree (2%–5%) partial melting of a phlogopite-bearing mantle material consisted of ~85% spinel peridotite and ~15% garnet peridotite previously metasomatized by asthenosphere-derived fluids/melts with minor subduction-derived fluids/melts. Slab-rollback generally lead to the upwelling of the hot asthenosphere. The upwelling of asthenosphere consuming the lithospheric mantle by thermo-mechanical-chemical erosion. The lithospheric mantle may have partially melted due to the heating by the upwelling asthenosphere and lithospheric extension. It is inferred that the Tuanshanbei dolerite might be associated with the initial slab rollback and corresponding lithospheric extension occurred potentially at ca. 145 Ma.