Micropaleontological evidence for redox changes in the OAE3 interval of the US Western Interior: Global vs. local processes

The Coniacian-Santonian interval has been proposed as the youngest of the Cretaceous ocean anoxic events (OAE3), but this designation has long been debated. OAE3 is associated with a long-lasting (∼3 myr) succession of black shales from the central and South Atlantic, Caribbean region, and the North American Western Interior; in the Western Interior it is characterized by an abrupt increase in total organic carbon (TOC) and corresponding trace metal indicators for anoxia. However, the modern concept of OAEs is predicated on detection of global carbon cycle perturbations as recorded by substantial carbon isotope excursions (CIE), and the protracted Coniacian-Santonian black shale interval does not have a large CIE. A more conservative definition of OAE3 might limit the event to the modest positive carbon isotope excursion restricted to the upper Coniacian Scaphites depressus Ammonite Zone. Trace metal proxies suggest that oxygen levels abruptly declined prior to the onset of this CIE in the Western Interior Sea (WIS), but it is unknown whether regional anoxic conditions were confined to sediments/pore waters, or how anoxia may have affected the biota. In an effort to characterize the oxygenation history of the WIS and to better understand the nature of the hypothesized OAE3, we present micropaleontological evidence of declining oxygen in bottom waters prior to the event using benthic foraminifera, which are sensitive to dissolved oxygen. Changes in benthic foraminiferal abundances suggest a decline in oxygen at least 1-myr prior to the CIE (including a nadir immediately below the start of the excursion), improving bottom water oxygen during the CIE, and re-establishment of persistent anoxia following the isotope excursion. Anoxia endured for nearly 3 myr in the central seaway, showing some signs of recovery toward the top of the Niobrara Formation. Our findings suggest that declining oxygen concentrations in the seaway eventually reached a tipping point, after which dissolved oxygen quickly dropped to zero.The late Coniacian CIE is an exception to the trend of declining oxygen in the WIS, and part of a larger pattern in the oxygenation history of the Niobrara Formation which suggests that it does not adhere to standard black shale models. Transgressive periods, including the Fort Hays Limestone and the lower limestone unit of the Smoky Hill Shale (which corresponds to the CIE) are relatively oxic, while periods of highstand (i.e., most of the Smoky Hill) correspond to deteriorating oxygen conditions. This contrasts with the standard black shale model for sea level and oxygen, where transgressions typically correlate with maximum TOC enrichment, interpreted to result from both sediment condensation and oxygen deficiency. The association of global carbon burial/anoxia (as indicated by carbon isotopes) with a regional increase in oxygen and decrease in organic matter preservation is reminiscent of the Cenomanian-Turonian Greenhorn Limestone, which contains OAE2. In both cases, the facies are not typical black shales, but instead have appreciable carbonate content. Western Interior redox trends support the rejection of the original concept of a protracted Coniacian-Santonian OAE3 because it is not a distinct “event.” Increasing local oxygen during the late Coniacian CIE also argues against a narrower OAE designation for this event, because the excursion can't be tied to anoxia here or anywhere else it has been described. Nevertheless, the Late Coniacian Event (as we prefer to call this CIE) still represents an important perturbation of the global carbon cycle. This is emblematic of the shift away from widespread, discrete anoxic events during the ongoing paleoceanographic reorganization of the Late Cretaceous, even as large carbon cycle perturbations continued.     

地震事件自动判断方法研究

地震事件的自动判断是自动定位系统中至关重要的部分。本文结合数字波形特征的实际模型,提出了一套符合计算机化运行模式的新方法。对波形进行预处理后采用传统STA/LTA方法、波形延续性、台站集中性三者相结合的判断方法,有效的排除了干扰台站,保证了地震事件自动判断的准确性,并在实际运行过程中得到很好的验证。     

川西北地区上三叠统卡尼阶古喀斯特的发现及研究意义

在川西北地区绵竹汉旺、安县雎水剖面上三叠统卡尼阶海绵礁（丘）灰岩顶部发现古喀斯特;野外露头可见明显的花斑状构造以及蜂窝状溶孔,显微镜下可见泥晶化颗粒,喀斯特角砾以及喀斯特溶孔充填物,其中包括泥-亮晶方解石,生物碎屑以及陆源石英颗粒;根据露头岩性和显微薄片特征判断其属于早成岩期喀斯特;喀斯特成单层发育,之上覆盖化石丰富的黄色或黑色页岩,其中的菊石化石鉴定表明其为上卡尼阶底部沉积。该喀斯特是重要的等时界面,且可作为该地区上下卡尼阶的界线。喀斯特之上的岩性在汉旺和雎水有差异:在绵竹汉旺青岩沟剖面,喀斯特灰岩之上覆盖有黑色粉砂质页岩与生屑灰岩（如层状海绵灰岩、海百合灰岩）,在汉旺观音崖剖面,喀斯特面之上发育海绵丘灰岩及页岩,在安县雎水剖面,古喀斯特发育在滚落的海绵巨砾之上。综合研究表明,喀斯特的形成与早期龙门山的隆升以及卡尼期湿润气候事件在发生时间上非常相近,推测其成因与龙门山的隆升以及卡尼期湿润气候事件有关。     

Cyclostratigraphic calibration of cretaceous magnetic polarity events (Cismon, Southern Alps, Italy)

In an introductory section the problems of constructing a geologic time scale and the role of magnetic reversals and Milankovitch cycles in geochronology are outlined. Results of a detailed cyclostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic study of the Valanginian/Hauterivian part of the pelagic limestone section at Cismon in the Southern Alps are presented and used in conjunction to estimate the duration of magnetic subchrons between CM10N and CM8. The new estimates are shorter than in most published time scales by a factor of two to three. More research along these lines may make a revision of the Early Cretaceous time scale necessary.     

广西香田弗拉斯-法门阶界线事件标志——碳、氧稳定同位素异常特征

本文对广西香田晚泥盆世弗拉斯-法门阶界线剖面进行了系统的碳、氧稳定同位素研究。发现随着弗拉斯-法门期之交的生物大量死亡和绝灭,在弗拉斯-法门阶界线层中,碳、氧稳定同位素组成出现了明显的异常。这和白垩—第三系界线灾变事件中出现的异常颇为相似。碳同位素异常达-6.6‰左右,氧同位素出现正异常达2‰。此外,在界线层中出现铱异常为230×10^-12g/g。这些表明,上述同位素地球化学异常是地球历史中生物绝灭灾变事件的重要标志。     

Source location variability and volcanic vent mapping with a small-aperture infrasound array at Stromboli Volcano,Italy

Stromboli Volcano in Italy is a persistently active, complex volcanic system. In May 2002 activity was confined to 3 major summit craters within which several active vents hosted multiple explosions each hour. During a 5-day field campaign an array of 3 low-frequency microphones was installed to investigate the coherent infrasound produced by degassing from these vents. Consistent phase lags across the 3 stations indicate distinct sources that are subsequently investigated to determine the associated vent location, apparent depth, and origin time. The cross-correlation routine allows for variations in comparison window length, waveform filtering bandwidth, and correlation and consistency thresholds, allowing for improved detection of certain types of degassing sources. Identification of activity at the various vents could be subsequently corroborated with 3 channels of synchronously acquired thermal data and video. During the May 2002 experiment persistent, energetic infrasound was observed from a passive degassing source within the Central Crater (CC) and transient infrasound, produced by discrete Strombolian explosions, was identified at 4 additional vents. The continuous infrasound produced by the CC exhibits variable frequency-dependent correlation lag times that are interpreted as a diffraction effect due to the acoustic radiators recessed location within a steep-walled crater. Such dispersion has important implications for accurate eruption source modeling because it indicates that infrasonic waveforms may be significantly filtered during propagation. Transient explosion signals from the Northeast Crater (NEC) and Southwest Crater (SWC) vents also exhibit dynamic correlation lag times, but this scatter may be more reasonably attributed to variable epicentral locations. Explosions from the NEC west vent, for instance, appear to emanate from a diffuse zone with a lateral extent in excess of 10 m.Editorial responsibility: R. Cioni     

Revision of Valanginian Steinmanellinae bivalves from the Neuquén basin,West-central Argentina,and their biostratigraphic implications

We present a new species of Steinmanella Crickmay from the Valanginian of the Neuquén Basin, west-central Argentina, and at the same time update a Valanginian–earliest Barremian bivalve zonation which is integrated into the local, Chilean and European standard ammonoid zonations. Steinmanella caicayensis sp. nov. presents a moderately inflated shell, a subtriangular outline, well-developed carinae and a straight to moderately convex anterior margin. Steinmanella is very abundant in the Tithonian–Barremian interval in the basin and thus provides an ideal opportunity to perform detailed taxonomic and stratigraphic studies; a former zonation based on these trigonioids is here revised and expanded with a thorough revision of Valanginian occurrences based on new material. Two new zones are proposed, namely the S. quintucoensis and S. caicayensis zones, encompassing Valanginian times. The proposed bivalve zonation encompassing the Valanginian–earliest Barremian time interval can be useful in correlating with other southwestern Gondwanan regions, such as Perú, Chile, South Africa, Tanzania, and India, where Steinmanella has been recorded.     

Early Carnian anoxic event as recorded in the southern Tethyan margin,Tunisia: an overview

Considerable attention has been given to the Carnian (Late Triassic) Pluvial and Reingraben events associated with organic-rich shale accumulation in the Germanic basin, Alps, southern Appenines as well as in northwestern Tethyan margins. Less interest has been shown to the southern Tethyan portion represented by the northern margin of Africa, including Tunisia. Tunisian basins represented by the Tellian domain, Tunisian trough, the ‘Dorsale’, and the North–South Axis (NOSA) belong to the southern Tethyan margin, where northern and central areas record the early Carnian anoxic event within an extensive carbonate platform. This short-lived (~2 million year) period of anoxia ranges within the Aonoides to Austriacum ammonite zones, and corresponds in Tunisia generally to intermediate to shallow water environments marked by organic-rich black limestone, dolomite, and shale. Interestingly, toward the south, the dysaerobic conditions in the Jeffara–southern Dahar basin appear to have prevailed locally also in the early Carnian. Here we review evidence of early Carnian anoxia in Tunisia based on the analysis of more than 17 Triassic sections and wireline logs from several petroleum exploration wells penetrating the black dolomites, limestones, and shales. In addition, biostratigraphic and complete geochemical reviews have been undertaken from published papers and unpublished internal reports to better assess this important and promising hydrocarbon source interval.     

The Relation between the 72 ka BP Event and the Toba Super-eruption

72 ka BP左右的强降温事件是末次冰期最大的气候突变事件,且同时期发生了第四纪以来最强的火山喷发———Toba火山喷发,后者在此次强降温事件中扮演着什么角色一直是古气候学界研究的热点。对此进行深入的研究,有助于全面评价火山喷发的环境效应,进一步完善末次冰期突变事件的成因机制。系统回顾深海岩芯、极地冰芯、洞穴石笋、黄土、湖泊等古气候载体的研究成果,这些记录对72 ka BP左右的强降温事件和/或Toba火山喷发进行了不同程度的描述,并从不同的角度分析二者的关系。从72 ka BP左右的强降温事件和Toba火山喷发的时间上,以及火山喷发对气候变化影响的机理上看,Toba火山喷发确实对这次强降温事件产生了实质性影响。这个影响在格陵兰冰芯记录中表现得尤为明显,并得到了气候模拟的进一步支持。然而,部分低纬海洋记录研究表明,Toba火山喷发前后气候没有发生显著变化,至少低纬地区的气候不如高纬地区变化明显。古生物研究同时显示出Toba火山喷发并未对其生存环境产生灾难性的影响,由此可见,72 kaBP左右的强降温事件驱动机制及其对Toba火山喷发的响应程度尚存争议。今后的研究应重视提高气候记录分辨率和探测Toba火山喷发证据的研究,从解剖事件的内部结构特征入手,进而建立气候模式与火山效应之间的联系,以此来明确＂72 ka事件＂驱动机制及其对Toba火山喷发的响应关系。     

Younger Dryas事件与北黄海泥炭层的形成

形成于海平面变化处于停滞阶段和湿润气候条件下的泥炭层是古环境变化信息的重要载体。对北黄海4个含泥炭层的沉积剖面进行研究后发现,其均集中在渤海海峡入口处,水深变化在50～54m。泥炭层的AMS14C年龄在10650～1010014 CaBP,与发生在11000～1000014 CaBP间的末次冰消气候回冷事件——Younger Dryas(YD)事件在年代上非常吻合,表明北黄海泥炭层的形成可能与YD事件的全球效应密切相关,可作为YD事件在北黄海陆架响应的一个重要证据。泥炭层在北黄海的集中出现说明,冰后期的海平面上升过程中在YD事件期间存在停滞阶段,这一时期海面已经达到渤海海峡外侧,并可能在此徘徊了近千年。此外,泥炭层的大量出现和孢粉记录表明YD事件发生期间约为10600～1020014 CaBP,此时北黄海可能处在寒冷而湿润的环境。这一发现与全球范围内大部分YD事件的海陆记录存在明显差异,说明不同地区对YD事件的响应存在差异,不能简单地利用单一的干冷模式来分析YD事件在区域上的响应特征和过程。