Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Oxidation Events Occurring Below the Sediment-Water Interface

Abstract. Irrigation and bioturbation lead to transport of dissolved oxygen into anoxic sediments. The depthdistribution of local oxygen input and the total time of oxygen presence was measured at randomly sampled locations within anoxic sediments, originating from the North Sea.
In the laboratory, continuous redox potential records, displaying a transient increase and decrease when in contact with oxygen for a limited time, were used to record oxidation events'. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to confm the presence of oxygen. Measurements were performed for 180 d at 230 locations in the top 6 cm of sediment cores containing the natural macrofauna community.
4783 oxidation events m^-2· d^-1 were recorded within the upper 6 cm of the sediment. The number and duration of oxidation events declined with sediment depth below the oxic zone. Oxygen was present in the anoxic sediment, as determined from redox potential measurements, ≥ 6 h per day at 10% of the randomly chosen locations within the upper 3 cm. The overall distribution of oxidation events and their duration suggest that local, pulsed additions of oxygen by irrigation may be sufficient to maintain an oxidised sediment layer ( sensu J orgensen amp; R evsbech , 1989). Oxic environments along burrow walls rapidly fluctuate between oxic and anoxic conditions. Using oxygen microelectrodes the presence of oxygen (oxic conditions) in these halos was found to range from 2 to 12 h per day. Continuous redox measurements show that oxidised conditions fluctuate with the oxygen pulses and display the same durations, although these may range up to 21 h per day. Oxic and oxidised sediment volumes are estimated to represent < 1% and 3.7%. respectively, of the anoxic sediment to 6 cm depth. Recognition of temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of sedimentary conditions may prove valuable for future conclusions drawn in other research fields.     

Bioturbation and erosion rates along the soil-hillslope conveyor belt,part 1: Insights from single-grain feldspar luminescence

The interplay of bioturbation, soil production and long-term erosion–deposition in soil and landscape co-evolution is poorly understood. Single-grain post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) measurements on sand-sized grains of feldspar from the soil matrix can provide direct information on all three processes. To explore the potential of this novel method, we propose a conceptual model of how post-IR IRSL-derived burial age and fraction of surface-visiting grains change with soil depth and along a hillslope catena. We then tested this conceptual model by comparison with post-IR IRSL results for 15 samples taken at different depths within four soil profiles along a hillslope catena in the Santa Clotilde Critical Zone Observatory (southern Spain). In our work, we observed clear differences in apparent post-IR IRSL burial age distributions with depth along the catena, with younger ages and more linear age–depth structure for the hill-base profile, indicating the influence of lateral deposition processes. We noted shallower soils and truncated burial age–depth functions for the two erosional mid-slope profiles, and an exponential decline of burial age with depth for the hill-top profile. We suggest that the downslope increase in the fraction of surface-visiting grains at intermediate depths (20 cm) indicates creep to be the dominant erosion process. Our study demonstrates that single-grain feldspar luminescence signature-depth profiles provide a new way of tracing vertical and lateral soil mixing and transport processes. In addition, we propose a new objective luminescence-based criterion for mapping the soil-bedrock boundary, thus producing soil depths in better agreement with geomorphological process considerations. Our work highlights the possibilities of feldspar single grain techniques to provide quantitative insights into soil production, bioturbation and erosion–deposition. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

华北寒武纪—奥陶纪豹皮状碳酸盐岩系生物扰动成因

华北地区寒武系和奥陶系发育了大量的生物扰动白云岩/生物扰动灰岩,选择两个代表性剖面——河南登封寒武系剖面和山西兴县奥陶系剖面进行碳酸盐岩系生物扰动成因研究。河南登封寒武系第二统朱砂洞组中的遗迹化石较单一,主要为Thalassinoides、含有少量Planolites;山西兴县中奥陶统马家沟组五5亚段中遗迹化石较丰富,识别出的遗迹化石共7个遗迹属,分别为Arenicolites、Cylindricum、Helminthopsis、Lorenzinia、Planolites、Teichichnus、Thalassinoides,其中Thalassinoides占主导地位。朱砂洞组主要为滨岸碳酸盐潮坪相,中奥陶统马家沟组五5亚段主要为局限台地相。通过野外地质考察及室内相关实验手段及方法,利用偏光显微镜、扫描电镜对生物潜穴及围岩进行了宏观和微观结构分析,发现生物潜穴内部主要为白云石,基质围岩主要为方解石,生物潜穴在野外露头上表现为颜色不一的斑块状。两个剖面大量发育遗迹化石Thalassinoides(海生迹),Thalassinoides的三维潜穴系统为白云石化流体提供了良好的运移通道,为回流渗透作用提供了有利条件,促进潜穴充填物白云石化,从而形成了大量豹皮状的生物扰动白云岩。     

塔河油田奥陶系生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层微观孔隙结构的数字化表征与连通性分析*

塔河油田奥陶系鹰山组和一间房组发育大规模生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层。在岩心观测和详细描述的基础上,通过岩石薄片的偏光显微镜、阴极发光显微镜观测和柱塞样品的X射线显微镜扫描与分析,实现了塔河油田奥陶系生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层孔隙结构的数字化表征与连通性分析。结果表明: (1)由于生物扰动区潜穴充填物和围岩基质的岩石组构差异大,使这类储集层呈现极强的非均质性。(2)生物潜穴充填物主要由白云石晶体组成,白云石晶体以自形、半自形晶体为主;白云石晶间孔隙发育,孔隙体积集中于10~100μm³,喉道半径一般小于10μm,喉道长度一般小于40μm,白云石晶间孔为这类储集层的主要储集空间,围岩基质孔隙不发育。(3)生物潜穴充填物孔隙度介于7%~10%,孤立孔隙虽然数量多,但连通孔隙体积占比大,且连通孔隙拓扑结构复杂,孔隙连通性很好;通过表征单元体的尺度粗化升级分析发现,这类储集层的孔隙局部连通较好,而整体连通性相对较差。该研究真实、直观、准确刻画了生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层微观孔隙结构特征,可为后续这类生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层的微观渗流模拟研究提供所需的特征参数;未来将这类生物扰动碳酸盐岩储集层微观尺度上的孔隙结构数字化表征和渗流模拟结果与宏观分布规律相结合并应用到实际储集层评价中,可为这类储集层的油气资源量估算、开发方案优选、产能预测和提高采收率提供指导。     

Sediment segregation by biodiffusing bivalves

The selective processing of sediment fractions (sand and mud; >63 μm and ≤63 μm median grain size) by macrofauna was assessed using two size classes of inert, UV-fluorescent sediment fraction tracers (luminophores). The luminophores were applied to the sediment surface in 16 m² replicated plots, defaunated and control, and left to be reworked by infauna for 32 days. As the macrofaunal assemblage in the ambient sediment and the control plots was dominated by the common cockle Cerastoderma edule, this species was used in an additional mesocosm experiment. The diversity, abundance and biomass of the defaunated macrobenthic assemblage did not return to control values within the experimental period. Both erosion threshold and bed elevation increased in the defaunated plots as a response to the absence of macrofauna and an increase in microphytobenthos growth. In the absence of macrobenthos, we observed an accretion of 7 mm sediment, containing ca. 60% mud. Image analysis of the vertical distribution of the different luminophore size classes showed that the cockles preferentially mobilised fine material from the sediment, thereby rendering it less muddy and effectively increasing the sand:mud ratio. Luminophore profiles and budgets of the mesocosm experiment under “no waves–no current” conditions support the field data very well.     

Nereis diversicolor and copper contamination effect on the erosion of cohesive sediments: A flume experiment

The effect of bioturbation on the erodability of natural and manipulated copper spiked sediments (3 μmol Cu g⁻¹ dw) was investigated using sediments collected in the Tagus estuary and Nereis diversicolor (900 ind m⁻²). The input of particulate matter and Cu into the water column as a result of erosion was quantified in an annular flume at 7 shear velocities (1–13 cm s⁻¹). The biogeochemical characteristics of the sediment were analysed in depth down to 8 cm. Cu contamination elicited lower levels of eroded matter and lower shear strength profiles. Eroded matter and sediment shear strength values were higher (up to 1.7 kg m⁻²) in the presence of N. diversicolor, whose effect was less pronounced under contamination. Sediment erodability was not only related to hydrodynamics but was highly affected by the biogeochemical characteristics and contamination of the sediments.     

应用生物扰动实验系统(Annular Flux System)研究双壳类生物沉降作用

利用不锈钢环形采泥器 ,在胶州湾潮间带沿天然断面选取典型站位 ,现场采取无扰动沉积物样品 ,应用生物扰动实验系统 (Annular Flux System) ,选用菲律宾蛤仔 (Ruditapes philippinarum)和缢蛏 (Sinonovacula constricta) ,在实验室内进行实验。结果表明 :菲律宾蛤仔个体的生物沉降率平均为 0 .15g/ m2 · h· ind,平均净生物沉降率为自然颗粒沉降率的 3.0 5倍 ;缢蛏个体的生物沉降率平均为 0 .2 9g/ m2·h· ind,平均净生物沉降率为自然颗粒沉降率的 2 .6 3倍。     

Bioturbation effects of Corophium volutator: Importance of density and behavioural activity

Bioturbation is one of the major processes influencing ecosystem functioning. Population parameters such as species density, burrow density and species-specific life modes, determine the impact of bioturbation on the ecosystem. A laboratory experiment was developed, using microcosms mimicking a marine intertidal sediment–water interface which allowed for quantification of different population parameters. The vertical redistribution, bioturbation rate and maximum penetration depth of two sizes (41 and 129 μm) of luminophores were measured in five treatments (control, low density of burrows with and without Corophium (1989 ind./m²), and high density of burrows with and without Corophium (14,921 ind./m²)) after 1, 7 and 14 days. Results indicate that the behavioural activities of Corophium are of the utmost importance in sediment reworking, since they contributed to a five-fold increase in bioturbation rate compared to the passive transport induced by the static structure of the burrows. Furthermore, density is an important parameter because only high densities play a prominent role in particle transport and hence in organic matter processing, while the role of low Corophium densities is limited in sediment reworking. No evidence for differentiation in sediment size fractions was observed. Finally, bioturbation rates in this study were low compared to other studies, and these results suggest an influence of the tidal rhythmicity in the behavioural activity of Corophium on the bioturbation rate.