Stratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous Sediments from the Carpathian Bend Area, Romania

The Lower Cretaceous sediments of the Ceahl?u Nappe (from the bend region of the Romanian Carpathians) were investigated from lithological and micropaleontological (calcareous nannoplankton) points of view. Our investigations revealed that the studied deposits were sedimented within the latest Tithonian-Albian interval. The calcareous nannofossil assemblages of the turbidite calcareous successions (the Sinaia Formation) were assigned to the NJK-?NC5 calcareous nannofossil zones, which cover the Late Tithonian-Early Barremian interval. The sandy-shaly turbidites, which followed the calcareous turbidites of the Sinaia Formation, are Early Barremian-Early Albian in age (interval covered by the ?NC5-NC8 calcareous nannofossil zones). Because the studied deposited are mainly turbidites, many reworked nannofossils from older deposits are present in the calcareous nannofloras. Thus, some biozones (i.e., NC5), defined based on the last occurrences of nannofossils, could not be identified. The calcareous nannofossil assemblages are composed of Tethyan taxa (which dominate the nannofloras) and cosmopolitan taxa. During two intervals (the Late Valanginian and across the Barremian/Aptian boundary), Tethyan and cosmopolitan nannofossils, together with Boreal ones, were observed. This type of mixed calcareous nannoplankton assemblage is indicative for sea-level high-stand, which allows the nannofloral exchange between the Tethyan and Boreal realms, within the two-above mentioned intervals.     

华蓥山地区二叠纪生物礁顶部钙结壳的岩石学特征及成因探讨

华蓥山地区上二叠统长兴阶生物礁顶部普遍存在一套数米至十余米厚的钙结壳．含有钙结壳中常见的渗滤豆石、钙质结核、蜂窝状构造、根模、钙化细菌丝体、花瓣构造、微型钟乳石等典型组构，并伴有变形构造、溶蚀构造和角砾化等现象。这套钙结壳的发现对研究华南二、三叠纪之交的古气候，古地理和沉积发育史具有重要意义，本文主要描述钙结壳的岩石学特征，并简要讨论了本地区钙结壳的成因。     

Improvement of calcareous expansive soils in semi-arid environments

The semi-arid climate and geology of Cyprus have caused the formation of calcareous expansive soils on the island. In some areas, swelling has caused serious foundation problems. The industrial by-product Soma fly ash has been used to improve the engineering properties of the soil. Fly ash treatment has shown tremendous potential as an economical method for the stabilization of the soil. Significant reduction in the swell potential and an increase in the hydraulic conductivity values are obtained. Use of fly ash with a small percentage of lime produces even more dramatic results. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) values substantiate the formation of the new pozzolanic reaction minerals which result in more stable silt-sand like structures.     

Microbial–silica interactions in Icelandic hot spring sinter: possible analogues for some Precambrian siliceous stromatolites

Silicified deposits, such as sinters, occur in several modern geothermal environments, but the mechanisms of silicification (and crucially the role of microorganisms in their construction) are still largely unresolved. Detailed examination of siliceous sinter, in particular sections of microstromatolites growing at the Krisuvik hot spring, Iceland, reveals that biomineralization contributes a major component to the overall structure, with approximately half the sinter thickness attributed to silicified microorganisms. Almost all microorganisms observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) are mineralized, with epicellular silica ranging in thickness from < 5 μm coatings on individual cells, to regions where entire colonies are cemented together in an amorphous silica matrix tens of micrometres thick. Within the overall profile, there appears to be two very distinct types of laminae that alternate repeatedly throughout the microstromatolite: ‘microbial’ layers are predominantly consisting of filamentous, intact, vertically aligned, biomineralized cyanobacteria, identified as Calothrix and Fischerella sp.; and weakly laminated silica layers which appear to be devoid of any microbial component. The microbial layers commonly have a sharply defined base, overlying the weakly laminated silica, and a gradational upper surface merging into the weakly laminated silica. These cyclic laminations are probably explained by variations in microbial activity. Active growth during spring/summer allows the microorganisms to keep pace with silicification, with the cell surfaces facilitating silicification, while during their natural slow growth phase in the dark autumn/winter months silicification exceeds the bacteria’s ability to compensate (i.e. grow upwards). At this stage, the microbial colony is probably not essential to microstromatolite formation, with silicification presumably occurring abiogenically. When conditions once again become favourable for growth, recolonization of the solid silica surface by free‐living bacteria occurs: cell motility is not responsible for the laminations. We have also observed that microbial populations within the microstromatolite, some several mm in depth, appear viable, i.e. they still have their pigmentation, the trichomes are not collapsed, cell walls are unbroken, cytoplasm is still present and they proved culturable. This suggests that the bulk of silicification occurred rapidly, probably while the cells were still alive. Surprisingly, however, measurements of light transmittance through sections of the microstromatolite revealed that photosynthetically active light (PAL) only transmitted through the uppermost 2 mm. Therefore the ‘deeper’ microbial populations must have either: (i) altered their metabolic pathways; (ii) become metabolically inactive; or (iii) the deeper populations may be dominated by different microbial assemblages from that of the surface. From these collective observations, it now seems unequivocal that microstromatolite formation is intimately linked to microbial activity and that the sinter fabric results from a combination of biomineralization, cell growth and recolonization. Furthermore, the similarities in morphology and microbial component to some Precambrian stromatolites, preserved in primary chert, suggests that we may be witnessing contemporaneous biomineralization processes and growth patterns analogous to those of the early Earth.     

钙质土力学性质研究现状与进展

概述了钙质土的成因，在世界范围内的分布及一般性质，综述了国内外对钙质土静、动力学性质研究持现状与进展，得到有关结论并提出今后应加强研究的方向。     

Age model, physical properties and paleoceanographic implications of the middle Pleistocene core sediments in the Choshi area, central Japan

Abstract   A continuous, well-preserved core was obtained from the Choshi area, on the Pacific side of Japan, to investigate paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes around the northwestern Pacific region during the middle Pleistocene. Siliciclastic sequences in the core are divided into five formations – the Obama, Yokone, Kurahashi and Toyosato Formations in the Inubo Group and the Katori Formation, in ascending order. Examination of calcareous nannofossils and magnetic polarities detected four datums in the core sediments of the Inubo Group: the top of Reticulofenestra asanoi , the base of Helicosphaera inversa , the top of Pseudoemiliania lacunosa and the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary. Fourteen marine isotope stages (MIS24–MIS11) were identified in the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C records based on detected datums and the graphic correlation with the standard stack oxygen isotope curve. Magnetic susceptibility and gamma-ray attenuation porosity evaluator density were also measured and low values characterize the glacial intervals. Biogenic sedimentation by primary production may be larger during the glacial periods because of invasions of nutrient-rich northern surface-waters related to the southward shift of the Kuroshio front in the Choshi area.     

Floral changes in calcareous nannofossils and their paleoceanographic significance in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the last 500 000 years

Abstract   The late Quaternary calcareous nannofossil assemblages from Ocean Drilling Program Holes 807A and 846B, located in the western and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, respectively, were analyzed to clarify changes in surface-water conditions during the last 500 000 years. The uppermost Quaternary sediments in both holes contain abundant nannofossils, and their assemblages are characterized by high species diversity. The absolute abundances of coccoliths (specimens/g) and relative numbers of small reticulofenestrids decreased drastically in both holes between 0.3 and 0.2 Ma, whereas the relative abundance of warm-water species and Florisphaera profunda increased suddenly at this time. These data indicate that upwelling around the western and eastern equatorial Pacific regions weakened after 0.2 Ma, which was caused by a decrease in trade-wind strength.     

四川理塘毛垭温泉地质构造环境及成因分析

通过理塘毛垭温泉现场实地考察,对毛垭温泉所处的地质构造环境及泉华层堆积层的组成、成因和物质来源进行研究。分析认为,毛垭温泉属于义敦—理塘、理塘—德巫活动断裂带上出露的构造上升泉,断裂带构造裂隙为温泉水通道;温泉水的来源是中深层循环热水与浅层地下水补给冷水混合体;其水温水量的变化受区域构造应力的控制,它的变化能反映这一区域构造应力场的动态变化信息。     

中国西北地区第四纪盐湖沉积中钙质超微化石的发现及其古环境意义

报导了中国西北地区的甘肃、青海、新疆等地陆相第四纪盐湖沉积中发现的钙质超微化石,它们主要是：Ｇｅｐｈｙｒｏｃａｐｓａｏｃｅａｎｉｃａ,Ｃｏｃｏｌｉｔｈｕｓｐｅｌａｇｉｃｕｓ,Ｃａｌｃｉｄｉｓｃｕｓｌｅｐｔｏｐｏｒｕｓ,Ｃ．ｍａｃｉｎｔｙｒｅｉ,Ｒｅｔｉｃｕｌｏｆｅｎｅｓｔｒａｍｉｎｕｔｕｌａ等。上述钙质超微化石群具有以下特征：（１）化石丰度中等,属、种分异度低,化石保存差;（２）赋存化石的层位均为富含石膏盐层的微咸水咸水的沉积物,或为盐湖沉积;（３）产出化石地点远距该地质时期时的古海岸线。它们与古海域既无通道相连,亦非残留海。中国西北地区盐湖沉积中钙质超微化石的发现说明了中国东部地区第三纪沙河街组某些层位中的钙质超微化石不能作为“海相生物”的标志,否定了这些化石层位与“海侵”或“海泛”的关联。