Tidally incised valleys on tropical carbonate shelves: An example from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The formation of incised valleys on continental shelves is generally attributed to fluvial erosion under low sea level conditions. However, there are exceptions. A multibeam sonar survey at the northern end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, adjacent to the southern edge of the Gulf of Papua, mapped a shelf valley system up to 220 m deep that extends for more than 90 km across the continental shelf. This is the deepest shelf valley yet found in the Great Barrier Reef and is well below the maximum depth of fluvial incision that could have occurred under a − 120 m, eustatic sea level low-stand, as what occurred on this margin during the last ice age. These valleys appear to have formed by a combination of reef growth and tidal current scour, probably in relation to a sea level at around 30–50 m below its present position.

Tidally incised depressions in the valley floor exhibit closed bathymetric contours at both ends. Valley floor sediments are mainly calcareous muddy, gravelly sand on the middle shelf, giving way to well-sorted, gravely sand containing a large relict fraction on the outer shelf. The valley extends between broad platform reefs and framework coral growth, which accumulated through the late Quaternary, coincides with tidal current scour to produce steep-sided (locally vertical) valley walls. The deepest segments of the valley were probably the sites of lakes during the last ice age, when Torres Strait formed an emergent land-bridge between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Numerical modeling predicts that the strongest tidal currents occur over the deepest, outer-shelf segment of the valley when sea level is about 40–50 m below its present position. These results are consistent with a Pleistocene age and relict origin of the valley.

Based on these observations, we propose a new conceptual model for the formation of tidally incised shelf valleys. Tidal erosion on meso- to macro-tidal, rimmed carbonate shelves is enhanced during sea level rise and fall when a tidal, hydraulic pressure gradient is established between the shelf-lagoon and the adjacent ocean basin. Tidal flows attain a maximum, and channel incision is greatest, when a large hydraulic pressure gradient coincides with small channel cross sections. Our tidal-incision model may explain the observation of other workers, that sediment is exported from the Great Barrier Reef shelf to the adjacent ocean basins during intermediate (rather than last glacial maximum) low-stand, sea level positions. The model may apply to other rimmed shelves, both modern and ancient.     

末次盛冰期以来渤、黄、东海陆架底质分布演变过程模拟研究

渤、黄、东海陆架底质的形成分布与末次盛冰期之后的海侵密切相关。末次盛冰期结束、海侵开始以来 ,潮流是渤、黄、东海陆架上的永久性主导作用应力。为从长期沉积动力演变过程的角度 ,探讨渤、黄、东海陆架底质形成分布的有关成因问题 ,利用数值模拟手段 ,再现了末次盛冰期以来 6个时期渤、黄、东海陆架潮流作用下海底的冲淤格局及底质分布。结果表明 ,扬子浅滩南侧东海外陆架的砂质沉积基本上是自 - 80 m海面以来形成的。扬子浅滩形成于 -5 2 m海面之后 ,至 - 3 0 m海面时已有一定规模 ,全新世最大海侵之后 ,逐渐形成现在规模的扬子浅滩。南黄海中部泥自 - 5 2 m海面时就已开始形成 ,- 3 0 m海面时范围很大 ,侵入北黄海 ,全新世最大海侵以来 ,逐渐调整到现在的范围。渤海中央泥、北黄海西部泥、浙闽岸外泥、辽东半岛西侧与北侧的砂质沉积、西朝鲜湾与江华湾中的砂质沉积以及苏北浅滩是自全新世最大海侵以来逐渐形成的。海州湾中砂质沉积形成的盛期在公元 8世纪之后。济洲岛西南泥、南黄海东部泥很可能分别形成于 - 3 0 m海面、- 5 2 m海面以来。全新世渤、黄、东海陆架底质分布的演变过程大致分为 2个阶段 :全新世最大海侵之前为渤、黄、东海陆架底质分布宏观格局的形成阶段 ;全新世最大海侵至今为渤     

东亚岛弧地形横剖面与板块运动

通过对东亚岛弧横剖面形态的系统分析，并结合弧前的构造应力的分析，作者认为，东亚岛弧形成于板块东移的构造环境中，横剖面形态存在两种基本类型即内缓外陡型和内陡外缓型，这两种不同的横剖面具有不同的弧前应力，前者表现弧前挤压，后者表现弧前引张，这反映地貌形态与构造应力之间的密切关系。     

Seasonal variations in faunal distribution and activity across the continental slope of the goban spur area (NE Atlantic)

Density, biomass and community structure of macrofauna were estimated together with several sediment characteristics at seven stations ranging from 208 m to 4460 m water depth along the OMEX transect in the Goban Spur area (NE Atlantic) during three seasons (October 1993, May 1994, and August 1995). Median grain size decreased with increasing water depth and showed no differences between the seasons. The percentages of organic carbon and total nitrogen were highest at mid-slope depths (1000 to 1500 m), and were significantly higher in August at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. The C:N ratio in the surface layer amounted to 7 to 8 in May, 10 to 12 in August and 14 to 17 in October at all stations (except the deepest at 4460 m, where it was 11 in May and August), indicating arrival of fresh phytodetritus in May, and therefore seasonality in food input to the benthos. Densities of macrofauna decreased exponentially with increasing water depth. Significantly higher densities of macrofauna were found in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. These differences were mainly due to high numbers of postlarvae of echinoids at the shallowest station and ophiuroids at the deeper stations. Biomass values also decreased with increasing water depth, but biomass was relatively high at the 1000 m station and low at 1500 m, due to relatively high and low mean weights of the individual macrofaunal specimens. No significant differences in biomass were found between the seasons. Respiration was high (15 to 20 mgC·m⁻²·d⁻¹) in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1000 m and low (1–3 mg C·m⁻²·d⁻¹) at the deeper part. At the shallowest stations to a depth of 1000 m respiration was highest in May, at the mid-slope stations (1400–2200 m) it was highest in August, whereas the deepest stations (3600 to 4500 m) did not show any differences in respiration rates. In conclusion; seasonal variation in organic input is reflected in denstiy, community structure and activity of the macrofauna along the continental slope in the NE Atlantic.     

Southern Segment of the European Geotraverse — a wide-angle seismic refraction experiment in the Sardinia Channel

The Sardinia Channel dataset was collected as part of the European Geotraverse (EGT)—a 4000 km seismic refraction line running from Northern Norway to the Sahara, designed to investigate the structure of the lithosphere beneath Europe. Wideangle seismic data recorded by ocean bottom seismometers deployed in the Sardinia Channel as part of the Southern Segment of the EGT, together with gravity data, were used to constrain the final crustal model. In the centre of the Channel the crust is identified as thinned continental in nature, with a crystalline thickness of 10 km overlain by 4 km of sediments and 2.5 km of water in the most extended region. High velocities in the lower crust in the central region are thought to represent an area of underplating or intrusion by igneous material caused by extension related to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The crust overlies an anomalously low velocity upper mantle.     

东海海底地形分区特征和成因研究

东海一直以其特殊的大地构造地位受到国内外地学界的关注,但作为主要受构造控制的东海海底地形的研究,以往简单趋势性描述居多,专门深入系统的研究尚不多见。不久前完成的高精度、全覆盖多波束海底地形勘测覆盖了东海部分外陆架、大陆坡全部、冲绳海槽和东部岛坡的一部分,取得了海量的测深数据。据此编绘的勘测多波束水深图和结合测区外的传统资料编绘的海底地形图使我们有机会可以重新审视和系统研究东海的海底地形特征。在定量确定了陆架坡折线、陆坡坡脚线和东部槽坡坡脚线的基础上划分出了大陆架、大陆坡、冲绳海槽平原和东部岛坡4大地形区,继之对各区的海底地形特征进行了研究和描述,并在区内选取了有代表性的5条剖面进行了剖析。另外,从地球内营力和外营力两方面分析了影响东海海底地形发育的因素。调查分析表明:整个东海地形分带明显,地形类型多样:大陆架十分宽阔,总体北宽南窄,从大陆向海平缓倾斜,发育了广泛的NW-SE向沙脊群,自大陆向东南呈扇形发散;大陆坡呈NE-SW向条带展布,海底地形陡峻,呈阶梯状下掉,总体北缓南陡,其上峡谷密布,上穿切外陆架,下直达海槽,同时坡麓上海台沟谷伴生发育;冲绳海槽北浅南深,其内在平坦的背景上发育了众多的海山和海丘,其中心又有槽中槽地形;东槽坡地形复杂,发育了     

青藏高原北部新生代陆相盆地石油地质条件及勘探前景

青藏高原北部陆相盆地中烃源岩发育层位包括始新统风火山组、渐新统雅西措组和中新统五道梁组。古近系雅西措组烃源岩,特别是灰岩属于中好烃源岩范畴,有机质类型较好,且烃源岩主体处于成熟阶段,是藏北高原新生代陆相盆地主力烃源岩的发育层位。陆相盆地储集岩较发育,储层较丰富,发育层位包括风火山组和雅西措组,其中雅西措组是储层主力分布层位。对测区分析数据表明：通天河盆地具备一定规模的生油岩厚度,而且有机质丰度为沱沱河地区最高,表明其勘探前景较好。     

准噶尔盆地西北缘三叠系层序地层与隐蔽油气藏勘探

层序地层学及层序地层原理指导下的地震资料解释为地层、岩性油气藏勘探提供了理论和技术支持。为配合准噶尔盆地西北缘油气勘探从克乌断裂带上盘向下盘、从构造油气藏向地层、岩性等隐蔽油气藏的转变,利用陆相层序地层学理论和地球物理资料,将三叠系划分为1个二级层序、5个三级层序和8个体系域,进而总结出拗陷完整型和拗陷残缺型两种层序类型。结合测井约束地震反演和井间沉积对比,探讨了三叠系砂体结构和湖侵体系域地层超覆、湖退体系域及最大湖泛面附近小规模滑塌浊积体岩性透镜体等5种圈闭发育模式。油气成藏综合条件分析指出有效圈闭和油源断层的识别是制约斜坡带岩性油气藏勘探的关键。     

Composition and pre-metamorphic geodynamic setting of the ultrahigh-pressure metabasic rocks from Dabie Shan,E-China

As part of the Yangtze plate, segments of the Dabie Shan terrane of Central China underwent ultra-high pressure metamorphism during Triassic subduction. We studied the geochemistry of the abundant eclogites to evaluate the nature of the protoliths and their geodynamic setting. Although some previous geochemical work exists, the analyses and interpretation herein are based on a new subdivision of the ultra-high pressure sequence into basement and cover units (Changpu and Ganghe Unit), revealing new and important results. In addition, eclogites of the so-called HP Unit south of the UHP units were studied. Whereas the large ion lithophile elements indicate postmagmatic, metasomatic changes of some samples, the high-field strength elements and the rare earth elements display original magmatic trends. The geochemical characteristics of the eclogites of the ultra-high pressure areas display a strong dependence on their “structural” and geographic position. The eclogites of the basement and the Changpu Unit indicate melt intrusion and extrusion in a continental rift system, i.e. during extensional tectonics. In contrast, the Ganghe Unit is characterized by a pronounced chemical homogeneity. The composition of the eclogites indicates generation from a mantle source highly influenced by slab-derived fluids. Those of the HP Unit show similar characteristics. Magmatism of the Ganghe and HP Unit probably occurred in a continental arc setting. A similar age for both units, geographically and/or tectonically separated, is possible. The geodynamic interpretation based on the geochemistry of the four units points to a Neoproterozoic scenario in which the protoliths of the HP and the cover units could have been of similar age and deposited in one evolving geological system. A rift-related larger-scale basin might have formed, e.g. a continental back-arc basin behind a magmatic arc after or simultaneous to sedimentation and magmatism in the magmatic arc. Alternatively, magmatism occurred in independent geodynamic settings, distinct in time and space. The units were juxtaposed during exhumation, after subduction to varying depths.