Researches on Plants from the Lower Devonian Xujiachong Formation in the Qujing District, Eastern Yunnan

Fossil plants Hedeia sinica Hao et Gensel 1998, Huia gracilis Wang et Hao 2001 and Guangnania cuneata Wang et Hao are described from the Lower Devonian Xujiachong Formation, the Qujing district, eastern Yunnan, China. They contribute to our knowledge of the flora in this district. Based on the occurrence of common plants (Hedeia, Huia, Guangnania and Zosterophyllum australianum) and their horizons, it is proved for the first time that the mid-lower assemblage of the Xujiachong flora is comparable with the Early Devonian ((late) Pragian) Posongchong flora of southeastern Yunnan and the upper Baragwanathia flora of Australia. In view of this fact and the stratigraphic sequence, the mid-lower part of the Xujiachong Formation is considered to be of (late) Pragian age. Through comprehensive analyses of plant, bivalve and fish assemblages and the lithology, the upper part of the Xujiachong Formation is dated to be of early Emsian age. The Xujiachong flora belonged to the northeastern Gondwana palaeophytogeogr     

中国东部中新生代构造格局和岩浆岩带的形成与演化

在研究印支期秦岭-大别-苏鲁造山带的形成与地幔差速环流的基础上,系统综合了中国东部中新生代的基底构造对断裂构造的控制,深层构造对隆凹与断陷盆地的制约,伸展构造在陆内及陆缘外的表现,岩浆岩带的时空分布及展布特点等规律,依据中国东部中新生代构造格局与岩浆岩带在时空分布上的宽阔性、方向性、迁移性、分带性,特别是深层构造对浅层断裂构造、伸展构造的制约,以及岩浆岩带、隆起与盆地等自西向东迁移特点,提出其形成机制可能与强大地幔东向差速环流有关.     

新疆东准双泉地区与韧-脆性剪切带有关的金矿成矿

[摘要]区域成矿背景分析表明,东准噶尔卡拉麦里地区韧-脆性剪切带形成于陆-陆碰撞体制, 在330 ~265Ma 期间,受挤压伸展体制转换影响,先后经历了韧、脆性构造变形。对与韧-脆性剪切带有 关的金矿石英流体包裹体研究发现,包裹体以气液相为主,均一温度集中在160 ~ 240益,成矿流体盐度 为3. 55 ~4. 5wt%NaCl。成矿流体的氢、氧同位素组成表明成矿流体的水为变质成因水。金属硫化物硫 同位素啄34 S 值为3. 54 ~10. 68译,显然属于混染硫。黄铁矿包裹体氦氩同位素3 He/ 4 He 值为0. 18 ~2. 18 Ra,属幔壳混源。成矿年代学研究表明,双泉金矿成矿时代及控矿构造脆性变形时间为(269依9) Ma ~ (260依4)Ma,金初始富集时间在310Ma 前后,并得到含矿花岗斑岩U-Pb 同位素年龄的支持,该事件在 东准地区均有同位素年龄记录,是区域性的构造岩浆成矿流体热事件。上述资料表明,金矿成矿过程、 成矿流体性质等在时间、空间上严格受韧-脆性剪切构造变形带控制。     

Perched lobe formation in the Gulf of Cadiz: Interactions between gravity processes and contour currents (Algarve Margin, Southern Portugal)

The Gulf of Cadiz is swept by the strong saline Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). On the Algarve Margin (South Portugal), this current has constructed fine-grained contourite drifts. This margin is dissected by the Portimao Canyon and three short channels that only incise the upper slope, and are absent on a terrace located at mid-slope depths along the Algarve Margin. High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores highlight the original architecture of the sedimentary deposits on this terrace. Coarse-grained lenticular chaotic bodies formed during major relative sea-level lowstands are intercalated within the drift. The lobate shape and sandy nature of the lenticular chaotic bodies and their location at the mouths of the three short channels suggest they are gravity-generated deposits that are perched on the middle continental slope.In the Gulf of Cadiz, the interaction between contour current and gravity processes is strongly controlled by climatic variations and relative sea-level changes during the late Quaternary. During cold periods when sea-level was low, erosion intensified on the continental shelf and the deepest part of MOW was active. Sediment was transported downslope through the channels and deposited on sedimentary lobes perched on the mid-slope terrace. During warm periods when relative sea-level was high, the supply of sediment from the shelf was shut off and the shallowest part of MOW was more active. Contourite drifts fill the channels and bury the sandy lobes.     

Subbottom acoustic and sedimentary records of past surface water–groundwater exchange through sinkhole lakes in south Georgia,U.S.A

Lake Balboa is a deep sinkhole lake in south Georgia. Subbottom acoustic profiling and long sediment cores reveal four stratigraphic units within >20 m of lacustrine fill above acoustically stratified and faulted Miocene/Pliocene overburden and basement Eocene limestone which hosts the Floridan Aquifer system (FAS). Fill consists of thin, rhythmically bedded, peaty sediments (Unit I), indicative of slow sedimentation in a shallow swamp until 13,110–12,680 cal BP, a mix of desiccated and over-consolidated clay and silty sand (Unit II) implying periodic subaerial exposure of the lake bed until 9470–9025 cal BP, and gyttja associated with a rapid 8 m rise in water level by 9120–9020 cal BP (Unit III), as well as an additional rise of 10 m to modern lake levels (Unit IV). Accumulation of nearly 4.5 m of low permeability gyttja, and higher lake levels have fundamentally changed exchange between surface water and groundwater, reducing by 40% or more the rate of vertical leakage to the FAS and increasing shallow aquifer discharge to the lake.     

Relative molar mass distributions of chromophoric colloidal organic matter in coastal seawater determined by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation with UV absorbance and fluorescence detection

A new method for the characterization of chromophoric colloidal organic matter in seawater has been applied to samples from the Baltic Sea, Kattegatt and Skagerrak seas. Size fractionation of the sample by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation and measurement of the fluorescent and UV absorbing properties of the individual size fractions result in a relative molar mass distribution (RMM) of the optical properties. The RMM distributions have been used to estimate number and weight average relative molar masses, and polydispersity indices. At least two sources of coloured organic matter were identified from the ratio of fluorescence to UV: the Baltic surface water and the Skagerrak deep water. The dominating processes were mixing and dilution, but processes such as photo bleaching of fluorescence are also believed to be important. The RMM distribution derived from UV detection (1150–1300 Dalton) increased with increasing salinity while that derived for fluorescence (1500–1250 Dalton) decreased with increasing salinity. The specific UV absorbance taken as a proxy of the aromaticity of the chromophoric organic material showed decreasing trend with both increasing salinity and increasing UV derived weight average relative molar mass. Increasing polydispersity of the colloidal material was also observed as a function of salinity.     

Manganese and iron distributions off central California influenced by upwelling and shelf width

In July 2002, a combination of underway mapping and discrete profiles revealed significant along-shore variability in the concentrations of manganese and iron in the vicinity of Monterey Bay, California. Both metals had lower concentrations in surface waters south of Monterey Bay, where the shelf is about 2.5 km wide, than north of Monterey Bay, where the shelf is about 10 km wide. During non-upwelling conditions over the northern broad shelf, dissolvable iron concentrations measured underway in surface waters reached 3.5 nmol L⁻¹ and dissolved manganese reached 25 nmol L⁻¹. In contrast, during non-upwelling conditions over the southern narrow shelf, dissolvable iron concentrations in surface waters were less than 1 nmol L⁻¹ and dissolved manganese concentrations were less than 5 nmol L⁻¹. A pair of vertical profiles at 1000 m water depth collected during an upwelling event showed dissolved manganese concentrations of 10 decreasing to 2 nmol L⁻¹, and dissolvable iron concentrations of 12–20 nmol L⁻¹ in the upper 100 m in the north, compared to 3.5–2 nmol L⁻¹ Mn and 0.6 nmol L⁻¹ Fe in the upper 100 m in the south, suggesting the effect of shelf width influences the chemistry of waters beyond the shelf.These observations are consistent with current understanding of the mechanism of iron supply to coastal upwelling systems: Iron from shelf sediments, predominantly associated with particles greater than 20 μm, is brought to the surface during upwelling conditions. We hypothesize that manganese oxides are brought to the surface with upwelling and are then reduced to dissolved manganese, perhaps by photoreduction, following a lag after upwelling.Greater phytoplankton biomass, primary productivity, and nutrient drawdown were observed over the broad shelf, consistent with the greater supply of iron. Incubation experiments conducted 20 km offshore in both regions, during a period of wind relaxation, confirm the potential of these sites to become limited by iron. There was no additional growth response when copper, manganese or cobalt was added in addition to iron. The growth response of surface water incubated with bottom sediment (4 nmol L⁻¹ dissolvable Fe) was slightly greater than in control incubations, but less than in the presence of 4 nmol L⁻¹ dissolved iron. This may indicate that dissolvable iron is not as bioavailable as dissolved iron, although the influence of additional inhibitory elements in the sediment cannot be ruled out.     

海坛岛海岸风沙特征及其发育

论述了海坛岛海岸风沙堆积物的沉积特征，对风沙地貌的基本类型进行了划分，分析其发育的基本条件和触发因素，研究其发育历史。     

Inter-season and interannual variations in fish and macrocrustacean community structure on a eastern English Channel sandy beach: Influence of environmental factors

The intertidal zone of an exposed sandy beach on the French coast of the English Channel was sampled with a 1.5 m beam-trawl over five years (2000 and 2003–2006) at weekly intervals. The fish and macrocrustacean catches were analysed to determine the inter-season and interannual variation in community structure and relate these variations to changes in the major environmental variables. Only six species (plaice Pleuronectes platessa, common goby Pomatoschistus microps, sprat Sprattus sprattus, sand eel Ammodytes tobianus, brown shrimp Crangon crangon and shore crab Carcinus maenas) from the 27 species captured can be considered as dominant species of the intertidal zone, and they accounted for >90% of total numbers. Most individuals caught were young-of-the-year or juvenile. Analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and similarities percentage (SIMPER) indicated that inter-season variability of community structure (mean average similarity = 47%) was more pronounced than interannual variability (mean average similarity = 65%). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicates that a substantial component (32.2%) of the measured inter-season variation in community structure can be explained by environmental factors (mainly water temperature). The main inter-season changes in the abundance and community structure were due to the variation of the six key species and reflect the different times of their recruitment. During the five years of the study, the structure of the fish and macrocrustacean spring community persisted from year to year, with the dominant species reappearing consistently even though their abundances fluctuated from year to year. This interannual variation probably reflects variable recruitment success influenced by physico-chemical conditions. In spite of the considerable interannual variation (40 times) in the spring bloom of the prymnesiophyte alga Phaeocystis globosa we found no effect of this bloom on either fish and macrocrustacean species densities or diversity index.