Biological and granulometric controls on sedimentary organic matter of an intertidal mudflat

A variety of measures of organic matter concentration and quality were made on samples collected from the top few mm of intertidal mudflat sediment over the course of a year, in order to assess the relative importance of biological and sedimentological influences on sedimentary organic matter. Winter and summer were times of relatively fine-grained sediment accumulation, caused by biological deposition or stabilization processes and resulting in higher organic matter concentrations. Stable carbon isotope and Br:C ratios indicated a planktonic source of bulk organic matter. Ratios of organic carbon to specific surface area of the sediments were consistent with an organic monolayer coverage of sediment grains. Correction for changing grain size during the year showed no change in the organic concentration per unit surface area, in spite of organic matter inputs by in situ primary production, buildup of heterotroph biomass and mucus coatings, and biodeposition of organic-rich seston. There were also no indications of changes in bulk organic quality, measured as hydrolyzable carbohydrates and amino acids, in response to these biological processes. It is concluded that biological processes on a seasonal time scale affect the bulk organic matter of these sediments via a modulation of grain size rather than creation or decay of organic matter.     

Depositional and post‐depositional history of warm stage deposits at Knocknacran,Co. Monaghan,Ireland: implications for preservation of Irish last interglacial deposits

Organic‐rich deposits, uncovered during overburden removal from mantled gypsum karst at Knocknacran opencast gypsum mine, Co. Monaghan, are the best candidate to date for a last interglacial record in Ireland. The two till and organic‐rich deposits (preserved at different quarry elevations) were emplaced on to a Tertiary dolerite surface during high‐energy flood events and subsequently folded and faulted by movement towards sinkholes in underlying gypsum. Uranium–thorium disequilibrium dating suggests that the organic‐rich deposits in the upper section were hydrologically isolated at ca. 41 ka and those in the lower section at ca. 86 ka. Interpretation of the pollen content, although tentative because of the depositional and post‐depositional history of the material, suggests that the organic material originated in a warm stage possibly warmer than the post‐Eemian interstadials. The unusual setting of preservation may indicate that in situ, last interglacial deposits have generally been removed by erosion in Ireland. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reconstruction of the diagenesis of the fluvial-lacustrine- deltaic sandstones and its influence on the reservoir quality evolution-- Evidence from Jurassic and Triassic sandstones, Yanchang Oil Field, Ordos Basin

The reservoir quality of Jurassic and Triassic fluvial and lacustrine-deltaic sandstones of the Yanchang Oil Field in the Ordos Basin is strongly influenced by the burial history and facies-related diagenetic events. The fluvial sandstones have a higher average porosity (14.8%) and a higher permeability (12.7×10?3 ?m2) than those of the deltaic sandstones (9.8% and 5.8 ×10?3 ?m2, respectively). The burial compaction, which resulted in 15% and 20% porosity loss for Jurassic and Triassic sandstones, respectively, is the main factor causing the loss of porosity both for the Jurassic and Triassic sandstones. Among the cements, carbonate is the main one that reduced the reservoir quality of the sandstones. The organic acidic fluid derived from organic matter in the source rocks, the inorganic fluid from rock-water reaction during the late diagenesis, and meteoric waters during the epidiagenesis resulted in the formation of dissolution porosity, which is the main reason for the enhancement of reservoir-quality.     

栖霞组沉积地球化学特征及其环境意义

沉积环境的古氧相特征是沉积环境和古海洋特征恢复的重要内容。岩石地球化学特征是判断其形成环境氧化还原条件的重要手段之一。本文以来宾地区铁桥面为重点．通过对栖霞组灰岩的地球化学分析，结合沉积学、古生态学特征．认为栖霞组沉积于贫氧的沉{只背景．是在海水深度和海域的局限程度等沉积条件发生周期性变化的情况下形成的。古氧相地球化学指标V(V十Ni)、Cc/La、U／Th值都适用于该组以钙质沉积为主的沉积物。黄铁矿矿化程度(DOP值)变。化较大．眨映该区多变的古氧相特征。     

豫西济源谭庄组河流沉积中的Stipsellus遗迹组构

豫西济源盆地上三叠统谭庄组下段为曲流河沉积。本文通过描述和分析谭庄组河流沉积特征，划分了4种不同河流沉积组合类型，识别出Stipsellus遗迹组构，并发现该遗迹组构常与曲流河沉积物伴生，可作为此类沉积的典型生物遗迹标志。其中，Stipsellus sp．A代表发育在河漫滩较浅水体下或潮湿的软底细粒沉积物中的一种遗迹组构类型；Stipsellus sp．B则代表发育在曲流砂坝上部的男一种遗迹组构类型。     

广西钦江河口枯季水动力特征及其对冷空气的响应

河口作为陆海相互作用的关键带,是河流入海泥沙及污染物的主要归宿地。钦江作为广西第二大河流,在茅尾海资源开发利用和生态环境保护与修复中发挥着重要作用。为进一步认识钦江河口地区的沉积动力过程,2021年10月27日至12月8日在此展开水动力和水体环境要素的连续观测。现场观测与分析结果表明,观测期间钦江河口潮汐类型为正规全日潮,浅水分潮显著,平均潮差为3.07 m,具有落潮优势;潮流以全日分潮流为主导,平均流速为0.12 m/s,运动形式主要为往复流;余流流向主要为西南方向。钦江河口潮汐和潮流性质较外湾和茅尾海中部海域全日潮特征更显著。枯季期间河口表层沉积物随潮汐运动表现为侵蚀-沉降交替的变化规律,垂向上侵蚀通量大于沉降通量,水平方向上悬沙净向海输运。冷空气过境带来的降雨使得钦江河口水体盐度降低、浊度增大,悬沙浓度及输沙量增加,同时冷空气南下时北风增强引起钦江河口减水效应并使潮差略有增加,水动力强度增大,增加表层沉积物的活动性,从而引起底部沉积物再悬浮强度和频率增加。     

水牛蹄型深海集矿机履齿设计及牵引性能研究

作为深海采矿系统的重要组成部分,深海集矿机的技术研究和开发一直是许多国家的难题。为了提高深海集矿机在稀软沉积物上的牵引性能,基于水牛蹄的曲面结构特征和特殊几何结构,设计了一款仿水牛蹄蹄型履齿。以该款履齿的结构参数为研究对象,通过对朗肯被动土压力理论的优化,得到了仿水牛蹄蹄型履齿的牵引力解析解,建立了对应的履齿仿生参数对履齿牵引力的影响公式。结合正交试验方法进行了不同形式履齿在沉积物上运动的单、多履齿剪切试验,将仿水牛蹄蹄型履齿与直型履齿、仿水牛蹄轮廓履齿（另一种仿生履齿）进行对比试验,并通过模型车试验验证了该款履齿的可行性。结果表明：3种履齿中,仿水牛蹄蹄型履齿提供的最大牵引力最高。研究可为进一步优化仿水牛蹄蹄型履齿结构参数和提高深海稀软底质机械的牵引性能提供参考依据。     

Turbidity and suspended sediment dynamics in small catchments in the Nepal Middle Hills

The Himalayan environment has, until recently, been perceived to be in a critical state of environmental decline, resulting from rapid population growth and associated land‐use change. Recent research, however, has emphasized the difficulty of developing an objective appraisal of the state of the environment in a region where empirical data are scarce and unstructured and where an understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of natural environmental processes remains highly uncertain. This paper presents results from an intensive three‐year project designed to help address the regional empirical deficit, establish detailed baseline environmental data and to gain an insight into storm period and seasonal suspended sediment dynamics. The instrumentation, calibration and analysis of high‐frequency infrared turbidimetric records from a number of small subcatchments in the Nepal Middle Hills are reported. Storm period and seasonal variation in turbidity and suspended sediment are examined and hysteresis patterns explored and explained. A variety of methods to estimate seasonal suspended sediment yield in a mixed land‐use catchment are examined, and found to vary by up to a factor of five. Despite the inherent uncertainty, all estimates of catchment sediment yield are found to be high with respect to erosion plot studies from the local area, and this suggests the importance of riparian and channel erosion as major sediment sources, a finding consistent with other regional studies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coupled changes in sand grain size and sand transport driven by changes in the upstream supply of sand in the Colorado River: Relative importance of changes in bed-sand grain size and bed-sand area

Sand transport in the Colorado River in Marble and Grand canyons was naturally limited by the upstream supply of sand. Prior to the 1963 closure of Glen Canyon Dam, the river exhibited the following four effects of sand supply limitation: (1) hysteresis in sediment concentration, (2) hysteresis in sediment grain size coupled to the hysteresis in sediment concentration, (3) production of inversely graded flood deposits, and (4) development or modification of a lag between the time of a flood peak and the time of either maximum or minimum (depending on reach geometry) bed elevation. Construction and operation of the dam has enhanced the degree to which the first two of these four effects are evident, and has not affected the degree to which the last two effects of sand supply limitation are evident in the Colorado River in Marble and Grand canyons. The first three of the effects involve coupled changes in suspended-sand concentration and grain size that are controlled by changes in the upstream supply of sand. During tributary floods, sand on the bed of the Colorado River fines; this causes the suspended sand to fine and the suspended-sand concentration to increase, even when the discharge of water remains constant. Subsequently, the bed is winnowed of finer sand, the suspended sand coarsens, and the suspended-sand concentration decreases independently of discharge. Also associated with these changes in sand supply are changes in the fraction of the bed that is covered by sand. Thus, suspended-sand concentration in the Colorado River is likely regulated by both changes in the bed-sand grain size and changes in the bed-sand area. A physically based flow and suspended-sediment transport model is developed, tested, and applied to data from the Colorado River to evaluate the relative importance of changes in the bed-sand grain size and changes in the bed-sand area in regulating suspended-sand concentration. Although the model was developed using approximations for steady, uniform flow, and other simplifications that are not met in the Colorado River, the results nevertheless support the idea that changes in bed-sand grain size are much more important than changes in bed-sand area in regulating the concentration of suspended sand.