Spatial and temporal geochemical variability in lacustrine sedimentation in the East African Rift System: Evidence from the Kenya Rift and regional analyses

Many previous studies on lacustrine basins in the East African Rift System have directed their attention to climatic controls on contemporary sedimentation or climate change as part of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. In contrast, this research focuses on the impact of tectonism and volcanism on rift deposition and develops models that help to explain their roles and relative importance. The study focuses on the spatial and temporal variability in bulk sediment geochemistry from a diverse range of modern and ancient rift sediments through an analysis of 519 samples and 50 major and trace elements. The basins examined variously include, or have contained, wetlands and/or shallow to deep, fresh to hypersaline lakes. Substantial spatial variability is documented for Holocene to modern deposits in lakes Turkana, Baringo, Bogoria, Magadi and Malawi. Mio‐Pleistocene sediments in the Central Kenya Rift and Quaternary deposits of the southern Kenya Rift illustrate temporal variability. Tectonic and volcanic controls on geochemical variability are explained in terms of: (i) primary controlling factors (faulting, subsidence, uplift, volcanism, magma evolution and antecedent lithologies and landscapes); (ii) secondary controls (bedrock types, rift shoulder and axis elevations, accommodation space, meteoric and hydrothermal fluids and mantle CO ₂); and (iii) response factors (catchment area size, orographic rains, rain shadows, vegetation densities, erosion and weathering rates, and spring/runoff ratios). The models developed have, in turn, important implications for palaeoenvironmental interpretation in other depositional basins.     

广西桂林凉风洞秋冬季滴水和沉积物氧同位素对极端降水的记录研究

近年来,全球环境变化导致的极端气候事件的发生频率剧增,引起了国内外学者的广泛关注。由于器测记录时间较短,因此需要通过精确连续记录古气候变化的石笋来解译极端气候事件的规律。本文针对桂林凉风洞2015年9月至2016年1月的大气降水、洞穴滴水和现代沉积物的氧同位素组成进行了高分辨率的监测。监测结果揭示了由于秋冬水汽源的改变,导致桂林地区大气降水δD、δ~(18)O同位素值显示逐渐偏正的季节性变化,并且建立了该区域大气降水线为:δD=8.8δ~(18)O+16.38。由于大气降水作为凉风洞水源补给唯一来源,使得洞穴滴水的δ~(18)O继承大气降水的δ~(18)O所蕴含的环境信息,进而记录在洞穴现代沉积物中。但是受到洞穴顶部岩溶表层带的平滑或者均一化的作用,使得洞穴滴水的δ~(18)O同位素值要偏正于大气降水的δ~(18)O同位素值。在极端降水信号输入岩溶表层带后由于存在不同的水文地球化学过程,从而导致洞穴沉积物对其极端降水事件的响应时间存在不同,并且在δ~(18)O同位素值也存在明显差异。因此,系统监测洞穴滴水、沉积物δ~(18)O同位素对外界环境信息的响应过程,能为量化或精确解译石笋δ~(18)O同位素记录所指代的古气候环境信息提供基础。     

New results concerning the pedo- and chronostratigraphy of the loess–palaeosol sequence Attenfeld (Bavaria,Germany) derived from a multi-methodological approach

Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPS) represent important records of palaeoenvironmental dynamics throughout the Quaternary. During the Pleistocene's dry and cold phases, the Danube's riverbed was one of the major sources for loess sediments that built up LPS in southern Germany and southeastern Europe. Surprisingly, studies addressing Bavarian LPS along the Danube River often lack actuality. The Attenfeld site was one of them and is often cited as a typical LPS. Nevertheless, the site's previous interpretations are based on a few empirical data and field observations. Considering the site's closeness to the sediment's source area, the Alps, and the region's importance in Middle and Upper Palaeolithic migrational movements, those former renditions needed an evaluation. Therefore, we applied a multi-proxy approach (including analyses of grain-size distribution, element composition, and sediment colour attributes) combined with optically stimulated luminescence. Based on our findings, we conclude that the Attenfeld site's former interpretations might be too generalised. We identified units that were not mentioned by previous studies (e.g. Early Glacial dark greyish horizon). Field observations, sediment characteristics, and age estimates indicate sediment deposition of the dated units partly before MIS 4, which contrasts with previous interpretations. The results further demonstrate how sensitive LPS are to environmental settings and dynamics.     

长江口和浙江近岸海域表层沉积物中颗粒磷的形态分布和影响因素

研究长江口和浙江近岸海域的水团流向、缺氧程度、潮汐作用以及养殖活动对表层沉积物中颗粒磷赋存形式的影响,对东海生态环境的可持续发展有着重要的意义。长江口以北和浙江近岸泥质区各存在一个缺氧中心,杭州湾属于强潮区,而象山港遍布养殖场。2018年8—9月在上述4个海域分别采集表层沉积物,采用SEDEX方法进行了颗粒磷的形态划分和含量测定。研究结果表明：在长江口外北部缺氧区和浙江近岸泥质区的南部缺氧区,由于沉积物-水界面的还原环境可以活化铁结合态磷,使之转变为生物可以直接利用的弱吸附态无机磷,因此表现出沉积物中铁结合态磷的低值和弱吸附态无机磷的高值;前者的缺氧程度高于后者,因此其铁结合态磷的含量相应更低。杭州湾和象山港海域均受潮汐作用影响,两者沉积物中磷的分布比较均匀。象山港表层沉积物中铁结合态磷含量均较低,这可能是因为养殖活动造成的水体缺氧通过潮汐活动扩散到整个港底。象山港废弃养殖场沉积物中的碎屑磷和残余有机磷含量显著低于非养殖区,可能是由于养殖活动累积的生物沉积稀释了陆源输入的碎屑颗粒。     

深圳湾海域表层和柱样沉积物中的重金属分布特征

分析深圳湾表层沉积物中锌、铬、镉、镍、铅、铜等6种重金属元素的含量发现它们的浓度均值已全部超过广东省海岸带沉积物背景值。根据潜在生态危害法,在6种重金属中镉造成的污染最严重,从潜在的生态危害指数评价看镉的含量已达到很高的污染水平。从面状分布看,重金属污染危害指数值在深圳河口区最低,在蛇口段居中等水平,在深圳湾内侧的近岸水域最大。柱样沉积物的浓度变化以1950年为界划分为两部分:1950年以来的现代沉积物中有较强的人类活动干扰痕迹,表现为重金属元素的浓度增长幅度大,且浓度很高,其均值全部大于广东省海岸带的背景值;1950年以前的近代沉积物中有稍弱的人类活动干扰痕迹。研究认为沉积物粒度特征、沉积速率、人类活动与重金属在沉积物中的浓度高低有直接相关关系,并直接影响到重金属在沉积物中的污染水平。     

Microbial photosynthesis in coral reef sediments (Heron Reef, Australia)

We investigated microphytobenthic photosynthesis at four stations in the coral reef sediments at Heron Reef, Australia. The microphytobenthos was dominated by diatoms, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, as indicated by biomarker pigment analysis. Conspicuous algae firmly attached to the sand grains (ca. 100 μm in diameter, surrounded by a hard transparent wall) were rich in peridinin, a marker pigment for dinoflagellates, but also showed a high diversity based on cyanobacterial 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Specimens of these algae that were buried below the photic zone exhibited an unexpected stimulation of respiration by light, resulting in an increase of local oxygen concentrations upon darkening. Net photosynthesis of the sediments varied between 1.9 and 8.5 mmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and was strongly correlated with Chl a content, which lay between 31 and 84 mg m⁻². An estimate based on our spatially limited dataset indicates that the microphytobenthic production for the entire reef is in the order of magnitude of the production estimated for corals. Photosynthesis stimulated calcification at all investigated sites (0.2–1.0 mmol Ca²⁺ m⁻² h⁻¹). The sediments of at least three stations were net calcifying. Sedimentary N₂-fixation rates (measured by acetylene reduction assays at two sites) ranged between 0.9 to 3.9 mmol N₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and were highest in the light, indicating the importance of heterocystous cyanobacteria. In coral fingers no N₂-fixation was measurable, which stresses the importance of the sediment compartment for reef nitrogen cycling.     

Detecting environmental change in estuaries: Nutrient and heavy metal distributions in sediment cores in estuaries from the Gulf of Finland,Baltic Sea

Historical sediment nutrient concentrations and heavy metal distributions were studied in four estuaries in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea to examine the response of these estuaries to temporal changes in human activities. Cores were collected using a 1-m Mackereth corer and dated using ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. The cores were analyzed for total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), organic phosphorus (OP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), biogenic silica (BSi), loss-on-ignition (LOI), Cu, Zn, Al, Fe, Mn, K, Ca, Mg and Na. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize the trends in the chemical variables and to compare the trends at the different sites. Applying the 1986 ¹³⁷Cs date as a reference point, ²¹⁰Pb chronologies were constructed for the sites using either the CRS model or a composite model (using both CIC and CRS). Significant increases were observed in sedimentation rates, TP and TN concentrations in all of the cores. Copper showed clear increases from 1850 towards present at all sites. Furthermore, redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to correlate environmental variables (catchment land use, catchment size, estuary surface area, depth and lake percentage) to sediment geochemistry. Based on redundancy analysis (RDA), the percentage of agriculture in the catchment was the most important factor affecting the sediment accumulation rate. Urban land-use types and industry correlate well with sediment Cu and Ca concentrations. Forest areas were related to high sediment BSi concentrations. Catchment land use was the most significant factor affecting sediment geochemical composition and sediment accumulation rates in these coastal embayments. Our results demonstrate that the coastal estuaries of the Gulf of Finland respond to the increased nutrient loading with the increased sedimentation and nutrient accumulation rates.     

Petroleum pollution in surface sediments of Daya Bay,South China,revealed by chemical fingerprinting of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons

Nine surface sediments collected from Daya Bay have been Soxhlet-extracted with 2:1 (v/v) dichloromethane-methanol. The non-aromatic hydrocarbon (NAH) fraction of solvent extractable organic matter (EOM) and some bulk geochemical parameters have been analyzed to determine petroleum pollution of the bay. The NAH content varies from 32 to 276 μg g⁻¹ (average 104 μg g⁻¹) dry sediment and accounts for 5.8–64.1% (average 41.6%) of the EOM. n-Alkanes with carbon number ranging from 15 to 35 are identified to be derived from both biogenic and petrogenic sources in varying proportions. The contribution of marine authigenic input to the sedimentary n-alkanes is lower than the allochthonous input based on the average n-C₃₁/n-C₁₉ alkane ratio. 25.6–46.5% of the n-alkanes, with a mean of 35.6%, are contributed by vascular plant wax. Results of unresolved complex mixture, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, hopanes and steranes also suggest possible petroleum contamination. There is strong evidence of a common petroleum contamination source in the bay.     

东海和黄海表层沉积物生物标志物的分布特征及古生态重建潜力

多参数生物标志物法已被广泛用于重建浮游植物生产力和种群结构.但目前还缺乏这一应用的现代证据,尤其是西太平洋边缘海地区.文中作者对东/黄海的表层沉积物中的浮游植物生物标志物的分布进行研究,发现东海表层沉积物中菜子甾醇、甲藻甾醇、长链烯酮的总含量变化范围为357～3 115 ng/g,黄海的总含量变化范围为2 898 ～6 714 ng/g,硅藻、甲藻和颗石藻生物标志物总量基本具有近岸高、离岸低的趋势,与现场调查资料所得到的趋势基本一致.生物标志物比例结果显示在东海的长江口方向离岸越远硅藻相对比例下降,而在长江口以南则是离岸越远硅藻比例升高.在东海和黄海颗石藻所占比例都很低,但是有离岸越远比例升高的趋势.用生物标志物所重建的种群结构的变化趋势与现场调查资料相符,但其绝对值却与现场资料存在差异.本研究为生物标志物重建种群结构提供了现代数据,但是此方法的定量应用还需做进一步的研究.