Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in biopsy samples (2004/2006) from Southern Resident killer whales

“Southern Resident” killer whales include three “pods” (J, K and L) that reside primarily in Puget Sound/Georgia Basin during the spring, summer and fall. This population was listed as “endangered” in the US and Canada following a 20% decline between 1996 and 2001. The current study, using blubber/epidermis biopsy samples, contributes contemporary information about potential factors (i.e., levels of pollutants or changes in diet) that could adversely affect Southern Residents. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes indicated J- and L-pod consumed prey from similar trophic levels in 2004/2006 and also showed no evidence for a large shift in the trophic level of prey consumed by L-pod between 1996 and 2004/2006. ∑PCBs decreased for Southern Residents biopsied in 2004/2006 compared to 1993–1995. Surprisingly, however, a three-year-old male whale (J39) had the highest concentrations of ∑PBDEs, ∑HCHs and HCB. POP ratio differences between J- and L-pod suggested that they occupy different ranges in winter.     

The use of meiofauna as an indicator of benthic organic enrichment associated with salmonid aquaculture

Sediment chemistry and meiofaunal samples were collected in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, to examine the relationship between sediment variables and meiofauna diversity across near- and far-field gradients surrounding several finfish aquaculture operations. The sediment variables examined consisted of free sulfide concentrations, redox potential (E(NHE)), organic content, and sediment grain size. A strong trend between sediment texture and organic content was observed across all sampling locations, which reflected a wide range of sediment types (sand-silt) that exist within the Broughton Archipelago. The abundance of certain meiofaunal groups (kinorhynchs, crustaceans, polychaetes) declined in an asymptotic fashion with increasing free sulfide concentrations, an indicator of benthic organic enrichment. Within these relationships, low meiofaunal abundances occurred in fine sediments associated with higher organic contents. Although other groups (nematodes, foraminifera) showed a slight decline in abundance with increasing organic enrichment, a high amount of variability in abundance was observed at high free sulfide concentrations, rendering these groups not suitable as indicators of organic enrichment. This study reports both horizontal and vertical trends in meiofaunal distributions relative to free sulfide concentrations. The abundance of nematode and crustacean taxa decreased with sediment depth as well as increasing sulfide concentration, while polycheate abundance increased with increasing free sulfide concentration. The ratio of nematodes to copepods was also shown to represent the degree of organic loading associated with aquaculture operations and its application as an indicator of benthic impact is discussed.     

Excess of bottom-released methane in an Arctic shelf sea polynya in winter

Latent heat polynyas are regions generating strong ice formation, convection and extensive water mass formation. Here we report on the effects of these processes on resuspension of sediments and subsequent methane release from the seafloor and on the resulting excess methane concentration in surface water on a polar shelf during winter. The study is based on measurements of concentration and δ¹³C values of methane, water temperature, salinity, light transmission and sea ice data collected in March 2003 in Storfjorden, southern Svalbard. In winter, strong and persistent northeasterly winds create polynyas in eastern Storfjorden and cause ice formation. The resulting brine-enriched water cascades from the Storfjordbanken into the central depression thereby enhancing the turbulence near the seafloor. A distinct benthic nepheloid layer was observed reflecting the resuspension of sediments by the cascading dense bottom water. High concentrations of ¹³C-depleted methane suggest submarine discharge of methane with the resuspended sediments. As the source of the submarine methane, we propose recent bacterial methanogenesis near the sediment surface because of extremely high accumulation rates of organic carbon in Storfjorden. Convective mixing transports newly released methane from the bottom to the sea surface. This eventually results in an excess concentration in surface water with respect to the atmospheric equilibrium, and a sea-air flux of methane during periods of open water. When a new ice cover is formed, methane becomes trapped in the water column and subsequently oxidized. Thus, the residual methane is strongly enriched in ¹³C in relation to the δ¹³_CCH4${\delta }^{13}{\mathrm{C}}_{{\mathrm{CH}}_4}$ signature of atmospheric methane. Our results show that latent heat polynyas may induce a direct pathway for biogases like methane from sediments to the atmosphere through coupling of biogeochemical and oceanographic processes. Extrapolating these processes to all Arctic ocean polynyas, we estimate a transfer of CH₄ between 0.005 and 0.02 Tg yr⁻¹. This is not a large contribution but the fluxes from the polynyas are 20–200 times larger than the ocean average and the methane evasion process in polynyas is certainly one that can be altered under climate change.     

Experimental evidence for an effect of early-diagenetic interaction between labile and refractory marine sedimentary organic matter on nitrogen dynamics

In most natural sedimentary systems labile and refractory organic material (OM) occur concomitantly. Little, however, is known on how different kinds of OM interact and how such interactions affect early diagenesis in sediments. In a simple sediment experiment, we investigated how interactions of OM substrates of different degradability affect benthic nitrogen (N) dynamics. Temporal evolution of a set of selected biogeochemical parameters was monitored in sandy sediment over 116 days in three experimental set-ups spiked with labile OM (tissue of Mytilus edulis), refractory OM (mostly aged Zostera marina and macroalgae), and a 1:1 mixture of labile and refractory OM. The initial amounts of particulate organic carbon (POC) were identical in the three set-ups. To check for non-linear interactions between labile and refractory OM, the evolution of the mixture system was compared with the evolution of the simple sum of the labile and refractory systems, divided by two. The sum system is the experimental control where labile and refractory OM are virtually combined but not allowed to interact. During the first 30 days there was evidence for net dissolved-inorganic-nitrogen (DIN) production followed by net DIN consumption. (Here ‘DIN’ is the sum of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate.) After  30 days a quasi steady state was reached. Non-linear interactions between the two types of OM were reflected by three main differences between the early-diagenetic evolutions of nitrogen dynamics of the mixture and sum (control) systems: (1) In the mixture system the phases of net DIN production and consumption commenced more rapidly and were more intense. (2) The mixture system was shifted towards a more oxidised state of DIN products [as indicated by increased (nitrite + nitrate)/(ammonium) ratios]. (3) There was some evidence that more OM, POC and particulate nitrogen were preserved in the mixture system. That is, in the mixture system more particulate OM was preserved while a higher proportion of the decomposed particulate N was converted into inorganic N. It can be concluded that during the first days and weeks of early diagenesis the magnitude and composition of the flux of decompositional dissolved N-compounds from sediments into the overlying water was influenced by non-linear interactions of OM substrates of different degradability. Given these experimental results it is likely that the relative spatial distributions of OM of differing degradability in sediments control the magnitude and composition of the return flux of dissolved N-bearing compounds from sediments into the overlying water column.     

塔里木盆地塔中-巴楚地区上奥陶统良里塔格组米兰科维奇旋回性沉积记录研究

通过露头、钻井岩芯沉积相观察及高频旋回识别,结合全岩碳氧同位素旋回、自然伽玛能谱测井ln(Th/K)值频谱分析及地震反射特征,研究了塔里木盆地塔中—巴楚地区分布的上奥陶统良里塔格组开阔台地及外缓坡相碳酸盐岩中发育的四～六级高频层序(旋回)特征及其叠置关系。认为其六级米级旋回、五级准层序及四级准层序组可能分别与20～40ka、100ka及400ka周期的Milankovitch日-地轨道气候旋回有关,并识别出该区良里塔格组由11～12个400ka周期的准层序组构成。提出海相碳酸盐岩全岩或生物壳碳同位素值可作为反映全球海平面相对变化的指标及识别形成三级层序的主控因素(全球海平面变化、地区性构造沉降-抬升运动)的方法——碳同位素-沉积旋回对比分析法。晚奥陶世良里塔格组沉积时期,塔中台地北缘总体表现为向上变浅的加积型沉积叠置型式,主要与塔中I号断裂活动控制形成的高陡型镶边台地边缘有关;巴楚台地西北缘则表现为向上变浅的加积-进积复合型沉积叠置型式,主要与其断裂活动弱、受沉积作用控制为主的缓坡台地边缘有关。塔中-巴楚台地良里塔格组表现为一个完整三级层序的形成与演化,主要受控于该台地的构造(沉降-抬升)运动而不是全球海平面变化,属于典型的地区性构造层序及不具有全球对比意义。     

河北宽城地区中元古代高于庄组碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素特征

对河北宽城地区中元古代高于庄组碳酸盐岩的碳氧同位素进行了测定和原始性验证,表明其原始组分保存良好。δ13C、δ18O值分布范围和平均值分别为-5.03‰～0.07‰、-9.92‰～-4.12‰和-0.90‰、-6.58‰,整体上稍低于前人测定的天津蓟县剖面和北京十三陵剖面数据。分析认为:研究区δ13C值主要受有机碳氧化与有机碳的埋藏速率因素影响,有机碳的埋藏速率与蓝绿藻等生物数量关系密切,藻类繁盛的时期一般都具有较高的δ13C值,藻类稀少的时期则具有较低的δ13C值。在浅水潮坪环境中,δ13C值与海平面的变化呈正相关关系;研究区δ18O值则主要受海平面变化影响,与之呈负相关关系;研究区古盐度Z值主要介于120～125之间,相关性分析表明Z值不仅反映氧同位素组成,也反映了碳同位素组成,δ18O和δ13C均与沉积介质的盐度有关,其变化趋势是盐度越大,其δ值越高。     

地球深部包体与成矿关系——一个有意义的研究方向

结合在实际工作中的体会,提出和讨论了“地球深部包体与成矿关系”这一有意义的研究方向及其先导性科学问题。地球深部包体中镍、金、钼、钨等成矿元素的含量是不均一的,镍和金在地幔岩包体中含量最高,钼在玄武岩及镁铁质麻粒岩包体中最高,而钨在长英质麻粒岩和花岗岩类包体中含量最高。这些反映岩石圈和软流圈以及岩石圈的不同层次中镍、金、钼、钨等成矿元素的含量不均一,分别提供了地壳中镍、金、钼、钨矿床的初始物质来源。这一认识可能给镍、金、钼、钨等金属矿床和矿床集中区的战略预测提供一些新思路。     

包气带土壤组成对三氯乙烯的吸附影响研究

有机质和矿物质是包气带土壤中的主要吸附介质,其吸附特性直接影响有机污染物在环境中的迁移、转化等过程。分别采用分析纯石英砂和典型粘土矿物高岭石模拟土壤的原生矿物和粘土矿物,利用批实验的方法研究土壤中各组成部分对三氯乙烯(TCE)的吸附行为。土壤有机质的吸附行为通过全土样和矿物质的对比得出。结果表明,粘土矿物是吸附氯代烃的主要矿物质,原生矿物对氯代烃的吸附量很小;土壤有机质含量和土壤吸附量之间有很好的正相关性;土壤有机碳含量与土壤粘土矿物含量的比值是影响吸附行为的另一重要因素,比值越小,Koc值越大,土壤对TCE的亲和力就越强。由于自然界中的土壤有机质大都与矿物质形成有机质-粘土矿物结合体,据此推测有机质-矿物质结合体会影响有机质的组成和形态,从而对其吸附行为有重要作用。     

南海西部盐水层CO2埋存潜力评估

南海西部东方1-1、崖城13-1和乐东等气田具有CO2含量高的特点,每年从生产出的天然气中分离出大量的CO2。为了减少CO2在大气中的排放,考虑在莺歌海地区选择合适的盐水层埋存体,拟进行CO2地质埋存示范工程。根据CO2在盐水层中的各种埋存机理,并考虑盐水层构造特征对CO2运移分布的影响,提出了一种较为准确的CO2埋存潜力评估方法,并利用此方法对筛选出的5个备选盐水层进行了评估。评估结果表明,各盐水层埋存潜力巨大,都远远大于示范工程期限内预计的CO2埋存总量,并可将这些盐水层作为将来海南省及临近广东省人为CO2的埋存场所。南海西部东方1-1、崖城13-1和乐东等气田具有CO2含量高的特点,每年从生产出的天然气中分离出大量的CO2。为了减少CO2在大气中的排放,考虑在莺歌海地区选择合适的盐水层埋存体,拟进行CO2地质埋存示范工程。根据CO2在盐水层中的各种埋存机理,并考虑盐水层构造特征对CO2运移分布的影响,提出了一种较为准确的CO2埋存潜力评估方法,并利用此方法对筛选出的5个备选盐水层进行了评估。评估结果表明,各盐水层埋存潜力巨大,都远远大于示范工程期限内预计的CO2埋存总量,并可将这些盐水层作为将来海南省及临近广东省人为CO2的埋存场所。