Depositional environments and maturity evaluated by biomarker analyses of sediments deposited across the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary in the Yezo Group,Tomamae area,Hokkaido, Japan

Biomarker analyses for evaluating maturity of organic matter and depositional environments such as redox conditions, were performed in sediments across the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary (CTB) in the Saku Formation of the Yezo Group distributed along the Shumarinai‐gawa River and the Omagari‐zawa River, both in the Tomamae area, Hokkaido, Japan. Maturity indicators using steranes and hopanes, show that organic matter in sediments from the Shumarinai‐gawa and Omagari‐zawa sections are of lower maturity than those from the Hakkin‐gawa section (Oyubari area). Moreover, the ββ hopane ratios clearly show that the maturity of the Shumarinai‐gawa samples is lower than that of the Omagari‐zawa samples. These variations in the maturity of organic matter presumably reflect the difference in their burial histories. The results for the pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) ratios suggest that the Shumarinai‐gawa samples were deposited under dysoxic to anoxic environments across the CTB, while the depositional environments of the Omagari‐zawa samples were relatively oxic. By another paleoredox indicator using C₃₅ homohopanoids including a homohopene index (HHenI), higher values are observed in the Shumarinai‐gawa section, particularly in the horizons of the preceding period and an early stage of the first negative shift phase and the latest oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE2) interval. These results suggest that the Shumarinai‐gawa samples record dysoxic to anoxic environments across the CTB. In contrast, the signals for the C₃₅ homohopanoid index values show a relatively oxic condition in the Omagari‐zawa section. The trends of stratigraphic variations in redox conditions are different from those in the OAE2 interval in the proto‐Atlantic and Tethys regions as reported previously. Hence, the redox variations in the Tomamae area were basically related to a local environmental setting rather than global anoxia. However, the prominent anoxic emphasis observed in the HHenI profile of the Shumarinai‐gawa section can be a distinctive, and possibly global, event in the North‐West Pacific just before the OAE2.     

Reintroduced large wood modifies fine sediment transport and storage in a lowland river channel

This paper explores changes in suspended sediment transport and fine sediment storage at the reach and patch scale associated with the reintroduction of partial large wood (LW) jams in an artificially over‐widened lowland river. The field site incorporates two adjacent reaches: a downstream section where LW jams were reintroduced in 2010 and a reach immediately upstream where no LW was introduced. LW pieces were organized into ‘partial’ jams incorporating several ‘key pieces’ which were later colonized by substantial stands of aquatic and wetland plants. Reach‐scale suspended sediment transport was investigated using arrays of time‐integrated suspended sediment samplers. Patch‐scale suspended sediment transport was explored experimentally using turbidity sensors to track the magnitude and velocity of artificially generated sediment plumes. Fine sediment storage was quantified at both reach and patch scales by repeat surveys of fine sediment depth. The results show that partial LW jams influence fine sediment dynamics at both the patch and reach scale. At the patch‐scale, introduction of LW led to a reduction in the concentration and increase in the time lag of released sediment plumes within the LW, indicating increased diffusion of plumes. This contrasted with higher concentrations and lower time lags in areas adjacent to the LW; indicating more effective advection processes. This led to increased fine sediment storage within the LW compared with areas adjacent to the LW. At the reach‐scale there was a greater increase in fine sediment storage through time within the restored reach relative to the unrestored reach, although the changes in sediment transport responsible for this were not evident from time‐integrated suspended sediment data. The results of the study have been used to develop a conceptual model which may inform restoration design. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total organic carbon fluxes of the Red River system (Vietnam)

Riverine transport of organic carbon from terrestrial ecosystems to the oceans plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. The Red River is located in Southeast Asia where river discharge, sediment loads and fluxes of elements (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) associated with suspended solids have been dramatically altered over past decades as a result of reservoir impoundment and land use, population, and climate change. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations were measured monthly at four stations of the Red River system from January 2008 to December 2010. The results reveal that POC changed synchronically with total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and with the river discharge, whereas no clear trend was observed for DOC concentration. The mean value of total organic carbon (TOC = DOC + POC) flux in the delta of the Red River was 31.5 × 10¹³ ± 4.0 × 10¹³ MgC.yr^?1 (range 27.9–35.8 × 10¹³ MgC.yr^?1 which leads to a specific TOC flux of 2012 ± 255 kgC.km^?2.yr^?1 during this 2008–2010 period. About 80% of the TOC flux was transferred to the estuary during the rainy season as a consequence of the higher river water discharge. The high mean value of the POC:Chl‐a ratio (1585 ± 870 mgC.mgChl‐a^?1) and the moderate C:N ratio (7.3 ± 0.1) in the water column system suggest that organic carbon in the Red River system is mainly derived from erosion and soil leaching in the basin. The effect of two new dam impoundments in the Red River was also observable with lower TOC fluxes in 2010 compared with 2008. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The geological characteristics of the large-and medium-sized gas fields in the South China Sea

By the end of 2019, more than 220 gas fields had been discovered in the South China Sea. In order to accurately determine the geological characteristics of the large-and medium-sized gas fields in the South China Sea, this study conducted a comprehensive examination of the gas fields. Based on the abundant available geologic and geochemical data, the distribution and key controlling factors of the hydrocarbon accumulation in the South China Sea were analyzed. The geological and geochemical features of the gas fields were as follows:(1) the gas fields were distributed similar to beads in the shape of a "C" along the northern, western, and southern continental margins;(2) the natural gas in the region was determined to be composed of higher amounts of alkane gas and less CO_2;(3) the majority of the alkane gas was observed to be coal-type gas;(4) the gas reservoir types included structural reservoirs, lithologic reservoirs, and stratigraphic reservoirs, respectively;(5) the reservoir ages were mainly Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene, while the lithology was mainly organic reef, with some sandstone deposits; and(6) the main hydrocarbon accumulation period for the region was determined to be the late Pliocene-Quaternary Period. In addition, the main controlling factors of the gas reservoirs were confirmed to have been the development of coal measures, sufficient thermal evolution, and favorable migration and accumulation conditions.     

Groundwater flow path determination during riverbank filtration affected by groundwater exploitation: a case study of Liao River,Northeast China

The groundwater flow path plays an important role in maintaining hydrological and ecological quality and security, which are important in the comprehensive management and use of both groundwater and surface water. In this study, an integrated multi-tracer-constrained framework was used to determine the groundwater flow path. The results show that there are shallow and deep flow paths in riverbank filtration, controlled by the different permeabilities of riverbed sediments and aquifers at different depths. The contribution of river water to shallow groundwater is less than that to deep groundwater because of the low permeability of the riverbed sediment in the dense muddy layer in the shallow slope of the river valley. This contribution decreases with increasing distance from the Liao River. The shallow groundwater quality is better than the deep groundwater quality because of its longer residence time.     

Geomorphic controls on floodplain sediment and soil organic carbon storage in a Scottish mountain river

River floodplains constitute an important element in the terrestrial sediment and organic carbon cycle and store variable amounts of carbon and sediment depending on a complex interplay of internal and external driving forces. Quantifying the storage in floodplains is crucial to understand their role in the sediment and carbon cascades. Unfortunately, quantitative data on floodplain storage are limited, especially at larger spatial scales. Rivers in the Scottish Highlands can provide a special case to study alluvial sediment and carbon dynamics because of the dominance of peatlands throughout the landscape, but the alluvial history of the region remains poorly understood. In this study, the floodplain sediment and soil organic carbon storage is quantified for the mountainous headwaters of the River Dee in eastern Scotland (663 km²), based on a coring dataset of 78 floodplain cross-sections. Whereas the mineral sediment storage is dominated by wandering gravel-bed river sections, most of the soil organic carbon storage can be found in anastomosing and meandering sections. The total storage for the Upper Dee catchment can be estimated at 5.2 Mt or 2306.5 Mg ha^-1 of mineral sediment and 0.7 Mt or 323.3 Mg C ha^-1 of soil organic carbon, which is in line with other studies on temperate river systems. Statistical analysis indicates that the storage is mostly related to the floodplain slope and the geomorphic floodplain type, which incorporates the characteristic stream power, channel morphology and the deposit type. Mapping of the geomorphic floodplain type using a simple classification scheme shows to be a powerful tool in studying the total storage and local variability of mineral sediment and soil organic carbon in floodplains. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The sources and seasonal fluxes of particulate organic carbon in the Yellow River

The Yellow River transports a large amount of sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC), which is thought to mainly derive from erosion of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). However, the compositions, sources and erosional fluxes of POC in the Yellow River remain poorly constrained. Here we combined measurements of mineralogy, total organic carbon content (OC_total), stable organic carbon isotopes (δ¹³C_org), radiocarbon (¹⁴C) activity of organic matter in bulk suspended sediments collected seasonally from the upper and middle Yellow River, to quantify the compositions and fluxes of the POC and to assess its sources (biospheric and petrogenic POC, i.e. POC_bio and POC_petro, respectively). The results showed that the POC loading of sediments was controlled by mineralogy, grain size and specific surface area of loess particles. The F_mod of POC (0.71 to 0.31) can be explained by mixing of POC_petro with modern and aged POC_bio. A binary mixing model based on the hyperbolic relationship of the F_mod and OC_total revealed a wide range of ages of POC_bio from 1300 to 11100 ¹⁴C years. Relative to the upstream station, the annual POC_bio and POC_petro fluxes in the Yellow River are more than doubled after it flows crossing the CLP within 35% drainage area gain, resulting in POC_bio and POC_petro yields of the CLP at 3.50 ± 0.59 and 0.48 ± 0.49 tC/km²/yr, respectively. POC flux seasonal variation revealed that monsoon rainfall exerts a first-order control on the export of both POC_bio and POC_petro from the CLP to the Yellow River, resulting in more than 90% of the annual POC exported during the monsoon season. Around one third of annual POC erosional flux was transported during a storm event period, highlighting the important role of extreme events in POC export in this large river. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment detachment in piping-prone soils: Cohesion sources and potential weakening mechanisms

Soil piping is a widespread land degradation process that may lead to gully formation. However, the processes involved in sediment detachment from soil pipe walls have not been well studied, although their recognition is a crucial step to protect soils from piping erosion. This study aims to recognize the factors affecting cohesion and to identify the mechanisms which are likely to be responsible for the disintegration of soil. The study has been conducted in mid-altitude mountains under a temperate climate (the Bieszczady Mountains, the Carpathians, SE Poland). The research was based on the detailed field and laboratory analyses of morphology, and the physical and chemical properties of soil profiles with and without soil pipes. Moreover, experiments with flooding the undisturbed soil samples using different solutions (deionized water, ammonium oxalate, dithionate citrate, 35% hydrochloric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide) were conducted in order to check the role of air slaking, the removal of soil organic carbon (SOC), and Fe and Al oxides on sediment detachment. The obtained results have confirmed that soil pipes develop in quite cohesive soils (silt loams), which allow the formation and maintenance of pipes with a diameter up to 30 cm. Soil cohesion, and thus susceptibility to piping, are impacted by the content of major oxides, soil particle size distribution, biological activity and porosity. The tested soils affected by piping erosion have a lower content of Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃, and free Fe (Fe_(DCB)), lower clay content, higher biological activity (more roots and animal burrows), higher porosity, and more and larger pores than the profile without soil pipes. The experiments have indicated that especially SOC along with Fe and Al oxides are an important cohesion source in the study area. This suggests that the removal of SOC, and Fe and Al oxides may weaken and disintegrate aggregates in soil pipes. Further study of soil leaching and tensile strength will broaden understanding of which chemical processes control where pipes will develop in other cohesive piping-prone soils. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江汉平原江陵剖面有机碳含量、碳同位素和磁化率的古气候意义

湖泊中的有机碳及其同位素与磁化率指标广泛应用于古气候的重建,但由于各地自然条件的差异,其气候意义具有一定的区域性.对江汉平原江陵剖面沉积物中磁化率参数、总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)及其碳同位素δ(13C)值影响因素与环境气候关系的研究结果表明:沉积物总有机碳(TOC)的变化与总氮(TN)呈正相关关系,而总有机碳(TOC)与同位素δ(13C)、磁化率值则呈负相关关系,其组合可以很好地反映江汉平原地区的环境演变.在暖湿期,沉积物中总有机碳、总氮较高,有机质的δ(13C)值偏负,磁化率偏低;反之,在凉干期,沉积物中总有机碳、总氮较低,有机质的δ(13C)值偏正,磁化率偏高.江汉平原地区6 000 a PB以来的古气候演化经历了3个阶段:即冷干-暖湿-凉干的变化过程.