Transport of salt and suspended sediments in a curving channel of a coastal plain estuary: Satilla River, GA

This study describes the transport of salt and suspended sediment in a curving reach of a shallow mesotidal coastal plain estuary. Circulation data revealed a subtidal upstream bottom flow during neap tide, indicating the presence of a gravitational circulation mode throughout the channel. During spring tide, landward bottom flow weakened considerably at the upstream end of the channel and changed to seaward in the middle and downstream areas of the reach, suggesting the importance of tidal pumping. Salt flux near-bottom was landward at both ends of the channel during neap tide. At spring, however, the salt flux diverged along the bottom of the thalweg suggesting that tidal pumping caused a transfer of salt vertically and laterally into the intertidal zone. Thus, landward flux of salt is maintained even in the presence of subtidal seaward flow along the bottom at the downstream end of the channel.Landward bottom stress is greater than seaward stress, preferentially transporting suspended sediments upstream. Compared with salt, however, the weight of the suspended sediments causes less upward transfer of sediments into the intertidal zone. Flood flow carried more suspended sediments landward at the upstream end compared with the downstream end. We speculate that secondary flow in the curving channel picks up increasing amounts of suspended sediments along the sides during flood and adds them to the axial flow in the thalweg. Since the landward flow along the bottom of the thalweg weakens and even reverses during spring tide, there appears to be a complex re-circulation system for sediments re-suspended in curving channels that complicates the picture of a net transport of sediments landward.     

盐湖地学的研究进展和发展方向

在确定盐湖科学的专业范围并划分分支学科的基础上，对盐湖地学研究中的几个重大理论问题进行了讨论：１．大陆盐湖盆地成盐环境演化过程；２．盐湖卤水的天然随机连续煊化；３．盐湖沉积物质流和湖泊演变旋回发展事件；４．盐湖演变与全球变化。     

Determination of orthophosphate in highly saline waters

Standard methods for the determination of phosphorus as phosphate ion are now well established for fresh and marine waters. In highly saline waters, however, salt effects due to ionic strength, or to particular ions present, may result in method interferences. Three methods of analysis of phosphate based on the formation of phosphomolybdenum blue complexes have been evaluated here for hypersaline waters. Stannous chloride reduction in aqueous media exhibits a substantial salt effect and its use is not recommended. Stannous chloride reduction following extraction into non aqueous solvents shows a significant salt effect (up to 30 per cent) in solutions of salinity >100 g L^–1. Dilution of hypersaline waters to below this salinity may overcome the salt effect but the method suffers from other disadvantages involving resource constraints and health and safety considerations. Ascorbic acid reduction, catalysed by antimony (III) ions, appears to offer the most promise for hypersaline waters. Turbidity in samples having high salinity (> 100 g L^–1) and high phosphorus concentrations (> 500 g P L^–1) changes the spectral characteristics of solutions but linear calibration curves still result for concentrations in the range 400 to 1,000 g P L^–1. The occurrence of turbidity is also affected by the ionic composition of hypersaline waters since solutions made from sea salt give different results to those made from sodium chloride. Dilution of samples, to give salinities less than 100 g L^–1 prior to reduction is recommended to avoid turbidity. The salt effect in these lower salinity waters is less than 3 per cent up to 100 g L^–1.     

Submarine hydrothermal brine seeps off Milos, Greece. Observations and geochemistry

A shallow hydrothermal brine seep located off the Greek island of Milos in the Aegean Sea was studied. The brine fluid outcropped as a pool of water in a seabed depression and was detected in the surrounding pore-waters of sediments colonised by the sulphur bacterium Achromatium volutans. The seep fluid was highly saline and sulphidic, depleted in Mg²⁺ and SO₄²⁻, but enriched over seawater in Na⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, SiO₂, reduced species and dissolved gases. The high concentrations of Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and K⁺ were consistent with the Milos tectonic setting. Na-K and Na-K-Ca geothermometers predicted a reservoir temperature of 300–325 °C for the most concentrated seep samples. The deep geothermal reservoir within the metamorphic basement of Milos island has already been located and studied and may represent the source of the seep fluid. Faunal diversity was lowest in seep-influenced sediments, but a sulphide-intolerant species was found in areas of the bacterial mat where salinity and temperature were much lower. Pressure-induced variations in the vertical depth of the brine interface may be occurring in the sediment.     

Spatial and temporal variations in minibasin geometry and evolution in salt tectonic provinces: Lower Congo Basin,offshore Angola

In passive margin salt basins, the distinct kinematic domains of thin‐skinned extension, translation and contraction exert important controls on minibasin evolution. However, the relationship between various salt minibasin geometries and kinematic domain evolution is not clear. In this study, we use a semi‐regional 3D seismic reflection dataset from the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Angola, to investigate the evolution of a network of minibasins and intervening salt walls during thin‐skinned, gravity‐driven salt flow. Widespread thin‐skinned extension occurred during the Cenomanian to Coniacian, accommodated by numerous distributed normal faults that are typically 5–10 km long and spaced 1–4 km across strike within the supra‐salt cover. Subsequently, during the Santonian–Paleocene, multiple, 10–25 km long, 5–7 km wide depocentres progressively grew and linked along strike to form elongate minibasins separated by salt walls of comparable lengths. Simultaneous with the development of the minibasins, thin‐skinned contractional deformation occurred in the southwestern downslope part of the study area, forming folds and thrusts that are up to 20 km long and have a wavelength of 2–4 km. The elongate minibasins evolved into turtle structures during the Eocene to Oligocene. From the Miocene onwards, contraction of the supra‐salt cover caused squeezing and uplift of the salt walls, further confining the minibasin depocentres. We find kinematic domains of extension, translation and contraction control the minibasin initiation and subsequent evolution. However, we also observe variations in minibasin geometries associated with along‐strike growth and linkage of depocentres. Neighbouring minibasins may have different subsidence rates and maturity leading to marked variations in their geometry. Additionally, migration of the contractional domain upslope and multiple phases of thin‐skinned salt tectonics further complicates the spatial variations in minibasin geometry and evolution. This study suggests that minibasin growth is more variable and complex than existing domain‐controlled models would suggest.     

Quantitative retrieval of soil salt content based on measured spectral data

Choosing the Minqin Oasis, located downstream of the Shiyang River in Northwest China, as the study area, we used field-measured hyperspectral data and laboratory-measured soil salt content data to analyze the characteristics of saline soil spectral reflectance and its transformation in the area, and elucidated the relations between the soil spectral reflectance, reflectance transformation, and soil salt content. In addition, we screened sensitive wavebands. Then, a multiple linear regression model was established to predict the soil salt content based on the measured spectral data, and the accuracy of the model was verified using field-measured salinity data. The results showed that the overall shapes of the spectral curves of soils with different degrees of salinity were consistent, and the reflectance in visible and near-infrared bands for salinized soil was higher than that for non-salinized soil. After differential transformation, the correlation coefficient between the spectral reflectance and soil salt content was obviously improved. The first-order differential transformation model based on the logarithm of the reciprocal of saline soil spectral reflectance produced the highest accuracy and stability in the bands at 462 and 636 nm; the determination coefficient was 0.603, and the root mean square error was 5.407. Thus, the proposed model provides a good reference for the quantitative extraction and monitoring of regional soil salinization.     

砀山县周寨地区地球物理场特征及盐矿找矿前景分析

根据研究区区域地质背景,对砀山县黄口地区重力场、航磁场及电法异常特征进行了深入研究,分析了区内水化学特征,依据其附近钻井勘探成果及成矿地质条件,并综合邻区盐类矿产分布特征,认为砀山县黄口坳陷周寨凹陷盐类矿产的成矿地质条件优越,具有良好的找矿前景。     

浅谈卤（盐）井技术割管施工技术

通过卤(盐)井的维修施工,消除各种井内故障,恢复生产能力,使卤(盐)井达到设计开采量,同时也能最大程度利用地下宝贵的资源。技术割管在卤(盐)井可将悬挂在溶腔内的技术管按设计要求割断,并掉入溶腔,从而实现卤(盐)井的第二梯度开采;对对接井而言,则可排除溶腔内堆积的沉淀物对直井的不利影响,实现斜井进水直井出卤开采方式,最大程度地满足正常的卤(盐)开采运行模式。我单位经多年的工程实践,已形成了较合理有效的卤(盐)井维修施工工艺,现介绍卤(盐)井割管维修施工中一些关键工艺和施工经验。     

Saddle-Dolomite-Bearing Fracture Fillings and Records of Hot Brine Activity in the Jialingjiang Formation, Libixia Section, Hechuan Area of Chongqing City

Most vein minerals deposited in fractures of the Jialingjiang Formation from Libixia section,Hechan area include a large amount of saddle dolomite and accompanying celestite,calcite and fluorite.This study analyzed the nature,source,evolution of the fluids by plane-light petrography,fluid-inclusion methods,cathodoluminescence images,and stable isotopic compositions.The homogenization temperatures of two-phase aqueous fluid inclusions in dolomite range between100 and 270℃.Combined with theδ~(18)O data,it is suggested that the fluid responsible for the precipitation of fracture fillings haveδ~(18)O values between 10‰and 18‰(relative to SMOW).The saddle dolomite and the accompanying minerals were the result of activity of dense brines at elevated temperatures.Moreover,analysis shows that the fluid was derived from a mixture of marine-derived brine and deeper circulating flow.This fluid was enriched in Sr during diagenesis and formed celestite in fracture and for regional mineralization.Dissolution of saddle dolomite was attributed to the cooling of Mg/Ca-decreased fluids,which may relate to a leaching of gypsum to celestite in surrounding carbonates.     

陕北盐盆奥陶系马家沟组五段蒸发岩沉积环境与作用——来自石盐流体包裹体的证据

陕北盐盆地因发育全球罕见的奥陶系马家沟组五段含盐地层受到广泛关注。文章运用X射线粉晶衍射矿物组分半定量分析、流体包裹体的均一温度、拉曼光谱、扫描电镜能谱和包裹体氢同位素分析等多种手段,对陕北米脂县境内两口钻井奥陶系马家沟组石盐岩进行了分析和测试。流体包裹体均一温度测试结果表明,石盐岩中原生单一液相包裹体、次生正方形单一液相包裹体的均一温度平均值分别为27.9℃、30.6℃,峰值均为25~30℃,次生与原生的流体包裹体的形成环境基本一致。在重结晶程度高的层段,石盐岩流体包裹体的δD值和石盐岩K+含量的变化趋势相反,结合该时期内含盐层段宏观地质特征以及钾石盐颗粒常呈圆粒状赋存在石盐晶间裂缝等微观证据,笔者认为研究区石盐岩沉积时因外来水体频繁侵入导致原生石盐岩发生溶解和重结晶,降低了形成大规模钾盐矿床的概率。