The Geochemical Significance of Deep-water Coral and Their Food Source

Deep-sea corals live in the dark cold-water environments, the food of which that provides them with energy and nutrition is a key ecological and biogeochemical problem. Currently, the most common understanding is that their food mainly comes from organic matter produced by and deposited from surface seawater. However, more and more studies have found that they can also obtain food supply through symbiosis with a variety of chemosynthetic autotrophs and heterotrophs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes have been used to trace and reveal the food sources of deep-sea corals. They also have been successfully used to reconstruct the phytoplankton community structure and the changes of nitrate isotopes in surface seawater in the past, thus providing valuable biogeochemical data for paleoceanographic study. However, due to the widespread existence of symbiosis with chemosynthetic autotrophs, further studies are needed to assess the reliability of organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes of deep-sea corals to reflect changes in the surface seawater. The deep-sea gorgonian coral, like those gorgonian forests recently found in the South China Sea, is relatively new and insufficiently studied in the field of deep-sea corals. Thus, basic biochemical and paleoceanographic researches on the South China Sea deep-water gorgonians will provide profound and novel insights to understanding the cold-water coral system.     

陆表自然和人文要素相互作用——“全球变化及应对”重点专项研究进展

在国家重点研发计划支持下,项目提出了陆表不均一性检测和订正的新方法,解决了渐变型不均一性检测和订正的难题,构建了中国地表太阳辐射、气温、地温、风速和降水等参数均一化站点和格点数据集,修订了关于中国地表风速变化趋势、增温格局及其形成机制的结论。融合多源数据,构建并验证了千米级、流域级或县域级的电厂、人口、生物质能、取水量、氮排放、二氧化碳排放等影响自然系统的关键人文要素历史和未来预估数据集。构建了未来关键人文要素情景,研制了碳中和目标下甲烷和氧化亚氮排放情景和用于驱动全球模式的未来情景,预估了中国碳中和战略的实施对全球变暖的减缓作用,发现中国碳中和对远期和中期全球变暖的减缓作用显著。给出了中国各省份水体氮排放安全阈值及超越时间,阐明了中国粮食产量与氮施肥的关系,提出了在保障粮食安全的前提下减少水体氮排放的有效途径,指出重构城乡养分循环体系是同时保障粮食安全和恢复水质的必要途径。发现全球饱和水汽压差的年际变化与大气二氧化碳浓度上升速率的年际变化显著相关,阐明了饱和水汽压差变化在调控生态系统生产力中的重要角色以及多因素耦合作用在生态系统生产力变化中的复杂影响。建议更全面细致地评估中国各种碳中...     

First observations of jelly-falls at the seafloor in a deep-sea fjord

Faunal communities at the deep-sea floor mainly rely on the downward transport of particulate organic material for energy, which can come in many forms, ranging from phytodetritus to whale carcasses. Recently, studies have shown that the deep-sea floor may also be subsidized by fluxes of gelatinous material to the benthos. The deep-sea scyphozoan medusa Periphylla periphylla is common in many deep-sea fjords in Norway and recent investigations in Lurefjorden in western Norway suggest that the biomass of this jellyfish currently exceeds 50000 t here. To quantify the presence of dead P. periphylla jellyfish falls (hereafter termed jelly-falls) at the deep seafloor and the standing stock of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) deposited on the seafloor by this species, we made photographic transects of the seafloor, using a ‘Yo-Yo’ camera system during an opportunistic sampling campaign in March 2011. Of 218 seafloor photographs taken, jelly-falls were present in five, which resulted in a total jelly-fall abundance of 1×10^-2 jelly-falls m⁻² over the entire area surveyed. Summed over the entire area of seafloor photographed, 1×10^-2 jelly-falls m⁻² was equivalent to a C- and N-biomass of 13 mg C m⁻² and 2 mg N m⁻². The contribution of each jelly-fall to the C- and N-amount of the sediment in the immediate vicinity of each fall (i.e. to sediment in each 3.02 m² image in which jelly-falls were observed) was estimated to be 568±84 mg C m⁻² and 88±13 mg N m⁻². The only megafaunal taxon observed around or on top of the jelly-falls was caridean shrimp (14±5 individuals jelly-fall⁻¹), and shrimp abundance was significantly greater in photographs in which a jelly-fall was found (14±5 individuals image⁻¹) compared to photographs in which no jelly-falls were observed (1.4±0.7 individuals image⁻¹). These observations indicate that jelly-falls in this fjord can enhance the sedimentary C- and N-amount at the deep-sea floor and may provide nutrition to benthic and demersal faunas in this environment. However, organic enrichment from the jelly-falls found in this single sampling event and associated disturbance was highly localized.     

Improved Method for Calculating Anthropogenic CO2 in the Upper Layer of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre along 175°E

Seawater samples were collected in the North Pacific along 175°E during a cruise of the Northwest Pacific Carbon Cycle Study (NOPACCS) program in 1994. Many properties related to the carbonate system were analyzed. By using well-known ratios to correct for chemical changes in seawater, the CO₂ concentration at a given depth was back calculated to its initial concentration at the time when the water left the surface in winter. We estimated sea-surface CO₂ and titration alkalinity (TA) in present-day winter, from which we evaluated the degree of air-sea CO₂ disequilibrium in winter was. Using a correction factor for air-sea CO₂ disequilibrium in winter, we reconstructed sea-surface CO₂ in pre-industrial times. The difference between the back-calculated initial CO₂ and sea-surface CO₂ in pre-industrial times should correspond to anthropgenic CO₂ input. Although the mixing of different water masses may cause systematic error in the calculation, we found that the nonlinear effect induced by the mixing of different water masses was negligible in the upper layer of the North Pacific subtropical gyre along 175°E. The results of our improved method of assessing the distribution of anthropogenic CO₂ in that region show marked differences from those obtained using the previous back-calculation method.     

Molecular and isotopic compositions of bitumens in Silurian tar sands from the Tarim Basin,NW China: Characterizing biodegradation and hydrocarbon charging in an old composite basin

Biodegradation and oil mixing in Silurian sandstone reservoirs of the Tarim Basin, one of the largest composite basins in China, were investigated by analyzing the molecular characteristics and stable carbon isotopic signatures of low-molecular-weight (LMW) saturated hydrocarbons and high-molecular-weight (HMW) asphaltenes. Detection of 25-norhopanes and 17-nortricyclic terpanes in most Silurian tar sands from the Tabei Uplift in the Tarim Basin suggests a much greater degree of biodegradation here than in the Tazhong Uplift. This explains the relatively more abundant tricyclic terpanes, gammacerane, pregnane and diasteranes in tar sands from the Tabei Uplift than in those from the Tazhong Uplift. Hence, care must be taken when assigning oil source correlations using biomarkers in tar sands because of the biodegradation and mixing of oils derived from multiple sources in such an old composite basin. Asphaltenes in the tar sands seem to be part of the oil charge before biodegradation, depending on the relative anti-biodegradation characteristics of asphaltenes, the similarity in carbon isotopic signatures for asphaltenes and their pyrolysates, and the consistent product distribution for flash pyrolysis and for regular steranes in asphaltene pyrolysates, regardless of whether the tar sands were charged with fresh oil. According to the relative distributions of regular steranes and the relatively abundant 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene significantly enriched in ¹³C, the oil sources for asphaltenes in the tar sands might be related to lower Paleozoic marine source rocks formed in euxinic conditions. Nevertheless, the relatively low abundance of gammacerane and C₂₈ regular steranes observed in asphaltene pyrolysates and residual hydrocarbons, within limited samples investigated in this work, made a direct correlation of oils originally charged into Silurian tar sands with those Cambrian source rocks, reported so far, seem not to be possible. Comparison of carbon isotopic signatures of n-alkanes in asphaltene pyrolysates with those of LMW saturated hydrocarbons is helpful in determining if the abundant n-alkanes in tar sands are derived from fresh oil charges after biodegradation. The limited carbon isotopic data for n-alkanes in LMW saturated hydrocarbons from the tar sands can be used to classify oils charged after biodegradation in the composite basin into four distinct groups.     

Geochemical characteristics and isotopic reversal of natural gases in eastern Kopeh-Dagh,NE Iran

Natural gas samples from two gas fields located in Eastern Kopeh-Dagh area were analyzed for molecular and stable isotope compositions. The gaseous hydrocarbons in both Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoir and Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir are coal-type gases mainly derived from type III kerogen, however enriched δD values of methane implies presence of type II kerogen related material in the source rock. In comparison Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir gases show higher dryness coefficient resulted through TSR, while presence of C₁C₅ gases in Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoir exhibit no TSR phenomenon. Carbon isotopic values indicate gas to gas cracking and TSR occurrence in the Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir, as the result of elevated temperature experienced, prior to the following uplifts in last 33–37 million years. The δ¹³C of carbon dioxide and δ³⁴S of hydrogen sulfide in Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir do not primarily reflect TSR, as uplift related carbonate rock dissolution by acidic gases and reaction/precipitation of light H₂S have changed these values severely. Gaseous hydrocarbons in both reservoirs exhibit enrichment in C₂ gas member, with the carbonate reservoir having higher values resulted through mixing with highly-mature-completely-reversed shale gases. It is likely that the uplifts have lifted off the pressure on shale gases, therefore facilitated the migration of the gases into overlying horizons. However it appears that the released gases during the first major uplift (33–37 million years ago) have migrated to both reservoirs, while the second migrated gases have only mixed with Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir gases. The studied data suggesting that economic accumulations of natural gas/shale gases deeper than Upper Jurassic carbonate reservoir would be unlikely.     

The influence of island generated eddies on the carbon dioxide system, south of the Canary Islands

Measurements of surface partial pressure of CO₂ and water column alkalinity, pH_T, nutrients, oxygen, fluorescence and hydrography were carried out, south of the Canary Islands during September 1998. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were alternatively observed from the northwestern area to the central area of the Canary Islands. Nutrient pumping and vertical uplifting of the deep chlorophyll maximum by cyclonic eddies were also ascertained by upward displacement of dissolved inorganic carbon. A model was applied to determine the net inorganic carbon balance in the cyclonic eddy. The fluxes were determined considering both the diffusive and convective contributions from the upward pumping and the corresponding horizontal transport of water outside the area. An increase in the total inorganic carbon concentration in the upper layers inside the eddy field of 133 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 was determined. The upward flux of inorganic carbon decreased the effect of the increased primary production on the carbon dioxide chemistry. The reduced fCO₂ inside the cyclonic eddy, 15 μatm lower than that observed in non-affected surface water, was explained by thermodynamic aspects, biological activity, eddy upward pumping and diffusion and air–sea water exchange effects.     

Spatial variation in shallow sediment methane sources and cycling on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Shelf/Slope

The MITAS (Methane in the Arctic Shelf/Slope) expedition was conducted during September, 2009 onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Polar Sea (WAGB-11), on the Alaskan Shelf/Slope of the Beaufort Sea. Expedition goals were to investigate spatial variations in methane source(s), vertical methane flux in shallow sediments (<10 mbsf), and methane contributions to shallow sediment carbon cycling. Three nearshore to offshore transects were conducted across the slope at locations approximately 200 km apart in water column depths from 20 to 2100 m. Shallow sediments were collected by piston cores and vibracores and samples were analyzed for sediment headspace methane (CH₄), porewater sulfate (SO₄²⁻), chloride (Cl⁻), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations, and CH₄ and DIC stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C). Downward SO₄²⁻ diffusion rates estimated from sediment porewater SO₄²⁻ profiles were between −15.4 and −154.8 mmol m⁻² a⁻¹ and imply a large spatial variation in vertical CH₄ flux between transects in the study region. Lowest inferred CH₄ fluxes were estimated along the easternmost transect. Higher inferred CH₄ flux rates were observed in the western transects. Sediment headspace ${\mathrm{\delta }}^{13}{\text{C}}_{{\text{CH}}_4}$ values ranged from −138 to −48‰, suggesting strong differences in shallow sediment CH₄ cycling within and among sample locations. Measured porewater DIC concentrations ranged from 2.53 mM to 79.39 mM with δ¹³C_DIC values ranging from −36.4‰ to 5.1‰. Higher down-core DIC concentrations were observed to occur with lower δ¹³C where an increase in ${\mathrm{\delta }}^{13}{\text{C}}_{{\text{CH}}_4}$ was measured, indicating locations with active anaerobic oxidation of methane. Shallow core CH₄ production was inferred at the two western most transects (i.e. Thetis Island and Halkett) through observations of low ${\mathrm{\delta }}^{13}{\text{C}}_{{\text{CH}}_4}$ coupled with elevated DIC concentrations. At the easternmost Hammerhead transect and offshore locations, ${\mathrm{\delta }}^{13}{\text{C}}_{{\text{CH}}_4}$ and DIC concentrations were not coupled suggesting less rapid methane cycling. Results from the MITAS expedition represent one of the most comprehensive studies of methane source(s) and vertical methane flux in shallow sediments of the U.S. Alaskan Beaufort Shelf to date and show geospatially variable sediment methane flux that is highly influenced by the local geophysical environment.     

Roles of Biogeochemical Processes in the Oceanic Carbon Cycle Described with a Simple Coupled Physical-Biogeochemical Model

To evaluate the contribution of biogeochemical processes to the oceanic carbon cycle and to calculate the ratio of calcium carbonate to organic carbon downward export, we have incorporated biological and alkalinity pumps in the yoked high-latitude exchange/interior diffusion-advection (YOLDA) model. The biogeochemical processes are represented by four parameters. The values of the parameters are tuned so that the model can reproduce the observed phosphate and alkalinity distributions in each oceanic region. The sensitivity of the model to the biogeochemical parameters shows that biological production rates in the euphotic zone and decomposition depths of particulate matters significantly influence horizontal and vertical distributions of biogeochemical substances. The modeled vertical fluxes of particulate organic phosphorus and calcium carbonate are converted to vertical carbon fluxes by the biological pump and the alkalinity pump, respectively. The downward carbon flux from the surface layer to the deep layer in the entire region is estimated to be 3.36 PgC/yr, which consists of 2.93 PgC/yr from the biological pump and 0.43 PgC/yr from the alkalinity pump, which is consistent with previous studies. The modeled rain ratio is higher with depth and higher in the Pacific and Indian Oceans than in the Atlantic Ocean. The global rain ratio at the surface layer is calculated to be 0.14 to 0.15. This value lies between the lower and higher ends of the previous estimates, which range widely from 0.05 to 0.25. This study indicates that the rain ratio is unlikely to be higher than 0.15, at least in the surface waters.