Lobe construction and sand/mud segregation by turbidity currents and debris flows on the western Nile deep-sea fan (Eastern Mediterranean)

Based on an unusual data set comprises bathymetric data, backscatter imagery, seismic-reflection and Chirp profiles, and sediment cores, the Late Quaternary lobe at the mouth of the youngest turbidite channel off the western Nile deep-sea fan was investigated. The large-scale construction of the lobe through time and space is mainly controlled by 1) a pre-existing topography inherited from the downslope movement of Messinian evaporites, and 2) the type and nature of gravity flows delivered to the basin floor. The margins of the lobe are defined by high-backscatter acoustic facies that contrasts strongly with the low-backscatter facies from the surrounding abyssal-plain deposits. Within the lobe, low-backscatter facies characterise the main channel-levee systems and lobate bodies immediately beyond the end of the channels. Cores reveal that the high-backscatter facies corresponds to a series of extensive but thin debris-flow deposits with a fingered margin. These debrites comprise a muddy-sand matrix and dispersed clasts with diameter of 5 to 10 cm. The lower backscatter facies at channel mouths corresponds to alternations of thin sandy turbidites and muddy hemipelagites. Extensive thin debris flows therefore traversed surprisingly low gradients to reach the distal fringes of the lobe complex but are never found in the lobate bodies just beyond the channel mouths. Although the Nile deep-sea fan is considered as a silt/mud-rich accumulation, sand-prone deposits exist within the lobe. This sand/mud segregation results either from the presence of channelized features in the lobe and/or from the hydrodynamic process of particle transport by debris flows and turbulent flows.     

宜昌砾石层的沉积环境及地貌意义

宜昌砾石层上覆中更新世网纹红土,下伏白垩纪红层,共有22个岩性层组成,总厚超过100m。通过对宜昌地区剖面出露砾石层的沉积相分析表明,善溪窑和云池剖面由下至上出现冲积扇扇中-扇根亚相;李家院剖面与上述两剖面间有沉积间断,由下至上出现冲积扇扇端-扇中亚相。粒度分析也证明了该砾石层中的砂体属冲积扇中的辫状水道沉积,与沉积相分析所得结论一致。研究认为,宜昌砾石层具有典型的冲积扇沉积环境特征,主要为冲积扇扇顶部分。该冲积扇在宜昌东南地区如此大规模的发育,显示其形成时具有强大的水动力条件,通过对其形成的地貌环境意义进行探讨,初步认为,该冲积扇为长江三峡贯通的产物。据前人研究推断,宜昌砾石层的形成时代应该在1.08～0.73MaB.P.,三峡贯通应在1.0MaB.P.之前。     

珠江口盆地荔湾井区珠江组深水扇沉积特征

珠江口盆地白云凹陷荔湾深水区为油气勘探有利区域,通过岩石学和古生物组合特征研究,认为该区珠江组下部属于典型的深水扇沉积,可划分为早期盆地扇和晚期斜坡扇两种类型,两类深水扇都以发育颗粒流、砂质碎屑流及低密度浊流等顺坡重力流沉积为主,同时夹有少量内波和等深流等深水牵引流改造沉积。砂质碎屑流为两类深水扇水道砂体的主要沉积类型,发育有逆-正粒序层理、平行层理和水平层理,粒序层内可见各种丰富的液化变形和生物逃逸构造,而水平层内发育有更多的生物钻孔和扰动现象。两类深水扇的沉积构造和古生物特征有明显差异,其中盆地扇水道砂岩中普遍含硅质小砾石,水道间泥岩中含有较多保存完好的抱球虫化石,斜坡扇水道砂岩以富含炭泥屑为典型特征,水道间泥岩含有更丰富的颗石藻和抱球虫化石,其中部分抱球虫和颗石具有遭受海底溶蚀作用的现象,指示斜坡扇相对盆地扇有更大的水体深度。平面上两类深水扇具有相似的重力流沉积的分带性,都具有自陆架坡折向盆地方向由颗粒流沉积逐渐向砂质碎屑流和近源高密度浊流、远源低密度浊流等单向演化的特点。     

陡坡复杂扇体油藏评价思路与方法

本文以东营凹陷北部陡坡带为例论述了陆相断陷盆地陡坡复杂扇体油藏评价思路与方法。分析了陡坡带特殊性及复杂性,针对复杂扇体油藏精细等时地层对比、控砂机制、有效储层划分和油气分布的纵向分带性提出了有效的研究方法,并形成了一整套有针对性的勘探技术流程,在东营凹陷乃至济阳坳陷具有较好的推广前景。     

An exploration for deep-sea fish sounds off Vancouver Island from the NEPTUNE Canada ocean observing system

Our understanding of the significance of sound production to the ecology of deep-sea fish communities has improved little since anatomical surveys in the 1950s first suggested that sound production is widespread among slope-water fishes. The recent implementation of cabled ocean observatory networks around the world that include passive acoustic recording instruments provides scientists an opportunity to search for evidence of deep-sea fish sounds. We examined deep-sea acoustic recordings made at the NEPTUNE Canada Barkley Canyon Axis Pod (985 m) located off the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Northeast Pacific between June 2010 and May 2011 to determine the presence of fish sounds. A subset of over 300 5-min files was examined by selecting one day each month and analyzing one file for each hour over the 24 h day. Despite the frequent occurrence of marine mammal sounds, no examples of fish sounds were identified. However, we report examples of isolated unknown sounds that might be produced by fish, invertebrates, or more likely marine mammals. This finding is in direct contrast to recent smaller studies in the Atlantic where potential fish sounds appear to be more common. A review of the literature indicates 32 species found off British Columbia that potentially produce sound could occur in depths greater than 700 m but of these only Anoplopoma fimbria and Coryphaenoides spp. have been previously reported at the site. The lack of fish sounds observed here may be directly related to the low diversity and abundance of fishes present at the Barkley Canyon site. Other contributing factors include possible masking of low amplitude biological signals by self-generated noise from the platform instrumentation and ship noise. We suggest that examination of data both from noise-reduced ocean observatories around the world and from dedicated instrument surveys designed to search for deep-sea fish sounds to provide a larger-scale, more conclusive investigation into the role, or potential lack thereof, of sound production.     

南海琼东南盆地深水区储层类型及研究意义

通过对琼东南盆地钻井及典型地震相分析,认为琼东南盆地深水区发育两种类型的储层:第一类为形成于浅水环境的储层,包括扇三角洲砂体、滨浅海相滩坝砂体和台地碳酸盐岩;第二类为形成于深水环境的储层,包括盆底扇和峡谷水道等低位砂体。其中,深水区广泛分布的海底扇、峡谷水道砂体和台地碳酸盐岩具有良好的深水油气勘探潜力。     

柴北缘牦牛山地区牦牛山组沉积相组合特征

柴达木盆地北缘牦牛山地区出露的牦牛山组是一套由冲积扇和扇三角洲相共同构成的陆相沉积组合,冲积扇相砾岩-粗砂岩组合主要分布于研究区SE侧,扇三角洲相砂岩-泥岩组合主要分布于研究区NW侧。古水流分析表明牦牛山组沉积物主要来自其SE侧古隆起,但后期扇三角洲相包含少量来自NW和NE向的沉积物。该套沉积组合序列特征与区域上分布在牦牛山西侧同时期形成的湖泊相、滨浅海相沉积共同表明,柴达木盆地北缘在晚志留-早泥盆世时期存在一NW向倾斜的古斜坡,且晚期北侧发生抬升。砾岩和砂岩碎屑组成与区域岩石组合类型对比表明,牦牛山组沉积碎屑物主要来自于滩间山群。沉积组合序列特征、碎屑组成和区域构造背景综合研究表明,牦牛山组可能为柴达木板块向北俯冲过程中形成的局部断陷盆地的充填物。     

The Pleistocene evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Prydz bay region: stable isotopic evidence from ODP Site 1167

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 188, Prydz Bay, East Antarctica is part of a larger initiative to explore the Cenozoic history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet through direct drilling and sampling of the continental margins. In this paper, we present stable isotopic results from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1167 located on the Prydz Channel Trough Mouth Fan (TMF), the first Antarctic TMF to be drilled. The foraminifer-based δ¹⁸O record is interpreted along with sedimentary and downhole logging evidence to reconstruct the Quaternary glacial history of Prydz Bay and the adjacent Lambert Glacier Amery Ice Shelf System (LGAISS). We report an electron spin resonance age date of 36.9±3.3 ka at 0.45 m below sea floor and correlate suspected glacial–interglacial cycles with the global isotopic stratigraphy to improve the chronology for Site 1167. The δ¹⁸O record based on planktonic (Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s.)) and limited benthic results (Globocassidulina crassa), indicates a trend of ice sheet expansion that was interrupted by a period of reduced ice volume and possibly warmer conditions during the early–mid-Pleistocene (0.9–1.38 Ma). An increase in δ¹⁸O values after 900 ka appears to coincide with the mid-Pleistocene climate transition and the expansion of the northern hemisphere ice sheet. The δ¹⁸O record in the upper 50 m of the stratigraphic section indicates as few as three glacial–interglacial cycles, tentatively assigned as marine isotopic stages (MIS) 16–21, are preserved since the Brunhes/Matuyama paleomagnetic reversal (780 ka). This suggests that there is a large unconformity near the top of the section and/or that there may have been few extreme advances of the ice sheet since the mid-Pleistocene climate transition resulting in lowered sedimentation rates on the Prydz Channel TMF. The stable isotopic record from Site 1167 is one of the few available from the area south of the Antarctic Polar Front that has been linked with the global isotopic stratigraphy. Our results suggest the potential for the recovery of useful stable isotopic records in other TMFs.     

阵发性洪水条件下辫状河型冲积扇构型研究:以准噶尔盆地西北缘现代白杨河冲积扇为例*

白杨河冲积扇是由阵发性洪水期的碎屑流沉积物与间洪期辫状河沉积物组成的复合型冲积扇,其构型与碎屑流扇的构型和河流型扇的构型有很大的不同。本研究选取准噶尔盆地西北缘干旱气候下发育的现代白杨河冲积扇作为解剖实例,对103个天然剖面和9个人工大型探槽进行了详细测量,在沉积微相及不同级别的沉积构型的观测和分析的基础上,分析了阵发性洪水条件下间歇性辫状河型冲积扇体的地貌单元的演化过程和沉积构型特征,研究不同流态的阵发性洪水条件下各种建造和改造机制,明确受阵发性洪水控制的间歇性辫状河型冲积扇的沉积特征,建立了其沉积构型模式。认为: 在洪水期,阵发性洪流(碎屑流)形成席状化的片流(或片洪)沉积,在洪退期,随着洪水强度的减弱,又转变为辫流沉积,而在间洪期,仍有持续的辫状流体(牵引流)在限制性的水道中流动,并对洪水期的碎屑流沉积物进行改造,形成了限制性的(条带状的)辫状河道沉积,2个时期的沉积物在时空上频繁叠置,形成了一种更加复杂的沉积构型。该模式对油田地下冲积扇砂砾储集层的成因识别、预测及对比具有一定的参考价值。     

Sequence Stratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous Uraniferous Measures and Mineralization of the Sandstone-hosted Tamusu Large Uranium Deposit, North China

The Bayingobi basin is the Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin in North China in which the Tamusu uranium deposit is located.The ore-target layer of the deposit is the Lower Cretaceous Bayingobi Formation,which developed as a fan deltashallow lacustrine deposit.The distributary channel sand body of the fan delta plain and the underwater distributary channel sand body of the fan delta front formed a favorable uranium reservoir,so the study of sequence stratigraphy is extremely important to understanding the genesis of uranium deposits.On the basis of field investigation and a large number of borehole logs,the high resolution sequence stratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous is divided and the system tracts of different periods are established.The relationship between deposition,interlayer oxidation and uranium enrichment is discussed.The Lower Cretaceous Bayingobi Formation can be divided into two fourth-order sequences(Sq1 and Sq2).The lower member of the Bayingobi Formation is referred to as Sq1,which is composed of a falling-stage system tract(FSST)on top.On the other hand,the upper member of the Bayingobi Formation is referred to as Sq2,which is composed of a lowstand system tract(LST),transgressive system tract(TST)and highstand system tract(HST).The lowstand system tract forms a favorable stratigraphic structure(mud-sand-mud formation)with the lacustrine mudstone of the overlying transgressive system tract,that is conducive for the migration of uranium-bearing oxygen water.The organic matter and pyrite in the fan delta sand body,as well as the dark mudstone in the distributary bay,provided a reducing medium for uranium mineralization.The ore body mainly occurs in the distributary channel,underwater distributary channel or the mouth bar of the fan delta.As a result of the moderate thickness,high permeability,favorable barrier and rich reducing medium,the rich ore body mainly occurs in the underwater distributary channel and mouth bar sand body of the delta front.Based on study of the sequence stratigraphy,the model of the sequence,sedimentation and mineralization of the uranium deposit is established,which enriches uranium metallogenic theory and provides a reference for exploration of the same type of uranium deposits.