Seismic and sequence stratigraphy of the central western continental margin of India: late-Quaternary evolution

Seismic and sequence stratigraphic architecture of the central western continental margin of India (between Coondapur and south of Mangalore) has been investigated with shallow seismic data. Seismic stratigraphic analysis defined nine seismic units, that are configured in a major type-1 depositional sequence possibly related to fourth-order eustatic sea-level changes, comprising regressive, lowstand, transgressive and highstand systems tracts. The late-Quaternary evolution of the continental margin took place under the influence of an asymmetric relative fourth-order sea-level cycle punctuated by higher frequency cycles. These cycles of minor order were characterised by rapid sea-level rises and gradual sea-level falls that generated depositional sequences spanning different time scales. During the regressive periods, dipping strata were developed, while erosional surfaces and incised valleys were formed during the lowstands of sea level. Terraces, v-shaped depressions, lagoon-like structures observed on the outer continental shelf are the result of the transgressive period. In the study area we have recognised a complex erosional surface that records a long time span during the relative sea-level fall (regressive period) and the following sea-level lowstand and has been reworked during the last transgression. We also infer that sedimentation processes changed from siliciclastic sedimentation to carbonate sedimentation and again to siliciclastic sedimentation, marking an important phase in the late-Quaternary evolution of the western continental shelf of India. We attribute this to an abrupt climate change at the end of the oxygen isotope stage 2, between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Bølling-Allerod event (14?000 yr BP). This sensitive climate change (warming) favoured the formation of reefs at various depths on the shelf, besides the development of Fifty Fathom Flat, a carbonate platform on the outer shelf off Bombay developed prior to 8300 yr BP. The highstand systems tracts were deposited after the sea level reached its present position.     

Tectonic significance of syn-rift sediment packages across the Gabon-Cabinda continental margin

The tectonic development of a continental margin is recorded in the stratigraphic successions preserved along and across the margin in terms of stratal relationships (e.g., onlap, downlap, truncation), lithofacies, biostratigraphy, and paleo-water depths. By using these observations coupled to a kinematic and flexural model for the deformation of the lithosphere, we have elucidated the tectonic significance of the preserved stratigraphy that comprises the Gabon-Cabinda margin of west Africa. Two hinge zones, an Eastern and Atlantic, formed along the Gabon-Cabinda margin in response to three discrete extensional events occuring from Berriasian to Aptian time. The Eastern hinge zone demarcates the eastern limit of a broadly distributed Berriasian extension that resulted in the formation of deep anoxic, lacustrine systems as evidenced by the silts and shales of the Sialivakou and lower Djeno Formations and the regressive packages of the upper Djeno Formation. Approximately 1.5 to 2 km of asymmetric footwall uplift was induced across the Eastern hinge zone in response to the mechanical unloading of the lithosphere during this first phase of rifting. In contrast, the Atlantic hinge, located approximately 90 km west of the Eastern hinge, marks the eastern limit of a second phase of extension that began in the Hauterivian. Footwall uplift and rotation exposed earlier syn-rift and pre-rift sediments to at least wavebase causing varying amounts of erosional truncation across the Atlantic hinge zone along much of the Gabon-Cabinda margins. We interpret the thickness variations of reworked clastic sediment of this age (e.g. the Melania Formation) between the hinge zones as indicative of variations in the degree of uplift and erosional truncation of the Atlantic hinge. For example, the absence of Melania Formation across the Congo margin implies that uplift of the Atlantic hinge was relatively minor compared to that across the Cabinda and Gabon margins, the latter being characterized by significant thicknesses of Melania Formation (or equivalent). Material eroded from the Cabinda and Gabon Atlantic hinge zone may in part account for the thick wedge of sediment deposited seaward of the Gabon-Cabinda Atlantic hinge (the Erva Formation). Our modelling suggests that this wedge of reworked elastics represents deposition by along-axis gravity flows within a deep water (≈2 km) environment. A third and final phase of extension in the late Barremian-early Aptian was responsible for breaching the continental lithosphere to form the ocean/continent boundary and thus the installation of open marine conditions. Elsewhere, the environments will tend to be marginal marine to brackish, depending on the efficiency of the Atlantic hinge zone to act as a barrier to marine enchroachment. This third rift phase reactivated both the Eastern and Atlantic hinge0zones thereby creating accomodation for the Marnes Noires Formation (and equivalent) source rock deposition between the hinges and the Falcão source rock equivalent seaward of the Atlantic hinge. Two possible scenarios exist for the lateral distribution of the Marnes Noires Formation. If the reactivated rift flank topography across the Atlantic hinge was significant, then sedimentation would be restricted between the hinge zones within discrete lacustrine settings (e.g., Congo margin). Alternatively, if hinge zone uplift was relatively minor, then a coral-rimmed archipelago may have developed parallel to the margin with restricted communication across the Atlantic hinge zone (e.g., Cabinda margin). In this latter scenario, dilution of the Marnes Noires source rocks by terrigenous input from the eroding Atlantic hinge zone should be relatively minor thereby enhancing source rock quality. Furthermore, potential marine upwelling outboard of the Atlantic hinge zone is likely the cause for the production and accumulation of organic-rich material associated with the Falcão source rock of the Kwanza basin. By late Aptian time, the remaining accomodation between the hinge zones was partially filled by across- and along-axis prograding deltaic systems of the Argilles Vertes and Tchibota Formations. The progradation and interaction of the Argilles Vertes depositional lobes resulted in the formation of residual paleo-relief. Subsequent marine incursions and flooding of this paleo-relief led to the development of basal conglomerates (the Chela ‘lag’ unconformity) grading upward into fine-grained sands and evaporites. Consequently, an inverse relationship should exist betweeb evaporite thickness (in particular, the lower members) and the thickness of the underlying Argilles Vertes and Tchibota Formations. Variations in Loeme evaporite thickness is a consequence of stratigraphic and structural control with salt instability influencing local variability.Our modelling suggests the occurrence of two distinct evaporite sequences on the Congo margin, an earlier evaporite deposited seaward (west) of the Atlantic hinge during the second and third rift phases and the late Aptian Loeme Formation deposited between the hinge zones. An evaporite sequence seaward of the Atlantic hinge is inferred on the basis of extensive diapirs and salt tectonic structures observed in seismic data. In order to match the distribution and thickness of the observed post-salt stratigraphy across the basin, however, we require large paleowater depths west of the Atlantic hinge during the later Aptian. The existence of large paleowater depths precludes the formation of thick evaporite sequences within the outer basin. Consequently, we propose that the evaporites seaward of the Atlantic hinge were formed during the syn-rift development of the margin and are not contemporaneous with the post-rift Loeme salts deposited between the hinge zones. This double salt hypothesis is consistent with observations from the conjugate Brazilian margin.     

Marine seismics with a pulsed combustion source and Pseudo Noise codes

There has been a long-standing debate concerning how dangerous seismic surveys are with respect to marine life. Marine seismic work today is dominated by airgun technology, where high energy is generated by a release of compressed air into the water. The objective of the “Time coded impulse seismic technique” project is to examine whether a new low energy acoustic source can be used for seismic purposes. If the method turns out to be successful, the low output energy and continuous operation will make the source suitable in environmental sensitive areas. The Low level Acoustic Combustion Source (LACS) is a petrol driven pulsed underwater acoustic source. It operates at a few meters depth, and each shot can be digitally controlled from the surface by a computer located in the mother vessel. A presentation of the recorded LACS signal characteristics, the modulation, the Pseudo Noise coding/decoding principles and field test results, is given. The importance of using an optimized code with fine resolution and of using the near field recording as a correlator sequence is demonstrated. Clear correlation peaks could then be seen from the bottom and sub bottom reflectors.     

Gene cloning and sequence analysis of the cold-adapted chaperones DnaK and DnaJ from deep-sea psychrotrophic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp.SM9913

Pseudoalteromonas sp.SM9913 is a phychrotrophic bacterium isolated from the deep-sea sediment.The genes encoding chaperones DnaJ and DnaK of P.sp.SM9913 were cloned by normal PCR and TAIL-PCR(GenBank accession Nos DQ640312,DQ504163).The chaperones DnaJ and DnaK from the strain SM9913 contain such conserved domains as those of many other bacteria,and show some cold-adapted characteristics in their structures when compared with those from psychro-,meso-and themophilic bacteria.It is indicated that chaperones DnaJ and DnaK of P.sp.SM9913 may be adapted to low temperature in deep-sea and function well in assisting folding,assembling and translocation of proteins at low temperature.This research lays a foundation for the further study on the cold-adapted mechanism of chaperones DnaJ and DnaK of cold-adapted microorganisms.     

中国近海早第三纪海侵层序及地层对比

中国近海各盆地,据古生物群及沉积特征,在早古新世为陆相沉积,至中晚古新世时为第Ⅰ海侵期。早始新世时为海退期,至中晚始新世为第Ⅱ海侵期。早、中渐新世时为海退期,晚渐新世为第Ⅲ海侵期。在论证地层时代时结合海侵的划分,提出新的见解。海相夹层可作为地层对比的重要标志层。     

中国和越南青蟹线粒体16S rRNA基因序列分析

为确定我国青蟹的分类地位及其资源的合理利用与保护提供理论依据，对中国和越南青蟹的线粒体16S rRNA基因片段序列进行了测定，并同Genbank中其他青蟹的序列进行了比较，分析研究了青蟹种内和种间的遗传差异及其分类地位。结果显示：中、越青蟹个体间序列差异极小，与Genbank中Scylla paramamosain同源片段序列的相似性达到99％以上．而与其他3种青蟹的差异达3．91％～8．41％。所得序列与S．paramamosain，S．serrata，S．olivacea及s．tranquebarica的遗传距离分别为0．002，0．075，0．087，0．042，种间遗传距离远大于种内距离。序列特征、遗传距离和系统进化分析结果都表明本文研究的中国和越南青蟹均为S．paramamosain。     

6种笛鲷属鱼类Cyt b基因片段序列的比较

采用聚合酶链式反应直接测序法，获得紫红笛鲷(Lutjanus argentimaculatus)、白星笛鲷(L．stellatus)、千年笛鲷(L．sebae)、勒氏笛鲷(L．russelli)、红鳍笛鲷(L．erythropterus)5种笛鲷属鱼的线粒体细胞色素b(Cyt b)425bp序列，并结合基因库中的斜带笛鲷(L．decussatus)Cytb同源序列进行比较分析，共发现88个核苷酸位点存在变异(20．7％)。用MEGA2．1软件中的Pairwise distance工具计算了6种笛鲷属鱼类的相对遗传距离，表明6种笛鲷属鱼类的序列差异在0．096-0．129之间，其中红鳍笛鲷和紫红笛鲷序列差异最大为0．129，千年笛鲷与红鳍笛鲷的序列差异最小为0．096；序列变异的转换／颠换比值较低，平均只有2．160。     

黑鲷DMRT1基因cDNA片段的克隆和序列分析

根据其他鱼类DMRT1基因中的保守序列设计了一对简并引物 ,利用反转录 多聚酶链式反应 (RT PCR)的方法克隆了黑鲷 (Acanthopagrusschlegeli)DMRT1基因cDNA的一个片段 .该片段长 13 8bp ,推导的氨基酸序列由 45个氨基酸残基组成 .同源性分析表明 ,该cDNA片段与其他鱼类DMRT1基因序列具有较高的同源性     

Application of Subbottom Profiler for Coastal Engineering

Experimental studies have been conducted on the acoustic effects of KLEIN-510 subbottom profiler for different sedimentary layers in estuary and bay areas. Sedimentary layer boundaries can be recorded clearly and continuously by this instrument and then compared with the results from drilling cores to reveal some variations of sedimentary environments. With this instrument, the average deposit rate can be determined and the bed-rock beneath the sea bottom can be found out.     

Attenuated basin‐margin sequence stratigraphy of the Palaeoproterozoic Calvert and Isa Superbasins: The Fickling Group,southern Murphy Inlier,Queensland

Sedimentary rocks of the Palaeoproterozoic Calvert and Isa Superbasins are exposed across a large area of northern Australia. Despite the extent of the exposures there is little to indicate the nature of the basin margins as most outcrop boundaries are structurally or erosionally defined, or the margins, where preserved, are concealed beneath younger basins. The Murphy Inlier, which forms the boundary between the Mt Isa and McArthur Basins, is unique in that on its southern flanks a basin‐margin succession is well‐preserved as the Fickling Group. A detailed sequence‐stratigraphic analysis of outcrop sections and well logs, supplemented by seismic reflection profiles and SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages, shows that all seven supersequences of the Isa Superbasin and one supersequence from the older Calvert Superbasin are represented in the Fickling Group. Through this high‐resolution sequence‐stratigraphic framework, it is possible to accurately correlate chronostratigraphically equivalent strata from the McNamara Group on the central Lawn Hill Platform to the Fickling Group on the southern Murphy Inlier. Each supersequence thins substantially from the McNamara Group (～11 km thick) to the Fickling Group (<1 km thick). The combined effects of truncation and onlap of sequences over the Murphy Inlier basement high are responsible for the thinning. Major time breaks of up to 25 million years occur between supersequences in the Fickling Group. Erosional hiatuses are often manifested at the base of supersequences as conglomerate beds composed of silicified detritus from older strata. Sequences in the Fickling Group were generally deposited in a proximal basin‐margin setting, while sequences in the McNamara Group were deposited in distal basin depocentres. The proximal depositional setting of Fickling Group sequences reduces the number of thick carbonaceous shale and siltstone intervals, which often host Zn–Pb–Ag and Cu deposits in the McNamara Group. Many host sequences from the McNamara Group are also absent in the Fickling Group due to truncation and onlap pinchout. Consequently, the economic potential of Palaeoproterozoic strata on the southern Murphy Inlier is less than equivalent strata from the central Lawn Hill Platform. Despite this, potential does exist for future discoveries of economic mineral deposits in the Mt Les Siltstone and Walford Dolomite units of the Fickling Group.