Influence of salinity on permeability characteristics of marine sediments

Abstract

Laboratory tests were conducted on compacted marine sediments to study the effect of salt concentration of permeating fluid on its permeability characteristics. Deep sea sediment samples were collected from water depths varying from 3700 to 4500 m off Mauritius coast. Liquid limit and plasticity index varied widely from 45 to 75 and 10 to 35, respectively. Permeability was found at different void ratios with distilled water and 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 N NaCl solutions as permeating fluid. It was found that permeability increases with an increase in salt concentration for a given void ratio. This is explained by diffused double layer theory. Also, the rate of increase in permeability decreases with increase in salt concentration. The effect of salt concentration seemed to be less at higher void ratios.     

东北地区五大连池湖相沉积物正构烷烃和单体碳同位素特征及其古植被意义

对中国东北地区小兴安岭与松嫩平原过渡带五大连池青石钻孔湖相沉积物进行了有机地球化学分析,检测出丰富的正构烷烃生物标志化合物.本文主要讨论了正构烷烃的分布及其单体碳同位素组成特征.正构烷烃具有前峰型和双峰型两种分布特征,表明其有机质为混合来源,包括低等菌藻类生物和陆生高等植物输入.正构烷烃的分布特征表明,自35.2ka B.P.以来,nC27/nC31和ACL指标共同记录了东北地区小兴安岭与松嫩平原过渡带的植被以草本为主.对C27、C29和C31长链正构烷烃进行了单体碳同位素测定,并利用二元模式估算了C3和C4植物相对生物量,结果表明,自35.2ka B.P.以来,研究区的植被以C3植物为主.期间在典型冷暖气候事件中,受温度变化的影响,C3/C4植物的相对生物量有明显的变化,在全新世大暖期(6.0ka B.P.),受温度升高影响,C3植物的生物量显著减少,C4植物的生物量则明显增加;而在两次典型冷气候事件(中全新世降温事件8.2ka B.P.和新仙女木事件12.9ka B.P.)时期,受温度降低影响,C3植物的生物量有增加的趋势,C4植物的生物量则相对呈减少的趋势;在末次冰盛期21.0ka B.P.时,受明显低温特征的影响,C3植物生物量高达80.0％,这可能是当时低温的气候特征抑制了C4植物的生长.研究结果对探索我国东北地区C3/C4植物分布格局,并为评估未来气候演化对该地区植被格局和农业生产的影响提供科学依据.     

High-resolution shallow seismic identification of gas escape features in the sediments of Loch Tay, Scotland: tectonic and microbiological associations

High-resolution seismic reflection profiles (3·5 kHz) have revealed the presence of extensive interstitial gas accumulation within the sedimentary sequences of Loch Tay, Scotland, as identified by acoustic turbidity masking the seismic stratigraphy. Within the central section of the loch, in the deepest water area directly above the zone of the seismically active Loch Tay Fault, focused flows of gas through the sediment pile to the loch bed via chimneys and pockmarks, together with gas seeps within the water column, have been identified. Microbiological observations indicate that the gas is biogenic CH₄, produced by both chemoautotrophic (which use CO₂ as a source of carbon and H₂ as a source of energy) and aceticlastic species (which use acetate as a source of carbon and energy) of methanogens in the fine-grained, organic rich deposits that have been focused into the zone of accumulation in the deep central part of the loch. The spatial distribution of the gas escape features suggests that earthquake movements along the Loch Tay Fault are responsible for facilitating focused gas escape in this part of the loch, by the creation of new pathways and conduits through the sediment pile, along which gas can migrate upwards and exit into the water column. Relict pockmarks and associated chimneys identified in the seismic records indicate that gas escape has been taking place since Pleistocene times though the precise timings cannot be ascertained. This is the first time that such features have been reported from a lake in the UK.     

Grain‐size distributions on high‐energy sandy beaches and their relation to wave dissipation

Grain size and sorting represent two key parameters when characterizing sediments or modelling beach morphology and sediment transport. Traditionally, an average value for grain size or sorting is often assumed for the entire area, determined from only a few sediment samples, ignoring any spatial (or temporal) variability in sediment characteristics. This contribution uses a data set of physical surface sediment samples from 53 beach locations around the south‐west peninsula of the United Kingdom, in addition to bi‐monthly, high spatial resolution (mean 240 samples) digital grain‐size surveys from a high‐energy, oceanic, sandy beach (Perranporth, North Cornwall). Systematic spatial variations in grain size and sorting were consistently observed in the seaward direction across the intertidal zone of sandy beaches, with grain‐sizes coarsening and sorting improving by up to 51·7% and 64·3%, respectively. This variability was deterministically related to the time‐averaged, antecedent‐adjusted energy dissipated by breaking waves, with the observed maximum grain‐size and sorting values correlating with the location of peak wave energy dissipation (r² = 0·998, P < 0·01).     

甘肃北山前红泉地区水系沉积物地球化学特征及找矿方向

前人在研究区开展过1∶20万水系沉积物测量及重砂测量,但受比例尺限制,异常面积过大,查证目标不够明确,找矿效果不佳。本次通过对前红泉地区开展1∶5万水系沉积物测量工作,初步总结了该区地球化学特征,根据元素组合特征、成矿地质条件等圈定出综合异常10处;在分析综合异常特征、异常检查情况及成矿潜力的基础上划分了成矿远景区4个,分别为受断裂和韧性剪切带控制的万岁山金成矿远景区、黑山头金多金属成矿远景区、与基性岩有关的帐房山铜钴镍成矿远景区及受酸性岩体内构造裂隙控制的红柳疙瘩钨成矿远景区;在成矿远景区内优选出找矿靶区4处,并提出了下一步找矿工作的建议。     

云南安宁磷矿区水系沉积物磷赋存形态及分布特征

磷污染是水污染的重要组成部分,因其可造成水体富营养化、水质下降,从而引起人们的广泛关注。研究沉积物中不同磷赋存形态及其分布特征有助于了解沉积物中磷的行为特征及迁移能力,从而为水体富营养化防治提供支撑。磷矿的开采、冶炼对矿区内水资源环境可能产生严重影响,本文以安宁磷矿区内河流、水库为研究区域,分析了不同水系沉积物磷元素赋存形态及分布特征,并对其生态风险进行评估。采用X射线荧光光谱法测定研究区水系沉积物总磷（TP）含量,并基于顺序提取及Hupfer改进的磷形态分析方法,将研究区各水系沉积物中磷分为弱吸附态磷（NH4Cl-P）、可还原态磷（BD-P）、金属氧化物结合态磷（NaOH-P）、钙结合态磷（Ca-P）、残渣态磷（Res-P）等5种形态,采用单因子污染指数法对其进行生态风险评估。结果表明：研究区水系沉积物样品中TP含量范围为567.6~48115.5mg/kg,NH4Cl-P含量范围为0.07~115.2mg/kg,BD-P含量范围为8.84~802.5mg/kg,NaOH-P含量范围为21.3~3129.5mg/kg, Ca-P含量范围为12~45098mg/kg,Res-P含量范围为28.5~515.4mg/kg。研究区各水系沉积物样品磷形态具有相似的分布特征,即磷主要以Ca-P和NaOH-P形态存在,其他磷形态的相对含量大小顺序为NH4Cl-P     

Simulation of pebble abrasion on coastal benches by transgressive waves

Tumbler simulations of abrasion processes affecting rocks on basaltic marine benches have clarified the effects of mass and volume of rock fragments on their rate of wear. Several experiments indicate that rate of basalt wear increases with mass in the interval 1 g to 8 g, but is not related to volume of fragments abraded in seawater. Relatively small quantities of rock flour suspended in the immersant seawater substantially reduced the rate of basalt wear. Basalt and calcareous beachrock responded differently in systems with both rock types tumbling together. Examination of the cuttings from these low-energy encounters suggests that abrasion on elevated benches along exposed seacoasts reduces virtually all clastic material to particles of silt size or smaller, producing essentially no sand.     

Diatomeen-, pollen- und sedimentmikrostratigraphische Untersuchungen zur anthropogenen Beeinflussung des Höllerer Sees (Oberösterreich)

A profundal sediment core from Höllerer See frozen in situ was studied by means of diatom, microstratigraphical tape peel and pollen analyses. Varved sequences reflect eutrophication during mediaeval settlement and according to varve counts a recent eutrophic phase since the 1970's. Mesotrophication in-between coincides with regrowth of forests near the lake.

     

Determination of Irgarol-1051 and its related s-triazine species in coastal sediments and mussel tissues by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

A mild, low-temperature analytical approach based on sonication assisted extraction coupled with HPLC electrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry has been developed for the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of the four Irgarol-related s-triazine species, namely Irgarol-1051, M1, M2 and M3, in coastal sediments and Green-lipped mussel samples. Mild extraction conditions were necessary for the preservation of the thermally unstable M2. The Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode of detection by ESI-MS/MS enabled reliable qualitative identification and sensitive quantitative determination of those s-triazines. This determination method was applied to evaluate the degree of Irgarol-1051 contamination in the sediments and biota of the coastal environment of Hong Kong - one of the busiest maritime ports in the world. All the four s-triazine species were observed in all of the samples. This is the first time that the newly identified M2 and M3 are detected in coastal sediments and biota tissues.     

Metals in Sediments of the Upper Laguna Madre

The Laguna Madre system is the largest hypersaline coastal basin in the United States. Surface sediments from 22 Upper Laguna Madre (ULM) sites were analyzed for grain size and metals (Cd, Cu, Ba, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, Fe, and Al) to assess the extent of contamination in the area. Sediments were found to consist mainly of sand texture. Clay and silts were minor constituents (<10%) of the sediments. Anomalies in metal concentrations were found at some sites and were related to probable sources, i.e., recreational and industrial activities. Concentrations of metals were normalized to grain size, Al, and Fe to distinguish natural and anthropogenic sources. Most metals showed positive correlations (p < 0.001) with Fe and Al, suggesting a natural variability of metal concentrations in sediments. Concentrations of metals, except Cd and Pb, at most sites were found to be below threshold concentrations thought to produce toxic effects in marine and estuarine organisms.