The grain-size characteristics of Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping in Jilin province, China

This research paper analyses the grain-size characteristics of the Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping, Jilin province in China by employing graphic measures to study the grain size distribution and its mode of transport and deposition. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan lie unconformable on Cretaceous rocks made of siltstone, mudstone and sandstone. The average grain size is between 8.06 to 8.55Φ (0.002 6 ～0.003 7 mm). The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan mainly compose of very fine silt to clay. The compositions of the grade are clay 63% and silt 37%. The clay size components are weathered debris transported and deposited by flowing water from the SE highlands or hills to the low lying NW Xingshan plains whereas the silty components accumulated by aoelian process. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan accumulated in the middle and late Pleistocene interglacial periods from (459.12～39.03) ka to (88.92～7.56) ka. The standard deviation ranged from 0.96 to 1.36Φ, indicating that the sediments are moderately to poorly sorted, Coefficient of skewness ranged from 0.16～0.31 with an average skewness of 0.218, (Positively skewed towards fine). Kurtosis values (0.84～1.05) from the grain size distribution and visual inspection of the frequency curves indicate platykurtic to mesokurtic curves and unimodal to bimodal grain-size distribution. The type of deposit formation is sand dune and the source is at a distal from its provenance.     

Techniques to measure grain-size distributions of loamy sediments: a comparative study of ten instruments for wet analysis

Ten instruments for measuring the grain‐size distribution of loamy sediments in water were tested in a comparative study. Instruments tested were: the Malvern Mastersizer S, the Coulter LS 200, the Fritsch Analysette 22 (version C), the Horiba Partica LA‐950, the Sedigraph 5100, the Atterberg cylinder, the Coulter Multisizer 3, the CIS‐100, the EyeTech and the image analysis software Histolab. The first four instruments use laser diffraction. The Sedigraph and Atterberg cylinder are based on sedimentation. The Coulter Multisizer 3 uses impedance measurements and the last three instruments use optical techniques. Grain‐size analyses were carried out on four sediments with median grain diameters of approximately 35, 30, 12 and 9 μm, respectively, and with no particles >90 μm. The laser diffraction instruments produced the best results for the various criteria considered in this study, followed by the Coulter Multisizer 3 (electrical sensing zone technique), the sedimentation techniques and the optical methods. However, the study also showed that there is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ method because techniques may score differently according to the criterion tested. An appropriate evaluation thus requires that various criteria be considered. Issues to be taken into account are: type of sediment, quantity of sediment available, speed of measurement, complexity of the measurement protocol, processing of the data, reproducibility of the results and the specific aims of the study undertaken.     

东菲律宾海深水铁锰结壳发育站位沉积物的粒度及黏土矿物学特征

大洋铁锰结壳是潜在的重要海洋资源,多年来世界各国对此已作了大量调查.传统意义上的铁锰结壳均分布于3000m水深以浅的海山基岩上.中国科学院海洋研究所在对东菲律宾海的地质调查中采集到大量褐黑色深水铁锰结壳.在300多个站位的取样中,在44个站位采集到结壳样品,可见结壳在研究区的分布较为广泛.该结壳发育于4000~5000m水深的致密至半固结沉积物的表层,厚度一般为2~3cm,最厚可达7cm.结壳为板(层)状.     

泥石流堆积物的粒度分布及其分形结构

泥石流堆积物主要由砾石、砂砾、粉粒和粘粒组成,组成泥石流堆积物的颗粒级配变幅很大,从直径大于数十米的巨砾到肉眼难以看见的几微米的胶体微粒均有分布,大小颗粒粒径之比可达106—107。泥石流堆积物颗粒具有明显的自相似性和无标度区间。本文以小江流域多处泥石流堆积物为研究对象,采用图解法全面分析了泥石流堆积物的粒度组成特征,根据分形理论计算了泥石流堆积物颗粒的分维值,对泥石流堆积物的分形特征进行探讨,并与泥石流堆积物粒度特征相联系,发现分维很好的反映了泥石流堆积物颗粒组成及其粒度分布特征。将泥石流堆积物颗粒分维与泥石流的粘性、形成年代等性质相联系,以找出它们彼此之间的关系。     

宁镇地区中更新世环境演变的沉积学研究

句容放牛山剖面ESR测年、粒度以及磁化率的研究结果表明,下蜀黄土作为一种受后生成土作用强烈的风尘堆积,其性状与北方黄土差别很大,主要表现为由于成壤作用及次生风化作用导致粘粒含量增多。该剖面揭示出本区中更新世 5个气候暖湿期,分别是 :15 9~ 16 3ka,192ka,195~ 198ka,2 0 3~ 2 30ka与 311~ 35 0ka。其中第一个相对暖湿期不十分明显,在大致同时期的深海氧同位素 (V2 1- 14 6孔 ) 6阶段当中为一个小的气候回暖波动,第 2、3、4气候暖湿期可大致与西峰黄土S2古土壤层所反映的气候温暖事件相对应,可与深海氧同位素 (V2 1- 14 6孔 )第 7氧同位素阶段大致相对比。其中,前 4个温暖期可大致与老虎山下蜀黄土的标准剖面自上而下的 4个埋藏古土壤层相对应。旧石器考古发掘发现 6、7层有石器,从剖面测年资料及各环境代用指标综合分析得出,当时为暖湿的生态环境(即第 5个气候暖湿期 ),较适宜人类活动,与南京汤山猿人洞研究结果相一致。东北地区庙后山下层文化 (14 0 0~2 30ka)以大石片石器为主,文化面貌兼有华北大小两个石器系统的特征。这与该遗址发掘的石器相类似,这可能说明至少在中更新世中期长江河道应在句容以南。     

冲绳海槽南部沉积层序的粒度特征

对取自冲绳海槽南部的A2 3孔经前处理后的沉积物样品进行了粒度测试,探讨了陆源沉积层序的粒度特征。沉积物平均粒径、分选系数、偏态、峰态等粒度参数的变化显示出A2 3孔的沉积层序以 4 0 0cm为界可分为上、下两段,下段各参数稳定,代表了比较稳定的水动力条件的沉积环境;上段则波动较大,小规模浊流沉积频繁发育,暗示了不稳定的沉积环境。浊流层内粗粒与细粒组分含量及粒度分布的变化具有明显的规律性。通过分析A2 3孔陆源沉积层序的各沉积参数特征,认为冲绳海槽南部的沉积环境和动力在时间尺度上有较大的变化,东海陆架物质向南部海槽的输运可能是以峡谷为通道的重力作用引起的床底沉积作用为主。另外,对陆源碎屑和全样粒度结果的对比,显示了前处理方法对于海洋沉积物粒度分析的重要性.     

Inferring the mass fraction of floc-deposited mud: application to fine-grained turbidites

Fine sediment deposition in the ocean is complicated by the cohesive nature of muds and their tendency to flocculate. The result is disaggregated inorganic grain size (DIGS) distributions of bottom sediment that are influenced by single‐grain and floc deposition. This study outlines a parametric model that characterizes bottom sediment DIGS distributions. Modelled parameters are then used to infer depositional conditions that account for the regional variation in the grain sizes deposited by turbidity currents on the Laurentian Fan–Sohm Abyssal Plain, offshore south‐eastern Canada. Results indicate that, on the channellized Laurentian Fan, the mass fraction of floc‐deposited mud increases only slightly downslope. The small evolution in this fraction arises because sediment concentration and turbulent energy are associated in turbidity currents. On the Sohm Abyssal Plain, however, the mass fraction of floc‐deposited mud decreases, probably as a result of lower sediment concentration at this source‐distal site. Estimates of the mass fraction of mud deposited as flocs suggest that floc deposition is the dominant mode by which sediment is lost from suspension, although single‐grain deposition contributes more to the depositional flux in proximal areas where high energy breaks flocs and in distal areas where low sediment concentration limits floc formation. It is concluded that, throughout the dispersal system, changes in the fraction of flocculated mud deposited from turbidity currents reflect changes in sediment concentration and energy downslope.     

珠江三角洲江村ZK2钻孔沉积物粒度的环境意义

运用MALVERN公司2000型粒度仪对珠江三角洲地区的江村ZK2钻孔作粒度分析，江村钻孔按粒度的偏态值可划分为两个河相与海相或湖泊沼泽相的沉积交替过程，同时与粒度参数、年代数据以及前人所做的孢粉等证据相结合，大致看出研究区气候变化的4个千年尺度的气候波动：第一阶段为较长时间的冷干期，该段时间约为20-10．7kaB．P．；第二阶段为回暖期，时间大致在10．7-7．5kaB．P.,总体比较湿润；第三阶段为升温期，该时期约在7．5-5kaB．P．之间，在此期间各有一次干湿交替；第四阶段为降温期，时间大约出现在5kaB．P．至今，这是一个波动性较大的时期，也各有一次干湿交替。     

东海内陆架沉积物敏感粒级构成及其地质意义

沉积物粒级包含了大量的沉积环境信息,在古环境恢复和重建中被广泛应用。基于采自东海内陆架的三根沉积物岩芯,作者利用激光粒度分析方法研究了沉积物的粒度组成,确定了敏感性粒级,探讨了搬运机制及其环境意义。研究表明:东海内陆架现代沉积物含有大致相同的三个敏感性粒级,分别是粒级1(12μm)、粒级2(12—225μm)和粒级3(225μm)。从北到南敏感粒级具有逐渐细化的趋势,该趋势与长江入海沉积物向南搬运过程中发生的沉积分异作用有关。粒级1和粒级2分别由均匀悬浮次总体和递变悬浮次总体构成,而粒级3则由生物过程产生。结合该区的海洋动力特征,作者认为,粒级2可较好地用来指示冬季海洋动力强度,并具有揭示东亚冬季风强度的潜在意义。     

A late Holocene winter monsoon record inferred from the palaeo-aeolian sand dune in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, northern China

The variation of the Asian winter monsoonal strength has seriously affected the climate and environmental conditions in the Asian monsoonal region, and even in marginal islands and the ocean in the East Asian region. However, relevant understanding remains unclear due to the lack of suitable geological materials and effective proxies in the key study areas. Here, we present a grain-size record derived from the palaeo-aeolian sand dune in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, together with other proxies and OSL dating, which reflect a relatively detailed history of the winter monsoon and abrupt environmental events during the past 4.2 ka. Our grain-size standard deviation model indicated that >224 μm content can be considered as an indicator of the intensity of Asian winter monsoon, and it shows declined around 4.2-2.1 ka, enhanced but unstable in 2.1-0.9 ka, and obviously stronger since then. In addition, several typical climate events were also documented, forced by the periodic variation of winter monsoonal intensity. These include the cold intervals of 4.2, 2.8, 1.4 ka, and the Little Ice Age (LIA), and relatively warm sub-phases around 3.0, 2.1, 1.8 ka, and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), which were roughly accordant with the records of the aeolian materials, peat, stalagmites, ice cores, and sea sediments in various latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Combined with the previous progresses of the Asian summer monsoon, we preliminarily confirmed a millennial-scale anti-correlation of Asian winter and summer monsoons in the Late Holocene epoch. This study suggests that the evolution of the palaeo-aeolian sand dune has the potential for comprehending the history of Asian monsoon across the desert regions of the modern Asian monsoonal margin in northern China.