The alluvial architecture of a suspended sediment dominated meandering river: the Río Bermejo,Argentina

The alluvial architecture of fine‐grained (silt‐bed) meandering rivers remains poorly understood in comparison to the extensive study given to sand‐bed and gravel‐bed channels. This paucity of knowledge stems, in part, from the difficulty of studying such modern rivers and deriving analogue information from which to inform facies models for ancient sediments. This paper employs a new technique, the parametric echosounder, to quantify the subsurface structure of the Río Bermejo, Argentina, which is a predominantly silt‐bed river with a large suspended sediment load. These results show that the parametric echosounder can provide high‐resolution (decimetre) subsurface imaging from fine‐grained rivers that is equivalent to the more commonly used ground‐penetrating radar that has been shown to work well in coarser‐grained rivers. Analysis of the data reveals that the alluvial architecture of the Río Bermejo is characterized by large‐scale inclined heterolithic stratification generated by point‐bar evolution, and associated large‐scale scour surfaces that result from channel migration. The small‐scale and medium‐scale structure of the sedimentary architecture is generated by vertical accretion deposits, bed sets associated with small bars, dunes and climbing ripples and the cut and fill from small cross‐bar channels. This style of alluvial architecture is very different from other modern fine‐grained rivers reported in the literature that emphasize the presence of oblique accretion. The Río Bermejo differs from these other rivers because it is much more active, with very high rates of bank erosion and channel migration. Modern examples of this type of highly active fine‐grained river have been reported rarely in the literature, although ancient examples are more prevalent and show similarities with the alluvial architecture of the Río Bermejo, which thus represents a useful analogue for their identification and interpretation. Although the full spectrum of the sedimentology of fine‐grained rivers has yet to be revealed, meandering rivers dominated by lateral or oblique accretion probably represent end members of such channels, with the specific style of sedimentation being controlled by grain size and sediment load characteristics.     

ANABRANCHING RIVERS: THEIR CAUSE,CHARACTER AND CLASSIFICATION

Anabranching rivers consist of multiple channels separated by vegetated semi-permanent alluvial islands excised from existing floodplain or formed by within-channel or deltaic accretion. These rivers occupy a wide range of environments from low to high energy, however, their existence has never been adequately explained. They occur concurrently with other types of channel pattern, although specific requirements include a flood-dominated flow regime and banks that are resistant to erosion, with some systems characterized by mechanisms to block or constrict channels, thereby triggering avulsion. The fundamental advantage of an anabranching river is that, by constructing a semi-permanent system of multiple channels, it can concentrate stream flow and maximize bed-sediment transport (work per unit area of the bed) under conditions where there is little or no opportunity to increase gradient. On the basis of stream energy, sediment size and morphological characteristics, six types of anabranching river are recognized; types 1–3 are lower energy and types 4–6 are higher energy systems. Type 1 are cohesive sediment rivers (commonly termed anastomosing) with low w/d ratio channels that exhibit little or no lateral migration. They are divisible into three subtypes based on vegetative and sedimentary environment. Type 2 are sand-dominated, island-forming rivers, and type 3 are mixed-load laterally active meandering rivers. Type 4 are sand-dominated, ridge-forming rivers characterized by long, parallel, channel-dividing ridges. Type 5 are gravel-dominated, laterally active systems that interface between meandering and braiding in mountainous regions. Type 6 are gravel-dominated, stable systems that occur as non-migrating channels in small, relatively steep basins. Anabranching rivers represent a relatively uncommon but widespread and distinctive group that, because of particular sedimentary, energy-gradient and other hydraulic conditions, operate most effectively as a system of multiple channels separated by vegetated floodplain islands or alluvial ridges.     

南黄海辐射沙洲附近海域悬浮体的研究

对2003年春季(3—4月)和秋季(9月)南黄海辐射沙洲附近海域的悬浮体样品进行了空间分布特征、有机无机组成、粒度特征及其季节变化分析。结果表明:(1)2003年春季研究区内悬浮体浓度要普遍高于秋季的悬浮体浓度。悬浮体浓度最高值区位于长江口-老黄河口之间的近岸区。陆源物质为主的无机组分是悬浮体的主体成分,特别是在近岸浅水区和接近海底的底层水中尤为突出;(2)研究区海水中的悬浮体主要来源于辐射沙脊区(老黄河-长江复合三角洲)沉积物再悬浮;(3)悬浮体分布是风浪、潮流及沿岸流等多种因素综合作用的结果,而风浪和潮流是影响本区悬浮体分布的主要因素,巨大的风浪和强大的潮流造成辐射沙洲海底的沉积物再悬浮、搬运和再沉积,并在苏北沿岸流的作用下向沙洲外缘输运。     

Mid-late Holocene anthropogenic and natural variations in geochemistry and sedimentation in the Yazoo Basin: Clark Lake,Sharkey County,Mississippi

A 4000-yr history at Clark Lake reveals natural variations in sediment geochemistry and nutrient levels and anthropogenic influence on twentieth century sedimentation rates. Sediment texture and ridge and swale topography indicate that the channel system creating Clark Lake is now occupied by the Yazoo River. Between 1.24 and 0.60 m (2522–865 cal yr BP), total carbon percentages and the C/N ratio average 42% and 17, respectively. The base of the 1650-yr interval and onset of high organic activity in the lake coincides with the abandonment of the Yazoo Meander Belt. The top of the interval is marked by a drop in C/N ratio to 11 and a geochemical transition zone. No change in the rate of sediment accumulation or clay mineralogy was observed despite increased cumulative percentages of Al, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ca, and Na. The decrease in organic activity at 865 cal yr BP is attributed to unfavorable growth conditions related to the entrenchment of the Yazoo River and changes in the hydroperiod of the area. Significant floodplain alteration was completed in 1978, but the only major effect was increased sedimentation in the late twentieth century due to the completion of the Whittington Auxiliary Channel.     

东海陆架两期沙脊的时空对比东海陆架两期沙脊的时空对比

基于高分辨率的单道地震和多波束测深数据,识别并对比了东海陆架中部同一海区相距20余万年的层U14和层U2两期沙脊群,其中层U14期沙脊属于埋藏沙脊,位于东海海底以下90 m深处,推测属于距今320~200 ka的海侵体系域(TST),沙脊顶界面是该期海侵的最大洪泛面(MFS);层U2期沙脊位于东海陆架,属于衰退沙脊,系末次盛冰期(LGM)以来的TST,顶界面是LGM以来的MFS。尽管两期沙脊形成年代相距20余万年,地层层位相距近90 m,但是沙脊群总体走向一致,表明距今2×105 a以来东海陆架潮波基本格局稳定。从层U2期可识别出4个亚期沙脊,通过多波束海底地形图可识别出4组走向的沙脊,多亚期、多走向沙脊是LGM以来海平面阶梯状波动在海底地形演变过程中的响应证据。     

黄海辐射沙洲沉积物地球化学特征及其环境意义

对黄海辐射沙洲烂沙洋水道区域的3个钻孔共81个沉积物样品进行了微量、常量元素分析和^14C测年分析．化学元素质量分数的变化与当时沉积环境的变化相对应。突发事件(如风暴潮)的发生不但在沉积物的岩性上有所体现,而且在微量元素质量分数的变化上也有很明显的体现。微量元素Zr可作为沉积能量变化的地化指示剂,潮汐通道北部的西太阳沙区域的沉积动力环境在4000a以前是较弱的。潮流通道的上段沉积物是来自水深较浅的区域,由于潮流和波浪的作用使其能够保持稳定的水深。     

南黄海辐射沙洲主要潮沟的变迁

利用1966年和1977年海图、1995年和2000年合成孔径雷达影像,结合1980年以来的陆地卫星影像和2000年的岸滩实测剖面资料对南黄海辐射沙洲区主要潮沟的位置进行了解译与分析,得出上述4个时期研究区内主要潮沟深泓线位置图。对不同时期潮沟深泓线位置图进行几何校准与叠加,对比潮沟深泓线的迁移。结果表明：潮沟具有往返周期性摆动的特点,短期摆动速度明显快于长期摆动,主沟槽最大变动速度达127m／a,而支沟槽变动速度更大。潮沟摆动与沙洲变化有明显的相关性,但两者间的关系较为复杂。辐射沙洲目前处于破碎、萎缩阶段,除沙洲中心及陆岸岸滩仍有淤积外,大部分沙洲处于侵蚀状况,同时沙洲有整体向陆迁移的趋势。     

成武县土地利用时空变化与水系因子的关系研究

成武县位于鲁西南黄河冲积平原区,水系发达,地表水资源丰富。为了分析地表水系对成武县土地利用时空变化和空间格局的影响,该文基于不同时期的遥感影像,结合实地调查和专家意见,提取区域土地利用现状图;运用DEM地表水文分析提取河流汇流累积量、水流长度、河流网络等,根据流量选取了河网。以河流为中心向两侧作缓冲区,与土地利用现状图进行空间分析,得到不同距离缓冲区内的土地利用结构。与全区域土地利用结构对比,分析不同时期在相同的缓冲区域内土地利用特征和变化,总结土地结构变化规律,结合100m,200m,300m,400m,500m,750m,1000m不同的缓冲区;通过对比各种土地利用类型在不同距离缓冲区的时空变化,从而分析水系因子对不同土地类型时空变化的影响。结果表明,不同距离缓冲区内土地利用结构不同,随着缓冲区范围的增加,耕地、建设用地、林地、园地呈现不同的变化趋势与特点,水系因子对成武县不同土地利用方式影响程度不同,水系因素对成武县土地利用空间分异有明显影响。     

Delineation of the 85°E ridge and its structure in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin,Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI), from seismic reflection imaging

The passive Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI) evolved during the break up of India and East Antarctica in the Early Cretaceous. The 85°E ridge is a prominent linear aseismic feature extending from the Afanasy Nikitin Seamounts northward to the Mahanadi basin along the ECMI. Earlier workers have interpreted the ridge to be a prominent hot spot trail. In the absence of conclusive data, the extension of the ridge towards its northern extremity below the thick Bengal Fan sediments was a matter of postulation. In the present study, interpretation of high resolution 2-D reflection data from the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, located in the northern part of the ridge, unequivocally indicates continuation of the ridge across the continent–ocean boundary into the slope and shelf tracts of the ECMI. Its morphology and internal architecture suggest a volcanic plume related origin that can be correlated with the activity of the Kerguelen hot spot in the nascent Indian Ocean. In the continental region, the plume related volcanic activity appears to have obliterated all seismic features typical of continental crust. The deeper oceanic crust, over which the hot spot plume erupted, shows the presence of linear NS aligned basement highs, corresponding with the ridge, underlain by a depressed Moho discontinuity. In the deep oceanic basin, the ridge influences the sediment dispersal pattern from the Early Cretaceous (?)/early part of Late Cretaceous times till the end of Oligocene, which is an important aspect for understanding the hydrocarbon potential of the basin.     

The interannual variability of mid-latitude meridional circulation and its teleconnection with Indian monsoon activity

The statistical relationship between the summer monsoon rainfall over all India, northwest India and peninsular India, onset dates of monsoon and the index of mid latitude, (35° to 70°N) meridional circulation at 500 hPa level over different sectors and hemisphere based on 19 years (1971–1989) data, have been examined. The results indicate that (i) the summer monsoon rainfalls over all India, northwest India and peninsular India show a significant inverse relationship with the strength of meridional index during previous January over sector 45°W to 90°E. (ii) The summer monsoon rainfalls over all India and peninsular India show a significant inverse relationship with the strength of meridional index during previous December over sector 90°E to 160°E, (iii) The summer monsoon rainfall over northwest India shows a significant direct relationship with the meridional index during previous May over sector 160°E to 45°W. Significant negative relationships are also observed between the meridional circulation indices of previous October (sector 3 and 4), previous December (sectors 1, 3 and 4), previous winter season (sector 3 and 4) and the onset dates of summer monsoon over India. The meridional circulation index thus can have some possible use for long range forecasting of monsoon rainfall over all India, northwest India and peninsular India, as well as the onset dates of monsoon.