Origin of transverse folds in an extensional growth-fault setting: Evidence from an extensive seismic volume in the western Gulf of Mexico

Growth faults in gravity-driven extensional provinces are dominated by coast-parallel trends, but coast-perpendicular (transverse) trends are far less documented. The Clemente–Tomas fault in the inner Texas shelf has corrugations that are transverse to the fault and that plunge downdip. A large (8500 km²), high-quality, 3D seismic survey allows a uniquely encompassing perspective into hanging-wall deformation above this corrugated fault surface. Synextensional strata in the hanging wall are folded into alternating transverse ridges and synclines, typically spaced 10 km apart. Forward modelling in dip profiles of an extensional fault having three ramps produces ramp basin-rollover pairs that compare with the seismically revealed ridges and synclines. As they translated down the undulose fault plane, ramp basins and rollovers were juxtaposed along strike, forming the hanging-wall ridges and synclines observed offshore Texas. Fault-surface corrugations correlate broadly with footwall structure. We infer that corrugations on the Clemente–Tomas fault formed by evacuation of an allochthonous salt canopy emplaced in the late Eocene to early Oligocene. Early salt evacuation (Oligocene) created an undulose topography that influenced incipient Clemente-Tomas fault segments as they merged to form an inherently undulose fault. Late salt evacuation (early Miocene) further deformed this fault surface.     

Mechanisms of collapse of the cretaceous helvetiafjellet formation at Kvalvågen,eastern Spitsbergen

Coastal cliffs at Kvalvågen, eastern Spitsbergen, expose palaeolandslide blocks and related slope failure features that record local collapse of an otherwise undisturbed succession of paralic sediments. The collapse occurred along a shallow sloping shelf at the edge of an epicontinental sea in the Early Cretaceous. The event was coincident with a rise in relative sea level along a coast that had just previously experienced a major paralic regression across a muddy marine environment. The low relief environment in which the slope failure structures formed, as well as the timing of the collapse raise questions regarding the cause of the topographic instability and the possible influence of sea level changes or tectonic activity. These outcrops have been previously interpreted as the collapse of a deltaic system triggered by local seismic activity or collapse of a shelf break in the headwall regions of submarine canyons. This paper presents new structural and stratigraphic data that refine and adjust the previous interpretations through the evaluation of a variety of possible mechanisms for collapse based on the new data. Our data suggest that active delta deposition was not occurring at Kvalvågen at the time of collapse and that the collapse was likely due to allogenic forcing. Despite the possible influence of pore fluids and rheological controls on the collapse, we find that the geometry and kinematics of landslide slip planes, synsedimentary folds, and other slope failure related features require over-steepened topography and that these are most consistent with westward-directed collapse off of a north striking escarpment with elevated topography on the east side. Fault exposures, a large contrast in palaeo-elevation, and liquifaction features support previous interpretations of a tectonic cause for the collapse and suggest that this topographic feature may have been a fault or fold scarp. This study demonstrates the importance of combining stratigraphic and sedimentological data with structural data and kinematic analysis in the interpretation of sedimentary processes.     

Diurnal variation of nitric oxide emission flux from a mangrove wetland in Zhangjiang River Estuary,China

The diurnal variation of nitric oxide (NO) emission fluxes from a Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina mangrove wetland were studied in the Zhangjiang River Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve using a dynamic chamber-based technique and a chemiluminescent analyzer. Results from field experiments show that NO emission from K. obovata and A. marina sampling sites reached maximal values of 1.07 ng N m⁻² s⁻¹ and 1.23 ng N m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively after the night tide. Meanwhile NO emission maintained at a steady lower level in daytime for both wetland sites. In laboratory experiments, NO emission from the mangrove wetland soil samples treated with simulated tides in the darkness exhibited higher values than those in the light, therefore it seems that tides and darkness could increase NO emission from mangrove wetlands, while intensive light, high temperature, and dryness in the daytime decreased NO emission. Compared with K. obovata soil samples, the diurnal average NO emission rate of the A. marina site was significantly higher, which was closely related to relatively higher diurnal average CO₂ emission rate, soil available nitrogen content and soil net nitrification rate of the A. marina site. Moreover, soil samples of the A. marina site were more responsive to simulated tides and the addition of nitrogen than those of the K. obovata site.     

端元分析模型在长江口邻近海域沉积物粒度数据反演方面的应用

海洋沉积物粒度分布曲线往往同时具有多个峰,而且同一类型沉积物因时间和空间上的不同其粒度分布曲线峰的位置也不同,沉积物粒度分布多峰的特点反映了沉积物不同的输运形式和沉降过程[1,2].因此,在沉积物的粒度分布数据中保存了有关沉积物输运和沉降的信息,而获得这些信息对于揭示沉积区域水动力特性、沉积物输运和沉降规律具有重要的意义.     

闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量研究

本文讨论了生态旅游环境容量的定义及内涵，分析了生态旅游环境容量的特征及构成，在此基础上估算了闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量．结果表明：闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量的限制因子是鳝鱼滩自然保护区生态旅游环境空间容量．鳝鱼滩旅游步行道可分成南路和北路，北路为水路游线，南路为陆路游线．北路游线环境空间日容量为800人次／d，南路游线环境空间日容量为1144人次／d．鳝鱼滩湿地生态旅游环境空间年容量为451202人次／a．这一环境容量可作为闽江河口区湿地生态旅游活动环境容量的最高限制量．     

Larval life span of the echinoid evechinus chloroticus (val.)

Newly metamorphosed Evechinus chloroticus (Val.) were observed in three larval cultures 36, 30, and 28 days after fertilisation, indicating that the free swimming larval life may last about 1 month.     

Invertebrate recolonisation of previously dry channels in the Rakaia River

Recolonisation of previously dry channels by stream invertebrates was studied in the Rakaia River during winter 1981 and summer 1982. The winter experiment continued for 42 days, with stable low flows, whereas the summer experiment was characterised by fluctuating large flows which caused it to be abandoned after 27 days. The fauna was dominated numerically by Chironomidae, a leptophlebiid mayfly (Deleatidium), and oligochaetes during the winter, and by Deleatidium alone during the summer. Recolonisation was considered complete after 33 days in winter and 15 days in summer. Flow fluctuations were the main factor affecting colonisation rates, and it was assumed that drift was the main source of colonising animals. Small freshes during low‐flow periods in winter resulted in a rapid increase in total density of invertebrates and number of taxa present and also affected the population structure of Deleatidium larvae in colonisation baskets. Before these freshes numbers had increased steadily over a 27 day period. In summer large floods during high flow periods initially decreased benthic invertebrate numbers in samples but numbers increased rapidly once the flood had passed. This appears to be the first study of its kind on a large unstable river system.     

黄河三角洲北部贝壳堤岛的近期演变

通过不同年代地形图、卫星影像的对比及野外实地测量等,综合分析了黄河三角洲北部开敞型和潮沟型两类贝壳堤岛近50年来的数量和面积变化及其演化特征。结果表明,该区两类贝壳堤岛自20世纪50年代以来在自然和人为因素的共同作用下发生了明显的变化,但其演化特征因岛屿成因的类型差异而各不相同。目前,该区贝壳堤岛群逐渐萎缩,人类活动已成为影响三角洲北部两类贝壳堤岛发育演变的主导因素,特别是潮沟型贝壳堤岛,基本上结束了自然演化的历史,呈现出新的演化特征。     

鸭绿江河口沉积物元素地球化学及其控制因素

对鸭绿江河口地区的56个站位沉积物的常量元素含量进行了测试,并对测试结果进行了多元统计分析。研究结果表明,多数常量元素含量在鸭绿江西岸潮滩地区和西部海域波动较小,而在上游地区和河口口门地区变动较大,在河口最大浑浊带内出现两个峰值。R型主因子分析结果表明,粒度控制效应对鸭绿江河口地区常量元素的含量分布起着主要作用,贡献方差达76.55%。运用Q型聚类分析将各站位归为两种类型,揭示出沉积动力环境的差异是造成这种常量元素地球化学分区特征的最主要因素。此外,通过与附近河口对比发现鸭绿江河口及近岸地区沉积物中的常量元素含量同朝鲜半岛的河流、中朝准地台花岗岩以及朝鲜半岛花岗岩比较接近,但与长江和黄河有着较大的差异。     

珠江口外走航ADCP资料的系统误差订正与质量控制

在对珠江口外2006年冬季航次走航ADCP观测资料处理中发现用Joyce的方法不能有效地订正系统误差,其原因在于订正角与航速、船艏向相关。给出了一个订正角为船艏向余弦的拟合函数,得出良好的订正结果。分析了VmDas软件处理流速结果的精度,给出了系统误差识别的方法。发现观测资料中一些不能为VmDas软件识别的错误数据,分析了海况对观测资料的影响,提出了观测资料质量控制与误差订正的一套程序。