Organic carbon isotope gradient and ocean stratification across the late Ediacaran-Early Cambrian Yangtze Platform

Organic carbon isotope(δ13Corg) data from two well-preserved sections across a shallow-to-deep water transect of the late Ediacaran-Early Cambrian Yangtze Platform in South China show significant temporal and spatial variations. In the shallow-water Jiulongwan-Jijiapo section, δ13Corg values of the late Ediacaran Dengying Formation range from -29‰ to -24‰. In the deep-water Longbizui section, δ13Corg values from time-equivalent strata of the Dengying Formation are mostly between –35‰ and -32‰. These new data, in combination with δ13Corg data reported from other sections in South China, reveal a 6‰–8‰ shallow-to-deep water δ13Corg gradient. High δ13Corg values(-30‰) occur mostly in shallow-water carbonate rocks, whereas low δ13Corg values(-32‰) dominate the deep-water black shale and chert. The large temporal and spatial δ13Corg variations imply limited buffering effect from a large dissolved organic carbon(DOC) reservoir that was inferred to have existed in Ediacaran-Early Cambrian oceans. Instead, δ13Corg variations between platform and basin sections are more likely caused by differential microbial biomass contribution to total organic matter. High δ13Corg values(-30‰) documented from shallow-water carbonates are within the range of typical Phanerozoic δ13Corg data and may record the isotope signature of organic matter from primary(photosynthetic) production. In contrast, low δ13Corg values(-32‰) from deep-water sections may have resulted from higher chemoautotrophic or methanotrophic biomass contribution to bulk organic matter in anoxic environments. The δ13Corg data provide indirect evidence for ocean stratification and episodic chemocline fluctuations in the Ediacaran-Early Cambrian Yangtze Platform.     

Diagenetic fluid evolution and water-rock interaction model of carbonate cements in sandstone: An example from the reservoir sandstone of the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation of the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area,Sichuan Province,China

Carbonate cement is the most abundant cement type in the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation in the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area of the West Sichuan Depression. Here we use a systematic analysis of carbonate cement petrology, mineralogy, carbon and oxygen isotope ratios and enclosure homogenization temperatures to study the precipitation mechanism, pore fluid evolution, and distribution of different types of carbonate cement in reservoir sand in the study area. Crystalline calcite has relatively heavy carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = 2.14‰, δ18O = -5.77‰), and was precipitated early. It was precipitated directly from supersaturated alkaline fluid under normal temperature and pressure conditions. At the time of precipitation, the fluid oxygen isotope ratio was very light, mainly showing the characteristics of a mixed meteoric water-seawater fluid(δ18O = -3‰), which shows that the fluid during precipitation was influenced by both meteoric water and seawater. The calcite cement that fills in the secondary pores has relatively lighter carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = -2.36‰, δ18O = -15.68‰). This cement was precipitated late, mainly during the Middle and Late Jurassic. An important material source for this carbonate cement was the feldspar corrosion process that involved organic matter. The Ca2+, Fe3+ and Mg2+ ions released by the clay mineral transformation process were also important source materials. Because of water-rock interactions during the burial process, the oxygen isotope ratio of the fluid significantly increased during precipitation, by about 3‰. The dolomite cements in calcarenaceous sandstone that was precipitated during the Middle Jurassic have heavier carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, which are similar to those of carbonate debris in the sandstone(δ13C = 1.93‰, δ18O = -6.11‰), demonstrating that the two are from the same source that had a heavier oxygen isotope ratio(δ18O of about 2.2‰). The differences in fluid oxygen isotope ratios during cement precipitation reflect the influences of different water-rock interaction systems or different water-rock interaction strengths. This is the main reason why the sandstone containing many rigid particles(lithic quartz sandstone) has a relatively negative carbon isotope ratio and why the precipitation fluid in calcarenaceous sandstone has a relatively heavier oxygen isotope ratio.     

鳙、鲢鱼鳞作为稳定同位素研究非致命采样替代物的有效性

稳定同位素分析技术已成为食物网研究中的关键技术,通用方法是取鱼类背部白色肌肉,在实际应用过程会导致鱼类的死亡,因而有所局限.使用非致命组织作为稳定同位素研究中的替代组织越来越得到关注,但是目前国内尚未开展相关研究.比较鳙(Aristichthy nobilis)、鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)鱼鳞与肌肉组织中δ13C和δ15N比值,发现鳙、鲢的鱼鳞与肌肉组织中δ13C和δ15N比值均有显著差异.鱼鳞δ13C比值比肌肉更富集,平均高2.54‰,而δ15N比值比肌肉平均低0.7‰.对鳙、鲢的鱼鳞与肌肉组织δ15N比值含量进行相关分析发现,通过构建线性模型,可用校正后的鱼鳞δ15N比值替代肌肉组织δ15N比值.鲢的鱼鳞与肌肉组织δ13C比值存在显著线性相关,而鳙的鱼鳞与肌肉组织δ13C比值无显著相关关系.     

内蒙古达里诺尔湖流域地表水和地下水环境同位素特征及补给关系

为了探明达里诺尔湖流域地表水与地下水的氢(H)、氧(O)同位素的变化特征及相互补给关系,于2013年对达里诺尔湖及其周围的河水、井水、泉水中H、O同位素进行了取样分析,并结合总溶解性固体悬浮物(TDS)和区域水文地质对达里诺尔湖流域的补给关系进行讨论分析.结果表明:1)河水、泉水、井水中H、O同位素的值基本落在全球雨水线上,湖水H、O同位素落在全球雨水线的右下方,说明河水、井水、泉水没有发生蒸发分馏,而湖水则发生较大程度的蒸发分馏;对达里诺尔湖流域地表水与地下水的H、O同位素进行回归模拟,得出该区域的蒸发趋势线方程:δD=4.8753δ18O-20.139(n=32,R2=0.9968).蒸发线表明,这些水样具有相同水源的特征.2)从实地考察发现,泉水补给河水,泉水和河水补给湖水,同时井水、泉水和河水有相似的δD、δ18O和TDS值,且不随季节变化而变化,推断达里诺尔湖附近地下水补给湖水;区域水文地质条件亦证明达里诺尔湖周边地下水补给湖水.     

Very high-frequency and seasonal cave atmosphere PCO2 variability: Implications for stalagmite growth and oxygen isotope-based paleoclimate records

Cave air P_CO2 at two Irish sites varied dramatically on daily to seasonal timescales, potentially affecting the timing of calcite deposition and consequently climate proxy records derived from stalagmites collected at the same sites. Temperature-dependent biochemical processes in the soil control CO₂ production, resulting in high summer P_CO2 values and low winter values at both sites. Large Large-amplitude, high-frequency variations superimposed on this seasonal cycle reflect cave air circulation. Here we model stalagmite growth rates, which are controlled partly by CO₂ degassing rates from drip water, by considering both the seasonal and high-frequency cave air P_CO2 variations. Modeled hourly growth rates for stalagmite CC-Bil from Crag Cave in SW Ireland reach maxima in late December (0.063 μm h^− 1) and minima in late June/early July (0.033 μm h^− 1). For well-mixed ‘diffuse flow’ cave drips such as those that feed CC-Bil, high summer cave air P_CO2 depresses summer calcite deposition, while low winter P_CO2 promotes degassing and enhances deposition rates. In stalagmites fed by well-mixed drips lacking seasonal variations in δ¹⁸O, integrated annual stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O is unaffected; however, seasonality in cave air P_CO2 may influence non-conservative geochemical climate proxies (e.g., δ¹³C, Sr/Ca). Stalagmites fed by ‘seasonal’ drips whose hydrochemical properties vary in response to seasonality may have higher growth rates in summer because soil air P_CO2 may increase relative to cave air P_CO2 due to higher soil temperatures. This in turn may bias stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O records towards isotopically heavier summer drip water δ¹⁸O values, resulting in elevated calcite δ¹⁸O values compared to the ‘equilibrium’ values predicted by calcite–water isotope fractionation equations. Interpretations of stalagmite-based paleoclimate proxies should therefore consider the consequences of cave air P_CO2 variability and the resulting intra-annual variability in calcite deposition rates.     

Volatile emissions and gas geochemistry of Hot Spring Basin,Yellowstone National Park,USA

We characterize and quantify volatile emissions at Hot Spring Basin (HSB), a large acid-sulfate region that lies just outside the northeastern edge of the 640 ka Yellowstone Caldera. Relative to other thermal areas in Yellowstone, HSB gases are rich in He and H₂, and mildly enriched in CH₄ and H₂S. Gas compositions are consistent with boiling directly off a deep geothermal liquid at depth as it migrates toward the surface. This fluid, and the gases evolved from it, carries geochemical signatures of magmatic volatiles and water–rock reactions with multiple crustal sources, including limestones or quartz-rich sediments with low K/U (or ^40?Ar/^4?He). Variations in gas chemistry across the region reflect reservoir heterogeneity and variable degrees of boiling. Gas-geothermometer temperatures approach 300 °C and suggest that the reservoir feeding HSB is one of the hottest at Yellowstone. Diffuse CO₂ flux in the western basin of HSB, as measured by accumulation-chamber methods, is similar in magnitude to other acid-sulfate areas of Yellowstone and is well correlated to shallow soil temperatures. The extrapolation of diffuse CO₂ fluxes across all the thermal/altered area suggests that 410 ± 140 t d^− 1 CO₂ are emitted at HSB (vent emissions not included). Diffuse fluxes of H₂S were measured in Yellowstone for the first time and likely exceed 2.4 t d^− 1 at HSB. Comparing estimates of the total estimated diffuse H₂S emission to the amount of sulfur as SO₄²⁻ in streams indicates ~ 50% of the original H₂S in the gas emission is lost into shallow groundwater, precipitated as native sulfur, or vented through fumaroles. We estimate the heat output of HSB as ~ 140–370 MW using CO₂ as a tracer for steam condensate, but not including the contribution from fumaroles and hydrothermal vents. Overall, the diffuse heat and volatile fluxes of HSB are as great as some active volcanoes, but they are a small fraction (1–3% for CO₂, 2–8% for heat) of that estimated for the entire Yellowstone system.     

Hydrochemical behaviour of dissolved nitrogen and carbon in a headwater stream of the Canadian Shield: relevance of antecedent soil moisture conditions

This paper examines the impact of contrasting antecedent soil moisture conditions on the hydrochemical response, here the changes in dissolved nitrogen (NO₃^?, NH₄⁺ and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON)) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, of a first‐order stream during hydrological events. The study was performed in the Hermine, a 5 ha forested watershed of the Canadian Shield. It focused on a series of eight precipitation events (spring, summer and fall) sampled every 2 or 3 h and showing contrasted antecedent moisture conditions. The partition of the eight events between two groups (dry or wet) of antecedent moisture conditions was conducted using a principal component analysis (PCA). The partition was controlled (first axis explained 86% of the variability) by the antecedent streamflow, the streamflow to precipitation ratio Q/P and by the antecedent groundwater depth. The mean H⁺, NO₃^?, NH₄⁺, total dissolved nitrogen and DOC concentrations and electrical conductivity values in the stream were significantly higher following dry antecedent conditions than after wetter conditions had prevailed in the Hermine, although the temporal variability was high (17 to 138%). At the event scale, a significantly higher proportion of the changes in DON, NO₃^?, and DOC concentrations in the stream was explained by temporal variations in discharge compared with the seasonal and annual scales. Two of the key hydrochemical features of the dry events were the synchronous changes in DOC and flow and the frequent negative relationships between discharge and NO₃^?. The DON concentrations were much less responsive than DOC to changes in discharge, whereas NH was not in phase with streamflow. During wet events, the synchronicity between streamflow and DON or NO₃^? was higher than during dry events and discharge and NO₃^? were generally positively linked. Based on these observations, the hydrological behaviour of the Hermine is conceptually compatible with a two‐component model of shallow (DON and DOC rich; variable NO₃^?) and deep (DON and DOC poor; variable NO₃^?) subsurface flow. The high NO₃^? and DOC levels measured at the early stages of dry events reflected the contribution from NO₃^?‐rich groundwaters. The contribution of rapid surface flow on water‐repellent soil materials located close to the stream channel is hypothesized to explain the DOC levels. An understanding of the complex interactions between antecedent soil moisture conditions, the presence of soil nutrients available for leaching and the dynamics of soil water flow paths during storms is essential to explain the fluxes of dissolved nitrogen and carbon in streams of forested watersheds. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal and spatial variations in the discharge and dissolved organic carbon of drip waters in Beijing Shihua Cave,China

To detect the causal relationship between cave drip waters and stalagmite laminae, which have been used as a climate change proxy, three drip sites in Beijing Shihua Cave were monitored for discharge and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Drip discharges and DOC were determined at 0 to 14‐day intervals over the period 2004–2006. Drip discharges show two types of response to surface precipitation variations: (1) a rapid response; and (2) a time‐lagged response. Intra‐annual variability in drip discharge is significantly higher than inter‐annual variability. The content of DOC in all drip waters varies inter‐ and intra‐annually and has good correlation with drip water discharge at the rapid response sites. High DOC was observed in July and August in the three years observed. The flushing of soil organic matter is dependent upon the intensity of rain events. The DOC content of drip water increases sharply above a threshold rainfall intensity (>50 mm d^?1) and shows several pulses corresponding with intense rain events (>25 mm d^?1). The DOC content was lower and less variable during the dry period than during the rainy period. The shape of DOC peak also varies from year to year as it is influenced by the intensity and frequency of rainfall. The different drip sites show marked differences in DOC response, which are dominated by hydrological behaviour linked to the recharge of the soil and karst micro‐fissure/porosity network. The results explain why not all stalagmite laminae are consistent with climate changes and suggest that the structure of the rainy season events could be preserved in speleothems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.