Carbon isotopic fractionation in lipids from methanotrophic bacteria: relevance for interpretation of the geochemical record of biomarkers

Experiments with cultured aerobic methane oxidising bacteria confirm that their biomarker lipids will be significantly depleted in 13C compared to the substrate. The methanotrophic bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus and Methylomonas methanica, grown on methane and using the RuMP cycle for carbon assimilation, show maximum 13C fractionation of approximately 30% in the resultant biomass. In M. capsulatus, the maximum fractionation is observed in the earliest part of the exponential growth stage and decreases to approximately 16% as cells approach stationary phase. This change may be associated with a shift from the particulate form to the soluble form of the methane monooxygenase enzyme. Less than maximum fractionation is observed when cells are grown with reduced methane availability. Biomass of M. capsulatus grown on methanol was depleted by 9% compared to the substrate. Additional strong 13C fractionation takes place during polyisoprenoid biosynthesis in methanotrophs. The delta 13C values of individual hopanoid and steroid biomarkers produced by these organisms were as much as l0% more negative than total biomass. In individual cultures, squalene was 13C-enriched by as much as 14% compared to the triterpane skeleton of bacteriohopaneaminopentol. Much of the isotopic dispersion in lipid metabolites could be attributed to shifts in their relative abundances, combined with an overall reduction in fractionation during the growth cycle. In cells grown on methanol, where there was no apparent effect of growth stage on overall fractionation there were still significant isotopic differences between closely related lipids including a 5.3% difference between the hopane and 3 beta-methylhopane skeletons. Hopane and sterane polyisoprenoids were also 13C-depleted compared to fatty acids. These observations have significant implications for the interpretation of specific compound isotopic signatures now being measured for hydrocarbons and other lipids present in sediments and petroleum. In particular, biomarker lipids produced by a single organism do not necessarily have the same carbon isotopic composition.     

Population pressure and land use change: from tree crops to sawah in Northwestern Kalimantan,Indonesia

The author describes the role of population pressure in the current transition from tree crops to wet rice cultivation (sawah) in Northwestern Kalimantan, Indonesia. He contends that this change is occurring "because the senescent trees no longer produce enough commodities to exchange for rice to feed an enlarged population." The historical background is described, policies of the Indonesian government are discussed, and data are presented on the rate of population growth     

东昆仑东段中更新世以来的成山作用及其动力转换

对东昆仑造山带东段第四纪构造及与地貌关系的分析表明，现代山盆相间的地貌格局成型于中更新世，且在中更新世以来发生了多次构造变形体制的转换。根据布青山北部查干额热格地区第四系剖面的构造、地层时代及地层与构造关系的分析表明，中更新世时期为伸展构造体制，昆仑山内部开始发生了差异隆升，布青山开始崛起。中更新世末应力体制发生急剧变化，由伸展体制转为收缩事件，又急速转为伸展构造体系，短暂的收缩事件造成了中更新世冲洪积层的褶皱，随后的伸展则导致了影响深刻的向北依次断落的阶地状正断层系统。晚更新世应力体系再度发生重大转换，伸展正断层体系被左旋走滑运动体系所代替，并一直延续至今。中更新世以来多次隆升构造变形体制的转换说明东昆仑地区的成山过程受控于多种动力背景，而非单一的挤压抬升。隆升构造变形体系的确定及其时代约束为深入刻划青藏高原东北缘隆升作用的动力过程提供了重要信息。     

戈壁荒漠覆盖区地质调查中综合地球物理方法与实践

戈壁荒漠覆盖区地质填图是新时期地质调查工作的重点内容之一.覆盖区地质填图的基本目标包括两个方面,一是揭示覆盖层下伏基岩面地质结构,即填绘基岩面地质图;二是揭示覆盖层地质结构,包括地表覆盖层地质结构和覆盖层的三维地质结构.综合利用地球物理方法可以获得覆盖区地下地质结构、岩石属性、沉积物分布与层状结构等信息.而经济有效地选择和组合实施地球物理方法是完成覆盖区地质填图目标任务的重要保障.基于近年在新疆东天山地区开展的覆盖区地质填图工作,提出了针对多覆盖层结构背景下地质填图的综合地球物理方法组合的技术策略.综合地球物理方法以及新技术在巴里坤盆地和哈密盆地的应用展示了其效果,并为在戈壁荒漠覆盖区地质调查过程中如何开展地球物理工作提供了示范和借鉴.      

青藏高原古近纪-新近纪隆升与沉积盆地分布耦合

根据在高原及邻区近7年完成的1∶250000地质填图资料, 划分出青藏高原及邻区古近系-新近系残留盆地共92个.沉积范围大且序列完整的盆地分布在高原周缘和腹地.在高原的南、北和东缘, 沿区域性大断裂带分布许多走滑拉分盆地.古新世—始新世海相地层仅分布在藏南和新疆叶城地区.藏南半深海-深海沉积沿江孜-萨嘎-郭雅拉-桑麦一线分布, 其海水东浅西深, 西部为活动型, 反映新特提斯洋闭合的时间从东向西变新, 地壳抬升首先开始于东侧.晚白垩世隆起区主要分布在研究区东北部, 高原总体地貌格局为东北高, 西南低.古新世—始新世出现了腾冲-班戈、库牙克-格尔木新的隆起带, 西昆仑隆起带向东拓展, 祁连隆起带加宽, 松潘-甘孜隆起区范围向东有所萎缩.渐新世期间, 冈底斯和喜马拉雅带掘起, 昆仑-阿尔金-祁连的进一步隆起, 造成了整个高原的周缘为山系、而腹地为盆的宏观地貌格局.中-上新世期间, 冈底斯和喜马拉雅带、喀喇昆仑-西昆仑地区进一步较大幅度隆起;高原从渐新世及其以前的东高西低格局, 经历了中新世—上新世全区的不均衡隆升和拗陷, 最终在上新世末铸就了西高东低的地貌格局, 青藏做为一个统一的高原发生了重大的地貌反转事件.青藏高原新生代的隆升过程以多阶段、不均匀、非等速为特征, 具有强烈的时空差异性.      

东昆仑山小南川岩体裂变径迹年代与中新世晚期以来的构造地貌演化

对昆仑垭口地区小南川岩体7件样品进行磷灰石裂变径迹年代学测试, 分析了岩体的冷却过程及岩体的剥露与构造地貌演化的关系.结果表明东昆仑山区中新世晚期视剥蚀速率极为缓慢, 为0.020~0.035mm/a, 反映的是构造隆升作用微弱、地貌缓和的地质环境, 因而构造隆升速率与低的视剥蚀速率相当.上新世以来小南川岩体突发性快速隆升冷却, 造成超过3km的物质揭顶, 这不是由单纯的剥蚀过程导致, 而是反映了昆仑山上新世以来的强烈构造隆升驱动下的成山作用过程.岩体上新世的裂变径迹年龄与近东西向的昆仑河-野牛沟谷地断裂断陷、昆仑垭口盆地断陷以及后期西大滩谷地断陷的综合构造地貌演化有密切的成因联系.此外裂变径迹年龄的空间分布格局反映了区域性的差异隆升作用, 由南向北、由西向东, 隆升和剥蚀作用逐渐衰减, 这与东昆仑山南北向以及东、西昆仑山之间地貌发育的差异性以及新生代火山作用分布是吻合的.