Geochemical and mineralogical evidence of tectonic and sedimentary factors controlling the origin of ferromanganese crusts associated to stratigraphic discontinuities (Betic Cordilleras, SE of Spain)

Ferromanganese crusts were found in carbonates of tectonostratigraphic units located in the northern and southern areas of the eastern External Subbetic of the Betic Cordilleras (SE Spain). The crusts are associated with four stratigraphic discontinuities of the Jurassic pelagic swells sequences: D1 (Late Carixian-Early Domerian), D2 (Middle Toarcian-Early Bajocian), D3 (Middle Bathonian-Middle Oxfordian), D4 (Early Tithonian-Late Albian). Two main textural types of crusts are distinguished. Type I crusts are thin and characterized by the presence of goethite, quartz, albite and phyllosilicates. Moreover, they show Si, Al, Mg, Na, Ti and K contents close to the European Shale Composite contents and Fe/Mn ratios (>350) higher than type II crusts. Type II crusts occur as thicker banded laminae and/or macrooncoids. They consist mainly of goethite and Mn-oxyhydroxides, which are enriched in REE, Co, Ni and Cu and show a strong Ce positive anomaly. After stratigraphical, mineralogical and geochemical data, the crust formation would be produced by the exposition of bottom sediments during long periods to a thin layer of oxidizing sea and porewater enriched in metallic elements. The textural and compositional variations between crusts can be explained by taking into account the bathymetric conditions. In shallower swells, the precipitation of a thick layer of banded type II crusts and in deeper areas, thin type I crusts were formed. Organic influence was only important in crusts from D3 of the northern area where textural evidence indicates the existence of seasonal periodically alternation between organism accretion and fine sedimentation. These were preceded and followed by phases in which the inorganic precipitation of oxides prevailed together with the fine sedimentation.     

Resources calculation of cobalt-rich crusts with the grid subdivision and integral method

On the basis of three geological models and several orebody boundaries,a method of grid subdivision and integral has been proposed to calculate and evaluate the resources of cobalt-rich crusts on the seamounts in the central Pacific Ocean.The formulas of this method are deduced and the interface of program module is designed.The method is carried out in the software "Auto mapping system of submarine topography and geomorphology MBChart".This method and program will possibly become a potential tool to calculate the resources of seamounts and determine the target diggings for China's next Five-year Plan.     

Sedimentary characteristics and the implications of cobalt-rich crusts resources at Caiwei Guyot in the Western Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Cobalt-rich crust has attracted increased attention due to their economic value. Studies have indicated that seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean are rich in cobalt-rich crust resources. The Caiwei Guyot in Western Pacific Ocean is one of the cobalt-rich crust exploration areas contracted between China and the International Seabed Authority. A large volume of research has been conducted to elucidate the tectonic evolution, basement type, sediment type, gravity and magnetic anomaly characteristics, and geochemical characteristics of shallow surface sediments at Caiwei Guyot. However, a research gap exists on the sedimentary strata below the pelagic deposits and above the volcanic basement of the Caiwei Guyot. This paper summarizes that two main types of sediments existing on the top of Caiwei Guyot. The deposition thickness on the top of Caiwei Guyot is characterized by three sedimentary centers and exposed periphery. Pelagic sediments are difficult to form at the northeastern portion and edge area of Caiwei Guyot due to the strong bottom current environment, which makes these areas suitable for crust growth. This paper delineated three cobalt-rich crust prospective areas at the Caiwei Guyot with of significant implications for exploration and mining-lease-block selections at Caiwei Guyot.     

Lichen-dominated soil crusts as arthropod habitat in warm deserts

Soil crust lichens can be the dominant vegetation in arid lands, yet their importance as habitat to secondary producers is relatively unknown. This study examines the distribution of arthropod communities in the northern Namib Desert to evaluate whether a lichen-rich area is more or less productive than adjacent habitats in terms of the consumers each supports. Arthropods are diverse and highly endemic in the Namib Desert and lichens dominate this desert's extensive gravel plains. We sampled lichen-rich, dwarf shrub, and unvegetated sites and found distinct arthropod assemblages in the lichen-dominated sites, including species unique to lichen sites. Arthropod assemblages in two of the lichen sites were similar to those found in the dwarf shrub site. In a canonical correspondence analysis, crustose lichens and overall lichen cover were key in driving the variance in arthropod assemblages within the lichen sites. Furthermore, lichen morphotypes, overall lichen cover and species richness, were significantly correlated with the representation of arthropod subgroups and arthropod species richness. These findings provide evidence that lichen-dominated soil crusts in the Namib Desert are important supporters of secondary production, warranting more in-depth studies into the ecology and conservation of this lichen-rich habitat in warm deserts.     

南宁、百色盆地红土风化壳的地球化学特征及其环境意义*

本文以广西南宁盆地那桐风化壳,及百色盆地江泽风地壳的大量土体化学分析数据为依据,进行了第四纪红土的确认、形成、分布和土壤肥力状况。以及通过地球化学强度、硅铁系数、硅铝系数等指标进行了两风化壳的对比研究。同时,还探讨了风化壳的发育过程及其与环境的关系。     

Screening Effect of the Diffusive Boundary Layer in Sediments of Lake Aha in the Suburbs of Guiyang City,Guizhou Province

The redox cycle of iron and manganese is a major geochemica process at the boundary layers of lake sediments.Lake Aha,which lies in the suburbs of Guiyang City,Guizhou Province,China,is a medium-sized artificial reservoir with seasonally anoxic hypolimnion,Long-term sedimentary accumulation of iron and manganese resulted in their enrichment in the upper sediments,In the anoxic season,Fe^2 and Mn^2 ,formed by diological oxidation,would diffuse up to overlying waters from sediments.However,the concentration of oxidation,would diffuse up to overlying waters from sediments,However,the concentration of Fe^2 increased later and decreased earlier than that of Mn^2 .Generally,sulfate reduction occurred at 6 cm below the sediment-water interface.Whereas,in the anoxic season.the reduction reached upper sediments,inhibiting the release of Fe^2 ,The Fe concentration of anoxic water is quickly decreased from high to low as a result of reduction of the suplhur system.     

Effects of differing coverage of moss‐dominated soil crusts on hydrological processes and implications for disturbance in the Mu Us Sandland,China

To study the effects of biological soil crusts (BSCs) on hydrological processes and their implications for disturbance in the Mu Us Sandland, the water infiltration, evaporation and soil moisture of high coverage (100% BSCs), middle coverage (40% BSCs) and low coverage (0% BSCs, bare sand) of moss‐dominated crusts were conducted in this study, respectively. The conclusions are as follows: (1) the main effects of moss‐dominated crusts in the Mu Us Sandland on the infiltration of rainwater were to reduce the infiltration depths and to retain the limited rainwater in shallow soil; (2) moss‐dominated crusts have no significant effects on daily evaporation when the volumetric water content at 4 cm depth in 100% BSCs (VWC4) was over 24.7%, on enhanced daily evaporation when the VWC4 ranged from 6.5% to 24.7% and on reduced daily evaporation when the VWC4 was less than 6.5%; and (3) decreasing the coverage of moss‐dominated crusts (from 100% to 40%) did not significantly change its effects on infiltration, evaporation and soil moisture. Our results demonstrated that for the growth and regeneration of shrubs, which were dominated by Artemisia ordosica in the Mu Us Sandland, high coverage of moss‐dominated crusts has negative effects on hydrological processes, and these negative effects could not be significantly reduced by decreasing the coverage of moss‐dominated crusts from 100% to 40%. Therefore, for the sustained and healthy development of shrub communities in the Mu Us Sandland, it is necessary to take appropriate measures for the well‐developed BSCs in the sites with high vegetation coverage in the rainy season. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

News from the seabed – Geological characteristics and resource potential of deep-sea mineral resources

Marine minerals such as manganese nodules, Co-rich ferromanganese crusts, and seafloor massive sulfides are commonly seen as possible future resources that could potentially add to the global raw materials supply. At present, a proper assessment of these resources is not possible due to a severe lack of information regarding their size, distribution, and composition. It is clear, however, that manganese nodules and Co-rich ferromanganese crusts are a vast resource and mining them could have a profound impact on global metal markets, whereas the global resource potential of seafloor massive sulfides appears to be small. These deep-sea mineral commodities are formed by very different geological processes resulting in deposits with distinctly different characteristics. The geological boundary conditions also determine the size of any future mining operations and the area that will be affected by mining. Similarly, the sizes of the most favorable areas that need to be explored for a global resource assessment are also dependent on the geological environment. Size reaches 38 million km² for manganese nodules, while those for Co-rich crusts (1.7 million km²) and massive sulfides (3.2 million km²) are much smaller. Moreover, different commodities are more abundant in some jurisdictions than in others. While only 19% of the favorable area for manganese nodules lies within the Exclusive Economic Zone of coastal states or is covered by proposals for the extension of the continental shelf, 42% of the favorable areas for massive sulfides and 54% for Co-rich crusts are located in EEZs.     

高寒冻土区生物结皮对土壤理化属性的影响

生物结皮是高寒地区地被层的重要组分之一。其作为地表特殊的结构层,能够改变地表结构及土壤理化属性,从而影响冻土环境。迄今为止,关于青藏高原高寒生态系统中生物结皮对土壤理化属性的影响尚不清楚。以青藏高原高寒冻土区生物结皮为研究对象,初步研究了生物结皮的特征及其对土壤理化属性的影响。结果表明：生物结皮在高寒草甸退化过程中广泛发育,主要以藻结皮为主,其盖度可达37.3%~51.7%,结皮层平均厚度为12.6 mm。由于生物结皮的发育,高寒地区5~20 cm土层粉粒含量有所增加,但差异不显著,而结皮层土壤田间持水量相比于裸地表层（2 cm）增加了10%~40%,结皮层容重较裸地降低了30%;两种类型藻结皮均显著增加了结皮层及其下0~20 cm土层土壤有机质,而深色藻结皮增加了结皮层及其下0~20 cm土层土壤全氮含量,浅色藻结皮仅增加了结皮层土壤全氮含量,对其下0~20 cm土层土壤全氮含量没有显著影响;生物结皮对土壤pH没有显著影响;生物结皮是高寒生态系统植被退化过程中的关键环节。研究结果为揭示生物结皮在高寒生态系统中发挥重要生态功能提供依据。     

中太平洋地区两个铁锰结壳的生长幕研究

通过对3块中太平洋铁锰结壳样品进行的生物地层学及其结构构造、元素地球化学剖面的综合研究发现,铁锰结壳的生长主要集中于两个形成环境存在差异分别由不同因素控制的形成阶段,一个是约25Ma以来其形成环境氧化程度由南极底层流(AABW)控制的对应于结壳新壳层的生长幕,另一个是渐新世之前其形成环境氧化程度由环赤道表中层洋流和高密度温盐表层水下沉控制的对应于结壳老壳层的生长幕,而在早、中渐新世处于两种环境的转换期,也正好是海退期、大洋低生产力期、低CCD和生物碳酸盐低产率期,形成结壳生长的主要生长间断。该研究成果对于进一步了解太平洋的古海洋、古环境演变有一定意义。