Comparison of marine gas hydrates in sediments of an active and passive continental margin

Two sites of the Deep Sea Drilling Project in contrasting geologic settings provide a basis for comparison of the geochemical conditions associated with marine gas hydrates in continental margin sediments. Site 533 is located at 3191 m water depth on a spit-like extension of the continental rise on a passive margin in the Atlantic Ocean. Site 568, at 2031 m water depth, is in upper slope sediment of an active accretionary margin in the Pacific Ocean. Both sites are characterized by high rates of sedimentation, and the organic carbon contents of these sediments generally exceed 0.5%. Anomalous seismic reflections that transgress sedimentary structures and parallel the seafloor, suggested the presence of gas hydrates at both sites, and, during coring, small samples of gas hydrate were recovered at subbottom depths of 238m (Site 533) and 404 m (Site 568). The principal gaseous components of the gas hydrates wer methane, ethane, and CO₂. Residual methane in sediments at both sites usually exceeded 10 mll^?1 of wet sediment. Carbon isotopic compositions of methane, CO₂, and ΣCO₂ followed parallel trends with depth, suggesting that methane formed mainly as a result of biological reduction of oxidized carbon. Salinity of pore waters decreased with depth, a likely result of gas hydrate formation. These geochemical characteristics define some of the conditions associated with the occurrence of gas hydrates formed by in situ processes in continental margin sediments.     

Enhancing understanding of breakdown and collapse in the Yorkshire Dales using ground penetrating radar on cave sediments

Historical evidence shows block breakdown and collapse are actively occurring in large fault aligned caverns in the Yorkshire Dales karst. Deployment of ground penetrating radar at two such sites has provided detailed images of the sedimentary sequences below the present day cavern floor but no large blocks are imaged within the sediments. Solutional processes must be removing limestone from the sediment to allow continued cavern growth. Possible mechanisms to account for the lack of large blocks within the sediment fill are discussed.     

河口Si输运过程研究

基于拉格朗日余流及其输运过程的一种三维空间弱非线性理论，进一步假定Ｓｉ在河口的无因次化学转移项量级为ｋ＾２，给出了Ｓｉ的长期输运方程。对于一种二维模型河口，数值求解了零阶天文潮，欧拉余流、斯托克斯漂移、拉格朗日余流和盐度的分布；分别计算了平均逼留时间为１３，３０，６０，１８０ｄ等所对应的Ｓｉ浓度分布；给出了Ｓｉ－ｓ相关图，讨论了河口中Ｓｉ的保守性问题。     

Hydrothermal Metalliferous Sediments and Waters Off the Lesser Antilles

Considerable metal enrichments have been found in hydrothermal fluids and metalliferous sediments off the central Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc. The elements variably enriched in the fluids as a result of the hydrothermal activity are Fe, Mn, As, Si, B, Li and in the sediments, Fe, P, Mo, As, Sb, Hg, Cu and Pb. Variations in the concentrations of these elements in both fluids and sediments along the arc result from a number of factors, the most important of which is the stage that each island's volcano has reached in its eruptive cycle. Although hydrothermal mineralization on the sea floor off the islands is only low grade, phase separation in the hydrothermal fluids at depth could be leading to higher grade stockwork mineralization below the vent fields or the discharge of metal rich brines on the lower flanks of the volcanic islands.     

近海海面上水汽向上输送的季节性差异

本文分析了雷达观测结果，发现近海海面上的水汽向上输送随季节而变化，由于季节的变化和不同的天气情况，海表面大气现象在雷达中有不同的显示，根据这些显示得到了不同的信息，由此而得出春秋两季海表面水汽向上输送量的不同。     

套子湾表层沉积物地球化学特征的研究

本文对套子湾表层沉积物中的pH、Eh、硫化物、氮、磷、有机质、铜、铅、锌、镉地球化学特征进行了分析研究.并讨论了如下几个关系:①与沉积类型之间的关系;②其相关性与环境的关系。③与矿物的关系;④与水和风等作用的关系;⑤与水化学的关系;⑥重点分析了表层沉积物中化学要素与生物的相互关系。这不仅为该湾的开发治理.生物养殖等提供科学依据.并进一步证明沉积物地球化学.在环境化学和生态学研究等方面的理论意义。     

Geochemical cycling in the Hooghly estuary, India

U–Th decay series isotopes, δ¹⁸O and Si measurements in the river estuarine waters and sediments of the polluted Hooghly estuary as well as the surface waters of the Bay of Bengal, its high salinity end member, are reported. Dissolved Si indicates that there are probably two mixing regimes, dissolved U behaviour is nonconservative and δ¹⁸O behaves conservatively in the overall estuarine region. Isotopes of reactive elements, viz. ²³⁴Th and ²¹⁰Po, are removed from the estuarine waters in <2 days and <1 month, respectively, which is due to high suspended matter (30–301 mg l⁻¹). ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra are profusely released into the estuarine waters in the low to mid-salinity regions.As expected, the opposite trend is observed in the case of estuarine sediments and suspended matter. Reactive isotopes of Th, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po are enriched, whereas Ra isotopes are depleted with respect to their parent nuclides in the estuarine sediments and suspended matter. ²³²Th/Al ratio appears well suited to study the distribution and mixing of the bed load sediments of the Ganga–Brahmaputra (G–B) and the Hooghly rivers with those from other rivers on the Bay of Bengal floor.     

Identification of Pb sources in Yellow Sea sediments using stable Pb isotope ratios

Rapid economic developments in East Asian countries have inevitably resulted in environmental degradation in the surrounding seas, and concern for both the environment and protection from pollutants is increasing. Identification of sources of contaminants is essential to environmental pollution management. In this study, the provenance of anthropogenic lead (Pb), a major pollutant of Yellow Sea sediments, was determined for river mouth sediments, including those of the Changjiang, Huanghe, Han, and Geum Rivers, and for age-determined shelf core sediments through the measurement of Pb isotope ratios in the HCl-leached fraction using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC ICP/MS). Anthropogenic Pb has accumulated in shelf core sediments since 1910, and its isotope ratios were estimated as 0.863–0.866 and 2.119–2.125 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, respectively, from the mixing relationships of the two endmembers. River mouth sediments exhibited enough distinction in anthropogenic Pb isotope ratios to be discriminated: 0.874 (2.144) in the Huanghe, 0.856 (2.129) in the Han, 0.857 (2.122) in the Geum, and 0.854 (2.101) in the Changjiang for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb), respectively. Although isotope ratios of geogenic Pb in sediments dating before 1910 showed narrow ranges (0.842–0.845 and 2.088–2.100 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, respectively), distinct isotope ratios in each core permitted source identification of sediments in the Yellow Sea based on geographic locations and the geogenic Pb of each river. By comparing the isotope ratios of the estimated anthropogenic Pb to source-related materials, the provenances of anthropogenic Pb in Chinese river sediments were presumed to be Chinese coal or ore, which is also a major source of atmospheric particulate Pb. The anthropogenic Pb in the shelf core sediments in the northern Yellow Sea originated from northern Chinese cities such as Beijing and Tianjin through atmospheric pathways. Pb isotope ratios indicated that Pb in Korean river sediments was characteristic of local Korean ores.     

Fractional crystallization models and B–Be–Li systematics at Mt Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Southern Italy)

A compilation of B–Be–Li data on rocks that cover the entire eruptive history of Somma-Vesuvius is presented and interpreted in the light of evolution models for the Somma-Vesuvius rocks. Using major and trace element data, fractional crystalllization models are presented for different geochemical units. These data were used to constrain the source mineralogy of the Somma-Vesuvius rocks (ol-opx-cpx-gar-amp of 0.4-0.3-0.1-0.1-0.1), the amount of sediment added (5–10%) and the melt fraction from batch partial melting computations (0.05–0.1). From the B–Li data it is inferred that the main process responsible for the B isotopic signature is sediment recycling. However, the B–Li data show a major variation in Li abundances respect to B which is explained with Li dehydration before the fluid enriched the mantle wedge that produced the arc magmas. The Somma-Vesuvius B isotope composition is intermediate between that of the Campi Flegrei and the broad field of the Eolian Island arc. A low Be isotopes in the recent volcanic rocks can be explained as: (a) the top 1–22 m of the incoming sediment is accreted, (b) large amounts of sediment erosion, (c) a slow rate of subduction which have provoked a long magmatic history for the Vesuvius magma, (d) the sediment component takes several Myr longer than the subducting plate to reach the magma source region beneath Italy.     

Organic contaminants and characteristics of sediments from Oso Bay,south Texas,USA

The Oso Bay, Texas, sediments from nine sites were analyzed by GC-MS for organics to measure contamination in the bay. In most of the sites sediments contained tetrachloroethene (87–1433 g/kg), bis (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (40–193 g/kg), and aliphatic hydrocarbons, C₈-C₁₃ (720–2491 g/kg). Sources of these contaminants include a landfill, military facilities, and municipal and industrial discharges. Size analysis of the sediments indicates they contain a high percentage of muddy sand (50–75 percent), which suggests that Oso Bay consists of common bay margin sediments.