Prediction of the calcium carbonate budget in a sedimentary basin: A “source-to-sink” approach applied to Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

Most source-to-sink studies typically focus on the dynamics of clastic sediments and consider erosion, transport and deposition of sediment particles as the sole contributors. Although often neglected, dissolved solids produced by weathering processes contribute significantly in the sedimentary dynamics of basins, supporting chemical and/or biological precipitation. Calcium ions are usually a major dissolved constituent of water drained through the watershed and may facilitate the precipitation of calcium carbonate when supersaturating conditions are reached. The high mobility of Ca²⁺ ions may cause outflow from an open system and consequently loss. In contrast, in closed basins, all dissolved (i.e. non-volatile) inputs converge at the lowest point of the basin. The endoreic Great Salt Lake basin constitutes an excellent natural laboratory to study the dynamics of calcium on a basin scale, from the erosion and transport through the watershed to the sink, including sedimentation in lake's waterbody. The current investigation focused on the Holocene epoch. Despite successive lake level fluctuations (amplitude around 10 m), the average water level seems to have not been affected by any significant long-term change (i.e. no increasing or decreasing trend, but fairly stable across the Holocene). Weathering of calcium-rich minerals in the watershed mobilizes Ca²⁺ ions that are transported by surface streams and subsurface flow to the Great Salt Lake (GSL). Monitoring data of these flows was corrected for recent anthropogenic activity (river management) and combined with direct precipitation (i.e. rain and snow) and atmospheric dust income into the lake, allowing estimating the amount of calcium delivered to the GSL. These values were then extrapolated through the Holocene period and compared to the estimated amount of calcium stored in GSL water column, porewater and sediments (using hydrochemical, mapping, coring and petrophysical estimates). The similar estimate of calcium delivered (4.88 Gt) and calcium stored (3.94 Gt) is consistent with the premise of the source-to-sink approach: a mass balance between eroded and transported compounds and the sinks. The amount of calcium deposited in the basin can therefore be predicted indirectly from the different inputs, which can be assessed with more confidence. When monitoring is unavailable (e.g. in the fossil record), the geodynamic context, the average lithology of the watershed and the bioclimatic classification of an endoreic basin are alternative properties that may be used to estimate the inputs. We show that this approach is sufficiently accurate to predict the amount of calcium captured in a basin and can be extended to the whole fossil record and inform on the storage of calcium.     

深时源-汇系统古地理重建方法评述

源-汇系统根据侵蚀、搬运及沉积作用的显著程度可划分为物源区、过渡区和沉积区,根据研究的时间尺度可划分为现代系统、第四纪系统和深时系统。洋陆边缘源-汇系统根据地貌单元的空间配置可划分为"陡—短—深"、"宽—深"及"宽—浅"3种空间分布类型,这3种类型在沉积体积分布及沉积记录保存潜力上存在差异。完整的源-汇系统古地理重建包括沉积区古地理重建和物源区古地理重建。深时尺度下沉积区古地理重建方法随着岩相古地理、构造古地理、生物古地理及层序地层学的发展已趋完善,而物源区古地理重建则更具挑战性,尤其是在物源区遭受侵蚀而不复存在的情况下更具难度。在源-汇分析方法体系中,物源区古流域水系形态、面积范围、地貌地势等古地理要素可通过构造要素分析、碎屑矿物分析、沉积体积回填、地貌学参数比例关系、古水力学参数比例关系和河流沉积通量模型等方法获得。总之,深时源-汇系统古地理重建能够通过盆地沉积记录揭示出物源区古地理演化特征,为沉积盆地充填过程提供沉积供给的信息,对能源矿产勘探和深时古环境研究具有重要意义。     

Late Eocene–early Miocene provenance evolution of the Crocker Fan in the southern South China Sea

There are many large-scale Cenozoic sedimentary basins with plentiful river deltas, deep-water fans and carbonate platforms in the southern South China Sea. The Crocker Fan was deposited as a typical submarine fan during the late Eocene–early Miocene, and stretches extensively across the entire Sarawak–Sabah of the northern Borneo area. However, systematic analyses are still lacking regarding its sediment composition and potential source suppliers. No consensus has been reached yet on the provenance evolution and sedimentary infilling processes, which seriously impeded the oil-and-gas exploration undertakings. By combining with sedimentary-facies identification, heavy mineral assemblages, elemental geochemistry and detrital zircon U-Pb dating, this paper aims to generalize an integrated analysis on the potential provenance terranes and restore source-to-sink pathways of the Crocker Fan. In general, the Crocker Fan was initially formed over the Cretaceous–lower/middle Eocene Rajang Group by an angular Rajang unconformity. The continual southward subduction of the proto-South China Sea resulted in magmatic activities and subsequent regional deformation and thrusting along the Lupar Line in the northern Borneo. The lowermost Crocker sequence is featured by a thick conglomerate layer sourced from in-situ or adjacent paleo-uplifts. From the late Eocene to the early Miocene, the Crocker Fan was constantly delivered with voluminous detritus from the Malay Peninsula of the western Sundaland. The Zengmu Basin was widely deposited with delta plain and neritic facies sediments, while the Brunei-Sabah Basin, to the farther east, was ubiquitously characterized by turbiditic sequences. The Crocker Fan successions are overall thick layers of modest-grained sandstones, which formed high-quality reservoirs in the southern South China Sea region.     

第四纪以来天津北部燕山隆升与山前盆地的形成*

文中报道了天津市北部燕山山前地带共4个高岩心采取率钻孔的沉积学、地层学、年代学和微体古生物综合研究。420个热退磁样品的磁倾角曲线显示,具147 m厚松散地层的标准孔Z3孔下部地层属于2.58 Ma的松山(Matuyama)极性带。随着地壳沉降,只是从早更新世,冲积扇侧缘泥质沉积物才开始充填了底砾岩层之上的沉积空间,形成广义的山前盆地中的泛滥平原;与传统上视为上新统特征沉积的红棕色黏土类似的亮黄橙-黄橙色-亮红棕色黏土,延续出现到早更新世中期,当时区域沉降中心位于距离山前断裂不足4 km处。0.78 Ma以来的布容(Brunhes)极性带厚57.8 m。谨慎地依据120 ka的布莱克(Blake)亚时确定上更新统后,可见中更新统大部缺失,与天津市区沧县隆起和北京永定河冲积平原南部所见此时的地层间断十分相近。3个钻孔的7个¹⁴C测年数据证实,距离山前断裂不足2 km的钻孔45 ka以来的地层最厚达41 m;显示自MIS3初始期,沉降中心向北迁移更靠近山前断裂,且在构造断裂作用下形成了新的狭义的山前盆地。研究区可见15 ka富有机质黏土及上覆泥炭,表明末次冰消期开始的气候转暖首先影响到华北平原山前地区。此项工作为研究晚新生代以来“源到汇”过程中渤海湾西岸的沉降提供了一个基准点。     

Quantitative reconstruction of Holocene sediment sources contributing to the central Jiangsu coast,China: New insights into source-to-sink processes

Coastal deltaic deposits are the primary locations for sediment storage on Earth, and quantifying their source contributions is a critical prerequisite for delineating S2S patterns in marginal seas. In most cases, quantification for the contribution by fine-grained sediments (i.e. particle size < 63 μm) is considered to be representative to constrain the overall sediment supply. However, this approach may be inappropriate because large differences exist between the two quantities. Here we propose an approach to solve the problem, which is based on the maximum number of tracers from multiple sediment size fractions incorporating the content of all size fractions of sediment. Using this approach, absolute source contributions during the Holocene are reconstructed that provide a first-order model for the S2S pattern of the central Jiangsu coast, China. The Huanghe River is the strongest driver for the Holocene sedimentation, with a mean contribution of ~72 ± 6% (1417 × 10⁸ t). The absolute contributions from the Changjiang and offshore areas were of secondary importance, (i.e. ~17 ± 1% (330 × 10⁸ t) and ~11 ± 5% (217 × 10⁸ t), respectively). The results show that a large difference between the relative and absolute source contributions and the assumption that the relative contribution represents the absolute contribution is invalid in a coastal setting. The impact of the Huanghe is mainly based on episodic events, such as the event of 1128–1855 AD . The model also reveals that the offshore sediments are as important as the Changjiang sediments for the central Jiangsu coast during the Holocene. Thus, the model provides both the time series and overall quantities of sediment supply during the formation and evolution of the Holocene tidal flats on the Jiangsu coast. Our findings shed new light on quantitative analysis of sediment sources applicable to future S2S studies of marginal seas. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国盆地动力学研究现状及展望

沉积盆地既是人类最重要的资源宝库,又包含了丰富的全球气候变化、流体流动和地球动力学等相关信息。人类社会对矿产资源和水资源的大量需求推动盆地分析领域的快速发展,地球科学家对沉积盆地开展了多年的系统性探索,在盆地形成和演化机制、沉积充填、盆地流体及相关资源的聚集过程等诸多方面的研究取得了一系列重要的进展和突破,形成了一门新兴的学科—盆地动力学。近年来,我国学者在大型叠合盆地和大陆边缘盆地的动力学过程、陆相盆地层序地层、深水沉积、源—汇系统等方向取得了显著成绩和突出进展。相关成果不仅有效地服务于能源、矿产、水资源等各类资源勘探,而且为地球动力学、重大构造事件、全球环境变迁及气候演变研究提供了丰富资料和详实证据。     

沾化凹陷三合村洼陷古近系沙三下亚段物源体系分析

沾化凹陷三合村洼陷沙河街组沙三下亚段（Es3L）作为重要储集层段,勘探潜力巨大,精细刻画三合村洼陷沙三下亚 段物源体系对沉积体系重建、有利区带预测具重要意义。采用古地貌宏观区分物源区与沉积区,并精细刻画西南部与南部 物源通道（I~VI号）,运用岩心、岩屑组成特征明确沉积区沉积相类型及原始物质成分,通过地震属性与地层切片精细描绘 沉积区内“源-汇”配置及时空演化关系,从不同角度、不同层次对三合村洼陷古物源体系进行综合刻画。结果表明,洼 陷西南部斜坡区（约3°）物源来自陈家庄凸起西段（I、II号沟槽输导）,相对富砾,以碳酸盐岩岩屑为主;南部坡折区 （约8°）物源来自于陈家庄凸起东段（III~VI号沟谷输导）,相对富砂,发育单晶石英或多晶石英颗粒。平面上,沉积区扇 三角洲沉积体系规模与物源通道的宽深比及延伸距离呈正相关,垂向上,低位体系域（LST）形成扇体规模远大于高位体 系域（HST）扇体,且交汇区物源体系由南部向西南部迁移转化。     

“源汇”沉积体系主导下的现代风成相发育模式探讨:以青海湖东岸为例

湖泊滨岸带风成沉积一直是湖泊沉积研究的薄弱点。占据青海湖湖盆面积近五分之一的东岸沙丘为研究现代湖泊滨岸带提供了一个现代沉积实例。随着沉积学的不断发展,研究内容已经从"一元"的传统相模式逐渐过渡为"二元"的"源-汇"体系。以野外地质考察和遥感影像资料为基础,结合文献调研和相关测试分析资料,进行分析。结果表明：团保山前发育有相对广阔的滨岸沉积,指示了青海湖湖水曾经达到山前地带。大面积的滨岸沉积和古沙丘出露水面以及风对山体的吹蚀,为湖东风砂堆积提供了物源基础。干旱-半干旱气候为沙丘的形成提供了有利的气候条件。断陷湖盆的长条形地貌使得风沿着长轴方向吹扬,造成风成堆积物在长轴的一端堆积。高大的团保山/达坂山的山前复杂地貌特征为金字塔沙丘的形成提供了有利的地形条件。西北风产生的波浪和沿岸流作用于沙岛和海晏湾的滨岸带,导致滨浅湖的砂堆积形成沿岸沙坝。随着湖平面的下降,沿岸沙坝出露水面,并逐渐闭合形成障壁岛-泻湖沉积。     

美国《洋陆边缘科学计划2004》述评

经过16年对科学问题的凝练,美国自然科学基金会公布了《洋陆边缘科学计划2004》。该文献确定了洋陆边缘的4个主要研究领域,即大陆岩石圈裂解、俯冲带物质转换、地震带实验、源-汇系统。该计划传递的一个重要信息是：现代海洋地质科学的重点已经从区域特征的刻画转向“过程”和“方法”的研究,即用系统科学的观点来理解过程、机制、动力学,发展和应用多学科交叉方法、过程模型方法、新型现场观测和采样技术。掌握这些最新动态对于我国边缘海基础研究的进一步深入是十分重要的。     

南海北部古河流演变对欧亚大陆东南缘早新生代古地理再造的启示

欧亚大陆东南缘早新生代古地理演变包含了华南沿海中生代山脉的逐步消减与南海的逐步扩张形成等重大事件。南海北部始新统—下中新统“源-汇”路径研究发现,南海沉积物物源在该时期发生了巨大改变。在始新世和早渐新世,源自南海西部古隆起的“昆—莺—琼”河流系统向南海东部地区输送了大量沉积物,包括珠二坳陷在内的南海北部南侧大部分地区受南海西部物源的控制,仅在珠一坳陷接受来自华南大陆珠江的沉积物;晚渐新世,南海西部物源逐步被北部珠江物源取代;到早中新世,珠江来源沉积物全面越过番禺低凸起进入珠二坳陷,大量来自华南内陆的沉积物被珠江运输至南海盆地,“昆—莺—琼”古河流进一步萎缩,仅在南海西部琼东南盆地分布,并且由西向东沉积物源区昆嵩地块逐渐被海南岛取代。南海西部自晚中新世以来发育的中央峡谷正是该古河流的残余。南海新生代早期“昆—莺—琼”河流系统的发现及珠江演变过程的构建,对于深刻认识该地区新生代早期古地理特征、整个欧亚大陆东南缘的古地貌重建以及盆地的油气勘探均具有重要意义。