Characteristics of clay minerals in the northern South China Sea and its implications for evolution of East Asian monsoon since Miocene

Clay mineral assemblages, crystallinity, chemistry, and micromorphology of clay particles in sediments from ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed, and used to trace sediment sources and obtain proxy records of the past changes in the East Asian monsoon climate since the Miocene, based on a multi-approach, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Clay minerals consist mainly of illite and smectite, with associated chlorite and kaolinite. The illite at ODP Site 1146 has very well-to-well crystallinity, and smectite has moderate-to-poor crystallinity. In SEM the smectite particles at ODP Site 1146 often appear cauliflower-like, a typical micromorphology of volcanic smecites. The smectite at ODP Site 1146 is relatively rich in Si element, but poor in Fe, very similar to the smectite from the West Philippine Sea. In contrast, the chemical composition of illite at ODP Site 1146 has no obvious differences from those of the Loess plateau, Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Pearl River. A further study on sediment source indicates that smectite originates mainly from Luzon, kaolinite from the Pearl River, and illite and chlorite from the Pearl River, Taiwan and/or the Yangtze River. The clay mineral assemblages at ODP Site 1146 were not only controlled by continental eathering regimes surrounding the SCS, but also by the changing strength of the transport processes. The ratios of (illite+chlorite)/smectite at ODP Site 1146 were adopted as proxies for the East Asian monsoon evolution. Relatively higher ratios reflect strongly intensified winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, in contrast, lower ratios indicate a strengthened summer monsoon relative to winter monsoon. The consistent variation of this clay proxy from those of Loess plateau, eolian deposition in the North Pacific, planktonic, benthic foraminifera, and black carbon in the SCS since 20 Ma shows that three profound shifts of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity, and aridity in the Asian inland and the intensity of winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, occurred at about 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and the younger at about 3 Ma. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and 3 Ma.

Typhoon effects on DOC dynamics in a phosphate-limited reservoir

To explore typhoon effects on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics, field investigations (tributary and dam site) and laboratory experiments (bioassay and DOC consumption) were conducted in a subtropical reservoir. A tributary survey indicated that after typhoon disruption, upstream areas were the sources of phosphate (P) but not DOC for the dam site located downstream. Bioassay experiments verified P-limitation on bacteria and phytoplankton during summer stratification, and bacteria showed a faster response than algae to added P. Experiments indicated that DOC consumption was determined by the availability of P. The 4 yr typhoon period (June-September) data of the dam site denoted that DOC concentration (27 to 270 mu M C) and its rate of change (-13 to 24 mu M C d(-1)) varied more dramatically in the weak (2006 and 2007) than in the strong (2004 and 2005) typhoon years. The negative correlation of DOC with the ratio of bacterial production (BP) to primary production (PP) in the euphotic zone (0 to 10 m) signified the interactive effects of auto- and heterotrophic processes on DOC variation. In the aphotic zone, the variation of DOC could be ascribed to the change of BP, which showed a positive correlation with P concentrations. This study documents that DOC concentration in the studied system varied at multiple time scales. Such variation can be explained by the decoupling between BP and PP, which is believed to be a function of the limiting nutrient's availability. More importantly, this study suggests that the P supply introduced by strong typhoons might have substantiated a tighter coupling between BP and PP, so that the amplitude of DOC oscillation during the summer period was effectively reduced.

内陆湖沼相和近海沼泽相沉积环境煤中微量元素和矿物的对比研究—以辽宁北票、江西建新和桥头煤研究为例

Using knowledge of geology, geochemistry, coal petrology, mineralogy, by means of a variety of advanced measuring methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometer(SEM-EDS), sequential chemical extract and density fractions, the characteristics of trace elements and minerals in Jurassic Beipiao coal mine under inland limnetic sedimentary environment and in late Permian Jianxin and Qiaotou coal mines under paralic swamp sedimentary environment were studied. Compared with the average concentration in the world bituminous coals, the Beipiao coal was characterized by relatively high contents of Sc, Ti, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, Sr, Zr, Y, Ba, REE and Th, and lower contents of V, Rb, Cd, Sn, Pb, Bi and U; while the Jianxin coal was relatively enriched in Li, Sc, Ga, Sr, Y, Nb, Sb, Th and U, with low concentration of Be, Co, Ni, Cu, Ge, Zr, Mo, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb and Bi; and the Qiaotou coal was enriched in Li, Sc, Sr, Nb, Ta, Zr, REE, Hf, Th and U, with low concentration of Be, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Ge, Mo, Cd, Cs, Ba, Tl, Pb and Bi. The concentrations of Ca, Mg and K in Beipiao coal are higher than those in Jianxin coal and Qiaotou coal, while Fe, S and Ti in Beipiao coal are lower than those in Jianxin coal and Qiaotou coal. The proximate analysis of coal samples was carried out, which indicated that Beipiao coal was medium- to high- ash (5.92-60.68%) with low sulphur coal, and Jianxin coal and Qiaotou coal was medium to high ash (8.85-46.33%) with high sulphur. The reflectivity was measured, which explained that Beipiao coal belonged to high volatile bituminous coal, Jianxin coal was low volatile bituminous coal and Qiaotou coal was low volatile anthracite. Quantitative maceral analyses were studied. The characteristics of rare earth elements (REE) were investigated, which showed that the total contents of REE were higher than that of the world's average content. With the increase of coal's metamorphic grade, the total contents of REE decreased from 98.5 X 10"6 of Beipiao coal to 94.2 X 10"6 of Jianxin coal, and to 75.9 X 10"6 of Qiaotou coal, and 5Eu reduced which indicated that the element Eu depleted. The characteristics of REE was controlled by the metamorphic grade of coal. And REE were mainly absorbed in clay minerals in Beipiao coal samples, while in Jianxin and Qiaotou coal mines, REE were primarily related to clay mineral and pyrite. The variation of trace elements in vertical direction of coal seams was studied, and the results showed that different trace elements differed greatly. The correlation between trace elements and ash were determined. Four major trace elements (aluminium-silicates, sulphide, carbonate and phosphate) accounted for the occurrence and distribution of most elements studied were determined. Coal samples were separated by density fraction, which showed that Cr, Cu, Mo and Pb were closely related to inorganic matters mainly distributed in P >2.6 and dropped remarkably in the density fractions P <2.3 . The occurrences of Co, Cr, Ni, As, Se, Mo, U were studied directly and quantitatively using sequential chemical extract with six steps, which showed that Co. Ni, Mo and U were mainly in the form of mineral, and As, Se chiefly in the form of organic state, while Cr mostly in the form of organic state and mineral. Major mineral phases presented in the Beipiao coal were Kaolinite, illite, quartz, calcite, and small amount of siderite, barite. While major mineral phases in Jianxin and Qiaotou coal were pyrite, kaolinite, and small amount of marcasite, rutile, sphalerite. This is the first time that the chromite in the coal was discovered in China, which indicates that Cr occurrence appeared in the form of chromite. The ratio of Sr/Ba, Sr/Ca and V/Ni in Beipiao coal mine under inland limnetic is smaller than that of in Jianxin and Qiaotou coal mines under paralic swamp. The ratio of K/Na and Th/U of Beipiao coal mine is higher than that of Jianxin and Qiaotou coal mine, which proved that Beipiao coal was not affected by sea water and Jianxin and Qiaotou coal were affected by sea water. Trace elements such as Cr, Ni, Mo in minerals were analyzed by SEM-EDS. The factors controlling the enrichment of trace elements can be divided into syngenetic stage factors and epigenetic stage factors.