珠江三角洲晚第四纪环境演变的微体生物记录

LATE QUATERNARY MICROFAUNAS AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES RECORDED IN CORE SEDIMENTS OF THE PEARL RIVER DELTA,SOUTH CHINA

珠江三角洲是主要由西江、北江和东江在珠江口湾内堆积而成的复合三角洲,自晚更新世开始形成。微体生物是珠江河口三角洲晚第四纪沉积记录中的重要组分,是重建第四纪环境变化极为有效的指标。本文样品取自PD孔岩心,钻孔位于珠江三角洲中部(113°28′35″E, 22°53′41″N),孔深16．7 m。代表约25 100年以来的沉积。PD孔中见有孔虫6属10种,其中以Ammonia beccani为优势种。根据地层分布特征,可识别3个有孔虫层位。介形类共7属9种,丰度较低,以Sinocytheridea impressa和Neomonoceratina delicata为代表,在5个层位相对富集。根据微体生物分布特征,并结合有机碳、氮以及磁化率数据,PD孔晚第四纪沉积可划分为6个沉积环境阶段。A．三角洲前缘阶段(-16．7～-13．5 m;25 100～24 000 aB．P．):岩性为粗砂、砂至砂质粉砂。主要含Ammonia属的4个种(A．beccarii、A．sp．、A．tepida、A．annectens),丰度均较低,其中Ammonia beccarii为优势种。不见适应于正常浅海的Elphidium属。介形类以滨岸类型Sinocytheridea impressa为主。出现少量双壳类。代表河口附近水深10 m以内软泥底质、受河流影响大、水体动荡的半咸水环境。有机碳含量和磁化率较低,同样指示低海平面时期的沉积。B．河口湾阶段(-13．5～-10．6 m;24 000～22 400 aB．P．):岩性为粘土质粉砂至粘土。前一阶段出现的Ammonia 4个种的丰度比较高,且出现浅海底栖分子Elphidium advenum和E．hispidulum,以及浮游有孔虫分子Globigerinoides sp．。介形类出现Bicornucythere leizhouensis、B．bisanensis、Alocopocythere goujoni、Pistocythereis bradyformis等适应水深较大的分子,而滨岸浅水分子较少。有机碳含量和磁化率相对升高。代表海平面相对较高时期的沉积。C．三角洲平原阶段(-10．6～-9．2 m;22 400～21 700 aB．P．):底部为一薄层花斑状风化粘土,表明曾短期露出水面。向上变为富含有机质的深灰色粉沙质粘土。不含微体生物和双壳类,反映不稳定的环境条件。由于海平面降低,磁化率表现为持续低值。有机碳和C/N比值很高,表明有丰富的陆源有机质输入,海洋影响较小。D．陆地风化阶段(-9．2～-7．4 m;21 700～3 700 aB．P．):岩性为1．6 m厚的杂色粘土,不含任何生物化石,有机碳含量极低,是长期强烈风化作用的产物,对应于末次冰盛期。E．潮坪沉积阶段(-7．4～-2．5 m;3 700～2 600 aB．P．):互层状深灰色粉沙质粘土、灰色粉沙和细沙,含广盐性有孔虫Ammonia beccarii和Arenoparrella asiatica,以及少量介形类,如Sinocytheridea impressa。典型的半咸水双壳类Potamocorbula amurensis较为丰富,另外还见藤壶和虫管碎片,指示盐度频繁波动的潮间带环境。F．上三角洲平原阶段(2 600 aB．P．以来):未见任何有孔虫和双壳类,顶部见少量陆相介形类Cypria yanchengensis,磁化率变化频繁,C/N比值较高,表明陆相影响不断增强,且环境条件不稳定。研究区晚第四纪古环境的演化是由海平面升降变化控制的。上述沉积环境变化序列表现出两次海进一海退旋回,分别对应阶段A至阶段D和阶段E至阶段F,相应于晚更新世和全新世的两次海平面上升事件。

Late Quaternary core sediments from the middle area of the Pearl River Delta can be lithologically divided into six units. Unit 1, 2, and 5 contain foraminifers and ostracods in different abundances. Faunal analysis suggests that they were deposited in brackish to marine environments. Unit 3 does not contain any fossils except plant debris, indicating a fluvial plain environment. Unit 4, characterized by a layer of mottled clay that is widely distributed in the Pearl River Delta area, is completely barren of fossils, representing an interval of continental weathering. Unit 6 bears only non-marine ostra- eods and was deposited on a fluvial plain. Combining foraminiferal and ostracod data with geochemical and susceptibility records allows to establish the following environmental stages in this area： A. Delta front stage （25 100 -24 000 aB. P. ） ; B. estuary stage （24 000 -22 400 aB. P. ） ; C. fluvial plain stage （22 400 -21 700 aB. P. ） ; D. continental weathering stage （21 700 -3 700 aB. P. ） ; E. tidal flat stage （3 700 N 2 600 aB. P. ） , and F. upper fluvial plain stage （ since 2 600 aB. P. ）. In the Late Quaternary sedimentary succession two transgression-regression cycles can be recognized in the study area, corresponding to stages A to D and E to F, respectively. The palaeoenvironmental changes are believed to have been controlled by fluctuations of sea level.