Dramatic sediment load changes and sedimentation characteristics upstream of the Three Gorges Dam due to the large reservoirs construction

After the construction of cascade reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR),the sediment load outflow of the upper Yangtze River Basin(YRB)has been significantly altered,decreasing from 491.8 Mt/yr(1956–2002)to 36.1 Mt/yr(2003–2017)at Yichang station.This has widely affected river hydrology,suspended sediment grain size distribution,and channel morphology.This study analyzed hydrological variations in water discharge and sediment load of the upper YRB over the past 62 years(1956–2017)by employing a double mass curve.The variations in the source areas of sediment yielding for the upper YRB were quantified,and field measurement data of the cross-channel profile were collected to investigate the sedimentation process in the TGR from 2003 to 2017.More than 90%of the sediment load reduction in the upper YRB may be explained by human activities.The Jinshajiang River was no longer the largest sediment source area for the Zhutuo station(accounting for 5.23%)in the 2013–2017 time span,and the sediment rating rates for the inflow and outflow of the TGR shifted to negatively correlated.A longitudinal fining trend was revealed in the suspended sediment size.Still,the mean median grain size of suspended sediment in the TGR had an increasing trend in the 2013–2017 period.This result may be closely related to sediment regulation in reservoirs and incoming sediment load reduction.Sedimentation in the TGR decreased sharply from 299.8 Mt/yr in 2003–2012 to 47.2 Mt/yr in 2013–2017,but the sedimentation rate of the TGR remained at>80%annually.Moreover,some cross sections in the fluctuating backwater zone experienced scouring.

Temporal sediment source tracing during storm events in the black soil region, Northeast China

Sediment fingerprinting technology is widely used to differentiate sediment sources.However,despite its long-recognized benefits,there it has been seldom applied to assess the variability of sediment sources during storm events.In this study,sediment fingerprinting is used for four storm events to determine the dynamic changes in sediment sources throughout them in the black soil region in Northeast China.Three potential sediment sources—cultivated land,unpaved roads,and gullies—were effectively differentiated using four geochemical tracers(As,Be,Cs,and Cu),with an accuracy of 100%.The relative sediment contribution from each source was determined using linear and Bayesian mixing models.The mean absolute fit(MAF)values of the linear mixing model(MAF_(mean)=0.976–0.949)were higher than those of the Bayesian mixing model(MAF_(mean)=0.921–0.992),indicating that the first performed better.Cultivated land was the primary source of the sediment load,accounting for 59.03%of it(load-weighted mean=68.29%),followed by the gullies(37.15%,load-weighted mean=28.09%),and unpaved roads(3.90%,load-weighted mean=3.69%)for the four storm events.In addition,a high variability in sediment source contribution was observed during the storm events.Cultivated land was the dominant sediment source during storm events with higher sediment concentrations(logarithmic function,r^(2)=0.878,p<0.01),discharge(linear function,r^(2)=0.452,p<0.05),and sediment flux(logarithmic function,r^(2)=0.857,p<0.01),whereas the reverse was observed for gullies.Contrastingly,the contribution of sediment from unpaved roads remained relatively stable during rainfall events.This provides a potential means to assess dynamic changes in sediment contributions from different erosion units.Moreover,it provides data support for exploring soil erosion mechanisms and effective erosion control in the black soil region in Northeast China.

Assessment of Radiological Hazards of Sedimentary, Igneous and Sediments Natural Rocks

Gamma-ray spectroscopy based on a 100% efficiency hyper-pure germanium detector was used to evaluate the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K natural radionuclides in sedimentary, conglomerate, igneous and sedi-ments rock samples collected from four different locations in Eastern desert in Egypt. The obtained activity concentrations are used to evaluate the radi-ological hazards indices, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent in air, radium equivalent, external and internal hazard index, radiation level index, annual gonadal dose equivalent, excess lifetime cancer risk and expo-sure rate. The results show that 1) the absorbed dose rate depends on the rock type, 2) the annual effective dose equivalent in air in 71% of sample below 20 mSvy-1 (permissible limit for workers), 3) the conglomerate rocks show low radioactivity level, 4) sedimentary rocks are rich in radium while igneous rocks are rich in thorium and the sediments rocks are rich in both radium and thorium.

Characterization of Sediment from Ourokessoum, North Cameroon: Morphostructural, Mineralogical, and Physicochemical Properties

The present study examines the morphological, physicochemical, and mineralogical specificity of clay sediments in the Hamakoussou Basin with the objective of exploring their potential applications. Field data collection was followed by a series of physicochemical and mineralogical tests on the clay samples. Results show that the clay layers, which range in thickness from 11 - 120 cm, exhibit gray, yellowish, or greenish colors. From a physicochemical perspective, these clay layers are found to be basic with a pH ranging from 8.5 for the higher Hama2 layer to 7.6 for the lower Hama1 layer. The sum of exchangeable bases (S) is medium to high with higher values in the Hama1 layer (53.45 meq/100g) and lower values in the Hama3 layer (17.09 meq/100g). Similarly, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) varies from 62.32 meq/100g for the higher Hama1N4 clay layer to 35.6 meq/100g for the lower Hama1N3 clay layer. Mineralogically, the clay materials are primarily composed of smectites, with illite, kaolinite, calcite, quartz, feldspar, hematite, and goethite also present. This study emphasizes the versatility of clay in various industries and scientific domains. It is known for its impermeability, plasticity, and fossil-preserving capabilities, making it a valuable material for economic, practical, and academic applications.

Provenance and depositional setting of the Late MiocenePleistocene clastic sediments in the eastern Arabian Peninsula and western Iraq using rare earth elements geochemistry

The sandstones of the Late miocene–Pliocene Dibdibba Formation in the Najaf–Karbala Plateau and Basra were examined to determine their source rocks and origin. The rare earth elements(REE) and trace elements(Sc, Co, V, and Th) concentrations in these sandstones revealed that they likely derived from a single source. The steep light rare earth elements(LREE) and flat, heavy rare earth element(HREE) patterns, negative Eu anomaly, and high ΣREE contents in sandstones suggest its derivation from a suggests that a passive continental margin environment and originated from felsic source rocks. The average concentration of ΣREE is 93.5 ppm, which is lower than that of the average crustal compositions like Upper Continental Crust and Post Archean Australian Shale. The higher proportion of LREE compared to HREE implies that these sandstones were recycled and derived from a distal source. The Th/Co, Th/Sc, La/Sc, La/Co, Eu/Eu*and(La/Lu)cn elemental ratios indicated that these Late Miocene–Pliocene sandstones were derived from felsic rocks located in the marginal region of the Arabian Shield.

Volume-averaged modeling of multiphase solidification with equiaxed crystal sedimentation in a steel ingot

Macrosegregation is a critical factor that limits the mechanical properties of materials.The impact of equiaxed crystal sedimentation on macrosegregation has been extensively studied,as it plays a significant role in determining the distribution of alloying elements and impurities within a material.To improve macrosegregation in steel connecting shafts,a multiphase solidification model that couples melt flow,heat transfer,microstructure evolution,and solute transport was established based on the volume-averaged Eulerian-Eulerian approach.In this model,the effects of liquid phase,equiaxed crystals,columnar dendrites,and columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)during solidification and evolution of microstructure can be considered simultaneously.The sedimentation of equiaxed crystals contributes to negative macrosegregation,where regions between columnar dendrites and equiaxed crystals undergo significant A-type positive macrosegregation due to the CET.Additionally,noticeable positive macrosegregation occurs in the area of final solidification in the ingot.The improvement in macrosegregation is beneficial for enhancing the mechanical properties of connecting shafts.To mitigate the thermal convection of molten steel resulting from excessive superheating,reducing the superheating during casting without employing external fields or altering the design of the ingot mold is indeed an effective approach to control macrosegregation.

Microplastics in sediment of the Three Gorges Reservoir:abundance and characteristics under different environmental conditions

Freshwater microplastic pollution is an urgent issue of global concern,and research on the distribution in reservoirs is lacking.We investigated the microplastic pollution levels in wet sediments collected from the Three Gorges Reservoir,the largest reservoir of China.Results show that microplastics were ubiquitous in the sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir,and their abundance ranged from 59 to 276 pp/kg(plastic particles per kg,dry weight).Economic development and total population were important factors affecting the spatial heterogeneity of microplastic abundance,and the contribution of large cities along the reservoir to microplastic pollution should be paid with more attention.Fibrous microplastics were the most abundant type of microplastic particles in reservoir sediments,whereas polystyrene,polypropylene,and polyamide were the main types of polymers.The apparent spatial heterogeneity in morphology and color of microplastics is attributed to different anthropogenic or landbased pollution sources.Moreover,the accumulation of microplastics near the inlet of tributaries reflects the role of potential contributors of tributaries.More importantly,multiple bisphenols(BPs)and heavy metals detected at the microplastic surfaces indicate that microplastics can act as carriers of these pollutants in the environment in the same way as sediments did,which may alter the environmental fate and toxicity of these pollutants.Therefore,we conclude that the Three Gorges Reservoir had been contaminated with microplastics,which posed a stress risk for organisms who ingest them along with their associated pollutants(BPs,heavy metals).

MXene Sediment-Based Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Sodium Alginate Aerogel Evaporator with Vertically Aligned Channels for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation from seawater is considered an effective way to alleviate the emerging freshwater crisis because of its green and environmentally friendly characteristics.However,developing an evaporator with high efficiency,stability,and salt resistance remains a key challenge.MXene,with an internal photothermal conversion efficiency of 100%,has received tremendous research interest as a photothermal material.However,the process to prepare the MXene with monolayer is inefficient and generates a large amount of“waste”MXene sediments(MS).Here,MXene sediments is selected as the photothermal material,and a three-dimensional MXene sediments/poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate aerogel evaporator with vertically aligned pores by directional freezing method is innovatively designed.The vertical porous structure enables the evaporator to improve water transport,light capture,and high evaporation rate.Cotton swabs and polypropylene are used as the water channel and support,respectively,thus fabricating a self-floating evaporator.The evaporator exhibits an evaporation rate of 3.6 kg m^(-2)h^(-1)under one-sun illumination,and 18.37 kg m^(-2)of freshwater is collected in the condensation collection device after 7 h of outdoor sun irradiation.The evaporator also displays excellent oil and salt resistance.This research fully utilizes“waste”MS,enabling a self-floating evaporation device for freshwater collection.

Tracing suspended and bed sediments during high and low water periods using geochemical characteristics-Case study:Vazrood watershed,northern Iran

Complete and comprehensive information about sediment dynamic and identification of hotspots of sediment production and transport are necessary for understanding the erosion processes and increasing the efficiency of soil and water conservation practices.Numerous studies used the sediment fingerprint techniques to investigate the contribution of different sources in suspended and bed sediment yield of the watersheds.However,the contribution of various land use/land covers in suspended and bed sediment yield for the great Caspian Sea basin is in an aura of ambiguity and the present study was conducted to gather information about an important part of this area in northern Iran,where rangelands are located upstream of Hyrcanian forests and dense agricultural lands are located downstream.The surface soil of different land use/land covers including forest,rangeland,agriculture and streambank lands were sampled in 30 points.Suspended and bed sediments were sampled in the watershed outlet in two high and low water periods.Geochemical characteristics of soil and sediment samples containing 59 elements were measured using ICP-OES GBC Integra.The reliable and suitable tracers from 59 elements were then selected using Range test,Kruskal-Wallis and Discriminant Function Analysis,respectively,in FingerPro package of R software.The results showed that for suspended sediment,streambank and rangeland had the highest contributions of 86.2%and 47.5%,respectively,in two high and low water periods.For bed sediment,in two high and low water periods,rangeland and streambank had the highest contributions of 73.8%and 84.4%,respectively.Land use change and especially human activities such as agriculture,road construction and development of residential areas along the main river riparian zone has led to a significant increase in suspended and bed sediments.

Microplastic and Heavy Metals Distributions in Urban Rivers Sediments,China

This study investigated the distribution of microplastics and heavy metals,along with the interaction between the two in the sediments of urban rivers in China.Results showed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 2412±187.5 to 7638±1312items kg^(-1)dry sediment across different survey stations,with an average abundance at(4388±713)items kg^(-1)dry sediment.Upon further categorization,it was found that transparent fragments were the primary color and type of microplastics present.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of heavy metals in sediments suggested a low level of ecological risk within a majority of the urban rivers studied.Cd was identified as the main potential ecological risk factor in the sediments of the studied areas.There was a relatively good significant linear relationship between the RI of heavy metals and the abundance of microplastics,bolstering the linkage between these two environmental pollutants.However,the concentrations of heavy metals in microplastics were not dependent on their corresponding contents in sediments.In fact,the concentration of Cu,Cd,and As in microplastics were higher than those in the sediments.This finding confirmed that microplastics could serve as carriers of heavy metals and introduce potential risks to aquatic wildlife and human through the food chain.

Thermal conductivity of hydrate and effective thermal conductivity of hydrate-bearing sediment

The research on the thermal property of the hydrate has recently made great progress,including the understanding of hydrate thermal conductivity and effective thermal conductivity(ETC)of hydratebearing sediment.The thermal conductivity of hydrate is of great significance for the hydrate-related field,such as the natural gas hydrate exploitation and prevention of the hydrate plugging in oil or gas pipelines.In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the research progress of the hydrate thermal conductivity and the ETC of hydrate-bearing sediment,the literature on the studies of the thermal conductivity of hydrate and the ETC of hydrate-bearing sediment were summarized and reviewed in this study.Firstly,experimental studies of the reported measured values and the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of hydrate were discussed and reviewed.Secondly,the studies of the experimental measurements of the ETC of hydrate-bearing sediment and the effects of temperature,porosity,hydrate saturation,water saturation,thermal conductivity of porous medium,phase change,and other factors on the ETC of hydrate-bearing sediment were discussed and reviewed.Thirdly,the research progress of modeling on the ETC of the hydrate-bearing sediment was reviewed.The thermal conductivity determines the heat transfer capacity of the hydrate reservoir and directly affects the hydrate exploitation efficiency.Future efforts need to be devoted to obtain experimental data of the ETC of hydrate reservoirs and establish models to accurately predict the ETC of hydrate-bearing sediment.

Particle size characterization and sources of sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes

Sediment constitutes the fundamental basis for forming and evolving aeolian geomorphology.The characteristics of sediment particle size offer insights into the development and evolution of sandy terrain,making their study critical to understanding aeolian geomorphology and sand control.In this study,we combined high-density collection of surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes and GIS spatial analysis to analyze the particle size parameters and changes in the spatial distribution of surface sediments in this region.In addition,we used an end-member analysis to identify the potential sources of the sediments.The results showed that surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes had distinct spatial distributions.Medium and coarse grain sands dominated the sediments in the dunes,and the mean grain size and the sorting coefficient generally increased along the prevailing wind direction,with high values in individual areas related to factors such as material sources and vegetation cover.Skewness was strongly influenced by factors such as landform change and human activity,and spatial variability became more complex.Kurtosis and the soil fractal dimension showed generally decreasing trends along the prevailing wind direction.With dune fixation,the contents of clay and powder particles in the soil increased;the mean particle size,the sorting coefficient,and the fractal dimension of the soil gradually increased,and the skewness and kurtosis gradually decreased.The end-member analysis results indicated the existence of five end-members(EM)in the dune sediments.EM 1 was a mixed component of wind-deposited fine sands and nearby fluvial sediments.EM 2 was the main component of sediments in the study area and was the result of sorting lake sediments by wind action and by the local topography.EM 3 may be a product of river flood deposition.EM 4 and EM 5 had coarser grain sizes.EM 4 was a lake-phase sediment product influenced by topographic and vegetation cover factors,and EM 5 was primarily a river and lake sediment product modified by weathering.The sediment particle size results from the study area indicate that the sediment in the sandy region is generally coarse due to multiple factors,including topography,climate,hydrology,and human activity.Sandy material in the study area originated from nearby,with very little sand being transported from long distances.

Features of sampling stream sediments of large river valleys under cryolithogenesis conditions in the Balygychan-Sugoy trough,North-East of Russia

Comprehensive research has been implemented to raise the efficiency of the geochemical survey of stream sediments(SSs)that formed under the cryolithogenesis conditions.The authors analysed the composition,structure and specific features of the formation of exogenous anomalous geochemical fields(AGFs)identified through SSs of large river valleys of IV order.In our case,these were the valleys of Maly Ken,Ken and Tap Rivers.These rivers are located in the central and southern parts of the Balygychan-Sugoy trough enclosed in the Magadan region,North-East of Russia.The authors proposed a new technique to sample loose alluvium of SSs in the large river valleys along the profiles.The profiles were located across the valleys.The AGFs of Au,Ag,Pb,Zn,Sn,Bi,Mo and W were studied.Correlations between elements have been established.These elements are the main indicator elements of Au-Ag,Ag-Pb,Sn-Ag,Mo-W and Sn-W mineralization occurring on the sites under study.The results obtained were compared with the results of geochemical surveys of SSs.It is concluded that the AGFs recognized along the profiles reflect the composition and structure of eroded and drained ore zones,uncover completely and precisely the pattern of element distribution in loose sediments of large water flows.The alluvium fraction<0.25 mm seems to be most significant in a practical sense,as it concentrated numerous ore elements.Sampling of this fraction in the river valleys of IV order does not cause any difficulty,for this kind of material is plentiful.The developed technique of alluvium sampling within large river valleys is efficient in searching for diverse mineralization at all stages of prognostic prospecting.It is applicable for geochemical survey of SSs performed at different scales both in the North-East of Russia,as well as other regions with similar climatic conditions,where the SSs are formed under the cryolithogenesis conditions.

Experimental investigation of the inhibition of deep-sea mining sediment plumes by polyaluminum chloride

Deep-sea sediment disturbance may occur when collecting polymetallic nodules,resulting in the creation of plumes that could have a negative impact on the ecological environment.This study aims to investigate the potential solution of using polyaluminum chloride(PAC)in the water jet.The effects of PAC are examined through a self-designed simulation system for deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection and sediment samples from a potential deep-sea mining area.The experimental results showed that the optimal PAC dose was found to be 0.75 g/L.Compared with the test conditions without the addition of PAC,the presence of PAC leads to a reduction in volume,lower characteristic turbidity,smaller diffusion velocity,and shorter settling time of the plume.This indicates that PAC inhibits the entire development process of the plume.The addition of PAC leads to the flocculation of mm-sized particles,resulting in the formation of cm-sized flocs.The flocculation of particles decreases the rate of erosion on the seabed by around 30%.This reduction in erosion helps to decrease the formation of plumes.Additionally,when the size of suspended particles increases,it reduces the scale at which they diffuse.Furthermore,the settling velocity of flocs(around 10^(-2) m/s)is much higher that of compared to sediment particles(around 10^(-5) m/s),which effectively reduces the amount of time the plume remains in suspension.

Coupling effect of cement-stabilization and biopolymer-modification on the mechanical behavior of dredged sediment

Nowadays,biopolymer stabilization as a promising eco-friendly approach in soft ground improvement has attracted wide attentions.However,the feasibility of using biopolymer as a green additive of cementstabilized dredged sediment(CDS)with high water content is still unknown.In this study,guar gum(GG)and xanthan gum(XG)were adopted as typical biopolymers,and a series of unconfined compressive strength(UCS),splitting tensile strength(STS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical and microstructural properties of XG-and GG-modified CDSs considering several factors including biopolymer modification,binderesoil ratio and wateresolid ratio.Furthermore,the micro-mechanisms revealing the evolutions of mechanical properties of biopolymermodified CDS were analyzed.The results indicate that the addition of XG can effectively improve the strength of CDS,while the GG has a side effect.The XG content of 9%was recommended,which can improve the 7 d-and 28 d-UCSs by 196%and 51.8%,together with the 7 d-and 28 d-STSs by 118.3%and 42.2%,respectively.Increasing the binderesoil ratio or decreasing the wateresolid ratio significantly improved the strength gaining but aggravated the brittleness characteristics of CDS.Adding XG to CDS contributed to the formation of microstructure with more compactness and higher cementation degrees of ordinary Portland cement(OPC)-XG-stabilized DS(CXDS).The micro-mechanism models revealing the interactions of multiple media including OPC cementation,biopolymer film bonding and bridging effects inside CXDS were proposed.The key findings confirm the feasibility of XG modification as a green and high-efficiency mean for improving the mechanical properties of CDS.

Long-Chain Alkenones in the South Yellow Sea Sediments and Their Indicative Significance for Haptophytes Species

Long-chain alkenones(LCAs)have been widely used as important biomarkers in palaeoceanographic studies.However,the commonly used LCAs proxies are mainly based on C_(37) alkenones,and it is still lack of the studies about the distribution and in-dications of LCAs with different chain lengths other than C_(37) alkenones.Here,the composition and distribution of LCAs were ana-lyzed in surface sediments from the southern Yellow Sea(SYS)and a sedimentary core(A02-C)from the central Yellow Sea(YS)mud area.The results showed that C_(37),C_(38) and C_(39) alkenones were the major LCAs in surface sediments of the SYS,and the relative contents of C_(38:2)Et,C_(37:2)Me,C_(37:3)Me,C_(38:2)Me,C_(38:3)Et,C_(38:3)Me,C_(39:2)Et and C_(39:3)Et were 18.3%-59.8%,22.6%-41.2%,7.4%-23.0%,6.6%-15.4%,3.8%-13.3%,3.6%-8.7%,2.8%-6.0% and 0.7%-3.0%,respectively.Then the relationships of U_(38Me)^(K)-U_(38Et)^(K) and U_(37)^(K')-U_(38Et)^(K) indicate that LCAs are mainly derived from Emiliania huxleyi(E.huxleyi).High ratios of total C_(37) alkenones to total C_(38) alkenones(K_(37)/K_(38))(1-1.2)were found in the central SYS,corresponding to the relatively high abundance of E.huxleyi;while low ratios of K_(37)/K_(38)(0.7-0.9)were observed at nearshore area of the SYS where Gephyrocapsa oceanica(G.oceanica)has rela-tively high abundance.The spatial distribution of K_(37)/K_(38) ratio is also consistent with that of coccolithophores nannofossil in the sediments.In addition,K_(37)/K_(38) ratio in core A02-C varied from 0.7 to 1.1 with a gradual decreasing trend during the past 5.5 kyr.This suggests that the relative abundance of E.huxleyi decreased gradually,caused by the changes in the Yellow Sea Warm Current(YSWC)and the East Asian Winter Monsoon(EAWM)during this period.

Cu-Zn isotope compositions of hydrothermal sediments from the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge:implications to the sediment formation and mineral exploration

Six hydrothermal sediment samples were collected from the Xunmei and Tongguan hydrothermal fields along the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge during the China Ocean Cruise DY46 in 2017.Sulfides and oxides in the samples were separated,and Cu and Zn isotope compositions were analyzed.Results show that the ranges ofδ^(65)Cu values of the bulk sediments,sulfides,and oxides were 0.36‰-2.46‰,-0.21‰-1.10‰,and 0.68‰-1.52‰,respectively.Theδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides in four samples(46II-14,46II-30,46III-06,and 46II-09)were relatively low(-0.21‰-0.50‰),corresponding to theδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides from inactive old hydrothermal chimneys in northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge(n MAR),suggesting that the sulfides in the sediments were originated from collapsed dead chimney mainly.While theδ^(65)Cu values of the other two samples(46III-02 and 46III-08)were relatively high(1.10‰-0.96‰),corresponding to theδ^(65)Cu values for active hydrothermal chimneys sulfides in n MAR,which indicated that the sulfides in these two samples might mainly come from sulfide particles settled from active hydrothermal plume.Because of the high density of sulfide particles,they tended to settle near the hydrothermal vents first.Therefore,highδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides in 46III-02 and 46III-08 implied that undiscovered active hydrothermal vents near the sampling positions of 46III-02 in the Xunmei hydrothermal field and 46III-08 in the Tongguan hydrothermal field.Theδ^(66)Zn values of hydrothermal sediments and sulfides ranged 0.11‰-0.43‰and 0.29‰-0.67‰,respectively.In the four samples from the Xunmei hydrothermal field,a positive correlation was found between the distance of the sampling position from sulfide mineralized spot and the Zn isotopic ratio,showing that the greater the distance from the mineralized spot,the heavier the Zn isotope composition as seen in two samples(46II-30 and 46II-14)of the Xunmei-3 spot.This result aligned with the findings of Wilkinson et al.(2005)and Baumgartner et al.(2023),suggesting that the lower the Zn isotope composition,the closer it is to the hydrothermal vent.However,in the Xunmei hydrothermal field,the Zn isotope composition in the other two samples(46III-02and 46III-06)showed the opposite trend.This indicated that there might be an active hydrothermal vent near the sampling location of sample 46III-02.This observation aligned with the Cu isotope analysis results.This study showed that Cu-Zn isotopes are good indicators for understanding the formation mechanisms of hydrothermal sediments and for locating active hydrothermal vents.

Occurrence,Spatial Distribution,Sources and Risk Assessment of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Surface Sediments of the Yellow River Delta Wetland

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs)are emerging persistent organic pollutants(POPs).In this study,47 surface sediment samples were collected from the Yellow River Delta wetland(YRDW)to investigate the occurrence,spatial distribution,potential sources,and ecological risks of PFASs.Twenty-three out of 26 targeted PFASs were detected in surface sediment samples from the YRDW,with totalΣ23PFASs concentrations ranging from 0.23 to 16.30 ng g^(-1) dw and a median value of 2.27 ng g^(-1) dw.Perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA),perfluorobutanoic acid(PFBA)and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid(PFOS)were the main contaminants.The detection frequency and concentration of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids(PFCAs)were higher than those of perfluoroal-kanesulfonic acids(PFSAs),while those of long-chain PFASs were higher than those of short-chain PFASs.The emerging PFASs substitutes were dominated by 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acid(6:2 Cl-PFESA).The distribution of PFASs is significantly influenced by the total organic carbon content in the sediments.The concentration of PFASs seems to be related to human activities,with high concentration levels of PFASs near locations such as beaches and villages.By using a positive matrix factorization model,the potential sources of PFASs in the region were identified as metal plating mist inhibitor and fluoropolymer manufacturing sources,metal plating industry and firefighting foam and textile treatment sources,and food packaging material sources.The risk assessment indicated that PFASs in YRDW sediments do not pose a significant ecological risk to benthic organisms in the region overall,but PFOA and PFOS exert a low to moderate risk at individual stations.

Intrinsic correlation between the generalized phase equilibrium condition and mechanical behaviors in hydrate-bearing sediments

The phase equilibrium and mechanical behaviors of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediment are essential for gas recovery from hydrate reservoirs.In heating closed systems,the temperature-pressure path of hydrate-bearing sediment deviates from that of pure bulk hydrate,reflecting the porous media effect in phase equilibrium.A generalized phase equilibrium equation was established for hydrate-bearing sediments,which indicates that both capillary and osmotic pressures cause the phase equilibrium curve to shift leftward on the temperature-pressure plane.In contrast to bulk hydrate,hydrate-bearing sediment always contains a certain amount of unhydrated water,which keeps phase equilibrium with the hydrate within the hydrate stability field.With changes in temperature and pressure,a portion of pore hydrate and unhydrated water may transform into each other,affecting the shear strength of hydrate-bearing sediment.A shear strength model is proposed to consider not only hydrate saturation but also the change in temperature and pressure of hydrate-bearing sediment.The model is validated by experimental data with various hydrate saturation,temperature and pressure conditions.The deformation induced by partial dissociation was studied through depressurization tests under constant effective stress.The reduction in gas pressure within the hydrate stability field indeed caused sediment deformation.The dissociation-induced deformation can be reasonably estimated as the difference in volume between hydrate-bearing and hydrate-free sediments from the compression curves.

Changes in area fraction of sediment-laden sea ice in the Arctic Ocean during 2000 to 2021

Sediment-laden sea ice plays an important role in Arctic sediment transport and biogeochemical cycles,as well as the shortwave radiation budget and melt onset of ice surface.However,at present,there is a lack of efficient observation approach from both space and in situ for the coverage of Arctic sediment-laden sea ice.Thus,both spatial distribution and long-term changes in area fraction of such ice floes are still unclear.This study proposes a new classification method to extract Arctic sediment-laden sea ice on the basic of the difference in spectral characteristics between sediment-laden sea ice and clean sea ice in the visible band using the MOD09A1 data with the resolution of 500 m,and obtains its area fraction over the pan Arctic Ocean during 2000−2021.Compared with Landsat-8 true color verification images with a resolution of 30 m,the overall accuracy of our classification method is 92.3%,and the Kappa coefficient is 0.84.The impact of clouds on the results of recognition and spatiotemporal changes of sediment-laden sea ice is relatively small from June to July,compared to that in May or August.Spatially,sediment-laden sea ice mostly appears over the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean,especially the continental shelf of Chukchi Sea and the Siberian seas.Associated with the retreat of Arctic sea ice extent,the total area of sediment-laden sea ice in June-July also shows a significant decreasing trend of 8.99×10^(4) km^(2) per year.The occurrence of sediment-laden sea ice over the Arctic Ocean in June-July leads to the reduce of surface albedo over the ice-covered ocean by 14.1%.This study will help thoroughly understanding of the role of sediment-laden sea ice in the evolution of Arctic climate system and marine ecological environment,as well as the heat budget and mass balance of sea ice itself.