Competition between Coral and Algae in Tertiary and Quaternary Reefs: Greenhouse to Icehouse Transitions

The competition between coral and algae in marine reefs is pervasive through geologic time;that competition determines the structure and composition of reef communities, which we see in the fossil record. However, the relationships between coral and calcareous algae in reefs are poorly understood. To study this relationship, several hand samples and thin sections were examined from nine different foralgal reef localities around the world. Foralgal reefs typically extend from about 20 m depth or shallower on the seaward side of the reef. The first section is Salt Mountain, Alabama, which preserves a Paleocene reef. It contains a high percentage of red coralline algae with benthic foraminifera. The second section is IDOP-U1376, IIA Limestone, it is Middle Eocene, in the form of an isolated reef sandwiched between two igneous beds. The third section is the Utoe’ Limestone, New Caledonia, it is Middle Eocene in age and is composed mainly of grain-boundstone units with some igneous interlayered. The fourth section is the Darnah Formation in the West-Darnah roadcut section, Northeast Libya, it is Middle Eocene in age, it is composed of highly fossiliferous limestone (corals, red coralline algae, echinoids, mollusks, foraminifers, and bryozoans). The fifth section, the Al Bayda Formation (Algal Limestone Member) in Northeast Libya, is in the Drayanah—Al Abyar roadcut, Northeast Libya, it has several species of algae but also includes a high percentage of buildups of coral species. The sixth section is the Oligo-Miocene Al Faidiyah Formation (Al Fatayah Cement Quarry) limestone unit in Northeast Libya. The seventh section is (Core-core 20) late-early to middle Miocene Limestone Unit-Cicuco Field, NW Colombia. The eighth section is the Benghazi Formation at Benghazi Cement Quarry, in Northeast Libya, it is fossiliferous limestone, consisting of coral, algae, mollusks, and echinoids. The ninth and tenth sections are Quaternary reefs in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, respectively. These reefs contain a high percentage of coral, red coralline algae, echinoids, mollusks, foraminifers, and ostracods. Based on the data and static analysis results on the thin sections and hand specimens, this study determines the occurrence and outcomes of coral-algal interactions among different coral growth forms (branching, upright, massive, encrusting, plating, and solitary). The Early Paleogene (Paleocene to Eocene) has the highest percentage of algae in two forms (crustose and frondose), which is a good indicator of a warm climate. In the Middle Eocene to Late Eocene, coral replaced algae in different localities in sections of that age. This change is an indicator of climatic cooling, especially in the western Lutetian Darnah section. In the Oligocene time, high-branching corals became abundant and escaped competition with the algae due to Icehouse conditions, as shown in the Al Bayda Formation. In the Miocene, coral species started to decline because of the return to Greenhouse conditions. Coral can lose its competitive edge when chemical and physical defense systems reduce growth and production due to warming. On the other hand, crustose-form algae attract the larvae of the coral. Algae induce them to get a more highly competitive frondose form, which is useful for corals as they decrease growth and production. Algae can quickly colonize the dead reef by using the firm substrate to rebuild themselves. This research may prove valuable when predicting the response of modern coral reef systems to future climatic warming conditions and provides a model for what future reefs may look like.

Diversity, Ecology, and Environmental Significance of Foraminifera in Al Hamama and Susah Coastal Regions, Northeastern Libya: Insights from Holocene Sediments

This research initiative, conducted along the coastal zones of Al Hamama and Susah in northeastern Libya, aimed to enhance our understanding of Holocene benthic foraminifera assemblages and the paleoenvironmental parameters in the region. We meticulously gathered five sediment samples to analyze the composition of foraminifera populations within the unconsolidated sedimentary deposits adjacent to these locations. We successfully identified nine distinct benthic foraminifera species, including Amphistegina lobifera, Eliphidium crispum, Sigmoilinita tenuis, Sorites orbiculus, Stomatorbina concentrica, Peneroplis planatus, Pseudotriloculina rotunda, Pyrgoella sphaera, and Triloculina schreberiana. Notably, Eliphidium crispum and Amphistegina lobifera emerged as the most prevalent species. These foraminifera species exhibited distinct ecological preferences, shedding light on paleoenvironmental conditions and climatic fluctuations during the Quaternary Period in the Susah and Al Hamama coastal regions. The presence of Orbulina universa, a planktonic foraminifera species, further enriched our understanding of the paleoenvironment by providing insights into specific water depths and temperature ranges. This research significantly contributes to paleoceanography and environmental reconstruction, highlighting the invaluable use of foraminifera as proxies for exploring past environmental changes. Additionally, the study investigated the impacts of anthropogenic influences on benthic ecosystems in the Al Hamama and Susah coastal areas. These influences included reworked foraminifera specimens and the effects of karst formations, acid rain, and eutrophication. Notably, human-induced factors have visibly affected biogenic fauna and ecosystem dynamics in the study area. Consequently, this research provides valuable insights into paleoenvironmental conditions and ecological dynamics within the Susah and Al Hamama coastal regions, emphasizing the crucial role of foraminifera in reconstructing historical environmental fluctuations.

多道面波分析方法在测量土壤压实度方面的应用研究

在农业和工程领域,土壤压实度是一个重要问题.虽然采用钻孔方法可以探测土壤压实度情况,但费用较高.本文采用多道面波分析方法(MASW)研究了土壤压实度的问题,并将试验结果同电阻率测井数据、岩心数据、测井速度做了对比,结果表明该方法可以用于土壤压实度的探测,而且速度快、费用低、结果准确可信.

潘汉得--胡果顿与普光气田形成条件对比及启示

分析了北美潘汉得—胡果顿气田和我国普光气田的地质背景、成藏条件与成藏过程指出,二者均发育多套烃源岩,储集层物性均较好,盖层岩类均为膏盐岩,经后期多期变动与调整而定型于晚期。但二者间最显著的差异在于盖层的发育程度:前者的膏盐岩直接盖层分布范围广、厚度巨大、断层不发育,明显优于普光气田。说明在气源充足、储集层发育良好的地质条件下,盖层及保存条件是形成大气田的最关键因素。据此预测,在中国南方飞仙关组礁滩优质储集层和嘉陵江组膏盐岩盖层发育重叠区,如万州和大竹地区,有望发现更大规模的天然气田。

Two-way coupling of unsaturated-saturated flow by integrating the SWAT and MODFLOW models with application in an irrigation district in arid region of West China

This paper presents the realization of two-way coupling of the unsaturated-saturated flow interactions of the SWAT2000 and MODFLOW96 models on the basis of the integrated surface/groundwater model SWATMOD99, and its application in Hetao Irrigation District （HID）, Inner Mongolia, China. Major revisions and enhancements were made to the SWAT2000 and MODFLOW models for simulating the detailed hydrologic budget and coupled unsaturated and saturated interactions, and irrigation canal hydrology for the HID. The simulation results of seasonal groundwater recharge to and evaporate from the shallow groundwater, and the annual water budget over the district are presented and discussed. The results implied the necessity of two-way coupling of the unsaturated-saturated interactions when groundwater is shallow, and the feasibility of making comprehensive use of the information coming from both the surface water and groundwater models to make a more physically-based assessment of the coupled interactions.

Datum Level and NMO Corrections to Shallow Seismic Reflection Data on Rugged Topography

The application of the seismic reflection method is often limited in complex terrain areas. The problem is the incorrect correction of time-shift caused by topography. To apply normal moveout (NMO) correction to reflection data correctly, static corrections are necessary to be applied in advance for the compensation of the time distortions of topography and the time-delays from near-surface weathered layers. For environment and engineering investigation, weathered layers are our targets so that the static correction mainly serves the adjustment of time-shift due to an undulating surface. In practice, seismic reflected raypaths are assumed to be almost vertical through the near-surface layers because they have much lower velocities than layers below. This assumption is typically acceptable in most cases since it results in little residual error for small elevation changes and small offsets in reflection events. Although static algorithms based on choosing a floating datum related to common midpoint gathers or residual surface-consistent functions are available and effective, errors caused by the assumption of vertical raypaths often generate pseudo indications of structures. This paper presents the comparison of applying corrections based on the vertical raypaths and bias (non-vertical) raypaths. It also provides an approach of combining elevation and NMO corrections. The advantages of the approach are demonstrated by a synthetic example of multi-coverage seismic reflection surveys on rough topography.

墨西哥圣金廷海岸资源的可持续利用

墨西哥圣金廷作为一个地理独立系统为整体分析物质流动和社会经济约束提供了理想场所。由于园艺作作(主要是西红柿)的种植,该地区陆地部分自然资源利用主要受地下水开采制约。灌溉用水量超过补给量减去输出量差值的6倍。牡蛎养殖主导着海湾内的资源利用。牡蛎的食物由潮汐时海湾水和海洋水交换而提供。牡蛎和整个系统的呼吸量表明,当前的水产养殖水平是可持续水平的40%。提出"物质不可持续能力指数"(PhUI)来衡量最大限制性资源利用远离可持续利用水平的比例:陆地由6,海湾内为0.4。在PhUI和测算经济发展的基础上,我们得出了水产养殖业比农业更可行的结论。

GEOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES IN DETECTION TO RIVER EMBANKMENTS

Geophysical technologies are very effective in environmental, engineering and groundwater applications. Parameters of delineating nature of near surface materials such as compressional wave velocity, shear wave velocity can be obtained using shallow seismic methods. Electric methods are primary approaches for investigating groundwater and detecting leakage. Both of the methods are applied to detect embankment in hope of obtaining evidence of the strength and moisture inside the body. A technological experiment has been done for detecting and discovering the hidden troubles in the embankment of Yangtze River, Songzi, Hubei, China in 2003. Surface wave and DC multi channel array resistivity sounding techniques were used to detect hidden trouble inside and under dike like pipe seeps. This paper discusses the exploration strategy and the effect of geological characteristics. A practical approach of combining seismic and electric resistivity measurements was applied to locate potential pipe seeps in embankment in the experiment. The method presents a potential leak factor based on the shear wave velocity and the resistivity of the medium to evaluate anomalies. An anomaly found in a segment of embankment detected was verified, where occurred a pipe seep during the 98’ flooding.

Land 3D-Seismic Data: Preprocessing Quality Control Utilizing Survey Design Specifications, Noise Properties, Normal Moveout, First Breaks, and Offset

The recent proliferation of the 3D reflection seismic method into the near-surface area of geophysical applications, especially in response to the emergence of the need to comprehensively characterize and monitor near-surface carbon dioxide sequestration in shallow saline aquifers around the world, justifies the emphasis on cost-effective and robust quality control and assurance （QC/QA） workflow of 3D seismic data preprocessing that is suitable for near-surface applications. The main purpose of our seismic data preprocessing QC is to enable the use of appropriate header information, data that are free of noise-dominated traces, and/or flawed vertical stacking in subsequent processing steps. In this article, I provide an account of utilizing survey design specifications, noise properties, first breaks, and normal moveout for rapid and thorough graphical QC/QA diagnostics, which are easy to apply and efficient in the diagnosis of inconsistencies. A correlated vibroseis time-lapse 3D-seismic data set from a CO2-flood monitoring survey is used for demonstrating QC diagnostics. An important by-product of the QC workflow is establishing the number of layers for a refraction statics model in a data-driven graphical manner that capitalizes on the spatial coverage of the 3D seismic data.

Stable isotope paleohydrology and chemostratigraphy of the Albian Wayan Formation from the wedge-top depozone,North American Western Interior Basin

Understanding of the role of atmospheric moisture and heat transport in the climate system of the Cretaceous greenhouse world represents a major challenge in Earth system science. Stable isotopic paleohydrologic data from mid-Cretaceous paleosols in North America, from paleoequatorial to paleoArctic latitudes, have been used to constrain the oxygen isotope mass balance of the Albian hydrologic cycle. Over the range from 40°-50°N paleolatitude, sideritic paleosols predominate, indicating paleoenvironments with positive precipitation-evaporation （P-E） balances. Local exceptions occur on leeward side of the Sevier Orogen, where calcic paleosols in the wedge-top depozone record paleoenvironments with negative P-E balances in the orographic rain shadow. Stratigraphic sections in the Wayan Formation of Idaho （WF） were sampled from the wedge-top depozone. The units consist of stacked m-scale mudstone paleosols separated by m-scale sandstone-siltstone beds. Sections were sampled for organic carbon isotope profiles, and B-horizons from 6 well-developed paleosols were sampled for detrital zircons to determine maximum depositional ages. The first of these from the WF has produced a U-Pb concordia age of 101.0±1.1 Ma. This same WF section has produced a stratigraphic trend of upwardly decreasing δ18C values ranging from -24‰ upwards to -27‰ VPDB, suggesting correlation to the late Albian C15 C-isotope segment. Pedogenic carbonates from the WF principally consist of micritic calcite, with carbon-oxygen isotope values that array along meteoric calcite lines （MCLs） with δ18O values that range from -9.47‰ up to -8.39‰ VPDB. At approximately 42°N paleolatitude, these MCL values produce calculated paleoprecipitation values of-8.12‰ to -7.04‰ VSMOW, a range that is consistent with the estimates produced from other proxies at the same paleolatitudes across North America. These results indicate that despite the orographic rain shadow effect, the processes of meridional atmospheric moisture transport in this locale were similar to those in more humid mid-latitude paleoenvironments elsewhere in the continent.

High-Frequency Rayleigh-Wave Method

High-frequency （〉2 Hz） Rayleigh-wave data acquired with a multichannel recording system have been utilized to determine shear （S）-wave velocities in near-surface geophysics since the early 1980s. This overview article discusses the main research results of high-frequency surface-wave techniques achieved by research groups at the Kansas Geological Survey and China University of Geosciences in the last 15 years. The multichannel analysis of surface wave （MASW） method is a non-invasive acoustic approach to estimate near-surface S-wave velocity. The differences between MASW results and direct borehole measurements are approximately 15% or less and random. Studies show that simultaneous inversion with higher modes and the fundamental mode can increase model resolution and an investigation depth. The other important seismic property, quality factor （Q）, can also be estimated with the MASW method by inverting attenuation coefficients of Rayleigh waves. An inverted model （S-wave velocity or Q） obtained using a damped least-squares method can be assessed by an optimal damping vector in a vicinity of the inverted model determined by an objective function, which is the trace of a weighted sum of model-resolution and model-covariance matrices. Current developments include modeUng high-frequency Rayleigh-waves in near-surface media, which builds a foundation for shallow seismic or Rayleigh-wave inversion in the time-offset domain; imaging dispersive energy with high resolution in the frequency-velocity domain and possibly with data in an arbitrary acquisition geometry, which opens a door for 3D surface-wave techniques; and successfully separating surface-wave modes, which provides a valuable tool to perform S-wave velocity profiling with high-horizontal resolution.

Seismic Reflection Characteristics of Naturally-Induced Subsidence Affecting Transportation

High-resolution seismic reflections have been used effectively to investigate sinkholes formed from the dissolution of a bedded salt unit found throughout most of Central Kansas. Surface subsidence can have devastating effects on transportation structures. Roads, rails, bridges, and pipelines can even be dramatically affected by minor ground instability. Areas susceptible to surface subsidence can put public safety at risk. Subsurface expressions significantly larger than surface depressions are consistently observed on seismic images recorded over sinkholes in Kansas. Until subsidence reaches the ground surface, failure appears to be controlled by compressional forces evidenced by faults with reverse orientation. Once a surface depression forms or dissolution of the salt slows or stops, subsidence structures are consistent with a tensional stress environment with prevalent normal faults. Detecting areas of rapid subsidence potential, prior to surface failure, is the ultimate goal of any geotechnical survey where the ground surface is susceptible to settling. Seismic reflection images have helped correlate active subsidence to dormant paleofeatures, project horizontal growth of active sinkholes based on subsurface structures, and appraise the risk of catastrophic failure.

Foreword

The Chinese Geophysical Society and China University of Geosciences （CUG） hosted the last three International Conferences on Environmental and Engineering Geophysics （ICEEG） on the campus of CUG in Wuhan, China, biannually from 2004 to 2008. The ICEEG has become one of the main international conferences on near-surface geophysics in the world and the most influential near-surface geophysics con- ference in China. More than 200 people from more than 10 countries attended each conference, including practitioners, academicians, researchers, and students.