海底井下观测技术的发展与应用

海底地下流体广泛存在,且对于发生在海底之下的地球化学和生物地球化学过程、以及海底之下与海洋之间的物质和能量的输运具有重要意义,因此备受相关研究者的关注。在海底打钻为观测和研究海底地下流体提供了机会。本文对钻孔中原位观测地下流体的相关技术和装置的发展进行了回顾,包括用于钻孔中不同层位封隔的封隔器,以及用于沉积物钻孔中的轻便有缆海底地下原位观测系统,并着重介绍了用于密封钻孔口进行原位流体观测的海底井塞装置。本文也对这些技术和装置的应用和所取得的认识成果作了简要介绍。

加瓜海脊铁锰结壳的年龄及其定年方法适用性比较

深海铁锰结壳的定年对其记录的百万年尺度古海洋环境变化研究至为关键。综合运用10Be/9Be、Co经验公式、230Thex/232Th和磁性地层学,对采自加瓜海脊的铁锰结壳样品开展了系统的年代学对比研究。结果表明:相对于开阔大洋的铁锰结壳,较多的陆源物质输入造成了不同定年方法获得的年龄或生长速率的明显差异。其中,因为大量陆源物质携带的232Th以及对Co含量的稀释,铁锰结壳表层的230Thex/232Th初始通量以及样品部分层位的Co通量出现显著变化,230Thex/232Th定年方法与Co经验公式获得的结果受到碎屑物质的影响最为显著。尽管10Be/9Be初始通量也受到了陆源物质输入的影响,但是10Be/9Be初始通量变化很小,应该是本研究中最为可信的结果。而古地磁地层学定年法需要参考其他定年结果,最后也只能得到几个年龄控制点。最终得出加瓜海脊该铁锰结壳样品的年龄为7.09 Ma,而不同核素在铁锰结壳中的赋存状态应该是今后值得深入研究的一个重要方向。

The evidence for the existence of methane seepages in the northern South China Sea:abnormal high methane concentrations in bottom waters

The methane concentration of water samples at five stations collected by the CTD rosette water sampler in the areas of southwest Dongsha Islands and the Xisha Trough was analyzed by the gas-stripping method on aboard ship. It shows abnormal high methane concentrations in near bottom water samples at three stations. In the southwest Dongsha Islands area, the methane conc.entration of 4. 25 and 10. 64 nmol/dm3 occurs in near bottom water samples at Stas E105A and El06, respectively. In the Xisha Trough area, the high methane concentrations of 5. 17, 8.48 and 8.70 nmol/dm3 in water depths of 1 750, 1 900 and 2 050 m, respectively, have been observed at Sta. F413. It is believed that the abnormal high methane concentrations are generated from the leakage of methane from sediments. Combining with previous geophysical and geochemical data from these two areas, this was probably related to the submarine gas hydrates decomposition and cold seep system. In May 2007, gas hydrate samples were successfully obtained by the drilling in the Shenhu Sea area located in the southwest Dongsha Islands area. It is called for further drilling surveys to confirm the existence of gas hydrate and cold seep system in the Xisha Trough as early as possible.

Denitrification in Qi'ao Island coastal zone,the Zhujiang Estuary in China

Samples of sediments and the overlying water were collected in the Qi＇ao Island coastal zone,the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary（ZE）.Denitrification rates,sediment oxygen demand（SOD）,and fluxes of inorganic nitrogen compounds were investigated with N2 flux method,using a self-designed continuous flow through and auto-sampling system.The results indicate that the denitrification rates varied between 222 and 908 μmol/（m2·h） with an average of 499 μmol /（m2·h）.During incubation,the sediments absorbed dissolved oxygen in the overlying water with SOD ranging from 300 to 2 363 μmol/（m2·h）.The denitrification rates were highly correlated with the SOD（r2=0.77） regardless of the NO-3＋NO-2 concentrations in the overlying water,organic carbon contents in sediments and water temperature,suggesting that the SOD was probably the main environmental factor controlling the denitrification in the Qi＇ao Island coastal zone.There was a net flux of NO-3＋NO-2 into the sediments from the overlying water.The NH＋4 flux from sediments into water as the result of mineralization was between 12.3 and 210.3 μmol/（m2·h）,which seems limited by both organic carbon content in sediment and dissolved oxygen concentration in the overlying water.

Rates of bacterial sulfate reduction and their response to experimental temperature changes in coastal sediments of Qi'ao Island, Zhujiang River Estuary in China

Subtropical sediment cores （QA09-1 and QA12-9） from the coastal zone of Qi’ao Island in the Zhujiang River Estuary were used to determine the rates of sulfate reduction and their response to experimental tempera-ture changes. The depth distribution of the sulfate reduction rates was measured from whole-core incu-bations with radioactive tracer35SO42-, and peaks of 181.19 nmol/（cm3·d） and 107.49 nmol/（cm3·d） were exhibited at stations QA09-1 and QA12-9, respectively. The profiles of the pore water methane and sulfate concentrations demonstrated that anaerobic oxidation of methane occurred in the study area, which result-ed in an increase in the sulfate reduction rate at the base of the sulfate-reducing zone. Meanwhile, the sulfate concentration was not a major limiting factor for controlling the rates of sulfate reduction. In addition, the incubation of the sediment slurries in a block with a temperature gradient showed that the optimum tem-perature for the sulfate reduction reaction was 36°C. The Arrhenius plot was linear from the lowest tempera-ture to the optimum temperature, and the activation energy was at the lower end of the range of previously reported values. The results suggested that the ambient temperature regime of marine environments prob-ably selected for the microbial population with the best-suited physiology for the respective environment.

大体积混凝土水化热模拟计算及温控方案优化

以某省立医院放疗科大体积防辐射混凝土为研究对象,通过有限元分析软件Midas Gen模拟温度梯度及变化规律,用来模拟施工条件及措施对工程施工的影响,优化方案,提高施工方案对施工条件的适宜性,减小混凝土结构由于内外温度梯度差过大引起裂缝的产生。对类似工程的方案优化和温控措施有一定的借鉴作用。

南海深水海山上的新发现

在国家自然科学基金委重大研究计划"南海深部计划"指导下,于2013-2019年期间,分别运用载人或遥控深潜器,针对南海深海盆中的部分海山开展了4个科学探测航次,在南海首次发现了大面积的高丰度铁锰结核分布区、"南溟"古热液区和惊人的冷水珊瑚生态林。这些发现不仅为深入认识南海不同时空尺度演化的复杂过程及相互作用开辟了新的研究领域,还探索实践了中国海洋高新技术发展与前沿基础科学研究紧密结合并相互促进的高效创新研究模式。

俯冲带岩浆弧安山岩的成因研究进展

安山岩是俯冲带岩浆弧中重要的岩石类型,其成因至今仍是国际地质学界研究的热点之一。根据安山岩分布的地质背景,岩浆弧安山岩可以简单划分为陆弧安山岩和洋弧安山岩,二者在化学成分和空间分布等方面存在明显差异。自20世纪20年代末以来,大量的研究成果丰富了人们对岩浆弧安山岩成因的认识,逐渐将其归纳为玄武质岩浆输入和安山质岩浆输入2种模型。玄武质岩浆输入模型认为形成岩浆弧安山岩的初始岩浆成分为玄武质,强调分离结晶、同化混染和岩浆混合等壳内过程;而安山质岩浆输入模型认为地幔源区可以直接形成安山质熔体,强调俯冲板片来源的流体/熔体—地幔橄榄岩的交代反应和沉积物底辟等壳下过程。虽然岩浆弧安山岩的成因研究取得了一定的进展,但每一个模型都有亟待完善之处。地幔交代岩的实验岩石学研究、安山岩与大陆地壳形成与演化间的关系、理论计算和模拟的应用等都是未来需要研究的领域。

New index of ferromanganese crusts reflecting oceanic environmental oxidation

Ferromanganese crusts (hereinafter crusts) form in aerobic environment and the environmental oxida-tion degree is recorded by the redox sensitive element Co in the crusts. The ages of the layers from the surface to bottom of the crusts are determined, and main element contents at high resolution along the depth sections of three crusts from the Pacific Ocean are analyzed by an electron microprobe. Thus the variations of Co/(Fe+Mn) and Co/(Ni+Cu) with age/depth of the crust layers are obtained. By comparing the ratios of Co/(Fe+Mn) and Co/(Ni+Cu) with the δ 18O curves of the Pacific benthic foraminifera, we find that these two ratios can reflect the variation of the environmental oxidation state under which the crust layers deposit. The evolution of the oxidation degree reflected by the two indexes resembles the evo-lution of temperature since the Oligocene reflected by the δ 18O curves of the Pacific benthic foraminif-era. This suggests that the crust-forming environment after the Oligocene is controlled mainly by the oxygen-rich bottom water originated from the Antarctic bottom water (AABW). However it is not the case prior to the Oligocene. Furthermore it suggests that the environmental oxidation degree controls the formation of the crusts and the Co contents in the crusts. This explains why the Co contents in the crusts increase with time up to now.

Discovery of low-mature hydrocarbon in manganese nodules and ooze from the Central Pacific deep sea floor

Extracts from manganese nodules and ooze from the Central Pacific deep sea floor were analyzed using the chromatogram-mass spectrum, and it was found that most of the biomarker molecules are of the low-mature type (some have characteristics of mature): the ratio of 'A'/C is high between 11.4%-19.75%; CPI is 1.22-1.23; C31-22S/ (22S+22R) hopane is 0.59-0.60, Tm/Ts is 0.99-1.99; pa moretane/(αβ+βα) hopane is 0.12-0.14; C29 sterane 20S/(20S+20R) is 0.35-0.41; ββ/(ββ+αα) is 0.38-0.45; arene TA(I)/TA(I+Ⅱ) is 0.16-0.21; methyl-phenanthrene index (MPI1) is 0.35-0.67. According to the geological settings of the sampling area and its organic geochemical characteristics, it is considered that the hydrothermal activities on the ocean floor facilitate the decomposition of organic matter in the sediment, which leads to the generation and migration of hydrocarbon into manganese nodules and ooze. This discovery is important for understanding the mechanisms of hydrocarbon generation in the ocean floor and

Growth model of a hydrothermal low-temperature Si-rich chimney:Example from the CDE hydrothermal field,Lau Basin

The CDE hydrothermal field was first discovered during a Chinese cruise to the East Lau Basin Spreading Centre in 2007.Apart from significant amounts of loose Fe-Si-Mn(oxyhydr) oxide(referred to as oxide below) precipitates,a small Si-rich oxide chimney was also recovered on this cruise.In this study,we report on the mineralogical and geochemical analyses of this chimney and a model for its growth that has been developed.Based on the mineralogy and O isotope results,the chimney walls can be divided into four growth generations(layers) from the inner to the outer layers:amorphous opal and barite layer(precipitation temperature 68.5°C based on oxygen isotope determinations),a rod-like amorphous layer(precipitation temperature 39.6°C),a filamentous Fe-Si oxide layer,and an outer Fe-Mn oxide layer.Investigations based on SEM and EDS showed that neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria play an important role in the formation of this chimney,particularly in the outer two generations.In the first stage,the metabolic activity of the microbes results in the pervasive precipitation of the filamentous Fe-rich oxides inside a ring formed by some amorphous opal and barite;therefore,a loose porous layer forms.In the second stage,amorphous opal then precipitates inside this wall as a result of conductive cooling and gradually controls the mixing between the hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawaters.In the third stage,barite and some amorphous opal form from the higher temperature fluids at the summit of the chimney growth history.In the last stage,the chimney wall becomes thicker and denser and the exchange of hydrothermal fluids and seawater ceases.As a result,a Fe-Mn oxide layer precipitates onto the outer surface of the chimney wall as neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria reoccupy the surface of the chimney.This mineral sequence and the resultant growth generations are confirmed by the chemical characteristics of the chimney wall.Sr isotopes extracted from the Fe oxides of the four-generation wall generally show a decreasing trend of the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios from the second layer to the inner layer(from 0.707008 to 0.705877) except for the outer layer(0.706502).The Sr isotope and chondrite normalized REE patterns of the corresponding bulk samples from the chimney wall also display a similar trend.Our study shows that the biogenic filament network plays a key role in the formation of the chimney in contrast to previous growth models of higher temperature chimneys,which often ignore the influence of biogenic factors.

Anaerobic oxidation of methane: Geochemical evidence from pore-water in coastal sediments of Qi’ao Island (Pearl River Estuary), southern China

The concentrations of CH4 and SO42? in pore-water and the carbon isotope compositions of total dissolved inorganic (ΣCO2) and CH4 were de- termined for three coastal sedimentary cores col- lected from Qi’ao Island (Pearl River Estuary), southern China. Results show that methane concen- tration changes dramatically at the base of the sul- fate-reducing zone and sulfate concentration gradi- ents are linear for all stations. In addition, the carbon isotope of methane becomes heavier at the sul- fate-methane transition (SMT), which causes ΣCO2-δ 13C to become the minimum. The geo- chemical profiles of pore-water render indirect evi- dence for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Based on numerical modeling of AOM and sul- fate-reducing rates, the portion of total sulfate reduc- tion occurring via AOM is 9.0%, 84% and 45.5%, re- spectively, and the percentage of ΣCO2 added to the pore-water is 4.7%, 72.4% and 29.45% correspond- ingly for three sites. Furthermore, it is found that the methane concentration, methane diffusive flux and the depth of SMT are controlled by the quantity and quality of sedimentary organic matter incorporated into the sediments. The great amount of organic material is favorable for rapid depletion of sulfate via sedimentary organic matter degradation, and on the other hand, causes the increase of the methane flux in the SMT, which results in a portion of sulfate re-duction supported by AOM. Accordingly, the SMT was shifted towards the sediment surface.

Microbe-related precipitation of iron and silica in the Edmond deep-sea hydrothermal vent field on the Central Indian Ridge

Microbial mats, several millimeters thick and brown-yellow to white in color, were collected in hollow inside of chimney structure from Edmond hydrothermal field on the Central Indian Ridge. Microbes with shapes of rod and helical stalk-like filaments were observed in the microbial mats, and are com- monly characterized by their cells completely encrusted by thick mineralized layers, made up of large amounts of amorphous silica and minor amounts of iron oxides. Transmission Electron Microscope observation has demonstrated that the acicular Fe-bearing matter was not only heterogenously dis- tributed on the surface of the cell wall, but also deposited in the inside of cell, suggesting that bio-precipitation of Fe had occurred both on the surface and in the interior of cell. Microbial silicification was also commonly found in the mats. Silica usually precipitated homogeneously on the surface of the microbes and forms micro-laminated layers, which might be controlled by the inorganic process of precipitation in hydrothermal environment. The biomineralization phenomenon in the mi- crobial mats showed that the precipitation of Fe and Si was closely related to microbes in hydrothermal environment. Considering that hydrothermal activities provided required chemical elements for miner- alization, it is suggested that this biomineralization process also might be driven by hydrothermal ac- tivities at the sea floor to some extent.

Bio-oxidation of pyrite,chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

This paper deals with the bio-oxidation processes by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans of pyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. Our experimental results show distinctive bio-oxidation characteristics for the three sulfide minerals. In the presence of A. ferrooxidans, the sulfide oxidation rates generally decrease in the order of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. The pH during bio-oxidation of pyrite tends to decrease as a whole, whereas a rise-fall pattern was recorded for both chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in their pH variations. No deposition was observed during the bio-oxidation of pyrite, suggesting a possible link to lower pH value in the process. However, large amounts of jarosite and element sulfur were determined in the bio-oxidation processes of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. A. ferrooxidans individuals were found directly as attachments to erosion pits on the smooth surface of pyrite. The erosion pits are similar to the bacterium in shape and length, and thus are probably products of dissolution of organic acid secreted by the cells on the mineral surface. More complicatedly, biofilm exists on the surfaces of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. This type of structured community of A. ferrooxidans is enclosed in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and covered with the deposition generated in the bio-oxidation processes of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. Different bio-oxidation processes of pyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite may be linked mainly to characteristics of individual minerals and the pH in the reaction solution of the bio-oxidation system.

Detection of methane plumes in the water column of Logatchev hydrothermal vent field,Mid-Atlantic Ridge

During DY105-17 cruise onboard the R/V "Da Yang Yi Hao" in 2005,methane concentrations in the wa-ter column above Logachev hydrothermal vent field were measured by applying stripping/trapping-gas chromatographic (GC) and the distinct methane plumes were detected. Results show that the back-ground methane concentration within the Logachev area is from 1.05 nmol/L to 1.68 nmol/L,signifi-cantly higher than the background level of the Atlantic abyssal plain of 0.4―0.5 nmol/L,suggesting that hydrothermal venting is a major source of dissolved methane to the ocean. The highest anomalies of methane concentrations in the water column range from 7.14 nmol/L to 113.9 nmol/L and occur just at 180―500 m above the seafloor. The distribution of methane concentration and the structural charac-teristics of hydrothermal plumes are strongly influenced by the supply of underlying hydrothermal fluids,the mixing process of ocean bottom currents and the microbial oxidation. Furthermore,the dif-ferences in distribution of methane plume between the station MAR-CTD3 and the other stations indi-cate a probable unknown hydrothermal vent site nearby. There occurs high concentration of methane along with temperature and nephelometry anomalies,which strongly confirms that the subtle meas-urement of methane concentration in water column is one of the effective ways to locate active sites of hydrothermal venting.

Early-stage mineralization of hydrothermal tubeworms: New insights into the role of microorganisms in the process of mineralization

As an important part of marine hydrothermal system, hydrothermal vent faunas live in hydrothermal inorganic environment and closely interact with hydrothermal inorganic environment. Sometimes, they can participate in the mineralization process of modern hydrothermal site. Hydrothermal vent faunas, particularly vestimentiferan and polychaete tubeworms, are occasionally preserved in the geological record. Study on the early mineralization process of hydrothermal vent fauna is significant for under- standing the interaction between mineral and organism, and also the formation and preservation mechanism of geological fossil in hydrothermal environment. In this paper, the early stage of miner- alization of Vestimentiferan Ridgeia piscesae tubes collected from Juan de Fuca Ridge is studied. The results showed that a lot of filamentous microorganisms were unevenly distributed on the surface of internal wall and in the interspace of the wall of tubeworm. In some cases, microorganisms aggregated as thin layers in or on the wall of tubeworm. The surfaces of microbial cells and the products of micro- bial degradation may play an important role in the early mineralization of tubeworm. Semitransparent thin layers of organic matter containing sulfur and sulfur granules were commonly found on the wall of tubeworm with lower degree of mineralization. The degradation production of these semitransparent thin layers may accelerate the mineralization of tube wall during the early stage. EDS results showed that on the tube walls some chemical elements such as Fe, P, Ca and Si are selectively enriched from ambient hydrothermal environment. Interestingly, P, Ca and Si covary with Fe content. Because element S originated from the bio-oxidation of H2S by symbiotic microorganism in the tissue of tubeworm, it can be considered as a biomarker when studying the mineralization process of tube wall. Based on the characteristics of tubeworms with different degrees of mineralization, we suggested that the early mineralization stage of tube wall was mainly controlled by microbial-induced mineralization and the degradation process of tube wall.

Mechatronic integration and implementation of in situ multipoint temperature measurement for seafloor hydrothermal vent

In order to provide firsthand reference data for model building and analysis of temperature field of seafloor hydrothermal vent, a temperature measurement sys- tem is designed, which can be used to measure the temperature of seafloor hydrothermal vent. The system can implement in situ multipoint temperature measurement and work for 15 days on the seafloor, so low power consumption design principle of the integrated circuit board is adopted. To enable the system to endure the high pressure on the seafloor, mechanical structure of the system is designed in terms of design principle of pressure container. The pressure test ex- periment was performed in the authoritative institution, and the results indicated that the system was safe and could work reliably on the seafloor. In the first Sino-American Joint Dive Cruise, the instruments were carried to the seafloor to work by Alvin. The experiment in the sea was successful, and the results indicated that the system could survive in the high pressure and high temperature environ- ment and record the temperature activities of hydrothermal vents. About 710000 groups of temperature data were acquired, and these are of importance for further scientific researches.

Quantifying the sources of dissolved inorganic carbon within the sulfate-methane transition zone in nearshore sediments of Qi'ao Island, Pearl River Estuary, Southern China

The significance of the various biogeochemical pathways that drive carbon cycling and the relative fractions of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC) produced by these reactions within the sulfate-methane transition zone(SMTZ) are still being debated. Unraveling these processes is important to our understanding of the benthic DIC sources and their contributions to the global carbon cycle. Here, we measure pore water geochemistry(chlorine, sulfate, methane, Ca^(2+), Mg^(2+), DIC and δ^(13)C-DIC) as well as solid geochemistry(sedimentary organic carbon(SOC) and δ^(13)C of SOC) in nearshore sediments from Qi'ao Island in the Pearl River Estuary of the Southern China Sea. Our analysis indicates that SOC originates from the mixing of carbon from terrestrial and marine sources, and that terrestrial materials dominate the net loss of SOC during the degradation of organic matter, especially at sites located near the river outlets. Sulfate reduction via SOC degradation is not appreciable in the upper sediment layer due to conservative mixing-dilution by freshwater. However, below this layer, the anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM) and methanogenesis occur. Within the SMTZ, the δ^(13)C mass balance shows that the proportions of DIC derived from organoclastic SO_4^(2-) reduction(OSR) and AOM are 50.3% to 66.7% and 0.1% to 17.9%, respectively, whereas methanogenesis contributes 17.0% to 43.9%. This study reveals that the upward diffusion of DIC from ongoing methanogenesis significantly influences carbon cycling within the SMTZ in these estuarine sediments. As a result, we suggest that the plots of the ratio of change in sulfate to change in DIC in pore water should be used with caution when discriminating between sulfate reduction pathways in methane-rich sediments.