Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers （bGDGTs） are ubiquitous and abundant in soils, but their sources remain elusive. Recent studies demonstrate that the distributions of bGDGTs are sensitive to various en...Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers （bGDGTs） are ubiquitous and abundant in soils, but their sources remain elusive. Recent studies demonstrate that the distributions of bGDGTs are sensitive to various environmental factors. In an effort to understand how and to what extent soil moisture （expressed as soil water content （SWC） or mean annual precipita- tion （MAP）, pH and temperature may impact the distribution of bGDGTs, and to shed more light on the biological sources of bGDGTs in cold and arid regions, we investigated the distribution of bGDGTs as well as bacterial 16S rRNA gene and func- tional genes involved in the N cycle （including amoA, nirS and nirK） in 41 surface soil samples from around Lake Qinghai and east of Qaidam Basin on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We found that lower soil moisture reduced the fractional concentrations of cyclic bGDGTs and thus the cyclisation ratio of branched tetraethers （CBT） index correlated negatively with SWC and MAP, suggesting that soil moisture is an important factor controlling bGDGT distributions in soils in this add and semi-add region. Two subgroups of bGDGTs were assigned on the basis of cluster analysis, and bGDGT indices behaved dif- ferently in the two groups, hinting at different biosynthetic mechanisms for bGDGTs under different environmental conditions. Real time PCR results showed that nirS and nirK genes correlated significantly with the concentration of bGDGTs, suggesting that the nirS- or nirK-encoding bacteria involved in denitrification might potentially be an additional biological source for soil bGDGTs （besides Acidobacteria）. Moreover, our results also support the application of new indices based on 5-methyl bGDGTs and 6-methyl bGDGTs in reconstructing past temperature and pH variations in this region.展开更多
The Eastern Kunlun Mountains play an important role in the growth and eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonic and sedimentary study of the Cenozoic Qaidam Basin, especially the southern part, provides key ...The Eastern Kunlun Mountains play an important role in the growth and eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonic and sedimentary study of the Cenozoic Qaidam Basin, especially the southern part, provides key evidence for understanding their evolution. Here we present evidence including isopach maps, seismic sections and sedimentary analysis of single well to illustrate the sedimentary development of the basin and the structural features of its southern margin. The Qaidam Basin extended across Qiman Tagh-Eastern Kunlun Mountains in the early Cenozoic and withdrew northward at ca. 35.5 Ma, and then buckled as an EW striking elliptical depression since ca. 14.9 Ma, with the main depocenter migrating eastward. Our results support the view that the Kumukol and Hoh Xil basins joined the Qaidam Basin in the early Cenozoic time and we propose the Eastern Kunlun Mountains uplifted in the mid-Miocene.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41373072, 40873011 &41030211)the Shanghai Bureau of Science and Technology (Grant No. 13JC1405200)the Thousand Talents Program through the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology at Tongji University (C. L. Zhang)
文摘Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers （bGDGTs） are ubiquitous and abundant in soils, but their sources remain elusive. Recent studies demonstrate that the distributions of bGDGTs are sensitive to various environmental factors. In an effort to understand how and to what extent soil moisture （expressed as soil water content （SWC） or mean annual precipita- tion （MAP）, pH and temperature may impact the distribution of bGDGTs, and to shed more light on the biological sources of bGDGTs in cold and arid regions, we investigated the distribution of bGDGTs as well as bacterial 16S rRNA gene and func- tional genes involved in the N cycle （including amoA, nirS and nirK） in 41 surface soil samples from around Lake Qinghai and east of Qaidam Basin on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We found that lower soil moisture reduced the fractional concentrations of cyclic bGDGTs and thus the cyclisation ratio of branched tetraethers （CBT） index correlated negatively with SWC and MAP, suggesting that soil moisture is an important factor controlling bGDGT distributions in soils in this add and semi-add region. Two subgroups of bGDGTs were assigned on the basis of cluster analysis, and bGDGT indices behaved dif- ferently in the two groups, hinting at different biosynthetic mechanisms for bGDGTs under different environmental conditions. Real time PCR results showed that nirS and nirK genes correlated significantly with the concentration of bGDGTs, suggesting that the nirS- or nirK-encoding bacteria involved in denitrification might potentially be an additional biological source for soil bGDGTs （besides Acidobacteria）. Moreover, our results also support the application of new indices based on 5-methyl bGDGTs and 6-methyl bGDGTs in reconstructing past temperature and pH variations in this region.
基金supported by Qinghai Oilfield Company,PetroChina(Grant No.2007-technology-exploration-14)National Key Scientific and Technological Projects(Grant No.2008ZX05003-001)
文摘The Eastern Kunlun Mountains play an important role in the growth and eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonic and sedimentary study of the Cenozoic Qaidam Basin, especially the southern part, provides key evidence for understanding their evolution. Here we present evidence including isopach maps, seismic sections and sedimentary analysis of single well to illustrate the sedimentary development of the basin and the structural features of its southern margin. The Qaidam Basin extended across Qiman Tagh-Eastern Kunlun Mountains in the early Cenozoic and withdrew northward at ca. 35.5 Ma, and then buckled as an EW striking elliptical depression since ca. 14.9 Ma, with the main depocenter migrating eastward. Our results support the view that the Kumukol and Hoh Xil basins joined the Qaidam Basin in the early Cenozoic time and we propose the Eastern Kunlun Mountains uplifted in the mid-Miocene.
