Rates and fluxes of centennial-scale carbon storage in the fine-grained sediments from the central South Yellow Sea and Min-Zhe belt, East China Sea

The global carbon cycle has played a key role in mitigating global warming and climate change.Long-term natural and anthropogenic processes influence the composition,sources,burial rates,and fluxes of carbon in sediments on the continental shelf of China.In this study,the rates,fluxes,and amounts of carbon storage at the centennial scale were estimated and demonstrated using the case study of three fine-grained sediment cores from the central South Yellow Sea area(SYSA) and Min-Zhe belt(MZB),East China Sea.Based on the high-resolution temporal sequences of total carbon(TC)and total organic carbon(TOC)contents,we reconstructed the annual variations of historical marine carbon storage,and explored the influence of terrestrial and marine sources on carbon burial at the centennial scale.The estimated TC storage over 100 years was 1.18×10~8 t in the SYSA and 1.45×10~9 t in the MZB.The corrected TOC storage fluxes at the centennial scale ranged from 17 to 28 t/(km^2·a)in the SYSA and from 56 to 148 t/(km^2·a)in the MZB.The decrease of terrestrial materials and the increase of marine primary production suggest that the TOC buried in the sediments in the SYSA and MZB was mainly derived from the marine autogenetic source.In the MZB,two depletion events occurred in TC and TOC storage from 1985 to 1987 and 2003 to 2006,which were coeval with the water impoundment in the Gezhouba and Three Gorges dams,respectively.The high-resolution records of the carbon storage rates and fluxes in the SYSA and MZB reflect the synchronous responses to human activities and provide an important reference for assessing the carbon sequestration capacity of the marginal seas of China.

Tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane in sediments from the Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary and South China Sea

Marine sediments collected from the Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary(ZRE) and South China Sea(SCS) were utilized to study the occurrence and spatial distribution of tetrabromobisphenol A(TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecane(HBCDD).The levels of TBBPA and HBCDD in sediments ranged from not detected(nd) to 6.14 ng/g dry weight(dw) and nd to 0.42 ng/g dw.TBBPA concentrations in marine sediments were substantially higher than HBCDD.The concentrations of TBBPA and HBCDD in the ZRE sediments were significantly greater than those in the SCS.α-HBCDD(48.7%) and γ-HBCDD(46.2%) were the two main diastereoisomers of HBCDD in sediments from the ZRE,with minor contribution of β-HBCDD(5.1%).HBCDD were only found in one sample from the northern SCS.The enantiomeric fraction of α-HBCDD in sediments from the ZRE was obviously greater than 0.5,indicating an accumulation of(+)-α-HBCDD.The enantiomers of HBCDD were not measured in sediments from the SCS.This work highlighted the environmental behaviors of TBBPA and HBCDD in marine sediments.

Clay mineral distribution in surface sediments of the South China Sea and its significance for in sediment sources and transport

Clay minerals of surface sediments in the South China Sea （SCS） are analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and their transport is explored with a grain size trend analysis （GSTA） model. Results show that clay mineral types in various sedimentary environments have different sediment sources and transport routes. Sediments in the northern SCS （north of 20°N） between the southwest of Taiwan Island and the outer mouth of the Pearl River have high contents of illite and chlorite, which are derived mainly from sediments on Taiwan Island and/or the Yangtze River. Sediments from the Pearl River are characterized by high kaolinite and low smectite content, and most are distributed in the area between the mouth of the Pearl River and northeast of Hainan Island and transported vertically from the continental shelf to the slope. Characterized by high illite content, sediments from Kalimantan Island are transported toward the Nansha Trough. Sediments from Luzon Island are related with volcanic materials, and are transported westwards according to smectite distribution. On the Sunda Shelf, sediments from the Mekong River are transported southeast in the north while sediments from the Indonesian islands are transported northward in the south. Ascertaining surface sediment sources and their transport routes will not only improve understanding of modem transportation and depositional processes, but also aid paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic analysis of the SCS.

Occurrence of Different Forms and Implications of Compound Specific Sterols in Continental Sediments of the Northeast South China Sea

The South China Sea(SCS) is one of the most productive and accumulative marginal shelves of organic carbon in the world. To expound the transformation and preservation of organic carbon in the Northeast SCS, where abundant oil and gas resources have been reported, compound specific sterols in free(FR), base hydrolytic(BH), and acid hydrolytic(AH) forms were analyzed in surface and columnar sediments in May, 2016. The results showed that the total contents of sterols detected ranged from 0.15 to 3.74 ppm dry weight in the surface sediments, and gradually decreased from 3.41 to0.17 ppm dry weight from surface to deep sediments, in which cholesterol(27^(△5)) was the most abundant component. Sterols mainly existed in the BH form(54.51%-74.20%), followed by the FR form(25.50%-45.49%) and then the AH form(0-3.77%) in turn, in the surface sediments. BH and FR sterols accounted for 0-49.08% and 50.92%-100% in the columnar sediments, while AH sterols were undetectable. The contents of specific sterols indicated that, the primary source of marine organic carbon was about 5 times as much as that from terrestrial input. More and more FR sterols transformed into BH sterols with increasing sedimentary depth, and BH sterols absolutely dominated in sediment depths under 25 cm. The forms of Sterols C27 were maintained at a relative consistence state, but Sterols C28 to C30 degraded gradually during the sedimentation process. It was suggested that the stability of sterols, based on the chemical structures, might be the primary factor controlling their degradation and preservation in deeper sediments. These results would help to understand the organic carbon(OC) transformation in a hydrate formation area in a marginal sea.

Characteristics of nitrogen forms in the surface sediments of southwestern Nansha Trough,South China Sea

The area of the southwestern Nansha Trough is one of the most productive areas of the southern South China Sea.It is a typical semi-deep sea area of transition from shoal to abyssal zone.To understand distributions and roles of nitrogen forms involved in biogeochemical cycling in this area,contents of nitrogen in four extractable forms:nitrogen in ion exchangeable form(IEF-N),nitrogen in weak acid extractable form(WAEF-N),nitrogen in strong alkali extractable form(SAEF-N) and nitrogen in strong oxidation extractable form(SOEF-N),as well as in total nitrogen content(TN) in surface sediments were determined from samples collected from the cruise in April-May 1999.The study area was divided into three regions(A,B and C) in terms of clay sediment(<4 μm) content at <40%,40%-60% and >60%,respectively.Generally,region C was the richest in the nitrogen of all forms and region A the poorest,indicating that the finer the grain size is,the richer the contents of various nitrogen are.The burial efficiency of total nitrogen in surface sediments was 28.79%,indicating that more than 70% of nitrogen had been released and participated in biogeochemical recycling through sediment-water interface.

Microfossils, carbonate lysocline and compensation depth in surface sediments of the northeastern South China Sea

Based on the quantitative analyses of abundance of planktonic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils, the ratios of calcareous to siliceous microfossils, and the determination of carbonate contents in the surface sediments of the northeastern South China Sea, it has been found that the carbonate contents, the abundance of planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton, and the ratio of calcareous microfossils decrease rapidly while the ratio of the benthic foraminifera to the total foraminiferal fauna, specific value of siliceous microfossils, and the percentage of the agglutinated tests in the benthic foraminiferal fauna increase with the water depth. The results indicate that the microfossils abundance and ratio, and the carbonate content are closely related to the carbonate lysocline and carbonate compensation depth (CCD) in the study area. In addition, the carbonate lysocline and the CCD are different between the southern and northern parts of the South China Sea. Both the lysocline and the CCD are deeper in the south with 2 600 and 3 600 m than in the north with 2 200 and 3 400 m, respectively.

Accumulation and exploration of gas hydrate in deep-sea sediments of northern South China Sea

The large deep-sea area from the southwestern Qiongdongnan Basin to the eastern Dongsha Islands,within the continental margin of northern South China Sea,is a frontier of natural gas hydrate exploration in China.Multiform of deep-sea sedimentations have been occurred since late Miocene,and sediment waves as a potential quality reservoir of natural gas hydrate is an most important style of them.Based on abundant available data of seismic,gravity sampling and drilling core,we analyzed the characteristics of seismic reflection and sedimentation of sediment waves and the occurrence of natural gas hydrate hosted in it,and discussed the control factors on natural gas hydrate accumulation.The former findings revealed the deep sea of the northern South China Sea have superior geological conditions on natural gas hydrate accumulation.Therefore,it will be of great significance in deep-sea natural gas hydrate exploration with the study on the relationship between deep-sea sedimentation and natural gas hydrate accumulation.

Comparison and Calibration of Elemental Measurements in Sediments Using X-Ray Fluorescence Core Scanning with ICP Methods: A Case Study of the South China Sea Deep Basin

The X-ray fluorescence(XRF)core scanning method is widely applied in studies of sedimentary paleoenvironments due to its convenient pretreatment,nondestructive characteristics,fast execution,continuous scanning,and high resolution.XRF core scanning for sediments is commonly used in the studies on the South China Sea.This study compares XRF-scanned intensities and measured inductively coupled plasma(ICP)elemental contents of core CS11 in the northeast South China Sea deep basin.The results show that the analyzed elements can be separated into three classes.Class I includes elements with high correlation coefficients,such as Ca,Sr,and Zr;Class II contains elements with average correlation coefficients,such as Fe,Mn,Ti,and Cu;and Class III comprises elements with low correlation coefficients,such as K,Ni,Zn,Rb,and Al.In the South China Sea deep basin,pore water,compaction,and grain size have weak effects on the elemental intensities and contents of short core sediments.Hence,for elements with high correlation coefficients,a linear relationship model can be established by the least-squares method,in which the converted XRF intensities are approximately equal to the measured ICP contents.Based on the established log-ratio calibration model,the resulting ln(K/Ca),ln(Ti/Ca),ln(Fe/Ca),and ln(Zr/Ca)values generally display the same variation trends as the measured curves.The elemental contents and ratios produced by the linear model via the least-squares method and the log-ratio calibration model are expected to provide high-resolution data support for future paleoenvironmental research on the South China Sea deep basin.

Preservation of Radiolarian Diversity and Abundance in Surface Sediments of the South China Sea and Its Environmental Implication

Quantitative analysis of radiolarian preservation in surface sediments from different regional environments of the South China Sea （SCS） is discussed in this article for illustrating their relationship. The results show that species diversity and abundance of radiolarian in the surface sediment increase with water depth, indicating no obvious dissolution of radiolarian shell in the deep SCS. Upwelling activity and volcanic eruption are both in favor of radiolarian propagation, and cause the settlement enrichment of radiolarian shell. Whereas, an abnormal reduced radiolarian fauna in deeper slope sediment may result from the remain of turbid flow that brings sediments from shallow area, such as shelf and upper slope. Radiolarian species are mainly composed of tropic-subtropic types, and include some cold or polar species, which indicates that a mistake in paleoceanographic analysis should arise from the monospecific index. However, synthesis radiolarian indexes in sediments may well respond to the ecologic and depositional environments in the SCS.

Empirical Equations of P-Wave Velocity in the Shallow and Semi-Deep Sea Sediments from the South China Sea

Three-hundred and thirty-one sediment cores,including six sediment types(clayey-and sandy-silt,silty-and sandy-clay,clayey-and silty-sand)were collected from the shallow and semi-deep seas of the South China Sea,and the P-wave velocities and physical properties of core sediments were measured under standard laboratory conditions.To eliminate the influence of environ-mental factors,the empirical sound speed ratio equations were established.Compared with several equations from literature,the po-rosity and wet bulk density empirical equations established in this paper agree well with Richardson and Briggs(2004)’s in-situ equations,which implies that our empirical equations can be used in the similar region of world’s oceans under certain conditions and will be useful in areas lacking first-hand P-wave speed data.However,the mean grain size equations established in this study,similar to the previous studies,have low accuracy,which may be due to the different particle arrangements and degrees of compac-tion in sediments.The results also show that for different sediment types,the equation based on all sediment data is in good agree-ment with the measured data in the study area,as there are both siliciclastic and carbonate sediments on the studied seabed.It is sug-gested that appropriate empirical equations should be selected according to sediment types and sedimentary environment in future works,and the empirical equation of porosity or the two-parameter equation of porosity and grain size should be preferred.

Heavy Metal Distributions and Source Tracing in the Lacustrine Sediments of Dongdao Island,South China Sea

The levels and depth distributions of As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Fe and Mn in two sediment cores DY2 and DY4 collected from the ＂Cattle Pond＂ of Dongdao Island, South China Sea, were determined and analyzed with the main objective to identify the sources of these elements and evaluate the corresponding sedimentological and geochemical processes. Lithological characters and sedimentary parameters such as LOI950℃, CaO, LOI550℃ and TOC indicate that the depth of 96 cm and 87 cm are the critical points for DY2 and DY4 cores, respectively. As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg and P are remarkably enriched in the ornithogenic sediments above the critical depth points; their concentration-versus-depth profiles are similar to those of TOC and LOI550℃; the ratios of As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg over Ca are significantly correlated with P/Ca. Statistical and comparative analyses of these elements＇ levels in the ornithogenic sediments of DY2 and DY4 strongly suggest that seabird droppings are the main source of these elements. Additionally, for the upper sediment layers of DY2 and DY4 cores, Fe oxide sorption mechanism, like organic matter, may also play an important role in the abundances of heavy metals. Heavy metal Pb has geochemical characteristics distinctly different from those of As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg and P, and its isotope composition indicates an origin of anthropogenic emissions from the surrounding countries. These geochemical characteristics in the orinithogenic sediments of Xisha Islands are compared with the studies in the remote Antarctic and Arctic regions.

Shear Wave Speed Dispersion Characteristics of Seafloor Sediments in the Northern South China Sea

To accurately characterize the shear wave speed dispersion of seafloor sediments in the northern South China Sea,five types of sediments including silty clay,clayey silt,sandy silt,silty sand,and clayey sand were selected,on which the measurements of the shear wave speed at 0.5-2.0 kHz and related physical properties were performed.Results reveal that the shear wave speed of sediments increases as the frequency increases,and the dispersion enhanced in the sediments in the order of silty clay,clayey silt,sandy silt,silty sand,and clayey sand,at a linear change rate of 0.727,0.787,3.32,4.893,and 6.967 m s−1 kHz−1,respectively.Through regression analysis,linear and logarithmic regression equations for the correlation between shear wave speed and frequency were established for each sediment type and the determination coefficients of regression equations indicate that the correlation is closer to a logarithmic relationship.The Grain-Shearing(GS)and Biot-Stoll models were used to calculate the shear wave speed dispersion of the five sediment types,and the comparison between theoretical prediction and measured results of shear wave speeds shows that the GS model can more accurately describe the shear wave speed dispersion characteristics of these sediments in the frequency band of 0.5-2.0 kHz.In the same band,the predictions obtained by using the Biot-Stoll model are significantly different from the measured data.

Types,characteristics and implication for hydrocarbon exploration of the Middle Miocene deep-water sediments in Beikang Basin,southern South China Sea

The internal seismic architectures of the Middle Miocene in Beikang Basin, southern South China Sea, were investigated and described using regional 2D seismic data from Guangzhou Marine Geology Survey. In particular, five typical seismic facies were identified based on an integrated analysis of the amplitude, continuity, contact relationship, and morphologies of seismic reflections. Bathyal-abyssal fine-grained sediments, deltaic front sandy bodies, turbidites, and small-scale turbidite channels were developed in the Middle Miocene according to the tectonic-sedimentary evolution of the sedimentary basins in the southern South China Sea. The findings of this study suggest that deltaic front sandy bodies and turbidites can be considered as the two major types of deep-water clastic reservoirs for the depression stage of Beikang Basin. A well-developed source-reservoir-cap assemblage was composed by deep rift-stage source rocks, deep-water clastic reservoirs of the Middle Miocene, and bathyal-abyssal deep-water fine-grained sediments after the Middle Miocene, implying a good potential for hydrocarbon exploration.

Liquid-plastic Limit of Surface Sediments in North Slope of South China Sea

1 Introduction China has a vast area of continental shelf and is very rich in marine resources,but because of the complex geological environment and frequent geological disasters,the utilization of marine resources and the construction of marine engineering are limited(Zhu et al.,2016).As the

Preservation of Lipid Molecular Fossils in the Sediments from an Oil-Gas Releasing Zone in the South China Sea

In order to explore the standing stock and preservation of organic carbon, different forms of compound specific lipids were analyzed, based on a 1.8 m sediment core collected in the northern continental shelf of South China Sea in May, 2016. In the core sediments, 21 species of fatty acids, 6 species of alcohols, 8 species of sterols and phytol were detected. Fatty acids were dominated components with the percent of 67%–91% in the total lipids, in which saturated fatty acid C16:0 accounted for about 50%. The contents of lipid species generally decreased from the sediments at surface to those deep, except alcohols waving in a certain range at the same time. Fatty acids primarily existed in free form, followed by base hydrolytic form, and then acid hydrolytic form. Free alcohols were obviously dominated, while base and acid hydrolytic forms contributed small comparably. Phytol gave a significant priority to base hydrolytic form, while acid hydrolytic form could be neglected. Similar to phytol, sterols mostly presented in base hydrolytic form, and then in free form. The compositions of lipids and their forms suggested that organic carbon basically originated from primary production in upper waters in studying area, and were well preserved in the sediments.

Distribution of Organic Matter,Iron,Mangenese in Surface Sediments in the Nansha Islands Sea Area,South China Sea

Concentrations of organic matter, iron and manganese in the deep sea surface sediments in the Nansha Islands sea area, South China Sea are measured. Horizontal and vertical distributions of iron and manganese are discussed. The vertical distribution of iron and manganese in the sediments results from reduction, diffusion, and redeposition of manganese (or iron) oxide and hydroxide in the sediment. There are the maxima of iron and manganese in solid phase in the top of the sediment, which is caused by the penetration of O2 and the upward flux of Mn2+ ( or Fe2+ ). Manganese bacteria play a very important role in the cycle of solid-phase iron and manganese in the ocean environment. Manganese bacteria oxidize Mn2+ ( or Fe2+ ) in dissolved state to Mn4+ ( or Fe3+ ) in oxidized state under the aerobic condition, whereas they reduce iron and manganese in anaerobic conditions.

Identification of functionally active aerobic methanotrophs and their methane oxidation potential in sediments from the Shenhu Area,South China Sea

Large amounts of gas hydrate are distributed in the northern slope of the South China Sea,which is a potential threat of methane leakage.Aerobic methane oxidation by methanotrophs,significant methane biotransformation that occurs in sediment surface and water column,can effectively reduce atmospheric emission of hydrate-decomposed methane.To identify active aerobic methanotrophs and their methane oxidation potential in sediments from the Shenhu Area in the South China Sea,multi-day enrichment incubations were conducted in this study.The results show that the methane oxidation rates in the studied sediments were 2.03‒2.36μmol/gdw/d,which were higher than those obtained by sediment incubations from other areas in marine ecosystems.Thus the authors suspect that the methane oxidation potential of methanotrophs was relatively higher in sediments from the Shenhu Area.After the incubations family Methylococcaea(type I methanotrophs)mainly consisted of genus Methylobacter and Methylococcaea_Other were predominant with an increased proportion of 70.3%,whereas Methylocaldum decreased simultaneously in the incubated sediments.Collectively,this study may help to gain a better understanding of the methane biotransformation in the Shenhu Area.

Development of Sedimentary Environment in the Northeastern South China Sea Since the Last Glacial Stage

Core D （21°23′02″N, 116°47′13″E, water depth 405 m） was sampled from the upper slope from the northeastern South China Sea （SCS） and applied to analyze the sedimentary environmental change in this sea area since the last glacial stage. The results of grain size analysis, diatom analysis and detrital mineral analysis were well matched. We divided the core D into two layers. The surface sand layer （0 - 2 cm） consisted of residual sediments, which might be originally the sediment in the late Pleistocene and later suffered from being transformed in the post glacial transgression. The lower layer （2 - 130 cm） was quite different from the surface one, which might mainly result from a neritic sedimentary environment in the last glacial stage. Two sedimentary cycles could be detected in the core D： regression during Marine isotope stage （MIS） 4 to transgression during MIS 3 and regression during MIS 2 to transgression during the post glacial.

Microbial diversity in cold seep sediments from the northern South China Sea

South China Sea （SCS） is the largest Western Pacific marginal sea. However, microbial studies have never been performed in the cold seep sediments in the SCS. In 2004, ＂SONNE＂ 177 cruise found two cold seep areas with different water depth in the northern SCS. Haiyang 4 area, where the water depth is around 3000 m, has already been confirmed for active seeping on the seafloor, such as microbial mats, authigenic carbonate crusts and bivalves. We investigated microbial abundance and diver- sity in a 5.55-m sediment core collected from this cold seep area. An integrated approach was employed including geochemistry and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses. Here, we show that microbial abun- dance and diversity along with geochemistry profiles of the sediment core revealed a coupled reaction between sulphate reduction and methane oxidation. Acridine orange direct count results showed that microbial abundance ranges from 105 to 106 cells/g sediment （wet weight）. The depth-related variation of the abundance showed the same trend as the methane concentration profile. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of sulphate-reducing bacteria and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea. The diver- sity was much higher at the surface, but decreased sharply with depth in response to changes in the geochemical conditions of the sediments, such as methane, sulphate concentration and total organic carbon. Marine Benthic Group B, Chloroflexi and JS1 were predominant phylotypes of the archaeal and bacterial libraries, respectively.