Coral records of Mid-Holocene sea-level highstands and climate responses in the northern South China Sea

High-resolution sea-level data and high-precision dating of corals in the northern South China Sea(SCS)during the Holocene provide a reference and historical background for current and future sea-level changes and a basis for scientific assessment of the evolutionary trend of coral reefs in the SCS.Although sporadic studies have been performed around Hainan Island in the northern SCS,the reconstructed sea level presents different values or is controversial because the indicative meaning of the sea-level indicators were neither quantified nor uniform criteria.Here,we determined the quantitative relationship between modern living coral and sea level by measuring the top surfaces of 27 live Porites corals from the inner reef flat along the east coast of Hainan Island and assessed the accuracy of results obtained using coral as sea-level indicators.Additionally,three in situ fossil Porites corals were analyzed based on elevation measurements,digital X-ray radiography,and U-Th dating.The survey results showed that the indicative meanings for the modern live Porites corals is(146.09±8.35)cm below the mean tide level(MTL).It suggested that their upward growth limit is constrained by the sea level,and the lowest low water is the highest level of survival for the modern live Porites corals.Based on the newly defined indicative meanings,6 new sea-level index points(SLIPs)were obtained and 19 published SLIPs were recalculated.Those SLIPs indicated a relative sea level fluctuation between(227.7±9.8)cm to(154.88±9.8)cm MTL between(5393±25)cal a BP and(3390±12)cal a BP,providing evidences of the Mid-Holocene sea-level highstand in the northern SCS.Besides that,our analysis demonstrated that different sea-level histories may be produced based on different indicative meanings or criteria.The dataset of 276 coral U-Th ages indicates that coral reef development in the northern SCS comprised the initial development,boom growth,decline,and flourishing development again.A comparison with regional records indicated that synergistic effects of climatic and environmental factors were involved in the development of coral reefs in the northern SCS.Thus,the cessation of coral reef development during the Holocene in the northern SCS was probably associated with the dry and cold climate in South China,as reflected in the synchronous weakening of the ENSO and East Asian summer monsoon induced by the reduction of the 65°N summer insolation,which forced the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

The gradual subduction-collision evolution model of Proto-South China Sea and its control on oil and gas

This study involved outcrop,drilling,seismic,gravity,and magnetic data to systematically document the geological records of the subduction process of Proto-South China Sea(PSCS)and establish its evolution model.The results indicate that a series of arc-shaped ophiolite belts and calcalkaline magmatic rocks are developed in northern Borneo,both of which have the characteristics of gradually changing younger from west to east,and are direct signs of subduction and collision of PSCS.At the same time,the subduction of PSCS led to the formation of three accretion zones from the south to the north in Borneo,the Kuching belt,Sibu belt,and Miri belt.The sedimentary formation of northern Borneo is characterized by a three-layer structure,with the oceanic basement at the bottom,overlying the deep-sea flysch deposits of the Rajang–Crocker group,and the molasse sedimentary sequence that is dominated by river-delta and shallow marine facies at the top,recording the whole subduction–collision–orogeny process of PSCS.Further,seismic reflection and tomography also confirmed the subduction and collision of PSCS.Based on the geological records of the subduction and collision of PSCS,combined with the comprehensive analysis of segmented expansion and key tectonic events in the South China Sea,we establish the“gradual”subduction-collision evolution model of PSCS.During the late Eocene to middle Miocene,the Zengmu,Nansha,and Liyue–Palawan blocks were separated by West Baram Line and Balabac Fault,which collided with the Borneo block and Kagayan Ridge successively from the west to the east,forming several foreland basin systems,and PSCS subducted and closed from the west to the east.The subduction and extinction of PSCS controlled the oil and gas distribution pattern of southern South China Sea(SSCS)mainly in three aspects.First,the“gradual”closure process of PSCS led to the continuous development of many large deltas in SSCS.Second,the deltas formed during the subduction–collision of PSCS controlled the development of source rocks in the basins of SSCS.Macroscopically,the distribution and scale of deltas controlled the distribution and scale of source rocks,forming two types of source rocks,namely,coal measures and terrestrial marine facies.Microscopically,the difference of terrestrial higher plants carried by the delta controlled the proportion of macerals of source rocks.Third,the difference of source rocks mainly controlled the distribution pattern of oil and gas in SSCS.Meanwhile,the difference in the scale of source rocks mainly controlled the difference in the amount of oil and gas discoveries,resulting in a huge amount of oil and gas discoveries in the basin of SSCS.Meanwhile,the difference of macerals of source rocks mainly controlled the difference of oil and gas generation,forming the oil and gas distribution pattern of“nearshore oil and far-shore gas”.

Late Eocene–early Miocene provenance evolution of the Crocker Fan in the southern South China Sea

There are many large-scale Cenozoic sedimentary basins with plentiful river deltas,deep-water fans and carbonate platforms in the southern South China Sea.The Crocker Fan was deposited as a typical submarine fan during the late Eocene–early Miocene,and stretches extensively across the entire Sarawak–Sabah of the northern Borneo area.However,systematic analyses are still lacking regarding its sediment composition and potential source suppliers.No consensus has been reached yet on the provenance evolution and sedimentary infilling processes,which seriously impeded the oil-and-gas exploration undertakings.By combining with sedimentaryfacies identification,heavy mineral assemblages,elemental geochemistry and detrital zircon U-Pb dating,this paper aims to generalize an integrated analysis on the potential provenance terranes and restore source-to-sink pathways of the Crocker Fan.In general,the Crocker Fan was initially formed over the Cretaceous–lower/middle Eocene Rajang Group by an angular Rajang unconformity.The continual southward subduction of the protoSouth China Sea resulted in magmatic activities and subsequent regional deformation and thrusting along the Lupar Line in the northern Borneo.The lowermost Crocker sequence is featured by a thick conglomerate layer sourced from in-situ or adjacent paleo-uplifts.From the late Eocene to the early Miocene,the Crocker Fan was constantly delivered with voluminous detritus from the Malay Peninsula of the western Sundaland.The Zengmu Basin was widely deposited with delta plain and neritic facies sediments,while the Brunei-Sabah Basin,to the farther east,was ubiquitously characterized by turbiditic sequences.The Crocker Fan successions are overall thick layers of modest-grained sandstones,which formed high-quality reservoirs in the southern South China Sea region.

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.

Mesozoic Deformation and Its Geological Significance in the Southern Margin of the South China Sea

The pre-Eocene history of the region around the present South China Sea is not well known. New multi-channel seismic profiles provide valuable insights into the probable Mesozoic history of this region. Detailed structural and stratigraphic interpretations of the multi-channel seismic profiles, calibrated with relevant drilling and dredging data, show major Mesozoic structural features. A structural restoration was done to remove the Cenozoic tectonic influence and calculate the Mesozoic tectonic compression ratios. The results indicate that two groups of compressive stress with diametrically opposite orientations, S(S)E– N(N)W and N(N)W–S(S)E, were active during the Mesozoic. The compression ratio values gradually decrease from north to south and from west to east in each stress orientation. The phenomena may be related to the opening of the proto-South China Sea(then located in south of the Nansha block) and the rate at which the Nansha block drifted northward in the late Jurassic to late Cretaceous. The Nansha block drifted northward until it collided and sutured with the southern China margin. The opening of the present South China Sea may be related to this suture zone, which was a tectonic zone of weakness.

Sectional distribution of salinity and its indication of Kuroshio'sintrusion in the southern Taiwan Strait and northeastern South China Sea late summer, 1994

Using the CTD data investigated at about 330 stations in the southern Taiwan Strait, the northeastern South China Sea and their adjacent seas in August and September of 1994, this paper anayses the sectional distributions of salinity in 10 selected sections and discusses the possibility of the Kuroshio's intrusion into the northeastern South China Sea and the southern Taiwan Strait. The results show that: as the main stream of Kuroshio passes by the northern Luzon Strait during the survey period, the 'Kuroshio-influenced water' with some hydrological features of the Kuroshio may extend through the Luzon Strait to the sea areas near both the Dongsha Islands and the Taiwan Shoal of the southern Taiwan Strait.

Characteristics and origins of middle Miocene mounds and channels in the northern South China Sea

Numerous elongated mounds and channels were found at the top of the middle Miocene strata using 2D/3D seismic data in the Liwan Sag of Zhujiang River Mouth Basin(ZRMB)and the Beijiao Sag of Qiongdongnan Basin(QDNB).They occur at intervals and are rarely revealed by drilling wells in the deepwater areas.Origins of the mounds and channels are controversial and poorly understood.Based on an integrated analysis of the seismic attribute,palaeotectonics and palaeogeography,and drilling well encountering a mound,research results show that these mounds are dominantly distributed on the depression centres and/or slopes of the Liwan and Beijiao sags and developed in a bathyal sedimentary environment.In the Liwan and Beijiao sags,the mounds between channels(sub)parallel to one another are 1.0–1.5 km and 1.5–2.0 km wide,150–300 m and 150–200 m high,and extend straightly from west to east for 5–15 km and 8–20 km,respectively.Mounds and channels in the Liwan Sag are parallel with the regional slope.Mounds and channels in the Beijiao Sag,however,are at a small angle to the regional slope.According to internal geometry,texture and external morphology of mounds,the mounds in Beijiao Sag are divided into weak amplitude parallel reflections(mound type I),blank or chaotic reflections(mound type II),and internal mounded reflections(mound typeⅢ).The mounds in Liwan Sag,however,have the sole type,i.e.,mound type I.Mound type I originates from the incision of bottom currents and/or gravity flows.Mound type II results from gravity-driven sediments such as turbidite.Mound typeⅢis a result of deposition and incision of bottom currents simultaneously.The channels with high amplitude between mounds in the Beijiao and Liwan sags are a result of gravity-flow sediments and it is suggested they are filled by sandstone.Whereas channels with low-mediate amplitudes are filled by bottom-current sediments only in the Beijiao Sag,where they are dominantly composed of mudstone.This study provides new insights into the origins of the mounds and channels worldwide.

Imprint of the ENSO on Rainfall and Latent Heating Variability over the Southern South China Sea from TRMM Observations

Analyses of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission(TRMM) datasets revealed a prominent interannual variation in the convective-stratiform rainfall and latent heating over the southern South China Sea(SCS) during the winter monsoon between 1998 and 2010.Although the height of maximum latent heating remained nearly constant at around 7 km in all of the years,the year-to-year changes in the magnitudes of maximum latent heating over the region were noticeable.The interannual variations of the convective-stratiform rainfall and latent heating over the southern SCS were highly anti-correlated with the Ni?o-3 index,with more(less) rainfall and latent heating during La Ni?a(El Ni?o) years.Analysis of the large-scale environment revealed that years of active rainfall and latent heating corresponded to years of large deep convergence and relative humidity at 600 h Pa.The moisture budget diagnosis indicated that the interannual variation of humidity at 600 h Pa was largely modulated by the vertical moisture advection.The year-to-year changes in rainfall over the southern SCS were mainly caused by the interannual variations of the dynamic component associated with anomalous upward motions in the middle troposphere,while the interannual variations of the thermodynamic component associated with changes in surface specific humidity played a minor role.Larger latent heating over the southern SCS during La Ni?a years may possibly further enhance the local Hadley circulation over the SCS in the wintertime.

Air-sea interactions associated with tropospheric biennial oscillation in South China Sea summer monsoon and their effects on El Nio-Southern Oscillation

The South China Sea summer monsoon （SCSSM） behaves with prominent climate variability from the in- traseasonal to interdecadal time scales. On the interannual time scale, the biennial variability （so-called tropospheric biennial oscillation, TBO） is as important as the E1 Nifio-Southem Oscillation （ENSO） period. Some observed data sets, including reanalysis data, are used to explore the associated air-sea interactive physical processes and how the SCSSM TBO affects the ENSO. The results show that the shearing vorticity induced by the north Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTAs） and the anomalous Philip- pine Sea anticyclone both contribute to the TBO in the SCSSM. The results also indicate that the ENSO has a weak effect on the SCSSM TBO, whereas the latter affects the ENSO to some extent.

Comparisons of surface Chl a and primary productivity along three transects of the southern South China Sea, northern Java Sea and eastern Indian Ocean in April 2011

Results are presented about the changes in chlorophyll a density, carbon fixation and nutrient levels in the surfacewaters of three transects of the southern South China Sea （SCS）, northern Java Sea （JS） and eastern Indian Ocean （IO） duringApril 5-16 of 2011. The in situ Chl a concentration and carbon fixation showed decreasing trends from high to low latitudealong the three transects, while the photosynthetic rate of phytoplankton estimated from 14C incorporation displayed no simplevariation with latitude. Chl a concentration and carbon fixation in the IO water was lower than that in the JS water. Highersalinity and lower contents of dissolved inorganic nitrogen （DIN） and silicate （SiO3^2-） characterized the IO water as comparedto the SCS or JS water, and the PO4^3- content was lower in the IO water than in the SCS or JS water in most cases. Our resultsalso indicate the importance of DIN and SiO3^2- concentrations for the geographical changes in phytoplankton biomass andprimary productivity among the three regions.

Exploring thermocline and water masses variability in southern South China Sea from the World Ocean Database(WOD)

Study about water characteristics(temperature and salinity) from the World Ocean Database(WOD) was conducted in the area of southern South China Sea(SSCS), covering the area of 0°–10°N, 100°–117°E. From interannual analysis, upper layer(10 m) and deep water temperature(50 m) increased from 1951 until 2014. Monthly averaged show that May recorded the highest upper layer temperature while January recorded the lowest. It was different for the deep water which recorded the highest value in September and lowest in February. Contour plot for upper layer temperature in the study area shows presence of thermal front of cold water at southern part of Vietnam tip especially during peak northeast season(December–January). The appearances of warm water were obviously seen during generating southwest monsoon(May–June). Thermocline study revealed the deepest isothermal layer depth(ILD) during peak northeast and southwest monsoon. Temperature threshold at shallow area reach more than 0.8°C during the transitional period. Water mass study described T-S profile based on particular region. Water mass during the southwest monsoon is typically well mixed compared to other seasons while strong separation according to location is very clear. During transitional period between northeast monsoon to southwest monsoon, the increasing of water temperature can be seen at Continental Shelf Water(CSW) which tend to be higher than 29°C and vice versa condition during transitional period between southwest monsoon to northeast monsoon. Dispersion of T-S profile can be seen during southwest monsoon inside Tropical Surface Water(TSW) where the salinity and temperature become higher than during northeast monsoon.

Distribution and ecological aspects of the Siphonophora in the middle of South China Sea

This paper reports species composition, horizontal distribution and seasonal variation of total individual and dominant species of the Siphonophora and their relationship to the environmental factors. Materials from the water layers within 0～200 m were collected during the periods of September, 1983, April and May, July and August, and December, 1984 in the study region (12°-19°30′N, 111°-118°E, Fig. 1).

Middle and Late Tertiary Palaeogeography and Palaeoenvironment on the Northern Continental Margin of the South China Sea

Based essentially on research results of calcareous nannofossils, combined with some other microfossil da-ta and several secondary depositional breaks, this paper discusses the criteria of division and comparison of themiddle and late Tertiary marine sediments, palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental evolution andpalaeoclimates on the northern continental margin of the South China Sea, comprising the Tainan basin, PearlRiver Mouth basin. Southeast Hainan basin and Beibu Gulf basin. Study shows that the upper Oligocene toPliocene strata in the whole area consist essentially of marine sediments except in the Beibu Gulf basin. Theyinclude littoral. neritic and deltaic sediments as well as carbonate rock-bioherm limestone. The sea advancedfrom southeast to northwest. During the transgression there appeared three culminations coinciding to thestages of deposition of nannofossil zones NN4-5, NN11 and 13-15.

The evolution of the coral reefs in the middle and north parts of the South China Sea and its relation with tectonic and eustatic movements

In this paper, the morphogenesis, stratigraphic sequences and dates of the coral reefs in the middle and north parts of the South China Sea are discussed, the position of the distributary regions of Cenozoic coral reefs in plate tectonics, the relationships of coral-reef evolutionary characteristics and dates with sea-basin spreading. Neogene sea-water transgression and Quaternary global climate-eustatic fluctuation are expounded and proved, and the latitudinal variation of the distribution of coral reefs in various geologic times are summed up.

Observations of upper layer turbulent mixing in the southern South China Sea

A turbulent microstructure experiment was undertaken at a low latitude of 10°N in the South China Sea in late August 2012. The characteristics of the eddy diffusivity above 650 m were analyzed, which is one order of magnitude larger than that in the open ocean at that low latitude. Enhanced eddy diffusivities by strong shears and sharp changes in topography were observed. The strongest eddy diffusivity occurred in the mixed layer, and it reached O（10^-2 m^2/s）. Strong stratification in the thermocline inhibited the penetration of surface eddy diffusivities through the thermocline, where the mixing was weakest. Below the thermocline, where the background eddy diffusivity was approximately O（10^-6 m^2/s）, the eddy diffusivity increased with depth, and its largest value was O（10^-3 m^2/s）.

Diagnosis of the ENSO modulation of tropical cyclogenesis over the southern South China Sea using a genesis potential index

The modulation of tropical cyclogenesis over the southern South China Sea （SSCS） by the El Nin o- Southern Oscillation （ENSO） is examined in October–December （OND）, when tropical cyclone （TC） activities are most active in this region. The results reveal that there were more TCs formed over the SSCS during La Nin a years and less TCs during El Nin o years. How different environmental factors （including low-level vorticity, mid-level relative humidity, vertical wind shear, and potential intensity） contribute to this influence is investigated, using a genesis potential （GP） index developed by Emanuel and Nolan. Composite anomalies of the GP index are produced for El Nin o and La Nin a years separately, which could account for the changes of TC frequency over the SSCS in different ENSO phases. The degree of contribution by each factor is determined quantitatively by producing composites of modified indices in which only one of the contributing factors varies, with the others set to climatology. The results show that the mid-level relative humidity makes the largest contribution to the ENSO modulation of tropical cyclogenesis over the SSCS. Although warmer sea surface temperatures （SSTs） and larger amount of evaporation from the ocean surface were observed over the SSCS during El Nin o years, anomalous descending motions due to the anomalous Walker circulations inhibited the upward transports of water vapor and led to less moisture contents in the middle troposphere, which suppressed TC formations.

Astronomical Dating of the Middle Miocene Hanjiang Formation in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

The Hanjiang Formation of Langhian age （middle Miocene） in the Pearl River Mouth Basin （PRMB）, South China Sea consists of deltaic siliciclastic and neritic shelf carbonate rhythmic alternations, which form one of the potential reservoirs of the basin. To improve stratigraphic resolutions for hydrocarbon prospecting and exploration in the basin, the present study undertakes spectral analysis of high-resolution natural gamma-ray （NGR） well-logging record to determine the dominant frequency components and test whether Milankovitch orbital signals are recorded in rhythmic successions. Analytical results indicate the orbital cycles of precession （~19 ka and ~23 ka）, obliquity （-41 ka）, and eccentricity （~100 ka and --405 ka）, which provide the strong evidence for astronomically driven climate changes in the rhythmic alternation successions. Within biochronological constraint, a high-resolution astronomical timescale was constructed through the astronomical tuning of the NGR record to recent astronomically calculated variation of Earth＇s orbit. The astronomically tuned timescale can be applied to calculate astronomical ages for the geological events and bioevents recognized throughout the period. The first downhole occurrences of foraminifers Globorotalia peripheroronda and Globigerinoides sicanus are dated at 14.546 Ma and 14.919 Ma, respectively, which are slightly different from earlier estimates in the South China Sea. When compared with the global sea-level change chart, the astronomical estimate for the sequences recognized based on microfossil distributions have the same end time but the different initiation time. This is probably due to the local or regional tectonic activities superimposed on eustatic rise which postponed the effect of global sea-level rising. Astronomical timescale also resolves the depositional evolution history for the Langhian Stage （middle Miocene） with a variation that strongly resembles that of Earth＇s orbital eccentricity predicted from 13.65 Ma to 15.97 Ma. We infer that the main factor controlling the variability of the sedimentation rate in the Hanjiang Formation is related to the ^-405-ka-period eccentricity.

Heat oscillation in the upper ocean of the southern South China Sea

Data used in this study are temperature/depth profiles taken over the upper 400 m of the ocean in the southern South China Sea (4°-14° N, 106°-120° E) for the period 1961-1973. The data are analyzed on the grid 2 (latitude) by 2 (longitude) in space and bimonthly in time. The vertically averaged temperature (TAV) over the upper 100 m of the ocean is calculated as the estimate of the heat content in the upper ocean.The TAV is cooler in the northwest region of the study area and warmer in the southeast in the annual and seasonal mean figures. The first EOF (Empirical Orthogonal Function) of anomalous TAV accounts for 41 % of the total variance for the period 1961-1973. The time function associated with it displays a significant interannual changes in the heat content, with 2-4 a oscillation period and associated with the ENSO events. During ENSO event TAV increases with the tendency of increasing towards equator along the basin. This anomalous states also exist in the water layers below 100 m depth. The isotherm is usually deepened during ENSO period. The deepened amplitude of the isotherm decreases with depth, and varies with ENSO events, seasons and regions. The reason for that is related to weak monsoon in El Nino year and associated eddy activity. Besides this, there is a gain in heat in the upper ocean because of the strong subtropical high during ENSO period.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Thermal Stress to China's Coral Reefs in South China Sea

Coral bleaching, caused by elevated sea surface temperature(SST), is occurring more frequently and seriously worldwide. Due to the lack of field observations, we understand little about the large-scale variability of thermal stress in the South China Sea(SCS) and its effect on China's coral reefs. This paper used 4-km high resolution gap-filled SST(Filled SST) data and thermal stress data related to coral bleaching derived from Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database(Co RTAD) to quantify the spatial and temporal characteristics of chronic thermal stress and acute thermal stress to China's coral reefs in SCS from 1982 to 2009. We analyzed the trend of SST in summer and the thermal stress frequency, intensity and duration during this period. The results indicate that, as a chronic thermal stress, summer mean SST in SCS shows an average upward trend of 0.2℃/decade and the spatial pattern is heterogeneous. Waters of Xisha Islands and Dongsha Islands of the northern SCS are warming faster through time compared to Zhongsha Islands and Nansha Islands sea areas of the southern SCS. High frequency bleaching related thermal stress events for these reefs are seen in the area to the northwest of Luzon Island. Severe anomaly thermal stress events are more likely to occur during the subsequent year of the El Nino year for these coral reefs. Besides, the duration of thermal stress varies considerably by anomaly year and by region.

Origins of intraseasonal rainfall variations over the southern South China Sea in boreal winter

本文主要探讨冬季南海南部季节内降水变化的来源,数据主要来自于TRMM和NCEP-DOE资料,方法主要有谱分析和回归分析。研究发现南海南部的降水变化在10–20天和30–60天时间尺度上有不同的来源。10–20天时间尺度上,东亚冬季风超前于南海南部降水异常2天。而在30–60天时间尺度上,两者几乎同时出现。此外,热带东南印度洋上的降水异常超前于南海南部一周左右,这表明热带印度洋上的对流引起的环流异常可能对南海南部30–60天时间尺度上降水异常有重要的作用,但对10–20天时间尺度上降水异常的作用并不明显。