A study of soil organic carbon distribution and storage in the Northeast Plain of China

Employing the Unit Soil Carbon Amount （USCA） approach, soil carbon storage was calcu- lated across the Northeast Plain of China based on the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey conducted in 2004-2006 （MRGS）. The results indicated that the soil organic carbon （SOC） storage in topsoil （0-0.2 m）, subsoil （0-1 m） and deep soil （0-1.8 m） was 768.1 Mt, 2978.4 Mt and 3729.2 Mt with densities of 3327.8 t/km^2, 12,904.7 t/km^2 and 16,157.5 t/km^2, respectively. These values were consistent with national averages, whereas the soil carbon densities showed a clear increasing trend from the southern area of the Northeast Plain （Liaoning）, to the middle （Jilin） and the northern Plain （Heilongjiang） -- particularly in terms of topsoil carbon density, which increased from 2284.2, to 3436.7 and 3861.5 t/kin2, respectively. In comparison to carbon data obtained from the Second National Soil Survey in 1984--1986 （SNSS）, the topsoil SOC storage values from the MRGS were found to have decreased by 320.59 Mt （29.4%）, with an average annual decline of 16.0 Mt （1.73%） over the 20 years. In the southern, middle and northern areas of the plain, soil carbon densities decreased by 1060.6 t/km^2, 1646.4 t/kin2 and 1300.2 t/km^2, respectively, with an average value of 1389.0 t/km^2 for the whole plain. These findings indicate that the decrease in soil carbon density varied according to the different ecosystems and land-use types. Therefore, ratios of soil carbon density were calculated in order to study the carbon dynamic balance between ecosystems, and to further explore distribution characteristics, as well as the sequestration potential of SOC.

Timing of formation of the Western Jinshajiang and Ganze–Litang sutures:evidence from the Duocai Granite in the Zhiduo region,West China

The timing of the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in West China remains debated.To investigate this problem,we examined the geochemical characteristics,zircon U-Pb chronology,and Hf isotopes of monzogranites and quartz diorites from the Duocai granite in the Zhiduo region,at the intersection of the Jinshajiang and GanzeLitangsutures.The monzogranites have the chemical characteristics of calc-alkalineⅠ-type granites and yield a weighted mean zircon U-Pb age of 234.6±0.9 Ma[mean square weighted deviation(MSWD)=0.36].InitialεHf(-t)values are high and positive,ranging from+7.9 to+13.6 with a mean of+10.7,corresponding to two-stage Hf isotope model ages(TDM2)of 762-395 Ma.Geochemical and isotopic data indicate that the source magma of the monzogranites formed from mantle-derived magmas mixed with the overlying crustal materials.The quartz diorites,which also have compositional characteristics of calcalkaline I-type granites,yield a weighted mean zircon UPb age of 209.1±0.7 Ma(MSWD=0.29).InitialεHf(-t)values range from-2.5 to+0.6 with a mean of-1.5,with the corresponding TDM2 of 1402-1210 Ma.Geochemical and isotopic data indicate that the primary magma of the quartz diorites was derived mainly from partial melting of the mafic lower crust and small amount mantle-derived magma involved.Combining these results with regional data,the studied granites are inferred to have formed as a result of continuous subduction of plates underlying the Western Jinshajiang Ocean-Ganze-Litang Ocean from 234 to 209 Ma,and were unrelated to subduction of the South Jinshajiang oceanic plate.We suggest that the Western Jinshajiang Ocean-Ganze-Litang Ocean closed by the end of Late Triassic.