Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi’an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, ...Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi’an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Most aerosols and dust analysed ranged in texture from silty clay to clay loam. Their median particle diameters (Mds) generally ranged between 5 to 63 μm, coinciding with those of loess from central China and the finest sand from northwestern China. The dust sediments were characterized by a predominance of SiO2 and Al2O3, followed by K2O. Their SiO2/Al2O3 and K2O/SiO2 molar ratios ranged from 5.17 to 8.43 and from 0.009 to 0.0368, respectively. The mass concentration spectrum during a dust storm showed a single peak, rather than the triple peak generally observed under clear sky conditions. The dominant minerals were chlorite, illite, calcite, and dolomite. These physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were consistent with those of aeolian soils and loess in western and central China. The results suggest that aerosols and fine-grained fractions of dust sediments collected in northern China are mainly composed of soil material transported from the arid and semiarid regions of China and Mongolia by prevailing winds. The rate of deposition and properties of dust falling on eastern China were strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, season, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the sampling sites.展开更多
The Alagxa Plateau, in the margin of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, is one of the most important dust source areas in East Asia, and the widespread sandy desert in the area is important both as a reservoir and a so...The Alagxa Plateau, in the margin of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, is one of the most important dust source areas in East Asia, and the widespread sandy desert in the area is important both as a reservoir and a source of eolian silty. The northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is one of the most actively-growing mountain belt on earth, and has large amounts of debris, with masses of fine grained material, which were continuously mobilized and deposited in the Alagxa Plateau by rivers, forming broad alluvial fans. It is possible that the role of fluvial sediments as a source of silty dust in the Alagxa Plateau has been underestimated. In this study, we test this hypothesis by investigating the iron mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the fluvial sediments and the surface material of the sandy desert in the Alagxa Plateau, and comparing them with paleo-eolian dust deposits(loess) in the adjacent Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP) to investigate the possible linkages among the fluvial sediments, sandy desert and the last glacial loess of the CLP. The results show that sandy desert typically have high contents of goethite, and high ratios of goethite to hematite, similar to the fluvial sediments in the Alagxa Plateau. Based on the major element characteristics, field investigations and the results of previous studies, we found a genetic link between the silt component of the fluvial sediments and the sandy desert in the Alagxa Plateau with high value of Gt(goethite) and similarity of the Gt/(Hm(hematite)+Gt) ratio. But the silt component of the sandy desert main come from the adjacent fluvial sediments. The iron mineralogical characteristics(χ(magnetic susceptibility), χARM(anhysteretic susceptibility), SIRM(saturation isothermal remanent magnetization) and SIRM_(AF100 mT)(SIRM demagnetized at 100 mT)) of the CLP samples overlap with those of the fluvial sediments in the Alagxa Plateau, but there is a mismatch with the sandy desert samples. This suggests that the fluvial sediments are the source of a large amount of silty material which could be transported to the CLP. Therefore, we conclude that the fluvial sediment in the Alagxa Plateau is an important source of eolian silt, which is deposited in downwind region, and that this source has been previously underestimated.展开更多
Hydrothermal materials in deep-sea sediments provide a robust tracer to the localized hydrothermal activity at mid-ocean ridges. Major, trace and rare earth element（REE） data for surface sediments collected from the...Hydrothermal materials in deep-sea sediments provide a robust tracer to the localized hydrothermal activity at mid-ocean ridges. Major, trace and rare earth element（REE） data for surface sediments collected from the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge are presented to examine the existence of hydrothermal component.Biogenic carbonate oozes dominate all the sediment samples, with CaO content varying from 85.5% to 89.9% on a volatile-free basis. The leaching residue of bulk sediments by ~5% HCl is compositionally comparable to the Upper Continental Crust（UCC） in SiO_2, Al_2O_3, CaO, MgO, alkali elements（Rb, Cs） and high field strength elements（Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti）. These detritus-hosted elements are inferred to be prominently derived from the Australian continent by means of eolian dust, while the contribution of local volcaniclastics is insignificant. In addition, the residual fraction shows a clear enrichment in Fe, Mn, and Ba compared with the UCC. Combining the positive Eu anomaly of residual fraction which is opposed to the UCC but the characteristic of hydrothermal fluids and associated precipitates occurred at mid-ocean ridges, the incorporation of localized hydrothermal component can be constrained. REE mixing calculations indicate that more than half REE within the residual fraction（~55%–60%） are derived from a hydrothermal component, which is inferred to be resulted from a diffuse fluid mineralization. The low-temperature diffuse flow may be widely distributed along the slow-ultraslow spreading ridges where crustal faults and fissures abound, and probably have a great mineralization potential.展开更多
The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science,and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question.Here,we exa...The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science,and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question.Here,we examine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of a sediment core(core CD-1)that was recovered from the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench.Major element abundances and rare-earth element patterns from these sediments require inputs from both terrigenous dust and locally sourced volcanic debris.We exploit a two-endmember mixing model to demonstrate that locally sourced volcanic material dominates the sediment supply to the Challenger Deep(averaging^72%).The remainder,however,is supplied by aeolian dust(averaging^28%),which is consistent with adjacent studies that utilized Sr-Nd isotopic data.Building on a growing database,we strengthen our understanding of Asian aeolian dust input into the northwestern Pacific,which ultimately improves our appreciation of sedimentation in,and around,the hadal zone.展开更多
Tellurium is a sort of scattered rare element on the earth. Its concentration is very low in earth＇s crust, only 1.0 ng/g. However, it has extremely high abundance in Co-rich crusts, marine polymetallic nodules, deep...Tellurium is a sort of scattered rare element on the earth. Its concentration is very low in earth＇s crust, only 1.0 ng/g. However, it has extremely high abundance in Co-rich crusts, marine polymetallic nodules, deep-sea sediments and aerolites. To find out the origin of tellurium enrichment in deep-sea sediments, we analyzed and compared tellurium concentrations and helium isotope compositions in the magnetic parts and those in the bulk parts of deep-sea sediments. The result indicates that the helium content, 3He/4He ratio and tellurium concentration are obviously higher in the magnetic parts than those in the bulk parts. The 3He abundance varies synchronously with the tellurium concentration. 3He and Te have a distinct positive correlation with each other. It is the first time that the paper brings forward that the extreme enrichment of tellurium in deep-sea sediments, like helium isotope anomalies, probably results from the input of interplanetary dust particles （IDPs）. Similarly, the extreme enrichment of tellurium in marine polymetallic nodules and Co-rich crusts is possibly related to IDPs.展开更多
With the aid of thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) up to 800ºС the composition and distribution of particles of native iron and Fe-Ni alloy was studied in 15 sections, Gams (Austria), Verhorechie and Selbuhra (Cr...With the aid of thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) up to 800ºС the composition and distribution of particles of native iron and Fe-Ni alloy was studied in 15 sections, Gams (Austria), Verhorechie and Selbuhra (Crimea), Kvirinaki and Tetritskaro (Georgia), Aimaki, Bass, Dzhengutaj, Madzhalis and Gergebil (North Caucasus, Russia), Klyuchi and Tep-lovka (Volga Region, Russia), Koshak (Kazakhstan), Kara-Kala and Khalats (Turkmenistan). The age of sediments varies from Miocene to Early Cretaceous. Iron particles are present at 521samples out of 921studied. Their percentage varies from 10-5% to 0.05%. The distribution consists of two groups: 1) “zero” group (iron is not found by TMA);2) group of logarithmic normal distribution with a differing modes. The global enrichment by iron particles in synchronous deposits of Miocene, Maastrichtian-Danian, Santonian and Cenomanian was discovered. With respect to nickel content, the iron particles fall into two groups: 1) nearly pure iron without nickel;and 2) iron with nickel content up to 20%, with modal value of 5%. The source of iron particles is the cosmic dust. Particles of pure nickel and the alloy containing more of 20% of nickel are very rare. Possibly, such particles are related mainly with impact events. A peak of elevated iron content with nearly constant nickel of 5-6% was found in almost all studied sections. It is a global effect which is not dependent of place and time of deposition of iron particles.展开更多
基金the National 973 (TG2000048705) the Hundred Tal ent Scholar Foundation (Grant No.2003401)+1 种基金 the Key Projects (KZCX1-09-03) , (KZCX1-10-06) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40171007).
文摘Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi’an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Most aerosols and dust analysed ranged in texture from silty clay to clay loam. Their median particle diameters (Mds) generally ranged between 5 to 63 μm, coinciding with those of loess from central China and the finest sand from northwestern China. The dust sediments were characterized by a predominance of SiO2 and Al2O3, followed by K2O. Their SiO2/Al2O3 and K2O/SiO2 molar ratios ranged from 5.17 to 8.43 and from 0.009 to 0.0368, respectively. The mass concentration spectrum during a dust storm showed a single peak, rather than the triple peak generally observed under clear sky conditions. The dominant minerals were chlorite, illite, calcite, and dolomite. These physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were consistent with those of aeolian soils and loess in western and central China. The results suggest that aerosols and fine-grained fractions of dust sediments collected in northern China are mainly composed of soil material transported from the arid and semiarid regions of China and Mongolia by prevailing winds. The rate of deposition and properties of dust falling on eastern China were strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, season, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the sampling sites.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41401046)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2016-264, lzujbky-2016-bt01)
文摘The Alagxa Plateau, in the margin of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, is one of the most important dust source areas in East Asia, and the widespread sandy desert in the area is important both as a reservoir and a source of eolian silty. The northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is one of the most actively-growing mountain belt on earth, and has large amounts of debris, with masses of fine grained material, which were continuously mobilized and deposited in the Alagxa Plateau by rivers, forming broad alluvial fans. It is possible that the role of fluvial sediments as a source of silty dust in the Alagxa Plateau has been underestimated. In this study, we test this hypothesis by investigating the iron mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the fluvial sediments and the surface material of the sandy desert in the Alagxa Plateau, and comparing them with paleo-eolian dust deposits(loess) in the adjacent Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP) to investigate the possible linkages among the fluvial sediments, sandy desert and the last glacial loess of the CLP. The results show that sandy desert typically have high contents of goethite, and high ratios of goethite to hematite, similar to the fluvial sediments in the Alagxa Plateau. Based on the major element characteristics, field investigations and the results of previous studies, we found a genetic link between the silt component of the fluvial sediments and the sandy desert in the Alagxa Plateau with high value of Gt(goethite) and similarity of the Gt/(Hm(hematite)+Gt) ratio. But the silt component of the sandy desert main come from the adjacent fluvial sediments. The iron mineralogical characteristics(χ(magnetic susceptibility), χARM(anhysteretic susceptibility), SIRM(saturation isothermal remanent magnetization) and SIRM_(AF100 mT)(SIRM demagnetized at 100 mT)) of the CLP samples overlap with those of the fluvial sediments in the Alagxa Plateau, but there is a mismatch with the sandy desert samples. This suggests that the fluvial sediments are the source of a large amount of silty material which could be transported to the CLP. Therefore, we conclude that the fluvial sediment in the Alagxa Plateau is an important source of eolian silt, which is deposited in downwind region, and that this source has been previously underestimated.
基金The National Key Basic Research Program of China under contract Nos 2013CB429705 and 2013CB429701the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41176045 and 41376067+1 种基金the Scientific Research Fund of the Second Institute of Oceanographythe SOA of China under contract Nos JG1403 and JT1304
文摘Hydrothermal materials in deep-sea sediments provide a robust tracer to the localized hydrothermal activity at mid-ocean ridges. Major, trace and rare earth element（REE） data for surface sediments collected from the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge are presented to examine the existence of hydrothermal component.Biogenic carbonate oozes dominate all the sediment samples, with CaO content varying from 85.5% to 89.9% on a volatile-free basis. The leaching residue of bulk sediments by ~5% HCl is compositionally comparable to the Upper Continental Crust（UCC） in SiO_2, Al_2O_3, CaO, MgO, alkali elements（Rb, Cs） and high field strength elements（Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti）. These detritus-hosted elements are inferred to be prominently derived from the Australian continent by means of eolian dust, while the contribution of local volcaniclastics is insignificant. In addition, the residual fraction shows a clear enrichment in Fe, Mn, and Ba compared with the UCC. Combining the positive Eu anomaly of residual fraction which is opposed to the UCC but the characteristic of hydrothermal fluids and associated precipitates occurred at mid-ocean ridges, the incorporation of localized hydrothermal component can be constrained. REE mixing calculations indicate that more than half REE within the residual fraction（~55%–60%） are derived from a hydrothermal component, which is inferred to be resulted from a diffuse fluid mineralization. The low-temperature diffuse flow may be widely distributed along the slow-ultraslow spreading ridges where crustal faults and fissures abound, and probably have a great mineralization potential.
基金Supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDB06020204)the National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2017YFC0307704,2017YFC0307600)the Marine Geological Survey Program of China Geological Survey(No.DD20160218)
文摘The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science,and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question.Here,we examine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of a sediment core(core CD-1)that was recovered from the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench.Major element abundances and rare-earth element patterns from these sediments require inputs from both terrigenous dust and locally sourced volcanic debris.We exploit a two-endmember mixing model to demonstrate that locally sourced volcanic material dominates the sediment supply to the Challenger Deep(averaging^72%).The remainder,however,is supplied by aeolian dust(averaging^28%),which is consistent with adjacent studies that utilized Sr-Nd isotopic data.Building on a growing database,we strengthen our understanding of Asian aeolian dust input into the northwestern Pacific,which ultimately improves our appreciation of sedimentation in,and around,the hadal zone.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.49873002)Key Basic Research Project of Ministry of Land and Mineral Resources(No.20010209).
文摘Tellurium is a sort of scattered rare element on the earth. Its concentration is very low in earth＇s crust, only 1.0 ng/g. However, it has extremely high abundance in Co-rich crusts, marine polymetallic nodules, deep-sea sediments and aerolites. To find out the origin of tellurium enrichment in deep-sea sediments, we analyzed and compared tellurium concentrations and helium isotope compositions in the magnetic parts and those in the bulk parts of deep-sea sediments. The result indicates that the helium content, 3He/4He ratio and tellurium concentration are obviously higher in the magnetic parts than those in the bulk parts. The 3He abundance varies synchronously with the tellurium concentration. 3He and Te have a distinct positive correlation with each other. It is the first time that the paper brings forward that the extreme enrichment of tellurium in deep-sea sediments, like helium isotope anomalies, probably results from the input of interplanetary dust particles （IDPs）. Similarly, the extreme enrichment of tellurium in marine polymetallic nodules and Co-rich crusts is possibly related to IDPs.
文摘With the aid of thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) up to 800ºС the composition and distribution of particles of native iron and Fe-Ni alloy was studied in 15 sections, Gams (Austria), Verhorechie and Selbuhra (Crimea), Kvirinaki and Tetritskaro (Georgia), Aimaki, Bass, Dzhengutaj, Madzhalis and Gergebil (North Caucasus, Russia), Klyuchi and Tep-lovka (Volga Region, Russia), Koshak (Kazakhstan), Kara-Kala and Khalats (Turkmenistan). The age of sediments varies from Miocene to Early Cretaceous. Iron particles are present at 521samples out of 921studied. Their percentage varies from 10-5% to 0.05%. The distribution consists of two groups: 1) “zero” group (iron is not found by TMA);2) group of logarithmic normal distribution with a differing modes. The global enrichment by iron particles in synchronous deposits of Miocene, Maastrichtian-Danian, Santonian and Cenomanian was discovered. With respect to nickel content, the iron particles fall into two groups: 1) nearly pure iron without nickel;and 2) iron with nickel content up to 20%, with modal value of 5%. The source of iron particles is the cosmic dust. Particles of pure nickel and the alloy containing more of 20% of nickel are very rare. Possibly, such particles are related mainly with impact events. A peak of elevated iron content with nearly constant nickel of 5-6% was found in almost all studied sections. It is a global effect which is not dependent of place and time of deposition of iron particles.
