Towards quantitative ecological risk assessment of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the marine environment

The environmental impact of elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels has become of more interest in recent years. This, in relation to globally rising CO₂ levels and related considerations of geological CO₂ storage as a mitigating measure. In the present study effect data from literature were collected in order to conduct a marine ecological risk assessment of elevated CO₂ levels, using a Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD). It became evident that information currently available from the literature is mostly insufficient for such a quantitative approach. Most studies focus on effects of expected future CO₂ levels, testing only one or two elevated concentrations. A full dose-response relationship, a uniform measure of exposure, and standardized test protocols are essential for conducting a proper quantitative risk assessment of elevated CO₂ levels. Improvements are proposed to make future tests more valuable and usable for quantitative risk assessment.     

Assessment of the background ecological state of water in the Chayvo Bay, northeastern Sakhalin

The results of studies of the hydrological and hydrochemical regimes carried out in 2001 in Chayvo Bay and microbiological analyses of the abundance of geterotrophic microorganisms belonging to ecological-trophic groups are given. Data on the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons, phenols, and metals (Fe, Pb, and Cd) in water and bottom sediments were collected. The obtained data were used to assess the water quality in the bay.     

A new map of wetlands in the southern taiga of the West Siberia for assessing the emission of methane and carbon dioxide

A typological map of wetlands in the southern taiga of West Siberia has been compiled based on high-resolution Landsat images. In accordance with the new map, the area of southern-taiga wetlands is estimated at 12.02 Mha at the total wetland area percentage in the subzone estimated at 28%. The final accuracy of determination of various wetland classes is 80%. The use of the new map improved the estimates of methane emissions from southern-taiga wetlands from 0.84 to 1.57 MtCH₄/year, i.e., by 87%. The respiration of wetland ecosystems in the southern taiga of the West Siberia is estimated at 67 MtCO₂/year.     

Stability of iron oxides and their role in the formation of rock magnetism

Thermodynamic conditions (first of all, temperature) are the main dynamic factors in the transformation process of ferrous to ferric iron (TFFI). TFFI usually takes place within a temperature range of 473–843 K (most active at temperatures above 673 K) and does not require presence of the oxidizing agents above 673 K. Analysis of the chemical composition of different rocks and minerals indicates that only for some sedimentary rocks is the relative content of ferrous iron oxide less than its value in magnetite, and this value is minimal for oceanic sediments. The relative content of ferrous iron oxide in oceanic magmatic rocks exceeds this value in continental magmatic rocks and depends on the rate of rock cooling. An investigation of the role of the titanium oxide content of different rocks on stability of ferrous iron oxide against its transformation to ferric iron oxide shows that a significant correlation (r = 0.79) does exist between the relative content of ferrous iron oxide and ratio of TiO₂/Fe₂O₃. Temperature within the solar nebula at location of the Earth was within the temperature range of the TFFI. During the Earth accretion and its early evolution, ferric iron oxide was unstable and most likely did not exist. The first magnetic minerals containing ferric iron could have appeared only after the Earth’s surface had cooled below ∼843 K. The formation of the first Algoma-type banded iron formations could be used as a marker of the Earth’s surface cooling below ∼843 K.     

Influence of a tropical cyclone on the upper ionosphere according to tomography sounding data over Sakhalin Island in November 2007

Tomography sounding data for the first half of November 2007 are presented. The sounding was conducted over three points located at the same meridian—Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (47° N, 143° E), Poronaisk (49° N, 143° E), and Nogliki (51° N, 143° E)—in order to find the possible influence of a tropical cyclone on the upper ionosphere. A change in the foF2 parameter by on average no more than 10–20% is a possible response of the upper ionosphere localized over the tropical cyclone (TC) zone (in the given case, 25°–30° northward and 5°–20° eastward) at a distance of approximately 3800–5500 km from it. A decrease or, vice versa, an increase in foF2 is related to the delay of the measurement moment relative to the beginning of the TC action. The complexity of a morphological analysis of the given event is that a tropical cyclone is a “wideband” (in the longitudinal and, to a lesser degree, in the latitudinal directions) and lasting disturbance source.     

In-situ observation for formation and dissociation of carbon dioxide hydrate in porous media by magnetic resonance imaging

The study of formation and dissociation of CO 2 hydrate in porous media was characterized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system in in situ conditions. This work simulated porous media by using glass beads of uniform size. The growth and dissociation habit of CO2 hydrate was observed under different temperature and pressure conditions. The induction time and the hydrate saturation during the growth and dissociation process in different sizes of porous media were obtained by using the MRI signal intensity. The results indicate that hydrate growth rate and the induction time are affected by the size of porous media, pressure, and degree of supercooling. There are three hydrate growth stages, i.e., initial growth stage, rapid growth stage and steady stage. In this study,the CO2 hydrate forms preferentially at the surface of vessel and then gradually grows inward. The hydrate tends to cement the glass beads together and occupies the pore gradually. As the hydrate decomposes gradually, the dissociation rate increases to the maximum and then decreases to zero.     

上地幔低速高导层成因的探讨-水和熔体的作用

上地幔中广泛存在低速高导层,对这些低速高导层成因的研究可以帮助我们了解上地幔物质的组成、分布以及地幔动力学过程.目前,地球科学家把上地幔低速高导层的主要成因归结为水或熔体的作用.本文主要介绍了水和熔体在上地幔中的赋存状况、对地震波速的衰减作用以及对电导率的影响.最后本文评述了含水模型和含熔体模型,并对电导率研究进行了展望.     

Nevelsk Earthquakes on Sakhalin Island on August 17, 2006 and August 2, 2007: the Results of a Field Macroseismic Survey of the Objects

The results of a survey of a number of objects in the field and towns of Nevelsk and Gornozavodsk, which were in the epicenter of an earthquake, are presented.     

Modelling the uptake and release of carbon dioxide in the Baltic Sea surface water

We present and analyse a fully coupled physical–biogeochemical model of the uptake and release of carbon dioxide in the Baltic Sea. The modelling includes the interaction between physical (stratification, temperature, salinity, penetration of solar radiation, and ice), chemical (total alkalinity, pH, dissolved inorganic carbon, oxygen, and nutrients), and biological processes (plankton and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)). These processes have been built into an advanced process-oriented coupled basin ocean model that has been extensively explored and validated for the Baltic Sea.     

Modelling biofilm growth in the presence of carbon dioxide and water flow in the subsurface

The concentration of greenhouse gases – particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) – in the atmosphere has been on the rise in the past decades. One of the methods which have been proposed to help reduce anthropogenic CO₂ emissions is the capture of CO₂from large, stationary point sources and storage in deep geological formations. The caprock is an impermeable geological layer which prevents the leakage of stored CO₂, and its integrity is of utmost importance for storage security. Due to the high pressure build-up during injection, the caprock in the vicinity of the well is particularly at risk of fracturing. Biofilms could be used as biobarriers which help prevent the leakage of CO₂ through the caprock in injection well vicinity by blocking leakage pathways. The biofilm could also protect well cement from corrosion by CO₂-rich brine.     

Role of carbon dioxide in the dynamics of magma ascent in explosive eruptions

 The role of carbon dioxide in the dynamics of magma ascent in explosive eruptions is investigated by means of numerical modeling. The model is steady, one-dimensional, and isothermal; it calculates the separated flow of gas and a homogeneous mixture of liquid magma and crystals. The magma properties are calculated on the basis of magma composition and crystal content and are allowed to change along the conduit due to pressure decrease and gas exsolution. The effect of the presence of a two-component (water + carbon dioxide) exsolving gas phase is investigated by performing a parametric study on the CO₂/(H₂O+CO₂) ratio, which is allowed to vary from 0 to 0.5 at either constant total volatile or constant water content. The relatively insoluble carbon dioxide component plays an important role in the location of the volatile-saturation and magma-fragmentation levels and in the distribution of the flow variables in the volcanic conduit. In detail, the results show that an increase of the proportion of carbon dioxide produces a decrease of the mass flow rate, pressure, and exit mixture density, and an increase of the exit gas volume fraction and depth of the fragmentation level. A relevant result is the different role played by water and carbon dioxide in the eruption dynamics; an increasing amount of water produces an increase of the mass flow rate, and an increasing amount of carbon dioxide produces a decrease. Even small amounts of carbon dioxide have major consequences on the eruption dynamics, implying that the multicomponent nature of the volcanic gas must be taken into account in the prediction of the eruption scenario and the forecasting of volcanic hazard. Received: 6 March 1998 / Accepted: 28 October 1998     

Island arcs,deep-sea trenches,and seismofocal zones of Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean: Similarity and distinctions

The available geological, gravimetric, and seismological data suggest that island arcs, deep-sea trenches, and seismofocal zones of Indonesia (as a part of the Alpine-Indonesian mobile belt) differ significantly from structures of the same names of the Pacific ring proper. Thus, seismofocal zones of the ring are characterized by the stress-strain conditions of subhorizontal across-strike compression at depths of 0–400 km. In seismofocal zones of the mobile belt, such conditions exist only in the depth interval ～(0–40) km. At depths of about 40 to 400 km, lengthening (the T axis) is oriented along the dip-updip direction of a zone, whereas shortening (the P axis) is oriented along the strike of a seismofocal zone or, if individual P axes are not well ordered in this depth interval, they are scattered near the plane normal to the lengthening axis. We relate these distinctions to the fact that the mobile belt inherits a geosynclinal, rather than oceanic, basin that cannot be regarded as a huge bay of the paleo-Pacific. The aforementioned data imply that SW Melanesia (the New Guinea Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, and Solomon Islands) includes the recent Bismarck geosynclinal zone located on the strike of the Indonesian segment of the Alpine-Indonesian mobile belt.     

Structure formation in the rift zones and in the tranvers offset of the spreading axes: Results of physical modeling

The paper presents the results of experimental modeling of the specific features in the structure formation within the rift zones and also within lateral displacements of the spreading axes such as transform faults and nontransform displacements. The experiments were conducted on materials consisting of liquid and solid hydrocarbons; the similarity conditions were taken into account.     

Organic sources and carbon sequestration in Holocene shelf sediments from the western Arctic Ocean

To quantify changes in organic carbon inputs and preservation, sediments from the Northern Chukchi Sea spanning the last 9000 years of the Holocene period were collected during the HOTRAX expedition and analyzed. The multi-proxy approach included molecular organic markers, bulk carbon and isotope measurements plus more recent approaches to terrestrial carbon estimation (the BIT index of Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraethers). The upper 1100 cm of the core, corresponding to the last 7.4 ka, showed a relatively stable total organic carbon content of 1.13-1.38% which decreased below 1100 cm to 0.6%. C:N ratios ranged from 8.4 to 10.83 over the Holocene time period examined. The distribution of n-alcohols and n-alkanes revealed major contributions from long-chain n-alcohols and n-alkanes while minimal contributions were seen from short-chain n-alkanes. The majority of the total fatty acids was comprised of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids with short-chain and long-chain saturated fatty acids present in similar concentrations throughout most of the core and monounsaturated fatty acids decreasing down-core. Total sterol concentrations showed considerable inputs from marine sterols, C₂₈Δ^5,22, C₂₈Δ^5,24(28) and dinosterol, as well as C₂₉Δ⁵, typically considered a terrestrial marker. The BIT indices for core sediments ranged from 0.021 to 0.216 with minor changes seen in older sequences. Overall, organic biomarkers indicate marine sources as the more dominant input of organic matter with lower but continual contributions from terrestrial sources at this location during the Holocene. The remarkable consistency among multiple molecular organic markers of both marine and terrestrial origin over the Holocene period encompassed by the core suggests that sinking material or surface sediments were heavily influenced by bottom currents or other mixing processes prior to their deposition.     

Distribution of stable carbon isotope in coalbed methane from the east margin of Ordos Basin

The commercial recovery of methane from coal is well established in the coalbed methane (CBM) blocks at the east margin of Ordos Basin, China. CBM forms with various carbon isotopic ratios (δ¹³C_PDB) due to the carbon isotopic fractionation in biogenical or thermogenical processes. Based on the geologic evolution of coalbed reservoir and studies on the characteristics of δ¹³C_PDB values distributed spatially (e.g., horizontal CBM well location area, vertical coal burial zone, coal rank, etc.) and temporally (e.g., geologic evolution history), we explored the formation mechanism of carbon isotopic of methane. The relatively low δ¹³C_PDB values are widely distributed along the research area, indicating a trend of “lighter-heavier-lighter” from north to south. From a combination analysis of the relationship between δ¹³C_PDB and the relative effects, the essential aspects in determining CBM carbon isotope being light in the study area are: the genesis of secondary biogas in the north; water soluble effects in the active hydrodynamic areas in the middle; desorption fractionation effect promoted by tectonic evolution in the south; and the sudden warming hydrocarbon fractionation accelerated by magmatic event in particular areas (e.g., Linxian).     

The status of the ecological environment and a proposed protection strategy in Sanya Bay,Hainan Island,China

Sanya Bay encompasses a high diversity of natural habitats, ranging from coral reefs, rocky and sandy shores and mudflats to mangroves. Seasonal physicochemical and biological investigations were conducted from 1998 to 1999 and again in April 2000. Water-related environmental quality in Sanya Bay is in good condition. The levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals are within the first class of National Seawater Quality Standards for China. Annual mean values of chlorophyll a of 0.93 mg m(-3) and phytoplankton primary productivity of 440.8 mgC m(-2)d(-1), respectively, were found in the waters, both of which show a significant correlation with inorganic nitrogen. A mean new productivity of 144.6 mgC m(-2) d(-1) was recorded in summer. Sanya Bay is rich in natural resources and biodiversity with 235 species of phytoplankton and 129 species of zooplankton identified in the survey. The annual mean abundance of phytoplankton and zooplankton were 1564 x 10 cells m(-3) and 121 individuals m(-3), respectively, with an annual mean zooplankton biomass of 129 mg m(-3). A total of 243 species of fish were sampled in the survey including many of high economic value. Three hundred and eighty-four species of benthos in 121 families were found by mud sampling and trawling. The average biomass of benthic organisms was 11.55 gm(-2), with a density of 31 individuals m(-2). Molluscs were the dominant group, followed by crustaceans; coelenterates exhibited the lowest biomass. One hundred and twenty-six species from 48 families of intertidal organisms were collected by frame sampling, with a mean annual biomass of 644.7 gm(-2) and average density of 816 individuals m(-2). The highest biomass of 1673.5 gm(-2) was collected in a coral reef region, while the highest density of 1219 individuals m(-2) occurred in a mangrove region. The coastline is characterized by coral reefs that accounts for 30% of the total coastline length in the bay, so coral reefs are a key ecosystem that are important for maintaining the regional marine resources and biodiversity. We need to pay much more attention to such diverse marine resources to maintain the integrity and function of these coastal ecosystems.     

Recent movement changes of main fault zones in the Sichuan-Yunnan region and their relevance to seismic activity

The Wenchuan earthquake occurred near the "triple junction" linking the Bayan Har block, the South China block, and the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block, and its influences on the surrounding blocks and the main fault zones in the Sichuan-Yunnan region, i.e., the block boundary zone, cannot be ignored. In this paper, changes of movement and stress of the fault zones before and after a strong earthquake were simulated based on the GPS repetition survey results recently obtained during 1999–2007, 2009–2011, and 2011–2013 with a two-dimensional finite-element contact model and the "block- loading" method. The results show that, before the Wenchuan earthquake, the movement of the Longmenshan fault zone was very slow and its compressive stress accumulated rapidly; after the Wenchuan earthquake, movements toward the E-SSE direction of the Bayan Har, southwestern Yunnan, and rhombic blocks were enhanced, and the dextral and horizontal compressive speeds and annual accumulative compressive stress of the Longmenshan fault zone increased markedly by factors of 4.5, 2.1, and 2.5, respectively. The southern Xianshuihe, Anninghe, Zemuhe, Daliangshan, and Lijiang-Xiaojinhe fault zones accumulated compressive stress rapidly, forming enhanced compressive stress zones along a NE strike crossing the central part of the Sichuan-Yunnan region. The tensional movement of the Xianshuihe fault zone was enhanced and the slip movement in the central part of the zone was reversed in a short time. The changes are tightly related to the medium-intensity earthquakes that occurred during the same period in this region, revealing that the spatial migration of seismic activity is related to changes of movement of the blocks.