Problems with biogenic silica measurement in marginal seas

Surface sediment samples from the Bohai, Yellow Sea, and the Pacific were used to assess biogenic silica (BSi) content and to study uncertainties in BSi measurements. The contents of BSi in the Bohai and Yellow Sea are all less than 1%. The dissolution of BSi in sediments from the Bohai and Yellow Sea is very important to maintain high levels of silicate in the water column. The non-biogenic silica from clay minerals has an obvious effect on BSi of sediment samples in the Bohai and Yellow Sea with low BSi and high clay minerals. The solid to solution ratio was found to have a great influence on BSi measurement, which can induce uncertainties up to 75%. The effect of loss by sorption and centrifugation is negligible. Interlaboratory comparison of techniques for BSi measurement by the wet alkaline extraction technique of Mortlock and Froelich [Deep-Sea Res. 36 (1989) 1415-1426] with clay correction was suggested to give no significant differences. However, differences in sediment compositions and reagent to sample ratio may limit the application of the wet alkaline extraction method.     

Dissolved silica budget in the North basin of Lake Lugano

We studied the dissolved silica cycle in the water column of the North basin of Lake Lugano, Switzerland/Italy. Lake Lugano is a meromictic, eutrophic lake, permanently stratified below 100-m depth. A one-box model was used to calculate a silica mass-balance over 1993, based on various lake measurements, such as sediment traps, sediment cores, water analysis and biota countings. We found that the North basin of Lake Lugano is at steady state as far as dissolved silica is concerned. The primary source of dissolved silica in the lake is river input (about 80%), with diffusion from bottom sediments and groundwater input also playing a role. Atmospheric input is negligible. The main export of dissolved silica occurs via biogenic uptake by diatoms and final burial of their frustules in the bottom sediment. Loss of dissolved silica through the lake outflow only represents 15% of the total output. Of the total amount of Si exported to the lake bottom through diatom sinking, less than 20% is re-supplied to the surface water by diffusion. Thus, the lake acts as an important permanent sink for silica. The long residence time of dissolved silica in the lake (7 years) is related to the strong physical stratification of the lake. Only about 10% of the standing stock are available to phytoplankton uptake.     

南海南部表层沉积物中生物硅的分布及其环境意义

对南海南部25个表层沉积样进行了生物硅的测定分析,试图揭示南海南部表层沉积生物硅的分布及其对现代海洋环境的指示意义,以便为古海洋学研究提供进一步的科学依据。研究发现,表层沉积物中生物硅含量与其所处水深呈显著正相关关系,相关系数达到0．782。陆架浅水区表层沉积物中生物硅含量非常低,不能反映表层水体中硅质生物生产力情况,这可能与沉积类型和陆源物质输入影响有关。深水区表层沉积物中生物硅的含量分布表明,其不仅能反映出表层水体中硅质生物的古生产力水平,而且还能指示上升流的强弱,从而进一步证实了利用沉积物中生物硅含量来追踪上升流发育和变化的有效性与可信度。研究结果还显示,在研究区域中北部表层沉积生物硅中放射虫和海绵骨针较硅藻占有更大的比重,这可能是由于硅藻易被溶解并易被其他生物体摄食的缘故。在有上升流发育的海域,放射虫、硅藻和海绵骨针基本上均表现出较高的丰度,这与高的生物硅含量相一致。     

CO_2 Density-Raman Shift Relation Derived from Synthetic Inclusions in Fused Silica Capillaries and Its Application

Abstract: The densities of CO2 inclusions in minerals are commonly used to determine the crystallizing conditions of the host minerals. However, conventional microthermometry is difficult to apply for inclusions of small size (< 5–10 μm) or low density. Raman analysis is an alternative method for determining CO2 density, provided that the CO2 density–Raman shift relation is known. This study aims to establish this CO2 density–Raman shift relation by using CO2 inclusions synthesized in fused silica capillaries. By using this newly-developed synthetic technique, we formed pure CO2 inclusions, and their densities were determined by microthermometry. The Raman analysis showed that the relation between CO2 density (D in g/cm3) and the separations (Δ in cm?1) between the two main bands (i.e. Fermi diad bands) in CO2 Raman spectra can be represented by a cubic equation: D (g/cm3)=0.74203(?0.019Δ3+5.90332Δ2?610.79472Δ+21050.30165)?3.54278 (r2=0.99920). Our calculated D value for a given Δ is between those obtained from two previously-reported equations, which were derived from different experimental methods. An example was given in this study to demonstrate that the densities of natural CO2 inclusions that could not be derived from microthermometry could be determined by using our method.     

青海湖沉积物生物硅的环境意义初步研究

湖泊沉积物中生物硅含量的变化已经被广泛应用于评价湖泊生产力和古气候变化研究,但大型湖泊不同位置生物硅含量的时空变化及其与环境要素之间的关系仍缺乏详细的现代过程研究。通过对青海湖不同位置表层沉积样品的生物硅含量测定,建立其空间分布模式及最近数百年生物硅含量的时间序列。结果表明,青海湖表层沉积物生物硅含量变化范围是1.75 ％ ~2.98 ％ ,平均值为2.25 ％ 。与世界其他湖泊相比,青海湖生物硅含量处于相对较低水平,可能与其特殊的地理位置和气候条件有关。青海湖生物硅含量的空间分布规律与沉积物质量堆积速率以及陆源组分含量(如SiO2)相反,而与化学/生物沉积组分(如CaCO3)含量的空间分布规律大体一致,说明生物硅的空间分布受到陆源碎屑物质的"稀释效应"影响。时间序列上,生物硅含量与SiO2含量呈相反变化趋势,与指示降雨量变化的 C/N 比值也是反相变化,说明生物硅含量在时间序列上也受与气候条件密切相关的陆源输入的影响。青海湖湖心低沉积速率区域的生物硅指标具有指示古气候变化的潜力。     

The influence of a mature cyclonic eddy on particle export in the lee of Hawaii

Mesoscale eddies may enhance primary production (PP) in the open ocean by bringing nutrient-rich deep waters into the euphotic zone, potentially leading to increased transport of particles to depth. This hypothesis remains controversial, however, due to a paucity of direct particle export measurements. In this study, we investigated particle dynamics using ²³⁴Th–²³⁸U disequilibria within a mesoscale cold-core eddy, Cyclone Opal, which formed in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. ²³⁴Th samples were collected along two transects across Cyclone Opal as well as during a time-series within the eddy core during a decaying diatom bloom. Particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and biogenic silica (bSiO₂) fluxes at 150 m varied spatially and temporally within the eddy and strongly depended on the ²³⁴Th model formulation used (e.g., steady state versus non-steady state, inclusion of upwelling, etc.). Particle fluxes estimated from a steady state model assuming an upwelling rate of 2 m day⁻¹ yielded the best fit to sediment-trap data. These ²³⁴Th-derived particle fluxes ranged from 332±14 to 1719±53 μmol C m⁻² day⁻¹, 27±3 to 114±12 μmol N m⁻² day⁻¹, and 33±20 to 309±73 μmol Si m⁻² day⁻¹. Although PP rates within Cyclone Opal were elevated by a factor of 2–3, PC and PN fluxes were the same, within error, inside and outside of Cyclone Opal. The ratio of PC export to PP remained surprisingly low at <0.03 and similar to those measured in surrounding waters. In contrast, bSiO₂ fluxes within the eddy core were three times higher. Detailed analyses of ²³⁴Th depth profiles consistently showed excess ²³⁴Th at 100–175 m, associated with the remineralization and possible accumulation of suspended and dissolved organic matter from the surface. We suggest that strong microzooplankton grazing facilitated particulate organic matter recycling and resulted in the export of empty diatom frustules. Thus, while eddies may increase PP, they do not necessarily increase PC and PN export to deep waters. This may be a general characteristic of wind-driven cyclonic eddies of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and suggests that eddies may preferentially act as a silica pump, thereby playing an important role in promoting silicic-acid limitation in the region.     

沉积物孔隙毛细管压力与甲烷水合物饱和度关系研究

To better understand the relationship between the pore capillary pressure and hydrate saturation in sediments, a new method was proposed. First, the phase equilibria of methane hydrate in fine-grained silica sands were measured. As to the equilibrium data, the pore capillary pressure and saturation of methane hydrate were calculated. The results showed that the phase equilibria of methane hydrates in fine-grained silica sands changed due to the depressed activity of pore water caused by the surface group and negatively charged characteristic of silica particles as well as the capillary pressure in small pores together. The capillary pressure increased with the increase of methane hydrate saturation due to the decrease of the available pore space. However, the capillary-saturation relationship could not yet be described quantitatively because of the stochastic habit of hydrate growth.     

赤道太平洋上层水体颗粒态生物硅分布及与营养盐的关系

依托中国“大洋一号”第20和第21调查航次,分析测定了东、西赤道太平洋4个站位的颗粒态生物硅浓度及其粒级结构。结果显示赤道太平洋采样站各层位颗粒态生物硅(PBSi)总浓度分布范围为5~65 nmol/dm³,东赤道太平洋的调查站位颗粒态生物硅的总浓度平均值达46 nmol/dm³,是西赤道太平洋的近3倍。PBSi的粒径结果显示在东赤道太平洋调查站位0.8~20 μm粒径颗粒是PBSi的主要来源,其平均贡献率高达64%;而在西赤道太平洋2种粒径的生物硅贡献率相当。营养盐分布对PBSi的浓度及粒径分布有显著的影响,并在一定程度上控制了“硅质泵”的组成结构,是控制大洋生物泵运转的重要因素。     

2009-2013年普里兹湾表层水体中生物硅含量的年际变化及其与全球气候事件的关系

利用中国南极科学考察期间获得的颗粒物样品,对南大洋普里兹湾海域水体中生物硅的含量分布及年际变化情况进行了分析。研究结果显示:在2013年夏季普里兹湾表层水体中生物硅含量在0.38—8.62μmol/dm3之间变化,平均为1.55±1.86μmol/dm3。生物硅在67°S以南湾内区域表层水体中的含量明显高于67°S以北的湾外区域,最大值出现在普里兹湾陆架区,生物因子是表层水体生物硅含量分布的主控因子。根据不同年份即25、26、27、28、29次南极科学考察期间获取的数据研究显示,普里兹湾表层水体中生物硅含量存在明显的年际差异。历史数据分析结果表明,气候事件对普里兹湾海冰变化有明显的影响,因而对相应年份该海域浮游植物数量和种群结构也会产生一定的影响,从而导致表层水体中生物硅含量的年际差异。