water-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 10863

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China
Interests: marine sedimentology; paleoceanography; paleoclimate; paleogeography; petroleum geology; unconvential resources; diagenesis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey, Qingdao 266237, China
Interests: marine geology; petroleum geology; marine sedimentology; paleogeography; marine strategic research

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Interests: marine sedimentology; sequence stratigraphy; sedimentary basin analysis; quaternary geology; petroleum and natural gas geology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

An enhanced understanding of marine geology expands our knowledge of the geological features and characteristics of Earth, considering that the ocean encompasses a significant portion of the Earth's surface. In particular, geological processes in marginal seas provide valuable insights into tectonic and geodynamic processes, basin formation and sedimentation, hydrocarbon exploration, natural hazards, and climate change impacts. This knowledge helps us understand the Earth's dynamics, identify and manage natural resources, assess and mitigate hazards, and plan for the effects of climate change in coastal regions.

The objective of this Special Issue is to delve into the recent advancements in marine sedimentation and geological processes. We encourage contributors to share their original research papers that specifically address the theme of this Special Issue.

Potential topics including but not limited to the following:

  • Geological evolution of marginal seas and sedimentary basins;
  • Sedimentary evolution and its environmental effects;
  • Sedimentary records of tectonic and climatic changes;
  • Source-to-sink analysis;
  • Marine geological carbon sequestration and carbon neutrality;
  • Hydrocarbon exploration evaluation;
  • Formation and distribution mechanism of marine hydrocarbon resources;
  • Geological carbon sink capacity;
  • Exploration and development of marine gas hydrate.

Dr. Penghui Zhang
Guest Editor

Prof. Dr. Jie Liang
Dr. Deyong Li
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sedimentary evolution
  • source-to-sink
  • marine geological carbon sequestration
  • geological carbon sink
  • marine hydrocarbon exploration
  • marine gas hydrate

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 11422 KiB  
Article
Impact of Fluid Migration Conditions on Hydrate Accumulation in the Shenhu Area: Insights from Thermo-Flow-Chemical Simulation
by Zhaobin Zhang, Zhuoran Xie, Yuxuan Li, Tao Xu, Shouding Li and Xiao Li
Water 2024, 16(19), 2822; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192822 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 924
Abstract
Natural gas hydrates are a clean and efficient new energy source with the potential to replace conventional energy, holding significant production value. Studying hydrate accumulation systems is fundamental for hydrate resource evaluation and target reservoir selection. The Shenhu area of the South China [...] Read more.
Natural gas hydrates are a clean and efficient new energy source with the potential to replace conventional energy, holding significant production value. Studying hydrate accumulation systems is fundamental for hydrate resource evaluation and target reservoir selection. The Shenhu area of the South China Sea has abundant hydrate resources, and drilling data show that the hydrate distribution in this area exhibits noticeable heterogeneity. Aiming at this phenomenon, we used a novel thermo-flow/chemical coupled simulator to simulate the hydrate accumulation system based on the actual geological strata and provide a detailed depiction of the evolution of components in the process. The results indicate that favorable migration conditions can accelerate hydrate formation. However, to achieve the rapid formation of thick, high-saturation hydrate layers, the fluid migration conditions must be complemented by effective fluid aggregation conditions. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the fault morphology was conducted, revealing that larger-scale faults are more conducive to rapid hydrate accumulation. In summary, this study provides a quantitative analysis of the hydrate accumulation process and its key influence factors using a novel simulator, offering theoretical support for resource evaluation and an exploration of hydrate distribution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2994 KiB  
Article
Characteristics and Sources of Heavy Metals Pollution in Surface Sediments: An Integrated Land–Sea Comparative Analysis in Dingzi Bay, South Yellow Sea
by Xiaoyuan Gu, Yang Liu, Shixiong Yang, Jianwei Sun, Qingtong Wang, Haigen Wang, Yuhai Chen and Wei Wang
Water 2024, 16(12), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16121692 - 13 Jun 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1303
Abstract
Systematic and scientific assessments on heavy metal pollution are greatly important to protecting the coastal eco-environment. In this paper, the spatial distribution, pollution degree, ecological toxicity and possible sources of eight heavy metal elements collected from the 126 marine and 715 terrestrial surface [...] Read more.
Systematic and scientific assessments on heavy metal pollution are greatly important to protecting the coastal eco-environment. In this paper, the spatial distribution, pollution degree, ecological toxicity and possible sources of eight heavy metal elements collected from the 126 marine and 715 terrestrial surface sediments surrounding Dingzi Bay were analyzed by obtaining concentration measurements. The results revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals followed a pattern: inner bay > terrestrial areas > outer bay. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg were found to accumulate in fine particles (<0.063 mm), while As showed an association with specific particles (>0.25 mm and <0.016 mm). Spatial pollution patterns varied from non-polluted to low pollution levels overall, with localized contamination by individual elements. In addition to natural sources, four types of anthropogenic pollution were identified in the marine and terrestrial settings. Agricultural pollution, characterized by As predominance, exerted profound effects on both terrestrial and marine environments. Industrial pollution, featuring Hg dominance, was widespread in land environment and predominantly linked to atmospheric deposition. Traffic pollution, marked by elevated Pb and Cd, was concentrated around factories and densely populated areas. Maritime pollution, comprising Hg, Cr, Cd, and Zn, primarily occurred in the nearshore areas outside the bay. The findings of this study provide scientific data to the authorities in charge of sustainable coastal zone management in the South Yellow Sea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2688 KiB  
Article
The Role of Iron Minerals in the Preservation of Organic Carbon in Mangrove Sediments
by Kang Li, Huamei Huang, Di Dong, Shengpeng Zhang and Ran Yan
Water 2024, 16(7), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16071011 - 31 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1960
Abstract
Although mangrove forests occupy only 0.5% of the global coastal area, they account for 10–15% of coastal organic carbon (OC) storage, and 49–98% of OC is stored in sediments. The biogeochemistry of iron minerals and OC in marine sediments is closely related. To [...] Read more.
Although mangrove forests occupy only 0.5% of the global coastal area, they account for 10–15% of coastal organic carbon (OC) storage, and 49–98% of OC is stored in sediments. The biogeochemistry of iron minerals and OC in marine sediments is closely related. To better reveal the role of iron minerals in OC preservation in mangrove sediments, an established dithionite–citrate–bicarbonate (DCB) extraction method was used to extract iron-bound OC (Fe-OC), and then the parameters of OC, Fe-OC, iron content, carbon isotopes, infrared spectroscopy, and XRD diffractions of sediments at a 1 m depth in four typical mangrove communities in the Gaoqiao Mangrove Reserve, Guangdong, China, were systematically measured. XRD diffractograms showed that the iron minerals in mangrove sediments may mainly exist in the form of goethite, which is consistent with the predominant types of iron minerals in marine sediments. About 10% of OC is directly bound to iron, and it is further estimated that about 2.4 × 1012–3.8 × 1012 g OC is preserved in global mangrove forests each year based on the high burial rate of OC in mangrove sediments. Lower Fe-OC/OC molar ratios indicated that iron mainly binds to OC via adsorption mechanisms. More depleted δ13CFe-OC relative to δ13Cbulk indicated that iron minerals are mainly associated with terrigenous OM, and the infrared spectra also revealed that iron minerals preferentially bind to terrigenous aromatic carbon. This work supports the “giant rusty sponge” view, elucidating that iron plays an important role in the preservation of OC in mangrove sediments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6957 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metals in the Sediments of Dongshan Bay, China: Sources, Distribution, and Controlling Factors
by Xinyue Yan, Xin Chen, Wenyan Zheng, Guilin Zhang and Aiguo Dong
Water 2024, 16(6), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16060905 - 21 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1540
Abstract
Fifty-one surface sediment samples from Dongshan Bay, China, were analyzed for heavy metals to evaluate their distribution, pollution status, and controlling factors. The enrichment factor is suggestive of the potential pollution status, ranging from minimal to moderate enrichment, for Pb, As, Zn, and [...] Read more.
Fifty-one surface sediment samples from Dongshan Bay, China, were analyzed for heavy metals to evaluate their distribution, pollution status, and controlling factors. The enrichment factor is suggestive of the potential pollution status, ranging from minimal to moderate enrichment, for Pb, As, Zn, and Hg, with one site showing significant enrichment in As. A principal component analysis and the geochemical characteristics indicate that heavy metal concentrations are mainly influenced by clay minerals and Fe oxides, while Pb and Hg levels are also closely linked to the absorption of Mn oxides. Potential pollution is primarily from aquaculture (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb) and industrial and domestic discharges. Approximately 270 tons of heavy metals were estimated to have been deposited in Dongshan Bay in 2021, highlighting the potential impact of human activities on coastal sediment quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 7498 KiB  
Article
The Spatiotemporal Variation and Historical Evolution of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments from the Pearl River Estuary, China
by Yu Ma, Yuan Ma, Weijie Zhang, Hao Zhang, Tuanjie Li, Dingjiang Kong, Chunling Xu, Huaming Shi, Xin Xu and Di Wang
Water 2024, 16(4), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16040531 - 7 Feb 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1981
Abstract
Many tributaries of the Pearl River carry large amounts of terrestrial pollutants into estuarine areas. Heavy metals accumulate in estuarine sedimentary environments, and coupled and changing biogeochemical processes occur in estuarine areas. The results of this study showed that the heavy metal contents [...] Read more.
Many tributaries of the Pearl River carry large amounts of terrestrial pollutants into estuarine areas. Heavy metals accumulate in estuarine sedimentary environments, and coupled and changing biogeochemical processes occur in estuarine areas. The results of this study showed that the heavy metal contents in the sediment were the highest near the confluence of the Humen and Jiaomen outlets in 2005 and 2019; they were the second-highest near the remaining outlets, and gradually decreased toward the lower reaches, with high contents on the western shore and low contents on the eastern shore. The heavy metal pollution mainly originated from the Pearl River runoff. The historical evolution of heavy metals in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) effectively reflected the impacts of pollutant inputs from the river basin as well as industrial and agricultural production and anthropogenic activities in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). In 2019, the surface sediments were not contaminated with Hg, and the Pb and Zn contents decreased significantly, indicating significant advances in environmental management; however, the Cu and Cd levels still indicated heavy pollution level in the upper reaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 9820 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Deepwater Oil and Gas Distribution along the Silk Road and Their Controlling Factors
by Jianqiang Wang, Jie Liang, Qingfang Zhao, Jianwen Chen, Jian Zhang, Yong Yuan, Yinguo Zhang and Heping Dong
Water 2024, 16(2), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16020240 - 10 Jan 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2131
Abstract
Deepwater regions have emerged as pivotal domains for global oil and gas exploration and development, serving as strategic alternatives to conventional resources. The Silk Road region is distinguished by its abundant oil and gas reserves and stands as a leading arena for worldwide [...] Read more.
Deepwater regions have emerged as pivotal domains for global oil and gas exploration and development, serving as strategic alternatives to conventional resources. The Silk Road region is distinguished by its abundant oil and gas reserves and stands as a leading arena for worldwide exploration and development in the oil and gas sector. Since 2012, a series of atmospheric fields have been discovered in the deep sea of the Luwuma Basin and the Tanzania Basin, with cumulative recoverable reserves reaching 4.4 × 1012 and 8.3 × 1011 m3, including multiple oil and gas fields ranking among the top ten global discoveries at that time. Profound advancements have been achieved in the exploration of deepwater oil and gas reserves along the Silk Road. However, deepwater oil and gas exploration presents challenges, such as high development costs and risks, leading to certain areas remaining underexplored and exhibiting a relatively low level of exploration activity, thereby hinting at considerable untapped potential. Deepwater sedimentary basins along the Silk Road predominantly adhere to a distribution pattern characterized as “one horizontal and one vertical”. The “horizontal” dimension refers to the deepwater basin grouping within the Neo-Tethys tectonic domain, primarily extending from east to west. Conversely, the “vertical” dimension denotes the deepwater basin grouping along the East African continental margin, predominantly extending from north to south. Recent discoveries of deepwater oil and gas reserves validate the presence of foundational elements within Silk Road basins conducive to the formation of substantial oil and gas reservoirs and the establishment of efficient migration pathways. Despite these achievements, exploration activities in deepwater oil and gas resources along the Silk Road remain relatively limited. Future exploration endeavors in deepwater regions will predominantly focus on identifying structural and lithological traps. In the deepwater areas of the Bay of Bengal, the emphasis is on lithological traps formed by Neogene turbidite sandstone deposits. In the deepwater regions of Pakistan, the focus shifts to lithological traps emerging from Neogene bio-reefs and river-channel sandstone accumulations. Along the deepwater coastline of East Africa, the focus is on lithological traps formed by nearshore Mesozoic–Cenozoic bio-reefs and seafloor turbidite sandstone formations. Within the deepwater regions of Southeast Asia, the primary objective is to locate large structural-type oil and gas fields. Analyzing the characteristics of oil and gas discoveries in deepwater areas aims to enhance the theory of the control of the formation of deepwater oil and gas, providing valuable insights for predicting future exploration directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Sedimentation and Geological Processes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop