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Article: Carbon flux during the last interglacial cycle in the inner continental shelf of the South China Sea off Hong Kong

TitleCarbon flux during the last interglacial cycle in the inner continental shelf of the South China Sea off Hong Kong
Authors
KeywordsCarbon flux
Continental shelf
Hong Kong
Late Quaternary
Sea-level change
South China Sea
Issue Date2002
PublisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/gloplacha
Citation
Global And Planetary Change, 2002, v. 33 n. 1-2, p. 29-45 How to Cite?
AbstractInformation obtained from previous studies has been used to study carbon flux during the last interglacial cycle in the siliciclastics-dominated inner continental shelf of the South China Sea off Hong Kong. The information included grab sampling surveys, many kilometres of high-resolution reflection seismic profiles and numerous boreholes. During the high sea-level stand of the Holocene and the last interglacial period, the inner shelf of Hong Kong was a net carbon sink. This is particularly so in the present day mainly through the discharge of anthropogenic sewage. The offshore dredging of mud and the offshore mining of sand and gravel deposits have nevertheless led to the release of methane and other gases either trapped beneath Holocene deposits or originating from the bacterial breakdown of plant matter within Pleistocene deposits contributing greenhouse gases. During the last glacial period, significant quantities of carbon dioxide formed by the dissolution of carbonates through acid-sulphate development on the subaerially marine deposits of last interglacial age, and biogenic methane formed by the bacterial breakdown of fossilized plant matter in the underlying deposits was released into the atmosphere from the exposed shelf. Due mainly to the poor drainage conditions, the exposed shelf was unlikely to support a dense vegetation cover causing a lowering of carbon storage through terrestrial plants. The role of greenhouse gases generated, trapped and escaping from the present-day continental shelves during the last interglacial cycle requires consideration in the estimation of global carbon flux. Reflection seismic profiling is useful as a method for mapping the present-day shelves to permit the identification of areas affected by acoustic turbidity. For the interval between the Holocene and the last interglacial, the geochemical characterization of sediment extracts is needed for the estimation of carbon flux and for obtaining information on past vegetation history. This necessitates the study of outer shelf sediments from water depths between about 130 and 200 m below the present-day sea level. The release of greenhouse gases from the exposed shelves during the last glacial period is suggested to provide a triggering mechanism for switching the earth into the present interglacial mode. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/72979
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.0
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.492
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorYim, WWSen_HK
dc.contributor.authorChan, LSen_HK
dc.contributor.authorHsieh, Men_HK
dc.contributor.authorPhilp, RPen_HK
dc.contributor.authorRidley Thomas, WNen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-09-06T06:46:54Z-
dc.date.available2010-09-06T06:46:54Z-
dc.date.issued2002en_HK
dc.identifier.citationGlobal And Planetary Change, 2002, v. 33 n. 1-2, p. 29-45en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0921-8181en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/72979-
dc.description.abstractInformation obtained from previous studies has been used to study carbon flux during the last interglacial cycle in the siliciclastics-dominated inner continental shelf of the South China Sea off Hong Kong. The information included grab sampling surveys, many kilometres of high-resolution reflection seismic profiles and numerous boreholes. During the high sea-level stand of the Holocene and the last interglacial period, the inner shelf of Hong Kong was a net carbon sink. This is particularly so in the present day mainly through the discharge of anthropogenic sewage. The offshore dredging of mud and the offshore mining of sand and gravel deposits have nevertheless led to the release of methane and other gases either trapped beneath Holocene deposits or originating from the bacterial breakdown of plant matter within Pleistocene deposits contributing greenhouse gases. During the last glacial period, significant quantities of carbon dioxide formed by the dissolution of carbonates through acid-sulphate development on the subaerially marine deposits of last interglacial age, and biogenic methane formed by the bacterial breakdown of fossilized plant matter in the underlying deposits was released into the atmosphere from the exposed shelf. Due mainly to the poor drainage conditions, the exposed shelf was unlikely to support a dense vegetation cover causing a lowering of carbon storage through terrestrial plants. The role of greenhouse gases generated, trapped and escaping from the present-day continental shelves during the last interglacial cycle requires consideration in the estimation of global carbon flux. Reflection seismic profiling is useful as a method for mapping the present-day shelves to permit the identification of areas affected by acoustic turbidity. For the interval between the Holocene and the last interglacial, the geochemical characterization of sediment extracts is needed for the estimation of carbon flux and for obtaining information on past vegetation history. This necessitates the study of outer shelf sediments from water depths between about 130 and 200 m below the present-day sea level. The release of greenhouse gases from the exposed shelves during the last glacial period is suggested to provide a triggering mechanism for switching the earth into the present interglacial mode. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/gloplachaen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofGlobal and Planetary Changeen_HK
dc.rightsGlobal and Planetary Change. Copyright © Elsevier BV.en_HK
dc.subjectCarbon fluxen_HK
dc.subjectContinental shelfen_HK
dc.subjectHong Kongen_HK
dc.subjectLate Quaternaryen_HK
dc.subjectSea-level changeen_HK
dc.subjectSouth China Seaen_HK
dc.titleCarbon flux during the last interglacial cycle in the inner continental shelf of the South China Sea off Hong Kongen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0921-8181&volume=33&spage=29&epage=45&date=2002&atitle=Carbon+flux+during+the+last+interglacial+cycle+in+the+inner+continental+shelf+of+the+South+China+Sea+off+Hong+Kongen_HK
dc.identifier.emailYim, WWS: wwsyim@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailChan, LS: chanls@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityYim, WWS=rp01746en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityChan, LS=rp00665en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/S0921-8181(02)00059-0en_HK
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-0036090120en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros70691en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-0036090120&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume33en_HK
dc.identifier.issue1-2en_HK
dc.identifier.spage29en_HK
dc.identifier.epage45en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000176800800004-
dc.publisher.placeNetherlandsen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYim, WWS=7007024728en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChan, LS=7403540528en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHsieh, M=49161037300en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridPhilp, RP=7102634559en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridRidley Thomas, WN=6507028548en_HK
dc.identifier.issnl0921-8181-

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