采用沉降物捕集器收集了海南三亚鹿回头珊瑚岸礁区的礁坡沉降物,进而分析了其沉积速率、粒度组成和物质成分.结果表明该岸段礁坡沉降物的平均沉积速率为29.9mgcm2d1,变化于5.70mgcm2d1(春季)~97.41mgcm2d1(夏季)之间,主要由有机质(~9.5%)、礁内海洋自生组分(~44.5%)和礁外输入的陆源组分(~45.9%)组成;沉降物属黏土质粉砂,80%以上的沉降颗粒粒径小于63μm.沉降物的时空差异主要与沉降物特征和礁区水动力环境有关,该珊瑚礁处于背风低波能岸段,海面平静时段水动力条件较弱,悬浮的细颗粒物质可在礁区沉降,下礁坡沉降物中细颗粒含量明显高于上礁坡;受台风等强风浪影响时,沉积速率急剧增加,并导致沉降在礁区的细颗粒物质再悬浮,造成观察到的沉积速率比海面平静时高出10倍以上.综合考虑沉积速率的时-空分布特征,计算得出三亚鹿回头珊瑚礁区的年平均陆源沉降物约1900mg/cm2,陆源细颗粒物质在向外海运移过程中途径珊瑚礁岸段,在礁区沉降并停留较长时间,通过参与再悬浮对该礁区的珊瑚等生物群落产生影响.
Sediment traps were used for monitoring sedimentary processes on the Luhuitou fringing coral reef. Sedimentation rates, grain sizes and the composition of the collected sediments were then analyzed in this paper. The results indicate that (1) the average sedimentation rate varied from 5.70 mg cm-2 d-1 in spring to 97.41 mg cm-2 d-1 in summer, averaging at 29.9 mg cm-2 d-1; (2) the sediments were composed of organic (-9.5%), authigenic (-44.5%) and terrigenous (-45.9%) materials; (3) the average grain size of the collected particles was dominated by small and fine sediments (〉80%), this is because the reef is located at a leeward bay and the waves are relatively weak; and (4) the spatial and temporal patterns of sediments were directly related to the reef's hydrodynamic condition, for example, the sedimentation rate at a stormy season was about 10 times higher than the stormless period; and the lower reef slope had more fine sands deposited than that of the upper reef slope where the hydrodynamic conditions was relatively stronger. Based on the above data, the calculated total terrigenous input was about 1900 mg cm-2 a-1, which would have a sustainable effect on the coral communities at this reef through suspension/re-suspension.