Journal of Palaeogeography2013, 2(1): 56-65

Palaeogeography

DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1261.2013.00017

Review of research in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits of China

Gao Zhenzhong1, He Youbin1, *, Li Xiangdong2, Duan Taizhong3

1. School of Geosciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China2. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China

3. Marathon Oil Company, Houston, Texas 77056, USA

Abstract Study of internal‑wave and internal‑tide deposits is a very young research field in deep-water sedimentology. It has been just twenty years since the first example of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits was identified in the stratigraphic record. Since that time, Chinese scholars have made unremitting efforts and gained some significant research achievements in this field. This paper briefly outlines the history and main achievements of research of internal‑wave and internal‑tide deposits in China, describes depositional charac‑teristics, sedimentary successions, types of lithofacies, and depositional models of internal‑wave and internal-tide deposits identified mainly from ancient strata, and summarizes the existing problems in this research field. New advances in marine physics should be applied to research of the subject of internal‑wave and internal‑tide deposition, whereas the sedimentary characteristics of internal‑wave and internal‑tide deposits may be used to deduce the physical processes of their creation. Flume experiments on internal-wave and internal-tide deposition should also be put in practice as often as possible, so that the mechanisms of internal‑wave and internal-tide deposition can be explored.

Key words internal‑wave deposits, internal‑tide deposits, bidirectional cross‑bedding, sedimentary succession, depositional model

1 Introduction*

Internal-waves are subaqueous waves that develop ei-ther between water layers of different densities, or within layers where vertical density gradients are present (La-fond, 1966). Internal-tide is an important type of internal waves whose period is equal to the semi-diurnal or diur-nal tide (Rattray, 1960). The study of internal waves has a long history in oceanography which can be traced back to the study of the interfacial wave theory by Stocks in 1847 (Munk, 1981). At present, a comparatively deep under-

* Corresponding author. Email: heyb122@163.com. First author, Email: cjdxgzz@163.com.

Received: 2012-05-12 Accepted: 2012-11-16

standing of internal waves has been achieved on the fol-lowing aspects: ① the generation, superposition, propa-gation and boundary layer condition of internal waves (Nakamura and Awaji, 2001; Tanaka et al., 2003; Hibiya 2004; Lemckert et al., 2004; Nash and Moum, 2005; Agui-lar and Sutherland, 2006; Rainville and Pinkel, 2006); ② the breaking, reflection, diffraction and attenuation of in-ternal waves when interacting with submarine topography (Legg, 2003; Small, 2003; Troy and Koseff, 2005; Mercier et al., 2008); ③ the swash-back wash flows generated by internal waves (Umeyama and Shintani, 2004, 2006); ④ the influence from various submarine topography (Kunze, 2002; Pietrzak and Labeur 2004; Martin et al., 2006); and ⑤ long-period internal waves and short-period internal waves (Marc et al., 1992; Anohin et al., 2006; D’asaro and

Lithofacies palaeogeography and sedimentology

Gao Zhenzhong et al.: Review of research in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits of China 57Vol. 2 No. 1

Lien, 2007). In addition, numerical simulation and suspen-sion of sediments related to internal waves have also been documented (Bogucki et al., 1997; Venayagamoorthy and Fringer, 2006).

The velocity of deep-water bidirectional currents gen-erated by internal waves and internal tides is about 20-50 cm/s, in general, as shown in oceanographic investiga-tions (Gao et al., 1998). Research from submersibles in-dicates that these currents can transport sediment of up to fine-grained-sand size, and produce a large number of wave-ripples in water depths of up to several kilometers (Mullins et al., 1982). These investigations suggest that internal waves and internal tides are important deep-water processes that influence deep-water sedimentation and should be preserved in the stratigraphic record. Unfortu-nately, sedimentologists have not paid enough attention to these important geological agents, and their significance in sedimentology has been largely ignored. Some research-ers have noted evidence of internal tides in deep-water deposits, e.g., the bidirectional cross-beds produced by deep-water tides in the pre-Devonian of New Zealand (Laird, 1972), and flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding in Quaternary-Cretaceous cores from the Ontong-Java Pla-teau at water depths of 2.2−3 km (Klein, 1975). However,

these authors did not carry out their studies from the view-point of internal-wave and internal-tide deposition. An-cient internal-tide deposits were first recognized by Gao and Eriksson (1991) in Ordovician deep-water sediments of the central Appalachians. Since then, a number of Chinese scholars have made significant contributions to the study of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in the stratigraphic record. The first detailed Chinese example of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits was identified in the Upper Ordovician Yankou Formation, Tonglu, Zheji-ang Province (Gao et al., 1997; He et al., 1998; He and Gao, 1999). Over the past decade, 9 additional examples have been discovered and described (Fig. 1), including the Middle-Upper Ordovician in the central Tarim Basin (Gao et al., 1996, 2000; He et al., 2003); the Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic in the western Qinling Mountains (Jin et al., 2002; Wang et al., 2005); the Precambrian Anle and Xiush-ui Formations of northwestern Jiangxi Province (Guo et al., 2003, 2004); the Upper Ordovician in Linan, Zheji-ang Province (Li et al., 2005a); the Precambrian Madiyi Formation, Taojiang, Hunan Province (Li et al., 2005b); the Lower Cambrian Balang Formation, Shimen, Hunan Province (He et al., 2005); the Middle Ordovician Pingli-ang Formation, western Ordos Basin (He et al., 2007); and

Fig. 1 Locations of the study sites of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in China.

National boundaries0

The points of research of internal-wave ,internal-tide deposits

0 350 km

Capital

Harbin

Taipei

L asah

Urumqi

Shenyang

Beijing

Jinan

ShanghaiHangzhou

Lin’an

TongluXiushui

Shimen

Changsha

Nanning

Kunming

Chengdu

Xi’ anLongxian

XiangshanMiboshan

Yinchuan

Tazhong

Nanjing

Huhehaote

Fuzhou

Haikou

Xi’ning

Xiqinling

Taojiang

Guangzhou

South China Sea

South China Sea

Haikou

Hongkong

Nanshaqundao

Central city

700 km

GS (2008) 1151 June 2008 Produced by State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping

58 JOURNAL OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY Jan. 2013

the Middle Ordovician Miboshan Formation (Ding et al., 2008) and Xiangshan Group (Li et al., 2009, 2010; He et al., 2011), Ningxia Autonomous Region.

In addition to the discovery and detailed case studies of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits, Chinese authors have also contributed in: ① summarizing the sedimen-tary characteristics, the typical vertical sedimentary suc-cessions and depositional models (Gao et al., 1998, 2006; He and Gao, 1999; He et al., 2004, 2008); ② interpret-ing some deep-sea large-scale sediment waves as having an internal-wave origin, and theorizing their mechanisms (Zhang et al., 1999, 2002; Wang et al., 2005; He et al., 2007; Gao and He, 2009); and ③ demonstrating that the reservoir properties of internal-wave and internal-tide de-posits provide new potential targets for petroleum explo-ration (Tong et al., 2006; He et al., 2008). In the inter-nal-wave and internal-tide deposits drilled in the Tazhong Low Salient, Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, there are good shows in 17 members of 5 wells. The accumulative length of core with oil shows, such as oil-bearing, oil-soaked, oil immer-sion, oil slick, fluorescence, is 64.3 m. It indicates that there is a practical possibility of formation of an oil pool (Gao et al., 2000).

2  The main characteristics of internal-wave and internal‑tide deposits

2.1 Occurrence in relative deep-water (oceanic) environments

Internal tides and internal waves are usually well-de-veloped in deep-water environments (such as more than 200-250 m deep), so internal-tide deposits are eas-ily formed and preserved in deep-water environments. In shallow-water areas, internal waves also exist, but inter-nal-wave deposits have a low preservation potential due to the action of more significant waves and tides. So the

sedimentary environment of internal-wave deposits is dif-ferent from that of shallow-water tidalites.

Internal-tide and internal-wave deposits, turbidity cur-rent deposits and contour-current deposits are all formed in deep-water environments, mostly in continental slope and rise environments. Because internal-tide and inter-nal-wave deposits are usually the products of reworked fine-grained turbidity current deposits by internal tides and internal waves, their clastic compositions are similar. The grain-size of sandstone (grainstone) of internal-tide and internal-wave deposit origin is similar to that of fine-grained turbidites and sandy contourites. Distinguishing correctly internal-tide and internal-wave deposits, turbidites and contourites is also the key to recognizing internal-tide and internal-wave deposits. There are distinctions between them in the terms of sedimentary structures, relationships between the direction of directional sedimentary structures and palaeogeographical patterns, vertical successions, bio-turbation, and so on.

2.2 Sedimentary structures and lithofacies types

Internal-wave and internal-tide deposits are generally composed of mud to fine-grained sand, and potentially a little medium- to coarse-grained sand at lower flow veloci-ties (about 20-50 cm/s max.). Generally, internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in submarine canyons and other gullies are sand dominated, whereas deposits formed in flat and open, unchannelized continental slope environments range from sand to silt or mud-sized particles, where the mudstones are generally black or dark gray.

The most typical sedimentary structures of internal- wave and internal-tide deposits are bidirectional cross- beds (Figs. 2, 3) and unidirectional cross-beds with lam-inae dipping up the submarine canyon or regional slope (Gao and Eriksson 1991; Gao et al., 1998; He and Gao, 1999). Additional structures include compound bed-sets consisting of rhythmic thin layers of sandstone and mud-

1500 0 2 cmA B

N N

Fig. 2 Charcoal drawing (A) and rose diagrams of foreset azimuths (B) of bidirectional cross-bedding in internal-tide deposits (sim-plified from Gao and Eriksson, 1991).

Gao Zhenzhong et al.: Review of research in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits of China 59Vol. 2 No. 1

stone (Gao et al., 1997, 2000; He et al., 1998, 2003), and flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding (Gao et al. 1997; Jin et al., 2002; Guo et al., 2003, 2004). Recently, various types of wave-ripples generated by internal waves and internal tides were documented, which include fascicular lenses superposed with cross-laminations, complexly interweav-ing cross-lamination structures (Jin et al., 2002) and wave ripples (Jin et al., 2002; Guo et al., 2003, 2004), as well as undulatory lamination, bunchy cross-lamination and cross-laminated lenses.

In this article, the lithofacies classification is mainly based on sedimentary structures. A summary of the sedi-

mentary structures, lithofacies types and related hydro-dynamic interpretation of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits is shown in Table 1. Three flow effects of in-ternal waves and internal tides correspond to three typi-cal sedimentary structures respectively: ① bidirectional cross-bedding generated by alternating bidirectional cur-rents of internal-wave and internal-tide origin; ② uni-directional cross-bedding generated by unidirectional dominated currents which are formed by the superimpo-sition of an internal tide and a long period internal wave, with laminae dipping up-channel (or slope) providing a diagnostic characteristic; ③ undulatory laminations and

Fig. 3 Bidirectional cross-bedding in internal-tide deposits. A-Argillaceous siltstone with bidirectional cross-bedding, Xujiahuan Formation, Langzuizi area, Zhongwei County, Ningxia, coin diameter is approximately 2 cm; B-Calcareous siltstone with bidirectional cross-bedding, note that the dip direction of the laminae in set a is opposite to that in set b, Xujiahuan Formation, Langzuizi area, Zhongwei County, Ningxia, length of the scale is 5 cm; C-Calcareous sandstone interbedded with shale, bidirectional cross-bedding are developed in which sets a, b and c are intercalated with shale, upper part of Xujiahuan Formation, northern Mopanjing section, Zhong-wei County, Ningxia, coin diameter is approximately 2 cm; D-Calcareous siltstone with bidirectional cross-bedding, b-internal erosion surfaces, i-polished surfaces of core, Well TZ10, O2+3, Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, the line at lower left is 1 cm in length; E-Calcareous siltstone with bidirectional cross-bedding, b-polished surfaces of core, Well TZ10, O2+3, Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, the line at lower left is 1 cm in length (A, B, C from He et al., 2011, D and E from Gao et al., 2000).

A

C

E

D

B

60 JOURNAL OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY Jan. 2013

cross-laminated lenses generated by deep-water oscilla-tory flows which are formed by internal waves and inter-nal tides interacting with submarine topography close to wave base.

2.3 Vertical sedimentary successions

Four basic sedimentary successions of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits are recognized, which include: ① a coarsening-up and then fining-up succession (bidi-rectional graded succession), ② a fining-up succession (unidirectional graded succession), ③ a coarsening-up and then fining-up succession with couplets of sandstone and mudstone (bidirectional graded couplet succession), and ④ a mudstone-oolitic limestone-mudstone succession (Fig. 4).

The fundamental feature the of coarsening-up and then fining-up succession is that the dominant grain size is fine sand, and the coarsest part is located in the middle, whereas the grain size decreases both upwards and downwards (Figs. 4a, 4b). These features suggest a weak−strong−weak hydrodynamic condition (Gao et al., 2000; He et al., 2004) which is closely related to the period of internal wave and internal tide. In short, this is a vertical succes-sion that closely reflects the period of internal waves and internal tides.

The feature of the fining-up succession is that the dominant grain size is fine sand, with the coarsest por-tion located in the lower succession where grain size is gradually fining upwards. The basal contact with the un-derlying mudstone is sharp, but the contact with overlying

Table 1 Sedimentary structures and lithofacies types of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits and their hydrodynamic interpretation

Sedimentary structures Lithofacies types Case study Hydrodynamic interpretation

Bidirectional cross-bed-ding

Bidirectional cross-laminated sandstone facies

Widely developed, first discovered in the Ordo-vician of the Central Appalachians, USA.

Alternating bidirectional currents of internal-wave and internal-tide origin (Gao and Eriksson, 1991)

Herringbone cross-laminated siltstone facies

The western region of Qinling Mountains, China.

Unidirec-tional cross-bedding(dipping up-channel )

Unidirectional cross-bedded and cross-laminated sandstone (silt-stone) facies

The Ordovician of the Central Appalachians, USA; the Middle-Upper Ordovician in the Central Tarim Basin, China.

Unidirectional-dominated cur-rents formed by the superim-position of an internal tide and a long period internal wave (Gao and Eriksson, 1991)

Wave-generated structures

Fascicular lens superposed on cross-laminated siltstone facies

The western region of Qinling Mountains, China.

Deep-water oscillatory flow generated by internal waves and internal tides interacting with submarine topography close to wave base (Li et al., 2010)

Wave-knitted cross-laminated siltstone facies

The western region of Qinling Mountains; the Middle Ordovician Xiangshan Group in Ningxia, China.

Wave-ripple fine-grained sand-stone facies

The western region of Qinling Mountains; the Pre-Cambrian in Taojiang Area of Hunan, China.

Undulatory laminated calcareous siltstone (silty limestone) facies

The Middle Ordovician Xiangshan Group in Ningxia, China.

Cross-laminated lenses of calcar-eous siltstone (silty limestone) facies

The Middle Ordovician Xiangshan Group in Ningxia, China.

Compound cross-bed-ding

Rhythmic thin alternating sand-stone and mudstone facies

The Upper Ordovician in Tonglu, Zhejiang Province, China.

The frequent alternation of bed load and suspension load deposition (Gao et al., 1997)

Flaser, wavy and lenticular bed-ded foraminiferal limestone (fine-grained sandstone or siltstone) facies

The Ontong-Java Plateau in the western Pacific Ocean; the Pre-Cambrian in northwestern Jiangxi, China.

Gao Zhenzhong et al.: Review of research in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits of China 61Vol. 2 No. 1

muddy deposits is gradational. Two subtypes of this suc-cession can also be identified by variations in grain size and sedimentary structures (Figs. 4c, 4d). The responsible mechanism of this succession is that only the deposits re-lated to the waning period are preserved, i.e., the normally graded portion, due to the erosion of previously deposited fine-grained sediments by subsequent strong currents pro-duced by rapidly increasing current speed during the wax-ing period (He and Gao, 1999; Gao et al., 2000; He et al., 2004). This is a vertical succession that is related to the denudation of internal waves and internal tides.

The coarsening-up and then fining-up succession with couplets is usually developed in very gentle and open areas. In this environment, the velocities of bidirectional currents caused by internal waves and internal tides are less than in channelized environments, but the slack-water periods between current reversals are longer. Mud layers depos-ited from suspension during the “tidal stillstand” and sand layer deposited during the “flood tide” or “ebb tide” are interbedded and preserved. And because of the control exerted by the longer period, these frequently alternating beds also display symmetrical graded couplet successions (Fig. 4e) (Gao et al., 1998; He and Gao, 1999). This is a vertical succession that is controlled by double periods of internal waves and internal tides.

The mudstone-oolitic-limestone mudstone succession (Fig. 4f) is mainly developed in the clastic-dominated por-tion of the Middle and Upper Ordovician in the central Tarim Basin, and consists of oolitic limestone or sandy oo-litic limestone and mudstone. The contacts of the oolitic limestone with the underlying and overlying mudstone

are mostly sharp. Sometimes the top contact is gradational (Gao et al., 2000). This is a vertical succession that is pos-sibly related to the denudation and paroxysm of internal waves and internal tides.

2.4 Depositional models

Three depositional models for internal-wave and in-ternal-tide deposits were established: a model for inter-nal-wave and internal-tide deposits in submarine channels; a model for internal-tide deposits in unchannelized con-tinental-slope environment; and a depositional model for internal-tide deposits in oceanic plateau settings (Fig. 5).

During a sea-level lowstand in channelized continental- slope environments, coarse-grained gravity flows com-monly develop and the energy of internal waves and in-ternal tides is too weak to rework the sand and gravelsize terrigenous sediments introduced by gravity flows. It is therefore difficult for recognizable internal-wave and in-ternal-tide deposits to form. With a rise in sea level, the distance from sediment source areas to depositional ar-eas gradually increases, coarse-grained clasts are stranded closer to source areas, and internal waves and internal tides become dominant in reworking fine-grained gravity-flow deposits. Internal-wave and internal-tide deposits formed in this environment are mainly bidirectional cross-lam-inated sandstone facies and unidirectional cross-bedded and cross-laminated sandstone (siltstone) facies.

In unchannelized continental-slope environments, inter-nal-tide currents have lower flow velocities than in subma-rine channels. Under these conditions, the distinctive, thin interbeds of sandstone (or grainstone) and mudstone are

Fig. 4 Vertical successions of internal-tide and internal-wave deposits (modified from He et al., 2004). a-Coarsening-up and then fin-ing-up succession consisting of cross-laminated sandstone; b-Coarsening-up and then fining-up succession consisting of medium-scale and small-scale cross-laminations; c-Fining-up succession consisting of cross-laminated sandstone; d-Fining-up succession consisting of medium-scale cross-laminations and bidirectional cross-laminated sandstone; e-Coarsening-up and then fining-up succession con-sisting of sandstone and mudstone couplets; f-Mudstone-oolitic limestone-mudstone succession.

62 JOURNAL OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY Jan. 2013

developed in response to alternating bed load and suspen-sion load deposition. Broad plateaus at abyssal and bathyal depths are also advantageous locations for the develop-ment of internal-tide deposits. The topography of a plateau is generally flat and its resistance to flow is small. Thus, internal tidal currents can maintain critical velocities over a long distance, transport fine-grained sediments and form internal-tide deposits.

We emphasize that the cases we discussed above are true in general conditions, but some exceptions also exist. For example, turbidites with regressive successions asso-ciated with internal-wave and internal-tide deposits were discovered in the western Qinling Mountains (Jin et al., 2002). In addition, internal-wave and internal-tide depos-its developed in unchannelized continental-slope environ-ments lacking flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding were discovered in Xiangshan Group, Ningxia, China (Li et al., 2009). Lack of flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding in this case may be due to the superimposition of short period internal-waves which do not allow the deposition of sus-

pened mud during the weaker flow period.

3  Existing challenges

Up to now, detailed examples of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits are still very limited, so the primary objective in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits re-search should be to continue refining existing criteria for identification and recognition of deposits formed by inter-nal waves and internal tides.

As our previous discussion suggests, the sedimentary characteristics of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits are mainly related to the following factors: ① flow effects generated by internal waves and internal tides (i.e., bidi-rectional cross-bedding and bidirectional currents; uni-directional cross-bedding and unidirectional-dominated currents; wave-ripple bedding and deep-water oscillatory flows); ② the periods of internal waves and internal tides (bidirectional graded vertical succession; rhythmic thin al-ternating layers of sandstone and mudstone; flaser, wavy

Fig. 5 Depositional models of internal-tide and internal-wave deposits (modified from Gao et al., 1998). A-Depositional model for internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in submarine channels; A1-Sea-level lowstand, coarse-grained clastic gravity-flows dominate; A2-Sea-level highstand, internal-wave and internal-tide deposits become more important. B-Depositional model for internal-tide de-posits in unchannelized continental-slope environments. C-Depositional model for internal-tide deposits on oceanic plateaus. 1-Grav-ity flows; 2-Internal-tide currents; 3-Internal-wave and internal-tide currents; 4-Internal-wave and internal-tide deposits; 5-Sandstone; 6-Mudstone/shale; 7-Limestone; 8-Underlying rocks.

Gao Zhenzhong et al.: Review of research in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits of China 63Vol. 2 No. 1

and lenticular bedding); ③ erosion by internal-wave and internal-tide currents (i.e., unidirectional graded vertical succession). These three factors are closely related to not only the generation, superimposition and propagation of internal waves and internal tides, but also to the breaking, reflection, diffraction, attenuation and swash-backwash flow, which are all caused by the interaction between sub-marine topography and internal waves and internal tides. All these phenomena mentioned above have been rela-tively well studied in oceanographic physics. However, the findings from modern oceanographic physics have not been effectively applied to the study of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits. Similarly, mechanisms inferred from the stratigraphical record of internal-wave and inter-nal-tide deposits have not been used to advance our under-standing of the physical characteristics of internal waves and internal tides. This is a potential second objective in internal-wave and internal-tide deposit research.

The comprehensive research method of integrating modern sedimentation, ancient deposits and laboratory experimentation has a long history beginning with the pioneering studies of turbidity currents and turbidites. In contrast, the research of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits has not benefited from the application of flume experiments. In addition, a large gap between studies of modern internal-wave and internal-tide deposits and an-cient examples from the rock record also exists, i.e., sig-nificant lack of study of ancient examples. Therefore, the third objective in internal-wave and internal-tide deposit research should be to establish comprehensive research methods and techniques.

Furthermore, due to the limited number of published studies, there are some other more specific issues pertain-ing to internal-wave and internal-tide deposits: ① lack of systematic research on controlling factors, formation conditions and tectonic setting of internal-wave and inter-nal-tide deposits, especially concerning their relationship with palaeo-ocean environments and palaeoclimate; ② limited studies on seismic response of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits, particularly on the recognition of ancient internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in seismic sections where there are currently only a few case studies documented; ③ very limited studies regarding diagenesis and petroleum significance of internal-wave and inter-nal-tide deposits.

4  Conclusions

The study of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits

is a very young research topic in the field of deep-water sedimentology. Although numerous achievements have been documented in the nearly twenty years since the first discovery of the internal-wave and internal-tide deposits in the stratigraphic record, there are many opportunities to expand our current knowledge. Perhaps one of the most important tasks in internal-wave and internal-tide deposits research at present involves integrating the characteristics of internal-wave and internal-tide deposits with the dy-namic theory of internal waves and internal tides consist-ently in the following three study areas: modern sedimen-tation, ancient deposits and flume experimentation.

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China (No. 40672071 and 41072086) and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education in China (No. 20104220110002). We express our sincerest gratitude to Prof. Feng Zengzhao (Edi-tor-in-Chief of Journal of Palaeogeography) and two re-viewers for their constructive comments.

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(Edited by Wang Yuan, Liu Min)