Some seasonal water temperature patterns in the Hauraki gulf,New Zealand

The changing pattern of water temperature in the Hauraki Gulf at approximately two‐monthly intervals during one and one‐half seasonal cycles in 1965–66 was determined from sea surface temperatures and bathythermograph profiles.

Surface and bottom temperatures ranged from 22.0°c and 20.5°c respectively in March to 12.5°c and 13.0°c in July‐September. Seasonal temperature ranges and short‐term variations were greatest in the shallow south‐west Gulf.

In winter the Gulf water was coolest close to shore. It was typically isothermal in depth but a temperature inversion of approximately l°c frequently formed, probably because of the combination of strong winds and an increased outflow of cool, low salinity water from harbours and bays. A similar inversion in Colville Channel may have been caused by more complex tidal and/or ocean current conditions.

In spring and summer the Gulf became thermally stratified, with warmest temperatures in the shallow areas. Thermoclines were generally irregular in position and size, and probably represented solar heating and minor current boundaries rather than a distinct separation of major water masses. In late summer and autumn bottom temperatures increased and almost equalled the maximum surface temperature.

During autumn surface water temperatures close to land decreased rapidly to return the Gulf to its winter isothermal condition.

Local factors (wind, rainfall, tides, depth of water, and proximity to land) probably influence sea temperatures in the Gulf. Seawards of a line from Cape Rodney to Cape Colville oceanic conditions prevail; water temperatures are more constant and increase to seaward in both winter and summer.

Oceanic and Gulf waters meet and mix in the Rodney‐Colville area, and Gulf water is transported east through Colville Channel. The extent of oceanic water penetration into the Gulf at depth is unknown.     

Water masses in the Gulf of Aden

Hydrographic data collected from Gulf of Aden since 1920 have been compiled to identify and refine the definitions of water masses in the Gulf of Aden (GA) and to describe their spatio-temporal variability. Four water masses have been identified based on their θ-S characteristics. The Red Sea Water (RSW) that flows from the Red Sea is the most prominent water in the GA; this occupies about 37% of the total volume of Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden Surface Water (∼3%) forms as a mixture of local water and the water from western Arabian Sea during winter and Red Sea surface water during summer. The intermediate water, identified as Gulf of Aden Intermediate Water (GAIW), occupies about 9% of the total volume of GA; a characteristic salinity minimum is associated with it at σ_θ=26.50 kg m⁻³. The northward spread of sub-tropical subsurface water from the south appears to be the major source of GAIW. The bottom water, named Gulf of Aden Bottom Water, showed the least variability. It was formed due to the mixing of Red Sea Water and water of southern origin. Mixing triangles have been used to analyze the composition of water in the GA.     

Seasonal variation of the double diffusion processes at the Strait of Hormuz

Profiles of salinity and temperature were measured in the strait of Hormuz (SH) during the winter of 2012, spring and summer of 2013. To investigate the double diffusion (DD) processes, Turner (TU) angle values are calculated in all the stations in the SH. Different TU angle values correspond to salt fingering (SF), diffusive convection (DC) and stable stratification. The distributions of the two forms of DD were plotted vertically along transects in the eastern, central and western part of the SH, and corresponding DD processes were described. The results show that both SF and DC occurred in most part of the study area. Two different water masses (the Indian Ocean surface water and the Persian Gulf water) were evident at the SH, and SF and DC were evident at the interface of two water masses. Due to evaporation, SF occurred in the surface layer of most Stations throughout the year. In the eastern part of the SH, occurrences of DC were more feasible in wintertime. SF was the main phenomenon at the end of hot season. For central part, SF occurred throughout the year in water column. In the western part, water column was stable in summer and DC happened in most part of water column in winter.     

A Study on Residual Flow in the Gulf of Tongking

On the basis of observations of water temperature, salinity and wind during winter (December to following February) and summer (June to August) in the Gulf of Tongking, a robust diagnostic three-dimensional model has established that reveals the seasonal variation in residual flow, including wind-driven current, density-driven current and tide-induced residual current. It is shown that in the Gulf of Tongking the wind-driven current plays the most important role in the seasonal variation of residual flow field. Due to strong NE monsoon (9 m/s) during winter the residual flow (reaches 30 cm/s) is stronger than that in summer. At the surface the residual flow direction during winter is basically westward or southwestward, while during summer it is almost reversed.     

Seasonal variability of sonic layer depth in the Central Arabian Sea

The seasonal variability of sonic layer depth (SLD) in the central Arabian Sea (CAS) (0 to 25°N and 62-66°E) was studied using the temperature and salinity (T/S) profiles from Argo floats for the years 2002–2006. The atmospheric forcing responsible for the observed changes was explored using the meteorological data from NCEP/NCAR and Quickscat winds. SLD was obtained from sound velocity profiles computed from T/S data. Net heat flux and wind forcing regulated SLD in the CAS. Up-welling and down-welling (Ekman dynamics) associated with the Findlater Jet controlled SLD during the summer monsoon. While in winter monsoon, cooling and convective mixing regulated SLD in the study region. Weak winds, high insolation and positive net heat flux lead to the formation of thin, warm and stratified sonic layer during pre and post summer monsoon periods, respectively.     

季节因素对大西洋声传播的影响分析

以分析季节对大西洋声传播的影响为研究目的,应用WOA13季节平均数据和Mackenzie声速经验公式,分析了大西洋声道轴和表层声速值的四季分布情况,再利用BELLHOP水声学数值模型,在设定的声源频率1 000 Hz和掠射角15°～-15°情况下,仿真计算选用位置点5 m深度声源的四季声传播情况,研究结果表明:按照实际的季节,大西洋会聚区波导的反转深度,冬季最小,春季增大,夏季最大,秋季再减小.在中低纬度的典型声速剖面下,夏季会聚区跨度最大,秋季和冬季递减,春季最小,第一会聚区的四季跨度差在1 km内.在高纬度的正梯度声速剖面下,夏季声传播距离最远,秋季减小,冬季最近,春季增大,且传播距离的差别较大.各变化规律均以四季循环更替的形式出现.     

Seasonal changes in the distribution and exchange of inorganic nitrogen between sediment and water in the Northern Baltic (Gulf of Bothnia)

The concentration profiles of nitrate plus nitrite, ammonium, and redox potential in sediment and water column were determined in late winter and summer at a sampling site off Norrbyn, northern Sweden, in the Gulf of Bothnia. The sediment had an oxidized surface layer during winter and spring, and nitrification occurred. Nitrate but not ammonium was present in the water column at this time. During summer a layer of planktonic detritus was deposited onto the sediment and led to its deoxygenation and reduction. Ammonium was then the predominant form of inorganic nitrogen in the water column.Laboratory experiments confirmed that nitrification in the surface layer of sediment prevented ammonium export during winter. Enhanced temperature or organic detritus deoxygenated the surface sediment and inhibited nitrification, and export of ammonium from the sediment increased. Although nitrification was important in determining the flow of nitrogen in the sediment it accounted for at most only 5% of the total oxygen uptake by the sediment.     

Exchange of water in a stratified estuary with an application to Krka (Adriatic Sea)

A method of computing the exchange time of freshwater and marine water in a stratified estuary is presented. The method is based on the inflow of the river and its tributaries, the depth of the halocline and salinity in the upper brackish water layer. Exchange time of freshwater and seawater in the Krka Estuary is shorter during winter than during summer. During winter the exchange time of freshwater is between 6 and 20 days, whereas during summer it is up to 80 days. The exchange time of marine water during winter is from 50 to 100 days, whereas during summer it lengthens to 250 days. The renewal time of water in the Krka Estuary as a whole may be approximated by the exchange time.     

Thermohaline variability and geostrophic circulation in the southern portion of the Gulf of California

Data from seven oceanographic cruises in the southern Gulf of California from 1997 to 2002 are used to describe the thermohaline variability and the geostrophic circulation. Baroclinic patterns exhibited spatial and temporal variability. A deepening of isotherms at the center of the section was evident in February 1999, suggesting anticyclonic flow. In May 1998 and November 1997, cyclonic flow was suggested by shoaling of isotherms at the center of the section. Other cruises showed alternating cores of flow into and out of the Gulf (August 1998, September 1997 and October 2002). Neither a seasonal nor a spatial pattern in geostrophic flows was apparent, suggesting that the exchange of waters between the cyclonic flow of Pescadero basin and the interior of the Gulf is complex. Relatively high salinities were recorded during most of the cruises indicating that Gulf of California Water (GCW) was present most of the year. Higher salinities were observed during winter and spring, although during summer, relatively high and low salinities were both observed as surface and subsurface cores. Temperature and salinity characteristics of California Current waters were observed only in August 1995 when they reached as far north as Cerralvo Island at ∼50 dbar. During El Niño conditions in November 1997, a mixed layer (∼70 dbar) and deepening of the thermocline (∼50 dbar) characterized anomalous conditions; during this cruise an asymmetric salinity pattern was observed with low salinities characteristic of Tropical Surface waters at the center and east of the section, while maximum salinities (34.9<S<35.0) and Gulf waters were located in an 80 km wide core next to the Baja California Sur shelf as far north as San Jose Island.     

基于潮沟定点观测的潮间带水、沙、盐交换研究

为研究潮间带和潮下带的水、沙、盐交换,于2006年6月25~28日（夏季大潮）和2006年12月29日~2007年1月4日（冬季中-大潮和小潮）在长江口九段沙一典型潮沟的固定点利用OBS-3A和ADP-XR进行了水深、浊度、盐度、流速流向剖面和回声强度观测。结果和结论为：（1）夏季大潮、冬季中-大潮、冬季小潮的潮周期垂向平均流速分别为26.5、15.9和8.4 cm/s,夏、冬季观测到的最大流速分别为84 cm/s和35 cm/s。（2）夏季盐度变化范围为0.65~4.91,平均盐度2.14;冬季盐度变化范围为3.5~10.3,中-大潮和小潮平均盐度分别为6.26和7.98。（3）高悬沙浓度出现在涨潮初期和部分落潮末期的低水位阶段;涨潮阶段的平均悬沙浓度是落潮阶段的1.11~7.0倍。（4）涨、落潮阶段的水体和盐输运量大体上趋于平衡;（5）无论是冬夏季或大小潮,潮沟在潮周期内的净输沙方向均指向陆,即落潮输沙量小于涨潮输沙量（平均小40%）;平均每个潮周期的净输沙量为6102 kg,结合潮盆面积推算的潮周期沉积速率为0.0112 mm/tide,或8.2 mm/a。     

Inverse-estuarine Features of the Upper Gulf of California

The Upper Gulf of California is the shallow (depth <30 m), tidal area at the head of the Gulf of California. It is an inverse estuary, due to the high evaporation rate (E1·1 m year⁻¹) and almost nil freshwater input from rainfall and the Colorado River. Historical and recent hydrographic data show that the area is almost vertically well-mixed throughout the year, that the horizontal distribution of properties follows the bathymetry, and that the hydrography has a strong annual modulation. As in other negative estuaries, the year-round salinity increase toward the head causes the density to do likewise, despite the seasonally reversing temperature gradient. The pressure gradient thus formed leads to water-mass formation and gravity currents (speed 0·1 ms⁻¹), both in winter and in summer. In winter, the high salinity water sinks beyond 200 m, while in summer it only reaches a depth of 20–30 m. The gravity currents appear to be modulated by the fortnightly tidal cycle, with events in neap tides. This phenomenon causes the presence, at least during neap tides, of slight stratification (Δσ_t≈−0·2).     

Impact of the 1997–1998 El Niño and 1999 La Niña on nutrient supply in the Gulf of Alaska

Nutrient surveys of the Gulf of Alaska, from 1997 through 1999, show that coastal waters of British Columbia and southern Alaska experienced nitrate depletion each spring and summer. Through the 1997–1998 El Niño, waters with less than 1 μM NO₃ covered 250,000 km² area greater than 1999. Silicate levels as low as 0.2 μM were observed in coastal waters, suggesting that diatom growth may have been nutrient limited both in 1998 and 1999. Detailed sampling off the southern coast of British Columbia revealed that 1998 nitrate levels were only half the average of that during the 1970s winter, were depleted 1 month earlier in spring and remained low throughout the summer. Satellite images show that, compared to 1997 and 1999, chlorophyll levels were much lower in the spring of 1998 throughout the coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Conditions changed dramatically during the 1999 La Niña, with ocean-mixed layer depths increasing by 20 m in winter and 40 m in spring when compared to that during 1997–1998 El Niño. Winter nutrient levels increased and summer upwelling returned. Over the past several decades, a trend towards greater stratification of coastal waters appears to be affecting the supply of nutrients to the mixed layer. The effects of stratification were especially obvious during the 1998 El Niño.     

Spatiotemporal variation and mechanisms of temperature inversion in the Bay of Bengal and the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean

In the northern Bay of Bengal, the existence of intense temperature inversion during winter is a widely accepted phenomenon. However, occurrences of temperature inversion during other seasons and the spatial distribution within and adjacent to the Bay of Bengal are not well understood. In this study, a higher resolution spatiotemporal variation of temperature inversion and its mechanisms are examined with mixed layer heat and salt budget analysis utilizing long-term Argo（2004 to 2020） and RAMA（2...     

Annual and decadal variability in the western subtropical North Atlantic: signal characteristics and sampling methodologies

Upper ocean (above 750 m) temperature structure of the northwestern subtropical Atlantic, including the Gulf Stream and a recirculation gyre south of the Stream, is characterized using primarily bathythermograph (BT) data collected between 1950 and 2003. Geostrophic calculations, using mean temperature-salinity relationships to compute dynamic height, are used to estimate velocities and transports. The mean annual Gulf Stream transport at 72° W relative to 750 m, 36.1 Sv, is approximately equal to the sum of the transport of the Florida Current, 32.0 Sv, and a shallow recirculation gyre described by Wang and Koblinsky [Journal of Physical Oceanography 26 (1996) 2462-2479], 5.5 Sv. The annual cycle of geostrophic transport relative to 750 m at 72° W is in phase with both an earlier published annual cycle of transport relative to 2000 m derived from hydrographic observations and the annual cycle of Florida Current transport measured indirectly by a submarine cable (i.e., maximum transports are observed in the summer and minimum in the fall, early winter). However, simple Sverdrup dynamics are inadequate to explain these cycles as maximum Sverdrup transports extend from winter to summer, while observed transports are minimum (maximum) in fall/winter (summer). The annual cycles derived from the BT data of the size of the shallow southern recirculation gyre, Gulf Stream position and upper layer transport (relative to 300 m) are in phase (maximum size, northern position and transport in fall) and consistent with the WK results derived from altimetry. However, the shallower annual cycles are out of phase with the deeper signals (i.e., maximum for the former (latter) are observed in fall (summer)). Decadal signals after 1965 in Gulf Stream position, geostrophic transport relative to 450 m, and the size of a recirculation gyre south of the Stream are approximately in phase as observed for the annual signal. This gyre and the shallow WK gyre exhibit the same horizontal structure, however, the decadal signal propagates deeper into the water column (at least to 700 m). The eastern expansion and contraction of the gyre on decadal time-scales is correlated with propagating SST signals. The sampling implications of these findings are addressed.     

Structure and mechanisms of the Arabian Sea variability during the winter monsoon

In the southern Arabian Sea (between the Equator and 10°N), the shoaling of isotherms at subsurface levels (20 °C isotherm depth is located at ∼90 m) leads to cooling at 100 m by 2–3 °C relative to surrounding waters during the winter monsoon. The annual and interannual variations of this upwelling zone, which we call the Arabian Sea dome (ASD), are studied using results from an eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model in conjunction with hydrography and TOPEX/ERS altimeter data. The ASD first appears in the southeastern Arabian Sea during September–October, maturing during November–December to extend across the entire southern Arabian Sea (along ∼5°N). It begins to weaken in January and dissipates by March in the southwestern Arabian Sea. From the analysis of heat-budget balance terms and a pair of model control experiments, it is shown that the local Ekman upwelling induced by the positive wind-stress curl of the winter monsoon generates the ASD in the southeastern Arabian Sea. The ASD decays due to the weakening of the cyclonic curl of the wind and the westward penetration of warm water from the east (Southern Arabian Sea High). The interannual variation of the ASD is governed by variations in the Ekman upwelling induced by the cyclonic wind-stress curl. Associated with the unusual winds during 1994–1995 and 1997–1998 Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) periods, the ASD failed to develop. In the absence of the ASD during the IOD events, the 20 °C isotherm depth was 20–30 m deeper than normal in the southern Arabian Sea resulting in a temperature increase at 97 m of 4–5 °C. An implication is that the SST evolution in the southern Arabian Sea during the winter monsoon is primarily controlled by advective cooling: the shoaling of isotherms associated with the ASD leads to SST cooling.     

Seasonal and interannual evolution of the mixed layer in the Antarctic Zone south of Tasmania

Seasonal and interannual variations of the mixed layer properties in the Antarctic Zone (AZ) south of Tasmania are described using 7 WOCE/SR3 CTD sections and 8 years of summertime SURVOSTRAL XBT and thermosalinograph measurements between Tasmania and Antarctica. The AZ, which extends from the Polar Front (PF) to the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front (SACCF), is characterized by a 150 m deep layer of cold Winter Water (WW) overlayed in summer by warmer, fresher water mass known as Antarctic Surface Water (AASW). South of Tasmania, two branches of the PF divide the AZ into northern and southern zones with distinct water properties and variability. In the northern AZ (between the northern and southern branches of the PF), the mixed layer depth (MLD) is fairly constant in latitude, being 150 m deep in winter and around 40–60 m in summer. In the southern AZ, the winter MLD decreases from 150 m at the S-PF to 80 m at the SACCF and from 60 to 35 m in summer. Shallower mixed layers in the AZ-S are due to the decrease in the wind speed and stronger upwelling near the Antarctic Divergence. The WW MLD oscillates by ±15 m around its mean value and modest interannual changes are driven by winter wind stress anomalies.The mixed layer is on annual average 1.7 °C warmer, 0.06 fresher and 0.2 kg m⁻³ lighter in the northern AZ than in the southern AZ. The Levitus (1998) climatology is in agreement with the observed mean summer mixed layer temperature and salinity along the SURVOSTRAL line but underestimates the MLD by 10–20 m. The winter MLD in the climatology is also closed to that observed, but is 0.15 saltier than the observations along the AZ-N of the SR3 line. MLD, temperature and density show a strong seasonal cycle through the AZ while the mixed layer salinity is nearly constant throughout the year. During winter, the AZ MLD is associated with a halocline while during summer it coincides with a thermocline.Interannual variability of the AZ summer mixed layer is partly influenced by large scale processes such as the circumpolar wave which produces a warm anomaly during the summer 1996–1997, and partly by local mechanisms such as the retroflection of the S-PF which introduces cold water across the AZ-N.     

北部湾海域叶绿素a质量浓度时空分布研究

叶绿素a质量浓度是水体富营养化的重要指标,及时和有效地对水体叶绿素a质量浓度进行监测和评价,对环境保护十分必要。本文基于2011年至2016年的卫星遥感数据,分析了北部湾海表叶绿素a质量浓度的时空分布特征。研究结果表明:北部湾叶绿素a质量浓度有明显的月变化和季节性变化,北部湾叶绿素a月平均质量浓度在8月和1月分别达到峰值,北部湾冬季与夏季的叶绿素a季平均质量浓度高于春季和秋季,夏季北部湾海域表层的叶绿素a质量浓度开始迅速升高,秋季北部湾中南部叶绿素a质量浓度呈下降的趋势。在空间分布上,北部湾近岸海域叶绿素a质量浓度平均水平较高,叶绿素a质量浓度高值区集中在湾北部雷州半岛西部沿岸的浅水区海域,而低值区在湾中部以及湾南部的深水区海域。     

基于浮标观测的长江口外海流特征分析

为了揭示长江口外海域海流的特征及其季节和垂向变化规律,于2006年8月1日-2007年7月31日在长江口外海域（平均水深约46.0m）利用大型浮标进行了1年的分层海流流速流向观测。结果表明：（1）该海域海流为顺时针方向的旋转流,在垂向上流向较一致,季节变化不显著。（2）长江口外海域水平流速总体较大,夏季表层最大流速为128.5cm/s,冬季最大表层流速为105.5cm/s;垂线平均流速相近（差异<8.0 cm/s）,夏季流速最大为47.0cm/s,冬季为40.8cm/s。小潮的平均流速为26.5cm/s,大潮平均流速为小潮的2倍。（3）剖面各层流速垂向差异明显,最大流速出现在表层（春季和冬季）或次表层（夏季和秋季）,最小流速均出现在底层;各层的最大平均流速为57.9cm/s,出现在夏季的18m层。（4）垂线平均余流为7.5~11.3 cm/s,春季最强冬季最弱;春季和冬季各层余流均为东向,夏季和秋季基本为东北向或北向。（5）观测海域海流受长江冲淡水、台湾暖流、季风、潮汐等动力作用的共同制约。     

The annual cycle of vertical mixing and restratification in the Northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (Red Sea) based on high temporal and vertical resolution observations

The stratification in the Northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba follows a well-known annual cycle of well-mixed conditions in winter, surface warming in spring and summer, maximum vertical temperature gradient in late summer, and erosion of stratification in fall. The strength and structure of the stratification influences the diverse coral reef ecosystem and also affects the strength of the semi-diurnal tidal currents. Long-term (13 months) moored thermistor data, combined with high temporal and vertical resolution density profiles in deep water, show that transitions from summer to fall and winter to spring/summer occur in unpredictable, pulses and are not slow and gradual, as previously deduced from monthly hydrographic measurements and numerical simulations forced by monthly climatologies. The cooling and deepening of the surface layer in fall is marked by a transition to large amplitude, semi-diurnal isotherm displacements in the stratified intermediate layer. Stratification is rebuilt in spring and summer by intermittent pulses of warm, buoyant water that can increase the upper 100–150 m by 2 °C that force surface waters down 100–150 m over a matter of days. The stratification also varies in response to short-lived eddies and diurnal motions during winter. Thus, the variability in the stratification exhibits strong depth and seasonal dependence and occurs over range of timescales: from tidal to seasonal. We show that monthly or weekly single-cast hydrographic data under-samples the variability of the stratification in the Gulf and we estimate the error associated with single-cast assessments of the stratification.     

Seasonal variability of the mixed layer in the central Bay of Bengal and associated changes in nutrients and chlorophyll

Hydrographic data from National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) and Responsible National Oceanographic Data Centre (RNODC) were used to study the seasonal variability of the mixed layer in the central Bay of Bengal (8–20°N and 87–91°E), while meteorological data from Comprehensive Ocean Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) were used to explore atmospheric forcing responsible for the variability. The observed changes in the mixed-layer depth (MLD) clearly demarcated a distinct north–south regime with 15°N as the limiting latitude. North of this latitude MLD remained shallow (∼20 m) for most of the year without showing any appreciable seasonality. Lack of seasonality suggests that the low-salinity water, which is perennially present in the northern Bay, controls the stability and MLD. The observed winter freshening is driven by the winter rainfall and associated river discharge, which is advected offshore under the prevailing circulation. The resulting stratification was so strong that even a 4 °C cooling in sea-surface temperature (SST) during winter was unable to initiate convective mixing. In contrast, the southern region showed a strong semi-annual variability with deep MLD during summer and winter and a shallow MLD during spring and fall intermonsoons. The shallow MLD in spring and fall results from primary and secondary heating associated with increased incoming solar radiation and lighter winds during this period. The deep mixed layer during summer results from two processes: the increased wind forcing and the intrusion of high-salinity waters of Arabian Sea origin. The high winds associated with summer monsoon initiate greater wind-driven mixing, while the intrusion of high-salinity waters erodes the halocline and weakens the upper-layer stratification of the water column and aids in vertical mixing. The deep MLD in the south during winter was driven by wind-mixing, when the upper water column was comparatively less stable. The deep MLD between 15 and 17°N during March–May cannot be explained in the context of local atmospheric forcing. We show that this is associated with the propagation of Rossby waves from the eastern Bay. We also show that the nitrate and chlorophyll distribution in the upper ocean during spring intermonsoon is strongly coupled to the MLD, whereas during summer river runoff and cold-core eddies appear to play a major role in regulating the nutrients and chlorophyll.