Excretion and respiration rates of the scyphomedusa <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia aurita</Emphasis> from the Inland Sea of Japan

We measured the ammonium excretion, phosphate excretion and respiration rates of the scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita from Ondo Strait, in the central part of the Inland Sea of Japan, at 28 and 20°C. The rates measured at 28°C were converted to those at 20°C using the Q₁₀ values, i.e. 1.56, 1.57 and 2.80, for ammonium excretion, phosphate excretion and respiration rates, respectively. The composite relationships between metabolic rates and wet weight of a medusa (WW, g, range 11–1330 g) at 20°C were expressed by the following allometric equations. For ammonium excretion rate (N, μmoles N medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): N = 0.497WW ^1.09, phosphate excretion rate (P, μmoles P medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): P = 0.453WW ^0.84, and respiration rate (R, μmoles O₂ medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): R = 96.9WW ^1.06. Mean O:N ratios (i.e. atomic ratios of 16.9 and 11.0 at 28 and 20°C, respectively) indicated that the metabolism of A. aurita medusae was protein-dominated. These metabolic parameters enabled us to estimate the nitrogen and phosphorus regeneration rates of an A. aurita medusa population typical of early summer in the Ondo Strait (means of water temperature, medusa individual weight and population biomass: 20°C, 200 g WW and 50.8 g WW m⁻³, respectively). Regenerated nitrogen and phosphorus were equivalent to 10.0 and 21.6% of phytoplankton uptake rates, respectively, nearly twice that estimated for mesozooplankton, demonstrating that A. aurita medusae are key components of the plankton community, influencing the trophic and nutrient dynamics in the Ondo Strait during early summer.     

The Kuroshio east of Taiwan and the currents east of the Ryūkūy-guntōduring October of 1995

On the basis of hydrographic data obtained during two October cruises of 1995, a modified inverse method is used to compute the Kuroshio east of Taiwan and the currents east of the Ryukyu-gunto.The net northward volume transport(VT) of the Kuroshio through Section TK₂-K₂ southeast of Taiwan is about 57.8×10⁶ m³/s.There are four current cores of the Kuroshio at Section TK₂-K₂.Its main core is near the south of Taiwan, and its maximum speed is about 257 cm/s at the surface.After the Kuroshio flows through Section TK₂-K₂, there are three branches of the Kuroshio.The main branch of the Kuroshio flows northward into Section TKa east of Su''ao.The second branch of the Kuroshio flows northward through Section TKa and then enters the East China Sea through the region between Yonakunijima and Iriomote-shima.The net northward VT of the Kuroshio through Section TK4 is about 21.6×10⁶ m³/s.The eastern branch of the Kuroshio flows northeastward through the region between a stronger cyclonic eddy and a recirculating anticyclonic gyre, and then flows continuously northeastward to the region east of the Ryūkyū-guntō and becomes a part of the origin of the western boundary current east of the Ryūkyū-guntō.Another part of the origin of the western boundary current east of the Ryūkyū-guntō comes from a recirculating anticyclonic gyre.From the above, in the regions east of Taiwan end east of the Ryūkyū-guntō the pattern of circulation during October of 1995 differs from the pattern of circulation during early summer of 1985.There are several eddies of different scales in this computational region.For example, there is a meso-scale stronger cyclonic eddy whose center is located at about 23°N, 124°20''E.     

Direct examination of the dietary preference of the copepod<Emphasis Type="Italic">calanus helgolandicus</Emphasis> using the colorimetric approach

The food selectivity of tethered females of the copepodCalanus helgolandicus was examined by using the colorimetric approach. First, feeding behavior of the copepod did not show any differences between the red-color stained with neutral red and non-stained diets using the diatomCoscinodiscus curvatulus. Then, the copepods were fed a mixtures of two diets, the diatomC. curvatulus, stained with neutral red, and the dinoflagellateGymnodinium sanguineum for 14~60 minutes of feeding duration. The foregut colors of females were examined using a stereo-microscope and a video monitor. The foreguts of animals fed with a high density of diatoms in mixed diets showed a dark red color, whereas those fed with a high density of dinoflagellate in mixed diets were a dark yellow. The results suggest that this species of copepod may not selectively feed either one of the diets used for this study. Their feeding activity may be more likely related to the density of available prey in their environment. Therefore, this quick and easy colorimetric approach could provide very useful information, like the pre-screening procedure before designing and conducting the time-consuming and complex feeding experiments to understand the feeding ecology of copepods.     

Turbulent structure of the subsurface layer of the sea according to the data of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sigma-1</Emphasis> measuring complex

We present the results of experimental investigations of the characteristics of turbulence in the layer of wave-induced mixing. The data on the fluctuations of velocity, temperature, and conductivity are obtained with the help of a Sigma-1 measuring complex. The computed values of the dissipation rate of turbulent energy are compared with different models proposed for the subsurface layer. It is shown that the available models fail to guarantee satisfactory agreement of the numerical results with the experimental data for the layer of active wave action and, in particular, in the presence of swell. This leads us to the conclusion concerning the necessity of parametrization and assimilation of more complete data on the state of the sea surface, the structure of currents, and the surface layer of the atmosphere in the models. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 2, pp. 15–28, March–April, 2007.     

Seasonal variation of <Superscript>228</Superscript>Ra/<Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra ratio in surface water from the East China Sea and the Tsushima Strait

A total of 21 surface water samples were collected on the east side of the East China Sea (ECS) (3 sites) and at the Tsushima Strait (1 site), and ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra activities were measured using low-background γ-spectrometry. The ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratios among the samples exhibited notable seasonal variation (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra = 0.2–2.6) accompanying changes of salinity (31.7–34.7). Seasonal water circulation within the ECS is hypothesized to cause the change by altering the mixing ratio of ²²⁸Ra-rich continental shelf water and ²²⁸Ra-poor Kuroshio water.     

Episodic Cenozoic tectonism and the development of the NW European ‘passive’ continental margin

The North Atlantic margins are archetypally passive, yet they have experienced post-rift vertical movements of up to kilometre scale. The Cenozoic history of such movements along the NW European margin, from Ireland to mid-Norway, is examined by integrating published analyses of uplift and subsidence with higher resolution tectono-stratigraphic indicators of relative movements (including results from the STRATAGEM project). Three episodes of epeirogenic movement are identified, in the early, mid- and late Cenozoic, distinct from at least one phase of compressive tectonism. Two forms of epeirogenic movement are recognised, referred to as tilting (coeval subsidence and uplift, rotations <1° over distances of 100s of Kilometres) and sagging (strongly differential subsidence, rotations up to 4° over distances <100 km). Each epeirogenic episode involved relatively rapid (<10 Ma) km-scale tectonic movements that drove major changes in patterns of sedimentation to find expression in regional unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units. Early Cenozoic tilting (late Paleocene to early Eocene, c. 60–50 Ma) caused the basinward progradation of shelf-slope wedges from elongate uplifts along the inner continental margin and from offshore highs. Mid-Cenozoic sagging (late Eocene to early Oligocene, c. 35–25 Ma) ended wedge progradation and caused the onset of contourite deposition in deep-water basins. Late Cenozoic tilting (early Pliocene to present, <4±0.5 Ma) again caused the basinward progradation of shelf-slope wedges, from uplifts along the inner margin (including broad dome-like features) and from offshore highs. The early, mid- and late Cenozoic epeirogenic episodes coincided with Atlantic plate reorganisations, but the observed km-scale tectonic movements are too large to be accounted for as flexural deflections due to intra-plate stress variations. Mantle–lithosphere interactions are implied, but the succession of epeirogenic episodes, of differing form, are difficult to reconcile with the various syn-to post-rift mechanisms of permanent and/or transient movements proposed in the hypothetical context of a plume beneath Iceland. The epeirogenic movements can be explained as dynamic topographic responses to changing forms of small-scale convective flow in the upper mantle: tilting as coeval upwelling and downwelling above an edge-driven convection cell, sagging as a loss of dynamic support above a former upwelling. The inferred Cenozoic succession of epeirogenic tilting, sagging and tilting is proposed to record the episodic evolution of upper mantle convection during ocean opening, a process that may also be the underlying cause of plate reorganisations. The postulated episodes of flow reorganisation in the NE Atlantic region have testable implications for epeirogenic movements along the adjacent oceanic spreading ridge and conjugate continental margin, as well as on other Atlantic-type ‘passive’ margins.     

Effect of spatial inhomogeneity of the resistance coefficient on the dynamics of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> tidal wave in the White Sea

To find variations in the dynamics of the surface M ₂ tide in the White Sea induced by the spatially inhomogeneity of the resistance coefficient, we use a modified version of the QUODDY-4 three-dimensional finite-element hydrostatic model. This version differs from the original version in that it has a module introduced to calculate the resistance coefficient in the bottom boundary layer (BBL). The resistance coefficient is found from resistance laws for an oscillating rotating turbulent BBL over hydrodynamically rough and partially rough (smoothly rough) underlying surfaces describing the dependence of the resistance coefficient and other integral characteristics of resistance on dimensionless similarity parameters: the sea-bottom Rossby number Ro, the streaming Reynolds number Re, and the relative (normalized to tidal frequency) inertial frequency f/σ. The use of spatial inhomogeneity of the resistance coefficient was shown not to lead to considerable changes in tidal characteristics. The values of these characteristics are several times larger than the instrumental measurement errors for the level and velocity but less than the errors in their calculation.     

Toward a phase‐space cartography of the short‐ and medium‐range predictability of weather regimes

We compare the short‐ and medium‐range predictability of weather regimes of a quasi‐geostrophic model as defined by a hierarchical cluster algorithm and a Lyapunov‐based clustering method recently introduced in the literature. Both procedures lead to weather regimes displaying very different predictability properties on the short and medium range bases. While the former does not distinguish between stable and unstable weather regimes, the latter leads to clusters which do not display a good medium range predictability. We introduce a new clustering method taking advantages of the two previous techniques. Its application in the context of the quasi‐geostrophic model gives rise to regimes possessing at the same time a good medium range skill and well separated instability properties, indicating the possibility to build a systematic cartography of the short‐term predictability of weather fields in phase space.     

Seasonal variability of surface and internal M<Subscript>2</Subscript> tides in the Arctic Ocean

The modeling results of surface and internal M₂ tides for summer and winter periods in the Arctic Ocean (AO) are presented. We employed a modified version of the three-dimensional finite-element hydrothermodynamic model QUODDY-4 differing from the original model by using a rotated (instead of spherical) coordinate system and by considering the equilibrium-tide effects. It has been shown that the modeling results for the surface tide differs little from the results obtained earlier by other authors. According to these results, the amplitudes of internal tidal waves (ITWs) in the AO are significantly lower than in other oceans and the ITWs proper have the character of trapped waves. Their source of generation is located at the continental slope northwest of the New Siberian Islands. Our results are consistent with the fields of average (over a tidal cycle) and integral (by depth) densities of baroclinic tidal energy, the maximum baroclinic tidal velocity, and the coefficient of diapycnic mixing. The local rate of baroclinic tidal energy dissipation at the AO ridges increases as it approaches the bottom, as was observed on Mid-Atlantic and Hawaii ridges (but merely within the bottom boundary layer) and is two to three orders of magnitude lower than in other oceans. The ITW degeneration scale in the AO is several hundreds of kilometers in summer and winter, remaining within the range of its values between 100 and 1000 km in mid- and low-latitude oceans. In both seasons, the integral (over the AO area) rate of baroclinic tidal energy dissipation is two orders of magnitude lower than the global estimate (2.5 × 10¹² W).     

O<Subscript>2</Subscript> consumption rate and its isotopic fractionation factor in the deep water of the Philippine Sea

Concentration and stable isotopic compositions (δ ¹⁸O) of dissolved O₂ were measured in seawater samples collected from the Philippine Sea in June 2006. The in-situ O₂ consumption rate and the isotopic fractionation factor (α _r ) during dissolved O₂ consumption were obtained from field observations by applying a vertical one-dimensional advection diffusion model to the deep water mass of about 1000–4000 m. The average O₂ consumption rate and α _r were, respectively, 0.11 ± 0.07 μmol kg⁻¹yr⁻¹ and 0.990 ± 0.001. These estimated values agree well with values from earlier estimations of Pacific deep water. The in-situ O₂ consumption rates are two or more times higher north of 20°N, although the value of α _r was not significantly different between the north and south. Its levels varied rapidly in the water mass of less about 2000 m depth. These results suggest that organic matter from the continent imparts a meaningful contribution to the upper water in the northern part of the area; it might produce the strong O₂ minimum that is evident in the water mass from about 1000–2000 m in the northern part of the Philippine Sea.     

Ridge–hotspot interaction: the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge and the foundation seamounts

The study of different magmatic provinces between the Resolution fracture zone (33°S–131°W) and the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge (PAR) axis (37°S–111°W) suggests that similar processes of interaction between hotspot and spreading axial magmatism occurred 20–25 Ma and 0–5 Ma ago. There is evidence of this process from the changes in composition observed in the lavas erupted near 400–300 km between the present day PAR axis (37°S–111′W) and the eastern tip of the Foundation Seamount (FS) hotspot near 36°20′S–114°W where the last alkali enriched volcanics [K/Ti>0.30, Zr/Y>6 and (Ce/Yb)_N>4] have erupted. This transitional province between the PAR and the FS consists of volcanic cones built on several volcanic ridges (<200 km in length) which have erupted less enriched volcanics such as E-[K/Ti=0.25–0.33, Zr/Y=5–6 and (Ce/Yb)_N=3–4] and T-[K/Ti=0.11–0.25, Zr/Y=2–4 and (Ce/Yb)_N=1–2] MORBs than those from the FS. It is also noticed that there is a general decrease in the degree of the basalt alkalinity (more T-MORBs) towards the PAR axis. The limit of the FS hotspot influence corresponds to the area where the VR intersect the PAR axis for a distance of about 100 km along its strike between 37°10′S and 38°20′S. Indeed, the lava erupted further to the north and to the south of these latitudes contains N-MORBs [K/Ti=0.05–0.11, Zr/Y<3 and (Ce/Yb)_N=<2]. Many Old Pacific Seamounts (OPS, >20 Ma) also built on volcanic ridges are identified west (>1200 km from the PAR axis) of a Failed Rift Propagator (FRP) forming the eastern boundary of the ancient Selkirk microplate. Some of these seamounts made of alkali basalts were built during the initiation of the FS hotspot 20–23 Ma ago. The interaction and the influence (thermal) of mantle plume magmatism with the ancient spreading ridge of the Farallon–Pacific plates was responsible for the eruptions of the T-MORBs and andesitic lavas. This situation is comparable to that presently observed on the PAR axis where silicic lavas are also erupted in association with T-MORBs.     

Climate change and warm‐water species at the north‐western boundary of the Mediterranean Sea

The effects of global change are particularly serious in areas where range shifts of species are physically constrained such as the Ligurian Sea, which is one of the coldest sectors of the Mediterranean. In this basin, historical information on water temperature (from the sea surface down to 75 m depth) dates back to the 1950s. Early studies also recorded warm‐water species occurrence. Thanks to these data we provide the first detailed characterization of water temperature variation from 1958 up to 2010 in the layer 0–75 m depth. We coupled this analysis with the available information on rocky reef epibenthic communities (literature review from 1955 to 1964 and field data from 1980 to 2010). The analysis of water temperature revealed several patterns of variation: a cooling phase from 1958 to 1980, a phase of rapid warming from 1980 to 1990 and a phase of slower warming from 1990 to 2010. Inter‐annual variation in temperature increased over the entire period for the water layer down to 20 m. Warm‐water native and alien species richness increased during the warming phases. Literature estimates suggest a decrease in warm‐water native species richness during the cooling phase. The analysis of quantitative data collected in the early 1990s and late 2000s indicated a decrease in the cover of warm‐water native species on shallow rocky reefs and an increase in deeper waters. We argue that increased inter‐annual variation in water temperature may disadvantage native warm‐water species in shallow waters. Our results indicate that the effect of temperature rises in cold, constrained basins may be more complex than the simple prediction of species changing their geographical range according to their thermal limits.     

Efficiency of calcein tagging on juveniles of the sea urchins Diadema africanum and Paracentrotus lividus

We evaluated the effectiveness of chemical tagging with the fluorescent marker calcein for two key species of herbivorous sea urchins, Diadema africanum and Paracentrotus lividus, to facilitate medium‐ and long‐term ecological experiments. In total, 98 juveniles of D. africanum and 98 P. lividus were tagged with this fluorescent marker, with 12 combinations of different tagging techniques (chemical bath or injection), concentrations of calcein (2, 10 and 20 mg · l^?1), and soaking times (2, 4 and 24 h). Respective control treatments were conducted by means of seawater injection and bathing. The success of tagging was assessed after a month of feeding individuals ad libitum with the algae Dictyota sp. Sea urchins were dissected and their Aristotle's lanterns cleaned with 10% sodium hypochlorite to examine these structures under UV light using a binocular microscope. Each species was evaluated in terms of survival, percentage of tagged individuals and intensity of the resulting tag. The results showed that the method of soaking individuals of both species for 24 h in concentrations of calcein of 10 and 20 mg · l^?1 gave the highest percentage survival (100%) and the resulting tags were clearly visible.     

Retrieval of total ozone in the mesosphere with a new model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and O<Subscript>2</Subscript> photolysis products

The paper presents a new model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of the products of ozone and molecular oxygen photodissociation in the terrestrial middle atmosphere. The model includes 45 excited states of the oxygen molecules O₂(b ¹, Σ _g ⁺ ,v= 0−2), O₂ (a ¹Δ _g , v= 0−5), and O₂(X ³Σ _g ⁻ , v= 1−35) and of the metastable atom O (¹ D) and over 100 aeronomic reactions. The model takes into account the dependence of quantum yields of the production of O₂(a ¹Δ _g , v= 0−5) in a singlet channel of ozone photolysis in the Hartley band on the wavelength of photolytic emission. Taking account of the electronic-vibrational kinetics is important in retrieval of the vertical profiles of ozone concentration from measured intensities of the Atm and IR Atm emissions of the oxygen bands above 65 km and leads to an increase in the ozone concentration retrieved from the 1.27-μm emission, in contrast to the previous model of pure electronic kinetics. Sensitivity analysis of the new model is made for variations in the concentrations of atmospheric constituents ([O₂], [N₂], [O(³P)], [O₃], [CO₂]), the gas temperature, rate constants of the reactions, and quantum yields of the reaction products. A group of reactions that most strongly affect the uncertainty of ozone retrieval from measured intensities of atmospheric emissions of molecular oxygen O₂(b ¹Σ _g ⁺ , v) and O₂(a ¹Δ _g , v) has been determined. Original Russian Text ? V.A. Yankovsky, V.A. Kuleshov, R.O. Manuilova, A.O. Semenov, 2007, published in Izvestiya AN. Fizika Atmosfery i Okeana, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 557–569.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-wave velocity structure and tectonic implications of the northwestern sub-basin and Macclesfield of the South China Sea

Based on the optimum P-wave model, the S-wave velocity structure of a wide angle seismic profile (OBS2006-1), across the northwestern sub-basin (NWSB) and the Macclesfield, is simulated by a 2-D ray-tracing method. The results indicate the S-wave velocities in the upper and lower crust of the NWSB are 3.2–3.6 km/s and 3.6–4.0 km/s, with Vp/Vs ratios of 1.82–1.88 and 1.74–1.82, respectively, which reflect typical oceanic crust characteristics. The S-wave velocity in the upper crust of the NWSB is a little higher in the NNW segment than that in the SSE segment, while the lateral variation of Vp/Vs ratio is in the opposite. We suggest that the NWSB might have experienced asymmetrical magma flows during sea floor spreading, which may have blurred the magnetic anomaly lineation. The comparison of S-wave velocities along the northern margin of the SCS shows that the west section is different from the east section, and the northwestern margin has a non-volcanic crust structure. The S-wave structures and P-wave velocity models along the northern margin, Macclesfield and Reed Bank show that the Macclesfield might have a conjugate relationship with the Reed Bank.     

“Uniform geothermal gradient” and heat flow in the Qiongdongnan and Pearl River Mouth Basins of the South China Sea

The Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) and Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) are oil and gas bearing basins in the northern margin of the South China Sea (SCS). Geothermal survey is an important tool in petroleum exploration. A large data set comprised of 199 thermal conductivities, 40 radioactive heat productions, 543 measured geothermal gradient values, and 224 heat flow values has been obtained from the two basins. However, the measured geothermal gradient data originated from diverse depth range make spatial comparison a challenging task. Taking into account the variation of conductivity and heat production of rocks, we use a “uniform geothermal gradient” to characterize the geothermal gradient distribution of the PRMB and QDNB. Results show that, in the depth interval of 0–5 km, the “uniform geothermal gradient” in the PRMB varies from 17.8 °C/km to 50.2 °C/km, with an average of 32.1 ± 6.0 °C/km. In comparison, the QDNB has an average “uniform geothermal gradient” of 31.9 ± 5.6 °C/km and a range between 19.7 °C/km and 39.5 °C/km. Heat flows in the PRMB and QDNB are 71.3 ± 13.5 mW/m² and 72.9 ± 14.2 mW/m², respectively. The heat flow and geothermal gradient of the PRMB and QDNB tend to increase from the continental shelf to continental slope owing to the lithosphereic/crustal thinning in the Cenozoic.     

Effects of environmental and biological conditions on the recruitment and growth of the Manila clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruditapes philippinarum</Emphasis> on the west coast of Korea

The distribution of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, which is often dominant in intertidal zones, is influenced by both environmental and biological conditions. However, there have been few comprehensive studies on the interactive effects of these two groups of factors. The present study examined the environmental and biological parameters determining the population dynamics of the clams that is a dominant component of the intertidal communities of Euhangri and Padori on the west coast of Korean peninsula. We collected R. philippinarum and other members of the macrobenthos (> 1 mm long) monthly from 0.25 m² quadrats deployed in the intertidal zones at Euhangri, Taean, and Padori during the period from August 2013 to January 2015. Physicochemical parameters of the water and sediment were measured at the same time. Water temperature and salinity is high and low in the summer to winter, respectively. While mean grain size of the sediment was higher at Euhangri than at Padori, total mean density of R. philippinarum was higher at Euhangri (325 ind./ 0.25 m² at Padori vs. 194 ind./0.25 m² at Euhangri). Settled spat (< 10 mm in length) density was much higher at Euhangri than at Padori (132 vs. 12 individuals/0.25m², respectively). R. philippinarum spats settled down on the sediment at Euhangri in October and grew continually until the following May, when they reached adult size. Spats that settled down at Padori between March and April were not able to reach the adult stage. As the density of the adult population increased, the condition index of individual clams decreased, but as the population density of the spat increased the body condition index increased. The chlorophyll a content of the sediments at Padori exceeded that at Euhangri and decreased as the population of R. philippinarum increased. The shapes of R. philippinarum shells at Euhangri were more prolate than those at Padori, and the condition index at Euhangri exceeded that at Padori, indicating better growth conditions at Euhangri. The condition index and density of R. philippinarum were affected by the amount of chlorophyll a in the water column and in the sediment. The recruitment success of spats was negatively influenced by spat density. We suggest that regulation of habitat conditions for R. philippinarum, including the food supply, will optimize production of these commercial clams.