Planktic foraminiferal production stimulated by chlorophyll redistribution and entrainment of nutrients

During September and October 1996 planktic foraminifers and pteropods were sampled from the upper 2500 m of the water column in the BIOTRANS area (47°N, 20°W), eastern North Atlantic, as part of the JGOFS program. Hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, and nutrient content were recorded at high spatial and temporal resolution providing detailed information about the transition time between summer and fall. At the beginning of the cruise a shallow pycnocline was present and oligotrophic conditions prevailed. Over the course of the cruise, the mixed layer depth increased and surface water temperature decreased by 1.5°C. Both chlorophyll-a dispersed in the upper 50 m by vertical mixing and chlorophyll-a concentrations at the sea surface increased. The nitracline shoaled and nutrient enriched waters were entrained into the mixed layer. Planktic foraminifers and pteropods closely reflected the changes in the hydrography by increased growth rates and changes in species composition. Three main groups of planktic foraminiferal species were recognized: (1) a temperate and low-productivity group dominated by Neogloboquadrina incompta characterized the shallow mixed layer depths. (2) A temperate and high-productivity group dominated by Globigerina bulloides characterized the period with wind-induced dispersal of chlorophyll-a and entrainment of nutrient-enriched waters. (3) A warm water group containing Globigerinoides sacculifer, Orbulina universa, Globigerinoides ruber (white), and Globigerinella siphonifera was most common during the first days of sampling. Synchronous with the hydrographic change from summer to fall, planktic foraminiferal and pteropod growth was stimulated by redistribution of chlorophyll-a and entrainment of nutrient-enriched waters into the mixed layer. In addition, the seasonal change in the eastern North Atlantic resulted in a transition of the epipelagic faunal composition and an increased calcareous particle flux, which could be used to trace seasonality in fossil assemblages and allow for better paleoceanographic interpretation of the boreal Atlantic.     

2008年南海季风爆发前后西沙海域海气通量变化特征

基于2008年4至5月在南海西沙永兴岛进行的海气通量观测试验资料和NCEP资料,应用COARE3.0通量算法计算了海气通量,分析了季风爆发前后西沙海域天气变化特点和海气通量对南海季风爆发的响应。结果表明:2008年南海季风首先于5月第1候在南海南部爆发,受热带气旋等因素的影响,北部海区季风爆发推迟到5月18日。季风爆发和热带气旋活动对西沙海域的风速和海气通量影响较大,其中热带气旋的影响更强烈。热带气旋来临之前,潜热通量、感热通量以及动量通量均较小;在气旋活动及此后的季风爆发时期,大风使潜热通量和动量通量显著增强,感热通量则在降水期间变化明显;动量通量的最大值出现在热带气旋活动期间,其在此过程中的均值是观测初期均值的3倍以上。在整个观测过程中,潜热通量明显大于感热通量,后者是前者的16∶1。不同类型天气过程中,潜热通量的日变化相似,而感热通量的日变化有差异。湍流交换系数与风速有较好的相关关系。     

2000年南海季风爆发前后西沙海域海-气热量交换特征

利用2000年5月6日至6月17日在西沙海域进行的第二次南海海-气通量观测资料,计算了南海季风爆发前后海洋-大气间的辐射收支、感热通量、潜热通量及海洋热量净收支;发现季风爆发后海-气热量交换突然发生变化,其中潜热通量、海洋热量净收支变化尤为显著。讨论了季风爆发前后各种天气过程影响下海-气热量、水汽交换特点和海洋热量净收支变化,说明季风爆发前海洋是一个能量积累过程,季风爆发期海洋是一个能量释放过程,季风中断期海洋是一个能量再积累过程;季风爆发后西南大风期持续时间和强度,强烈影响水汽蒸发量大小,进而影响我国大陆上夏季降水,通过南海与阿拉伯海、孟加拉湾、西太平洋暖池等不同海域资料对比,分析了它们在海-气热量交换上的差别,指出这种差别是爆发后南海SST基本稳定而阿拉伯海、孟加拉湾SST明显降低的主要原因。     

东海2万年来碳酸盐溶解作用变化:翼足类的记录

对东海84个表层沉积样品和5个重力柱状样中的翼足类和浮游有孔虫丰度、浮游有孔虫碎壳率和底栖有孔虫群中胶结质类的比例等进行了定量分析,确定了东海现代文石补偿深度（ACD）位于约600 m处,碳酸盐溶跃面在约1 400 m处.末次冰期时随着碳酸盐溶解作用的显著减弱,ACD大幅度下降至现代的1 000 m之下.     

西太平洋暖池区域热通量变化及其与南海夏季风爆发的关系

利用卫星遥感资料反演出的海洋大气参数,应用目前世界较为先进的通量算法(CORAER 3.0),计算了西太平洋区域海-气热通量(感热通量和潜热通量)。首先分析了海-气热通量的多年平均场和气候场变化的基本特征,以及年际和年代际变化特征;进而对其与南海夏季风爆发之间的关系进行了初步探讨。结果表明,西太平洋海-气热通量具有明显的时空分布特征,感热通量的最大值出现在黑潮区域,潜热通量的最大值出现在北赤道流区和黑潮区域。在气候平均场中,黑潮区域的感热通量和潜热通量最大值均出现在冬季,最小值出现在夏季;暖池区域感热通量除了春季较小外,冬、夏和秋季基本相同,而潜热通量最大值出现在秋、冬季,最小值出现在春、夏季。另外,海-气热通量还具有显著的年际变化和年代际变化,感热通量和潜热通量均存在16 a周期,与南海夏季风爆发存在相同的周期。由相关分析可知,4月份暖池区域的海-气热通量与滞后3 a的南海夏季风爆发之间存在密切相关关系,这种时滞相关性,可以用于进行南海夏季风爆发的预测,为我国汛期降水预报提供科学依据。基于以上结论,建立多元回归方程对2012年的南海夏季风爆发进行了预测,预测2012年南海夏季风爆发将偏晚1～2候左右。     

Seasonal oxygen and carbon isotope variability in euthecosomatous pteropods from the Sargasso Sea

We examine seasonal variations in the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of individual shells of the pteropods Limacina inflata and Styliola subula, collected from Oceanic Flux Program sediment traps (at 500 m depth) near Bermuda in the western Sargasso Sea. Calcification depths estimated from L. inflata δ¹⁸O vary between 200 and 650 m in late winter and spring, and between 50 and 250 m in late summer and fall. S. subula shows similar seasonal variability with calcification depths between 250 and 600 m in late winter and spring and 50–400 m in late summer and fall. These results suggest that both species calcify across a greater range of depths than indicated by previous geochemical studies. Furthermore, the data indicate that these species change their calcification depth in conjunction with changes in thermal stratification of the water column. Pteropod shell δ¹³C values vary inversely with δ¹³C_DIC but show a positive correlation with seawater [CO₃²⁻] and temperature after depth differences in δ¹³C_DIC are accounted for. We hypothesize that either the influence of temperature on metabolic CO₂ incorporation during shell growth and/or the influence of ambient [CO₃²⁻] on shell geochemistry can explain these relationships. Taken together, the individual shell δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C data suggest that shell calcification, and by inference the life cycle, of these pteropods is several months or less. Individual pteropod shell analyses have potential for contributing to our understanding of the environmental parameters that play a role in seasonal calcification depth shifts, as well as to our knowledge of past upper ocean thermal structure.     

Lunar cycles and seasonal variations in deposition fluxes of planktic foraminiferal shell carbonate to the deep South Atlantic (central Walvis Ridge)

Several authors have argued that lunar reproductive cycling controls the shell fluxes of planktic foraminifera, one of the major carbonate-producing groups in the global pelagic ocean. A time-series sediment trap at 2700 m depth on the central Walvis Ridge below the South Atlantic central gyre demonstrate for the first time that shell deposition fluxes of Hastigerina pelagica are synchronous with lunar periodicity. Spectral analysis of the 6-month time-series with 8-day resolution showed a strong 30-day cyclicity in the flux maxima of H. pelagica arriving at the ocean floor on average 12.5 days after each full moon. Given a shell settling velocity of about 400 m day⁻¹, which implies about 7 days for settling, this coincides with the pronounced endogenous reproduction rhythm of 5±2 days after full moon as originally observed in laboratory-cultured isolates from off Bermuda in the North Atlantic. By contrast, no endogenous or exogenous lunar periodicity was observed in the deposition flux or size distribution of any of the 27 other shell species from austral winter (August 2000) to austral summer (February 2001). Instead, the deposition fluxes of shell species, the bulk carbonate and the total mass were dominated by a seasonal maximum during austral spring, without any periodicity in the 16–90-day domain of this study. Since H. pelagica exhibits low fluxes with a low burial efficiency, and continuous (re)production is shown by the deposition fluxes of other species, lunar reproductive cycling appears not to affect pelagic carbonate productivity and deep ocean sedimentation fluxes.     

Seasonal and annual variability in particle fluxes in the Gulf of California: A response to climate forcing

A six-year time series of sediment trap samples is used to document seasonal and interannual changes in particle fluxes in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Sedimentation in this region of the Gulf of California is dominated by two seasonally varying components: biogenic silica during the late fall–spring and lithogenic material during the summer. This variability in sediment fluxes is a direct response to the seasonally reversing monsoon climate in this region. In addition, this seasonal variability in particle flux to the seafloor combined with the lack of bioturbation results in the formation of sediment laminae or varves in Guaymas Basin. Observed interannual differences in the magnitude of sediment fluxes appear to be related to ENSO. These findings indicate that biogenic sediment fluxes, and hence primary productivity, are higher during non-ENSO years in the central Gulf of California. A decrease in the carbonate: opal flux ratio from 1991 to 1996 indicates that diatoms became an increasingly important component of the plankton during this period and further supports our findings that productivity in Guaymas Basin is higher during non-ENSO years.     

Significance of pteropods in deciphering the late Quaternary sea-level history along the southwestern Indian shelf

The paper evaluates the usefulness of pteropods in palaeobathymetric synthesis along the southwestern continental shelf of India. Core samples collected from the shelf off north Kerala (SW coast of India) were studied for faunal assemblages (pteropods and foraminifers), calcium carbonate contents and lithological characteristics. A fundamental precept for considering any organism as a bathometer is that it should be highly sensitive to changing water depths. To ascertain this, the bathymetric distribution patterns of modern pteropods as well as planktonic and benthic foraminifers were recorded in core-top samples. The results reveal that certain pteropod species (Limacina inflata, Creseis acicula, Creseis virgula, and Creseis chierchiae) are highly depth sensitive. The response of these species to depth changes was assessed in terms of the L. inflata and Creseis spp. abundance ratio. A model for the relationship between water depths and the L. inflata/Creseis spp. ratio is proposed for the southwestern shelf of India. Variations of benthic/planktonic foraminifers (BF/PF) and pteropods/planktonic foraminifers (Pt/PF) in the modern sediments were also found to be depth controlled. Two sediment cores, representing the last 36,000 and 23,000 years, were collected to investigate past sea-level changes. These cores comprised two distinct lithological units, the upper unit corresponding to the Holocene, and the lower unit to the last glacial period. The L. inflata/Creseis spp. model was successfully applied to the fossil record for reconstructing the palaeobathymetry of the shelf study locations. Down-core variations in the BF/PF and Pt/PF ratios support these inferred sea-level changes. Major periods of sea-level oscillations were also found to have a strong influence on the calcium carbonate distribution. For both core sites, the palaeobathymetric curves reflect consistency in terms of changing sea level. The results suggest that the sea level stood around 100 m below the present mean sea level during the last glacial maximum. A rapid rise in sea level was documented between 15 and 10 ka B.P. The sea-level rise has been slower since 7 ka B.P.     

南海北部和中部硅藻通量季节性变化及其对季风气候的响应

通过对南海北部和中部两套时间序列沉积物捕获器中的颗粒物样品进行硅藻分析,揭示了南海北部和中部硅藻通量的季节变化规律及其区域差异和各自对东亚季风气候的响应.研究表明在南海北部和中部海域,硅藻通量可以在一定程度上指示海洋初级生产力水平,其中南海北部硅藻通量明显低于中部,这可能与北部颗粒物样品采集期间发生的E1 Ni(n)o...     

A 9-year time-series of planktonic foraminifer fluxes and environmental change in the Bering sea and the central subarctic Pacific Ocean, 1990–1999

A 9-year study of planktonic foraminifer fluxes was conducted in the Bering Sea (Station AB) and in the central subarctic Pacific (Station SA). Results clearly reflected variations of the water mass characteristics in the upper layers. The 9-year means of total foraminifer fluxes were the same (1400 shells m⁻² d⁻¹) at both stations. However, total foraminifer flux at Station AB tended to show its primary maximum during fall (October–December) and its secondary maximum in spring (April–June), whereas the primary maximum appeared in spring and the secondary maximum in fall at Station SA. Seasonal variation was more apparent at hemipelagic Station AB than at pelagic Station SA. Planktonic foraminifers found at both stations were of six species: Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Globigerina umbilicata, Globigerinita glutinata, Globigerina quinqueloba, Globorotalia wilesi, and Orbulina universa. The foraminifer assemblages at the two stations reflected the temperature difference in the surface waters. The variable %G. umbilicata tended to be high in the warm surface waters during the summers. The temporal and geographical variation of %G. quinqueloba indicated that this taxon prefers regions with relatively low diatom fluxes. A notable appearance of O. universa occurred in 1997 at Station SA. During this period, other measured biogenic particle fluxes, such as those of diatoms, were low. This unusual 1997 event may be a reflection of global climatic change that happened to be observed in the central subarctic Pacific Ocean.     

2008/2009年冬季南海冷涌天气过程的海-气热通量交换及热量收支

冬季风期(11月—翌年3月)南海显著的气候特点是盛行东北季风并频繁地发生冷涌天气过程。使用2008年10月到2009年4月在西沙群岛永兴岛近海进行的海-气通量观测试验资料,分析了西沙海域冬季风期,尤其是冷涌时段的海-气通量交换和热量收支特征。结果表明:冬季风前期由于海-气温差增大,感热通量比西南季风期稍增加;潜热通量平均值与西南季风期接近;太阳总辐射明显降低,大气长波辐射减小,海洋热量净收入成为负值,使得秋季之后海面温度不断降低。冷涌期间海-气之间的感热通量高于冬季风期平均值,潜热通量大部分(1月份之前)也高于冬季风期平均值;由于潜热通量增大和太阳短波辐射减小,1月份之前的冷涌过程海洋热量净收支普遍出现较大负值,海洋失热量强于冬季风期,甚至强于2008年台风过程平均值。到了冬季后期太阳总辐射增强,海洋热量净收入转为正值,海水温度又逐渐升高。季节之间比较,观测区感热通量以冬季风期间最大,秋季次之,春季最小;而潜热通量夏季风期出现最大值,冬季次之,秋季最小。     

Seasonal export and sediment preservation of diatomaceous, foraminiferal and organic matter mass fluxes in a trophic gradient across the SE Atlantic

Seasonal deposition fluxes of sinking phytoplankton, zooplankton and major mass compounds (i.e. calcium carbonate, biogenic opal and organic matter), intercepted by deep-moored sediment traps, are contrasted with their sediment accumulation rates over the 2700 m deep central Walvis Ridge in the oligotrophic SE Atlantic. These data provide the first seasonally resolved record of biogenic particle fluxes in the South Atlantic Central Gyre and serve as the oligotrophic end member of a gradient across the Benguela system to the highly productive coastal upwelling off Namibia. Maximum fluxes at the central Walvis Ridge were deposited in early austral spring, following winter deepening of the surface mixed layer and associated nutrient entrainment. Nearly 25% of the annual mass flux arrived in October, when sea surface temperature rose, deep vertical mixing halted and surface production collapsed. The annual flux of diatoms was dominated by small specimens of Nitzschia bicapitata (60%) whereas Globorotalia inflata dominated the foraminiferal fluxes (25%). Diatom diversity dropped significantly during the bloom periods, when up to 80% was composed of small N. bicapitata, but foraminiferal diversity remained about constant. The diatom flux maximum, together with those of biogenic silica and organic matter, preceded those of the foraminifera, pteropods, carbonate and total mass by 1 week. Fluxes of the left- and right-coiled shells of the deep-dwelling foraminifer Globorotalia truncatulinoides peaked in different seasons, a distinctive ecological behaviour which merits their taxonomic recognition as separate species. These findings testify to recent evidence for the existence of several genetic species within G. truncatulinoides and now suggest that such species may also have different seasonal responses.The Benguela trophic gradient showed a shoreward increase in particle fluxes, but differences were surprisingly small, testifying to only moderately enhanced export productivity and deposition at the Namibian margin relative to the oligotrophic central gyre. From the open ocean toward coastal upwelling, small and weakly silicified diatoms were substituted by other, larger and more heavily silicified species, possibly in response to decreased silica limitation. Foraminiferal deposition fluxes were increasingly dominated by G. inflata, accompanied by a change-over from many warm- to few cold-water minor species. The late winter maximum at the Namibian margin and the early spring maximum at the central Walvis Ridge were generated by the same process of collapsing surface productivity in response to the shut down of nutrient entrainment at the winter to summer transition, although delayed by up to 2 months in the Central Gyre. At the sediment-water interface, intense degradation of organic matter and biogenic silica resulted in poor preservation accompanied by pronounced changes in the species composition of siliceous phytoplankton. Of all particle groups at the central Walvis Ridge, only the export of foraminiferal shells appeared to be fully transferred into the sediment, and through their species assemblage to provide a sedimentary record of past seasonal productivity conditions of the upper ocean.     

南沙群岛海域混合层深度季节变化特征

基于南沙群岛海域综合科学考察11个航次的实测资料,研究了南沙群岛海域的混合层深度季节变化特征。研究结果表明,南沙群岛海域混合层深度存在明显的季节变化,并且与季风和海表热通量的变化密切相关。春季,风速较小且风向不稳定,海面得到的净热通量全年最大,上层水体层结稳定,混合层深度较小;夏季,南海西南季风盛行,上层为反气旋式环流,海面得到的净热通量减少,混合层呈加深的趋势;秋季,海面净热通量继续减少,混合层深度达到最大值;冬季,东北季风驱动下形成的上层气旋式环流引起深层冷水的上升,限制了混合层的加深。     

Regional variations in the fluxes of foraminifera carbonate,coccolithophorid carbonate and biogenic opal in the northern Indian Ocean

Mass fluxes of diatom opal, planktonic foraminifera carbonate and coccolithophorid carbonate were measured with time-series sediment traps at six sites in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Equatorial Indian Ocean (EIOT). The above fluxes were related to regional variations in salinity, temperature and nutrient distribution. Annual fluxes of diatom opal range between 3 and 28 g m⁻² yr⁻¹, while planktonic foraminifera carbonate fluxes range between 6 and 23 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ and coccolithophorid carbonate fluxes range between 4 and 24 g m⁻² yr⁻¹. Annual planktonic foraminifera carbonate to coccolithophorid carbonate ratios range between 0.8 and 2.2 and coccolithophorid carbonate to diatom opal ratios range between 0.5 and 3.3.In the western Arabian Sea, coccolithophorids are the major contributors to biogenic flux during periods of low nutrient concentrations. Coccolithophorid carbonate fluxes decrease and planktonic foraminiferal carbonate and diatom opal fluxes increase when nutrient-rich upwelled waters are advected over the trap site. In the oligotropic eastern Arabian Sea, coccolithophorid carbonate fluxes are high throughout the year. Planktonic foraminiferal carbonate fluxes are the major contributors to biogenic flux in the EIOT. In the northern and central Bay of Bengal, when surface salinity values drop sharply during the SW monsoon, there is a drastic reduction in planktonic foraminiferal carbonate fluxes, but coccolithophorid carbonate and diatom opal fluxes remain steady or continue to increase. Distinctly higher annual molar Si_bio/C_inorg (>1) and C_org/C_inorg (>1.5) ratios are observed in the northern and central Bay of Bengal mainly due to lower foraminiferal carbonate production as a result of sharp salinity variations. We can thus infer that the enhanced freshwater supply from rivers should increase oceanic CO₂ uptake. Its silicate supply favours the production of diatoms while the salinity drop produces conditions unfavourable for most planktonic foraminifera species.     

Mixed layer variability in Northern Arabian Sea as detected by an Argo float

Seasonal evolution of surface mixed layer in the Northern Arabian Sea (NAS) between 17° N–20.5° N and 59° E-69° E was observed by using Argo float daily data for about 9 months, from April 2002 through December 2002. Results showed that during April - May mixed layer shoaled due to light winds, clear sky and intense solar insolation. Sea surface temperature (SST) rose by 2.3 °C and ocean gained an average of 99.8 Wm⁻². Mixed layer reached maximum depth of about 71 m during June - September owing to strong winds and cloudy skies. Ocean gained abnormally low ∼18 Wm⁻² and SST dropped by 3.4 °C. During the inter monsoon period, October, mixed layer shoaled and maintained a depth of 20 to 30 m. November - December was accompanied by moderate winds, dropping of SST by 1.5 °C and ocean lost an average of 52.5 Wm⁻². Mixed layer deepened gradually reaching a maximum of 62 m in December. Analysis of surface fluxes and winds suggested that winds and fluxes are the dominating factors causing deepening of mixed layer during summer and winter monsoon periods respectively. Relatively high correlation between MLD, net heat flux and wind speed revealed that short term variability of MLD coincided well with short term variability of surface forcing.     

The downward flux of biogenic material in the NE subarctic Pacific: importance of algal sinking and mesozooplankton herbivory

In the present study we examine factors that affect the downward flux of biogenic carbon in the NE subarctic Pacific, one of the important high-nutrient-low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions in the open ocean. We focus on the role of mesozooplankton, since their seasonal peaks in biomass and growth are in phase with the seasonal variations in the downward POC fluxes, whereas phytoplankton biomass is more-or-less uniform year-round. The relative importance of mesozooplankton and algal sinking was examined using the pigment composition of material accumulated in short-term free-drifting sediment traps positioned just below the upper stratified surface layer (ca. 100–200 m). This was compared with the phytoplankton composition in the surface waters, and with the grazing activity (gut pigments and fecal pellet production rates) of the most abundant large copepods. We also examined whether the relationships between the downward flux of carbon and pelagic processes were similar in the coastal, continental margin and offshore HNLC regions of the NE subarctic Pacific, the latter represented by Ocean Station Papa (OSP).Our results show that grazing had a variable impact on the downward flux of biogenic carbon. Carbon-transformed pheopigments (particularly pyropheophorbide a, frequently associated with copepod grazing) represented up to 13% of the total downward POC flux inshore (in May 1996) and 8–9% at OSP in May and February 1996, respectively. This flux of pheopigments was accompanied by a large potential input of fecal pellets from large copepods (as estimated from defecation rates of freshly collected animals) only in May 1996 at OSP, suggesting that pheopigments came from other sources (other herbivores, senescing algae) in February. The larger flux of pheopigments in May was probably related to the abundance of mesozooplankton at that time of the year. During summer (August 1996), both the flux of pheopigments and the potential input of fecal pellets from large copepods were negligible at OSP, consistent with more intense pelagic recycling reported in other studies. Inshore, the flux of carbon-transformed pheopigments was slightly higher than at OSP, and its contribution to the downward POC flux in May 1996 was twice that in August 1996. In contrast, the potential input of feces carbon was higher in August than in May 1996, again suggesting other sources for pheopigments found in the traps. The contribution of sinking phytoplankton to the downward biogenic flux was negligible in summer, when prymnesiophytes (indicated by the presence of 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin) and pelagophytes (19′-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin-containing) dominated in surface offshore waters. The contribution of sinking algae was maximal (9%) in winter (February 1996) at OSP, when fucoxanthin (mainly a diatom marker) dominated the carotenoid composition in the traps and when the abundance of diatoms in surface waters showed its seasonal maximum for this station. Inshore, the low contribution of diatoms (fucoxanthin) to the sinking fluxes may have resulted from inadequate sampling (i.e. the spring bloom may have been missed).Overall, we conclude that: (a) large copepods significantly influenced the downward POC flux only during spring at OSP; (b) unidentified herbivores (e.g. salps, pteropods) producing pigmented, fast-sinking fecal material likely had an important impact during winter; (c) algal sinking made a small contribution to the downward POC flux (maximum in winter); and (d) neither algal sinking nor mesozooplankton grazing had a significant influence on the downward flux of biogenic material in summer at OSP.     

Air-sea heat flux exchange over the South China Sea under different weather conditions before and after southwest monsoon onset in 2000

With the data observed from the Second SCS Air-Sea Flux Experiment on the Xisha air-sea flux research tower, the radiation budget, latent, sensible heat fluxes and net oceanic heat budgets were caculated before and after summer monsoon onset. It is discovered that, after summer monsoon onset, there are considerable changes in air-sea fluxes, especially in latent heat fluxes and net oceanic heat budget. Furthermore, the analyzed results of five synoptic stages are compared. And the characteristics of the flux transfer during different stages around onset of South China Sea monsoon are discussed. The flux change shows that there is an oceanic heat accumulating process during the pre-onset and the break period, as same as oceanic heat losing process during the onset period. Moreover, latent fluxes, the water vapor moving to the continent, even the rainfall appearance in Chinese Mainland also can be influenced by southwester. Comparing Xisha fluxes with those obtained from the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, their differences may be obeerved. It is the reason why SSTs can keep stableover the South China Sea while they decrease quickly over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal aftermonsoon onset.     

Downward fluxes of settling particles in the deep Cretan Sea (NE Mediterranean)

During the CINCS project (Pelagic–benthic Coupling IN the oligotrophic Cretan Sea—NE Mediterranean), a single mooring with two sediment traps (at 200 and 1515m water depth) and two current meters was deployed in the southern Cretan Sea margin at a depth of 1550 m. A second mooring deployed at the 500 m station was lost, as a result of fishing activities. The duration of the study was 12 months (November 1994 to November 1995) with sampling intervals of 15 or 16 days. The traps were retrieved, serviced and the sedimented material was collected every 6 months. In total, 48 samples were collected (24 from each trap) throughout the study period and fluxes of total particulate mass, opal, organic matter, carbonates, and lithogenic component were measured. Natural radionuclides (²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb) were determined for all trap samples. Total mass flux and the fluxes of four major constituents increased with depth, the total mass flux reaching values of nearly 550 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 1515 m and 187 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 200 m depth, following the same patterns observed in other experiments (ECOMARGE, SEEP-I, SEEP-II). The mean annual mass fluxes were 209 and 49.8 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at the near bottom and near surface trap respectively. This suggests that lateral transport of particulate matter is of importance in the area. Total mass fluxes at the two depths were characterized by different seasonal fluctuations, although a general decreasing trend was observed from the I (winter) to the II (summer) deployment at both depths. This was mainly a result of reductions in aluminosilicate inputs during the summer dry period. At 200 m depth carbonates were more important during winter, because of a large carbonate input consisting mainly of coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi, while during the summer decreased fluxes of carbonates and aluminosilicates resulted in a reduction of the mass flux. In contrast, at 1515 m depth the lithogenic component was the dominant component during the winter deployment, indicating a terrigenous input. During the summer period the decrease in mass flux was strongly effected by the decrease in aluminosilicates. There was a diminution in the organic carbon content with a concomitant increase in total mass flux, which, together with the almost negligible increase in the annual ²¹⁰Pb activity with depth and the increase of ²¹⁰Po activity with depth could be interpreted as indicating a contribution of resuspended material to the input at 1515 m. The complex mesoscale circulation of the Cretan Sea, consisting of a cyclone (east)–anticyclone (west) system, controls particle transfer in the area. This hydrodynamic system seems to move water masses towards the southern Cretan Sea margin, and consequently carry materials from the open sea to the upper slope and shelf.     

中沙群岛海域春夏交季温盐分布特征

中沙群岛主要由中沙大环礁和黄岩岛组成,其温盐分布对于本区渔业生产、航海保障和水下通讯等具有重要意义。尤其是春夏之交的季节转换时期,该海域水温和盐度及其相应的跃层特性存在显著的季节变化,掌握其季节变化特征具有重要现实意义。本文基于2019年5月（南海春夏季风转换期）中沙大环礁、黄岩岛和2020年6月（夏季风爆发期）中沙大环礁海域大面站调查数据分析,发现中沙大环礁海域水温和盐度分布特征在夏季风爆发前后具有显著的差异性,2个航次的温跃层分布也呈现出较大不同,2019年5月黄岩岛海域温盐中上层分布与中沙大环礁相似,但底层有所差异,跃层深度也较大。2020年6月中沙大环礁内水体升温较快,各层水温均高于2019年5月,其中以底层水体升温最为显著;2019年5月中沙大环礁内水温水平梯度较大,且随着水深加大水平梯度也越大,2020年6日水平温度梯度逐渐减小。2个航次的盐度分布与水温分布较为相似。结合调查时段的海表热通量变化和卫星高度计资料分析认为,2019年5月中沙大环礁西南部海洋吸热高于东北部,故表层水温西南高东北低;2020年6月至7月环礁西南部海洋吸热低于东北部,故表层水温西南低东北高。由于中尺度涡的作用,中沙大环礁区域局部产生低温高盐或高温低盐水,并导致2020年6月中沙大环礁大部分海域的温跃层加深。