夏季南海上层环流动力机制的数值研究

通过利用一个分区性的正压-斜压衔接模式来探讨夏季南海的上层环流特征及其动力机制,结果表明:夏季期间,由于风生环流的不稳定性促使在东沙群岛附近的气旋涡的强度及位置发生变化,并间接导致黑潮侵入南海北部的程度变化以及气旋涡南侧的反气旋式环流、西沙群岛西南侧的气旋涡的强度和范围出现波动现象;在南海南部的北向西边界流由于离岸的西南季风所驱动在中南半岛中部沿岸脱离岸线往东北方向的流动,导致沿岸的水体大量流失而在沿岸形成一支南向补偿流并在西沙群岛西南侧诱生一气旋涡,而上述的离岸西边界流则作顺时针方向流动,从而在南海南部形成反气旋式大环流;在南沙海槽附近出现的局地气旋涡和万安滩附近的气旋涡分别受β效应、底形效应的作用而形成.     

南海西边界流场的时空变化特征及其与ENSO循环的关系

利用SODA同化数据、卫星高度计反演的地转流数据及ICOADS风场资料,刻画了南海西边界流场的三维结构,并着重探讨了中南半岛附近的南海西边界流年际变化特征与ENSO循环的关系.研究结果表明:以经向流速10cm/s界定中南半岛西边界流的核心边界,按此标准其核心区水平方向上为中南半岛沿岸至111°E附近,垂向为200 m以浅.分析发现12.25°N断面西边界流流量的年际变化与ENSO呈显著正相关,流量滞后ENSO 5个月时相关系数最高,达0.38(超过99%置信度).受ENSO期间季风变异影响,和正常年份相比,合成El Nino事件的发展期(7月)-强盛期(12月)-消亡期(次年7月),中南半岛近岸的西边界流呈现增强-减弱-减弱态势;而合成La Nina事件的发展期(7月)-强盛期(12月)-消亡期(次年7月),西边界流却呈现减弱-增强-南强北弱的态势;综上,南海西边界流的年际变化,ENSO是主要调控因素.     

南海西边界强流区季节和年际变化特征

基于1951—2010年SODA海洋同化数据资料,研究分析了南海西边界强流的季节及年际变化的特征,目的是为进一步探讨南海西边界强流的季节及年际变化机理奠定基础。分析研究发现:(1)南海西边界强流空间位置、水平和垂向范围及环流形态等季节变化明显,冬季环流形态空间位置稳定,强流一般9、10月份出现并开始加强,最强出现在12月份,1月份开始逐渐减弱。强流的水平范围一般为60—110 km,垂向范围在50—200 m之间,水平和垂向范围一般随着强流的增强(减小)而扩大(缩小);夏季环流形态变化较为复杂,强流空间位置不稳定,且逐步分裂成两支,一支移至近岸,一支在离岸原中心附近,分裂过程呈现由北向南推进的趋势,近岸支强度、垂向范围季节上没有明显变化规律,但北、中和南部有差别,北部分裂不明显且流速不大,南部分裂明显且近岸支流速较大;(2)南海西边界强流存在显著的年际变化,在转换月份上,夏季形态转换月份最早为2月份,最迟则到6月份,冬季形态转换月份最早为8月份,最迟则到11月份;流量输送上,冬季最大年份的达到23.3Sv,最小的年份流量只有1.5Sv,年际最大差异20Sv以上,夏季年际最大差异幅度也有10Sv以上;利用小波能谱分析南海西边界强流在年际变化上具有两个显著的准周期振荡:36个月(3 a)和大约99个月(8—9 a);(3)在1950年至2010年61 a时间段里,南海西边界流流量体积输送总体呈现出一种缓慢增加的趋势。     

经略21世纪海上丝路之海洋环境特征:海流特征

海流对于海洋渔业、海洋表层初级生产力分布、海洋物质输运等理化生现象有着重要影响。文章利用海洋再分析流场资料,简要分析印度洋海区和南海海区(20°S—30°N,30°E—130°E)的流场年平均以及季节变化特点,得出以下结论:1南海海区流场的季节变化显著,受到季风、黑潮和地形的共同影响作用,在东北季风期间存在沿粤东沿岸至海南岛南侧转向沿越南沿岸的一支流系,该流系的强度变化影响爪哇海等南海南侧海区流场变化。2苏拉威西岛东侧和加里曼丹岛西侧流系有明显的季节变化,在流动强盛的时期这两支流系均是偏南向流动;从爪哇海流出的海流常年存在,夏季附近流速最大,最大流速分布在1.0m/s。3赤道印度洋海区和非洲东岸的沿岸流存在明显的季节变化,上层海区流动的低流速区存在流向切变;沿岸流最大流速在5-9月出现,可达1.8m/s以上,而赤道流系则在11月,可达0.8m/s以上。     

南海贯穿流荷载中尺度过程能量学诊断

本文利用南海海洋再分析产品REDOS(Reanalysis Dataset of the South China Sea)和风场资料CCMP(Cross-Calibrated,Multi-Platform),通过能量诊断探讨了越南沿岸南海西边界流(南海贯穿流主体部分)区域夏季(6—9月)涡流相互作用的年际变化特征以及平均流对中尺度过程的贡献。结果显示,在季风和西边界强流、南海贯穿流的共同影响下,越南沿岸东向急流和双涡结构的能量分布和收支有显著的年际差异。尽管涡动能(EKE,Eddy Kinetic Energy)和涡动有效势能(EPE,Eddy available Potential Energy)的量级基本一致,但二者在水平和垂向空间分布上存在明显差异,这与夏季风影响下的南海西部边界流,越南离岸流的上层海洋密度梯度、流速大小和剪切导致的斜压、正压不稳定性等因素相关。同时随着深度的增加,密度梯度变化相对水平速度剪切对海洋涡流过程的影响逐渐凸显。EKE能量收支分析表明,压强与风应力主要做正功,是维持EKE稳定的主要能量来源,而EKE平流项既可以促进涡旋的增长,也会造成涡旋的消耗,对EKE的年际变率影响比较显著。正压不稳定导致的能量转换主要影响南海西部边界流区域,并存在显著年际变化,并且在风和平均流的影响下,沿贯穿流方向存在显著空间分布差异。越南离岸流正异常年,整体呈现平均流向涡旋传递能量;负异常年,出现EKE反哺平均动能的情况。     

南海上层环流季节变化的诊断计算

通过一个全球的二维诊断模型,采用Levitus温盐资料和COADS风应力资料,并结合动力计算来研究南海上层环流的季节变化。计算结果与其它模式结果和观测结果非常相似。南海北部(南部)全年存在一气旋式(反气旋式)环流。在冬季气旋式环流几乎占据了整个南海,夏季则以反气旋式环流为主。泰国湾的环流在冬季(夏季)是气旋式的(反气旋的)。南海的西边界流有明显的季节变化,其在冬季从卡里马塔海峡流出南海,夏季部分西边界流从台湾海峡流出南海。越南离岸流在春季就开始出现,其位置比夏季的越南离岸流的位置偏北。     

吕宋海峡120°E断面水交换特征

利用2007年7～8月吕宋海峡120°E断面(18.5°N～21.5°N)CTD观测数据,分析了该断面的温度、盐度和密度分布特征,并用动力计箅方法计算了断面的流速,得到了通过该断面的海水体积通量.计算结果显示,通过断面的海水主要由南海向太平洋输送,总的交换量为3.15 Sv.19°30'N～20°30'N之间,南海水通过吕宋海峡进入太平洋,而19°30'N以南和20°30'N以北至21°30'N之间.海水由太平洋进入南海.此外,流出吕宋海峡的表层流速最大可达1.3 m/s,流入南海的表层流速最大可达60 cm/s,位于19°30'N以南.     

越南离岸流跨海盆特征初步分析

为了更加清晰地分析南海的环流结构,本文利用南海表层卫星跟踪漂流浮标轨迹,结合卫星高度计资料,分析了南海中、南部跨海盆尺度海流。结果表明,2011年9~10月,越南沿岸流向南,并分别在11.5°N和8.5°N(等深线出现弯曲处)转向东形成越南离岸流。之后,这支离岸流在11°~16°N呈现蛇形路径,从越南东岸跨越南海南部海盆到达菲律宾西岸。分析卫星高度计数据,结果表明,秋季南海中北部被气旋式环流控制,气旋式环流南部为东向流,可从越南东部一直到菲律宾沿岸,从而决定了越南离岸流跨海盆的特征。越南离岸流的蛇形路径主要是由反气旋-气旋-反气旋-气旋交错出现的中尺度涡决定的。     

南海 18°N 断面 上的体积和热盐输运

以2005—2008年4年中南海北部开放航次所获得的水文观测资料为基础,结合卫星高度计遥感资料,采用动力计算方法计算南海18°N断面的经向地转流,并与声学多普勒流速剖面仪(Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers,ADCP)走航观测资料进行对比,进而计算出通过南海18°N断面1000m以浅的各站位以及断面上总的经向地转体积、热、盐输运量。结果表明,2005—2008年南海北部开放航次期间18°N断面上的经向地转流呈相间带状分布,各站位经向地转流流速垂向分布和ADCP观测的大体一致。从卫星高度计获得的海面高度场可知,经向地转流流向的空间变化与海洋中尺度涡旋的活动密切相关。2005—2007年航次期间南海18°N断面上1000m以浅总的经向地转体积、热、盐输运均为南向输运,其3年的平均输运量分别为11.8Sv(1Sv=106m3.s 1)、0.38PW、418.8Gg.s 1;其年际间差别较大,经向地转体积、热、盐输运量均为2005年最大,2006年次之,2007年最小。2008年110°—117°E之间1000m以浅总的海水地转体积、热、盐输运量分别为7.3Sv、0.22PW、259.4Gg.s 1。     

南海海洋环流季节变化的数值模拟研究

基于POM(Princeton Ocean Model)海洋模式,对南海不同深度环流的季节性变化进行了数值模拟研究。模拟结果表明:南海表层和上层环流受季风影响,在夏季西南季风驱动下,南海表层环流在南部呈现强反气旋式结构,在南海北部则是一个弱的气旋环流;在冬季东北季风驱动下,南海表层环流结构呈气旋式,并且明显加强了沿越南沿岸向南流动的西边界流;春季和秋季为南海季风的转换期,其对应的环流特征也处于冬季环流与夏季环流的过渡流型,流速与冬季和夏季相比较弱。南海200m层环流的季节变化与表层相似。在500与1 000m层,则出现许多处中尺度漩涡,流场也变得较为紊乱。     

Microbial Biomass and Organic Nutrients in the Deep-Sea Sediments of the Central Indian Ocean Basin

In order to assess the impact of deep-sea mining on the in situ benthic life, we measured the microbial standing stock and concentration of organic nutrients in the deep-sea sediments of the Central Indian Ocean Basin in the Indian pioneer area. Sediments were collected using box core and grab samples during September 1996. The total bacterial numbers ranged from 10 10 -10 11 cells per g -1 dry weight sediment. There was a marginal decrease in the number of bacteria from surface to 30 cm depth, though the subsurface section registered a higher number than did the surface. The highest numbers were encountered at depths of 4-8 cm. The retrievable number of bacteria were two orders less in comparison with the direct total counts of bacteria. An almost homogeneous distribution of bacteria, total organic carbon, living biomass, and lipids throughout the depth of cores indicates active microbial and benthic processes in the deep sea sediments. On the other hand, a uniform distribution of total counts of bacteria, carbohydrates, and total organic carbon in all the cores indicates their stable nature and suggests that they can serve as useful parameters for long-term monitoring of the area after the benthic disturbance. Further studies on temporal variability in this region would not only verify the observed norms of distribution of these variables but would also help to understand restabilization processes after the simulated benthic disturbance.     

Assessing the Validity of Seismo-Acoustic Predictor Equations for Obtaining Seabed and Sub-Surface Sediment Physical Properties

The interdependence between the seismo-acoustic properties of a marine sediment and its geotechnical/physical parameters has been known for many years, and it has been postulated that this should allow the extraction of geotechnical information from seismic data. Though in the literature many correlations have been published for the surficial layer, there is a lack of information for greater sediment depths. In this article, a desktop study on a synthetic seafloor model illustrates how the application of published near-surface prediction equations to subsurface sediments (up to several tens of meters burial depth) can lead to spurious predictions. To test this further, acoustic and geotechnical properties were measured on a number of sediment core samples, some of which were subjected to loading in acoustically-equipped consolidation cells (oedometers) to simulate greater burial depth conditions. For low effective pressures (representing small burial depths extending to around 10 meters subsurface), the general applicability of established relationships was confirmed: the prediction of porosity, bulk density, and mean grain size from acoustic velocity and impedance appears generally possible for the investigated sedimentary environments. As effective pressure increases through, the observed relationships deviate more and more from the established ones for the near-surface area. For the samples tested in this study, in some instances increasing pressure even resulted in decreasing velocities. There are several possible explanations for this abnormal behavior, including the presence of gas, overconsolidation, or bimodal grain size distribution. The results indicate that an appropriate depth correction must be introduced into the published prediction equations in order to obtain reliable estimates of physical sediment properties for greater subsurface depths.     

A Review of Some Environmental Issues Affecting Marine Mining

This article reviews information recently available from existing marine and coastal mining for responses to environmental issues affecting marine mining at different depths. It is particularly but not exclusively concerned with those issues affecting seabed biodiversity impact and recovery. Much information has been gathered in the past 10 years from shallow mining operations for construction aggregate, diamonds, and gold, from coastal mines discharging tailings to shallow and deep water, and from experimental deep mining tests. The responses to issues identified are summarized in a series of eight tables intended to facilitate site-specific consideration. Since impacts can spread widely in the surface mixing layer SML, and can affect the biologically productive euphotic zone, the main issues considered arise from the depth of mining relative to the SML of the sea. Where mining is below the SML, the issue is whether it is environmentally better to bring the extraction products to the surface vessel for processing (and waste discharge), or to process the extraction products as much as possible on the seabed. Responses to the issues need to be sitespecific, and dependent on adequate preoperational environmental impact and recovery prediction. For deep tailings disposal from a surface vessel, there are four important environmental unknowns: (1) the possible growth of "marine snow" (bacterial flocs) utilizing the enormous quantities of fine tailings particles (hundreds or thousands of metric tons per day) as nuclei for growth, (2) the possibility that local keystone plankton and nekton species may migrate diurnally down to and beyond the depth of deep discharge and hence be subjected to tailings impact at depth, (3) the burrow-up capability of deep benthos and their ability to survive high rates of tailings deposition, and (4) the pattern and rate of dispersion of a tailings density current through the deep water column from discharge point to seabed. Actions to obtain relevant information in general and site-specifically are suggested.     

Increased Particle Fluxes at the INDEX Site Attributable to Simulated Benthic Disturbance

Particle fluxes were measured 7 m above the sea bottom during the predisturbance, disturbance, and postdisturbance periods by using time series sediment traps attached to seven deep-sea moorings deployed in the INDEX experiment site in the Central Indian Basin. The predisturbance particle fluxes varied between 22.3 to 55.1 mg m -2 day -1 . Increased and variable particle fluxes were recorded by the sediment traps during the disturbance period. The increase observed was 0.5 to 4 times more than the background predisturbance fluxes. The increases in particle fluxes (~4 times) recorded by the sediment trap located in the southwestern direction (DMS-1) were the greatest, which could be the result of preferential movement of resuspended particles generated during the deep-sea benthic disturbance along the general current direction prevailing in this area during the experimental period. Also, the traps located closer to the disturbance area recorded greater fluxes than did the traps far away, across the Deep Sea Sediment Resuspension System path. This variability in recorded particle fluxes by the traps around the disturbance area clearly indicates that physical characteristics such as grain size and density of the resuspended particles produced during the disturbance had an important effect on particle movement. The postdisturbance measurements during ~5 days showed a reduction in particle fluxes of ~50%, indicating rapid particle settlement.     

海上大直径钢管桩打桩过程中桩周土强度弱化研究

海上大直径钢管桩打桩过程中,桩周土体受到强烈扰动而发生强度弱化,掌握桩周土体强度弱化规律对于准确预测打桩过程、保证工程安全具有重要意义。为研究土体强度弱化规律,开展了环剪试验模拟打桩对桩周土体的扰动,测试土体强度随剪切速率的变化规律,建立了描述土体强度弱化规律的拟合公式,引入到打桩分析软件中。研究结果表明：土体的强度折减程度不仅与土体本身的性质有关还受到土体的埋深和剪切速率的影响,埋深越深土体强度折减程度越低,剪切速率越高土体强度折减越高,在打桩分析中可采用这里推荐的线性折减方法来模拟不同深度处土体强度的折减规律。     

Geoacoustic Inversion via Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to Manganese Sediment Identification

An acoustic inversion method using a wide-band signal and two near field receivers is proposed and applied to multiple layered seabed models including a manganese sediment. The inversion problem can be formulated into a probabilistic model comprised of signals, a forward model, and additive noise. The forward model simulates wide-band signals, such as chirp signals, and is chosen to be the source-waveletconvolution plane wave modeling method. The wavelet matching technique, using weighted least-squares fitting, estimates the sediment sound-speed and thickness on which determination of the possible numerical ranges for a priori uniform distribution is based. The genetic algorithm is applied to a global optimization problem to find a maximum a posteriori solution for determined a priori search space. Here the object function is defined by an L 2 norm of the difference between measured and modeled signals. Not only the marginal pdf but also its statistics are calculated by numerical evaluation of integrals using the samples selected during importance sampling process of the genetic algorithm.     

Determination of In Situ Sediment Shear Strength from Advanced Piston Corer Pullout Forces

The advanced piston corer (APC) has been used by the Ocean Drilling Program since 1985 for recovering soft sediments from the ocean floor. The pullout force measured on extracting the core barrel from the sediment is shown to correlate with the average shear strength of the sediment core measured in the ship's laboratory. A simple rule of thumb is derived relating the shear strength of the sediment to the pullout force. Multiple APC holes at individual sites allow the consistency of the pullout measurements to be assessed. The effects of different operational procedures during APC coring are also explored. Although generally applicable, the correlation between pullout force and laboratory measurements of shear strength breaks down for some APC holes, possibly because of the disturbance of some sediment types during the APC coring process. A better understanding of the physical process of APC coring, and its effect on the properties of the sediment both inside and immediately outside the core barrel, would indicate what confidence can be put on the measurement of pullout force as a way of evaluating the in situ shear strength of deep sea sediments.     

Interannual Sea Level Variations and Annual Tides in the Northwestern Pacific

Specific properties of the interannual sea level variations and annual tides in the Northwestern Pacific were studied. Several tide stations were monitored. The monthly mean sea level for the year of 1995 was analyzed at each tide station. A seismic event in 1995, some tectonic activity around the subject area, and the Kuroshio (the oceanic western boundary current) may possibly contaminate results which would have occurred from the astronomical annual tide alone.     

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Coastal Lagoon Bacterioplankton and Picophytoplankton: Fixation and Storage Effects

The effect of different fixation and storage protocols on the flow cytometric (FCM) simultaneous analysis of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton in coastal seawater samples (Mediterranean coastal lagoons) was investigated. FCM measurements (cell number, fluorescence and scatter characteristics) were obtained through DAPI staining. Three fixatives [glutaraldehyde (GA), formaldehyde (FA) and paraformaldehyde (PFA)] and two storage (3 months duration) methods (5 °C and −196 °C) were tested. Two dominant populations were detected in studied samples: bacteria and eukaryotic picophytoplankton. Adding fixatives (2% final concentration) appears necessary to obtain FCM exhaustive counts of all the bacteria and phytoplanktonic cells. This was related to the permeation effect of fixatives which allowed a better DAPI staining of the cells. Maximum fluorescence, i.e. optimal staining of the cells was obtained with FA or PFA, and significant lower fluorescences with GA. Fixed samples stored at 5 °C induced rapid cell loss. Only storage in liquid nitrogen of samples fixed with FA or PFA, allows mid-term (≥4 months) preservation of bacteria or picophytoplankton cell numbers, and limited evolution of DAPI-induced fluorescence and scatter characteristics.