Modeling seasonal variations of ocean and sea ice circulation in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas： A model-data fusion study

A 3.8-kin Coupled Ice-Ocean Model （C1OM） was implemented to successfully reproduce many observed phenomena in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, including the Bering-inflow-originated coastal current that splits into three branches： Alaska Coastal Water （ACW） , Central Channel, and Herald Valley branches. Other modeled phenomena include the Beaufort Slope Current （BSC） , the Beaufort Gyre, the East Siberian Current （ ESC）, mesoscale eddies, seasonal landfast ice, sea ice ridging, shear, and deformation. Many of these downscaling processes can only be captured by using a high-resolution CIOM, nested in a global climate model. The seasonal cycles for sea ice concentration, thickness, velocity, and other variables are well reproduced with Solid validation by satellite measurements. The seasonal cycles for upper ocean dynamics and thermodynamics are also well reproduced, which include the formation of the cold saline layer due to the injection of salt during sea ice formation, the BSC, and the subsurface upwelling in winter that brings up warm, even more saline Atlantic Water along the shelfbreak and shelf along the Beaufort coast.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION AND DYNAMIC STUDY OF THE WINTERTIME CIRCULATION OF THE BOHAI SEA

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Fine-resolution simulation of surface current and sea ice in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas

A fine-resolution model is developed for ocean circulation simulation in the National Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is applied to simulate surface current and sea ice variations in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas. A dynamic sea ice model in elastic-viscous-plastic rheology and a thermodynamic sea ice model are employed. A 200-year simulation is performed and a dimatological average of a 10-year period (141st-150th) is presented with focus on sea ice concentration and surface current variations in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas. The model is able to simulate well the East Greenland Current, Beaufort Gyre and the Transpolar Drift, but the simulated West Spitsbergen Current is small and weak. In the March climatology, the sea ice coverage can be simulated well except for a bit more ice in east of Spitsbergen Island. The result is also good for the September scenario except for less ice concentration east of Greenland and greater ice concentration near the ice margin. The extra ice east of Spitsbergen Island is caused by sea ice current convergence forced by atmospheric wind stress.     

Distribution and Sources of Organic Matter in Surface Sediments of the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas by Using Bulk and Tetraether Proxies

The organic matter(OM) preserved in Arctic Ocean sediments is of great importance to the global carbon budget. However, works that apply multiple proxies to determine the distribution and concentration of organic carbon(OC) in the surface sediments of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas remain limited. Here a multiproxy approach based on bulk OM parameters and the branched vs. isoprenoid tetraether(BIT) index was used to investigate the distribution and sources of OM in the surface sediments of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. Binary and ternary mixing models were applied to trace the contribution of different OC sources to the total OC in the study area. The ?13 C values of the sediments provided by the binary model showed that the proportion of terrestrial OC fell in the range of 27.4%-79.8%(46.2% on average). The BIT index returned the lowest fraction(4.8%-27.3%, 12.0% on average). The ternary mixing model was employed to determine the plant-, soil-, and marine-derived fractions of the total OM. The ternary model showed that 11.5% ? 6.3%, 31.4% ? 9.5%, and 57.1% ? 12.4% of OM in the sediment of the study area was derived from soil, plants, and marine sources, respectively. The differences in OM composition between the west and east sides of the Chukchi Sea were controlled by OM inputs from key water masses(i.e., Anadyr Water and Alaska Coastal Water), river discharge, and the nutrient supply from the Pacific inflow that supports marine productivity.     

Clay mineral distribution in surface sediments of the South China Sea and its significance for in sediment sources and transport

Clay minerals of surface sediments in the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and their transport is explored with a grain size trend analysis (GSTA) model. Results show that clay mineral types in various sedimentary environments have different sediment sources and transport routes. Sediments in the northern SCS (north of 20°N) between the southwest of Taiwan Island and the outer mouth of the Pearl River have high contents of illite and chlorite, which are derived mainly from sediments on Taiwan Island and/or the Yangtze River. Sediments from the Pearl River are characterized by high kaolinite and low smectite content, and most are distributed in the area between the mouth of the Pearl River and northeast of Hainan Island and transported vertically from the continental shelf to the slope. Characterized by high illite content, sediments from Kalimantan Island are transported toward the Nansha Trough. Sediments from Luzon Island are related with volcanic materials, and are transported westwards according to smectite distribution. On the Sunda Shelf, sediments from the Mekong River are transported southeast in the north while sediments from the Indonesian islands are transported northward in the south. Ascertaining surface sediment sources and their transport routes will not only improve understanding of modern transportation and depositional processes, but also aid paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic analysis of the SCS.     

北极海冰范围时空变化及其与海温气温间的数值分析

本文利用美国国家冰雪中心提供的1989-2014年海冰范围资料,分析了北极海冰范围的年际变化和季节变化规律。分析发现,北极海冰范围呈减少趋势,每年减小\begin{array}{c}5.91\times {10}^4\mathit{k}{m}^2\end{array},夏季减少趋势显著,冬季减少趋势弱。北极海冰范围显现相对稳定的季节变化规律,海冰的结冰和融化主要发生在各个边缘海,夏季期间的海冰具有融化快、冻结快的特征。结合海温、气温数据,进行北极海冰范围与海温、气温间的数值分析,结果表明北极海冰范围变化通过影响北极海温变化进而影响北极气温变化。海冰范围的季节变化滞后于海温和气温的季节变化。基于北极考察走航海温气温数据,进行楚科奇海海冰范围线与海温气温间的数值分析,发现楚科奇海海冰范围线所在区域的海温、气温与纬度高低、离陆地远近有关。     

Heavy Minerals in Shelf Sediments off Fujian-Zhejiang Coast of the East China Sea: Their Provenance and Geological Application

To examine the composition and source variations of heavy minerals in the Fujian-Zhejiang mud belt(FZMB) over the past few hundred years, heavy minerals in 150 surficial sediment samples and two sediments cores collected from the southern FZMB were identified and analyzed. The results show that the mineral assemblage of hornblende-magnetite-epidote-chlorite is dominant in the study area. Based on the heavy mineral contents, the study area is divided into two mineral zones, namely a near-shore muddy sediment zone(zone Ⅰ) and an offshore mixed sediment zone(zone Ⅱ). The sediments from zone Ⅰ contains relatively abundant metallic minerals with proximal sediments from the Oujiang River and the Minjiang River as the primary component. The sediment from zone Ⅱ has relatively low content for minerals from the near-shore materials and is significantly affected by the Oujiang River sediments, and by the flaky minerals from the Yangtze River to a certain extent. The characteristics of heavy minerals in the cores may be affected by a variety of factors. Before the 20th century, under the influence of strong East Asian winter monsoon(EAWM), the sandy sediment in FZMB is significantly affected by the Oujiang River and the Yangtze River sediments, and relatively unaffected by near-shore terrigenous matter. In the 20th century, as the intensity of the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Current(ZFCC) decreased, the influence of the Minjiang coastal sand enhanced. Since the 1980s, as the collective effect of relatively weak EAWM and frequent storm surges and typhoons, the impact of the Minjiang River sediments on the FZMB sediments has increased considerably.     

Clay minerals and geochemistry of the bottom sediments in the northwestern East China Sea

Clay minerals of 34 sediments collected from the northwestern continental shelf of the East China Sea have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The clay mineral distribution is mainly controlled by the sediment source and the dominant circulation pattern. The predominant clay mineral in our study area is illite comprising more than 67% of the whole clay fraction. The highest concentration of illite (>68%) is found in the southeastern offshore parts beyond the reach of terrigenous input from the Jeju Island. It means that these illites are largely transported by the Kuroshio Current from the South China Sea (SCS). Smectite is highly concentrated in the northwest middle part and in the outer-shelf mud patch. It seems to be due to the high supply of smectite transported from China where fine-grained sediments are discharged from modern and ancient Huanghe (Yellow) River. The relatively high abundant kaolinite is likely derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River via the Taiwan Warm Current. In contrast, large amounts of chlorite and high chlorite/kaolinite ratios occur in the northwestern area, reflecting the transportation by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current from the southern Yellow Sea. The discrimination diagrams clearly show that the sediments in the northwestern East China Sea are ultimately sourced from Chinese rivers, especially from the Huanghe River, whereas the sediment in the northeast part might come from the Jeju Island. The muddy sediments of the Changjiang River’s submerged delta have much lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.716 2–0.718 0) than those of the Shandong Peninsular mud wedge (0.721 6–0.724 9), which are supposed to be originated from the Huanghe River, suggesting the distribution pattern of 87Sr/86Sr ratios as a new tracer to discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the study area. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the outer-shelf muddy sediments ranged from 0.7169 to 0.7216 in a wide range and was between those of the Huanghe River and Changjiang River sediments, suggesting multiple sources of the sediment in the area.     

DISTRIBUTION AND ORIGIN OF SEDIMENTS ON THE NORTHERN SUNDA SHELF, SOUTH CHINA SEA

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On the unusual holocene carbonate sediment in lake Nam Co, central Tibet

In lacustrine sediments, aragonite is a widespread mineral, whereas monohydrocalcite is a rare carbonate mineral. In the cold and high-attitude Xizang （Tibetan） Plateau, where aragonite has been commonly found in lacustrine sediments, there is no aragonite, but low-Mg calcite, monohydrocalcite and trace dolomite. The lake receives solutes primarily from surface runoffs and remains fairly constant water chemistry for a long time. The total CaCO3 percentage in sediments could be controlled by evaporation and inflow of detrital materials. The absence of aragonite is unusual when compared to other lacustrine sediments from the Tibetan Plateau. This could be due to low Ca/Mg ratio, low salinity, low Mg and Ca concentration. Monohydrocalcite might precipitate from the lake water mediated by biological activities. Low-Mg calcite originated from minor ostracoda shell and the precipitation of lake water with biological activities.     

A Holocene Yalu River-derived fine-grained deposit in the southeast coastal area of the Liaodong Peninsula

High-resolution seismic profiles and surface samples were studied in detail in order to determine the structures, provenance, and dynamic mechanisms of a fine-grained deposit in the southeast coastal area of the Liaodong Peninsula, China. Results indicate that there is a prominent fine-grained deposit distributed alongshore up to 14 m thick, which thins out to less than 2 m in both seaward and landward directions, forming an Ω-shaped pattern of cross-section. The deposit is 180–300 km away from the Yalu River mouth and extends along the southeast coast of the Liaodong Peninsula between the northeast of Dalian Bay and southwest of the Changshan Islands, in water depths of 20–40 m. The deposit, which is mainly derived from the Yalu River, represents a Holocene Highstand System Tract sequence formed since the highest sea level around 7.0 ka. The Yalu River-derived sediments were redeposited in the area off the southeast coast of the Liaodong Peninsula after resuspension and transportation by the Liaonan Coastal Current.     

Model of modern dynamic deposition in the east China Sea

Since the last rising of sea level, two branches of the Kuroshio, the Huanghai (Yellow Sea) coastal current (HCC; mainly cold water mass) and the Changjiang River outflow have controlled the modern dynamic deposition in the East China Sea. There are three depositing areas on the sea-bed under the above currents: a relict sand area un der the Taiwan Warm Current and the Huanghai Warm Current at the south-eastern area, the about 60 km² round mud bank under the Huanghai Coastal Current at the northern area and the large subaqueous delta of mainly fine sand and silt under the Changjiang discharge flow in its estuary and the large narrow mud bank under the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Current, another round mud bank under the Changjiang discharge flow off Hangzhou Bay. The relict sand area has a coarsesand block under the Taiwan Warm Current bypassing Taiwan at the northern part of the island. The two round mud banks were formed in relatively static states by an anticlockwise converging cyclonic eddy. The coarsesand block was formed by a clockwise diverging cyclonic eddy. This new dynamic deposition theory can be used to explain not only the dynamic deposition process of clay, but also the patchy distribution of sediments on the shelves of the world ocean s.     

ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION FEATURES OF BENZOTHIOPHENE IN SEDIMENTS OF NANSHA ISLANDS SEA AREA

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The Mineral Composition and Sources of the Fine-Grained Sediments from the 49.6°E Hydrothermal Field at the SWIR

We used the X-ray diffraction method to determine systematically the mineral phases in bulk sediment samples and acid undissolved residuals of the fine-grained fraction of the surface sediments from the 49.6°E hydrothermal field at the Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR)and discussed the mineral sources of the surface sediments.The results showed that the surface sediments in this region were composed of calcareous ooze,and calcite was the dominant mineral.The sediments also contained quartz,feldspar,clay minerals,pyroxene,sphalerite,barite,serpentine,and magnetite.The quartz,feldspar,and clay minerals were exogenous minerals that mainly originated from the Namib and Kalahari deserts in southern Africa.The pyroxene,serpentine,magnetite,sphalerite,calcite,and barite were endogenous minerals from weathering of seafloor basement rocks and seafloor hydrothermal activities.The sulfide particles in the sediments were mainly deposited from upwelling plumes.     

北极熊栖息地稳定性的遥感评估方法

北极熊是北极最重要的哺乳动物之一,近年来数量却在减少。海冰作为北极熊狩猎、活动和繁殖的平台,是其栖息地的重要组成部分。因此其种群栖息地变化主要依赖于海冰变化。本文基于美国雪冰中心的海冰密集度和NOAA提供的ETOPO1基岩数据,分析了北极海冰密集度、开阔水域面积、海冰消退时间、海冰出现时间、开阔水域季节长度的年际变化,进而评价北极熊栖息地的稳定性。结果表明,海冰密集度呈现降低的趋势,开阔水域面积增大,多年冰数量减少,大多变为一年冰。海冰消退时间提前,海冰出现时间延后,开阔水域季节长度大幅增加,与1992年相比增加了72 d。19个栖息地中,巴伦支海是开阔水域面积和季节长度变化贡献最大的海域,增加速度分别为9.71×10³ km²/a和71.69 d/10a。以开阔水域季节长度变化率为依据,将北极熊栖息地划分为稳定、次稳定和不稳定3个等级。总共有3个稳定栖息地,包括分布在相对其他栖息地而言纬度较低的楚科奇海、西哈得孙湾和南哈得孙湾。13个次稳定栖息地,包括拉普捷夫海、喀拉海、东格陵兰、巴芬湾、戴维斯海峡、福克斯湾、布西亚湾、麦克林托克海峡、梅尔维尔子爵海峡、挪威湾、北波弗特、南波弗特和兰开斯特海峡。3个不稳定栖息地,均位于70°N以北,包括北极盆地、巴伦支海和凯恩盆地。稳定区主要位于低纬度,不稳定区全部位于高纬度。该分级结果表明高纬度地区虽然海冰覆盖多,但是年际变化十分显著,不稳定的3个区域内北极熊对海冰变化适应时间更少,年际迁移变化大,对北极熊的生存发展更为不利。     

Onshore warm tongue and offshore cold tongue in the western Yellow Sea in winter: the evidence

A winter onshore warm tongue extending from the Yellow Sea Warm Current to the southern Jiangsu coast, and an of fshore cold tongue extending from the southern Jiangsu coast to the southwest of Jeju Island(South Korea), are newly identified based on the sea-surface temperature from satellite remote sensing, and further confirmed by the distribution of suspended sediments. In addition, there are two obvious thermal fronts associated with the onshore warm tongue and off shore cold tongue. The narrow gap between the two thermal fronts is supposed to be the pathway for the off shore transport of cold coastal water and suspended sediments. The concurrence of onshore warm and of fshore cold tongues suggests the concurrence of onshore and off shore currents in the western Yellow Sea in winter, which seems to be inconsistent with the previously accepted view that, in winter, the Yellow Sea Coastal Current flows from the Old Huanghe Delta to the southwest of Jeju Island. This distinctive phenomenon helps establish an updated view of the circulation in the western Yellow Sea in winter.     

Spatio-temporal Variation of Arctic Sea Ice in Summer from 2003 to 2013

The variation in Arctic sea ice has significant implications for climate change due to its huge influence on the global heat balance. In this study, we quantified the spatio-temporal variation of Arctic sea ice distribution using Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer(AMSR-E) sea-ice concentration data from 2003 to 2013. The results found that, over this period, the extent of sea ice reached a maximum in 2004, whereas in 2007 and 2012, the extent of summer sea ice was at a minimum. It declined continuously from 2010 to 2012, falling to its lowest level since 2003. Sea-ice extent fell continuously each summer between July and mid-September before increasing again. It decreased most rapidly in September, and the summer reduction rate was 1.35 × 10~5 km~2/yr, twice as fast as the rate between 1979 and 2006, and slightly slower than from 2002 to 2011. Area with 90% sea-ice concentration decreased by 1.32 × 10~7 km~2/yr, while locations with 50% sea-ice concentration, which were mainly covered by perennial ice, were near the North Pole, the Beaufort Sea, and the Queen Elizabeth Islands. Perennial Arctic ice decreased at a rate of 1.54 × 10~5 km~2 annually over the past 11 years.     

Radiolaria fossils in the surface sediments and sedimentary environment in the Bering Sea

Totally 2472 grains of Radiolaria belonging to 36 Genera and 45 species are distinguished from 12 surface sediments in the Bering Sea. The distribution characteristics of Radiolaria fossils in the surface sediments are as follows: (1) From the shelf of shallow water to the upper of continental slope, there are a few Radiolaria fossils and monotonous genus and species; (2) In the lower of continental slope, Radiolaria fossils are poor in the volcanic cinders and turbidite; (3) The abundance and diversity of Radiolaria fossils are high in clay of the basin. The dominant species of Radiolaria is Spongotrochus glacialis on the continental shelf. Current, topography, water depth, and temperature etc. are key factors influencing Radiolaria distribution. The sources of sediments mainly are terrigenous, biogenic and volcanic sediments in the survey area and they are mostly from the Kamchatka peninsula in the east of Russia and the Aleutian Islands.     

Sediment transport in the nearshore area of Phoenix Island

Based on the measured data, suspended sediment concentration, surface sediment grain size, current and waves, the sediment transport mechanisms and pathways in the Phoenix Island area were analyzed using methods of flux decomposition and Grain Size Trend Analysis (GSTA). The results show that net suspended sediment is mainly transported by average current, Stokes drift, and gravitational circulation. The transport direction of suspended sediment is varying and basically following the direction of residual tidal currents. Surface sediment transport pathways are primarily parallel to the coastline along with two convergent centers. Waves and longshore currents have a significant influence on sediment transport, but the influence is limited due to a steep and deep underwater bank. Tidal current is the main controlling factor for sediment transport, especially in the deep water area. Neither suspended nor surface sediment is transported towards the southwest. The South Shandong Coastal Current (SSCC) has little effect on sediment transport processes in the nearshore area of Phoenix Island.     

日照市海岸带海滩沉积物粒度特征及物源分析

根据日照市海岸带2个重点海滩所采集的样品,通过粒度、磁化率、主微量及稀土元素等方面的调查资料,综合分析了研究区沉积物类型、分布特征、搬运路径及物质来源。结果表明,研究区沉积物类型以砂为主,在平行海岸方向上,沉积物粒径自北至南由细变粗。在垂直海岸方向上,从滩肩到滩面再到低潮线处,沉积物粒径逐渐变细。海滨国家森林公园海滩的分选性要好于万平口海水浴场海滩。沉积物受黄海沿岸流影响,多自北向南运移。海滩中浅部物质的来源与陆内一侧基岩中斜长片麻岩和二长花岗岩的关系较为密切,深部物质的来源与靠海一侧基岩中花岗斑岩和花岗闪长岩的关系较为密切。