Surface boundary-layer variability off Northern California, USA, during upwelling

A five-element mooring array is used to study surface boundary-layer transport over the Northern California shelf from May to August 2001. In this region, upwelling favorable winds increase in strength offshore, leading to a strong positive wind stress curl. We examine the cross-shelf variation in surface Ekman transport calculated from the wind stress and the actual surface boundary-layer transport estimated from oceanic observations. The two quantities are highly correlated with a regression slope near one. Both the Ekman transport and surface boundary layer transport imply curl-driven upwelling rates of about 3×10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹ between the 40 and 90 m isobaths (1.5 and 11.0 km from the coast, respectively) and curl-driven upwelling rates about 1.5×10⁻⁴m s⁻¹ between the 90 and 130 m isobaths (11.0 and 28.4 km from the coast, respectively). Thus curl-driven upwelling extends to at least 25 km from the coast. In contrast, upwelling driven by the adjustment to the coastal boundary condition occurs primarily inshore of the 40-m isobath. The upwelling rates implied by the differentiating the 40-m transport observations with the coastal boundary condition are up to 8×10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹. The estimated upwelling rates and the temperature–nitrate relationship imply curl-driven vertical nitrate flux divergences are about half of those driven by coastal boundary upwelling.     

A dense bottom water plume in the western Barents Sea: downstream modification and interannual variability

The generation and downstream modification of a cold dense Arctic shelf water plume were studied with moored current meters, thermistor chains and conductivity/temperature sensors deployed from August 1993 to September 1994 south of the Storfjord in the Svalbard Archipelago. These observations are compared to similar time series from 1991/92. In 1993/94, bottom water with temperatures close to the freezing point drained continuously from Storfjord between March and September with a mean speed of 0.14 m s⁻¹. About 1.5 months after the plume front had left the Storfjord, it reached the shelf break, 150 km away. The plume had increased its width from 15 km to about 35 km, but its thickness of 50 m remained almost constant and it left the shelf edge at a similar speed. The increased volume transport and the change of temperature/salinity properties indicate an entrainment of 110% of ambient Atlantic water into the plume on its way from the production area to the shelf edge.The maximum salinity of the cold plume was 0.2 lower in 1993/94 than in 1991/92, whilst the temperature/salinity-range of the surrounding Atlantic water remained unchanged. Probably as a dynamic consequence, the speed of the plume was considerably lower in 1993/94. The lower salinity of the plume in 1993/94 is a result of both the 30% less ice formation in Storfjord, caused by lower heat flux and less open water, and a lower surface salinity at the beginning of ice formation. During 1993/94, the Storfjord plume was too light to sink below 700 m.     

A model study of influence of circulation on the pollutant transport in the Zhujiang River Estuary and adjacent coastal waters

A tracer model with random diffusion coupled to the hydrodynamic model for the Zhujiang River Estuary (Pearl River Estuary, PRE) is to examine the effect of circulations on the transport of completely conservative pollutants. It is focused on answering the following questions: (1) What role does the estuarine plume front in the winter play in affecting the pollutants transport and its distribution in the PRE ? (2) What effect do the coastal currents driven by the monsoon have on the pollutants transport? The tracer experiment results show that: (1) the pollutant transport paths strongly depend on the circulation structures and plume frontal dynamics of the PRE and coastal waters; (2) during the summer when a southwesterly monsoon prevails, the pollutants from the four easterly river inlets and those from the bottom layer of offshore stations will greatly influence the water quality in Hong Kong waters, however, the pollutants released from the four westerly river-inlets will seldom affect the water quality of Hong Kong waters due to their transport away from Hong Kong; (3) during the winter when a northeasterly monsoon prevails, all pollutants released from the eight river gates will be laterally transported seaward inside the estuary and transport westward in the coastal waters along the river plume frontal zone. However, pollutants released from the surface layer of offshore stations near or east of the Dangan Channel will be carried into the coastal waters of Hong Kong by the landward component of the westward coastal current driven by the winter northeasterly monsoon. But the pollutants from the bottom layer of the offshore stations will be carried away from the offshore by the bottom flow driven by the northeasterly monsoon. This implies that only surface-released matter from offshore stations will affect the water quality of the coastal waters around Hong Kong during the winter when a northeasterly monsoon prevails.     

A model study of influence of circulation on the pollutant transport in the Zhujiang River Estuary and adjacent coastal waters

A tracer model with random diffusion coupled to the hydrodynamic model for the Zhujiang River Estuary (Pearl River Estuary, PRE) is to examine the effect of circulations on the transport of completely conservative pollutants. It is focused on answering the following questions: (1) What role does the estuarine plume front in the winter play in affecting the pollutants transport and its distribution in the PRE? (2) What effect do the coastal currents driven by the monsoon have on the pollutants transport? The tracer experiment results show that: (1) the pollutant transport paths strongly depend on the circulation structures and plume frontal dynamics of the PRE and coastal waters; (2) during the summer when a southwesterly monsoon prevails, the pollutants from the four easterly river inlets and those from the bottom layer of offshore stations will greatly influence the water quality in Hong Kong waters, however, the pollutants released from the four westerly river-inlets will seldom affect the water quality of Hong Kong waters due to their transport away from Hong Kong; (3) during the winter when a northeasterly monsoon prevails, all pollutants released from the eight river gates will be laterally transported seaward inside the estuary and transport westward in the coastal waters along the river plume frontal zone. However, pollutants released from the surface layer of offshore stations near or east of the Dangan Channel will be carried into the coastal waters of Hong Kong by the landward component of the westward coastal current driven by the winter northeasterly monsoon. But the pollutants from the bottom layer of the offshore stations will be carried away from the offshore by the bottom flow driven by the northeasterly monsoon. This implies that only surface-released matter from offshore stations will affect the water quality of the coastal waters around Hong Kong during the winter when a northeasterly monsoon prevails.     

一个理想河口中拦门沙的存在对河口羽流扩展的影响

河口羽流是河口冲淡水在陆架中扩展的主要形式, 其扩展受到诸多动力与地形因素的影响, 口门拦门沙就是其中之一。以一个理想化的河口为例, 采用区域海洋模型(regional ocean modelling system, ROMS), 研究口门拦门沙对河口羽流扩展的影响, 具体包括拦门沙对羽流的出流状态、扩展范围以及远场区沿岸流淡水输运的影响。研究结果表明, 拦门沙增加了口门处的水体分层, 减小了羽流出流速度, 增大了羽流凸出体的半径, 减小了远场区沿岸流宽度, 并进而减少了沿岸流中的淡水输送。本项研究对地形因素对河口羽流的扩展研究以及陆源物质的向海输运等均具有重要意义。     

Numerical model simulations of continental shelf flows off northern California

The three-dimensional circulation on the continental shelf off northern California in the wind events and shelf transport (WEST) experiment region during summer 2001 is studied using the primitive equation regional ocean modeling system (ROMS). The simulations are performed with realistic topography and initial stratification in a limited-area domain with a high-resolution grid. Forcing consists of measured wind-stress and heat flux values obtained from a WEST surface buoy. The general response shows a southward coastal upwelling jet of up to and a weakening or reversal of currents inshore of the jet when upwelling winds relax. Model results are compared to WEST moored velocity and temperature measurements at five locations, to CODAR surface current observations between Pt. Reyes and Bodega Bay, and to hydrographic measurements along shipboard survey lines. The model performs reasonably well, with the highest depth-averaged velocity correlation (0.81) at the inshore mooring (40 m water depth) and lowest correlation (0.68) at the mid-depth mooring (90 m depth). The model shows generally stronger velocities than those observed, especially at the inshore moorings, and a lack in complete reversal of southward velocities observed when upwelling winds relax. The comparison of surface velocities with CODAR measurements shows good agreement of the mean and the dominant mode of variability. The hydrography compares closely at the southern and northern edges of the survey region (correlation coefficients between 0.90 and 0.97), with weaker correlations at the three interior survey lines (correlation coefficients between 0.44 and 0.76). Mean model fields over the summer upwelling period show slight coastal jet separation off Pt. Arena and significant separation off Pt. Reyes. The cape regions also experience relatively strong bottom velocities and nonlinearity in the surface flow. Across-shelf velocity sections examined along the shelf reveal a double jet structure that appears just north of Bodega Bay and shows the offshore jet strengthening to the south. We examine the dynamics during an upwelling and subsequent relaxation event in May 2001 in which the WEST measurements show evidence of a strong flow response. The alongshelf variability in the upwelling and relaxation response introduced by Pt. Reyes is evident. Analysis of term balances from the depth-averaged momentum equations helps to clarify the event dynamics in different regions over the shelf. A clear pattern in the nonlinear advection term is due to the spatial acceleration of the southward jet around the capes of Pt. Arena and Pt. Reyes during upwelling. Results from a three-dimensional Lagrangian analysis of water parcel displacement show significant southward displacement in the coastal jet region, including a strong signal from the double jet. Alongshelf variability in parcel displacements and upwelling source waters due to the presence of Pt. Arena and Pt. Reyes is also apparent from the Lagrangian fields. A cyclonic eddy-like recirculation feature offshore of Pt. Arena prior to the upwelling event causes large patches of onshore-displaced parcels. Additionally, across-shelf variability in the response of water parcels along the D line includes decreased vertical displacement and increased alongshelf displacement in the offshore direction.     

Complex vertical migration of larvae of the ghost shrimp, Nihonotrypaea harmandi, in inner shelf waters of western Kyushu,Japan

The position of meroplanktonic larvae in the water column with depth-dependent current velocities determines horizontal transport trajectories. For those larvae occurring in inner shelf waters, little is known about how combined diel and tidally-synchronized vertical migration patterns shift ontogenetically. The vertical migration of larvae of Nihonotrypaea harmandi (Decapoda: Thalassinidea: Callianassidae) was investigated in mesotidal, inner shelf waters of western Kyushu, Japan in July–August 2006. The larval sampling at seven depth layers down to 60 m was conducted every 3 h for 36 h in a 68.5-m deep area 10 km off a major coastal adult habitat. Within a 61–65-m deep area 5–7.5 km off the adult habitat, water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a concentration, and photon flux density were measured, and water currents there were characterized from harmonic analysis of current meter data collected in 2008. The water column was stratified, with pycnocline, chlorophyll a concentration maximum, and 2% of photon flux density at 2 m, recorded at around 22–24 m. The stratified residual currents were detected in their north component, directed offshore and onshore in the upper and lower mixed layers, respectively. More than 87% of larvae occurred between 20 m and 60 m, producing a net onshore transport of approximately 1.3 km d⁻¹. At the sunset flooding tide, all zoeal-stage larvae ascended, which could further promote retention (1.4-km potential onshore transport in 3 h). The actual onshore transport of larvae was detected by observing their occurrence pattern in a shallow embayment area with the adult habitat for 24 h in October 1994. However, ontogenetic differences in the vertical migration pattern in inner shelf waters were also apparent, with the maximum mean positions of zoeae deepening with increasing stages. Zoeae I and II performed a reverse diel migration, with their minimum and maximum depths being reached around noon and midnight, respectively. Zoeae IV and V descended continuously. Zoeae III had behaviors that were intermediate to those of the earlier- and later-stage zoeae. Postlarvae underwent a normal diel migration (nocturnal ascent) regardless of tides, with the deepest position (below 60 m and/or on the bottom) during the day. These findings give a new perspective towards how complex vertical migration patterns in meroplanktonic larvae enable their retention in inner shelf waters before the final entry of postlarvae into their natal populations.     

Episodic riverine influence on surface DIC in the coastal Gulf of Maine

Anomalously high precipitation and river discharge during the spring of 2005 caused considerable freshening and depletion of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface waters along the coastal Gulf of Maine. Surface pCO₂ and total alkalinity (TA) were monitored by repeated underway sampling of a cross-shelf transect in the western Gulf of Maine (GOM) during 2004–05 to examine how riverine fluxes, mixing, and subsequent biological activity exert control on surface DIC in this region. Most of the variability in surface DIC concentration was attributable to mixing of low DIC river water with higher DIC, saline GOM waters, but net biological uptake of DIC was significant especially during the spring and summer seasons. The extent and persistence of the coastal freshwater intrusion exerted considerable influence on net carbon dynamics. Integrated over the 10-m surface layer of our study region (∼5 × 10⁴ km²), net biological DIC uptake was 0.48 × 10⁸ mol C during April–July of 2004 compared to 1.33 × 10⁸ mol C during April–July of 2005. We found the temporal signature and magnitude of DIC cycling to be different in adjacent plume-influenced and non-plume regions. Extreme events such as the freshwater anomaly observed in 2005 will affect mean estimates of coastal carbon fluxes, thus budgets based on short time series of observations may be skewed and should be viewed with caution.     

Zooplankton distribution and cross-shelf transfer of carbon in an area of complex mesoscale circulation in the northern California Current

We conducted a research cruise in late summer (July–August) 2000 to study the effect of mesoscale circulation features on zooplankton distributions in the coastal upwelling ecosystem of the northern California Current. Our study area was in a region of complex coastline and bottom topography between Newport, Oregon (44.7°N), and Crescent City, California (41.9°N). Winds were generally strong and equatorward for >6 weeks prior to the cruise, resulting in the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water along the coast and an alongshore upwelling jet. In the northern part of the study area, the jet followed the bottom topography, creating a broad, retentive area nearshore over a submarine shelf bank (Heceta Bank, 44–44.4°N). In the south, a meander of the jet extended seaward off of Cape Blanco (42.8°N), resulting in the displacement of coastal water and the associated coastal taxa to >100 km off the continental shelf. Zooplankton biomass was high both over the submarine bank and offshore in the meander of the upwelling jet. We used velocities and standing stocks of plankton in the upper 100 m to estimate that 1×10⁶ m³ of water, containing an average zooplankton biomass of ～20 mg carbon m^?3, was transported seaward across the 2000-m isobath in the meandering jet each second. That flux equated to offshore transport of >900 metric tons of carbon each day, and 4–5×10⁴ tons over the 6–8 week lifetime of the circulation feature. Thus, mesoscale circulation can create disparate regions in which zooplankton populations are retained over the shelf and biomass can accumulate or, alternatively, in which high biomass is advected offshore to the oligotrophic deep sea.     

Dissolved and particulate aluminum in the Columbia River and coastal waters of Oregon and Washington: Behavior in near-field and far-field plumes

The distribution of dissolved (soluble and total) and particulate (leachable and total) aluminum was examined in the Columbia River and estuary, in near-field and far-field river plumes, and in adjacent coastal waters of Washington and Oregon during the River Influence on Shelf Ecosystems (RISE) cruise of May/June 2006. Dissolved and particulate aluminum (Al) concentrations were significantly greater in the river than in the coastal waters that mixed to form the plume. Dissolved Al concentrations in the Columbia River (∼80 nM) were low relative to other major rivers. Leachable and total particulate Al concentrations within the river reached concentrations greater than 1000 nM and 18,000 nM, respectively. Dissolved Al within the Columbia River estuary showed a significant removal (∼60%) at salinities between 0 and 10 with salt-induced flocculation of colloidal Al complexes and enhanced particle scavenging being probable explanations for aluminum removal. Dissolved and particulate Al concentrations were significantly greater in near-field plumes relative to surrounding coastal waters. As the plume advected from near-field to far-field away from the river mouth, dilution of the plume with lower dissolved Al surface waters as well as particle scavenging along the flow path appeared to be controlling dissolved Al distributions. Particle settling as well as dilution with lower particle-load waters led to observed decreases in particulate Al as the plume moved from near-field to far-field. However, the percent-leachable particulate aluminum in both near-field and far-field plumes was remarkably constant at ∼7%. Dissolved and particulate Al in a far-field plume over 100 km southwest of the Columbia River mouth were over an order-of-magnitude greater than surrounding waters, illustrating the importance of the Columbia River plume as a mechanism for transporting Al offshore. Aluminum could be used to trace the input of biologically-required elements such as iron into waters off the shelf.     

Coastal currents adjacent to the Caeté Estuary,Pará Region,North Brazil

We examined and compared tidal currents and water column structure between a near-shore station (12 km from the coast) and an offshore station (32 km from the coast) adjacent to the Caeté River, Pará Region, Brazil. Although the coastal system of Pará is largely influenced by local tides and wind, we found substantial differences in the dominant forcing agents between stations. Water column dynamics at the near-shore station were largely affected by local tidal processes, while differences between surface and bottom layer flows also indicated the importance of gravitational circulation at this station and a substantial influence of the adjacent Caeté River discharge. In comparison, at the offshore station, water column structure was largely influenced by a semi-diurnal tidal flow, an along-coastal current flow (mainly associated with the North Brazil Current) and the dynamics of local wind flow. The near-shore station at low tide showed a high level of stratification; at high tide such stratification was reduced. In comparison, stratification was only apparent within the upper 6 m at the offshore station, the rest of the water column was relatively well-mixed. The stratification within Station 1 at low tide was a result of the bi-directional movement of water discharged from the Caeté River, with lower salinity surface water and high salinity bottom water resulting in an estuarine-like circulation environment. The spatial variability and lack of correlation in current flow and water column structure between the near-shore and offshore stations suggest that a flow field resulting from differences in local circulation, tidal variability and wind persistence separate areas. We argue that this separation may indicate that the offshore station is located in a transition region between the Caeté River waters and the local coastal area.     

Bio-optical signatures and biogeochemistry from intense upwelling and relaxation in coastal California

The NSF-sponsored Coastal Ocean Processes Wind Events and Shelf Transport (WEST) experiment investigates the interplay between wind-driven transport and shelf productivity; while eastern boundary shelves are characterized by high productivity due to upward fluxes of nutrients into the euphotic zone, wind forcing also represents negative physical and biological controls via offshore transport and deep (light-limiting) mixing of primary producers. Although this interaction has been well documented for eastern boundary systems generally and for California specifically, one of the primary goals of WEST was to characterize more fully the interplay between positive and negative effects of wind stress, which result in the consistently elevated biological productivity in these shelf regions. During 3 month-long summer cruises (2000–2002) we observed extremes in upwelling/relaxation, using both in situ instrumentation and remotely sensed data. Relationships between optical and physical properties were examined, with emphasis on biogeochemical implications. During 2000, the WEST region was optically dominated by phytoplankton and covarying constituents. During 2001 and 2002, periods of more intense upwelling favorable winds, we observed a transition to optical properties dominated by detrital and inorganic materials. In all years, the continental shelf break provided a natural boundary between optically distinct shelf and open ocean waters. During 2002, we obtained discrete trace-metal measurements of particulate iron and aluminum; we develop a bio-optical proxy for acetic-acid leachable iron from backscatter and fluorescence, and demonstrate that particulate iron is not well correlated to traditional upwelling proxies such as macronutrients, temperature, and salinity. We conclude that the shelf break between ca. 100 and 200 m water depth serves as a natural break point between coastal and oceanic water masses in this region, and that the elevated biomass and productivity associated with this eastern boundary current regime is dominated by these iron rich, shallow shelf waters.     

Satellite-measured temporal and spatial variability of the Tokachi River plume

River plumes have important effects on marine ecosystems. Variation in the extent and dispersal of river plumes is often associated with river discharge, wind characteristics and ocean circulation. The objectives of this study were to identify the Tokachi River plume by satellite, determine its relationship with river discharge and clarify its temporal and spatial dynamics. SeaWiFS multispectral satellite data (normalized water-leaving radiance: nL_w) with 1.1 km spatial resolution were used to determine the spatial and temporal variability of the plume during 1998–2002. Supervised maximum likelihood classification using six channels of nL_w at 412, 443, 490, 510, 555 and 670 nm with each band's spectral signature statistic was used to define classes of surface water and to estimate the plume area. Supervised maximum likelihood classification separated three to four classes of coastal water based on optical characteristics as a result of wind stress events. The satellite-observed plume area was correlated with the amount of river discharge from April to October. The plume distribution patterns were influenced by wind direction and magnitude, the occurrences of a near-shore eddy field and surface currents. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) was used to express the spatial and temporal variability of the plume using anomalies of nL_w(555) monthly averaged images. The first mode (44% of variance) showed the turbid plume distribution resulting from re-suspension by strong wind mixing along the coast during winter. This mode also showed the plume was distributed along-shelf direction in spring to early autumn. The second mode (17% of variance) showed spring pattern across-shelf direction. EOF analysis also explained the interannual variability of the plume signature, which might have been affected by the flow of the Oyashio Current and the occurrence of a near-shore eddy field.     

Observations of large-amplitude cross-shore internal bores near the shelf break,Santa Monica Bay,CA

Two sets of moorings were deployed along a cross-shelf transect in central Santa Monica bay for four months in the winter of 1998-1999. Both sites had an array of instruments attached to tripods set on the seafloor to monitor currents over the entire water column, surface waves, near-bed temperature, water clarity and suspended sediment. A companion mooring had temperature sensors spaced approximately 10 m apart to measure temperature profiles between the surface and the seafloor. One array was deployed in 70 m of water at a site adjacent to the shelf break, just northwest of a major ocean outfall. The other was deployed on the mid shelf in 35 m of water approximately 6 km from the shelf break site. The subtidal currents in the region flowed parallel to the isobaths with fluctuating time scales around 10 days, a typical coastal-ocean pattern. However, during the falling phase of the barotropic spring tide, sets of large-amplitude, sheared cross-shore current pulses with a duration of 2-5 h were observed at the shelf break site. Currents in these pulses flowed exclusively offshore in a thin layer near the bed with amplitudes reaching 30-40 cm/s. Simultaneously, currents with amplitudes around 15-20 cm/s flowed exclusively onshore in the thicker layer between the offshore flow layer and the sea surface. The net offshore transport was about half the onshore transport. Near-surface isotherms were depressed 30-40 m. These pulses were likely internal bores generated by tidal currents. Bed stresses associated with these events exceeded 3 dynes/cm(2). These amplitudes are large enough to resuspend and transport not only fine-grained material, but also medium to coarse sands from the shelf toward the slope. Consequently, the seafloor over the shelf break was swept clear of fine sediments. The data suggest that the internal bores dissipate and are reduced in amplitude as they propagate across this relatively narrow shelf. There is evidence that they reach the 35 m site, but other coastal ocean processes obscure their distinctive characteristics.     

Circulation and heat budget of the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy) due to a Bora event in January 2001: a numerical model study

The Princeton Ocean Model was implemented to investigate the response of northern Adriatic Sea during the Bora event in January 2001 when strong wind and surface cooling was reported. The model has been run with realistic wind stress, surface heat flux and river runoffs forcings continuously from 1 January 1999 to 31 January 2001. The wind stress and surface heat flux was computed by the bulk parameterization, using the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast analysis fields and the Comprehensive Ocean Atmosphere Data Set cloud data. All the freshwater sources along the Adriatic coastlines were represented by point or line source functions. Open boundary conditions in the Ionian Sea along a latitudinal boundary were nested within a large scale model of the Mediterranean Sea. The numerical study found that, before the Bora event of 13–17 January 2001, the water column of the northern Adriatic Sea was stratified by salinity, and the temperature was already cooler at the surface and over the shallower shelf region. The pre-Bora circulation of the northern Adriatic Sea was relatively weak and baroclinic with maximum surface currents occurred near the Italian coast. During the Bora event, the water column was well mixed in the most of coastal region of the northern Adriatic Sea. The atmospheric cooling produced colder water over the northern and western Adriatic Coast. The circulation of the northern Adriatic Sea was barotropic and dominantly wind driven, with maximum current speed of about 1 m s⁻¹. The numerical study also demonstrated that the Bora event decreased the heat content of the water column with an area averaged value of 205 W m⁻² over the shallow northern shelf. It was concluded that the heat budget of the northern Adriatic Sea during the Bora event was a balance between the surface heat loss, horizontal net heat inflow and resulting heat content decrease. The horizontal advection played a particularly important role in controlling the water temperature change over the shallower northern shelf.     

Deep sediment transport induced by storms and dense shelf-water cascading in the northwestern Mediterranean basin

Downward particle fluxes and hydrodynamics in the northwestern Mediterranean basin were measured by a sediment trap and a current meter deployed at 2350 m depth, 250 m above bottom, from November 2003 to April 2005. During the winter of 2003–2004 there were high river discharges, two strong E–SE storms and several moderate storms and short periods of moderate dense shelf-water cascading during which dense shelf water did not reach the deep basin. Downward particle fluxes at the basin site were low during most of this winter but increased above one order of magnitude as a consequence of the strong storm and moderate cascading event that occurred in late February 2004. During the winter of 2004–2005, neither important river floods nor strong storms occurred but there were very intense and persistent dense shelf-water cascading events from February to April 2005. Dense shelf water, mixed with offshore convection water, reached the basin site in early March 2005, increasing downward particle fluxes by more than two orders of magnitude for more than 1 month. These observations indicate that events of significant sediment transport to the northwestern Mediterranean basin can be caused by severe winter E–SE storms associated with moderate cascading events or by exceptionally intense and persistent dense shelf-water cascading episodes alone. On the other hand, river floods, severe storms during water column stratification conditions (without cascading) and moderate storms concurrent with moderate dense shelf-water cascading did not generate sediment transport events able to reach the basin.     

Mesoscale physical processes and zooplankton transport-retention in the northern Norwegian shelf region

Northern Norwegian shelf regions are highly productive, supporting fisheries rich in commercially important species such as cod, herring and capelin. It has been long recognized that the mesoscale jets, meanders and eddies associated with interactions between the North Atlantic Current, Norwegian Coastal Current and regional bottom topographic features such as troughs, banks and shelfbreaks play important roles in transporting and retaining zooplankton. To investigate zooplankton distributions and their correspondence with the physical fields, three large-scale surveys with mesoscale resolutions on physical and biological fields were conducted in northern Norwegian shelf regions between latitudes 68°15′N and 70°15′N in springs of 2000–2002. Survey results provide insights into the relationships between zooplankton distributions and the physical features such as fronts, the Norwegian Coastal Current and eddies related to topographic features. The physical and biological data are integrated and analyzed focusing on water types, estimation of geostrophic currents from direct current measurements, along-shelf transport of zooplankton, and retention of zooplankton by the mesoscale meander–eddy over a typical bank area on the shelf. The estimated mean transport in the upper 100 m on the shelf in the survey region is approximately 6.4×10³ tonnes wet weight day⁻¹ northward. High zooplankton abundances were found over both Malangsgrunnen and Sveinsgrunnen banks. The specific accumulation rate from northward–southward transport in the upper 100 m over Malangsgrunnen was approximately 0.08 day⁻¹, while variable currents with an offshore gradient of zooplankton abundance over Sveinsgrunnen implies an offshore dispersion of coastal-originated zooplankton cohort.     

Vertical structure, turbulent mixing and fluxes during Lagrangian observations of an upwelling filament system off Northwest Iberia

In August 1998, a recurrent filament located near 42°N off Galicia was sampled as part of the OMEX-II project. Lagrangian and other observations were made on the shelf where the filament arose and offshore in the filament itself under upwelling favourable but fluctuating winds. The shelf drift experiment monitored a change from southward to weak northward net flow as the winds decreased to zero. Shipborne ADCP measurements showed that the shelf was supplying decreasing volumes of water to the filament as the wind speeds decreased. At the shelf edge the internal tide was larger than can be explained by local forcing and there were many unusually large high frequency internal waves with a quasi-sinusoidal form. Turbulence observations revealed enhanced dissipation rates and vertical eddy diffusion coefficients within the shelf thermocline (of order 1 cm² s⁻¹), which appeared to be caused by the breaking of internal wave. A second Lagrangian experiment was executed in the filament some 120 km offshore, which again coincided with a period of wind relaxation. Cross-sections revealed a double cold core and that the offshore flow was limited to a thin surface layer. Substantial onshore flow occurred below 50 m in the centre of the filament, while the strongest and deepest offshore flow coincided with its northern boundary. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate measurements showed very weak mixing below 15 m in the filament core, but enhanced mixing at its boundaries. Four mixed layer drifters released in the filament initially indicated convergence at its southern boundary, marked by strong temperature and salinity contrasts. After the wind became more favourable for upwelling, the drifters accelerated. One drifter traced the full extent of the filament, while the other three escaped from it and began to circulate cyclonically over 28 days in a 100 km diameter loop back towards their release point. Although strong mesoscale activity linked the shelf and ocean regimes, offshore transport in the filament was weak at the time of the experiment and vertical and horizontal re-circulations on a variety of time scales were important. There was sufficient vertical mixing in the thermocline to cause it to thicken and draw some heat into the lower layers during the summer months on the shelf. The amount of heat involved was too little to have a significant impact on the development of a filament over a typical lifetime of a week.     

台风影响下长江口羽流的响应与淡水输运机制

河口区域冲淡水锋面及物质输运会对台风产生快速而复杂的响应,并产生显著的生态效应及沉积过程,且不同类型的台风会对水动力及物质输运产生不同影响。本文以长江河口为研究区域,利用盐度锋面附近的浮标站点观测数据,发现在登陆型超强台风“利奇马”的影响下,旋转流特征消失,站点全水深出现持续近两天的北向流;而在转向型强台风“巴威”的影响下,出现持续约三天的全水深南向流。应用覆盖长江口及邻近海域的有限体积海洋模型（FVCOM）对两次台风过程进行模拟,实验对比台风过境前后流场、盐度场并且计算淡水通量,发现台风过境时通过破坏夏季典型的向海扩张的表层平流型羽流结构,从而促进盐度垂向混合,导致大量淡水堆积在靠岸一侧,加强了沿岸的淡水输运,进而形成底部捕获型羽流。对于登陆型台风“利奇马”的影响,淡水输运主要沿苏北海岸向北,而在转向型台风“巴威”偏北风的影响下,淡水则显著沿岸向浙闽海域流动。这两种台风过后,表层淡水开始向海扩展,垂向盐度分层再一次呈现,在2～3天内完全恢复为表层平流型羽流结构。