Monsoonal impact on circulation pathways in the Indian Ocean

Monsoon driven water mass exchange between the Bay of Bengal(Bo B) and Arabian Sea(AS) is the common experience. However, it is not yet firmly confirmed that the exchange pathway is either passing through southern tip of Sri Lanka or Palk Strait. Local circulation patterns impact the pathways followed by the East Indian Coastal Currents(EICC) that drive exchange, thereby modulating mixing and water mass transformation in the Bay of Bengal around Sri Lanka. In this study, observations from surface drifters were incorporated with the satellite derived data to understand the monsoonal impact on circulation patterns in the Indian Ocean. This was the first multi-national scientific effort which was conducted in the Bo B and AS during 2013 to 2015 to understand the monsoonal impact on circulation patterns in the complex region. The results indicated that seasonally reversing monsoonal currents of southern Sri Lanka, traced by the wintertime freshwater export pathways of the EICC. The deflection of monsoon currents running along the east coast of Sri Lanka by forming cyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies, which influence the mixing and stirring associated with these flows. Results further indicate the low salinity cold water flows from the Bo B to AS along the western boundary of the Bo B during northeast monsoon. In the same way, reverses the phenomena during southwest monsoon, transporting high salinity warm water from AS to the Bo B. This maintain the bay status which occurred due to freshwater influx from large rivers and high saline water from AS. However, no evidences were observed for the exchange through Palk Strait during the study.Also, there are some mis-matches in in-situ and remotely sensed measurements which imply the necessity of systematic observation system for the complex region as an alternative approach.     

Three-D numerical simulation of wind-driven current and density current in the Beibu Gulf

The Beibu Gulf circulation plays an imPOrtant role in the long--term water rnass transportinside the gulf. It is also closely related to the Guangxi untal water mass transport and self-purification. Hence, it is of practical imPOrtance to study the circulation in the gUlf. The cir-culation in the gUlf is very comlicated, and is rnainly gOverned by wind, water density gradi-ent, the current outside the gulf and the bathpoetry. In spring, a cold water rnass generatesln the center of the gulf…     

Temperature inversion in the Huanghai Sea bottom cold water in summer

Using conductivity-Temperature-depth data of a recent cruise during July 22-28, 2008 and historical data, it is found that temperature inversions occur from time to time in the Huanghai Sea(Yellow Sea) cold water mass (HSCWM) in summer. The temperature inversions are produced by the movement of the fresh and cold HSCWM masses above the warm and saline Huanghai Sea Warm Current water at the central bottom of the Huanghai Sea Trough. The non-homogeneous profiles of the temperature and the salinity suggest that vertical mixing in the HSCWM, which is of great importance to the circulation in the Huanghai Sea in summer, is weak. Trajectories of satellite-tracked surface drifters suggest that waters in the northern reach of the Huanghai Sea move southward along the 40-50 m isobaths and descend into the southern Huanghai Sea to form the western core of the HSCWM.     

北部湾的环流和水团对季节性强迫的响应

In the past 20 a, the gulf-scale circulation in the Beibu Gulf has been commonly accepted to be driven by a wind stress or density gradient. However, using three sensitive experiments based on a three-dimensional baroclinic model that was verified by observations, the formation mechanisms were revealed： the circula- tion in the northern Beibu Gulf was triggered by the monsoon wind throughout a year; whereas the southern gulf circulation was driven by the monsoon wind and South China Sea （SCS） circulation in winter and sum- mer, respectively. The force of heat flux and tidal harmonics had a strong effect on the circulation strength and range, as well as the local circulation structures, but these factors did not influence the major circulation structure in the Beibu Gulf. On the other hand, the Beibu Gulf Cold Water Mass （BGCWM） would disappear without the force of heat flux because the seasonal thermocline layer was generated by the input of heat so that the vertical mixing between the upper hot water and lower cold water was blocked. In addition, the wind-induced cyclonic gyre in the northern gulf was favorable to the existence of the BGCWM. However, the coverage area of the BGCWM was increased slightly without the force of the tidal harmonics. When the model was driven by the monthly averaged surface forcing, the circulation structure was changed to some extent, and the coverage area of the BGCWM almost extended outwards 100%, implying the circulation and water mass in the Beibu Gulf had strong responses to the temporal resolution of the surface forces.     

Exploring thermocline and water masses variability in southern South China Sea from the World Ocean Database (WOD)

Study about water characteristics(temperature and salinity) from the World Ocean Database(WOD) was conducted in the area of southern South China Sea(SSCS), covering the area of 0°–10°N, 100°–117°E. From interannual analysis, upper layer(10 m) and deep water temperature(50 m) increased from 1951 until 2014. Monthly averaged show that May recorded the highest upper layer temperature while January recorded the lowest. It was different for the deep water which recorded the highest value in September and lowest in February. Contour plot for upper layer temperature in the study area shows presence of thermal front of cold water at southern part of Vietnam tip especially during peak northeast season(December–January). The appearances of warm water were obviously seen during generating southwest monsoon(May–June). Thermocline study revealed the deepest isothermal layer depth(ILD) during peak northeast and southwest monsoon. Temperature threshold at shallow area reach more than 0.8°C during the transitional period. Water mass study described T-S profile based on particular region. Water mass during the southwest monsoon is typically well mixed compared to other seasons while strong separation according to location is very clear. During transitional period between northeast monsoon to southwest monsoon, the increasing of water temperature can be seen at Continental Shelf Water(CSW) which tend to be higher than 29°C and vice versa condition during transitional period between southwest monsoon to northeast monsoon. Dispersion of T-S profile can be seen during southwest monsoon inside Tropical Surface Water(TSW) where the salinity and temperature become higher than during northeast monsoon.     

Analysis of the high and low temperature centers and their relation with circulations in the East China Sea

Three warm currents, the Kuroshio, its shelf intrusion branch in the northeast of Taiwan and the Taiwan Warm Current (hereafter TWC), dominate the circulation pattern in the East China Sea (hereafter ECS). Their origination, routes and variation in winter and summer are studied. Their relationship with four major high and low temperature centers is analyzed. Differing from the previous opinion, we suggest that the four major centers are generated to a great extent by the interaction of the currents in the ECS. In summer, a cold water belt in the northeast of Taiwan is preserved from winter between the Kuroshio and the TWC. The shelf intrusion branch of the Kuroshio separates the water belt, and two low temperature centers generate in the northeast of Taiwan. In the southern ECS, the TWC transports more heat flux northward to form a warm pool. But it is separated in the lower layer by the cold water driven by the intrusion branch of the Kuroshio. So the TWC and the intrusion branch of the Kuroshio play a dominating role to generate the high temperature center. The interaction among the eastward TWC, the northward Tsushima Warm Current (hereafter TSWC) and the southward Su Bei Coastal Flow (hereafter SBCF) generates the low temperature center in the northern ECS. In winter, the strengthening of the shelf intrusion branch of the Kuroshio obscures the two low temperature centers in the northeast of Taiwan. For the weakening of the TWC, the high temperature center in the southern ECS vanishes, and the low temperature center in the northern ECS shifts to south.     

安达曼海的热收支分析及其水交换研究

The characteristics of the T/S structures, water mass exchange and deep circulation in the Andaman Sea are investigated based on the simulation from a high-resolution general circulation model(MITgcm). The results show that, below 1 000 m, the water mass is saltier, warmer and more homogeneous in the Andaman Sea than that in the Bay of Bengal, attributing to the strong vertical mixing at the depth of ～1 800 m. The water mass exchange between the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal goes through three major channels, which manifests itself as follows: the northern channel(Preparis Channel) is the main passage of water mass transport from the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea, whereas the Middle Channel(the south of Andaman Islands and the north of Nicobar Islands) has an opposite transport; the southern channel(Great Channel) features with a four-layer water exchange which results in the least net transport among the three channels; all the transports through the three channels have an intra-annual variation with a period of half a year. At 1 000-m depth, the entire Andaman Sea is occupied by a cyclonic circulation in January and July while by an anticyclonic one in April and October. The semiannual cycle found in both the deep circulation and water mass exchange is likely associated with the downwelling eastward-propagating Kelvin waves induced by the semiannual westerly component in the equatorial Indian Ocean during intermonsoon seasons.     

北部湾冷水团的季节变化及其机制的数值研究

A wave-tide-circulation coupled model based on the Princeton Ocean Model is established to explore the seasonal variation of the cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf and its mechanisms. The results show that the cold water mass starts forming in March, reaches the maximum strength during June and July, and fades away since October. Strong mixing in winter transports the cold water from sea surface to bottom. The cold water mass remains in the bottom layer as the thermocline strengthens during spring, except for the shallow water where the themocline is broken by strong tidal mixing, which gradually separate the cold water mass from its surrounding warm water. Further analysis on the ocean current and stream function confirms that the cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf is locally developed, with an anticlockwise circulation caused by a strong temperature gradient. Sensitivity experiments reveal that the cold water mass is controlled by the sea surface heat flux, while the terrain and tidal mixing also play important roles.     

Evolution of a coastal upwelling event during summer 2004 in the southern Taiwan Strait

A coastal upwelling event in the southern Taiwan Strait (STWS) was investigated using intensive cruise surveys (four repeated transects in a month) and satellite data in July and early August 2004.The extensive upwelling-associated surface cold water was first observed in early July (～2.0×10 4 km 2) along the STWS coast.Then,the cold surface water reduced in size by ～50% with decreased chlorophyll concentrations after 15 days,indicating the weakening of the upwelling event.At the end of July,the cold surface water disappeared.The temporal variations of the surface cold water and the 3-D hydrography around Dongshan Island are thought to be mainly attributed to the weakened upwelling-favorable southwestern wind,the asymmetric spatial structure of the wind field and the intrusion of warm water from the northern South China Sea.     

印尼北苏拉威西海蓝碧海峡水团性质的南北差异

Two field observations were conducted around the Lembeh Strait in September 2015 and 2016, respectively.Evidences indicate that seawater around the Lembeh Strait is consisted of North Pacific Tropical Water(NPTW),North Pacific Intermediate Water(NPIW), North Pacific Tropical Intermediate Water(NPTIW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water(AAIW). Around the Lembeh Strait, there exist some north-south differences in terms of water mass properties. NPTIW is only found in the southern Lembeh Strait. Water mass with the salinity of 34.6 is only detected at 200–240 m between NPTW and NPTIW in the southern Lembeh Strait, and results from the process of mixing between the saltier water transported from the South Pacific Ocean and the lighter water from the North Pacific Ocean and Sulawesi Sea. According to the analysis on mixing layer depth, it is indicated that there exists an onshore surface current in the northern Lembeh Strait and the surface current in the Lembeh Strait is southward.These dramatic differences of water masses demonstrate that the less water exchange has been occurred between the north and south of Lembeh Strait. In 2015, the positive wind stress curl covering the northern Lembeh Strait induces the shoaling of thermocline and deepening of NPIW, which show that the north-south difference of airsea system is possible of inducing north-south differences of seawater properties.     

Model of the post-Cenozoic evolution of the cryolithozone of the shelf of the western part of the Laptev Sea

The analysis of the structure of the cryolithozone, facies, and thicknesses of the Quaternary sediments and the results of the physicochemical mathematical modeling of the modern shelf of the western part of the Laptev Sea support the influence of the Late Pleistocene glaciations on the heat conditions and the distribution of the permafrost in the area. A ～200-m thick glacier formed under aerial conditions from atmospheric precipitation represented the metamorphosed snow cover. According to the modeling, the long-living (from 60?50 to 10?4 ky) glacier reduced the thickness of the permafrost rocks in the reviewed shelf area for 280–360 m. The Holocene marine transgression additionally decreased the thickness from 50–140 m on the inner shelf to 220–350 m on the outer shelf. The modern submarine cryolithozone 450-0 m thick is wide-spread in the studied region from the coast to the shelf boundary (isobaths of 130–140 m), where it pinches out at a distance of ～380 km from the coast at a depth of ～250 m above the sea level.     

Investigation of the mechanism of the long-term evolution of the carbon cycle in the ecosystem of the Sevastopol bay

We analyze the components of the carbon system of the Sevastopol bay waters and the balance of main sediment-forming substances using the data of field investigations in 1998–2008. The interannual variations of total inorganic carbon and the equilibrium partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the bay water are noted. An increase in the flux of carbon dioxide into the bay and in the content of organic carbon in bottom sediments is revealed, and an explanation of this phenomenon is given. The priority accumulation of organic carbon in the sediments of the bay is established. We assess the interannual variation in the relative abundances of organic and inorganic carbon as an index of the carbon cycle stability.     

Contemporary state of the investigation of the influence of the discharge of rivers on the hydrologic structure of the Black Sea

We generalize and analyze the state of investigations of the influence of river waters on the hydrologic structure of the Black Sea. Specific features of the water, regime and hydrography of rivers flowing into the sea, data on the discharge of rivers, and intrayear and interyear variability of the discharge are presented. We discuss and analyze works studying the transformation of river waters, routes of desalinized sea waters, and their influence on the thermohaline structure and dynamic regime of the sea. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

黄河入海径流对河口海域盐度影响研究

为研究黄河入海径流变化条件下河口附近海域盐度扩散特征,以更好地保护河口海域生物资源多样性,本文以黄河下游利津水文站的长序列实测径流数据资料为基础,利用近海水动力模型FVCOM,分析径流变化对黄河口海域盐度的影响规律。结果表明：黄河口与莱州湾之间存在顺时针的环流系统,在余流作用以及涨落潮方向的影响下,黄河冲淡水长期向莱州湾扩散;丰水期黄河冲淡水几乎影响了整个莱州湾,27盐度锋可以到达莱州湾中部,27等盐线的表层包络面积为2 665.61 km²,占莱州湾的1/4左右,枯水期低盐度水只有向南扩散的趋势,27以下的低盐度水集中分布在黄河口门附近,27等盐线的表层包络面积只有199.65 km²;5月份,随着入海径流量增加,27等盐线扩散的范围、距离、方向都会发生明显变化。在对近海生物资源有迫切保护需求的情景下,适当减少其他用水户供水量以增加入海生态径流量,可以有效改善黄河口海域附近的盐度情况,为生物资源的生长繁殖创造良好条件。     

Modelling of the ecosystem of the Black-Sea shelf zone near the estuary of the Danube

We analyze the results of numerical calculations performed according to the three-dimensional interdisciplinary model of an ecological system of the Black-Sea shelf zone near the estuary of the Danube. The complete system of equations of hydrothermodynamics is solved together with transport equations of the advection-diffusion-reaction type used to describe the transformation of a substance (nitrogen) between the components of the characteristic vectors of the ecosystem: plankton, detritus, and biogenic elements (nitrates). We describe the distinctive features of the circumcontinental distribution of components obtained as a result of numerical experiments and present arguments for the conclusion that the ecosystem of the Danube estuary water area plays the role of a buffer zone between the press of the Danubian biogenic pollutions and the neighbouring areas of the shelf zone and open sea. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

The influence of the bottom contour on the deformed state of the ice cover due to the motion of the submarine

The authors have previously determined that the effectiveness and failure pattern of the ice cover caused by flexural-gravity waves generated by a submerged body motion near the bottom ice can greatly depend on the depth of the water area. In its turn, the presence of a ledge on the ice surface may affect a wave propagation pattern. This paper presents an experimental study of the bottom contour influence on the deflection and length of flexural-gravity waves. The authors describe a numerical model for the analysis of the deformed state of ice caused by hydrodynamic loads due to a submarine motion, taking into account the bottom contour. The experiments are carried out in the ice tank. The results of calculations and experiments are compared.     

Dynamics of the ice cover and peculiarities of the ice transportation of the sediments at the tidal flats of the Kandalaksha Gulf of the White Sea

Ten years of semistationary studies of the interaction of the ice cover and the coastal relief of the Kandalakhsa Gulf in the White Sea allowed us to reveal the peculiarities of these processes in the warm and cold years and the mechanisms of the origination of ice forms, including ice tents, which govern the character of the tidal flats. Three dynamic fast ice zones are distinguished by their geomorphological location, morphology, and ice dynamics. The dependence of the mechanisms and volumes of the enrichment of the fast ice in the sediments on the coastal zone??s relief was established. At the coast of the Kindo Peninsula (Velikaya Salma Strait), the ice mostly contains fine-sandy sediments. Coarser sediments, including boulders, are occasional and frozen into the ice at the contact of the fast ice and the bottom. At the expense of the ice??s spreading by 4?C6 times in the warm years and 2?C4 times in the cold years, several thousand tons of sediments mostly from the tidal flat??s surface (100?C700 m³ from 1 km of coast in the wide tidal flats and <50 m³ on the steep coasts) are delivered to the water area.     

Relationship between the path of the Kuroshio in the south of Japan and the path of the Kuroshio Extension in the east

A relationship between paths of the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension (KE) is investigated, using the satellite-derived altimetry dataset of 1993–2008. When the Kuroshio takes the nearshore nonlarge meander path or typical large meander path and resultantly goes through the deeper channel (about 2500 m) of the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge, the KE path adopts a relatively stable state with the two quasi-stationary meanders. On the other hand, when the Kuroshio takes the offshore nonlarge meander path and then passes over the shallower part of the Ridge (about 1000 m), the KE path tends to be convoluted, i.e., an unstable state.     

Variability of the nutrient runoff of the rivers of the Arctic Basin

The spatiotemporal variability of the hydrochemical composition of the riverine runoff in nearmouth areas is presented using the example of selected rivers of the Arctic Basin. The temporal dynamics of the riverine nutrient runoff are mainly determined by the seasonal and interseasonal variations in the drainage basins. The spatial variations in the chemical composition of riverine waters in the near-mouth areas are mainly caused by the dynamics of the water flow and the river bed relief and, to a lesser degree, by biochemical processes. It is shown that the variations in the nutrient composition of the waters in near-mouth areas are comparable in magnitude to those at the river-sea geochemical barriers.     

Parameters of the sediments of the deep-water basin of the Black Sea

The methodology and the first results of the computations of the volumes, masses, and growth rates of the sedimentary body of the buried Black Sea basin are presented. Their temporal evolution reflects the regional paleogeodynamics, in particular, the reorientation of the vector of the relative movement of the Arabian and Eurasian lithospheric plates and the related intensification of their collision in the late Miocene-Pliocene.