Sea surface temperature variations in the southwestern South China Sea over the past 160 ka

Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the southwestern South China Sea have been reconstructed for the past 160 ka using the Uk37 paleothermometer from the core MD01-2392. The temperature differences between glacial times (MISs 6 and 2) and interglacial times (MISs 5.5 and 1) are 2.2~2.5 ℃. Younger Dryas event during the last deglaciation was documented in both the planktonic foraminiferal δ18O and SST records. After MIS 5.5, SSTs displayed a progressive cooling from 28.6 to 24.5 ℃, culminating at the LGM. During this gradual cooling period, warm events such as MISs 5.3, 5.1 and 3 were also clearly documented. By comparison of SST between the study core and Core 17954, a pattern of low or no meridional SST gradients during the interglacial periods and high meridional SST gradients during the glacial periods was exhibited. This pattern indicates the much stronger East Asian winter monsoon at the glacial than at the interglacial periods. Spectral analysis gives two prominent cycles: 41 and 23 ka, with the former more pronounced, suggesting that SSTs in the southern SCS varied in concert with high-latitude processes through the connection of East Asian winter monsoon.     

North Pacific Subtropical Mode Waters Observed in Long XBT Cross Sections along 32.5°N Line

The S/V Shoyo, of the Hydrographic Department, Japan Coast Guard, has conducted high-density expendable bathythermograph (XBT) measurements along the 32.5°N line in the North Pacific every year from 1990 to 1993 as a part of the Japanese-World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). These XBT data are analyzed here, focusing on year-to-year variations of the inventory and core layer temperature (CLT) of the North Pacific subtropical mode water (NPSTMW). Large year-to-year changes are found in the NPSTMW CLTs estimated in longitudes between 140°E and 160°E. CLT values were found of 17.4°C in 1990, 17.1°C in 1991, 17.3°C in 1992 and 17.6°C in 1993. Inspection of the wintertime westerlies over the formation area and sea surface temperature distribution revealed that this change in CLT can be qualitatively attributed to the strength of atmospheric cooling in the formation area in the previous winter. Although a large year-to-year variation of NPSTMW inventory was also found, it is hard to state any relationship between CLT and atmospheric forcing. There is a possibility that different observational seasons may affect the inventory. It has also been found that the thermocline depth in 1991 was shallower in the sea area east of 180° than in 1992 and 1993. Associated with this change, the North Pacific central mode water (NPCMW), characterized by thermostad with temperatures ranging from 14°C to 11°C, appears in the sea area east of 180° in the 1992 and 1993 cross sections. The 1993 cross section, which ranged from the Japanese coast to the west coast of North America, possessed another thermostad in the surface layer, with a temperature of about 17°C in the eastern part of the cross section, off California. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

南海南部近50万年来沉积物特点及古环境意义

对南海南部MD05-2897孔沉积物的分析显示,该孔涵盖氧同位素1~12期,底界年龄约为50万年。碳酸钙含量曲线形态基本与底栖有孔虫氧同位素曲线平行,即碳酸钙高值对应氧同位素轻值,呈现典型的大西洋型碳酸钙分布模式。碳酸钙含量在冰消期的高值出现及含量变化均领先于氧同位素,证明低纬海区"碳酸钙泵"对大气二氧化碳浓度和温度的作用。粒度分析显示,3~5μm组分含量曲线的变化与氧同位素曲线基本平行,说明它主要受海平面升降变化控制,可作为海平面变化的间接指标。而1.5~2.5μm粒级颗粒主要通过河流的悬浮搬运,直接受亚洲夏季风及其所带来降雨的影响,可间接反映夏季风的强弱变化。南海南部深海沉积中的季风记录具有0.1 Ma偏心率周期,40 ka斜率周期,20 ka岁差和10 ka半岁差周期等丰富的频谱,显示出低纬度海区气候变化对轨道周期的良好响应。     

1998年夏季季风爆发前后南海上层环流的诊断分析

基于1998年南海季风试验（SCSMEX，South China Sea Monsoon Experiment)期间2个强化观测航次（4－5月及6－7）所获温盐深（CTD）资料，利用一个改进逆模式研究了夏季季风爆发前后南海环流的演变特征。诊断计算表明，在此期间南海环流主要表现为两脊两槽型，即越南以东和菲律宾以西呈反气旋式环流，南海北部和南海中部呈气旋式环流。但对局部区域而言，可以发现在季风爆发前后其环流结构有明显的差异。上述计算结果亦与等压面上海水密度分布的定性分析结果及同期观测的ADCP资料进行了比较，结果表明模式计算所得到的南海上层环流主要特征与定性分析结果及实测资料大体一致，诊断结果可作为南海上层季风环流演变机制研究的依据。     

利用卫星遥感资料对南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋的分析

利用7年(1993～1999)月平均的SST卫星遥感资料，分析了南海北部陆架区域海洋表层温度锋在一年中的逐月变化特征，表明南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋存在明显的季节内变化。结合风场的卫星遥感资料，分析了东北季风对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，表明东北季风风速的增加有利于温度锋强度的增强。通过对黑潮南海流套入侵较强的1999年2月与流套入侵较弱的1998年2月的SST卫星遥感资料的对比分析，考察了黑潮南海流套的入侵对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，结果表明黑潮流套的较强入侵能够增加陆架温度锋的强度，对温度锋的走向也会产生一定的影响。     

P矢量方法在南海夏季环流诊断计算中的应用

基于1998年6～7月南海调查航次的CTD资料,对南海环流采用最近发展的P矢量方法进行诊断计算.计算结果:黑潮向西入侵南海,然后做反气旋弯曲向东北方向流动,最终有通过巴士海峡流出南海的趋势.在南海北部存在一个气旋性环流,这个环流的强度和范围随深度增加而减小.该环流的冷中心位置随深度增加稍向南移.南海中部、越南以东海域存在一个明显的气旋涡和反气旋涡,尤其在200m及其以上水层均相当稳定,反气旋涡位于越南以东,其中心位置在11°53'N,111°50'E,气旋涡的中心位置在13°17'N,112°55'E,两者的尺度皆约为250km.吕宋岛西侧存在一个反气旋涡.在计算海区南部、巴拉望岛西南海域,100m以上层存在一个反气旋式涡.从各层流场分布均可以显示海流在西部强化的现象.     

Chemical Fluxes of Asian Rivers into Oceans and their Controlling Factors

Chemical fluxes of Asian rivers into oceans bear different regional variations. Three zones are characteristic of distinct dissolved sediment loads and yields and ionic concentration.Rivers into oceans in China play an important role in Asia because of their different chemical fluxes, among which those draining the Loess Plateau have high ionic concentration, low water discharges and dissolved sediment loads and yields.Climate, vegetation, soil and strata lithology, chemical weathering intensity and tectonic activity dominate chemical fluxes of Asian rivers into oceans, and different factors have different effects on the chemical fluxes of separate regional rivers. Rising of the Tibet Plateau also exerts an important influence on chemical compositions of rivers originating from it.     

晚更新世末期东亚季风活动与陆架区沉积环境变迁

从距今 18 0 0 0年的最后冰期最盛时期到距今 10 0 0 0年开始的全新世海侵 ,全球气侯发生过急剧的变化。位于亚洲东部的古季风活动也经历了盛衰变化。大量的钻孔及浅地层剖面分析资料已经证实 ,冰期最盛时期陆架区古季风活动加强 ,陆架出现了沙漠环境与黄土沉积。当冰期结束 ,气候转暖 ,冬季风减弱之际 ,南黄海陆架及长江三角洲一带的沙漠与黄土分布范围也随之缩小 ,原先的沙漠活动区变成了黄土分布区 ,也就是所谓硬粘土沉积区。随着古季风活动的进一步衰退和海面的不断升高 ,来自陆架区的东北风变为冷湿气流。长江三角洲地区和陆架上出现了有利于沼泽发育的环境 ,全新世海侵把泥炭层淹没。陆架区晚更新世末期以来的地层中出现沙层、硬粘土和泥炭层的沉积序列 ,即“三元沉积结构”,是古冬季风盛衰过程的最好记录     

夏季流经东沙群岛北侧的一支偏西向海流

主要根据1992年8月中国科学院南海海洋研究所和香港理工大学合作进行的“南海环流试验”的调查资料，并引用中国科学院南海海洋研究所1982年7月、1985年8月在南海东北部的调查资料、黑潮合作调查（CSK）的资料，通过温、盐度分布特征的分析，并结合动力计算结果，指出夏季在南海东沙群岛北侧存在着一偏西向海流，它的流动路径与文献[5－7]中所说的南海黑潮分支的流动路径显著不同。对夏季南海海流的三维数值模拟也得到了相似的结果。