Tide model comparison over the Southwestern Atlantic Shelf

Sea surface height (SSH) as measured by satellites has become a powerful tool for oceanographic and climate related studies. Whereas in the open ocean good accuracy has been achieved, more energetic dynamics and a number of calibration problems have limited applications over continental shelves and near the coast. Tidal ranges in the Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) continental shelf are among the highest in the world ocean, reaching up to 12 m at specific locations. This fact highlights the relevance of the accuracy of the tidal correction that must be applied to the satellite data to be useful in the region. In this work, amplitudes and phases of tidal constituents are extracted from five global tide models and three regional models and compared to the corresponding harmonics estimated from coastal tide gauges (TGs) and satellite altimetry data. The Root Sum Square (RSS) of the misfit of the common set of the five tidal constituents solved by the models (M₂, N₂, S₂, K₁ and O₁) is higher than 18 cm close to the coast for two of the regional models and higher than 24.5 cm for the rest of the models considered. Both values are too high to provide an accurate estimation of geostrophic non-tidal currents from satellite altimetry in the coastal region. On the other hand, the global model with the highest spatial resolution has a RSS lower than 4.5 cm over the continental shelf even when the non-linear M₄ overtide is considered. Comparison with in-situ current measurements suggests that this model can be used to de-tide altimetry data to compute large-scale patterns of SSH and associated geostrophic velocities. It is suggested that a local tide model with very high resolution that assimilates in-situ and satellite data should meet the precision needed to estimate geostrophic velocities at a higher resolution both close to the coast and over the Patagonian shelf.     

Rippled scour depressions on continental shelf bank slopes off Nordland and Troms,Northern Norway

Multibeam bathymetry acquired under the MAREANO programme from the continental shelf off Nordland and Troms, northern Norway, show bedforms that we have interpreted as rippled scour depressions. They occur in three areas offshore on bank slopes facing southeast, more than 15 km from land. They are generally found where the slope gradient is low, in water depths of 70–160 m. Individual depressions are up to 3 km long, 1 m deep and up to 300 m wide. They occur in areas where sediments evolve quickly from glacial deposits on the banks to post-glacial muddy sediments on the glacial troughs. Multibeam backscatter and underwater video data show that depression floors are covered by rippled, gravelly, shelly sand. Ripple crests are parallel or slightly oblique to the depression axis orientation. Sand without bedforms is observed between the depressions. TOPAS seismic lines show that the uppermost seismic unit consists of the sand between the depressions. The base of this unit may be the last transgressive/tidal/wave ravinement surface. Physical oceanographic modelling indicates that maximum current velocities are up to 0.6 m/s in the rippled scour depression areas. Stronger currents appear to inhibit the building of these features. Tidal currents play an important role as they trend parallel to the southeast banks slopes and are likely responsible of the gravelly ripples formation inside the depressions as well as the persistence of these depressions which are not covered by finer sediments. On Malangsgrunnen bank, some of the rippled scour depressions are in the extension of NW–SE furrows located on the bank. Simulated bottom currents indicate currents mainly perpendicular to these furrows, as for the rippled scour depressions on the bank slopes. Nevertheless, these features could also highlight currents coming from the northwest which reach the bank margin and continue down to the areas of the rippled scour depressions. These currents could be responsible for the formation of some of the bedforms, together with tidal currents.     

Latest progress on interactions between VLF/ELF waves and energetic electrons in the inner magnetosphere

Interactions between very/extremely low frequency (VLF/ELF) waves and energetic electrons play a fundamental role in dynamics occurring in the inner magnetosphere. Here, we briefly discuss global properties of VLF/ELF waves, along with the variability of the electron radiation belts associated with wave-particle interactions and radial diffusion. We provide cases of electron loss and acceleration as a result of wave-particle interactions primarily due to such waves, and particularly some preliminary results...     

中日东海划界之中间线方案:问题与评析

中日东海划界历经旷日持久而未能解决,中国主张尊重《联合国海洋法公约》(以下简称《公约》)中大陆架之自然延伸原则,采取不同于专属经济区的方法对大陆架进行划界,而日本则始终坚持采用中间线对中日东海大陆架和经济专属区作一揽子划界。无论从逻辑角度还是法理视角,日本主张在中日东海划界中适用中间线将混淆《公约》中专属经济区与大陆架两种制度。基于中日东海大陆架的地质与地貌特点以及公约对上述两种权利的不同规定,中日难以通过中间线对东海的海洋权益作出公平划分。中日两国应以《公约》为依据,分别对专属经济区和大陆架的划界作出安排,同时兼顾处理钓鱼岛群岛的主权归属问题,使中日东海划界问题得到妥善解决。     

南海北部陆架海域表层沉积物地球化学特征及地质意义

依据南海北部陆架海域225个站位表层沉积物粒度和常量元素的地球化学分析,探讨了常量元素的空间分布规律及地质意义。该区域沉积物主要为粉砂、细砂等细粒沉积,平均粒径5.38。沉积物常量元素组合以SiO2、Al2O3、Fe2O3、MgO、CaO、Na2O、K2O为主,约占沉积物总量的87.96%,其空间分布特征与沉积物类型密切相关。Al2O3、Fe2O3、MgO、K2O、Org.C等分布趋势相似,具有较好的相关性,倾向于富集在细粒沉积物中;SiO2、CaO、CaCO3与大多数元素呈负相关,倾向于富集在粗颗粒沉积物中,反映了“元素的粒度控制律”。元素总体分布规律显示沉积物的常量元素含量受细粒黏土矿物吸附作用、石英矿物和碳酸钙稀释作用的共同影响。元素统计结果表明,表层沉积物的常量元素大体可分为2类：第1类包括Al2O3、Fe2O3、MgO、TiO2、P2O5、MnO等,代表陆源较细粒碎屑沉积,是控制研究区沉积物化学成分的最主要因素;第2类主要包括CaO、CaCO3,代表海洋生物沉积。同时可将研究区分为3个沉积区域：I沉积区为粤西近岸及北部湾北部区域,具有明显陆源碎屑沉积特征;Ⅱ沉积区位于粤西陆架水深＞60 m海域,受海源生物作用明显;Ⅲ沉积区位于珠江口西南部水深40～60 m海域,为斑块状砾质粗粒沉积。     

Exposed Sunda Shelf During the Glacial Times: An Important Component of the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir?

The glacial-interglacial carbon cycle is a complex scientific issue of the earth system. Although many progresses have been made, it is still far from being solved. Among others, an important limiting factor is the great uncertainty in the carbon stock in the terrestrial carbon reservoir. The present Sunda Islands are one of the three tropical forest areas with most abundant terrestrial carbon biomass and contribute greatly to the global terrestrial carbon reservoir. During the glacial low stands, the adjacent Sunda Shelf was exposed and led to a doubled land area. The scenario of terrestrial vegetation, which is not well understood, on the exposed land is probably a key factor to the global carbon cycle. Thus, a comprehensive paleoclimate and paleoecology study for the area is appealed, which may provide key data to quantitative analysis and modelling of the global glacial-interglacial carbon cycles.     

东海陆架沉积物环境磁学特征及其物源指示意义

对东海陆架69个表层沉积物样品进行了环境磁学测试,并结合重矿物鉴定和粒度分析数据讨论了其磁学特征、影响因素和物源指示意义。结果表明研究区表层沉积物中磁性矿物以磁铁矿为主,同时含有少量的磁赤铁矿和赤铁矿。这一结果与碎屑矿物镜下鉴定结果一致。根据磁学参数S–300(-300m T磁场下饱和等温剩磁的矫顽参数)、SIRM/χ(饱和等温剩磁与磁化率之比)及SIRM(饱和等温剩磁),将东海陆架表层沉积物分为三类。第一类沉积物主要分布在西部内陆架及研究区东北部的细粒沉积区,磁性矿物含量较高,亚铁磁性矿物所占比例较小,磁性矿物颗粒细;第二类分布在中外陆架,磁性矿物含量低,亚铁磁性矿物比例相对较高,磁性矿物颗粒粗;第三类沉积物分布在研究区东部部分站位,磁性矿物含量高,亚铁磁性矿物含量也高,磁性矿物颗粒粗。沉积物整体的粒度粗细控制了磁性矿物颗粒的大小,且在以现代细粒沉积物为主的第一类沉积物中,磁性矿物含量与粉砂、黏土含量成正相关关系。S–100-SIRM(-100m T磁场下饱和等温剩磁的矫顽参数-饱和等温剩磁)散点图显示,东海陆架大部分区域沉积物磁学特征与长江沉积物一致,表明物质来源于长江;研究区东北部受到黄海沿岸流搬运来的黄河物质的影响磁学性质呈现出黄河物质特征;闽浙沿岸部分站位受到人类活动及瓯江物质的影响。     

黑潮与邻近东海生源要素的交换及其生态环境效应

黑潮与东海生源要素的交换对东海的生态环境有重大影响,交换主要是经台湾东北部海域输送至东海陆架和通过日本九州西南海域由东海陆架向外海的黑潮输出两个通道。中国科学院海洋先导专项对黑潮与邻近东海生源要素的交换特征进行了系统的调查和研究,获得了一些新的认识:(1)在台湾东北部区域,碳主要以表层水-次表层水为载体输入,秋季的输入量高于夏季;黑潮溶解态营养盐的输入占据绝对主导地位,且以黑潮次表层热带水-中层水的输入为主,输入通量春季高于夏、秋季,可为东海春季水华提供一定的物质基础,但输入到东海的黑潮水其氮磷比与Redfield比值(16:1)接近,这些"正常水"——黑潮的输入显然对调和东海异常高的氮磷比有重要的作用,从而对东海的生态环境起到"稳定和缓冲"作用。所以,黑潮水对东海的输入不仅维持补充了东海生态系统运转所需的生源要素,更为重要的是缓冲了受人为影响强烈的东海海水的高氮磷比,使东海本已失常的营养盐结构向合适的氮磷比方向转变。因此,黑潮与东海生源要素的输入在一定程度上起着稳定和缓和东海生态环境的作用。(2)通过构建的海水Ba-盐度新指标体系,定量细致刻画了黑潮对东海生源物质在台湾东北部区域的输入范围和程度,黑潮次表层水从台湾东北陆架坡折处沿底部向北偏西方向入侵东海,其近岸分支可以入侵到浙江近岸,其黑潮次表层水占比仍可达到65%左右。垂直方向上,陆架外侧站位受黑潮次表层水的影响范围更大,黑潮水占50%比例位置可延伸至外侧TW0-1站位(122.59°E,25.49°N)表层,而内侧靠近大陆的站位则只限于陆架中部位置底层。     

南黄海大陆架科学钻探CSDP-02井钻探施工技术

本文介绍了南黄海大陆架科学钻探工程CSDP-02井施工概况以及采用的关键技术。主要有:海域岩心钻探钻井施工平台的建设;超前卡簧座加拦簧技术;高密实度砂层钻头内径镶合金保径技术;底喷式钻头技术;三层管钻具和MBM盐水泥浆技术。通过对以上难点的解决,取得了很多重要成果。钻井井深2843.18m(钻台至海底33.30m),实际进尺2809.88m,并完成了测录井等重要工作。为地质钻探在海洋钻探方面迈出重大一步。     

中国东部陆架海对"新仙女木"事件的响应

新仙女木（Younger Dryas）事件是末次冰消期持续升温过程中的一次突然降温的典型非轨道事件,对于研究古气候、古环境的快速突变事件和短周期现象,合理评估现今气候一环境条件并做出气候变化的预测有着重要的意义。它是一个全球性的事件,中国东部陆架海也普遍发现了“新仙女木”事件的沉积记录。由于中国东部陆架位于欧亚大陆和太平洋之间,受季风的强烈影响,因此有着独特的响应。在“新仙女木”事件发生时,海平面在-50m水深位置稍微下降或振荡徘徊,在-50m线上则以湖泊沼泽、埋藏河床、风沙沉积记录为主,-50m以下则以海洋沉积记录为主,这条线的附近则存在沼泽泥炭和古潮流沙脊。