Geophysical Evidence of a Relict Oceanic Crust in the Southwestern Scotia Sea

The southwestern part of the Scotia Sea, at the corner of the Shackleton Fracture Zone with the South Scotia Ridge has been investigated, combining marine magnetic profiles, multichannel seismic reflection data, and satellite-derived gravity anomaly data. From the integrated analysis of data, we identified the presence of the oldest part of the crust in this sector, which tentative age is older than anomaly C10 (28.7 Ma). The area is surrounded by structural features clearly imaged by seismic data, which correspond to gravity lows in the satellite-derived map, and presents a rhomboid-shaped geometry. Along its southern boundary, structural features related to convergence and possible incipient subduction beneath the continental South Scotia Ridge have been evidenced from the seismic profile. We interpret this area, now located at the edge of the south-western Scotia Sea, as a relict of ocean-like crust formed during an earlier, possibly diffuse and disorganized episode of spreading at the first onset of the Drake Passage opening. The successive episode of organized seafloor spreading responsible for the opening of the Drake Passage that definitively separated southern South America from the Antarctic Peninsula, instigated ridge-push forces that can account for the subduction-related structures found along the western part of the South Scotia Ridge. This seafloor accretion phase occurred from 27 to about 10 Ma, when spreading stopped in the western Scotia Sea Ridge, as resulted from the identification of the marine magnetic anomalies.     

A seismic refraction study of cretaceous oceanic lithosphere in the Northwest Pacific Basin

A seismic refraction study on old (110 Myr) lithosphere in the northwest Pacific Basin has placed constraints on crustal and uppermantle seismic structure of old oceanic lithosphere, and lithospheric aging processes. No significant lateral variation in structure other than azimuthally anisotropic mantle velocities was found, allowing the application of powerful amplitude modeling techniques. The anisotropy observed is in an opposite sense to that expected, suggesting the tectonic setting of the area may be more complex than originally thought. Upper crustal velocities are generally larger than for younger crust, supporting current theories of decreased porosity with crustal aging. However, there is no evidence for significant thickening of the oceanic crust with age, nor is there any evidence of a lower crustal layer of high or low velocity relative to the velocity of the rest of Layer 3. The compressional and shear wave velocities rule out a large component of serpentinization of mantle materials. The only evidence for a basal crustal layer of olivine gabbro cumulates is a 1.5 km thick Moho transition zone. In the slow direction of anisotropy, upper mantle velocities increase from 8.0 km s^-1 to 8.35 km s^-1 in the upper 15 km below the Moho. This increase is inconsistent with an homogeneous upper mantle and suggests that compositinal or phase changes occur near the Moho.     

南海尖峰海山多金属结壳地球化学

南海尖峰海山多金属结壳富含30多种元素,其锰铁矿物主要由钡镁锰矿,δ-MnO_2和FeOOH·xH_2O组成。与其它海区的结壳相比,尖峰海山结壳富含Cu、Ni、Ba、Zn、Pb等元素,而Co、Ti、稀土元素(REE)、Sr等元素相对较贫。研究表明,HREE亏损,具明显的Ce正异常,较明显的Tb正异常和Yb负异常。这是氧化弱碱性海洋环境所致。结壳是水成作用的产物,它的形成受南海独特的古海洋环境所控制,海底火山热液作用,可能也是影响因素之一。     

海洋环流模式中不同近似假设下的海表高度

Boussinesq近似是现代海洋环流模式中经常采用的假设，但随着海洋模式的不断发展完善以及气候研究应用的需要，有必要估算Boussinesq近似造成的模式误差。分别利用一个非Boussinesq近似的海洋模式与另一个结构相同且采用Boussinesq近似的模式计算海表高度，并同时利用模式预报的温度、盐度资料计算了比容异常高度。分析结果显示，这3种不同定义的海表高度无论空间结构，还是时间演变，都基本类似，尤其在热带海区最接近，差值≤1cm。Boussinesq近似意味着在模式中以体积守恒代替质量守恒，通常的做法是对其进行简单的质量补偿来保持质量守恒。比较说明，以质量补偿方法进行的高度订正对减小Boussinesq近似带来的误差没有本质的意义。     

热带太平洋-印度洋上层热含量年际变化的主模态

利用多种海洋资料,采用经验正交函数分解(EOF)与合成分析等方法研究了热带太平洋-印度洋热含量年际变化的主要模态及其对应的转换过程。结果表明其第一模态对应El Nino事件成熟位相时的空间分布,即热带西太平洋和东印度洋为一冷中心,西南印度洋和赤道东太平洋为暖中心;第二模态对应着El Nino事件过渡期的空间分布,太平洋10°N附近以及赤道带为变化中心,而印度洋的变化中心主要在苏门答腊岛西部的赤道东印度洋海区。这2个模态基本刻画了ENSO循环过程中热带两大洋热含量变化的关键海区。利用合成分析结果与EOF分解结果的相似性,探讨了EOF分解前两个模态之间的转换过程,发现第一模态可能主要是通过海洋波动的传播过程调整到第二模态的,而第二模态还可以作为El Nino或La Nina事件的预报因子。此外,分析结果还表明,El Nino事件与La Nina事件对应的热含量变化并不是反对称的。     

富钴结壳分布的分形特征

利用我国在西太平洋国际海底两个海山获得的富钴结壳资料进行分形研究后发现，富钴结壳的分布具有变维分形分布的特点，结壳丰度呈二阶累计和分形分布，结壳厚度呈多阶不定累计和分形分布，通过计算得到了它们各自的分维数，进而对两个海山的结壳资源进行了初步评价。     

海山富钴结壳标准物质研制

报道了我国与俄罗斯合作研制的三个海山富钴结壳标准物质GSMC-1,2,3.这三个标准物质的原样分别取自西太平洋麦哲伦海山和中太平洋海山.样品经风干、选配、球磨制备成均匀的粉体样品,其均匀性采用高精度的X-射线荧光光谱法检验.样品的化学组分采用国内外多实验室协同分析方式定值,有八个国内实验室和八个国外实验室参加了合作分析.测试组分均为57个,其中GSMC-1,2有43个组分定为保证值,10个组分作为参考值;GSMC-3有45个组分定为保证值,8个组分作为参考值.经2a多的试用,三个标准物质已于2005年被国家计量部门批准为国家一级标准物质,其编号分别为GBW07337,GBW07338和GBW07339.     

Resources calculation of cobalt-rich crusts with the grid subdivision and integral method

On the basis of three geological models and several orebody boundaries,a method of grid subdivision and integral has been proposed to calculate and evaluate the resources of cobalt-rich crusts on the seamounts in the central Pacific Ocean.The formulas of this method are deduced and the interface of program module is designed.The method is carried out in the software "Auto mapping system of submarine topography and geomorphology MBChart".This method and program will possibly become a potential tool to calculate the resources of seamounts and determine the target diggings for China's next Five-year Plan.     

Southern elephant seal trajectories, fronts and eddies in the Brazil/Malvinas Confluence

This study describes the association between transient, mesoscale hydrographic features along the axis of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence, in the SW Atlantic, and the foraging behavior of 2–3-year-old (focal) juvenile southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, from Península Valdés, Argentina. Departing from the dominant pattern of foraging on predictable bathymetric fronts on the Patagonian shelf and slope, three females out of 12 satellite-tracked juveniles remained at the edge of young warm-core eddies and near the outer core of cold-core eddies, coinciding with the most productive areas of these temperature fronts. Seal trajectories along high-temperature gradients were always consistent with the speed and direction of surface currents inferred from the temperature distribution and confirmed by surface drifters. Movements of foraging seals were compared with those of surface drifters, coinciding in time and space and yielding independent and consistent data on regional water circulation parameters. The diving pattern recorded for one focal seal yielded shallower dives and a loose diel pattern in the eddy, and a marked diurnal cycle compatible with foraging on vertically migrating prey in the cold waters of the Malvinas Current. Pre-reproductive females that use the mesoscale fronts of the Argentine Basin as an alternative foraging area would benefit from lower competition with more experienced seals and with other top predators that reproduce along the coast of Patagonia.     

Monitoring the Kuroshio Extension with Dynamically Constrained Synthesis of the Acoustic Tomography, Satellite Altimeter and in situ Data

A finite-difference quasigeostrophic (QG) model of an open ocean region has been employed to produce a dynamically constrained synthesis of acoustic tomography and satellite altimetry data with in situ observations. The assimilation algorithm is based upon the 4D variational data interpolation scheme controlled by the model's initial and boundary conditions. The data sets analyzed include direct and differential travel times measured at the array of five acoustic transceivers deployed by JAMSTEC in the region of the Kuroshio Extension in 1997, Topex/Poseidon altimetry, CTD soundings, and ADCP velocity profiles. The region monitored is located within the area 27.5°–36.5°N, 143°–155°. The results of assimilation show that mesoscale variability can be effectively reconstructed by five transceivers measuring direct and reciprocal travel times supported by relatively sparse in situ measurements. The misfits between model and data lie within the observational error bars for all the data types used in assimilation. We have compared the results of assimilation with the statistical inversion of travel time data and analyzed energy balances of the optimized model solution. Energy exchange between the depth-averaged and shear components of the observed currents reveals a weak decay of the barotropic mode at the rate of 0.2 ± 0.7⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³ due to topographic interaction. Mean currents in the region are unstable with an estimate of the available potential energy flux from the mean current to the eddies of 4.7 ± 2.3⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Kinetic energy transition has the same sign and is estimated as 2.8 ± 2.5⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Potential enstrophy is transferred to the mesoscale at a rate of 5.5 ± 2.7⋅10⁻¹⁸ s⁻³. These figures provide observational evidence of the properties of free geostrophic turbulence which were predicted by theory and observed in numerical experiments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.