The fate of dumped sediments monitored by a high-resolution multibeam echosounder system,Weser Estuary,German Bight

With the development of high-resolution multibeam echosounder systems (MBES) for surveying shallow-water areas a new tool is available to monitor rapid changes in seabed morphology as, e.g., caused by the dumping of dredge spoil in coastal waters. In this study, four data sets of repeated bathymetric surveys with a MBES were processed and analyzed. The data were collected in a 1.94-km² dumping site in the outer Weser Estuary (German Bight). Between June and December 1998, 2.6 million m³ of dredged sediment were deposited there. The bathymetric maps generated in the course of this study reveal features such as subaqueous dunes, scour holes, and mounds of dumped dredge spoil. The mean water depth decreased by about 1 m during the dumping period. Furthermore, difference grids showing changes in sediment volume allowed a calculation of the sediment budget for the monitored area. After a time period of only 5 months, 0.5 million m³ of the originally dumped 2.6 million m³ of dredge spoil had already been removed from the dumping site.     

Size-Fractionated Primary Production Estimated by a Two-Phytoplankton Community Model Applicable to Ocean Color Remote Sensing

In order to estimate primary production from ocean color satellite data using the Vertical Generalized Production Model (VGPM; Behrenfeld and Falkowski, 1997), we propose a two-phytoplankton community model. This model is based on the two assumptions that changes in chlorophyll concentration result from changes of large-sized phytoplankton abundance, and chlorophyll specific productivity of phytoplankton tends to be inversely proportional to phytoplankton size. Based on the analysis of primary production data, P _opt ^B , which was one parameter in the VGPM, was modeled as a function of sea surface temperature and sea surface chlorophyll concentration. The two-phytoplankton community model incorporated into the VGPM gave good estimates in a relatively high productive area. Size-fractionated primary production was estimated by the two-phytoplankton community model, and P _opt ^B of small-sized phytoplankton was 4.5 times that of large-sized phytoplankton. This result fell into the ranges observed during field studies.     

Long-term Sensor Drift Found in Recovered Argo Profiling Floats

We recovered three Argo profiling floats after 2 to 2.5 years of operation, and recalibrated their temperature, conductivity, and pressure sensors. The results demonstrate that these floats exhibited a significant drift in salinity of −0.0074 to −0.0125, primarily due to the conductivity sensor drift. Combined with the recalibration result for another previously recovered float, the indication is that the negative salinity drift increases nearly in proportion to the operating period of floats. The increasing rate is −0.0041 (±0.0015) year⁻¹, which yields a salinity drift of −0.016 (±0.006) for the expected float lifetime of four years. The present result suggests that reducing the float surfacing time would improve the accuracy of the salinity measurements.     

Simple determination of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a simple, sensitive and less destructive method for the determination of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in seawater. Combined with detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the method had sufficient sensitivity (minimum detectable concentration of DMS was 0.05 nM), and practical levels of reproducibility (relative standard deviation ≤7%) and linearity (r ² > 0.995) over a wide concentration range (0.5 to 910 nM). The protocol developed was applied to a Sagami Bay water sample to determine concentrations of DMS and DMSP, and in situ DMSP-lyase activity.     

Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend at Luzon Strait

TOPEX/POSEDIENT-ERS satellite altimeter data along with the mean state from the Parallel Ocean Climate Model result have been used to investigate the variation of Kuroshio intrusion and eddy shedding at Luzon Strait during 1992–2001. The Kuroshio penetrates into the South China Sea and forms a bend. The Kuroshio bend varies with time, periodically shedding anticyclonic eddies. Criteria of eddy shedding are identified: 1) When the shedding event occurs, there are usually two centers of high Sea Surface Height (SSH) together with negative geostrophic vorticity in the Kuroshio Bend (KB) area. 2) Between the two centers of high SSH there usually exists positive geostrophic vorticity. These criteria have been used to determine the eddy shedding times and locations. The most frequent eddy shedding intervals are 70, 80 and 90 days. In both the winter and summer monsoon period, the most frequent locations are 119.5°E and 120°E, which means that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding location is unclear.     

Geodynamics of the deep sedimentary basin of the Caspian Sea region: paragenetic correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism

In this paper we analyze seismic regime and earthquake depth distribution and correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism in the Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea region. For the present region we have calculated accurate source locations, seismic activity, earthquake repetition and released earthquake energy parameters. It is shown that the active tectonic processes in the region are concentrated within the thick sedimentary cover that we consider as a general source of contemporary stress and a main structural element responsible for the origin of regional earthquakes. The correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism is of paragenetic character.     

渤海湾天津近岸海域水环境空间变异分析

由于海岸带的地理条件和海洋动力特性的复杂性以及人类开发活动对海岸带的影响,近岸海域的生态环境系统在空间分布上有很大的变异性.基于现场实测资料,建立系统的空间变异分析模型,对海岸带生态环境空间变化规律进行分析,可以充分了解不同区域的污染特征和变化趋势.应用所构建的空间变异分析模型对渤海湾天津近岸海域的水环境特性进行分析,结合对应年份的入海流量及其变化,分析了天津渤海湾海岸带污染的主因子和区域水环境的分布特征,结果可以对海洋功能区的划分和水环境综合评价结果进行验证和补充.     

单锚腿系泊系统动力计算的新方法

在Hamilton型拟变分原理体系下,建立了一种时间子域以三次和五次B样条函数插值的时间子域法,并将这种新方法用于单锚腿系泊系统的动力响应分析中。算例表明,新方法比传统的动力计算方法Wilson-θ法,在计算精度上有明显的优势,表明本方法能够用于计算单锚腿系泊系统的动力响应。     

天津港南部海区水体富营养化水平评价

根据2006年3月和7月的调查数据,对天津港南部海区海水的营养水平及动态变化进行了评价。考虑到水质状况和水体营养水平是水体中多项指标分析评价的综合结果.本文先通过单项指标评价法和营养指数法进行评价。然后又通过集对分析方法,选择化学需氧量(COD)、无机磷(DIP)、无机氮(DIN)、叶绿素a(Ch1—a)等作为评价指标,对该区海水富营养化水平进行了综合评价。评价结果表明集对分析方法更能反映海水的实际富营养化状况,计算结果显示天津港南部海域两期调查中除21,26.27和29站位在7月呈富营养化状态其余站位海水均在中营养(Ⅳ)及以下水平状况,未达到富营养化水平,水质状况较好。     

应用于砂岩型铀矿找矿的遥感-航测信息集成模型构建

应用遥感-航测(航放和航磁)信息集成技术,针对砂岩型铀矿找矿的几个重要条件:如盆地内部构造、含矿目的层、水文条件和矿化条件,构建了构造、岩性、水文和矿化4种信息集成模型.将这4种信息集成模型应用于示范区,在已知的矿化地段得到的结果与实际勘探的成果符合较好,提高了预测的准确性.