陆架沙丘(波)形成发育的环境条件

陆架大、中、小、巨沙丘(沙波)发育的动力机制与河流沙波有相似之处,也有许多差异,前者含定时多向的潮流、持续定向的洋流和偶发性的暴风浪流,后者为单向持续水流。20～100cm／s的底流速是发育沙丘的动力因素,水流的多向性和浪流的偶发性又常常制约沙丘发育的强度和迁移的速度;陆架浅水区(小于18m)受破浪的影响,沙丘尺度与水深呈微弱负相关,深水区水深的影响甚微。陆架输沙量是沙丘发育的物质条件,特别是细、中砂底质,在此粒度范围内沙波尺度与粒径呈微弱正相关,平缓广阔的地形在沙丘发育中也起一定的作用。     

东海北部陆架柱样中底栖有孔虫组合及其古环境研究

东海北部陆架区D-46C和D-74C柱样底栖有孔虫分析结果表明,D-46C柱样自下而上为压扁卷转虫(Am-moniacompressiuscula)组合,并可以进一步划分出压扁卷转虫—花朵虫(A.compressiuscula-Florilusspp.)亚组合、压扁卷转虫—叶状串珠虫(A.compressiuscula-Textularia foliacea)亚组合和压扁卷转虫—强壮箭头虫(A.compressiuscula-Bolivina robusta)亚组合;D-74C柱样自下而上可以划分出三个组合:叶状串珠虫—压扁卷转虫(Textularia foliacea-Ammonia compressiuscula)组合、大西洋花朵虫—异地希望虫(Florilus atlanticus-Elphidium advenum)组合和大西洋花朵虫—结缘寺卷转虫(Florilus atlanticus-Ammonia ketienziensis)组合。两个柱样中底栖有孔虫组合垂向变化明显,结合AMS14C测年结果,初步认为两个柱样均为全新世以来的沉积。其中,D-74C柱样为全新世中期(相当于亚北方期)以来的沉积,在全新世晚期一直受到陆地冲淡水的强烈影响;D-46C柱样为全新世早期(相当于前北方期和北方期)以来的沉积,受到陆地冲淡水流的影响较D-74C柱样小。     

东海陆架冰后期潮流沙脊地貌与内部结构特征

东海陆架以宽平的地形、充分的陆源沉积物供应、快速沉降和强动力场为特征，中外陆架发育大规模潮流沙脊地貌。潮流沙脊走向大致为NW—SE向分布，与区域潮流主方向一致或成较小交角。东海陆架冰后期潮流沙脊以不对称横剖面为特征，陡坡倾向SW。沙脊内部发育典型的高角度前积斜层理，倾向与沙脊横剖面陡坡方向一致。这些斜层理可以划分为高达4组不同特征的组合，分别代表潮流沙脊发育的不同阶段，对应于冰后期海平面上升的不同时期。东海陆架潮流沙脊主体形成于冰后期海侵阶段，目前仍然受到陆架潮流场的影响，沙脊顶部为再沉积活动层。     

晚更新世末期东海陆架沙海之形成

距今18000a前的海面比现在低约130m。那时东海的大部分、台湾海峡都出露成陆，构成亚洲东部最大的南北向低平原。该低平原在寒冷而又干燥的冬季风作用之下，出现了大面积的沙海环境，或者称为陆架沙海，并构成北半球沙漠带的最东缘。     

Modeling the decommissioning cost of offshore wind development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf

The U.S. government requires renewable energy facilities installed in federal waters provide financial security to help ensure decommissioning obligations are carried out in the event the operator is unable to meet its obligations or goes bankrupt. The size of the bond is determined by the estimated decommissioning cost and is required prior to the approval of construction activities. The purpose of this paper is to develop decommissioning cost estimates for proposed U.S. offshore wind farms. Removal and site clearance cost are estimated across each stage of activity using empirical and hypothetical relations under current technology and market conditions without inflationary adjustment. Preliminary development plans characterize and define the system and serve as model input. A bottom-up approach based on operational stages is developed across removal, transport, processing and disposal activities. Disposal cost is calculated on a per ton basis and is estimated separately for each wind farm component. The model is parameterized with data from four proposed U.S. offshore wind farms and decommissioning costs are found to range from 115,000 to 135,000 $/MW, approximately 3-4% of estimated capital costs.     

南海北部陆架区内波的演变与耗散机制

海洋是多尺度强迫-耗散系统,机械能主要在大尺度输入,在小尺度耗散。在大、中尺度运动的能量向小尺度湍流传递过程中,内波扮演着重要角色。内波的生成和破碎可打破海洋动力平衡,而在陆架区,内波（主要是内孤立波）的浅化演变与耗散则是驱动湍流混合的关键过程。通过长期的理论、观测与数值模拟研究,目前已认识到内波浅化过程中主要发生如下演变：波形调制、极性转变、裂变、破碎与耗散。相较于直接发生破碎,浅化演变过程中的裂变及其引发的剪切不稳定和对流不稳定是内孤立波在陆架区的主要耗散机制,显著调制陆架区的跃层混合。从能量串级的角度讲,内孤立波浅化裂变为动力不稳定的高频内波是潮能串级的重要通道。本文简要回顾南海北部陆架区内波的研究历史,并着重总结内波在陆架区演变与耗散机制的研究进展。     

Temporal Variations of Benthic Bacterial Microflora on the Northwestern Mediterranean Continental Shelf and Slope

Abstract. Bacterial (direct and heterotrophic counts, heterotrophic potentials) and organic matter (org C, org N) parameters were studied over 2 years in the surface sediments of 3 stations located on the continental shelf (station A: 15m; station B: 35m) and slope (station C: 910m) in the northwestern Mediterranean Basin.
Although logistic constraints did not allow a satisfactory sampling periodicity in the offshore survey, some seasonal trends were still observable at the deepest station. Variations were quantitatively more important in the two shallow sediments (from 3×10² heterotrophic bacteria – ml^-1 in December 1984 to 10⁷ heterotrophic bacteria-ml^-1 in March 1986). Epifluorcsccncc direct counts were relatively constant (5×10⁸ cells-ml^-1), while heterotrophic potentials (with ¹⁴C labelled glucose and glutamic acid) showed a succession of very short pulses over the year. Different concentrations of organic matter (from 0.2% orgC at 15m to 0.8% orgC at 35m) appeared to sustain very similar bacterial numbers. Nevertheless, a certain relation between the seasonal evolution of bacterial and organic matter parameters was discernable. Although depth apparently had no measurable effect on maximal spring bacterial densities, it seemed to lessen the summer and winter decreases in the two shallow stations.     

长江口邻近陆架沉积物粒径变化趋势及动力成因

基于长江口外邻近陆架近20年实测数据,分析了邻近陆架区域表层沉积物中值粒径、砂-泥分界线和泥质区变化规律,并探讨了自然机制和人类活动等对其影响。结果表明:1近期(2006-2010年)长江口邻近陆架区域沉积物中值粒径和砂、粉砂和粘土等值线分布格局较2006年以前未发生明显变化;2伴随流域入海泥沙量和海滨区悬沙浓度的减小,陆架区域表层沉积物中值颗粒表现为粗化趋势发展;3陆架区域砂-泥分界线2004-2007年在北侧(31°30′以北)无明显趋势,南侧(31°30′以南)为向口内移动,2008-2010年无论南侧还是北侧均为向口内移动,主要受长江径流枯水期,引起潮流水动力相对增强、悬沙浓度减小及苏北沿岸流等影响;4泥质区域为长江口沉积速率最大区域,由于入海泥沙和海滨区域悬沙浓度降低,三角洲侵蚀等环境下表现为减小趋势,因北槽深水航道整治工程的实施改变了南北槽分流比,南槽下泄径流水动力增加,使得泥质区位置存在南偏趋势。     

Offshore sand sources for beach replenishment: Potential borrows on the continental shelf of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Erosion of sandy beaches is a worldwide problem that elicits innovative geoengineer‐ing techniques to reduce adverse impacts of shoreline retreat. Beach replenishment has emerged as the “soft”; shore‐stabilization technique of choice for mitigating beach erosion. This method of shore protection involves the addition of sand to the littoral sediment budget for sacrificial purposes. Because inland sand sources are often uneconomical or impractical to use, and known nearshore sources are limited, finding adequate quantities of suitable sand on the inner continental shelf is often vital to beach replenishment projects. The technical studies of survey and materials analysis that identify and delineate usable sand sources are sometimes almost as expensive as small‐project dredging, pumping, and placing the sand on the beach as fill. Inadequate quantity or substandard quality of shelf sand, as well as often‐prohibitive overhead expenses, thus compel shoreline managers to seek suitable sand sources offshore.

In the study area off the central‐west coast of Florida, offshore potential borrow areas (PBAs) were identified on the basis of studies conducted in reconnoitory and detailed phases. Sophisticated state‐of‐the‐art equipment used in this investigation provided more detailed subbottom mapping information than is normally obtained with conventional seismic equipment. An example of sand exploration studies was incorporated in a 215‐km² survey of offshore areas by conducting bathymetric surveys and subbottom seismic profiling, collecting jet probes, grab samples, and vibrocores, and analyzing sediment grading in subsamples from vibrocores. These combined analyses indicated that at least 8.8 ×10⁶ m³ of sand is available in potential borrow areas from 7.0 to 12 km offshore in water depths of 8.0 to 11.5 m. In the PBAs, mean grain size of sand falls into the range 0.13–0.53 mm, sorting averages 0.65–1.31ø, and the overall silt content varies from 3.9–8.5%. High silt contents (13–19%) mapped in some areas make these sedimentary deposits unsuitable as fill for artificial beach renourishment.     

Effects of laughing gull and shorebird predation on the intertidal fauna at Cape May,New Jersey

The intertidal flats of the Cape May, New Jersey shore of Delaware Bay are populated by large numbers of laughing gulls and migrating shorebirds during the spring and early summer. Exclusion of birds from a shallow slough and a sand bar had only minor effects on the infaunal benthic invertebrate assemblage at either site. The Cape May beaches provide a rich source of food in the form of horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs; foraging on this item may be more profitable than probing the sediment for infauna. Gemma gemma, a small, thick-shelled bivalve, composed over 98% of the benthic infauna at both sites in 1980, and this species may be resistant to predation by certain shorebirds, as suggested by Schneider (1978).     

Characterization of the Seasonal Circulation Patterns and Its Application on Oil Spill Transport in the Northwestern Continental Shelf of India

We implemented the Princeton Ocean Model to study the seasonal circulation patterns in the Gulf of Khambhat and surrounding oceans on the northwestern continental shelf of India. Simulated currents are used in General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment to track a past oil spill event in this region. The model's performance is evaluated against the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and in situ measurements. Mean currents, computed by subtracting tidal components from the simulated currents, are used together with satellite images of Chlorophyll-a to describe spatial patterns of the circulation. Mean-flow patterns inside the gulf are characterized with strong along-channel flow during southwest monsoon and spring seasons, which are weak during winter and autumn seasons. On the proximity of the gulf mouth currents are northwestward throughout the year except the southwest monsoon when the circulations are southwestward. Coastal boundary currents parallel to the 60 m isobath are prominent during the inter-monsoon and weak during the monsoon periods. Slope currents, near the shelf-break, are strong during southwest monsoon and spring periods. Numerical experiments suggest that ocean current is the main driver of the net transport of spilled oil in this region and other factors such as direct wind drift play negligible role.     

Patterns and drivers of asteroid abundances and assemblages on the continental margin of Atlantic Canada

Although continental shelf and slope environments typically exhibit high epifaunal biomass and have been subjected to increasing fishing pressure, ecological information on assemblages of non‐commercial invertebrate species from subtidal and bathyal areas remains limited. Sea stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), which are known to influence communities through their feeding habits, have received less attention than structural taxa such as corals and sponges. To better understand the ecological roles of asteroids on continental shelves, we investigated ~30 species and assessed their distributions and co‐occurrence with other benthic invertebrates on the shelf and slope of Eastern Canada. Using fisheries data and in situ video footage, we compiled a large dataset covering ~600,000 km² that included over 350,000 individual asteroid records (37–2243 m depth). Multivariate analyses revealed geographically distinct asteroid assemblages, with a maximal overall density at 400–500 m and the highest diversity at 500–700 m. The most abundant and densely occurring species was Ctenodiscus crispatus. We found that asteroids associate with corals, sponges, bivalves, and other echinoderms, and that depth and substrate influence these assemblages. We identified species likely to affect coexisting organisms by their burrowing behavior that can disrupt epi‐ and infauna (C. crispatus) and through predation on ecologically important corals (Hippasteria phrygiana). In addition to providing baseline distribution and ecological information for many bathyal asteroid species in the Northwest Atlantic, this work highlights the abundance and diversified roles of asteroids within continental shelf and slope ecosystems.     

Seismic character of gas hydrates on the Southeastern U.S. continental margin

Gas hydrates are stable at relatively low temperature and high pressure conditions; thus large amounts of hydrates can exist in sediments within the upper several hundred meters below the sea floor. The existence of gas hydrates has been recognized and mapped mostly on the basis of high amplitude Bottom Simulating Reflections (BSRs) which indicate only that an acoustic contrast exists at the lower boundary of the region of gas hydrate stability. Other factors such as amplitude blanking and change in reflection characteristics in sediments where a BSR would be expected, which have not been investigated in detail, are also associated with hydrated sediments and potentially disclose more information about the nature of hydratecemented sediments and the amount of hydrate present.Our research effort has focused on a detailed analysis of multichannel seismic profiles in terms of reflection character, inferred distribution of free gas underneath the BSR, estimation of elastic parameters, and spatial variation of blanking. This study indicates that continuous-looking BSRs in seismic profiles are highly segmented in detail and that the free gas underneath the hydrated sediment probably occurs as patches of gas-filled sediment having variable thickness. We also present an elastic model for various types of sediments based on seismic inversion results. The BSR from sediments of high ratio of shear to compressional velocity, estimated as about 0.52, encased in sediments whose ratios are less than 0.35 is consistent with the interpretation of gasfilled sediments underneath hydrated sediments. This model contrasts with recent results in which the BSR is explained by increased concentrations of hydrate near the base of the hydrate stability field and no underlying free gas is required.     

The composition of phytoplankton within the Chesapeake Bay plume and adjacent waters off the Virginia coast,U.S.A.

Phytoplankton composition differences were used to identify and plot the extent of the Chesapeake Bay plume over the continental shelf. Distinct but different phytoplankton assemblages were noted within the plume for March, June and October 1980. The major constituents in the plume were Skeletonema costatum, a variety of other diatoms and an unidentified ultraplankton component assumed to consist of several cyanophycean and chlorophycean species. The shelf plankton outside of the plume was mainly characterized by the coccolithophores and other phytoplankters that formed different seasonal assemblages than what was within the plume. Patchiness and fluctuations in the shape, size and extent of the plume were noted. A total of 235 species is given, with their presence within the plume and at shelf stations indicated.     

Crustorhabditis chitwoodi sp. nov. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae): An intertidal species from the coast of New South Wales,Australia, with observations on its ecology and life history

A new species, Crustorhabditis chitwoodi, was discovered in nutrient agar plates inoculated with beach sand collected from an ocean beach in New South Wales, Australia. The three other known species of the genus have all been found as commensal inhabitants of ocypodid shore crabs. It is suggested that the sand inoculum was seeded with dauer larvae of the nematode that had been dispersed by scavenging crabs. The new species is distinguished from the three previously described species by possessing a smaller number of differently arranged bursal papillae, eight rather than 10. The species is amphimictic, oviparous, and produces abundant dauer larvae in culture, which can be sustained indefinitely on sea water nutrient agar in which it feeds on associated bacteria.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus species in the coastal and shelf waters of Southeastern North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic U.S. coast

The diversity of small-scale wetlands, high salinity tidal creeks, salt marshes, estuaries, and a wide and shallow shelf with the Gulf Stream close to the break makes the coastal zone of south-eastern North Carolina (U.S.) a natural laboratory for the study of the cycling of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in coastal and shelf waters. We assessed the summer concentrations, forms, and ratios for each N (total dissolved N, nitrate + nitrite, ammonium and dissolved organic N) and P (total dissolved P, o-phosphate and dissolved organic P) pool as these nutrients travel from tidal creeks, salt marshes and two large estuaries to Long and Onslow Bays. Additionally, we measured ancillary physical (temperature, salinity and turbidity) and chemical (dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and pH) water properties. Highest concentrations of all individual N and P compounds were found in the upper parts of each tributary and were attributed to loads from agricultural and urban sources to the coastal watersheds, continuing downstream to receiving estuaries. In all areas, dissolved organic N and P species were predominant constituents of the total dissolved N and P pools (64–97% and 56–93%, respectively). The lower parts of estuaries and surface shelf waters were characterized by oceanic surface values, indicating removal of N and P downstream in all tributaries. The different watershed and hydrological characteristics also determined the different speciation of N and P pools in each estuary. Despite a high level of anthropogenic pressure on the uppermost coastal waters, there is self-regulation in this coastal ecosystem with respect to human perturbations; i.e. significant amounts of the N and P load are retained within estuarine and nearshore waters without reaching the shelf.     

Rejuvenated marsh and bay-bottom accretion on the rapidly subsiding coastal plain of U.S. Gulf coast: a second-order effect of the emerging Atchafalaya delta

Sedimentation processes in marshes and bays under the influence of the emerging Atchafalaya delta are described. The Atchafalaya delta is a major geological event in the Holocene history of the Mississippi River delta system because it represents the initial stages of a new delta cycle. The delta has resulted from the capture of the Mississippi River flow by the hydraulically more efficient Atchafalaya River. Using ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb dating techniques, maximum sedimentation of delta-flanking environments was found to occur in the bay bottoms and marshes closest to the emerging delta. Marshes directly under the influence of the emerging delta were accreting at rates as great as 1·4 cm y⁻¹ with appreciable mineral sediment inputs. In addition to increasing shoreline progradation, the added sediment is providing nutrients for increased net plant productivity which provides the organic source needed for vertical marsh accretion. Results show that the major area of coastal progradation will be in the immediate vicinity of the delta and along down-drift coasts. Updrift marshes (East Terrebonne marshes) away from the delta are accreting at a slower rate with smaller mineral sediment input and a larger percentage of organic material. These marshes are likely to continue experiencing rapid rates of deterioration.     

Statistical analysis of the distribution of fish eggs and larvae on the southeastern U.S. continental shelf with comments on oceanographic processes that may affect larval survival

Data collected in 1953 and 1954 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were statistically analyzed to ascertain where and when fish eggs and larvae are most abundant on the southeastern U.S. continental shelf. The results are related to some oceanographic processes that might affect the survival of larval fish. Along-shelf differences in numbers of eggs and larvae are minimal compared with differences that occur across the shelf. Highest numbers of fish larvae are found on the outer shelf during fall, winter and spring, but larvae are evenly distributed across the shelf in summer.Upwelling strongly influences the dynamics of plankton production on the outer shelf, and thus during most seasons of the year upwelling may be the most important process controlling the amount of food available to larval fish. During winter and spring, mean winds do not favor shoreward transport of larval fish from the outer shelf if the larvae are located in near-surface waters. Thus, during these seasons variability of winds on the ‘event’ time scale may be more important to onshore and offshore transport of larval fish than the mean strength and direction of monthly or seasonally averaged winds.