Distribution and Acoustic Characteristics of Shallow Gas in the Korea Strait Shelf Mud off SE Korea

Shallow gas in the Korea Strait shelf mud (KSSM) off SE Korea, revealed by high-resolution subbottom profiles, is associated with acoustic blanking, acoustic turbidity, seepages with plumes in the water column, and seafloor depressions. The acoustic blanking, characterized by strong, consistent top reflection and wipeout below, is most dominant. The seaward edge of the acoustic blanking zone generally coincides with the 100-m water-depth contour, suggesting that the water depth (the pressure) may control the distribution of shallow gas. The acoustic turbidity, characterized by diffuse top reflection, is a dark smear, partially blanking the data below. The seepages with plumes, characterized by vertical smearing and disturbed seafloor, are seen only along the shallowest, landward edge of the acoustic blanking zone. This may suggest that the decreased gas solubility at shallow water depths, caused by the lowered pressure, increases the volume of free gas in the sediments, facilitating the gas escape. The seafloor depressions, interpreted as pockmarks, are accompanied by cone-shaped acoustic masking, which is probably the reflection from a narrow vent of gas. The gas-related acoustic anomalies appear to occur mostly in the upper, recent mud of the KSSM. Neither permeable beds nor faults, which can act as vertical migration pathways for deep thermogenic gas, are evident in the recent mud. We interpret that the bacterial degradation of organic matter in situ is the main source for the gas in the KSSM. The upwelling off SE Korea may be an important source for the increased organic matter in the area.     

渤海海峡跨海通道区浅地层结构探测

在对2012年渤海海峡跨海通道区实测浅地层剖面资料进行地质解释的基础上,通过将浅地层剖面与钻孔地层岩性划分进行对比,标定了标准反射界面,通过对浅地层剖面各反射波组、内部反射结构的追踪、对比分析以及测线间的闭合检查,划分出5个主要反射界面和4个声学地层单元,揭示了各地层单元的分布特征。对拟建跨海通道路线选区典型探测剖面进行了系统的分析、讨论。     

Data Assimilation Modeling of the Barotropic Tides in the Korea/Tsushima Strait

During 1999–2000, 13 bottom mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and 12 wave/tide gauges were deployed along two lines across the Korea/Tsushima Strait, providing long-term measurements of currents and bottom pressure. Tidally analyzed velocity and pressure data from the moorings are used in conjunction with other moored ADCPs, coastal tide gauge measurements, and altimeter measurements in a linear barotropic data assimilation model. The model fits the vertically averaged data to the linear shallow water equations in a least-squares sense by only adjusting the incoming gravity waves along the boundaries. Model predictions are made for the O₁, P₁, K₁, μ₂, N₂, M₂, S₂, and K₂ tides. An extensive analysis of the accuracy of the M₂ surface-height predictions suggests that for broad regions near the mooring lines and in the Jeju Strait the amplitude prediction errors are less than 0.5 cm. Elsewhere, the analysis suggests that errors range from 1 to 4 cm with the exception of small regions where the tides are not well determined by the dataset. The errors in the model predictions are primarily caused by bias error in the model’s physics, numerics, and/or parameterization as opposed to random errors in the observational data. In the model predictions, the highest ranges in sea level height occur for tidal constituents M₂, S₂, K₁, O₁, and N₂, with the highest magnitudes of tidal velocities occurring for M₂, K₁, S₂, and O₁. The tides exhibit a complex structure in which diurnal constituents have higher currents relative to their sea level height ranges than semi-diurnal constituents.     

东海内陆架泥质区表层沉积物常量元素地球化学及其地质意义

通过分析东海内陆架泥质区表层沉积物的粒度、有机质(TOC)、常量元素氧化物(SiO2,Al2O3,Fe2O3,MgO,CaO,Na2O,K2O,P2O5,TiO2,MnO),探讨东海内陆架泥质区常量元素空间分布特征及其地质意义。结果表明,东海内陆架泥质区表层沉积物中常量元素氧化物组成较为稳定,含量最高的2种组分为SiO2和Al2O3,两者组分占沉积物总量的72%左右。常量元素氧化物的含量与沉积物类型密切相关,SiO2,CaO,P2O5倾向于富集在粗颗粒沉积物中;Al2O3,K2O,MnO则倾向于富集在细颗粒沉积物中;而MgO,Na2O,Fe2O3和TiO2基本不受沉积物类型影响。R型因子分析结果表明,东海内陆架泥质区表层沉积物的常量元素氧化物可以分为3组,第1组包括SiO2,Al2O3,Fe2O3,MgO,TiO2,P2O5和MnO;第2组包括CaO,K2O,CaCO3和TOC;第3组包括Na2O,可能分别代表了陆源碎屑沉积、海洋生物沉积和海洋化学沉积。     

辽东湾葵花岛构造区浅层气分布特征、成因探讨及工程影响

揭示了葵花岛构造区浅层气规模小、埋藏浅、分布散、压力低、储层松散等分布特点,根据沉积环境和地质特征,推测浅层气为生物甲烷气,但并不完全排除是热生甲烷次生气藏的可能性,探讨了浅层气潜在的工程危害并提出相应防治措施,为今后海洋工程建设提供科学依据。     

Effect of the along-strait wind on the volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait in September

Recent investigation suggests that volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait often has double peaks during the summer to autumn period with decreasing transport in September. The satellite-observed wind changes from weak northwestward (across-strait) in summer to strong southwestward (along-strait) in early autumn (September) in the strait. Such a strong along-strait wind is related to tropical cyclones, which frequently pass through the East China Sea in September. The effect of the along-strait wind component on the transport variation is examined using a three-dimensional numerical model. The simulated volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait shows realistic seasonal and intra-seasonal variations. According to sensitivity experiments on local winds, the transport variations in September are mainly generated by strong along-strait (southwestward) wind rather than weak across-strait wind. The strait transport responds to the along-strait wind (southeastward), which produces a sea level increase along the Korean coast, resulting in the geostrophic balance across the strait. The transport minimum through the Tsushima/Korea Strait in September can be determined by the combination of the across-strait geostrophic and along-strait ageostrophic balances. The Editor-in-Chief does not recommend the usage of the term “Japan/East Sea” in place of “Sea of Japan”.     

Physical and Acoustic Properties of Gas-bearing Sediments in Jinhae Bay,the South Sea of Korea

High-resolution seismic survey and sediment core sampling were conducted to investigate acoustic characteristics of gas-bearing sediments in Jinhae Bay, the southeast of Korea. The sediment in Jinhae Bay is mostly homogenous mud deposited after the Holocene transgression. Along with the 410 km of chirp seismic profiling, five piston core samples were collected on the track lines.

Gassy sediments are common and occur widely in the bay. Core samples were analyzed for sediment texture, physical properties (porosity, water content, bulk density, and grain density), acoustic properties (compressional wave velocity and attenuation), and electrical resistivity. X-radiograph image analysis was also performed to observe the shape of degassing cracks. There is no significant downcore variation on physical and sediment textures regardless of existence of gas bubbles. However, compressional wave velocity dramatically decreases from average 1480 to 1380～739 m/s for the cores that penetrate the gas-bearing zones. This is probably due to degassying cracks that developed by escaping gases and free gas bubbles that are still trapped in the cores. Electrical resistivity is the only geotechnical property that increases in the gas-bearing zone where compressional wave velocity abruptly decreases. This indicates the possibility of using both electrical resistivity as an index variable as well as to compressional wave velocity to identify gassy sediment microstructure because there are little changes in texture and composition of sediment.     

东海陆架盆地的第三系煤成气

对东海陆架盆地第三系煤系地层的发育特征及其生烃潜力进行综合分析，以目前钻井较多的西湖凹陷估算，其生烃量占全凹陷总生烃量的65％—70％以上。东海陆架盆地纵向上各组地层不同程度均发育有煤层，认为煤系地层是东海陆架盆地内重要的生烃层系，在今后的资源调查与综合评价及勘探部署中值得注意。     

东海陆架水文浊度要素自动采集系统设计

提出了一种利用四脚架体原位观测东海陆架区域水文、浊度要素的方法,通过数据采集单元,实现对测量要素的采集和存储。通过对获取数据的分析,表明该方法安全可靠,可为揭示东海内陆架沉积过程研究提供数据来源。     

波浪作用下浮泥悬扬浓度特性研究

为研究不同波浪环境下,水底浮泥层产生泥沙悬扬后其浓度的分布特性,使用浊度计测定浊度的方法确定水体中泥沙的浓度,并在水槽实验中改变水深、浮泥厚度及造波机的频率和振幅,观察水槽中悬浮泥沙浓度的变化情况,获得水深、波浪频率、波幅以及浮泥厚度对底床泥沙悬扬的影响,分析泥沙浓度的垂向分布特征等。实验结果显示,水深对底床泥沙悬扬的影响最为显著,其他实验参数的影响均不十分显著。同时,通过垂向输沙平衡的分析,得到一个可描述泥沙垂向浓度分布的理论公式,并利用水槽实验结果进行验证。对比结果显示,理论公式所得曲线与实验结果曲线变化趋势一致,部分工况下,理论值稍稍偏大。     

台湾海峡小型底栖生物数量的量分布

海洋小型底栖生物是海洋生态环境中一重要生物类群,在海洋环境中表现出种类繁多、数量大、生命周期短、生产量高等特点,是底栖生物食物链中不可忽视的一环,在生态系统的能量转换中具有重要作用,已在生态研究中把它作为重要的研究对象。     

Numerical Experiments of the Influences of the Transport Variation through the Korea Strait on the Japan/East Sea Upper Layer Circulation

Numerical experiments were performed in order to investigate the effects of variations of the transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait, an inlet of the Japan/East Sea, on the upper layer circulation in the JES based on a 10-month transport observation from May 1999 to March 2000 (Perkins et al., 2000). All external forcings to the model were annual mean fields, except the transport variation through the Korea Strait. In the experiments where the periodic variation of the transport repeated continuously sinusoidally by several periods, strong variability of sea surface height (SSH) was detected in the region extending from the Korea Strait to the Japanese coast due to the geostrophy of the buoyancy forcing at the Korea Strait. The region along the Korean coast is more sensitive to the long-term variations than the short-term (≤60-day period) ones. In two experiments forced by realistic and monthly mean transport, the difference of rms of sea surface height was largest at the Japanese coast and relatively large at the East Korean Warm Current separation region (128∼130°E, 39∼41°N) and to the east of Yamato Rise. The distribution of difference of eddy kinetic energy at 100 m depth between the two experiments was similar to that of the rms of SSH. In the distributions of mean SSH and mean kinetic energy at 100 m depth the realistic transport invokes eddy variability to interact with mean current resulting in the changes of the mean SSH and the mean kinetic energy at the East Korean Warm Current separation region, but it does not produce conspicuous changes in the mean fields of entire JES compared with the mean fields forced by the seasonal transport.     

典型浅海环境参数对声传播损失影响及试验验证

针对典型浅海环境参数对声传播损失影响问题,提出了一种基于海底边界反射系数修正的改进耦合简正波–抛物方程模型,设计并开展了典型南海海域声传播损失测试试验,模型相对误差小于 4%、均方根误差小于 3 dB,验证了模型的准确性。接着,分别对声速剖面、海面海况、海底底质、海底地形 4 种海洋环境参数,设计了 5 种工况,进行仿真计算分析。得出声速剖面主要影响声会聚区的分布,负梯度下声会聚区能量多集中于海底和声源深度附近,而正梯度下声会聚区能量多集中于海面附近;浅海环境下声传播损失分布受海面海况、海底底质因素影响较大;海底地形是影响水下声传播损失的主要因素,海底斜坡既可以汇集声波能量,也可以使其发散。     

台湾海峡中,北部棘皮动物的分布特点

本文根据1983年5月至1984年5月台湾海峡中、北部海洋综合调查资料,研究了该区棘皮动物的分布。结果表明,该区棘皮动物83种,初步鉴定到种的有61种;以亚热带种占优势,在组成上更接近于南海,与南海的共有种占62.7%;全区棘皮动物生物量6.18g/m~2,均较南海和东海的高;细颗粒沉积区中生物量较高,而粗颗粒沉积区种类多样性较高。     

High-resolution Surveys for Geohazards and Shallow Gas: NW Adriatic (Italy) and Iskenderun Bay (Turkey)

The need for quantifying and understanding the distribution of shallow gas is both of academic interest and of relevance to offshore facilities. The combination of seafloor mapping, subbottom profiling, and multi-channel seismic data can provide information on regions of possible shallow gas, where the gas impacts the acoustic properties of the host material and the seafloor. In this paper, we present two case studies – one academic and one industry – that evaluate the distribution of shallow gas in two field areas in the Mediterranean. In the first case study, geophysical data from Iskenderun Bay, southeastern Turkey, indicate the presence and distribution of shallow gas. Pockmarks on the seafloor are associated with acoustic wipeout in the shallow subbottom data. Although deeper seismic data do not show bright spots or other indicators of possible gas, instantaneous frequency analysis clearly shows laterally restricted anomalies indicating gas-rich zones. The interpretation of possible shallow gas resulted in moving a proposed drilling location to a nearby area characterized by fewer (but still present) shallow gas signatures. In the second case study, cores acquired in the Po Delta, Adriatic Sea, provide quantitative ground-truthing of shallow gas – as suggested by geophysical data – and provide minimum estimates of the percentage of gas in the subsurface. Cores targeted on anomalous subbottom data yielded up to 41,000 ppm methane; cores with anomalous gas content are associated with thick recent flood deposits which may effectively isolate reactive terrigenous organic matter from biologic and physical re-working.     

春季季风间期巽他陆架和马六甲海峡表层海水浮游植物群落结构研究

于2013年3-5月通过走航取样分别对巽他陆架和马六甲海峡表层海水浮游植物叶绿素a生物量和群落结构进行了观测和研究。结果表明:巽他陆架生物量较低,叶绿素a浓度平均值为(0.083±0.043)μg/L,爪哇海的SS4站位生物量最低,仅为0.014μg/L,浮游植物粒级组成上主要以Pico-级为优势,占80%以上;马六甲海峡自西北至东南存在明显的盐度梯度,在盐度最低的SM5站,叶绿素a生物量最高,达到1.080μg/L;马六甲海峡站位叶绿素a浓度平均值为(0.433±0.315)μg/L,同时浮游植物群落结构变动较大。在海峡西北的SM1-SM4站与巽他海峡类似,主要以聚球藻为优势类群,Pico-级浮游植物占60%~80%;在生物量最高的SM5站,同样以聚球藻为优势类群,而在海峡东南段的SM6和SM7站,虽然叶绿素a浓度相对于SM5略有降低,但仍明显高于其他马六甲海峡站位和巽他陆架站位,此两个站位硅藻比例明显升高,均可达20%以上。从优势类群生物量与环境因子和营养浓度的相关性可以看出,研究海区叶绿素a生物量与水体盐度呈现显著负相关(p0.050),说明陆源输入对研究海区生物量具有明显的影响。另外,硅藻生物量也与磷酸盐浓度(p0.050)和硅酸盐(p0.010)浓度均呈现显著正相关;聚球藻在浮游植物群落中的优势度会受到陆源营养盐输入的影响而降低,但仍然是整个研究区域最优势的浮游植物类群。     

Spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Water leading to the near-bottom cold water intrusion in Korea Strait

In the deepest region of Korea Strait, the surface temperature is highest in August (lowest in March), while the near-bottom temperature is lowest in September (highest in May). Cross-spectral analysis of the monthly temperature data between the two layers shows high coherence at the annual frequency with phase of 154°. Why and how does such a nearly opposite phasing occur between the surface and the near-bottom temperatures there? This study aims at answering these questions using historical and recently observed data.Cold and relatively fresh subsurface water flowing southward along the east coast of Korea and, known as the North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), becomes noticeable in April near the Sokcho coast. The zonal temperature gradient there is largest around June. The width of the NKCW becomes larger from April to August. After October, the NKCW retreats back toward the coast. The southward movement of the NKCW is thus strong over a period of six to seven months and weak in winter, especially in February. The NKCW flows southward relatively quickly along the coast in April to October and arrives at the Ulleung Basin within one to two months. Because of the sill between the Ulleung Basin and Korea Strait, this water cannot continue to flow to south, but piles up for about two to three months before it moves over the sill. The convergence of the subsurface cold water in the Ulleung Basin displaces the isopycnals upward and this water then intrudes over the sill along the isopycnals. This explains why in April or May, when this water appears noticeably at the Sokcho coast, the near-bottom water in Korea Strait is warmest and in August or September when the NKCW, which is piled up enough at the southern end of the Ulleung Basin, intrudes to Korea Strait, the near-bottom temperatures there are at their lowest.The origin of the NKCW seems to be the water of salinity less han 34.1 psu and surface density of 27σ_θ or higher, which sinks in the northwestern East Sea in January-March. The sinking of the water results from surface cooling in winter and is intensified due to the strong negative windstress curl. The cold and relatively fresh water, formed in the northwestern East Sea, is hypothesized to flow to the Ulleung Basin along three major paths, along the east coast of Korea, through the channel north of Ulleung-do Island, and through the channel between Ulleung-do and Dok-do Islands.     

Distribution characteristics of zooplankton in the south part of Taiwan Strait in summer

INTRODUCTIONInfluencedbywarmcurrent,upwellingandalongshore(coastal)waters,zooplanktoniscomparativelyabundantinthesouthpartofTaiwanStrait.Inthepast,macroplanktonnetwasadoptedintheecologicalstudyofzooplanktoninthisarea,thuscausingconsiderablelossofeitherspeciesorindividualnumbersofmeso-andmicrozooplanktoninthesurvey.Inthisstudy,mesozooplanktonnetwasusedinthesamplecollection.Itshowsthatmicrozooplanktonandimmatureindividualsofmacro-andmesozooplanktonwereabundant,andthediversityofzooplanktoni…     

A Continuous Mapping of Tidal Current Structures in the Kanmon Strait

Tidal current structures at the Hayatomono-Seto of the Kanmon Strait are mapped continuously during March 17 to 20, 2003, including a spring tide, by the eight coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) systems distributed on both the sides of the strait. Detailed structures of strong tidal currents and their associated vortices are well reconstructed by the inverse analysis of travel-time difference data obtained from the reciprocal sound transmission between the paired CAT systems located at both sides of the strait mainly. The results are well compared to the shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data at the correlation rate of 0.84/0.82 and the RMS difference of 0.47/0.48 ms⁻¹ for the east-west/north-south current after the selection of good data. During the observation period, the maximum hourly mean volume transport for the upper 7 m layer across the strait reached 13,314 m³ s⁻¹ for the eastward and 5,547 m³ s⁻¹ for the westward. The daily mean transport is directed to the eastward and estimated 1,470 m³ s⁻¹ and 2,140 m³ s⁻¹ for March 18 and 19, respectively, when a spring tide occurs.     

New Insights in Shallow Gas Generation from Very High Resolution Seismic and Bathymetric Surveys in the Marennes-Oléron Bay, France

Very high resolution seismic profiles, ground-truthed by vibrocores, have revealed the occurrence of kilometre-scale acoustic turbidity in the Marennes-Oléron Bay, France. Such acoustic turbidity is commonly interpreted as gas-charged sediments. Comparison between accurate historical bathymetric data and the present day bathymetry has shown high sediment accretion zones in the study area (locally up to 8 m since 1824). The superimposition of seismic and bathymetric datasets displays a striking correlation between the high sedimentation rate area and the boundaries of the acoustic turbidity, i.e. gas-charged sediments. The key role of sedimentation rates in shallow gas generation in the study area is pointed out. It is also concluded that shallow gas is probably generated at short (decadal to secular) time scales.