Diffusion coefficients of major ions in seawater

Self-diffusion coefficients of five major ions have been determined by a radioactive tracer method (capillary tube method) in seawater of salinity 34.86 at 25°C. Data are presented for Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄², and HCO₃⁻, which constitute about 95% by weight of sea salt. The influence of temperature and salinity on these coefficients has been studied for Na⁺ and Cl⁻ which are the major components of sea salt: self-diffusion coefficients of these two ions have been measured in seawater, at different temperatures for a salinity of 34.86 and at different salinities for a temperature of 25°C. Diffusion coefficients of the same ions have been determined at 25°C by using another radioactive tracer method (quasi-steady cell method). In this experiment, seawater ions were allowed to diffuse from natural seawater into dilute seawater. Data have been obtained at 25°C for Na⁺, Ca ²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and HCO₃⁻, corresponding to different salinity gradients.     

The thermodynamics and kinetics of the hydrogen sulfide system in natural waters

The thermodynamics and kinetics of the H₂S system in natural waters have been critically reviewed. Equations have been derived for the solubility and ionization of H₂S in water and seawater as a function of salinity, temperature and pressure. Pitzer parameters for the interaction of the major cations (Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) with HS⁻ have been determined to allow one to calculate values of pK₁^* in various ionic media. The limited data available for the interaction of trace metals for HS⁻ are summarized and future work is suggested.The kinetics of oxidation of H₂S have also been examined as a function of pH, temperature, and salinity. The discrepancies in the available data are largely due to the different [O₂]/[HS−] ratios used in various studies. Over a limited pH range (6–8) the pseudo first order rate constant for the oxidation is shown to be directly proportional to the activity of HS⁻. Further studies are suggested to examine the effect of ionic media and temperature on the rate of oxidation.     

The transfer of reprocessing wastes from north-west Europe to the Arctic

The discharge of radioactive waste, from nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, into the coastal waters of north-west Europe has resulted in a significant increase in the inventories of a number of artificial radionuclides in the North Atlantic. Radiocaesium, ⁹⁰Sr and ⁹⁹Tc, which behave conservatively in seawater, have been used widely as tracers of water movement through the North Sea, Norwegian Coastal Current, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, Fram Strait, Eurasian Basin, East Greenland Current and Denmark Strait overflow. These studies are summarised in the present paper. It has been estimated that 22% of the ¹³⁷Cs Sellafield discharge has passed into the Barents Sea, en route to the Nansen Basin, via the Bjomoya-Fugloya Section, with another 13% passing through the Fram Strait. This amounts to 14 PBq ¹³⁷Cs. Quantifying the influx of other radionuclides has been more problematic. The inflowing Atlantic water now appears to be diluting waters in the Arctic Basin, which were contaminated in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a result of the substantial decrease in the discharge of reprocessing wastes. Sellafield (U.K.) has dominated the supply of ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, ⁹⁹Tc and Pu, whereas La Hague (France) has contributed a larger proportion of ¹²⁹I and ¹²⁵Sb.     

Interannual Variation of Eddy Kinetic Energy from TOPEX Altimeter Observations

Monthly mesoscale eddy kinetic energy (EKE) per unit mass has been computed for four years, 1993-1996, from TOPEX altimeter data in the Indian Ocean. It ranges from 50 cm²/s² to 2,700 cm²/s² (about 4,000 cm²/s² near the Somali region in a few months). In the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, regions of high energies associated with various current systems under the influence of monsoonal winds have been delineated. Monthly variation of EKE near the Somali region has been studied. In this region the maximum EKE per unit mass has been observed during August every year, with variations in magnitude from year to year. The mesoscale eddy kinetic energy computed from TOPEX altimeter-derived SSH during 1993-1996 is highest near the Somali region during the SW monsoon, due to formation of mesoscale eddies and also because of upwelling. In the Bay of Bengal, high eddy kinetic energy is seen toward the western side during nonmonsoonal months due to the western boundary current. In the South Indian Ocean, it is high at a few places in some of the months. A large part of the Indian Ocean exhibits low eddy kinetic energy (less than 300 cm²/s²) year-round.     

南极长城站附近企鹅栖息地粪土沉积地层放射性核素210Pb定年

用γ谱方法测定了南极长城站附近特有生物群落栖息地沉积物中放射性核素含量,地表沉积物中40K,137Cs,210Pb,226Ra,228Ra,228Th.和238U平均比活度,分别为143,7.56,24.1,3.65,5.36,4.15和6.5Bq/kg.同时测试了阿德雷岛企鹅栖息地粪土沉积地层中放射性核素含量,利用其中的210Pb比活度,210Pb_ex垂向变化特征,推演沉积物的沉积速率和地质历史年代:其中AD1-a柱样时间跨度约为74a(1928~2002年),据此计算了沉积速率为0.063mm/a(r=0.794),并讨论了在南极特定条件下,放射性核素示踪对定年影响以及与区域现代气候环境变化的内在联系.     

Kinematic structure and transport of currents in the north-western tropical Atlantic

Oceanographic data from the regional data bank, covering a period from 1911 through to 1990, in combination with the climatic tangential wind stress data have been applied to determine the historical fields of summary currents in the north-western tropical Atlantic; currents of the major circulation elements in the active layer have been specified. It has been confirmed that a significant, in terms of climate, transport of surface and subsurface waters by the geostrophic component of the North Brazil current (NBC) to the northern tropical Atlantic does not take place. North-west of 2^oN and 45^o W, the current turns eastward, thus contributing to the generation of the equatorial countercurrent. The transport of the NBC within a 0–500 m layer near 1^o N has been evaluated to be equivalent to 50 Sv, and the mean annual transport of the equatorial countercurrent to 30 Sv. Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Dispute settlement

The provisions of the Draft Convention¹ on dispute settlement are of considerable length and complexity. Part XV (Settlement of Disputes) alone runs to 21 articles covering eight pages and Annexes V-VIII add a further twenty pages.² Rather than subject these draft articles to a detailed analysis on a technical level, with a view to proposing improvements in drafting or in the institutional model employed, this article asks basic questions about the utility and practicability of the system incorporated in the Draft Convention. Although much has been written on the details of the system and the various optional models available to the Conference draftsmen,³ there has been a remarkable absence of debate about some of the fundamental assumptions implicit in the Draft Convention's provisions on dispute settlement.     

Sediment transport and morphodynamics of the Douro River estuary

A combination of dredging data, hydrographic surveys and numerical modelling has been used to assess morphological change and sediment transport in the Douro River estuary. The system is dominated by sand- and gravel-sized sediments and confined by resistant rock types. The evolution of the bed in the last 20 years has been strongly influenced by the opening of a navigation channel. According to the data available to date, the average maintenance dredging volume has been of the order of 0.4 × 10⁶ m³ year⁻¹. Comparisons of hydrographic surveys reveal a rate of volume loss of the same magnitude. Apparently, maintenance dredging mainly involves local material, transported into the channel from shallower areas of the estuary. The results of numerical modelling indicate that the sediment transport capacity due to tidal currents is very limited. River flood events increase the transport capacity by several orders of magnitude, thus playing a critical role in sediment redistribution and supply to the coast. The average sediment transport capacity is estimated to be of the order of 0.1 × 10⁶ m³ year⁻¹ in most of the estuary and 0.5 × 10⁶ m³ year⁻¹ at the inlet, with a large uncertainty. It is concluded that, if morphological stability is set as an environmental objective, the dredged material should not be removed from the system but rather be used to nourish the estuarine beaches and the barrier spit.     

Beach erosion along the coastline of Alexandria, Egypt

ＢｅａｃｈｅｒｏｓｉｏｎａｌｏｎｇｔｈｅｃｏａｓｔｌｉｎｅｏｆＡｌｅｘａｎｄｒｉａ，Ｅｇｙｐｔ￥ＯｍｒａｎＥ．Ｆｒｉｈｙ，ＳａｍｉｒＭ．Ｎａｓｒ，ＫｈａｌｉｄＤｅｗｉｄａｒａｎｄＭｏｈａｍｅｄＥｌＲａｅｙ（ＲｅｃｅｉｖｅｄＪａｎｕａｒｙ２８，１９９３...     

Dispersion and accumulation of radionuclides in sediment of Urazoko Bay (I)

Contents of⁹⁰Sr,¹³⁷Cs and⁶⁰Co in surface sediments were investigated in and around Urazoko Bay, Fukui Prefecture, where a nuclear power plant has been operating since 1969 and the waste effluent has been released into the sea. The main source of⁹⁰Sr and¹³⁷Cs was recognized to be radioactive fallout, whereas⁶⁰Co was considered to originate from the nuclear power plant. Using the¹³⁷Cs concentration as an indicator of sorption capacity of the sediment, the behaviour of⁶⁰Co was investigated. No seasonal variation was observed in the distribution pattern of⁶⁰Co/¹³⁷Cs ratio and the retention of the heavy initial discharge in 1969 was considered to dominate the radionuclide level in the sediment. Correlation of⁶⁰Co/¹³⁷Cs ratio in the sediment and the distance from the discharge outlet was expressed by a simple exponential function of the distance. It was suggested that the contamination is spreading out gradually to the outer region of Urazoko Bay.     

Rock phosphate: The source of mercury pollution in a marine ecosystem at Albany,Western Australia

Mercury (Hg) is present in rock phosphate as a trace element (< 0·6 mg kg⁻¹). It has been established that some of this Hg was liberated, during fertilzer manufacture, into scrubber fluids. These were subsequently, discharged to Princess Royal Harbour, Albany, at a rate of about 14 kg Hg per annum between 1970 and 1983.This resulted in Hg pollution of sediments (< 1·7mg kg⁻¹), molluscs (< 50 mg kg⁻¹ wet weight) and demersal and pelagic fish (< 7·6 mg kg⁻¹ wet weight). Corrective action has been taken to stop the discharge and to protect consumers of fish from the area.     

High resolution gravimetric geoid heights and gravimetric vertical deflections of Europe including marine areas

Gravimetric geoid heights and gravimetric vertical deflections have been detemined for Europe including the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea and parts of the North Atlantic Ocean in a 12′×20′ grid. The computation has been carried out by least squares spectral combination using closed integral formulas, combining 104 000 mean free air gravity anomalies in 6′×10′ blocks, 12 000 mean free air gravity anomalies in 1⁰×1⁰ blocks and the sherical harmonic model GEM9. The precision of the computed geoid heights has been estimated to ±1 m, the precision of the computed vertical deflections has been estimated to ±2″. Comparisons of the gravimetric geoid heights and vertical deflections with a number of other solutions have been carried out, confirming the precision estimation.     

Influence of atmospheric parameters on downward longwave radiation and features of its regime in Moscow

Measurement results of downward longwave radiation (DLR) in a wavelength range of 3.5?C50 ??m are considered which have been obtained with the use of a precision IR radiometer (Eppley pyrgeometer) of the PIR model at the Meteorological Observatory of Moscow State University in 2008?C2010. The influence of air temperature and atmospheric moisture content on the DLR values has been analyzed; correlations between DLR and the above parameters have been found. The effect of clouds on DLR has been estimated: DLR increases by about 30% in daytime and by 25% in nighttime under overcast low clouds. The annual average DLR in Moscow is 305 W/m², with a minimum in December?CMarch and a maximum in July?CAugust. Variations in DLR throughout a year can exceed 250 W/m². The daily average amplitude is 18?C33 W/m² in summer and 6?C13 W/m² in winter. An increase in DLR by about 40 W/m² is noted under conditions of haze from forest and peat-bog fires and an aerosol optical depth of about 4 at a wavelength of 500 nm.     

近50 a来杭州湾冲淤变化规律与机制研究

使用杭州湾1959-2010年的水下地形图, 结合过去数十年来长江入海水沙量和钱塘江河口段冲淤变化状况, 分析了近50 a来杭州湾在长江入海泥沙量锐减和治江围涂等人类活动作用下的冲淤变化规律及其物理机理。结果表明, 乍浦以上区域近50 a来处于较显著的淤积状态, 且有自上向下发展的趋势, 这种淤积主要是由于钱塘江河口治江缩窄工程所引起的;湾内地形发生了局部调整, 部分小型潮流槽脊系统趋于消亡, 地形趋于平坦化, 湾口北部2003年以后有转淤为冲的趋势, 这与长江入海泥沙量锐减和该区域围垦工程等因素有关;1959-2003和2003-2010年两个时段, 湾内泥沙淤积的年平均值分别为0.91×108和1.66×108 m3。对于整个钱塘江河口系统而言, 即自杭州湾湾口至钱塘江河口段的闸口断面, 长江入海泥沙量减少所产生的影响尚不明显, 2003年以后泥沙淤积速率甚至有所上升。杭州湾近50 a的冲淤变化是人为强烈干预下的大流域-河口系统响应与中小流域-河口系统响应的调整结果。     

A review of present techniques and methodological advances in analyzing Th in aquatic systems

The short-lived thorium isotope ²³⁴Th (half-life 24.1 days) has been used as a tracer for a variety of transport processes in aquatic systems. Its use as a tracer of oceanic export via sinking particles has stimulated a rapidly increasing number of studies that require analyses of ²³⁴Th in both marine and freshwater systems. The original ²³⁴Th method is labor intensive. Thus, there has been a quest for simpler techniques that require smaller sample volumes. Here, we review current methodologies in the collection and analysis of ²³⁴Th from the water column, discuss their individual strengths and weaknesses, and provide an outlook on possible further improvements and future challenges. Also included in this review are recommendations on calibration procedures and the production of standard reference materials as well as a flow chart designed to help researchers find the most appropriate ²³⁴Th analytical technique for a specific aquatic regime and known sampling constraints.     

A three-dimensional model for the dispersion of radioactive substances in marine ecosystems. Application to the Baltic Sea after the Chernobyl disaster

A 3-D dispersion model has been developed to simulate the dispersion of nuclear contaminants in marine ecosystems. This model is characterized by presenting high spatial resolution, by taking into account the possible sedimentation of a fraction of the contaminants, and by formulating the diffusion processes using an original approach.The model has been applied and validated taking the Baltic Sea as its scenario, and using the ¹³⁷Cs originating from the Chernobyl accident as the substance which experienced the dispersion. The simulation of a year’s dispersion of the ¹³⁷Cs in the Baltic sea (just after the Chernobyl accident) has been performed.     

Electron impact excitation rate coefficients of N II ion

This paper calculates the electron impact excitation rate coefficients from the ground term 2s²2p^{2 3}P to the excited terms of the 2s²2p², 2s2p³, 2s²2p3s, 2s²2p3p, and 2s²2p3d configurations of N II. In the calculations, multiconfiguration Dirac--Fork wave functions have been applied to describe the target-ion states and relativistic distorted-wave calculation has been performed to generate fine-structure collision strengths. The collision strengths are then averaged over a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities in order to generate the effective collision strengths. The calculated rate coefficients are compared with available experimental and theoretical data, and some good agreements are found for the outer shell electron excitations. But for the inner shell electron excitations there are still some differences between the present calculations and available experiments.     

Marine geology in the environs of Bouvet Island and the South Atlantic triple juction

It is suggested that Bouvet Island is the surface manifestation of a mantle plume which has resulted in the creation of a chain of seamounts in the South Atlantic and a general shoaling of the region.The strike of two newly defined large fracture zones borth and south of the Bouvet Island pedestal have been utilized to determine a pole of rotation at 12.5°S, 12.5°W for the Africa-Antarctica motion. A pole at 75°S, 13°E has been calculated for the South America-Antarctica motion. At the triple junction the South America-Africa relative motion is 3.3 cm yr^-1 (whole rate) at 075°. The Africa-Antarctica motion is 1.7 cm yr^-1 at 065° and the South America-Antarctica motion is 1.6 cm yr^-1 at 085.     

Experimental studies on the possible influences of composition changes of pore water on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments

Experiments with a set of electrolyte solutions have been carried out to investigate the effects of pore water composition changes on the stability conditions of methane hydrate in marine sediments. The results reveal that (1) SO₄²⁻ and Cl⁻ concentration changes can affect hydrate stability slightly, (2) the changes in both the type and the concentration of cations, which occur in normal diagenetic processes, do not exert a significant influence on the methane hydrate stability conditions, and (3) the shift of hydrate stability in pore water can be expressed as a function of the Cl⁻ concentration only. Based on the results above, an empirical equation ΔT (K)=0.00206 Cl⁻ (mmol/dm³) has been obtained for estimating the shift in the equilibrium temperature of methane hydrate in pore water at a given pressure.