Seismic evidence of small-scale lacustrine drifts in Lake Baikal (Russia)

High resolution, single-channel seismic sparker profiles across the Akademichesky Ridge, an intra-basin structural high in Lake Baikal (Russia), reveal the presence of small sediment mounds and intervening moats in the upper part of the sedimentary cover. Such features interrupt the generally uniform and even acoustic facies and are not consistent with the hemipelagic sedimentation, which is expected on such an isolated high and which would produce a uniform sediment drape over bottom irregularities. The influence of turbidity currents is excluded since the ridge is an isolated high elevated more than 600-1000 m above adjacent basins. The mounded seismic facies, including migrating sediment waves and non-depositional/erosional incisions, strongly suggest that sediment accumulation was controlled by bottom-current activity. We interpret the mounds as small-scale (< few tens of km² in area) lacustrine drifts. Four basic types of geometry are identified: 1) slope-plastered patch sheets; 2) patch drifts; 3) confined drifts; 4) fault-controlled drifts. The general asymmetry in the sedimentary cover of the ridge, showing thicker deposits on the NW flank, and the common location of patch drifts on the northeast side of small basement knolls indicate that deposition took preferentially place at the lee sides of obstacles in a current flowing northward or sub-parallel to the main contours. Deep-water circulation in the ridge area is not known in detail, but there are indications that relatively cold saline water masses are presently flowing out of the Central Basin and plunging into the deep parts of the North Basin across the ridge, a process that appears to be driven mainly by small differences in salinity. We infer that the process responsible for the observed bottom-current-controlled sedimentary features has to be sought in these large-scale water-mass movements and their past equivalents. The age of the onset of the bottom-current-controlled sedimentation, based on an average sedimentation rate of 4.0 cm/ky, is roughly estimated to be as least as old as 3.5 Ma, which is generally regarded as the age of the onset of the last major tectonic pulse of rift basin development in the Baikal region.     

Damping of gravity-capillary waves in the presence of oil slicks according to data from laboratory and numerical experiments

Laboratory study results on the damping of gravity-capillary waves (GCWs) on water covered with oil slicks are presented. The nonmonotonic behavior (the presence of a local maximum) of the dependence of the damp coefficient on the slick thickness has been ascertained. The dispersion relation for GCWs in the presence of a viscoelastic slick of arbitrary thickness has been numerically calculated; this confirmed the presence of a damp coefficient maximum as a function of slick thickness. The parameters of oil slicks (interfacial elasticity and viscosity) have been estimated in a wide range of their thickness from a comparison of the calculation results with the data from laboratory measurements of wave parameters on water covered with an oil slick.     

Constraining the efficiency of turbidity current generation from submarine debris flows and slides using laboratory experiments

Results from a small set of laboratory experiments are presented here that help further constrain the processes governing the production of turbidity currents from impulsive failures of continental shelf and slope deposits. Three mechanisms by which sediment can be transferred from a parent debris flow to a less-dense turbidity current were observed and quantified. These mechanisms are grain-by-grain erosion of sediment from the leading edge of the parent flow, detachment of thin layers of shearing material from the head of the parent flow, and turbulent mixing at the head of the parent flow. Which transfer process dominates an experimental run depends on whether the large dynamic stresses focused on the head of the debris flow are sufficient to overcome a effective yield strength for the parent sediment+water mixture and on whether the dynamic stresses are sufficient to induce the turbulent flow of the parent mixture. Analysis of data from Marr et al. [Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 113 (2001) 1377] and Mohrig et al. [Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 110 (1998) 387] support the use of a shear strength to dynamic stress ratio in constraining necessary critical values for occurrence of the different production mechanisms. Direct sampling of turbidity currents using racks of vertically stacked siphons was used to measure both the quantity of sediment eroded from the heads of non-mixing parent flows and the distribution of particle sizes transported by the developing turbidity currents. Acoustic backscatter imaging was used to better resolve the internal boundary separating any turbulent mixing zone near the front of a flow from unmodified parent material.     

Micro-scale profiler (MSP) for measurement of small-scale turbulence in the ocean

This paper describes a free-fall micro-scale profiler (MSP) which can measure vertical profiles of microscale velocity shear, temperature gradient, and conductivity gradient of both fine and microscale ranges, together with the vertical profiles of temperature and conductivity. The measurable vertical scales of the microscale shear range from about 50 cm to 2 cm. The MSP was designed to perform profiling to depths of 500 m with a nominal fall speed of about 70 cm sec⁻¹. Retrieval of the instrument is accomplished by a 700 m Kevlar string of 1.5 mm in diameter wound on a portable winch, after ballast has been released at a present depth by a mechanical rupture disk. The results of sea trials show that the microscale shear spectrum nearly corresponds with the theoretical one derived on the assumption of homogeneous turbulence.     

Examination of observation impacts derived from observing system experiments (OSEs) and adjoint models

With the adjoint of a data assimilation system, the impact of any or all assimilated observations on measures of forecast skill can be estimated accurately and efficiently. The approach allows aggregation of results in terms of individual data types, channels or locations, all computed simultaneously. In this study, adjoint-based estimates of observation impact are compared with results from standard observing system experiments (OSEs) using forward and adjoint versions of the NASA GEOS-5 atmospheric data assimilation system. Despite important underlying differences in the way observation impacts are measured in the two approaches, the results show that they provide consistent estimates of the overall impact of most of the major observing systems in reducing a dry total-energy metric of 24-h forecast error over the globe and extratropics and, to a lesser extent, over the tropics. Just as importantly, however, it is argued that the two approaches provide unique, but complementary, information about the impact of observations on numerical weather forecasts. Moreover, when used together, they reveal both redundancies and dependencies between observing system impacts as observations are added or removed from the data assimilation system. Understanding these dependencies appears to pose an important challenge in making optimal use of the global observing system for numerical weather prediction.     

超强台风“利奇马”(1909)强度变化与降水结构分析

利用新一代GPM IMERG卫星遥感反演降水数据产品以及NCEP提供的海表温度(SST)、海(陆)-气界面热通量和风场等资料,对超强台风"利奇马"(1909)强度变化和降水结构特征进行分析。结果表明:(1)2019年8月4日14:00至9日02:00,显著减弱的环境垂直风切变、SST为29.6～30.4℃的海域为"利奇马"提供的感热和大量潜热以及"利奇马"环流东侧极为强盛的偏南风低空急流向其输送充足的水汽和能量,使"利奇马"强度呈显著增强的趋势。2019年8月9日08:00至13日08:00,随着"利奇马"逐渐靠近陆地并登陆,显著增强的垂直风切变、"利奇马"从海洋(陆地)获得的潜热显著减小并且同时失去感热、"利奇马"环流东侧偏南风低空急流的显著减弱、对流层中低层干冷空气侵入"利奇马"环流以及"利奇马"登陆后受到陆面摩擦,使"利奇马"强度显著减弱。(2)当"利奇马"处于中等强度以上的垂直风切变环境中时(垂直风切变≥5 m/s),无论其移动缓慢(移速<5 m/s),还是移动快速(移速≥5 m/s),垂直风切变对其内(距台风中心100 km半径范围)、外雨带(距台风中心100～300 ...     

Spectrophotometric determination of dissolved organic carbon in some South Island streams and rivers (note)

Absorbance at 360 nm and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration were measured on 47 filtered water samples collected from streams and rivers of the west coast of South Island, New Zealand. The regression equation (DOC (g m^‐3) = 59.6 Abs_{1 cm} + 1.9) calculated from the data, reliably predicted DOC concentration within the range 1.6–43.2 gm^‐3. This relationship is similar to that found fsr some Venezuelan and south‐eastern United Stales waters indicating that it may have widespread utility for estimating DOC concentrations in soft waters where DOC is dominated by humic substances     

Timing and habitat of koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) spawning in streams draining MtTaranaki,New Zealand

A spawning site of Galaxias brevipinnis Giinther was located in a New Zealand stream for the first time. It was at the edge of a riffle and only partially submerged. The habitat used for spawning matched that described for G. brevipinnis in Australia. Spawning was estimated to have occurred between late April and early May and the eggs hatched in late May. The species of fish spawning was identified by rearing the eggs through to identifiable juveniles and by DNA sequencing of one individual.     

Effect that jet streams have on the vertical ozone distribution and characteristics of tropopause inversion layer in the far east region

The paper describes a lidar and presents the results of lidar sensing of the vertical ozone distribution (VOD); the lidar measurements are analyzed together with data from a network of meteorological stations situated along the 132° E meridian. VODs over Primorye and Japan in the winter period are compared. An analysis showed that an interrelation exists between the subtropical jet stream and the structures of VOD and tropopause inversion layer. Specifically, the region of the VOD local maximum above the tropopause is in the upper part of the tropopause inversion layer and the width of the maximum depends on the distance from the core of the subtropical jet stream. It is found that the local ozone minimum in the lower stratosphere corresponds to the local minimum of the squared Brunt-Vaisala frequency within this same altitude range in the winter season, when two tropopauses frequently overlap. It is conjectured that the local ozone maximum and tropopause inversion layer may be associated with mixing processes in the layer where stratospheric and tropospheric circulation cells come into contact near the core of the subtropical jet stream.     

Organic contaminant distributions in sediments, polychaetes (Nereis virens) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) from a laboratory food chain experiment.

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the transfer of organic contaminants from an environmentally contaminated marine sediment through a simple marine food chain. The infaunal polychaete, Nereis virens, was exposed to contaminated sediment collected from the Passaic River, NJ, USA, for 70 days. These polychaetes were then fed to the American lobster, Homarus americanus, for up to 112 days. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 2,4,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzothiophene (TCDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several chlorinated pesticides were accumulated by polychaetes following exposure to the contaminated sediment. Some of these contaminants were also accumulated by lobsters which were exposed to the contaminated sediment and/or fed contaminated polychaetes. Only the lesser chlorinated PCDDs and PCDFs (mostly tetra- and pentachlorinated congeners) and 2,4,6,8-TCDT were detected in the polychaetes and lobster. Significant alterations were noted in the PCB patterns found in both species, particularly the lobster. The non-ortho-substituted PCBs (such as congeners 77 and 126) became enriched in the PCB mixtures of the polychaetes and especially the lobsters relative to the sediment, probably because these congeners were not metabolized. These congeners and the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalents of the PCB mixtures were enriched by a factor of about six in the lobsters relative to the sediment. Elimination of PCB congeners containing vicinal hydrogens in the meta-para region is consistent with cytochrome P450IIB-type metabolism. Based on the concentration trends for some PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticide ratios measured in the lobsters during this experiment, it appears that this metabolic system is inducible in the American lobster.     

Deep structure of the US East Coast passive margin from large aperture seismic experiments (LASE)

Multiple ship multichannel seismic measurements in the Baltimore Canyon Trough reveal a deep crustal layer with p-wave velocity of 7.2 km s⁻¹. It apparently continues into oceanic layer 3 from beneath the inner shelf where it presumably underlies the continental basement. The layer may be plutonically solidified mantle melt. Its continuity from continental shelf to deep ocean basin may reflect a continuous progression between plutonic emplacement into the continental crust and plutonic construction of the lower oceanic crust. The deep magmatic expression of late stage continental rifting and early seafloor spreading may be very similar and blur the structural expression of the continent-ocean boundary.     

The impact of community-based fisheries management (CBFM) on equity and sustainability of small-scale coastal fisheries in the Philippines

It was realized that with the increasing rate of deterioration of fisheries resource in the Philippines, there was no way the country could pursue a pathway of sustainable development. After enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991, the government actively promoted community-based fisheries management (CBFM) to conserve the coastal resources. The increased attention paid to community-based fisheries management has come about through experience of the poor performance of other approaches and through the study of traditional systems of community management of natural resources which have not only survived but also appear to perform better than the alternatives. This paper presents the results of a study to assess the impacts of CBFM projects in the Philippines, using meta-analysis, on the equity and sustainability of small-scale coastal fisheries. The outcomes indicate a positive impact of CBFM on the equity of both involvement in management and benefit sharing and sustainable management of fisheries resources through the investigation of effective magnitude (effect size) based on eight indicators. The positive summary effect sizes of participation, influence, control, access, and income conjunctly portrayed an improved equity in the fishing community by implementing CBFM. The positive summary effect sizes of compliance and conflict indicated an affirmative community and, therefore, sustainable fisheries management. While the negative summary effect size of resource revealed the difficulties in recovering fish abundance in a relatively short period of time. Also, ten years of implementation of CBFM was discovered as the minimum duration with perceived equity and sustainability improvement for most indicators.     

Status,trends and challenges in the sustainability of small-scale fisheries in the Philippines: Insights from FISHDA (Fishing Industries' Support in Handling Decisions Application) model

Managing small-scale fisheries in a developing country like the Philippines is very challenging because of high pressures from expanding fishing population, poverty and lack of alternative options. Thus, resource-focused fisheries management initiatives such as marine protected area (MPA) establishment will likely result in further marginalization of the poor fishers which could pose more serious problems in coastal communities. In this study, the status of small-scale fisheries in 44 coastal towns in the Philippines was assessed using FISHDA (Fishing Industries' Support in Handling Decisions Application), a simple decision support tool which requires minimal or easily-generated data. Results showed that 68% (30 out of 44) of the studied towns have unsustainable fisheries unless 58% of their fishing grounds are protected from all fishing activities. Alternatively, 53% of the active fishers in towns with unsustainable fisheries must totally stop fishing to avert fishery collapse. Alarming as it may sound, this is still an underestimate as catches incurred by the highly efficient and destructive illegal fishing activities such as blast, poison and large-scale fishing, which are reported to be still rampant in many coastal areas in the Philippines, were not accounted for in this study. This study demonstrated that MPAs alone may not be enough to avert fishery collapse even if MPA size is increased from the current 3% to 15% of the municipal waters, i.e. up to 15 km from the shore, as required by the Philippine law. Various challenges confronting the fishery and important recommendations to address them are further discussed.     

Policies governing the distribution of by-products from scientific and small-scale coastal whaling in Japan

The Japanese government is committed to resuming sustainable commercial whaling, both on the high seas and along the Japanese coastline. To this end scientific whaling programs are supported with public money and the byproducts of the catch are distributed to the public and utilized in a variety of ways. Here we review the policies which govern how these byproducts are disseminated within Japan, as well as how the population as a whole makes use of whale resources. Possibilities for the future, if and when the international moratorium on commercial whaling ends, are also discussed.     

Strengthening effect of super typhoon Rammasun (2014) on upwelling and cold eddies in the South China Sea

Typhoon is one of the frequent natural disasters in coastal regions of China. As shown in many studies, the impact of typhoons on the South China Sea (SCS) shou...     

Faecal microbial contamination of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) gathered by a Maori protocol in New Zealand streams

A study was carried out to determine the food safety status of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) harvested from rural streams under Maori protocol. Sixty‐five sample bunches (c. 500 g) were collected from four streams in the Waikato region of New Zealand each summer from 2005 to 2007. Two streams, Southern Enclosure and Te Waihou, were within reserves and the other two, Mangapiko and Piopio, flowed through pastoral farms. To assess faecal contamination status, Escherichia coli and thermotolerant Campylobacter were measured on watercress as collected and E. coli counts assessed against the New Zealand guideline for ready‐to‐eat foods (satisfactory: <3 E. coli per g). To determine whether washing would ensure the watercress met food safety standards, an additional 6 bunches were collected and washed in running tap water (household regime). A further 15 bunches were washed by a simulated commercial triple washing regime. At harvest, 16 of 17 watercress samples collected from the Southern Enclosure and 11 of 22 from Te Waihou met the satisfactory criterion for ready‐to‐eat food, but only 1 of 17 from Mangapiko and none of 9 from Piopio were satisfactory. No Campylobacter was recovered from any sample of watercress collected from the four sites. After washing in running tap water, E. coli numbers still exceeded the satisfactory criterion. Commercial triple washing was more effective in ensuring satisfactory watercress, but of the 15 samples subjected to this regime, only 6 met the satisfactory criterion. Escherichia coli remained firmly attached to watercress leaves after both washing regimes (presumably in biofilms). Overall, these findings suggest that it is not advisable to use watercress harvested from rural streams as a raw salad vegetable, particularly from those affected by pastoral farming.     

Microwave radiation from water surface as related to its temperature variations in the presence of ripples (a laboratory study)

In this paper the results are presented of measurements of microwave radiation at centimeter wavelengths from water surface under controllable laboratory conditions which included changes in the surface temperature and generation of ripples caused by wind and by ventilator with velocity of air stream up to 3 m/s.     

0709号超强台风“圣帕”风暴潮特征分析与预报

本文通过对0709号超强台风"圣帕"的主要特点、风暴潮特征及天气形势进行分析,简单阐述我台在超强台风风暴潮过程中的监测预报服务情况,总结预报经验,检验预报质量,为以后同类型台风风暴潮预报及防灾减灾提供分析依据.     

A pair of Langmuir cells in a laboratory tank (I) wind-only experiment

Three velocity components of subsurface flow, observed in a rectangular tank under the action of a constant wind speed, are measured systematically at mesh points distributed uniformly over a vertical cross-section of the tank. Measurements are carried out for two cases: 1) reference wind speedU _r =7.5 m/s and fetchF=10 m; and 2)U _r =10 m/s andF=25 m. A pair of Langmuir cells is observed for both cases; downwelling zones are found along both of the sidewalls and an upwelling zone in the centre of the tank. Near the water surface, the vertical momentum flux is dominated by the Reynolds stress resulting from small-scale turbulence, while over the entire cross-section except near the surface, the Reynolds stress due to the Langmuir cells dominates the vertical momentum flux. As the result of the occurrence of this Langmuir cells, the vertical momentum flux, which consists of both mean advection and small-scale turbulence, is markedly inhomogeneous in the spanwise direction; for example, the largest vertical flux of the order of the wind stress is observed in the downwelling zone near one sidewall, while at the centre of the tank, the vertical momentum flux occupies only 30% of the wind stress. This indicates that a pair of Langmuir cells plays more important role than small-scale turbulence in the mixing process in a greater part of the wind-wave tank.Address after April 1, 1992: Department of Civil Engineering, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Miyake 2-1-1, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima 731-51, Japan.     

Role of the beta-effect in the decay of the alongshore baroclinic jet associated with transient coastal upwelling and downwelling: Numerical experiments

A numerical study of the decay of an alongshore baroclinic jet (ABJ) formed by transient wind stress favorable for upwelling and downwelling is carried out. The study is based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) applied to a circular stratified basin with a constant depth. In the case of a fully developed upwelling (downwelling), the alongshore jet is subjected to baroclinic instability, and its decay is predominantly accompanied by selective formation of cyclonic (anticyclonic) mesoscale eddies. If the upwelling or downwelling is not fully developed, the necessary condition for the baroclinic instability of the ABJ in a basin with a constant depth is the presence of the β-effect. The β-effect causes separation of the ABJ from the shoreline in the eastern part of the basin and thereby stimulates baroclinic instability. As a result, mesoscale meanders and eddies can be generated in the eastern part of the basin only if the diameter of the basin D is large enough to satisfy the inequality D > $\sqrt {{{R_I f} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{R_I f} \beta }} \right. \kern-0em} \beta }} $ , where R _I is the baroclinic Rossby radius, f is the Coriolis parameter, and β = df/dy.