Focused fluid flow in the Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea: implications for the source of gas in hydrate reservoirs

The origin and migration of natural gas and the accumulation of gas hydrates within the Pearl River Mouth Basin of the northern South China Sea are poorly understood. Based on high-resolution 2D/3D seismic data, three environments of focused fluid flow: gas chimneys, mud diapirs and active faults have been identified. Widespread gas chimneys that act as important conduits for fluid flow are located below bottom simulating reflections and above basal uplifts. The occurrence and evolution of gas chimneys can be divided into a violent eruptive stage and a quiet seepage stage. For most gas chimneys, the strong eruptions are deduced to have happened during the Dongsha Movement in the latest Miocene, which are observed below Pliocene strata and few active faults develop above the top of the Miocene. The formation pressures of the Baiyun Sag currently are considered to be normal, based on these terms: 1) Borehole pressure tests with pressure coefficients of 1.043–1.047; 2) The distribution of gas chimneys is limited to strata older than the Pliocene; 3) Disseminated methane hydrates, rather than fractured hydrates, are found in the hydrate samples; 4) The gas hydrate is mainly charged with biogenic gas rather than thermogenic gas based on the chemical tests from gas hydrates cores. However, periods of quiet focused fluid flow also enable the establishment of good conduits for the migration of abundant biogenic gas and lesser volumes of thermogenic gas. A geological model governing fluid flow has been proposed to interpret the release of overpressure, the migration of fluids and the formation of gas hydrates, in an integrated manner. This model suggests that gas chimneys positioned above basal uplifts were caused by the Dongsha Movement at about 5.5 Ma. Biogenic gas occupies the strata above the base of the middle Miocene and migrates slowly into the gas chimney columns. Some of the biogenic gas and small volumes of thermogenic gas eventually contribute to the formation of the gas hydrates.     

Marine fouling in offshore areas east of Hainan Island, northern South China Sea

INTRODUCTIONBiofoulingonunderwaterpartsofman mademarinestructuresisamajoreconomicandtechni calproblemhavinginternationaldimensionsforthedevelopmentofoceanengineeringbecauseitnotonlyincreasesstaticandhydrodynamicloading,butalsoaffectscorrosioncharacteristicsandim pedesunderwaterinspectionandmaintenance (CallowandEdyvean ,1 990 ) .Duetodifferencesingeographicalpositionsandenvironmentalconditions,thedistributionofsessileorganismsvarieswitharea .Therefore ,understandingtheformationofbiofoulin…     

Characteristics of nitrogen forms in the surface sediments of southwestern Nansha Trough,South China Sea

The area of the southwestern Nansha Trough is one of the most productive areas of the southern South China Sea.It is a typical semi-deep sea area of transition from shoal to abyssal zone.To understand distributions and roles of nitrogen forms involved in biogeochemical cycling in this area,contents of nitrogen in four extractable forms:nitrogen in ion exchangeable form(IEF-N),nitrogen in weak acid extractable form(WAEF-N),nitrogen in strong alkali extractable form(SAEF-N) and nitrogen in strong oxidation extractable form(SOEF-N),as well as in total nitrogen content(TN) in surface sediments were determined from samples collected from the cruise in April-May 1999.The study area was divided into three regions(A,B and C) in terms of clay sediment(<4 μm) content at <40%,40%-60% and >60%,respectively.Generally,region C was the richest in the nitrogen of all forms and region A the poorest,indicating that the finer the grain size is,the richer the contents of various nitrogen are.The burial efficiency of total nitrogen in surface sediments was 28.79%,indicating that more than 70% of nitrogen had been released and participated in biogeochemical recycling through sediment-water interface.     

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition were investigated in the northern South China Sea using high-performance liquid chromatography and the CHEMTAX software from February 11 to 23, 2009. We recognized four different vertical distribution patterns of pigments: chlorophyll a (Chl a)-like type, divinyl chlorophyll a (DV Chl a) type, even distribution type, and surface type. The average value of ratios of accessory photo-protective pigments (APP) to accessory photo-synthetic pigments was 0.89±0.63 in the upper 50 m and 0.16±0.06 below 50 m depth. With increasing depth, APP decreased and photo-synthetically active radiation was attenuated. There was an obvious succession in the phytoplankton community from inshore to the open sea. Diatoms were dominant in the inshore region, while pelagophytes, Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria and prymnesiophytes were dominant in the open sea. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton also differed greatly from inshore to the open sea. In the coastal and shelf region, diatoms were important components in the whole water column. Cyanobacteria also had a high abundance at the Subsurface Chlorophyll a Maxima (SCM) in the shelf region. In the slope and open sea, Prochlorococcus and cyanobacteria were important groups above the SCM, while pelagophytes dominated below the SCM.     

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition were investigated in the northern South China Sea using high-performance liquid chromatography and the CHEMTAX software from February 11 to 23, 2009. We recognized four different vertical distribution patterns of pigments: chlorophyll a (Chl a)-like type, divinyl chlorophyll a (DV Chl a) type, even distribution type, and surface type. The average value of ratios of accessory photo-protective pigments (APP) to accessory photo-synthetic pigments was 0.8...     

Variation in downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficient in the northern South China Sea

The diffuse attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance （Kd（λ）） is an important parameter for ocean studies. Based on the optical profile data measured during three cruises in the northern South China Sea in autumn from 2003 to 2005, variations in the Kd（λ） spectra were analyzed. The variability of Kd（λ） shows much distinct features in both magnitude and spectra pattern, it is much higher in coastal waters than that of open oceanic waters; and the blue-to-green （443/555） ratio of Kd（λ） tends to increase with chlorophyll a concentration （[Chl-a]） from open ocean to coastal waters. These characteristics can be explained most by the increase of aw＋p（443）/aw＋p（555） with [Chl-a]. In short waveband, the relation between Kd（λ）-Kw（λ） and [Chl-a] can be well described by a power law function, indicating the large contribution of phytoplankton to the variations in Kd（λ）. As for the spectral model of the diffuse attenuation coefficient, there are good linear relationships between Kd（490） and Kd（λ） in other wavelengths with own slope and intercept of a linear functions in the spectral range 412-555 nm. Kd（490） is well correlated with the spectral ratio of remote sensing reflectance; and should enough measurement data are given, this empirical algorithm would be used in the Kd（λ） retrieval from ocean color satellite data. The variation in Kd（λ） provides much useful information for us to study the bio-optical property in the northern South China Sea.     

南海北部近海柱状沉积物多环芳烃组成及来源分析

【目的】研究南海北部近海区域柱状沉积物多环芳烃组成及分布特征,讨论全新世早期火历史及气候变化。【方法】利用AMS ¹⁴C定年技术结合有机地球化学分析手段对全新世早期南海北部近海沉积物柱状样品中多环芳烃(PAHs)分布特征进行研究。【结果】南海北部近海沉积物中16种PAHs总浓度范围为8.58~17.48 ng/g,在约10000 a B.P.的全新世早期呈现先增大后减小波动变化,与TOC变化基本同步。【结论】沉积物中多环芳烃主要来源于南海北部近海陆源区域自然火灾产生的焦炭残渣。PAHs的沉积浓度变化间接指示了全新世早期东亚季风的强度变化。     

Marine biofouling in offshore areas south of Hainan Island, northern South China Sea

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＢｉｏｆｏｕｌｉｎｇｃａｎｃａｕｓｅｒｏｕｇｈｎｅｓｓｏｆｓｕｂｍｅｒｇｅｄｓｕｒｆａｃｅｓｏｆｍａｒｉｎｅｓｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅｓ(Ｃｈａｋｒａｂａｒｔｉ,1991),ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｈｙｄｒｏｄｙｎａｍｉｃｌｏａｄｉｎｇｓ(ＷｏｌｆｒａｍａｎｄＴｈｅｏｐｈａｎａｔｏｓ,1985),ａｃｃｅｌｅｒａｔｅｃｏｒｒｏｓｉｏｎｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ(Ｐａｔｉｌｅｔａｌ.,1988),ａｎｄｉｍｐｅｄｅｕｎｄｅｒｗａｔｅｒｉｎｓｐｅｃｔｉｏｎａｎｄｍａｉｎｔｅｎａｎｃｅ(Ｈｏｕｇｈｔｏｎ,1978).Ｔｈｅｌａｃｋｏｆｄ…     

STUDY OF WATER—TRANSPORT THROUGH SOME MAIN STRAITS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA AND SOUTH CHINA SEA

OCCAM global ocean model results were applied to calculate the monthly water transport through 7 straits around the East China Sea(ECS)and the South china Sea(SCS).Analysis of the features of velocity profiles and their variations in the Togara Strait,Luzon Strait and Eastern Taiwan Strait showed that;1)the velocity profiles had striped pattern in the Eastern Taiwan Strait,where monthly flux varied from 22.4 to 28.1 Sv and annual mean was about 25.8 Sv;2)the profiles of velocity in the Togara Strait were characterized by core structure,and monthly flux varied from 23.3 to 31.4 Sv,with annual mean of about 27.9 Sv;3)water flowed from the SCS to the ECS in the Taiwan Strait,with maximum flux of 3.1 Sv in July and minimum of 0.9 Sv in November;4)the flux in the Tsushima Strait varied by only about 0.4 Sv by season and its annual mean was about 2.3 Sv;5)Kuroshio water flowed into the SCS in the Luzon Strait throughout the year and the velocity profiles were characterized by multi-core structure.The flux in the Luzon Strait was minimun in June(about 2.4 Sv)and maximum in February(about 9.0 Sv),and its annual mean was 4.8 Sv;6)the monthly flux in the Mindoro Strait was maximum in December(3.0 Sv)and minimum in June(Only 0.1 Sv),and its annual mean was 1.3 Sv;7)Karimata Strait water flowed into the SCS from May to August,with maximum in-flow flux of about 0.75 Sv in June and flowed out from September to April at maximum outflow flux of 3.9 Sv in January.The annual mean flux was about 1.35 Sv.     

南海北部竹筴鱼的生长、死亡及合理利用

根据1997年12月至1999年6月在南海北部进行的大规模底拖网渔业资源调查中8个航次4个季节的竹筴鱼(Trachurus japonicus)生物学测定资料,运用FAO开发的最新体长频率数据分析软件FiSATⅡ对竹筴鱼的生长、死亡参数进行估算,并进一步应用Beverton-Holt模式对南海北部竹筴鱼的最新资源状况进行研究.结果表明:(1) 竹筴鱼的叉长和体重的关系式为:W=2.282 8×10-5L2.915 4.(2) 其von Bertalanffy生长方程的各参数为:渐近叉长L∞=31.2 (cm),渐近体重W∞=426.5 (g),生长系数K=0.42,t0=-0.376.(3) 总死亡系数Z=2.15,自然死亡系数M=0.91,捕捞死亡系数F=1.24,开发率E=0.58.在估算结果的基础上,进一步提出南海北部竹筴鱼的最佳可捕规格为叉长14.8 cm.     

Population parameters and dynamic pool models of commercial fishes in the Beibu Gulf, northern South China Sea

Length-frequency data of eight commercial fish species in the Beibu Gulf (Golf of Tonkin), northern South China Sea, were collected during 2006-2007. Length-weight relationships and growth and mortality parameters were analyzed using FiSAT II software. Five species had isometric growth, two species had negative allometric growth, and one species had positive allometric growth. Overall, the exploitation rates of the eight species were lower in 2006-2007 than in 1997-1999: for four species (Saurida tumbil, Saurida undosquamis, Argyrosomus macrocephalus, and Nemipterus virgatus) it was lower in 2006-2007 than in 1997-1999, for two species (Parargyrops edita and Trichiurus haumela) it remained the same, and for the other two species (Trachurus japonicus and Decapterus maruadsi) it was higher in 2006-2007 than in 1997-1999. The exploitation rates might have declined because of the decline in fishing intensity caused by high crude oil prices. The optimum exploitation rate, estimated using Beverton-Holt dynamic pool models, indicated that although fishes in the Beibu Gulf could sustain high exploitation rates, the under-size fishes at first capture resulted in low yields. To increase the yield per recruitment, it is more effective to increase the size at first capture than to control fishing effort.     

Dimethylsulfide in the South China Sea

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＧｒｅａｔｅｆｆｏｒｔｓｗｅｒｅｄｅｖｏｔｅｄｒｅｃｅｎｔｌｙｔｏｓｔｕｄｙｉｎｇｄｉｍｅｔｈｙｌｓｕｌｆｉｄｅ(ＤＭＳ)ｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｉｎｓｅａｗａｔｅｒ,ａｓｉｔａｃｃｏｕｎｔｓｆｏｒｔｈｅｍａｊｏｒｐａｒｔｏｆｔｈｅｓｕｌｆｕｒｆｌｕｘｆｒｏｍｔｈｅｏｃｅａｎｓｔｏｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅ.Ｍｏｒｅｏｖｅｒ,ｉｔｓｏｘｉｄａｔｉｏｎｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｓｉｎｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅｍａｙｉｎｆｌｕｅｎｃｅｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌａｃｉｄｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎａｎｄ…     

SEAWATER FLUX OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The South China Sea water can be divided according to depth into three boxes by the pycnoclineand a sill.Using a box model with matter balance,the net seawater fluxes were calculated to be317.9×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅰ for the upper homogeneous layer outflowing to the adjoining oceans;67×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅲ for the water entering the basin;240×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅱ for water entering theSouth China Sea.The upward speed of basin water was calculated to be 8.4×10~(-5) cm/s and that ofseawater flowing up along the pycnocline was calculated to be 8.9×10~(-5) cm/s.     

A new radiolarian species Clathrocorys gracilis from northern South China Sea

A new species, Clathrocorys gracilis nov. spec., of Tripocyrtidae （Radiolarians： Nassellaria） from surface water in northern South China Sea, is described in this paper. The new species has four radial beams arising from the cephalic base centre, each foot with cup-shaped structure and ramified bar in the proximal section （near cephalic base）, and each wing with a large mesh in the middle, a medium mesh and a small mesh on each side respectively.     

Spatio-temporal variations in the siphonophore community of the northern South China Sea

To understand how hydrological and biological factors affect near-to off-shore variations in the siphonophore community,we sampled zooplankton at 82 stations in the northern South China Sea during summer,winter,and spring.Forty-one species of siphonophore were collected by vertical trawling.The species richness of siphonophores increased from the nearshore to offshore regions in all three seasons of investigation,with maximum richness in summer and minimum richness in winter.The abundance of siphonophores was also higher in summer than in spring and winter,concentrated in the nearshore region in the warm season and scattered in the offshore region in the cold season.Four siphonophore groups were classified according to the frequency of occurrence:nearshore,near-offshore,offshore,and tropical pelagic.Among them,the nearshore group had higher abundance nearshore compared with the offshore.The tropical pelagic group had higher species number offshore than nearshore.Spatial and temporal fluctuations in taxonomic composition and abundance of siphonophores were due to the influence of the coastal upwelling and surface ocean currents of the South China Sea,driven by the East Asia monsoonal system.     

Stability of submarine slopes in the northern South China Sea: a numerical approach

Submarine landslides occur frequently on most continental margins. They are effective mechanisms of sediment transfer but also a geological hazard to seafloor installations. In this paper, submarine slope stability is evaluated using a 2D limit equilibrium method. Considerations of slope, sediment, and triggering force on the factor of safety (FOS) were calculated in drained and undrained (Φ=0) cases. Results show that submarine slopes are stable when the slope is <16° under static conditions and without a weak interlayer. With a weak interlayer, slopes are stable at <18° in the drained case and at <9° in the undrained case. Earthquake loading can drastically reduce the shear strength of sediment with increased pore water pressure. The slope became unstable at >13° with earthquake peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.5 g; whereas with a weak layer, a PGA of 0.2 g could trigger instability at slopes >10°, and >3° for PGA of 0.5 g. The northern slope of the South China Sea is geomorphologically stable under static conditions. However, because of the possibility of high PGA at the eastern margin of the South China Sea, submarine slides are likely on the Taiwan Bank slope and eastern part of the Dongsha slope. Therefore, submarine slides recognized in seismic profiles on the Taiwan Bank slope would be triggered by an earthquake, the most important factor for triggering submarine slides on the northern slope of the South China Sea. Considering the distribution of PGA, we consider the northern slope of the South China Sea to be stable, excluding the Taiwan Bank slope, which is tectonically active.     

Gravity-driven sedimentation on the northwestern continental slope in the South China Sea: Results from high-resolution seismic data and piston cores

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南海海域数种海藻总脂质及脂肪酸含量的比较

研究南海海域盛产的四种褐藻(海带、裙带菜、昆布和亨氏马尾藻)、三种红藻(紫菜、沙菜和江蓠)及来自南海三个不同海区(南沙、惠来和南澳)亨氏马尾藻的总脂质及脂肪酸含量干重,并重点比较其多不饱和脂肪酸的含量.结果表明,供试褐藻类海藻总脂质含量ω在1.81%～6.11%之间,红藻类海藻的总脂质含量ω在1.44%～3.96%之间;紫菜中含有7.548mg/g(干重,下同)的亚油酸(C182);海带含丰富C181,达5.592mg/g;花生四烯酸(C204)在裙带菜中含量为1.606mg/g;在供试藻种中,昆布的EPA(C20.5)和DHA(C226)含量最高,测定值为608μg/g和689μg/g.     

The regional air-sea coupled oscillation in the South China Sea

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浅谈南海渔业管理对策

南海渔业资源衰退的主要原因是捕捞过度和海洋生态环境破坏。由于海洋生态过程是动力学过程,很多生态因素的变化会相应引起生态过程的变化,同时生态动力学过程的因素又是多方面的,因此南海渔业资源的管理和生产方式应该从过去的开发型管理向着管理型管理方向转变。这种管理方式涉及面较广,必须实施从渔业资源管理、渔业水域管理、渔业水域周围环境管理到加强对渔船与船员管理、捕养并重、健全法制、强化治政队伍与执法力量配置以及开展国际渔业合作等管理措施。