Dissolved iron in the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean (CLIVAR SR3 section): Meridional and seasonal trends

We report measurements of dissolved iron (dFe, <0.4 μm) in seawater collected from the upper 300 m of the water column along the CLIVAR SR3 section south of Tasmania in March 1998 (between 42°S and 54°S) and November–December 2001 (between 47°S and 66°S). Results from both cruises indicate a general north-to-south decrease in mixed-layer dFe concentrations, from values as high as 0.76 nM in the Subtropical Front to uniformly low concentrations (<0.1 nM) between the Polar Front and the Antarctic continental shelf. Samples collected from the seasonal sea-ice zone in November–December 2001 provide no evidence of significant dFe inputs from the melting pack ice, which may explain the absence of pronounced ice-edge algal blooms in this sector of the Southern Ocean, as implied by satellite ocean-color images. Our data also allow us to infer changes in the dFe concentration of surface waters during the growing season. South of the Polar Front, a comparison of near-surface with subsurface (150 m depth) dFe concentrations in November–December 2001 suggests a net seasonal biological uptake of at least 0.14–0.18 nM dFe, of which 0.05–0.12 nM is depleted early in the growing season (before mid December). A comparison of our spring 2001 and fall 1998 data indicates a barely discernible seasonal depletion of dFe (0.03 nM) within the Polar Frontal Zone. Further north, most of our iron profiles do not exhibit near-surface depletions, and mixed-layer dFe concentrations are sometimes higher in samples from fall 1998 compared to spring 2001; here, the near-surface dFe distributions appear to be dominated by time-varying inputs of aerosol iron or advection of iron-rich subtropical waters from the north.     

The economics of the Swedish individual transferable quota system: Experiences and policy implications

Sweden and other European Union countries are currently carrying out extensive work aimed at improving the marine and freshwater environment. The adaptive management approaches typically used for this require the development of new policy instruments and measures when needed, but also evaluations of instruments and measures already in use or under way. This paper reports on a study of the Swedish individual transferable quota system introduced in 2009 for the pelagic fishery. The new system was motivated mainly by economic arguments and, thus, the need to get incentives right. Despite this, the design of the Swedish system weakened the intended incentive effects in several ways, compared with the foreign systems that served as models. Moreover, the information needed for future evaluations was not collected, even though the need for future evaluations had been expressed explicitly and the data needs for this could be identified at the time that the system was introduced.     

Ocean basins near the Scotia–Antarctic plate boundary: Influence of tectonics and paleoceanography on the Cenozoic deposits

The distribution of seismic units in deposits of the basins near the Antarctic–Scotia plate boundary is described based on the analysis of multichannel seismic reflection profiles. Five main seismic units are identified. The units are bounded by high-amplitude continuous reflectors, named a to d from top to bottom. The two older units are of different age and seismic facies in each basin and were generally deposited during active rifting and seafloor spreading. The three youngest units (3 to 1) exhibit, in contrast, rather similar seismic facies and can be correlated at a regional scale. The deposits are types of contourite drift that resulted from the interplay between the northeastward flow of Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) and the complex bathymetry in the northern Weddell Sea, and from the influence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the WSBW in the Scotia Sea. A major paleoceanographic event was recorded by Reflector c, during the Middle Miocene, which represents the connection between the Scotia Sea and the Weddell Sea after the opening of Jane Basin. Unit 3 (tentatively dated ∼Middle to Late Miocene) shows the initial incursions of the WSBW into the Scotia Sea, which influenced a northward progradational pattern, in contrast to the underlying deposits. The age attributed to Reflector b is coincident with the end of spreading at the West Scotia Ridge (∼6.4 Ma). Unit 2 (dated ∼Late Miocene to Early Pliocene) includes abundant high-energy, sheeted deposits in the northern Weddell Sea, which may reflect a higher production of WSBW as a result of the advance of the West Antarctic ice-sheet onto the continental shelf. Reflector a represents the last major regional paleoceanographic change. The timing of this event (∼3.5–3.8 Ma) coincides with the end of spreading at the Phoenix–Antarctic Ridge, but may be also correlated with global events such as initiation of the permanent Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet and a major sea level drop. Unit 1 (dated ∼Late Pliocene to Recent) is characterized by abundant chaotic, high-energy sheeted deposits, in addition to a variety of contourites, which suggest intensified deep-water production. Units 1 and 2 show, in addition, a cyclic pattern, more abundant wavy deposits and the development of internal unconformities, all of which attest to alternating periods of increased bottom current energy.     

Impact of drifting icebergs on surface phytoplankton biomass in the Southern Ocean: Ocean colour remote sensing and in situ iceberg tracking

Icebergs that calve from the Antarctic ice shelves and drift in the Southern Ocean melt to deliver fresh water, dust and minerogenic particles to the surface ocean along the iceberg's path. Each of these components may have an effect on growth conditions for phytoplankton, as might the mechanical effects of the iceberg keel disturbing the water. Although anecdotal and small-scale surveys suggest that drifting icebergs increase local primary production, no large-scale studies have been reported. An analysis of satellite and automated iceberg tracking data from the Weddell Sea, covering the months October to March, from 1999 to 2004, showed that the probability of increased surface phytoplankton biomass was up to one-third higher in the wake of a tracked iceberg compared to background biomass fluctuations. Only during the month of February were the effects of icebergs on surface biomass likely to be negative, whereas background biomass fluctuations were likely to be negative during March. These results confirm icebergs as a factor affecting phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean and highlight the need for detailed process studies so that responses to future changes in the Antarctic ice sheets may be predicted.     

从溺谷湾到三角洲:现代珠江三角洲形成演变研究辨析

现代珠江三角洲经历了从溺谷湾到三角洲的形成演变,富有区域特色.本文提出百余年来珠江三角洲的研究可归纳为4种范式:历史描述、实地考察-学术推理、器测-学科理论和"动力-沉积-地貌"跨尺度范式,各以范例说明.基于笔者及其团队研究,对现有文献关于珠江三角洲形成演变若干重要观点提出不同意见并从多视角作必要辨析,包括:海侵盛期以...