Acoustic tomography for monitoring the Sea of Japan: a pilot experiment

A pilot experiment was conducted in the Sea of Japan (also called the East Sea) in September-October 1999, to assess the possibility of using acoustic tomographic techniques for monitoring water mass structure and dynamics. Acoustic m-sequence signals at various frequencies between 250 and 634 Hz were transmitted from bottom-mounted acoustic sources in shallow water off the coast of Vladivostok to vertical-array receiving systems deployed off the north coast of Ulleung-Do island (S. Korea), 558 km to the south. The data are analyzed for temporal correlation, time spread, and transmission loss and are interpreted in terms of a tomographic system for monitoring the East Sea.     

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.     

朝鲜海峡南部中陆架海侵沙脊在高能环境中的形成和发育

1　地质背景研究区为韩国海南部水深 60 ~ 100 m 的中陆架中部。韩国海南部陆架为构造上稳定、冰后期被淹没的浅水陆架(水深<120 m),陆源碎屑沉积厚。这些厚层沉积物显示了区域倾斜的前积层层理,表明它们为三角洲来源或浅水来源,尤其是晚第四纪沉积形成高频沉积层序,包含了一套与末次海平面循环(< 30 000aBP)相响应的低海面、海侵和高海面沉积(Yooand Park,2000)。低海面和高海面沉积分别位于外陆架和内陆架,而海侵沉积在陆架上分布广。海侵沉积可分为 5 个地层单元(Yoo andPark,2000),包括:①中陆架海侵层;②中陆架沙脊;③横切水道填…     

Wave prediction in the Southern North Sea

Predictions of maximum wave height H_max are made at Cromer, Happisburgh and Lowestoft on the East Anglian Coast using the formula H_max = CK_RK_S U²/g where C is a constant, K_R, K_S are refraction and shoaling cofficients, U is wind speed and g is the acceleration due to gravity. Comparisonsare made with the models of Darbyshire Draper (1963) and Bretschneider (1958) Using this wave prediction formula, an estimate of the wave climate in the southern North Sea is deduced for the gales of 2–3 January 1976.     

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.     

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.     

Creation of the database of monitoring of the Black Sea by using drifters

We consider some specific features of creation of the database according to the results of drifter experiments carried out in the Black Sea in 2001–2006. The general statistical information on all buoy studies in the sea is presented. The criteria used to filter the primary data are suggested. The principles of formation and structuring of the drifter database are presented. As an example, we describe the procedure and the results of comparison of model estimates with the data of contact measurements of the sea-surface temperature by drifting buoys.     

Monitoring meiobenthos using cm-, m- and km-scales in the Southern Bight of the North Sea

Meiobenthos at the mouth of the Grevelingen and Oosterschelde Estuaries in the Southern Bight of the North Sea was monitored using meiobenthic abundance and nematode community structure. Hierarchical sampling included 54 subsamples nested within 18 cores within six stations within two transects. The spatial patterns of the meiofaunal populations and communities are presented in cm-scale (among subsamples), m-scale (among cores), km-scale (among stations) and 10 km-scale (between transects). The variance components analysis of meiofaunal abundances showed that km-scale and 10 km-scale represented 63–90% of total variance while m-scale and cm-scale provided only 10–37%. Different communities were found among stations rather than among cores or subsamples by detrended correspondence analysis ordination and clustering analysis. The main assemblage of meiofauna occurred at the km-scale. Nematode diversity was more powerful than meiofaunal abundance in detecting spatial variation at all scales. However, at least two replicates are required for monitoring when sampling using a 10 cm² subsampling core.     

Estimation of net ecosystem metabolism of seagrass meadows in the coastal waters of the East Sea and Black Sea using the noninvasive eddy covariance technique

We measured the community-scale metabolism of seagrass meadows in Bulgaria (Byala [BY]) and Korea (Hoopo Bay [HP]) to understand their ecosystem function in coastal waters. A noninvasive in situ eddy covariance technique was applied to estimate net O₂ flux in the seagrass meadows. From the high-quality and high-resolution time series O₂ data acquired over > 24 h, the O₂ flux driven by turbulence was extracted at 15-min intervals. The spectrum analysis of vertical flow velocity and O₂ concentration clearly showed well-developed turbulence characteristics in the inertial subrange region. The hourly averaged net O₂ fluxes per day ranged from -474 to 326 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1 (-19 ± 41 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1) at BY and from -74 to 482 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1 (31 ± 17 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1) at HP. The net O₂ production rapidly responded to photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and showed a good relationship between production and irradiance (P-I curve). The hysteresis pattern of P-I relationships during daytime also suggested increasing heterotrophic respiration in the afternoon. With the flow velocity between 3.30 and 6.70 cm s^-1, the community metabolism during daytime and nighttime was significantly increased by 20 times and 5 times, respectively. The local hydrodynamic characteristics may be vital to determining the efficiency of community photosynthesis. The net ecosystem metabolism at BY was estimated to be -17 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1, which was assessed as heterotrophy. However, that at HP was 36 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1, which suggested an autotrophic state.     

黄海南部的溶解无机氮

根据 1998年 5月的调查资料 ,分析并讨论了春季黄海南部海区溶解无机氮的分布特征。结果表明 :( 1)因受长江冲淡水及沿岸流的影响 ,NH+4 - N、NO-2 - N浓度的平面分布基本呈周边高、中央低 ,NO-3 - N的浓度则基本呈长江口外海域高、中北部深水区低的分布规律。 ( 2 )调查海域深水区的溶解无机氮存在明显的层化现象 ,且底层等值线上凸密集。 10 m以浅水体 ,NO-3 - N的浓度分布均匀 ,10 m以深水体 ,NO-3 - N的浓度急剧增加 ,且呈现出随深度增加而增加的趋势 ,NH+4 - N、NO-2 - N浓度的垂直分布比较均匀。 ( 3)黄海南部表层叶绿素 a的浓度呈现周边高、中央低的分布特征。     

Acoustic Propagation Uncertainty in the Shallow East China Sea

Acoustic transmission loss (TL) and supporting ocean environmental data collected during the Asian Seas International Acoustics Experiment (ASIAEX) on June 3, 2001, in the East China Sea (ECS), in a water depth of approximately 100 m are presented. Objectives of the data analysis are to explore the stochastic nature of TL in terms of the mean$(mu_ TL)$and the fluctuations around the mean (as described by the standard deviation$(sigma_ TL)$and higher order statistics). In particular, we conjecture that$mu_ TL$robustly reflects the macrostate of the ocean, including the bottom, whereas uncertainties in TL as measured by$sigma_ TL$are related to the microstate of the ocean, again including the bottom. Comparisons are made to TL data at a similar location, 200 km from the ASIAEX site, in waters of the same depth, by the Harsh Environment Program in September 1997. The TL is shown to be approximately horizontally isotropic with exception to a discrete anisotropic feature likely caused by internal waves. Various mechanisms of uncertainty are discussed to describe the microstate. These were not sufficiently resolved to identify the primary cause of variability.     

南海南部海域的多涡结构

基于美国海军的空间分辨率为0.5°×0.5°月平均的GDEM三维温盐资料,采用P矢量方法,计算了南沙南部海域的三维环流结构。结果表明,南沙南部海域不仅存在多涡结构,而且此多涡结构还存在明显的季节性变化。冬季,存在南沙海槽反气旋式涡、东南沙反气旋式涡和较弱的南沙气旋式涡;夏季,存在南沙反气旋式涡、巴拉望海槽西侧的气旋式涡和东南沙气旋式涡。     

Acoustic monitoring of gas emissions from the seafloor. Part II: a case study from the Sea of Marmara

A rotating, acoustic gas bubble detector, BOB (Bubble OBservatory) module was deployed during two surveys, conducted in 2009 and 2011 respectively, to study the temporal variations of gas emissions from the Marmara seafloor, along the North Anatolian Fault zone. The echosounder mounted on the instrument insonifies an angular sector of 7° during a given duration (of about 1 h). Then it rotates to the next, near-by angular sector and so forth. When the full angular domain is insonified, the “pan and tilt system” rotates back to its initial position, in order to start a new cycle (of about 1 day). The acoustic data reveal that gas emission is not a steady process, with observed temporal variations ranging between a few minutes and 24 h (from one cycle to the other). Echo-integration and inversion performed on the acoustic data as described in the companion paper of Leblond et al. (Mar Geophys Res, 2014), also indicate important variations in, respectively, the target strength and the volumetric flow rates of individual sources. However, the observed temporal variations may not be related to the properties of the gas source only, but reflect possible variations in sea-bottom currents, which could deviate the bubble train towards the neighboring sector. During the 2011 survey, a 4-component ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) was co-located at the seafloor, 59 m away from the BOB module. The acoustic data from our rotating, monitoring system support, but do not provide undisputable evidence to confirm, the hypothesis formulated by Tary et al. (2012), that the short-duration, non-seismic micro-events recorded by the OBS are likely produced by gas-related processes within the near seabed sediments. Hence, the use of a multibeam echosounder, or of several split beam echosounders should be preferred to rotating systems, for future experiments.     

南黄海浮游动物群落结构研究

根据2014年春、秋季南黄海16个站位的生物样品进行了浮游动物群落结构研究。共鉴定出99种浮游动物,其中春季68种,秋季78种。除浮游幼虫外,种类较多的类群是桡足类(34种,占总种类数的34.3%)、水螅水母(13种,13.1%)和端足类(5种,5.0%)。春季优势种为夜光虫(Y=0.259 7)、桡足幼体(Y=0.135 3)、拟长腹剑水蚤(Y=0.060 8)和伪长腹剑水蚤(Y=0.022 4),秋季时桡足幼体(Y=0.335 9)、伪长腹剑水蚤(Y=0.115 7)、强额拟哲水蚤(Y=0.053 3)、桡足类无节幼虫(Y=0.051 4)和拟长腹剑水蚤(Y=0.041 0)是优势种。春季浮游动物平均生物量为1 555.1 mg/m~3,秋季为425.8 mg/m~3。春季平均丰度为9 551.4个/m~3,秋季为2 103.7个/m~3。秋季香农-威纳指数、丰富度和均匀度结果皆比春季的高。浮游动物生物量与温度和水深相关性更高;丰度和温度相关性最高,其次和水深相关。     

Sea level monitoring in Africa

A review is provided of the African sea level dataset, which is limited not only in size, especially given the great length of the African coastline, but also in quality. The review is undertaken primarily from Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) and Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) perspectives, but the conclusions on the need for major new investments in sea level infrastructure are undoubtedly the same as would be arrived at through any other approach. Stations to be installed as part of the Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAfrica) programme are described and a survey of currently existing and planned sea level stations in Africa is presented, together with information on where data for existing stations may be found.     

中国东部边缘海冬季硅酸盐的分布特征及主要来源

利用2007年1～2月的调查资料,分析讨论了中国东部陆架边缘海(南黄海、东海)冬季硅酸盐的分布特征及其主要影响因素。结果表明:近岸海域硅酸盐的高值区位于受长江冲淡水影响的区域;东海的硅酸盐浓度高于南黄海。长江冲淡水和黑潮水是影响东海和南黄海硅酸盐分布的主要因素。黑潮中层水是东海陆架区硅酸盐的主要来源。