Water masses in the northern South China Sea

Using the fuzzy clustering as the principal method, eight water masses in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) are distinguished. They are Alongshore Diluted Water Mass (F), Nearshore Mixed Water Mass (M), Warm Surface Water Mass(WS), Surface Water Mass(S), Surface-Subsurface Mixed Water Mass(SU), Subsurface Water Mass (U), Subsurface-Intermediate Water Mass (UI) and Intermediate Water Mass (1). A synthertic study is made on the formations, basic properties and modified characters of each water mass and the regularities of their disributions and growth and decline variations . They may be classified into three types; the type of runoff-diluted water (F). the type of shallow sea-modified water (M, WS. S. and SU) and the type of deep sea-oceanic water (U, UI, and I).     

Standing stock and community structure of photosynthetic picoplankton in the northern South China Sea

1 Introduction Forthe lastm ore than 20 a,ow ing to the develop-m ent of observation and experim ent technologies form arine m icroorganism s,m arine biologistshave discov-ered m any m icroorganism s w hich are difficult to beobserved by com m on m icroscope before. T hus, thecognition to the m arine phytoplankton com m unitiesand the structure of food chains has achieved im por-tantprogress.E specially,w ith the developm entand ap-plication of epifluorescence m icroscopy and flow cy-tom etry…     

The distribution characteristics of clay minerals in the northern South China Sea

The clay minearals are composed of illite, chlorite, kaolinite, montmorillonite and mixed-layer minerals in the submarine sediments of the northern South China Sea. Three types of clay mineral zone can be recognized on the basis of the distributive regularity of clay minerals, submarine relief, hydrodynamic conditions and depositional characteristics in this region. Apart from the northern mainland source, kaolinites carried from the Philippines volcanic arc in the east and Malaysia in the south are also assumed to be one of the sources of the clay minerals in the deep sea. The increase of chlorites to the abyssal direction in the west of 116° E might be associated with the residual chlorites carried from the ancient Zhujiang River during the glacial period and the conversion of kaolinite into chlorite submarine volcanoes appear to be one of the sources of the increment of montmorillonite and chlorite around the Huangyan Island. From the distribution pattern of clay minerals in the whole area, it is kn     

Origin and anatomy of two different types of mass–transport complexes: A 3D seismic case study from the northern South China Sea margin

Integration of 2D and 3D seismic data from the Qiongdongnan Basin along the northwestern South China Sea margin has enabled the seismic stratigraphy, seismic geomorphology and emplacement mechanisms of eight separate, previously undocumented, mass–transport complexes (MTCs) to be characterized. These eight MTCs can be grouped into two types:(1) Localized detached MTCs, which are confined to submarine canyons and cover hundreds of km², consist of a few tens of km³ remobilized sediments and show long striations at their base. They resulted from small-scale mass-wasting processes induced by regional tectonic events and gravitational instabilities on canyon margins.(2) Regional attached MTCs, which occur within semi-confined or unconfined settings and are distributed roughly perpendicular to the strike of the regional slope. Attached MTCs occupy hundreds to thousands of km² and are composed of tens to hundreds of km³ of remobilized sediments. They contain headwall escarpments, translated blocks, remnant blocks, pressure ridges, and basal striations and cat-claw grooves. They were created by large-scale mass-wasting processes triggered by high sedimentation rates, slope oversteepening by shelf-edge deltas, and seismicity.Our results show that MTCs may act as both lateral and top seals for underlying hydrocarbon reservoirs and could create MTC-related stratigraphic traps that represent potential drilling targets on continental margins, helping to identify MTC-related hydrocarbon traps.     

Multi-proxy reconstructions of hydrological changes from continental shelf sediments in the northern South China Sea during the interval 9200–6200 cal a BP

Past hydroclimatic conditions in southern China are poorly constrained owing to the lack of high-resolution marine-sediment records. In this study, we present high-resolution geochemical and grain-size records of marine sediments from the coastal shelf of the northern South China Sea to investigate regional hydrological variations.Results suggest a warm and humid climate during the interval 9 200–7 600 cal a BP, followed by a cold and dry climate from 7 600 cal a BP to 6 500 cal a BP, and progre...     

Ecological characteristics of Ostracoda in the South Huanghai Sea and East China Sea

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Application of method of fuzzy sets to the analysis of water masses in the northern South China Sea

Some methods of fuzzy sels are applied to the analysis of water masses in the north area of the South China Sea. In distinguishing water masses with the fuzzy clustering method, the authors propose a fuzzy similar relation based on Euclidean distance, and suggest a method for determining the number of water masses by the F-test, and further adjust rationally the boundaries of water masses and the membership relation of samples by the elastic classification method. Eight water masses are distinguished in the area, i.e., Nearshore Diluted Water F, Nearshore Mixed Water M, Warm Surface Water WS, Surface Water S, Surface-Subsurface Mixed Water SU, Subsurface Water U, Subsurface-Intermediate Mixed Water UI and Intermediate Water I. These point-sets of various water masseson the (?)-S diagram may be summed up in three types, that is, the deformed elliptical convexpoint-set, the half-boundless convex point-set and the point-set with single-side concave. For them, we have proposed methods of making their member     

On a new Siphonophora from the East China Sea and South China Sea

In the course of identifying the samples of Siphonophora from the East China Sea and South China Sea, a new Siphonophora, Vogtia microsticella sp. nov. , was noted. The new species is distinguished from other five species in the genus in nectophore as follows: Parahorse-shoe shaped with five bluntly rounded projections, the two projections below the ostium, i. e. the basal projections, approach each other. The dorsal facet is smooth without any gelatinous prominence. Smaller are the nectosac and the ostium.     

Experience on offshore cathodic protection retrofitting in the northern South China Sea

Platforms Ⅰ and Ⅱ are steel structures located in offshore areas southeast of the Zhujiang(Pearl) River Delta, the northern South China Sea, in about 110 m water depth. The jackets, with aluminum sacrificial anodes for cathodic protection (CP) of the immersed zone, were launched in March 1995. In May 1996 a CP survey showed that, after almost one year of service, a low polarization level had been achieved and some extended unprotected zones existed, mainly in the deepest part of the Platform Ⅱ. Further to this, a joint activity was decided in order to assess the need of a possible retrofitting of the CP systems. The results of the activity carried out are dealt with, including technical and economical comparisons amongst several retrofitting options, both with sacrificial anodes and with impressed current systems. The adopted solution is illustrated and data are reported on the level of protection presently achieved.     

Distribution and ecological aspects of the Siphonophora in the middle of South China Sea

This paper reports species composition, horizontal distribution and seasonal variation of total individual and dominant species of the Siphonophora and their relationship to the environmental factors. Materials from the water layers within 0～200 m were collected during the periods of September, 1983, April and May, July and August, and December, 1984 in the study region (12°-19°30′N, 111°-118°E, Fig. 1).     

Seasonality of interannual atmosphere–ocean interaction in the South China Sea

The present study documents the atmosphere–ocean interaction in interannual variations over the South China Sea (SCS). The atmosphere–ocean relationship displays remarkable seasonality and regionality, with an atmospheric forcing dominant in the northern and central SCS during the local warm season, and an oceanic forcing in the northern SCS during the local cold season. During April–June, the atmospheric impact on the sea surface temperature (SST) change is characterized by a prominent cloud-radiation effect in the central SCS, a wind-evaporation effect in the central and southern SCS, and a wind-driven oceanic effect along the west coast. During November–January, regional convection responds to the SST forcing in the northern SCS through modulation of the low-level convergence and atmospheric stability. Evaluation of the precipitation–SST and precipitation–SST tendency correlation in 24 selected models from CMIP5 indicates that the simulated atmosphere–ocean relationship varies widely among the models. Most models have the worst performance in spring. On average, the models simulate better the atmospheric forcing than the oceanic forcing. Improvements are needed for many models before they can be used to understand the regional atmosphere–ocean interactions in the SCS region.     

Basic characteristics and forming mechanism of the sharp thermocline in the Bohai Sea, Huanghai Sea and northern East China Sea

- On the basis of the fact that the sharp thermocHne in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai Sea is often distributed in the deep valley areas, it has been long thought that the reason of the formation of the sharp thermocHne is that the cold water can be easily kept in valleys. But recent investigations carried out in the southern Huanghai Sea in summer show that all of the sharp thermocHne areas were distributed in the shallow sloping-bottom areas but not in the deep valley areas. Only in autumn would the sharp thermoclines translate to the deep valley areas. In summer, they are characterized by shallow upper mixing layer and thin thickness in the southern Huanghai Sea. In addition to entrainment coming from lower boundary of upper mixing layer the entrainment from upper border of bottom homogeneous layer induced by tidal mixing also plays an important role in the growth and decay of thermoclines in these seas.     

Polychaete community structure in the South Eastern Arabian Sea continental margin (200–1000 m)

Macrofaunal polychaete communities (>500 µm) in the South Eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) continental margin (200–1000 m) are described, based on three systematic surveys carried out in 9 transects (at ~200 m, 500 m and 1000 m) between 7°00′and 14°30′N latitudes. A total of 7938 polychaetes belonging to 195 species were obtained in 136 grab samples collected at 27 sites. Three distinct assemblages were identified in the northern part of the SEAS margin (10–14°30′N), occupying the three sampled depth strata (shelf edge, upper and mid-slope) and two assemblages (shelf edge and slope) in the south (7–10°N). Highest density of polychaetes and dominance of a few species were observed in the shelf edge, where the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) impinged on the seafloor, particularly in the northern transects. The resident fauna in this region (Cossura coasta, Paraonis gracilis, Prionospio spp. and Tharyx spp.) were characteristically of smaller size, and well suited to thrive in the sandy sediments in OMZ settings. Densities were lowest along the most northerly transect (T9), where dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were extremely low (<0.15 ml l⁻¹, i.e.<6.7 μmol l⁻¹). Beyond the realm of influence of the OMZ (i.e. mid-slope, ~1000 m), the faunal density decreased while species diversity increased. The relative proportion of silt increased with depth, and the dominance of the aforementioned species decreased, giving way to forms such as Paraprionospio pinnata, Notomastus sp., Eunoe sp. and lumbrinerids. Relatively high species richness and diversity were observed in the sandy sediments of the southern sector (7–9°N), where influence of the OMZ was less intense. The area was also characterized by certain species (e.g. Aionidella cirrobranchiata, Isolda pulchella) that were nearly absent in the northern region. The gradients in DO concentration across the core and lower boundary of the OMZ, along with bathymetric and latitudinal variation in sediment texture, were responsible for differences in polychaete size and community structure on the SEAS margin. Spatial and temporal variations were observed in organic matter (OM) content of the sediment, but these were not reflected in the density, diversity or distribution pattern of the polychaetes.     

Identification of biomarkers of cores from the South China Sea

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The continental shelf wave of the East China Sea and its effect on the Kuroshio

The free shelf wave theory is applied to the practical case of the continental shelf in the East China Sea to analyse the effects of the shelf wave on the Kuroshio. The results indicate that the shelf wave in lower frequency travels from north to south and its phase velocity is proportional to the Kuroshio's current velocity) the maximum current velocity of the Kuroshio lies at the continental margin. The analytical solutions obtained indicate that the hydrodynamic characters of the sea region over the shelf present band structure. The horizontal motion ( x -component) caused by the shelf wave at the margin may be one of the causes for generating wavy pattern of the Kuroshio's axis .     

Seasonal variation and formation mechanism of the South China Sea warm water

The South China Sea warm water (SCSWW) is identified as the warm water body withtemperature no less than 28℃ . There are three stages in the seasonal variation of the SCSWW. The SCSWW expands rapidly and deepens quickly in the developing stage. The warm water thickness decreases near the coast of Vietnam and increases near Palawan Island in the steady stage. The SCSWW flinches southward while its thickness off Palawan Island remains no less than 50 m in the flinching stage. The maximum thickness of the SCSWW is always located near the southeastern SCS. The seasonal variation of the SCSWW has a close relationship with seasonal variation of the thermocline. According to the analysis of the numerical experiment results from the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), the mechanism of the seasonal variation of the SCSWW can be interpreted as: (1) in the developing stage, the rapidly expanding and thickening feature of the SCSWW is mainly due to buoyancy flux effect (67% contribution). The weak wind and anticyclonic wi     

Abnormality of the monsoon wind in the sea area along the southeastern coast of China and the response of the northern area of the South China Sea during the ENSO events

Variations of monsoon wind field in the sea area along the southeastern coast of China during the ENSO events and its influence on the sea level and sea surface temperature (SST) are explored mainly on the basis of the data of monthly mean wind at 850 hPa and five coastal stations during 1973-1987. The results from the analyses of the data and theoretical estimation show that the southwest wind anomalies appeared in the study area during the events, and northeast wind anomalies occurred in general before the events. With the coastline of the area being parallel basically to the direction of the wind, an Ekman transport will result in an accumulation of the water near the coast or a departure of the water from the coast. As a result , the sea level and SST there will be affected markedly. During the events, southwest wind will intensify in the summer, and northeast wind will weaken in the winter. Their total effect is that a large negative anomaly of the sea level and SST will occur. The estimations indi     

Distribution of dominant species and abundance of nannofossils in surface sediments of the central and northern parts of the South China Sea——Comparison and discussion

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Geochemical evolution of Oligocene–Middle Miocene sediments in the deep-water area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

The deep-water area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea has received much scientific attention since the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 184 in 1999 due to its potential economic prospects and distinct tectono-sedimentary evolutionary processes. In this study, we present the composition of major and trace elements from two newly sampled deep-water boreholes (BY6 and LW3) in the Baiyun Sag of the southern Pearl River Mouth Basin. The geochemical evolution in the Oligocene–Middle Miocene, as well as potential controlling factors, are investigated based on a comparative study with previous data from ODP site 1148 and borehole PY33. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and A–CN–K plot reveal that the observed weathering trends are not compatible for the four discussed boreholes. Sedimentary sorting is primarily observed in borehole PY33, where data trend away from the A apex to the feldspar join in the A–CN–K plot and show a spread of Al₂O₃/SiO₂ and Nb/Zr ratios. Compared to chemical weathering and hydrodynamic sorting, provenance has a greater impact on sediment composition of the deep-water area. From the north, the Pearl River was the primary sediment supply. However, a positive Eu anomaly and the provenance discrimination diagrams (i.e., La/Th versus Th/Yb and Zr/Co versus Th/Co) reveal the mafic nature of borehole BY6 sediments in the Zhuhai–Lower Zhujiang (32.0–18.5 Ma) and Upper Hanjiang (13.8–10.5 Ma) formations. These compositions are unusual and differ from the well-defined felsic sources in the majority of the Baiyun Sag; these discrepancies are likely related to multistage magmatism. The sediments at site 1148 are characterized by slightly enriched heavy rare earth elements and relatively high Zr/Co ratios, which could possibly be caused by zircon enrichment from local sources.