Temporal and spatial variabilities of Japan Sea surface temperature and atmospheric forcings

In this study, we used the National Centers for Environmental Prediction monthly sea surface temperature (SST) and surface air temperature (SAT) data during 1982–1994 and the National Center for Atmospheric Research surface wind stress curl data during 1982–1989 to investigate the Japan Sea SST temporal and spatial variabilities and their relations to atmospheric forcing. First, we found an asymmetry in the correlation coefficients between SST and wind stress curl, which implies that the SST variability at the scales of the order of one month is largely due to atmospheric forcing. Second, we performed three analyses on the data fields: annual mean, composite analysis to obtain the monthly anomaly relative to the annual mean, and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on the residue data relative to the summation of the annual mean and the monthly anomaly. The first EOF mode of SST accounts for 59.9% of the variance and represents the Subpolar Front. The temporal variation of the first EOF mode implies that the deep Japan Sea could be cooler in cold seasons (November–April) of 1984–1987. Third, we computed cross-correlation coefficients among various principal components and found that the atmospheric warming/cooling is the key factor causing intra-seasonal and interannual SST variabilities.     

Relationship between the anomalies of temperature and air pressure over the ocean

This paper considers the relationship between multi-year air temperature and pressure fluctuations over the ocean, based on an approximate solution of the problem on the determination of large-scale seawater temperature anomalies from the conditions predominating at the sea surface. The dependence derived is numerically analysed using observations made in the North Atlantic. It is shown that the variability of annual mean air temperature anomalies is largely controlled by the air pressure field which has taken place during the preceding long-term period. The dependence derived may be applied to generate long-term forecasts of the ocean's hydrometeorological regime.Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Sinking fluxes of particulate U-Th radionuclides in the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

A record of radionuclide fluxes at a deep marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific Ocean (39°40′N 132°24′ E, Japan Basin, East Sea/Sea of Japan) was obtained from analysis of a 1-year continuous collection of sediment-trap samples. The trap was placed at a depth of 2800 m, 500 m above the sea floor, and the samples were recovered at the end of one year. Concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, ²³²Th, ²³⁰Th and ²²⁸Th were measured in the trapped material. All of the radionuclide fluxes showed seasonal variations that were in phase with the variations in total particle flux, which were shown in earlier work to be closely tied to the primary production in the surface water. The formation of authigenic ²³⁸U appears to be less than in other open ocean regimes. The residence time of particulate thorium isotopes were of the order of a year, resulting in an average settling rate of a meter per day. Comparison of the measured ²³⁰Th_ex flux with that of the theoretical production in the overlying water column yielded about 40% surplus of ²³⁰Th, indicating that lateral advection contributes ²³⁰Th to this sampling site.     

Relationship between the upper boundary of the H2S zone and the respective isopycnic surface in the Black Sea with the index of atmospheric circulations

On the basis of the measurements collected by MHI and other scientific institutions during expeditions in various parts of the Black Sea and in various seasons, the variability of the upper boundary of the hydrogen sulphide zone and the respective isopycnic surface is considered, as well as the relationship between the latter parameters and the index of atmospheric circulation. Correlation between the studied processes in the Black Sea and atmosphere has been found to be very high. Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

北冰洋中心区海冰漂流与大气过程

利用北冰洋中心区漂流自动气象站(DAWS)2012年9月—2013年2月的观测数据,分析了北极点周围海冰漂流轨迹和速度及相关大气过程。结果显示,北冰洋中心区海冰具有不稳定漂流过程。2012年9月1日—2013年1月6日,DAWS所在海冰从西向西北方向漂流,2013年1月6日以后稳定地向东南方向漂流,平均移速为0.06m/s,最大达到0.4m/s。海冰漂流方向的突变和加速与穿极气旋和急流的影响有关。净辐射常出现短期突变过程,导致海冰从大气吸收能量,减缓了海冰的辐射冷却。爆发性增温过程的最大幅度达到30℃,是由强穿极气旋和伴随的暖湿气流向北极中心区输送引起,这种现象在中低纬度十分罕见。增温过程的作用是高空大气向冰面输送热量,导致海冰破裂,海冰硬度的脆变,减缓海冰厚度的增长,这种过程可能是北极海冰面积和厚度减少重要过程。     

Mathematical modeling of the terrigenous sedimentation in the Sea of Azov

Based on balance calculations with the use of a spatially detailed mathematical model for transport and sedimentation of the particulate matter adjusted to the conditions of the Sea of Azov, particular spatiotemporal features of the terrigenous sedimentation in the second half of the 20th century are recognized. The general tendency for the deceleration of the accumulation of terrigenous sediments and for the decrease in the areas with a negative balance of the terrigenous matter is related to the 2.5-fold fall in the volumes of the matter supplied from land. During the period considered, the intensity of the sedimentation decreased from 1000 to 400 g/m²/year. The accumulation of terrigenous sediments proceeds in the regions where the sources of the matter supply are concentrated and where features of the bottom morphology and hydrodynamical activity are favorable for the sedimentation: in Taganrog and Temryuk bays. In the central part of the sea, the intensity of the sedimentation comprises a value of about 300 g/m²/year. In Taganrog Bay and in the sea proper, areas with a negative balance of terrigenous sedimentary matter increased up to 30%.     

Temperature fluctuations in the atmospheric surface layer over the thermally inhomogeneous underlying surface

The influence of both spatial and temporal temperature inhomogeneities of the underlying surface on the temperature field in an unstably stratified atmospheric surface layer is considered. The methods of correlation and spectral analyses are proposed to estimate statistical characteristics of surface-air temperature fluctuations caused by both turbulent mixing and inhomogeneities in the temperature of the underlying surface. Analysis of experimental data obtained from measurements in the atmospheric surface layer yields estimates for the contribution made by the time-dependent thermal properties of the underlying surface to the total variance of air-temperature fluctuations. It is shown that the additional air-temperature fluctuations generated by surface-temperature inhomogeneities and unrelated to shear flow may reach 70% and 30% of the total variance of measured fluctuations under variable cloudiness and clear skies, respectively. For the height z = 2 m within the wave-number range 2 × 10^?3 rad m^?1 < k < 0.1 rad m^?1, the contribution made by a spatial surface-temperature inhomogeneity to the variance of air-temperature fluctuations does not exceed 10% of the total variance. Correlation and spectral analyses of experimental data make it possible to isolate the spectra of properly turbulent fluctuations from the measured fluctuations and thus to obtain more accurate values of the universal function of similarity theory for temperature in the range of small wave numbers beyond the inertial range.     

Sequential forecasting of the surface and subsurface conditions in the Japan Sea

This study estimates a realistic change of the Japan Sea by assimilating satellite measurements into an eddy-resolving circulation model. Suboptimal but feasible assimilation schemes of approximate filtering and nudging play essential roles in the system. The sequential update of error covariance significantly outperforms the asymptotic covariance in the sequential assimilation due to the irregular sampling patterns from multiple altimeter satellites. The best estimates show an average rms difference of only 1.2°C from the radiometer data, and also explain about half of the sea level variance measured by the altimeter observation. The subsurface conditions associated with the mesoscale variabilities are also improved, especially in the Tsushima Warm Current region. It is demonstrated that the forecast limit strongly depends on variable, depth, and location.     

Methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide concentrations measured in the atmospheric surface layer over continental Russia in the TROICA experiments

The principal statistical regularities typical of the behaviors of the CH₄, CO, and CO₂ concentrations in the atmospheric surface layer over the continental Russian territory are revealed from the measurements performed in 1997–2004 along the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Khabarovsk with a mobile laboratory. The data obtained under the conditions of the atmosphere free of anthropogenic pollutants are analyzed. For near-background conditions, the typical continental methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide concentrations and characteristic features of their large-scale spatial distributions and daily variations, including those caused by surface inversions, are determined. Variations in the concentrations of these trace gases over industrial regions are analyzed. Our results are compared to the data obtained at background stations of the world network of atmospheric monitoring and to the data of a numerical simulation.     

A Mesocyclone over the Northern Sea of Japan in February 2013

Oceanology - The article considers a particular event in the influence of a mesoscale cyclone (MC) on the northern Sea of Japan on February 10–11, 2013. The passage of the MC was accompanied...     

Modeling the effects of atmospheric nitrogen input on biological production in the Japan Sea

The effects of atmospheric nitrogen input on biological production in the Japan Sea have been investigated using a coupled physical-ecosystem model. Comparison between the cases with and without nitrogen deposition shows a relatively large effect on primary production in the southern Japan Sea during summer to autumn, when nitrogen deposition is high and nutrient is depleted in the surface layer. The atmospheric nitrogen deposition supports > 10% of the annual export production in the nearshore region along the Japanese coast. The importance of atmospheric input as a new nutrient will grow steadily with increasing deposition into the Japan Sea.     

Exchange fluxes of nutrients between sediment and sea water in the Bohai Sea

IrocrIowThere is a linkage in shallow marine systerns between sea-noor biOgaxhemical pmeessesand water column pnductivity (Bereson et al., l998). Benthic fluxes provide a significantsource of nutrients to the overlying water tO supPOrt primary pnduction and play a role in de-.creasing oxygen concentrations (van et al., l999; Cowan and Boynton, l996; Berelson etal., 1998; Friedl et al., l998; Zabel et al., l998). TherefOre, it is imPOrtant to define theediment di8genetic pathways for the …     

Seasonal variations in methane concentrations and diffusive fluxes in the Curonian and Vistula lagoons,Baltic Sea

Expected seasonal variations in methane concentrations and diffusive fluxes from surficial sediments into near-bottom waters were investigated in autumn 2012 and winter 2013 in the Curonian and Vistula lagoons of the Baltic Sea, expanding on earlier findings for summer 2011. Methane concentrations in bottom sediments (upper ca. 2 cm) generally ranged from ca. 1 to 1,000 μmol/dm³, and in near-bottom waters from ca. 0 to 1 μmol/l. Highest concentrations were found in the Curonian Lagoon, plausibly explained by the influence of freshwater conditions and finer-grained, organic-rich sediments. Vistula Lagoon methane concentrations and fluxes are dampened by periodic saline water inflow from the open sea, intensifying sulphate reduction. Calculated diffusive methane fluxes from the upper sediment layer (usually 0–5 cm, i.e. excluding any fluffy layer) into near-bottom waters were highest—2.48 mmol/(m² day)—in clayey silts of the Curonian Lagoon in autumn (September) 2012, contrasting strongly with the minimum value of 0.002 mmol/(m² day) observed there in February 2013 under ice-covered conditions. Seasonal and even weekly variations in methane dynamics can be largely explained by two main drivers, i.e. wind and temperature, operating at various spatiotemporal scales via, for example, wind wave-induced resuspension of bottom sediments, and involving regional weather patterns including autumnal low-pressure zones over the Gulf of Gdansk.     

Relationship between Composition of Settling Particles and Organic Carbon Flux in the Western North Pacific and the Japan Sea

Settling particles play an important role in transporting organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. It is known that major components of settling particles are biogenic silicates (opal), biogenic carbonate (CaCO₃), lithogenic clays and organic matter. Since each component aggregates and/or takes in organic carbon, all of these components have the ability to transport particulate organic carbon (POC) to the interior of the ocean. In this study, sediment trap experiments were carried out in four areas of the western North Pacific (including a marginal sea). Factors are proposed that correlate the composition of settling particles with POC flux. Annual mean organic carbon fluxes at 1 km depth in the western North Pacific Basin, Japan Sea, Hidaka Basin and northern Japan Trench were found to be 14.9, 18.1, 13.0 and 6.6 mg/m²/day, respectively. Organic carbon flux in the western North Pacific was greater than that in the Eastern North Pacific (7.4), the Equatorial Pacific (4.2), the Southern Ocean (5.8) and the Eastern North Atlantic (1.8). In the western North Pacific, it was calculated that 52% of POC was carried by opal particles. Opal is known to be a major component even in the Eastern North Pacific and the Southern Ocean, and the opal fluxes in these areas are similar to those in the western North Pacific. However, the organic carbon flux that was carried by opal particles (OC_opalflux) in the western North Pacific was greater than that in the Eastern North Pacific and the Southern Ocean. These results indicate that the ability of opal particles to transport POC to the deep ocean in the western North Pacific is greater than that in the other areas.     

南海夏季风爆发与南海热含量异常特征的相关分析

通过利用1958—2007年SODA月平均海温资料、1958—2008年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料以及1974—2008年NOAA卫星月平均OLR资料,分析了南海季风与南海上层海洋热含量之间的可能关系,发现南海夏季风爆发早晚与前冬南海上层海洋热含量存在显著的负相关,即当冬季南海上层海洋热含量偏高(低)时,次年南海夏季风爆发早(晚)。进一步对南海夏季风爆发异常年前期及前冬南海东部热含量异常年的相关大气环流特征分析后发现,南海夏季风爆发偏早和偏晚年前期的OLR特征、对流层环流特征及位势高度场分别与前冬南海东部热含量异常偏高和偏低年相一致。得出冬季南海东部热含量偏高(低)时,OLR在赤道东印度洋至我国南海及菲律宾以东为负(正)距平,南海地区对流加强(减弱);在纬向方向上,大气环流特征表现为正(负)的Walker距平环流,低纬Walker环流发展(减弱);在经向方向上,南海地区南北向局地Hadley环流加强(减弱);次年初春(3—4月)500hPa位势高度场在西太平洋副热带高压区总体为负(正)距平,副热带高压偏弱(强)。因此有(不)利于南海夏季风的早爆发。南海和西太平洋暖池区热含量异常都通过对流作用影响其上空大尺度...     

Linkage between winter air temperature over the subtropical Western Pacific and the ice extent anomaly in the Sea of Okhotsk

This study deals with the correlation between ice extent in the Sea of Okhotsk and the interannual variability of winter (December–February) air temperature over the subtropical Western Pacific from 1979 to 2008. The analysis indicates that the increase in sea ice extent coincides not only with cooling over the Sea of Okhotsk and the adjacent area, but also with significant warming over the subtropical Western Pacific that extends from the surface to the middle troposphere. This meridional dipole pattern of tropospheric temperature anomalies (cooling in the high latitudes and warming in the low latitudes) primarily results from dynamical processes driven by the large-scale atmospheric circulation change. A heat budget diagnosis reveals that when ice extent in the Sea of Okhotsk increases by one standard deviation, the tropospheric air temperature over the subtropical Western Pacific rises by about 0.25°C. It also suggests that the adiabatic heating and stationary eddy heat flux convergence may be the most important factors, which account for 30 and 15% of the warming, respectively. In addition, these two factors also coordinate to result in significant cooling over the Sea of Okhotsk and the adjacent regions.     

Carbon dioxide in surface seawaters of the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

Observations were made of time variations of carbon dioxide in seawater, pCO₂, and in the atmosphere, PCO₂, in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. The pCO₂ data showed well defined diurnal variation; high values at nighttime and low values during daylight hours. The pCO₂ correlated negatively with dissolved oxygen. These results denote that the diurnal variation of pCO₂ is associated with effects of photoplankton's activity in seawater. The pCO₂ measured in the Seto Inland Sea showed higher values than the PCO₂ during June to November, denoting transport of carbon dioxide from the sea surface to the atmosphere, and lower values during December to May, denoting transport of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the sea surface. The exchange rates of carbon dioxide were calculated using working formula given by Andriéet al. (1986). The results showed that the Seto Inland Sea gained carbon dioxide of 1.0 m-mol m^–2 d^–1 from the atmosphere in March and lost 1.7 m-mol m^–2 d^–1 to the atmosphere in August.     

东、黄海沉积物-水界面营养盐交换速率的研究

2000年10月和2001年5月随“东方红2号”考察船在东、黄海进行考察,在A2、E2、E4、E5、E65个站位作了培养实验,研究沉积物-水界面在氧化和还原条件下的交换通量。在东海海域,NO3-、PO43-、总磷(TDP)由水向沉积物中扩散,NH4 、SiO32-由沉积物向水中扩散,NO3-、TDP、NH4 在还原条件下的交换通量大于氧化条件下的交换通量,PO43-、SiO32-在氧化还原条件下的交换通量基本一致。在黄海海域,两站位各溶解态营养盐的迁移方向有较大差异。在距离陆地较近的海域,各溶解态营养盐多由水中向沉积物中扩散,且距离陆地越近,交换通量越大。在东、黄海海域,沉积物释放的SiO32-对初级生产力的贡献分别为13%、10%~18%,与河流输送和大气沉降相比,沉积物对黄海、东海SiO32-的贡献分别占90%、86%,说明沉积物是SiO32-的源。而在整个东、黄海海域,对于溶解无机氮(DIN)和PO43-来说,它们的交换通量为负值,即沉积物从水体中吸附溶解无机氮和磷,说明沉积物是DIN和PO43-的汇。     

Sedimentary matter fluxes in the contour current sedimentation system over the continental slope of the Norwegian Sea

The sedimentation system of the bottom contour current over the continental slope of Bear Island in the Norwegian Sea is considered. The nepheloid layer that provides the high horizontal flux of sedimentary material represents the main source of matter for the bottom sediments. The vertical particulate matter flux is largely formed in the nepheloid layer; the flux from higher layers of the water column is insignificant. Horizontal and vertical fluxes of sedimentary matter show a positive correlation. The flux of the matter from the bottom sediment into the nepheloid matter and the residence time of particles in the latter are estimated.