Climatic variability in the vicinity of Wallis,Futuna, and Samoa islands (13°–15° S, 180°–170° W)

Mean conditions, seasonal, and ENSO-related (El Niño Southern Oscillation) variability in the vicinity of Wallis, Futuna, and Samoa islands (13°–15° S, 180°–170° W) over the 1973–1995 period are analysed for wind pseudo-stress, satellite-derived and in situ precipitation, sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS), sea level, and 0–450 m temperature and geostrophic current. The mean local conditions reflect the presence of the large scale features such as the western Pacific warm pool, the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), and the South Pacific anticyclonic gyre. The seasonal changes are closely related to the meridional migrations of the SPCZ, which passes twice a year over the region of study. During the warm phase of ENSO (El Niño), we generally observe saltier-than-average SSS (of the order of 0.4), consistent with a rainfall deficit (0.4 m yr⁻¹), a hint of colder-than-average surface temperature is also identified in subsurface (0.3°C), a weak tendency for westward geostrophic current anomalies (2 cm s⁻¹ at the surface), a sea level decrease (5–10 cm), together with easterly (5 m²s⁻²) and well marked southerly (10 m²s⁻²) wind pseudo-stress anomalies. Anomalies of similar magnitude, but of opposite sign, are detected during the cold phase of ENSO (La Niña). While these ENSO-related changes apply prior to the 1990s, they were not observed during the 1991–1994 period, which appears atypical.     

Morphotectonics, Volcanism and Hydrothermal Activity on the East Pacific Rise between 21°12′ S and 22°40′ S

The morphotectonic setting of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) between21°12 and 22°40 S and its recent and past hydrothermalactivity were the focus of the Russian R/V Geolog Fersmans expeditionin 1987–1988.The EPR axial zone in the study area is comprised of three segmentsseparated by overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) near 21°44 and22°08 S. The northern segment is the shallowest of three and hasa distinct massive axial ridge, trapeziodal in cross-section, toppedby a very wide flat summit surface and cut by a well-developedcentral graben. These features testify to intense magmatism and to avoluminous crustal magmatic chamber underlying the whole segment.Fine-scale segmentation is most clearly revealed in the structure ofthe central graben within which several 4th-order segments can bedistinguished. This scale of segmentation is also reflected on flanks of theaxis by variations in the character and intensity of faulting.According to structural and petrologic data, the magmatism is mostintense in the central part of the segment which is probably locateddirectly over a magmatic diapir supplying the melt to the whole segment.Magma migration at the subcrustal level from the center towards the ends ofthe segment with discrete injection into the crustal magmatic chamber ispresumed.The central segment is broken into two morphologically distinct partsseparated by a deval. In the subsided northern part, the wide summit of theaxial ridge is cut by a well-developed, intensely fractured axialgraben. In the southern part, the axial ridge is relatively elevated, butnarrow with an ephemeral graben along its crest. The character and intensityof faulting on the axial flanks are also considerably different in thenorthern and southern parts of the segment. Thus, the magmatic supply tothese two parts is thought to originate from two different sources. If so,then at present the magma chamber underlying the southern part of thesegment is probably at the stage of replenishment, while in the north it isat the stage of deep cooling.The southern segment is structurally similar to the central one. Howeverthere is considerably less intensive magmatic activity in this region,especially south of 22°30 S where the axial ridge is narrow, andtriangular in cross-section.Both OSCs studied are marked by abrupt narrowing and sharp subsidence ofthe tips of axial ridges within the northern limbs. The southern OSC limbsare morphologically similar to normal sections of axial ridges. In bothcases the flanks are structurally and morphologically disrupted adjacent tothe OSCs and oblique structures can be traced far southward of the OSCflanks. Due to the spatial position of oblique structures on the the flanksit is presumed that the OSC near 22°07 S is migrating northward.The 21°44 S OSC zone has apparently undergone small spatialoscillations. In spite of the small amplitude of lateral displacement, thiszone is marked by prominent bathymetric anomalies.Numerous massive sulfide deposits were discovered atop the axial ridgealong the entire length of the uplifted and hydrothermally active northernsegment. Ore metal concentrations in near-bottom waters are maximumover the southern part of the northern segment, while maximum concentrationsof the same metals in surficial sediments are confined to the central partof the same segment. We surmise that there has been a recentalong-axis shift of the zone of maximum hydrothermal activity fromthe middle of the segment to its present position in the southern part ofthe segment. Considering sedimentation rates, the age of this shift can beapproximately estimated to be 5 to 10 thousand years before the present.The relatively Mg-enriched basalts of the middle part of thenorthern segment represent a tike of a more primitive pattern, while therelatively Fe-rich rocks of its southern part probably reflect alarge degree of fractionation at shallow crustal levels. Considering thistrend, in addition to morphotectonic data we presume that subaxial magmaflow from the middle to the southern part of the segment is responsible forthe along-axis shift of hydrothermal activity.In the central segment of the study area, massive sulfides have only beendiscovered south of the 21°55 S deval, where the axial ridgeshoals and where the existence of a subjacent magma chamber is presumed.The very weak manifestations of recent volcanism within the southernsegment explain the absence of hydrothermal activity and sulfide depositswithin this segment.     

Spreading rate dependence of the axial topography and gravity of the Mid‐Atlantic ridge between 22°N and 38°N

A method is developed to quantify the relationship between the ridge axial topography and gravity and the spreading rate along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge between 22 and 38°N. This relationship reflects the variations of slope of the best‐fit line of topography and gravity spectra with the spreading rate of the ridge segments. The slope of the best‐fit line of topography spectrum becomes smaller as the spreading rate increases, indicating that with increasing spreading rate more energy of the ridge axial topography shifts into high‐frequency bands. The spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial topography may be explained by an anomalous thermal structure beneath the ridge. No significant correlation was found between the slope of the best‐fit line of gravity spectrum and the spreading rate in this region. The lack of spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial gravity may be attributable to the isostatic compensation of the spreading center.     

Nitrous oxide and methane in the Atlantic Ocean between 50°N and 52°S: Latitudinal distribution and sea-to-air flux

We discuss nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) distributions in 49 vertical profiles covering the upper ∼300 m of the water column along two ∼13,500 km transects between ∼50°N and ∼52°S during the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) programme (AMT cruises 12 and 13). Vertical N₂O profiles were amenable to analysis on the basis of common features coincident with Longhurst provinces. In contrast, CH₄ showed no such pattern. The most striking feature of the latitudinal depth distributions was a well-defined “plume” of exceptionally high N₂O concentrations coincident with very low levels of CH₄, located between ∼23.5°N and ∼23.5°S; this feature reflects the upwelling of deep waters containing N₂O derived from nitrification, as identified by an analysis of N₂O, apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and NO₃⁻, and presumably depleted in CH₄ by bacterial oxidation. Sea-to-air emissions fluxes for a region equivalent to ∼42% of the Atlantic Ocean surface area were in the range 0.40–0.68 Tg N₂O yr⁻¹ and 0.81–1.43 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹. Based on contemporary estimates of the global ocean source strengths of atmospheric N₂O and CH₄, the Atlantic Ocean could account for ∼6–15% and 4–13%, respectively, of these source totals. Given that the Atlantic Ocean accounts for around 20% of the global ocean surface, on unit area basis it appears that the Atlantic may be a slightly weaker source of atmospheric N₂O than other ocean regions but it could make a somewhat larger contribution to marine-derived atmospheric CH₄ than previously thought.     

Morphology,sedimentary infill and depositional environments of the Early Quaternary North Sea Basin (56°–62°N)

The North Sea Basin has been subsiding during the Quaternary and contains hundreds of metres of fill. Seismic surveys (170 000 km²) provide new evidence on Early Quaternary sedimentation, from about 2.75 Ma to around the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary (0.78 Ma). We present an informal seismic stratigraphy for the Early Quaternary of the North Sea, and calculate sediment volumes for major units. Early Quaternary sediment thickness is > 1000 m in the northern basin and >700 m in the central basin (total about 40 000 km³). Northern North Sea basin-fill comprises several clinoform units, prograding westward over 60 000 km². Architecture of the central basin also comprises clinoforms, building from the southeast. To the west, an acoustically layered and mounded unit (Unit Z) was deposited. Remaining accommodation space was filled with fine-grained sediments of two Central Basin units. Above these units, an Upper Regional Unconformity-equivalent (URU) records a conformable surface with flat-lying units that indicate stronger direct glacial influence than on the sediments below. On the North Sea Plateau north of 59°N, the Upper Regional Unconformity (URU) is defined by a shift from westward to eastward dipping seismic reflectors, recording a major change in sedimentation, with the Shetland Platform becoming a significant source. A model of Early Quaternary sediment delivery to the North Sea shows sources from the Scandinavian ice sheet and major European rivers. Clinoforms prograding west in the northern North Sea Basin, representing glacigenic debris flows, indicate an ice sheet on the western Scandinavian margin. In the central basin, sediments are generally fine-grained, suggesting a distal fluvial or glacifluvial origin from European rivers. Ploughmarks also demonstrate that icebergs, derived from an ice sheet to the north, drifted into the central North Sea Basin. By contrast, sediments and glacial landforms above the URU provide evidence for the later presence of a grounded ice sheet.     

Peculiarities of the tectonic and magma evolution of the southwestern Indian middle-ocean crust within the range of 51°–67° eastern longitude

The comparative estimation of the parameters of the lithosphere of the Mid-Ocean Southwestern Indian range in the areas westwards and eastwards of the Atlantis II transform fault zone shows that, within this zone, an alteration in the basalt composition occurred. Eastwards of this zone, a decrease of the anomaly of the magnetic field occurred and increased average depths of the axial part (4.7 km) and thinning (up to 4–5 km) of the ocean crust with increased rates of seismic waves in the upper mantle were observed. This, first of all, indicates an anomalously cold mantle below the oceanic crust. The changes that occurred in the location of the Euler pole within the last millions of years resulted in slanting spreading in the area of the investigation with rates of opening lower than 1.8 cm/year probably accompanied by the phenomena of transtension in the active parts of the transform faults. The interaction between the Landly and Somali lithosphere plates occurred along the diffusion boundary and was accompanied by problems with tracing the chrones between the neighboring profiles of geomagnetic observations. Consequently, the more detailed investigation of the configuration of the diffusion boundary will contribute to the more accurate reconstruction of the paleogeodynamics of the central part of the Indian Ocean.     

Investigations of the East Greenland continental margin between 70° and 72° N by deep seismic sounding and gravity studies

Results are presented from a deep seismic sounding experiment with the research vessel POLARSTERN in the Scoresby Sund area, East Greenland. For this continental margin study 9 seismic recording landstations were placed in Scoresby Sund and at the southeast end of Kong Oscars Fjord, and ocean bottom seismographs (OBS) were deployed at 26 positions in and out of Scoresby Sund offshore East Greenland between 70° and 72° N and on the west flank of the Kolbeinsey Ridge. The landstations were established using helicopters from RV POLARSTERN. Explosives, a 321 airgun and 81 airguns were used as seismic sources in the open sea. Gravity data were recorded in addition to the seismic measurements. A free-air gravity map is presented. The sea operations — shooting and OBS recording — were strongly influenced by varying ice conditions. Crustal structure 2-D models have been calculated from the deep seismic sounding results. Free-air gravity anomalies have been calculated from these models and compared to the observed gravity. In the inner Scoresby Sund — the Caledonian fold belt region — the crustal thickness is about 35 km, and thins seaward to 10 km. Sediments more than 10 km thick on Jameson Land are of mainly Mesozoic age. In the outer shelf region and deep sea a ‘Moho’ cannot clearly be identified by our data. There are only weak indications for the existence of a ‘Moho’ west of the Kolbeinsey Ridge. Inside and offshore Scoresby Sund there is clear evidence for a lower crust refractor characterised byp-velocities of 6.8–7.3 km s^?1 at depths between 6 and 10 km. We believe these velocities are related to magmatic processes of rifting and first drifting controlled by different scale mantle updoming during Paleocene to Eocene and Late Oligocene to Miocene times: the separation of Greenland/Norway and the separation of the Jan Mayen Ridge/Greenland, respectively. A thin igneous upper crust, interpreted to be of oceanic origin, begins about 50 km seaward of the Liverpool Land Escarpment and thickens oceanward. In the escarpment zone the crustal composition is not clear. Probably it is stretched and attenuated continental crust interspersed with basaltic intrusions. The great depth of the basement (about 5000 m) points to a high subsidence rate of about 0.25 mm yr^?1 due to sediment loading and cooling of the crust and upper mantle, mainly since Miocene time. The igneous upper crust thickens eastward under the Kolbeinsey Ridge to about 2.5 km; the thickening is likely caused by higher production of extrusives. The basementp-velocity of 5.8–6.0 km s^?1 is rather high. Such velocities are associated with young basalts and may also be caused by a higher percentage of dykes. Tertiary to recent sediments, about 5000 m thick, form most of the shelf east of Scoresby Sund, Liverpool Land and Kong Oscars Fjord. This points to a high sedimentation rate mainly since the Miocene. The deeper sediments have a rather high meanp-velocity of 4.5 km s^?1, perhaps due to pre-Cambrian to Caledonian deposits of continental origin. The upper sediments offshore Scoresby Sund are thick and have a rather low velocity. They are interpreted as eroded material transported from inside the Sund into the shelf region. Offshore Kong Oscars Fjord the upper sediments, likely Jurassic to Devonian deposits, are thin in the shelf region but thicken to more than 3000 m in the slope area. The crust and upper mantle structure in the ocean-continent transition zone is interpreted to be the result of the superposition of the activities of three rifting phases related to mantle plumes of different dimensions:

1. the ‘Greenland/Norway separation phase’ of high volcanic activity,
2. the ‘Jan Mayen Ridge/Greenland separation phase’ and
3. the ‘Kolbeinsey Ridge phase’ of ‘normal’ volcanic activity related to a more or less normal mantle temperature.

During period 2 and 3 only a few masses of extrusives were produced, but large volumes of intrusives were emplaced. So the margin between Scoresby Sund and Jan Mayen Fracture Zone is interpreted to be a stretched margin with low volcanic activity.     

Zonal variability of plankton and particle export flux in the equatorial Pacific upwelling between 165° E and 150° W

Observations made during a “La Niña” situation (April–May 1996) in the equatorial Pacific upwelling, between 165° E and 150° W, show the classic deepening of hydrological isolines from east to west, resulting in zonal gradients for surface temperature and macronutrients. However, contrasting with such a gradient, no clear zonal variation could be seen for integrated planktonic biomasses and carbon fluxes, namely: chlorophyll a, bacterial abundances, particulate organic phosphorus, mesozooplankton ash-free dry weight, primary production, and the sinking flux of particulate organic carbon (POC). Moreover, mean values of these parameters along the zonal equatorial transect, are not significantly different from those of a 7-day-long time series station made at 0°, 150° W in October 1994 during an El Niño period. Such a steady zonal distribution of planktonic parameters seems to be characteristic of equatorial Pacific upwelling west of the Galapagos Islands so that the spatial distributions of nutrient concentrations and planktonic biomass appear to be uncoupled. This is consistent with the High Nutrient-Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) concept, in which primary production is not controlled directly by macronutrient concentrations. The lack of zonal gradient also suggests that carbon budget of the equatorial Pacific is primarily controlled by oscillations in the zonal and meridian extension of the HNLC area, rather than by values of planktonic biomasses and carbon fluxes within the upwelled water, which are quite constant.     

Vertical distribution and population structure of Calanus finmarchicus at station India (59°N, 19°W) during the passage of the great salinity anomaly, 1971–1975

Abundance, vertical distribution and stage composition of Calanus finmarchicus was analysed for a period of four and half years, 1971–1975, based on data collected at weather station India in the North Atlantic (59°N, 19°W). The passage of the Great Salinity Anomaly in the area was reflected by a decrease in the salinity from 1973 to 1975. Calanus finmarchicus arrives at the surface by the end of March and stays in the upper 50 m, but with a stage segregation in the vertical distribution, until the descent periods at the end of May–June and in August–September. During this period two or three cohorts develop, apparently in close relation with the phytoplankton pulses. Abundance is highly variable, with maximum values ranging from 8770 ind m⁻² in 1974 to 56,541 ind m⁻² in 1973. There was no clear effect of the Great Salinity Anomaly, the maximum abundance occurring the year the Great Salinity Anomaly arrived, 1973, and the minimum values occurring the next year, 1974, when the effect of the Great Salinity Anomaly was well established. However, the structure of the population seems to have been affected during the Great Salinity Anomaly. Possible interactions between phytoplankton blooms, the Great Salinity Anomaly and C. finmarchicus population dynamics are discussed.     

The 1996 IOC contaminant baseline survey in the Atlantic Ocean from 33°S to 10°N: introduction,sampling protocols,and hydrographic data

The third in a series of cruises designed to establish the present-day concentrations of trace elements and synthetic organic compounds in major water masses of the ocean, the 1996 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Contaminant Baseline Survey occupied six vertical profile stations in the subtropical and tropical Atlantic. Underway surface samples also were acquired in the transects between these stations. This paper uses the temperature, salinity, oxygen, nutrient, and chlorophyll results from the cruise to set the hydrographic background for the other papers in this special volume. Major features sampled during the surface transect include the Brazil Current, the South Equatorial Current, and the offshore Amazon Plume. Utilizing the above parameters to identify water masses, we observed Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) that ranged from a relatively undiluted form at 33°S (Station 10) to a highly attenuated form at 8°N (Station 6). Similarly, North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) was obtained in various mixing stages along its flow path, and samples of NADW and AABW exchanging through the Romanche Fracture Zone to the eastern Atlantic basins were also taken. In addition to these deep water masses, representative samples of Antarctic Intermediate Water and Circumpolar Deep Water were acquired. Besides standard hydrography, these data also were used to verify the sampling integrity of the trace metal-clean, Go Flo bottles deployed on a Kevlar hydrographic cable.     

Heat fluxes across 7°30′N and 4°30′S in the Atlantic Ocean

Heat fluxes are estimated across transatlantic sections made at 4°30′S and 7°30′N in January–March 1993, following Hall and Bryden (1982. Deep-Sea Research 29, 339–359). Particular care is given to the computation of Ekman volume and heat fluxes, which are assessed both (a) from the windstress data for the period of the cruise and (b) from the comparison between geostrophic and Vessel Mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (VM-ADCP) velocities. In contrast with previous studies, the two estimates for Ekman fluxes do not converge for either section: (a) (11.5±0.5 Sv; 1.01±0.05 PW) across 7°30′N and (−9.3±1.2 Sv; −0.85±0.12 PW) across 4°30′S when windstress data at the date of the hydrographic stations are used; (b) (6.3±1.1 Sv; 0.56±0.09 PW) across 7°30′N and (−3.4±3.0 Sv; −0.35±0.24 PW) across 4°30′N when the ageostrophic transport above the thermocline is used. The divergence would have been even greater at 4°30′S if the strong ageostrophic signal beneath the thermocline, which brings a transport of (8.4 Sv; 0.82 PW), had been considered. The corresponding total meridional heat fluxes are: (a) 1.40±0.16 PW and (b) 0.95±0.20 PW across 7°30′N, (a) 1.05±0.12 PW and (b) 1.67±0.14 PW (2.39±0.14 PW when the subthermocline ageostrophic transport is taken into account) across 4°30′S.The estimates based on windstress data are compared with the results from an inverse model (Lux and Mercier, 1999) to show the importance of the heat flux due to the deviation of the local depth-averaged potential temperature from its average over the section, which is neglected in the Hall and Bryden (1982. Deep-Sea Research 29, 339–359) method but is not negligible in our computation in which we do not isolate the transport of the western boundary current east of the 200 m isobath; this corrective flux amounts here to −0.19 PW across 7°30′N and 0.33 PW across 4°30′S.The seasonal variability of the meridional heat flux across 7°30′N is studied through the hydrographic data collected during the ETAMBOT 1–2 cruises, which repeated the 7°30′N section west of 35°W in September 1995 and April 1996. When the section is completed east of 35°W with CITHER 1 data and when windstress data are used for the computation of the Ekman transport, the estimates for the meridional heat fluxes are 0.20±0.14 PW in September 1995 and 1.69±0.27 PW in April 1996. The estimates fit well with results from numerical models.     

Rocks from the Gibbs fracture zone and the Minia seamount near 53°N in the Atlantic Ocean

Rocks dredged and drilled from both the rift mountains of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Minia seamount) and from the northern wall and the median ridge of the adjacent Gibbs fracture zone near 53°N include tholeiites, serpentinized and mylonitized peridoties, and gabbroic rock.The tholeiites include: (1) pyroxene-tholeiites, commonly without phenocrysts and containing less than 15% Al₂O₃; (2) plagioclase-tholeiites with small (1.1–2.2 mm length) plagioclase phenocrysts and an Al₂O₃ content varying between 14–17%; and (3) high-alumina plagioclase tholeiites with large (> 2.5 mm length) plagioclase phenocrysts and more than 17% Al₂O₃. The apparently transitional differences among the three groups support the possibility that differentiation by crystal fractionation of the high-alumina plagioclase-tholeiites gave rise to the plagioclase-tholeiites with less Al₂O₃ and smaller phenocrysts and to the pyroxene-tholeiites. A small portion of the basalts ampled show effects of low-grade metamorphism. The peridotites may represent evidence of intrusive emplacement of peridotitic material beneath the tholeiitic rocks.     

Abundant seamounts of the Rano Rahi seamount field near the Southern East Pacific Rise, 15° S to 19° S

A widespread seamount province, the Rano Rahi Field, is located near the superfast spreading Southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR) between 15°–19° S. Particularly abundant volcanic edifices are found on Pacific Plate aged 0 to 6.5 Ma between 17°–19° S, an area greater than 100,000 km². The numbers of seamounts and their volume are several times greater than those of a comparablysurveyed area near the Northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR), 8°–17° N. Most of the Rano Rahi seamounts belong to chains, which vary in length from 25 km to >240 km and which are very nearly collinear with the Pacific absolute and relative plate motion directions. Bends of 10°–15° occur along a few of the chains, and some adjacent chains converge or diverge slightly. Many seamount chains have fluctuations in volume along their length, and statistical tests suggest that some adjacent chains trade-off in volume. Several seamount chains split into two lines of volcanoes approaching the axis. In general, seamount chains composed of individual circular volcanoes are found near the axis; the chains consist of variably-overlapping edifices in the central part of the survey; to the west, volcanic ridges predominate. Near the SEPR, the volume of nearaxis seamount edifices is generally reduced near areas of deflated cross-sectional area of the axial ridge. Fresh lava flows, as imaged by sidescan sonar and sampled by dredging, exist around some seamounts throughout the entire survey area, in sharp contrast to the absence of fresh flows beyond 30 km from the NEPR. Also, the increases in seamount abundance and volume extend to much greater crustal ages than near the NEPR. Seamount magnetization analysis is also consistent with this wider zone of seamount growth, and it demonstrates the asynchronous formation of most of the seamount chains and volcanic ridges. The variety of observations of the SEPR seamounts suggests that a number of factors and mechanisms might bring about their formation, including the mantle upwelling associated with superfast spreading, off-axis mantle heterogeneities, miniplumes and local upwelling, and the vulnerability of the lithosphere to penetration by volumes of magma. In particular, we note the association of extensive, recent volcanism with intermediate wavelength gravity lineaments lows on crust aged 6 Ma. This suggests that the lineaments and some of the seamounts share a common cause which may be related to ridge-perpendicular asthenospheric convection and/or some manner of extension in the lithosphere.     

Contrasting volcanic-tectonic processes during the past 2 Ma on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: submersible mapping,petrological and magnetic results at lat. 34°52′ N and 33°55′ N

In August–September of 1995, 20 Nautile dives and detailed magnetic surveys (spaced every 1.8 km) were undertaken on two segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the Oceanographer and Hayes fractures zones. These two segments are only 65 km apart and show strong morphology and gravity contrasts. OH1 is shallower and has a large mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) bull's eye, whereas OH3 is deeper and has a smaller MBA bull's eye.Thirteen dives were devoted to segment OH1. The Median Ridge (MR) located on the central high (1700 m deep) is topped by 100 to 300 m high circular volcanoes. The volcanics consists mainly of porphyritic and/or vesicular pillows and volcaniclastics. The NVZ (2200 m deep), located in the valley floor east of the MR, consists of near aphyric fluid lava flows. A chain of off-axis volcanoes, displaying a magnetic continuity with surroundings, extends on both sides of the axis. Three volcanoes on the east side and one on the west side of the axis were explored and sampled by submersible. The off-axis increase of weathering, Fe-Mn coating and magnetic signature suggest that the volcanoes were built at or near the ridge axis. The spacing of NS elongated hills bearing circular volcanoes and separated large magnetic signature (2 to 4 km) depressions suggests that several similar volcanic events occured during the past 2 Ma. The last 1 Ma episode involves (1) the construction of an axial ridge (MR) by fissure eruptions and the formation of circular summit volcanoes by focused volcanism, and (2) the extrusion of fluid magma in the depressions formed by further fissuring and faulting of the MR.     

Midwater fishes in the eastern North Atlantic—I. Vertical distribution and associated biology in 30°N, 23°W,with developmental notes on certain myctophids

This paper is the first of a series describing the vertical distribution of midwater fishes in the eastern North Atlantic in areas approximately 10° of latitude apart near the 20° meridian. As such, it is concerned solely with collections made in 30°N, 23°W. The results are based primarily upon RMT 8 net samples collected using an opening-closing RMT 1+8 combination net. In all, 17,443 specimens were caught by RMT 8, divisible into 37 families, 66 genera with 98 species identified. Numerically the most abundant groups recognized were the Gonostomatidae (60% total catch), Macrorhamphosidae (23%) and Myctophidae (7%). Some definition of vertical limits is provided for the majority of species represented, but only 31 are considered in detail. Where possible, observed biological phenomena (e.g. development, sexual maturity, sexual dimorphism, etc.) and distribution limits have been correlated. In general, the characteristics of species' distributions, and the observed relations of distribution and migratory behaviour were as one would anticipate from past work. Among many species, a size-depth stratification was observed, and with migrants, migratory behaviour appeared dependent upon developmental state. The mode of species development, however, had no bearing upon ultimate migratory behaviour. Certain non-migratory elements of the population of an habitually migrant species, e.g. Chauliodus danae, could not be satisfactorily interpreted upon the basis of biological factors examines. Migrant species principally occupied 400–900 m depth by day, and 25–300 m by night, although they occurred at greater depths. Reverse migrations were only observed in Macrorhamphosus. The overall catches were dominated by non-migrants, and at depths greater that 200 m these comprised the most abundant species per depth at all times. Cyclothone constituted the most abundant genus sampled and provided greatest insight into distributional and biological detail. C. braueri, the most numerous species, is probably a single spawner, and the results demonstrate a size-depth stratification that may be correlated with sexual maturity stages. The olfactory structure in males is more complicated than previously described. The larger males develop a snout prolongation which would improve water flow through the nasal rosette and hence olfaction. Unlike C. microdon, C. braueri probably does not undergo sex-reversal. Developmental notes are included for the myctophid species Notoscopelus resplendens, Benthosema suborbitale, and Hygophum hygomi in the Appendix.     

Sea Beam,SeaMARC II and ALVIN-based studies of faulting on the East Pacific Rise 9°20′ N–9°50′ N

A study of Sea Beam bathymetry and SeaMARC II side-scan sonar allows us to make quantitative measures of the contribution of faulting to the creation of abyssal hill topography on the East Pacific Rise (EPR) 9°15 N–9°50 N. We conclude that fault locations and throws can be confidently determined with just Sea Beam and SeaMARC II based on a number of in situ observations made from the ALVIN submersible. A compilation of 1026 fault scarp locations and scarp height measurements shows systematic variations both parallel and perpendicular to the ridge axis. Outward-facing fault scarps (facing away from the ridge axis), begin to develop within 2 km of the ridge and reach their final average height of 60 m at 5–7 km. Beyond these distances, outward-dipping faults appear to be locked, although there is some indication of continued lengthening of outward-facing fault scarps out to the edge of the survey area. Inward-facing fault scarps (facing toward the ridge axis), initiate 2 km off axis and increase in height and length out to the edge of our data at 30 km, where the average height of inward fault scarps is 60–70 m and the length is 30 km. Continued slip on inward faults at a greater distance off axis is probable, but based on fault lengths, 80% of the lengthening of inward fault scarps occurs within 30 km of the axis (>95% for outward faults). Along-strike propagation and linkage of these faults are common. Outward-dipping faults accommodate more apparent horizontal strain than inward ones within 10 km of the ridge. The net horizontal extension due to faulting at greater distances is estimated as 4.2–4.3%, and inward and outward faults contribute comparably. Both inward- and outward-facing fault scarps increase in height from north to south in our study area in the direction of decreasing inferred magma supply. Average fault spacing is 2 km for both inward-dipping and outward-dipping faults. The azimuths of fault scarps document the direction of ridge spreading, but they are sensitive to local changes in least compressive stress direction near discontinuities. Both the ridge trend and fault scarp azimuths show a clockwise change in trend of 3–5° from 9°50 N to 9°15 N approaching the 9° N overlapping spreading center.     

A detailed magnetic study of the Reykjanes Ridge between 63°00′N and 63°40′N

Immediately southwest of Iceland, the Reykjanes Ridge consists of a series ofen échelon, elongate ridges superposed on an elevated, smooth plateau. We have interpreted a detailed magnetic study of the portion of the Reykjanes Ridge between 63°00N and 63°40N on the Icelandic insular shelf. Because the seafloor is very shallow in our survey area (100–500 m), the surface magnetic survey is equivalent to a high-sensitivity, nearbottom experiment using a deep-towed magnetometer. We have performed two-dimensional inversions of the magnetic data along profiles perpendicular to the volcanic ridges. The inversions, which yield the magnetization distribution responsible for the observed magnetic field, allow us to locate the zones of most recent volcanism and to measure spreading rates accurately. We estimate the average half spreading rate over the last 0.72 m.y. to have been 10 mm/yr within the survey area. The two-dimensional inversions allow us also to measure polarity transition widths, which provide an indirect measure of the width of the zone of crustal accretion. We find a mean transition width on the order of 4.5±1.6 km. The observed range of transition widths (2 to 8.4 km) and their mean value are characteristic of slow-spreading centers, where the locus of crustal accretion may be prone to lateral shifts depending on the availability of magmatic sources. These results suggest that, despite the unique volcanotectonic setting of the Reykjanes Ridge, the scale at which crustal accretion occurs along it may be similar to that at which it occurs along other slow-spreading centers. The polarity transition width measurements suggest a zone of crustal accretion 4–9 km wide. This value is consistent with the observed width of volcanic systems of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The magnetization amplitudes inferred from our inversions are in general agreement with NRM intensity values of dredge samples measured by De Boer (1975) and ourselves. Our thermomagnetic measurements do not support the hypothesis that the low amplitude of magnetic anomalies near Iceland is the result of a high oxidation state of the basalts. We suggest that the observed reduction in magnetic anomaly amplitude toward Iceland may be the result of an increase in the size of pillows and other igneous units.     

Relationships between chlorophyll a, bacteria, ATP, POC and respiration rates in the Changjiang Estuary and the plume

Bacteria abundance, chlorophyll a, ATP and POC concentrations and respiration rates of microorganisms in the Changjiang Estuary and the plume were determined in July 1986. The high values of bacteria abundance occurred in the river mouth in association with suspended matter. It is assumed that bacteria were the major contributor to ATP and the main consumer of dissolved oxygen, and that the relationship between ATP and POC was present in that area. In the dilution zone (salinity; 25-30), instead of bacteria, phytoplankton was the major contributor to ATP and respiration rates, due to diatom bloom. Close relationships between Chi a and ATP, and ATP and POC were observed. Contribution of microbial carbon to POC was also estimated.     

A study on the polyculture of the algae, the shrimp and the crab

A study was made on the polyculture of the red algae Gracilaria tenuistipitata Chang et Xia f. Liui Zhang et Xia, f. nov. , the shrimp Penaeus penicillatus Alcock and the mud crab Scylla serrata (Forskal) . The photosynthesis of the algae produces the oxygen on which the shrimp and the crab breathe. The algae are the reproductive place of the organism for the food of the shrimp and the carb, also is the shelter of the shrimp and the crab. The shrimp and the crab regard the algae as the vegetable     

The western Arctic boundary current at 152°W: Structure,variability, and transport

From August 2002 to September 2004 a high-resolution mooring array was maintained across the western Arctic boundary current in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska. The array consisted of profiling instrumentation, providing a timeseries of vertical sections of the current. Here we present the first-year velocity measurements, with emphasis on the Pacific water component of the current. The mean flow is characterized as a bottom-intensified jet of O (15 cm s⁻¹) directed to the east, trapped to the shelfbreak near 100 m depth. Its width scale is only 10–15 km. Seasonally the flow has distinct configurations. During summer it becomes surface-intensified as it advects buoyant Alaskan Coastal water. In fall and winter the current often reverses (flows westward) under upwelling-favorable winds. Between the storms, as the eastward flow re-establishes, the current develops a deep extension to depths exceeding 700 m. In spring the bottom-trapped flow advects winter-transformed Pacific water emanating from the Chukchi Sea. The year-long mean volume transport of Pacific water is 0.13±0.08 Sv to the east, which is less than 20% of the long-term mean Bering Strait inflow. This implies that most of the Pacific water entering the Arctic goes elsewhere, contrary to expected dynamics and previous modeling results. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The mean Atlantic water transport (to 800 m depth) is 0.047±0.026 Sv, also smaller than anticipated.