A high-resolution satellite-derived sea surface temperature climatology for the western North Atlantic Ocean

Long-term and high-resolution (∼1.2 km) satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) fields of a monthly mean time series for the 1985–1999 period, and a daily climatology have been calculated for the North West Atlantic Ocean. The SST fields extend from 78°W to 41°W in longitude, and 30°N to 56°N in latitude, encompassing the region off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to the southern Labrador Sea. The monthly mean time series, consists of 180 cloud-masked monthly mean SST fields, derived from a full-resolution NOAA/NASA Pathfinder SST data set for the 1985–1999 period. The satellite-derived monthly mean SST fields, as compared with in situ monthly mean near-surface ocean temperatures from buoys located in the western North Atlantic, yield an overall RMS difference of 1.15 °C. The daily climatology, which consists of 365 fields, was derived by applying a least-squares harmonic regression technique on the monthly mean SST time series for the full study period. The monthly mean and daily climatological SST fields will be useful for studying inter-annual variability related to climate variability of SST over the study domain.     

The dependence of UK extreme sea levels and storm surges on the North Atlantic Oscillation

The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in effecting changes in winter extreme high and low waters and storm surges in UK waters has been investigated with the use of a depth-averaged tide+surge numerical model. Spatial patterns of correlation of extreme high and low waters (extreme still water sea levels) with the NAO index are similar to those of median or mean sea level studied previously. Explanations for the similarities, and for differences where they occur, are proposed. Spatial patterns of correlations of extreme high and low and median surge with the NAO index are similar to the corresponding extreme sea-level patterns. Suggestions are made as to which properties of surges (frequency, duration, magnitude) are linked most closely to NAO variability. Several climate models suggest higher (more positive) average values of NAO index during the next 100 years. However, the impact on the UK coastline in terms of increased flood risk should be low (aside from other consequences of climate change such as a global sea-level rise) if the existing relationships between extreme high waters and NAO index are maintained.     

Marine environment and law of the sea

The United Nations established an Environment Programme which was reported in an earlier issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin. Its Director, Maurice Strong addressed the UN Law of the Sea Conference at Caracas on the need for conservation measures to go hand in hand with exploitation of marine resources, and he indicated the role of UNEP in this. His speech was not reported at the time. It is vital that it should not be forgotten when the Law of the Sea Conference resumes next year in Geneva. The main points of his speech are given here.     

Plastic ingestion in the North Atlantic fulmar

Fulmars found dead on the Dutch coast, and fulmars collected in arctic colonies have considerable quantities of plastic in their stomachs. The average number of plastic items ingested is almost twelve in Dutch fulmars, and four to five in arctic fulmars. User-plastics and industrial plastics are about equally abundant. Ingestion of user-plastics suggests a stronger impact of toxic chemicals from plastics than generally assumed.     

Geomagnetic activity and the North Atlantic Oscillation

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the prominent pattern of winter climate variability that has a strong effect on weather in the North Atlantic region and the adjacent continents. At present, uncertainty prevails as to the mechanisms controlling the variability of the NAO. It is also difficult to explain why the positive phase of the NAO has prevailed over the past 37 years (1972–2008). We found high positive correlation coefficients between geomagnetic activity (used as a measure of solar wind intensity) and the NAO indices that equal 0.76 for 1962–1994 and 0.63 for 1961–2011. Positive correlations of the distribution of surface air temperature with the NAO and similarly with geomagnetic activity occur in the Northern Hemisphere. These results encourage our search for possible causes controlling the NAO. We have found that at times of high geomagnetic activity the NAO index is positive and magnetic reconnection may enable the solar wind to initiate downward winds in the magnetosphere. Wind anomalies originate at the edge of the stratospheric polar vortex and propagate downward through the troposphere taking part in the intensification of the vortex and of the westerlies. Stronger northerly winds over Greenland carry cold air southward and, together with the enhanced westerlies, advect the warm air from the Atlantic along the deep Icelandic low into Eurasia increasing temperatures there. On the other hand, at times of low geomagnetic activity, the NAO index is negative and the stratospheric polar vortex is weak. Warm air from the subtropics is carried into the Arctic and a rapid amplification of planetary waves propagating upward may cause displacement or even splitting of the weak vortex and sudden stratospheric warming. During this negative NAO phase the weakened westerlies allow more cold air to build up over North America and Eurasia.     

Marine litter distribution and composition in the North Sea

Following the development of marine litter surveillance methodologies for use on beaches, this study shows the feasibility of similar surveys at sea. The results indicate widespread distribution of marine litter in the surface waters of the North Sea, especially plastics. Not only does this draw attention to the need for the implementation of Annexe V of the MARPOL Convention, but serious consideration should be given now to the designation of the North Sea as a ‘special area’ such that the dumping of all garbage from ships, except food wastes, should be prohibited.     

Late Cretaceous magnetic anomalies in the North Atlantic

An identification of anomalies 31–34 is presented for the North Atlantic. North of the Azores-Gibraltar Ridge this implies a revision of the identification of the magnetic anomalies older than anomaly 26. DSDP site 10 in the western North Atlantic appears to be located on the old end of anomaly 33. The relative spacings of anomalies 29–34 in the North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific and Indian Oceans are compared and the estimated relative widths of the magnetic polarity intervals in the Late Cretaceous are revised.     

Tar ‘specks’ in the North Atlantic

A number of dark specks retained on filters, through which seawater had been filtered, contained material that absorbed UV light very strongly. This material was most likely sunken pieces of tar. The amount was 0.12 μg/l on an average and was independent of hydrographic parameters.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in North Atlantic seabirds

Polychlorinated biphenyls are usually thought to be discharged in industrial effluents and therefore to be commonest in inshore waters close to centres of industry. It now appears that high concentrations are found in pelagic-feeding seabirds from the North Atlantic, far from possible industrial sources of these compounds.     

Simulation of secondary aerosols over North China in summer

The comparisons of observed and simulated NOx, CO, O3, NH3, HNO3, SO2 and PM2.5 indicate that CMAQ model can simulate variations of pollutants over North China well.Moreover, the model results show that high NH3 is in Hebei, Henan and Shandong provinces,with average concentration of (30-35)×10-9. The results of the sensitive experiment indicate that high concentration of NH3 has the efficiency of the production of secondary sulfate aerosol increase by more than 30%, especially at the juncture of Handan, Anyang and Changzhi that increased by 50%. In addition, NH3 also produces secondary ammonia and nitrate aerosol, and the sum of them is approximately equal to sulfate aerosol. The height of planetary boundary layer (PBL) in Beijing is higher in daytime, with average height of 1500 m at noon. This makes SO2,NH3 and HNO3 transported into upper PBL of 850 hPa. The high secondary sulfate, and ammonia and nitrate aerosol happen in the upper and lower PBL, respectively. Because PM2.5 lifetime is relatively long, it can be transported into the middle troposphere to form a thick aerosol layer,which is the arched roof of aerosol. The model result suggests that if the aerosol concentration in North China would be controlled, the reduction of NH3 emission is one of efficient ways besides the reduction of primary SO2, NOx and aerosol emission.     

The density of North Atlantic and North Pacific deep waters

The densities of seventeen samples of seawater from GEOSECS stations 27 (North Atlantic) and 217 (North Pacific) have been measured with a vibrating flow densimeter at 25°C. The densities of the deep samples were found to be 5 ± 1.5and16 ± 3.6ppm greater, for the North Atlantic and North Pacific, respectively, than predicted by the equation of state of Millero, Gonzalez and Ward (1976) derived for seawaters of constant relative composition. The results are in good agreement with the density anomalies predicted by Brewer and Bradshaw (1975) on the basis of the observed increase of dissolved silica, alkalinity and total carbon dioxide in oceanic deep waters. The application of these corrections results in an agreement with the Millero, Gonzalez and Ward (1976) equation of state to ±4 ppm.     

Source of Ash Zone 1 in the North Atlantic

Geochemical evidence shows that the silicic component of the widespread Ash Zone 1 in the North Atlantic is derived from a major ignimbrite-forming eruption which occurred at the Katla caldera in southern Iceland during the transition from glacial to interglacial conditions in Younger Dryas time. Both trace and major element evidence of the rhyolitic products excludes the Öræfajökull volcano as a source. The high-Ti basaltic component in the marine ash zone can also be attributed to contemporaneous eruption in the Katla volcanic complex. Dispersal of tephra from this event is primarily attributed to the generation of co-ignimbrite ash columns in the atmosphere, with ash fallout on both sea ice and on the ocean floor north and east of Iceland. Owing to the changing ocean circulation characteristics of the glacial regime, including suppression of the Irminger Current and a stronger North Atlantic Current, tephra was rafted on sea ice south into the central North Atlantic and deposited as dispersed Ash Zone 1. Sediments south of Iceland also show evidence of the formation of ash turbidites, generated either by the entrance of pyroclastic flows into the sea, or during discharge of jökulhlaups or glacier bursts from this subglacial eruption.     

Geosecs North Atlantic radiocarbon and tritium results

Radiocarbon data for 11 stations and tritium data for 16 stations in the North Atlantic Ocean from 74°N to 3°N are presented. For radiocarbon, normal errors inΔ¹⁴C are± 4‰, and in tritium,± 0.09TU or± 3%, whichever is larger. There is a remarkable, but not simply linear, correlation between oceanic bomb transients in¹⁴C and³H. The deep convective mixing in the Greenland Sea is reflected in substantial bomb tracer penetration to all depths, with residence time for the deep, cold core water that seems to be 20 to 30 years. The outflow in the bottom layer southward over the sills of the Denmark Strait and Faroe Passage carries significant tritium concentration, at least to 40°N. Complicated, but coherent, profile structures in the subtropical Atlantic suggest effects of large-scale lateral advection. In particular, a pronounced minimum in both¹⁴C and³H might be associated with the Antarctic intermediate water.     

Sea-floor spreading and the early opening of the North Atlantic

We have examined available magnetic and gravity data bearing on the initiation of sea-floor spreading in the North Atlantic between Ireland and Newfoundland. The change in character of the magnetic field on the continental margin on either side of the Atlantic from a landward magnetic quiet zone to a seaward “noisy”, magnetic signature is postulated to be related to a change from continental to oceanic crust. Sea-floor spreading between Ireland and Newfoundland was initiated during the long normal geomagnetic polarity interval in the Late Cretaceous. Rockall Trough may have opened at this time. At the end of the normal polarity interval (Late Santonian) the ridge axis jumped westward to bypass Rockall Trough and the related offset initiated the Charlie Gibbs fracture zone.A reconstruction is presented for the relative position between North America and Europe prior to the initiation of sea-floor spreading in the Late Cretaceous.     

Solar proton events and evolution of cyclones in the North Atlantic

The influence of solar proton events (SPEs) with particle energies > 90 MeV on the evolution of extratropical cyclones in the North Atlantic is studied. A substantial intensification of the regeneration (secondary deepening) of cyclones near the southeastern Greenland coast after the SPE onset is detected. It is shown that the observed deepening of cyclones is caused by intensified advection of cold when the zone of the Arctic front in the region of the Greenland coast is approached. The results allow us to assume that SPEs with the above particle energies cause substantial changes in the structure of the thermobaric field of the subpolar and high-latitude troposphere, which form more favorable conditions for the regeneration of cyclones. In this case the role of the Arctic vertical frontal zone is apparently important. Temperature field changes can be caused by the radiation effects of variations in the upper cloudiness.     

Bathing water quality in the North sea,and the Mediterranean

The bacteriological quality of bathing waters is examined for two coastlines with very different environmental characteristics, namely Whitley Bay in the north east of England and the Bay of Naples in the Mediterranean. The Whitley Bay beach is contaminated by sea outfalls, but tidal action is vigorous, the water is cool and sunlight is not very strong. The water does not meet the EEC standards for bathing water quality at the present time, but a new sewerage system soon to be completed should effect a substantial improvement.In the Bay of Naples there is very little tide, the water is warm and sunlight is usually strong in the bathing season. The water quality meets the EEC standards for most of the authorized beaches and pollution is restricted to a few well defined zones in the Bay.     

Interrelations between secular sea level variations and subsidence of coastal areas in the North sea

Summary The effect of secular sea level variations on coastal levelling nets was considered for some parts of the North West European Lowlands levelling. On neglecting local geological influences a simplified global model was used for treating the following problems: (1) Magnitude of secular tilt effects in NWELL due to possible sea level variations; (2) Levelling errors due to sea tide loadings.     

Relation of Palaeogene ridge and basin structures and vulcanicity in the Hebrides and Irish Sea regions of the British Isles to the opening of the North Atlantic

Comparison with the Red Sea and other regions suggests that a series of partly fault-bounded ridges and basins in the Hebridean and Irish Sea regions are related to tectonic uplift and collapse associated with Palacogene sea floor spreading in the North Atlantic. Three episodes of block faulting involving the formation of horsts and grabens are tentatively correlated with phases of Mesozoic and Tertiary ocean floor spreading.