On mean sea-level along the Brazilian coast

Summary. (Part 1) Fourier analyses of mean monthly sea-level data from Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Imbituba, ports on the Brazilian coast, are made with simultaneous data of air temperature, sea surface atmospheric pressure, atmospheric precipitation and evaporation. Results show that the mean monthly sea-levels of ports below Recife's latitude show peaks in February-March and April-May which are apparently related to the seasonal temperature changes and the combined action of precipitation, winds and oceanographic large-scale changes. The port of Belém showed a stronger semi-annual seasonal component, which seems to be related to the alternate southern and northern hemispheres' influences of the atmospheric precipitation. (Part 2 of the paper presented at the Symposium concerned the longer term changes of sea-level, including an analysis of principal components. These subjects will be treated in a separate paper.)     

North Atlantic sea-level and circulation

Summary. Monthly sea-levels from an extensive array of North Atlantic tide gauges (26-50N) are examined. The spatial scale of the sea-level variations, and the reasons for them, are discussed; one application of such a study is clearly in the design of a tide gauge network for monitoring eustatic changes of sea-level.
The spatial scale of the sea-level changes is large. There is a coherent sea-level signal which can be traced along the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic from Newlyn (50N) to Tenerife (28N). There are also two distinct groupings of tide gauges along the western boundary, separated by Cape Hatteras.
The contribution of local air pressure and wind stress is quantified at each gauge through multiple regression techniques and the gains are then interpreted in terms of recent theoretical and numerical modelling studies. For example, the gains suggest that the wind-forced boundary current along the Nova Scotian shelf is trapped to within about 16 km of the coast.
The influence of local meteorology cannot account for the large-scale modes of variability. The coherent signal along the eastern boundary is correlated with changes in the Sverdrup transport of the North Atlantic and hence the large-scale wind field. The two modes on the western boundary appear to be related to baroclinic boundary current variations.
The Newlyn sea-level record is finally 'corrected' for some of the above effects to illustrate the utility of such a residual series in the identification of eustatic changes and vertical crustal movement.     

珠江三角洲8000年来海平面变化*

本文对9类古海面标志物的107个样品年代数据进行沉积深度棱正、构造升降幅度校正后,绘出珠江三角洲8000年来海平面变化曲线。珠江三角洲8000年来海平面变化可分为趾今6000年前海平面急剧上升、距今6000-5500年海平面波动下降、距今5500-2800年海平面波动上升、距今2800-2200年海平面波动下降、距今2200-900年海平面波动上升和距今900-600年海平面轻徽下降6个阶段。海平面变化曲线与化石硅藻垂向变化、孢粉反映的气候变化、滨岸沙堤形成期和古文化遗址堆积的变化等有较好的一致性。     

Long-period variations of sea-level in Australasia

Summary. The ability of the Australian sea-level monitoring network is assessed in the investigation of long-period sea-level signals. Through the character of coastal long waves, seasonal variations in level and inter-annual level anomalies, the importance of the south coast of the Continent is identified as a coherent indicator of large-scale marine and atmospheric teleconnections. The source of the sea-level signal is investigated by the tracing of progressive features, by the numerical modelling of wind stress over the Southern Ocean, by the modelling of the effect of monsoonal rains over the Indian Ocean and the mass transport through the Indonesian Strait. These features are related to the ENSO cycle which for the first time is linked, inter alia , with Southern Ocean mechanisms.     

Low-frequency sea-level fluctuations along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa

Summary. Sea-level records at nine ports along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa are used to establish the existence of coastal trapped disturbances in sea-level as a response to the passage of synoptic weather systems. Using spectral analysis the characteristics and spatial variability of the sea-level fluctuations are identified. The results of cross-correlation analyses performed on sea-level data at adjacent ports for two periods during 1982 are discussed in detail to examine the propagation of coastal trapped waves round the coast.     

Linear correlations between Florida Current volume transport and surface speed with Miami sea-level and weather during 1964-70

Summary. The 1964-70 Florida Current data of Niiler & Richardson are examined for linear correlation with observed sea-level and weather, because their data provide an independent test of similar correlations reported in Maul et al. Seventy-five values of directly measured volume transport and 67 values of surface speed from Niiler & Richardson's unevenly spaced data are correlated with available daily mean values of Miami Beach sea-level, Bimini sea-level, Bimini-Miami Beach sea-level difference, and Miami weather (barometric pressure, air temperature, and north and east components of wind speed). Statistical frequency distribution of transport and of surface speed suggest variability that is not dominated by annual and/or semiannual cycles. Volume transport is most highly correlated with Bimini minus Miami Beach sea-level difference, and surface speed is most highly correlated with inverted Miami Beach sea-level. Including certain weather variables results in statistically significant improvements in linear multivariate modelling of transport and surface speed from sea-level; the standard errors are ± 2.6 sverdrup and ±10 cms⁻¹ respectively. Linear correlation coefficients and multivariate regression parameters from Niiler & Richardson's data are in agreement with those from Maul et al. , except that the standard error of estimating volume transport from sea-level is smaller in Maul et al. , apparently because of smaller errors in the direct measurements.     

Palaeomagnetism of A Core Sediment From the Inland Sea, Japan (Seto Naikai)

Palaeomagnetic measurements on a giant core sample 20 cm in diameter and 7.38 m long collected from Mizushima-Nada, the Inland Sea. Japan (Seto Naikai) provide evidence of post-depositional magnetization. the geomagnetic secular variation from about 4000 to 8000 yr BP is characterized by a long period of westerly declination before 6600 yr BP. the maximum deflection is beyond 50°W during this period. the palaeomagnetic record further demonstrates that there is a hiatus over 3000 yr in sedimentation due 10 the sea-level change around 6.85 m from sea bottom, and that the lower limit of the sea-level around 8000 yr BP is 18.5 m beneath the present sea-level.     

Settlement distribution and its relationship with environmental changes from the Neolithic to Shang-Zhou dynasties in northern Shandong, China

In this paper, the spatial and temporal distribution of the settlement sites of six periods from the Neolithic Age to the Shang and Zhou dynasties in northern Shandong was investigated using the ArcGIS program, and the relationship between settlement distribution and environmental changes was discussed, based on the proxy records of climatic and environmental change contained in the sediments from three sections at the Shuangwangcheng site and the previous work. The results show that the climate was warm and humid and the sea level was relatively high during the period of 8000-5000 a BP in the study area, and the ancient people lived in the relatively flat （slope of 〈2°） areas at high elevation （20-300 m above sea level）, such as diluvial tableland and alluvial plain. On the other hand, few archaeological sites in the low-lying plain in the west of the study area indicate that few people lived there during that period. This might be attributed to frequent flooding in the area. After 5000 years ago, the scope of human activity extended to the area close to the sea because the relatively colder and drier climate results in sea-level fall, meanwhile the low-lying plain in the west was occupied by the ancient people. The study area of this period was characterized by the rapid development of prehistoric culture, the intensified social stratification and the emergence of early city-states. However, around 4000 a BP, the abrupt change in climate and the increase in frequency and intensity of floods severely disrupted human activities, and eventually led to the decline of the Yueshi culture. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the climatic conditions gradually stabilized in a mild-dry state, which promoted the redevelopment and flourish of the Bronze Culture. The previous situation, which was characteristic of sparse human settlements due to freshwater shortage and unfitted conditions for sedentary agriculture, changed during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in northern coastal wetlands.Local residents effectively adapted themselves to the tough environmental conditions by producing sea-salt, which led to the rapid growth of human activities.     

良渚时期文化发展与海平面变化

浙沪苏地区良渚考古资料和海平面变化研究表明,良渚文化的兴、盛、衰与5.5-4 ka B.P.期间海平面升降密切关联。5.5-4.9 ka B.P.,浙沪苏地区海平面处于高海面之后的急剧下降期,降幅约3.9 m,陆地生存空间扩大,加之气候温暖,良渚文化开始兴起,良渚人择高地而居,盛行干栏式建筑,遗址分布相对分散,从事稻作农业生产。4.9-4.3 ka B.P.,浙沪苏地区进入低海面时期,良渚文化发展达到鼎盛,遗址数量增多,分布相对集中,并向外围地区扩展。此时气候干凉,水井大量出现、盛行地面建筑、稻作农业和手工业发展,社会等级分化,揭示出低海面促进了良渚文化的繁荣。4.3-4 ka B.P.,海平面回升,渐渐进入又一高海面时期,良渚先民生存空间缩小,文化分布范围相对压缩,且以台墩和坡地建筑为主,遗址数量较中期减少,海面回升的同时,洪涝灾害,异常降温等灾变加速了良渚文化的衰落。总体来讲,5.3-4.0 ka B.P.期间“海面下降-低海面-海面回升”的过程推动了良渚文化由兴起到繁盛再到衰落的演替过程。     

The application of geodetic radio interferometric surveying to the monitoring of sea-level

Summary. Under project IRIS (International Radio Interferometric Surveying) geodesists are using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to monitor polar motion to 1-2 ms of arc and UT1 to 0.05-0.10 ms, and to develop a global geodynamic network to detect and study centimetre level displacements of reference points associated with large-scale phenomena such as tectonic plate motion and glacial rebound. Differential positioning techniques using the signals broadcast by the satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) are being used to study finer scale phenomena, such as localized subsidence, and economically to relate these specialized surveys to the geodynamic network. Including tide gauge stations in this system will make it possible to detect motions of specific gauges and correct or delete the measurements from those gauges when computing changes in sea-level. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has selected several tide gauges on the east and west coasts of the United States, and initial epoch GPS surveys to tie the gauges to VLBI observations have already begun. Other countries participating in project IRIS are planning similar activities. In addition to providing a globally based land reference datum for the tide gauge measurements, the IRIS polar motion and UT1 time series may contribute directly to monitoring and interpreting global sea level changes. Changes in the volume and distribution of ice masses result in long-term motions of the axis of rotation, and sea-level changes affect the length of day (lod). The IRIS time series will certainly have the resolution required to detect the expected polar motion and changes in lod, and a properly designed global VLBI/GPS network should allow the ice/sea-level effects to be separated from crustal dynamics effects.     

中国沙尘暴天气减少趋势的其他证据

分析TOMS气溶胶指数和海平面气压资料的结果显示,这二者都是支持对中国新的沙尘暴天气数据的分析结果,即在1951-2000年间中国沙尘暴天气整体上处于减少趋势。