Strike-slip tectonic processes in the northern Caribbean between Cuba and Hispaniola (Windward Passage)

Marine geophysical data including Seabeam, seismic reflection, magnetics, gravimetry and side-scan sonar have been recently collected along the northern Caribbean strike-slip plate boundary between Cuba and Hispaniola, in the Windward Passage area. The analysis of this comprehensive data set allows us to illustrate active strike-slip tectonic processes in relation to the kinematics of the Caribbean Plate. We show that the transcurrent plate boundary trace runs straight across the Windward Passage, from the southern Cuban Margin in the west (Oriente Fault) to the Tortue Channel in the east. The Windward Passage Deep is thus not an active pull-apart basin, as previously suggested. The plate boundary geometry implies that the motion of the Caribbean Plate relative to the North American Plate is partitioned between a strike-slip component, accommodated by the Windward Passage active fault zone, and a convergence component, accommodated by compression at the bottom of the Northern Hispaniola Margin. On the basis of a correlation with onland geological data, an age is given to the stratigraphic sequences identified on seismic profiles. A kinematic reconstruction is proposed that follows the tectonic unconformities recognized at sea and on land (Late Eocene, Early Miocene, Middle Miocene and Late Pliocene). Each one of these tectonic events corresponds to a drastic reorganization of the plate boundary geometry. We propose to correlate these events with successive collisions of the northern Caribbean mobile terranes against the Bahamas Bank. During each event, the plate boundary trace is shifted to the south and a part of the Caribbean Plate is accreted to North America.     

太平洋中部多金属结核稀土元素地球化学

用“海洋四号“调查船于１９８６－１９８８年在太平洋中部进行了３个航次调查，对所取样品运用仪器中子活化方法进行了ＲＥＥ分析。结果表明：多金属结核作为一种特殊类型的深海沉积物，特别富含ＲＥＥ。太平洋中部多金属结核大多具有Ｃｅ正异常。海山结壳ΣＲＥＥ最高，早期成岩型结核最低，水成型结核介于二者之间。早期成岩型结核Ｃｅ的正异常明显弱于水成型结核，甚至出现Ｃｅ的负异常。海山、丘陵区结核的ΣＲＥＥ高于平原、凹     

Effects of oil on phytoplankton metabolism in natural and experimental estuarine ponds

A low level oil spill was simulated in small shallow natural estuarine marsh ponds in Ocean Springs and in experimental impoundments near St. Louis Bay, Mississippi. In the natural tidal pond in situ light and dark BOD bottle experiments on the phytoplankton community revealed a 44 to 65 % reduction in primary production and a 30 to 50 % reduction in respiration 2 weeks after spillage of 1·45 mg Empire Mix crude oil per litre of water. Two months after the spill, primary productivity and respiration in the oiled pond were only 17% and 7% lower, respectively than in the control pond. In the experimental impoundments at a concentration of 0·2 mg Arabian, Empire Mix and Nigerian oil per litre of water, in situ radiocarbon uptake by phytoplankton was lower—but not significantly lower—than that of the control impoundment. One to two months later, primary productivity was significantly higher in the Nigerian and Arabian oil ponds than control and Empire Mix ponds. The changes in plankton metabolism in both natural ponds and impoundments were evaluated on the basis of data simultaneously obtained from adjoining control ponds.     

秦皇岛市海岸风成沙丘的研究

秦皇岛市北戴河向南直至滦河河口发育着我国最长的沙丘海岸，沙丘高约20～30m，最高42m。在沙丘发育最充分的地区自岸向陆，沙丘按形态可分成岸前沙丘，沿岸主沙丘链，斜向沙丘链和平坦沙席等4种类型。沙丘由分选极好的中细砂组成，具有微弱的负偏态和双跃移特征。沙丘内部发育有高角度板状交错层理、低角度楔状交错层理等层理构造。滦河新三角洲和沿岸海滩的丰富沙源、向岸和离岸两盛行风的频繁交替以及适宜的空旷地形空间是塑造沙丘的主要条件。加强管理，保护沙丘的自然面貌是当务之急。     

多金属结核生长过程中元素通量的变化规律

本文主要研究太平洋ＣＣ区多金属结核ＣＣＡ３３，ＣＣＢ２９，ＣＣＣ５０，ＣＣＣ１４生长过程中锰、铁、镍、铜的通量（ＦＭｎ），ＦＦｅ，ＦＮｉ，ＦＣｕ）的变化规律．研究表明：１．结核生长过程中Ｍｎ，Ｆｅ，Ｎｉ和Ｃｕ的通量都是波动性的；２．ＦＭｎ与ＦＦｅ，ＦＮｉ，ＦＣｕ均呈正相关性；３．结核的元素通量与结核的成因类型和生长阶段密切相关，并记录了海底缺氧事件；４．结核的元素通量存在区域性差异，是沉积环境不同的反映。     

Computation of the driving forces of wave-induced currents

For morphological studies in coastal areas the wave-driven currents are often of primary importance. As the computation of the wave-driven current field requires the computation of the driving forces from a wave propagation model, the quality of these forces is basic to the success of the morphological study. It is shown in the paper that, under the common conditions of slowly varying wave fields, the driving force per unit mass is closely proportional to the wave energy dissipation per unit area and that diffraction-related terms give insignificant contributions. This result holds good for wave fields without current refraction. Examples show that formulation of the driving forces in terms of the wave dissipation yields more trustworthy results than those obtained by numerical differentiation of the radiation stress tensor.     

A First Generation Stochastic Bioeconomic Analysis of Algal Bloom Control in a Coastal Lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Po River Delta)

Abstract. In this work we have developed a very simple stochastic mathematical model of Ulva spp. growth to quantitatively evaluate the economic costs of algal harvesting and the related benefits in terms of avoided'economic loss'of clam production due to an effective prevention of algal blooms and the consequent anoxic crises. Algal growth was simulated by means of a discrete time difference equation of Ulva biomass where the finite growth rate depends only upon water temperature. In order to explicitly include environmental variability, a seasonal autoregressive model calibrated on available data was used to simulate water temperature. Different harvesting scenarios were analysed in terms of the number of harvesting vessels employed and the threshold biomass of Ulva at which vessels start to operate. Costs of algal harvesting and disposal, as well as monetary damages resulting from the collapse of clam production as a consequence of algal blooms, were assessed by interviewing the managers of the Clam Fishermen's Union of Goro. A Monte Carlo approach was used to estimate the mean and total statistical distribution of costs and benefits of different harvesting strategies. Our analysis shows that the most cost-effective management policy is attained with 4–6 vessels operating at low algal density able to harvest as much Ulva as possible with intensive and short interventions at the beginning of the seasonal growth.     

铁锰结核结壳生长过程的一种理论假设

铁锰结核成矿物质的直接来源是大洋底层水和沉积物孔隙水，结壳只有底层水，因此，底层水和孔隙水的物理化学特征就成为理解铁锰结核（壳）成矿作用特征与过程的关键。铁锰结核（壳）内部构造的两个明显特征是：①韵律性的环状纹层构造，和②树枝状构造，这两种构造是典型的远离平衡的非线性地质作用的产物。正常情况下，海底水—沉积物界面系统的底层水、孔隙水中Ｍｎ、Ｆｅ是不饱和的。因此，铁锰结核（壳）不可能在平衡状态下连续生长。本文提出铁锰结核（壳）生长的自反馈“振荡式”模型。     

Dissolved organic carbon in the freshwater tidal reaches of the Schelde estuary

To unravel the factors that regulate DOC dynamics in the freshwater tidal reaches of the Schelde estuary, DOC concentration and biodegradability were monitored in the upper Schelde estuary and its major tributaries. Although the Schelde estuary possesses a densely populated and industrialized catchment, our data suggest that the bulk of DOC in the freshwater tidal reaches is not derived from waste water. This was concluded from the low biodegradability of DOC (on average 9%), DOC concentrations that are close to the mean for European rivers (4.61 mg l⁻¹) and the absence of an inverse relationship between DOC and discharge. Most DOC originating from waste water being discharged in tributaries of the estuary appears to be remineralised before these tributaries reach the main estuary. Although dense phytoplankton blooms were observed in the upper estuary during summer (up to 700 μg chl a l⁻¹), these blooms did not appear to produce large quantities of DOC in the freshwater tidal reaches as DOC concentrations were low when phytoplankton biomass was high. The fact that DOC concentrations were high in winter and decreased in summer suggests a predominantly terrestrial source of DOC in the freshwater tidal reaches of the Schelde estuary.