Size-Fractionated Primary Production Estimated by a Two-Phytoplankton Community Model Applicable to Ocean Color Remote Sensing

In order to estimate primary production from ocean color satellite data using the Vertical Generalized Production Model (VGPM; Behrenfeld and Falkowski, 1997), we propose a two-phytoplankton community model. This model is based on the two assumptions that changes in chlorophyll concentration result from changes of large-sized phytoplankton abundance, and chlorophyll specific productivity of phytoplankton tends to be inversely proportional to phytoplankton size. Based on the analysis of primary production data, P _opt ^B , which was one parameter in the VGPM, was modeled as a function of sea surface temperature and sea surface chlorophyll concentration. The two-phytoplankton community model incorporated into the VGPM gave good estimates in a relatively high productive area. Size-fractionated primary production was estimated by the two-phytoplankton community model, and P _opt ^B of small-sized phytoplankton was 4.5 times that of large-sized phytoplankton. This result fell into the ranges observed during field studies.     

Long-term Sensor Drift Found in Recovered Argo Profiling Floats

We recovered three Argo profiling floats after 2 to 2.5 years of operation, and recalibrated their temperature, conductivity, and pressure sensors. The results demonstrate that these floats exhibited a significant drift in salinity of −0.0074 to −0.0125, primarily due to the conductivity sensor drift. Combined with the recalibration result for another previously recovered float, the indication is that the negative salinity drift increases nearly in proportion to the operating period of floats. The increasing rate is −0.0041 (±0.0015) year⁻¹, which yields a salinity drift of −0.016 (±0.006) for the expected float lifetime of four years. The present result suggests that reducing the float surfacing time would improve the accuracy of the salinity measurements.     

An analysis of mixing in the frontal zone of South and North Atlantic Central Water off North-West Africa

Multi-parameter mixing analysis is applied to 26 stations of Auftrieb 75, a joint expedition of R.R.S. Discovery and FS Meteor. North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) and South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) are represented by two water types each, and phosphate, silicate and nitrate are all used as an additional parameter with temperature and salinity, yielding three sets of independent solutions. Solutions from different parameters show similar vertical distributions but can differ considerably in absolute terms. This is believed to be caused by insufficient knowledge of nutrient values of pure NACW and SACW and by low range/precision ratios of nutrient determination.It is shown that isopycnal mixing analysis correctly describes the water mass distribution to lowest order, i.e. there is agreement between results from isopycnal and multi-parameter analysis at most stations within the error bounds which are inherent in the method and which are presently very high. Significant non-isopycnal mixing could be confirmed for only one station, situated on the continental slope in the area of the undercurrent of the Canary Current upwelling regime, and may be caused by active upwelling, increased lateral and vertical shear in the under-current, or internal waves interacting with the bottom. Five stations do not yield oceanographically acceptable solutions, and an attempt is made to include a coastal water mass in the analysis in order to improve the result for these stations, i.e. three-parameter analysis for NACW and SACW is replaced by four-parameter analysis for NACW, SACW and coastal water by combining temperature and salinity with phosphate and silicate or with nitrate and silicate simultaneously (the combination phosphate and nitrate is degenerate because both nutrients are linearly correlated). This indeed improves the results, indicating the presence of coastal water at those stations, but accumulation of errors inhibits quantitative conclusions.     

Simple determination of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a simple, sensitive and less destructive method for the determination of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in seawater. Combined with detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the method had sufficient sensitivity (minimum detectable concentration of DMS was 0.05 nM), and practical levels of reproducibility (relative standard deviation ≤7%) and linearity (r ² > 0.995) over a wide concentration range (0.5 to 910 nM). The protocol developed was applied to a Sagami Bay water sample to determine concentrations of DMS and DMSP, and in situ DMSP-lyase activity.     

Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend at Luzon Strait

TOPEX/POSEDIENT-ERS satellite altimeter data along with the mean state from the Parallel Ocean Climate Model result have been used to investigate the variation of Kuroshio intrusion and eddy shedding at Luzon Strait during 1992–2001. The Kuroshio penetrates into the South China Sea and forms a bend. The Kuroshio bend varies with time, periodically shedding anticyclonic eddies. Criteria of eddy shedding are identified: 1) When the shedding event occurs, there are usually two centers of high Sea Surface Height (SSH) together with negative geostrophic vorticity in the Kuroshio Bend (KB) area. 2) Between the two centers of high SSH there usually exists positive geostrophic vorticity. These criteria have been used to determine the eddy shedding times and locations. The most frequent eddy shedding intervals are 70, 80 and 90 days. In both the winter and summer monsoon period, the most frequent locations are 119.5°E and 120°E, which means that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding location is unclear.     

Geodynamics of the deep sedimentary basin of the Caspian Sea region: paragenetic correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism

In this paper we analyze seismic regime and earthquake depth distribution and correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism in the Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea region. For the present region we have calculated accurate source locations, seismic activity, earthquake repetition and released earthquake energy parameters. It is shown that the active tectonic processes in the region are concentrated within the thick sedimentary cover that we consider as a general source of contemporary stress and a main structural element responsible for the origin of regional earthquakes. The correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism is of paragenetic character.     

On the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit satellite due to the zonal harmonics

In this note a simple formula is given for the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit due to the zonal harmonics. This perturbation depends essentially only on the semi-major axisa, the eccentricitye (or pericentre radius r =a(1-e)) and the latitude of the pericentre.     

Oil-generation kinetics for organic facies with Type-II and -IIS kerogen in the Menilite Shales of the Polish Carpathians

The Menilite Shales (Oligocene) of the Polish Carpathians are the source of low-sulfur oils in the thrust belt and some high-sulfur oils in the Carpathian Foredeep. These oil occurrences indicate that the high-sulfur oils in the Foredeep were generated and expelled before major thrusting and the low-sulfur oils in the thrust belt were generated and expelled during or after major thrusting. Two distinct organic facies have been observed in the Menilite Shales. One organic facies has a high clastic sediment input and contains Type-II kerogen. The other organic facies has a lower clastic sediment input and contains Type-IIS kerogen. Representative samples of both organic facies were used to determine kinetic parameters for immiscible oil generation by isothermal hydrous pyrolysis and S₂ generation by non-isothermal open-system pyrolysis. The derived kinetic parameters showed that timing of S₂ generation was not as different between the Type-IIS and -II kerogen based on open-system pyrolysis as compared with immiscible oil generation based on hydrous pyrolysis. Applying these kinetic parameters to a burial history in the Skole unit showed that some expelled oil would have been generated from the organic facies with Type-IIS kerogen before major thrusting with the hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters but not with the open-system pyrolysis kinetic parameters. The inability of open-system pyrolysis to determine earlier petroleum generation from Type-IIS kerogen is attributed to the large polar-rich bitumen component in S₂ generation, rapid loss of sulfur free-radical initiators in the open system, and diminished radical selectivity and rate constant differences at higher temperatures. Hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters are determined in the presence of water at lower temperatures in a closed system, which allows differentiation of bitumen and oil generation, interaction of free-radical initiators, greater radical selectivity, and more distinguishable rate constants as would occur during natural maturation. Kinetic parameters derived from hydrous pyrolysis show good correlations with one another (compensation effect) and kerogen organic-sulfur contents. These correlations allow for indirect determination of hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters on the basis of the organic-sulfur mole fraction of an immature Type-II or -IIS kerogen.     

GGR Critical Review of Analytical Developments in 2004–2005

In 2005 Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research embarked upon a new initiative for its readers. Key researchers in various fields of geoanalytical technique development and their application were identified and invited to provide reviews pertinent to their expertise. As noted in the first of these publications "…instead of revisiting the historical context or decades of development in each analytical technique, the goal here has been to capture a snapshot of "hot topics" across a range of fields as represented in the… literature" (Hergt et al . 2005). Rather than prepare an annual review, a decision was taken earlier this year to provide a biennial summary of progress and accomplishments, in this case for the years 2004–2005. The principal techniques employed in Earth and environmental sciences are covered here, and include laser ablation and multicollector ICP-MS, ICP-AES, thermal ionisation and secondary ion mass spectrometry, as well as neutron activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrometry. A comprehensive review of the development of reference materials, often essential to these techniques, is also provided. The contributions assembled serve both to keep readers informed of advances they may be unfamiliar with, but also as a means of showcasing examples of the breadth and depth of work being conducted in these fields.