Response of meiofaunal community with special reference to nematodes upon deployment of artificial reefs and cessation of bottom trawling in subtropical waters, Hong Kong

The response of meiofaunal communities, especially nematodes, upon the deployment of artificial reefs and cessation of bottom trawling at a designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Hong Kong was studied through comparison of meiofaunal samples collected inside and outside the MPA. Total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), water content and silt-clay fraction in sediments were also analyzed. The level of TOC and TKN, and total meiofaunal and nematode abundance were significantly lower inside than that outside the MPA. Multivariate analysis also indicated differences in community structure. Biological traits analysis revealed that the proportions of nematodes with a clavate tail shape, longer adult length, stout body shape and k-strategy life history were higher inside than that outside the MPA. Such changes in nematode community structure could be a result of the presence of the artificial reefs and closure of the MPA from bottom trawling.     

Comparison of Frequency-Selection Strategies for 2D Frequency-Domain Acoustic Waveform Inversion

Several frequency-selection strategies have been used to obtain global minimum solutions in waveform inversion. One strategy, called the discretization method, is to discretize frequencies with a large sampling interval to minimize redundancy in wavenumber information. Another method, the grouping method, groups frequencies with redundancy in wavenumber information. The grouping method can be carried out in two ways. With the first method, the minimum frequency is fixed and the maximum frequency is gradually extended upward (i.e., the overlap-grouping method). Under the second method, frequencies are not overlapped across the groups and waveform inversion proceeds from lower to higher frequency groups (i.e., the individual-grouping method). In this study, we compare these three frequency-selection strategies using both synthetic and real data examples based on logarithmic waveform inversion. Numerical examples for synthetic and real field data demonstrate that the three frequency-selection methods provide solutions closer to the global minimum compared to solutions resulting from simultaneously performed waveform inversion, and that the individual-grouping method yields slightly better resolution for the velocity models than the other methods, particularly for the deeper part. These results may imply that using either too small or too large data sets at every stage slightly deteriorates inversion results, and that grouping data in appropriately sized aggregations improves inversion results.     

Stable isotopes as a useful tool for revealing the environmental fate and trophic effect of open-sea-cage fish farm wastes on marine benthic organisms with different feeding guilds

Environmental fate of fish farm wastes (FFW) released from an open-sea-cage farm at Kat O, Hong Kong was examined by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (SI) ratios in selected benthic organisms collected along a 2000 m transect from the farm. Our results showed that FFW significantly influenced the energy utilization profile of consumers near the fish farm. Although nitrogen enrichment effect on δ15N was anticipated in biota near the farm, the predicted patterns did not consistently occur in all feeding guilds. Two species of suspension-feeders, which relied on naturally δ15N-depleted sources, were δ15N-enriched near the fish farm. In contrast, both species of benthic grazer and deposit-feeder, which relied on naturally δ15N-enriched algal sources, were δ15N-depleted under the influence of FFW. The SI signatures of biota can, therefore, serve as feasible biomarkers for FFW discharges only when the trophic structure of the receiving environment is fully elucidated.     

3D acoustic waveform inversion in the Laplace domain using an iterative solver

In this paper we propose a 3D acoustic full waveform inversion algorithm in the Laplace domain. The partial differential equation for the 3D acoustic wave equation in the Laplace domain is reformulated as a linear system of algebraic equations using the finite element method and the resulting linear system is solved by a preconditioned conjugate gradient method. The numerical solutions obtained by our modelling algorithm are verified through a comparison with the corresponding analytical solutions and the appropriate dispersion analysis. In the Laplace‐domain waveform inversion, the logarithm of the Laplace transformed wavefields mainly contains long‐wavelength information about the underlying velocity model. As a result, the algorithm smoothes a small‐scale structure but roughly identifies large‐scale features within a certain depth determined by the range of offsets and Laplace damping constants employed. Our algorithm thus provides a useful complementary process to time‐ or frequency‐domain waveform inversion, which cannot recover a large‐scale structure when low‐frequency signals are weak or absent. The algorithm is demonstrated on a synthetic example: the SEG/EAGE 3D salt‐dome model. The numerical test is limited to a Laplace‐domain synthetic data set for the inversion. In order to verify the usefulness of the inverted velocity model, we perform the 3D reverse time migration. The migration results show that our inversion results can be used as an initial model for the subsequent high‐resolution waveform inversion. Further studies are needed to perform the inversion using time‐domain synthetic data with noise or real data, thereby investigating robustness to noise.     

New compact ocean bottom cabled seismometer system deployed in the Japan Sea

The Japanese islands are positioned near the subduction zones, and large earthquakes have repeatedly occurred in marine areas around Japan. However, the number of permanent earthquake observatories in the oceans is quite limited. It is important for understanding generation of large earthquakes to observe seismic activities on the seafloor just above these seismogenic zones. An ocean bottom cabled seismometer (OBCS) is the best solution because data can be collected in real-time. We have developed a new compact OBCS system. A developed system is controlled by a microprocessor, and signals from accelerometers are 24-bit digitized. Clock is delivered from the global positioning system receiver on a landing station using a simple dedicated line. Data collected at each cabled seismometer (CS) are transmitted using standard Internet Protocol to landing stations. The network configuration of the system adopts two dual methods. We installed the first practical OBCS system in the Japan Sea, where large earthquakes occurred in past. The first OBCS system has a total length of 25 km and 4 stations with 5 km interval. Installation was carried out in August 2010. The CSs and single armored optical submarine cable were buried 1 m below the seafloor to avoid a conflict with fishing activity. The data are stored on a landing station and sent to Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo by using the Internet. After the installation, data are being collected continuously. According to burial of the CSs, seismic ambient noises are smaller than those observed on seafloor.     

Millennial-scale oscillations of the westerly jet path during the last glacial period

It has been established that East Asian summer monsoon intensity varies with Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles, suggesting a connection between the climates of East Asia and the North Atlantic on a millennial timescale. However, the dynamics of such a connection are still unsolved. Here we demonstrate that temporal changes in the provenance of aeolian dust in Japan Sea sediments, which we interpret to reflect changes in the westerly jet path over East Asia, exhibit variations in harmony with Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles. The dominance of dust with a Mongolian Gobi provenance during stadials suggests a westerly jet axis located to the south of the Himalaya–Tibetan Plateau throughout most of the year, whereas the co-dominance of dust from both the Taklimakan Desert and the Mongolian Gobi during interstadials suggests that the westerly jet axis jumped to the north of the Tibetan Plateau at latest in summer. As the shift of the westerly jet axis to the north of the Tibetan Plateau is closely related to the onset of the East Asian summer monsoon, changes of the westerly jet path apparently critically affect the teleconnection between the climates of Asia and North Atlantic on a millennial timescale.     

Impacts of zerovalent iron application on the adsorption behavior of alachlor and metalaxyl in water and soil systems

Alachlor and metalaxyl contaminations of environmental and agricultural water and soil systems cause potential threats to human health. However, information on the pesticide adsorption quantity–intensity (Q/I) relationships in water and soil systems is limited. Therefore, adsorption behavior and the fate of alachlor and metalaxyl in the systems as influenced by the application of zerovalent iron (ZVI, Fe⁰) were investigated using the pesticide adsorption Q/I relationships. After treating ZVI in the systems, the concentration of alachlor rapidly decreased within a few days and then it disappeared at approximately 5–7 experiment days; whereas metalaxyl concentration was reduced by approximately 40–45% during the 28 day experimental period. In particular, ZVI adsorbed more metalaxyl in the aqueous system than in the soil-solution system. The alachlor concentration in the water and soil solution drastically decreased with increasing ZVI treatment, while metalaxyl concentration was relatively slow in its decrease. Adsorption mechanism of the pesticides in the soil-solution system was shown as multiple-site adsorption Q/I fitting. Buffering capacity (BC) of the pesticides increased with ZVI treatment in all sorption sites. The BC values in sandy soil were escalated with increasing ZVI application rates, so that the values were rather higher in sandy soil than in clayey soil. In addition, changes in alachlor concentration with applying ZVI were due to both dechlorination and adsorption; whereas metalaxyl concentration was dependent upon adsorption reaction. Thus, the pesticide adsorption Q/I relationships in different soil-solution systems were critically affected by the ZVI treatment.     

CFD simulations of the effects of fouling and antifouling

Biofouling is a global problem in the marine industry though its effects on lift and drag are rarely discussed. This paper seeks to employ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method to quantify the effects of this problem based on the obtained flow field information. The simulation is carried out on a NACA 4424 airfoil and Defence Research Establishment Atlantic (DREA) Submarine Hull. Different levels of fouling are studied with quantified fouling height and density. As an extension, the effects of two common antifouling methods, i.e. tin-free Self-Polishing Copolymer (SPC) and Foul Release on the drag of NACA 4424 foil and the submarine hull is investigated. For NACA 4424 airfoil, fouling reduces lift-drag ratio (C_L/C_D) by up to 80% in maximum and therefore result in the significant increase in fuel consumption. Predicted flow data shows this is related to the increased flow separation region caused by the fouling. It is found that pressure gradient gradually increases from the smallest fouling height to the largest but does not vary that much for fouling of varying densities. The general trend of C_L/C_D varies with angle of attack agrees well with others experimental data. Computed results also show good agreement with experimental data for the DREA bare hull. As to antifouling, Foul Release, despite being 30% more expensive than SPC, exhibits 10-40% higher C_L/C_D as compared to SPC for NACA foil and submarine hull.     

Petrography of Yamato 984028 lherzolitic shergottite and its melt vein: Implications for its shock metamorphism and origin of the vein

Yamato 984028 (Y984028) is a newly identified lherzolitic shergottite, recovered from the Yamato Mountains, Antarctica, in 1999. As part of a consortium study, we conducted petrographic observations of Y984028 and its melt vein in order to investigate its shock metamorphism. The rock displays the typical non-poikilitic texture of lherzolitic shergottite, characterized by a framework of olivine, minor pyroxene (pigeonite and augite), and interstitial maskelynite. Shock metamorphic features include irregular fractures in olivine and pyroxene, shock-induced twin-lamellae in pyroxene, and the complete conversion of plagioclase to maskelynite, features consistent with those found in other lherzolitic shergottites. The melt vein is composed of coarse mineral fragments (mainly olivine) entrained in a matrix of fine-grained euhedral olivine (with several modes of compositional zoning) and interstitial glassy material. Some coarse olivine fragments consist of an assemblage of fine-grained euhedral to subhedral olivine crystals, suggesting shock-induced fragmentation, recrystallization, and/or a process of sintering. The implication is that the fine-grained olivine crystals in the matrix of the melt vein represent complicated crystallization environments and histories.