<Superscript>234</Superscript>Th/<Superscript>238</Superscript>U disequilibrium and particulate organic carbon export in the northern South China Sea

We utilized ²³⁴Th, a naturally occurring radionuclide, to quantify the particulate organic carbon (POC) export rates in the northern South China Sea (SCS) based on data collected in July 2000 (summer), May 2001 (spring) and November 2002 (autumn). Th-234 deficit was enhanced with depth in the euphotic zone, reaching a subsurface maximum at the Chl-a maximum in most cases, as commonly observed in many oceanic regimes. Th-234 was in general in equilibrium with ²³⁸U at a depth of ∼100 m, the bottom of the euphotic zone. In this study the ²³⁴Th deficit appeared to be less significant in November than in July and May. A surface excess of ²³⁴Th relative to ²³⁸U was found in the summer over the shelf of the northern SCS, most likely due to the accumulation of suspended particles entrapped by a salinity front. Comparison of the ²³⁴Th fluxes from the upper 10 m water column between 2-D and traditional 1-D models revealed agreement within the errors of estimation, suggesting the applicability of the 1-D model to this particular shelf region. 1-D model-based ²³⁴Th fluxes were converted to POC export rates using the ratios of bottle POC to ²³⁴Th. The values ranged from 5.3 to 26.6 mmol C m⁻²d⁻¹ and were slightly higher than those in the southern SCS and other oligotrophic areas. POC export overall showed larger values in spring and summer than in autumn, the seasonality of which was, however, not significant. The highest POC export rate (26.6 mmol C m⁻²d⁻¹) appeared at the shelf break in spring (May), when Chl-a increased and the community structure changed from pico-phytoplankton (<2 μm) dominated to nano-phytoplankton (2–20 μm) and micro-phytoplankton (20–200 μm) dominated.     

The role of water mass dynamics in controlling bacterial abundance and production in the middle Adriatic Sea

Month-to-month fluctuations in the abundance of bacteria and heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) and bacterial production, as well as various chemical (nutrients, oxygen) and physical (salinity, temperature) parameters were analysed at a station located in the open middle Adriatic Sea during one decade (1997-2006). Being influenced by both coastal waters and open Adriatic circulation in the surface layer, and by the deep Adriatic water masses in the deep layers (100 m), this station is quite suitable for detecting the environmental changes occurring in the open Adriatic Sea with respect to the circulation of its water masses and their long-term changes and anomalies. Multivariate methods were used to identify seasonal and inter-annual changes of the investigated parameters, associating observed changes to the changes in Adriatic water masses and circulation regimes. The analyses showed that bacterial abundance and production were controlled by different water mass dynamics during 1997-2001 compared to 2002-2006 period, particularly noticeable in different seasonal patterns of biological parameters. The interplay between North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) and Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) resulted in a change in the available nutrients (NAdDW is poor in orthophosphates), and as a consequence different bacterial abundance and production. A few periods were examined in detail, such as 2004, when LIW inflow was particularly strong and was accompanied by an increase of bacterial and HNF abundances, as well as of bacterial production.     

Assessing the extent of mangrove change caused by Cyclone Vance in the eastern Exmouth Gulf, northwestern Australia

Changes in mangal area were quantified in the eastern Exmouth Gulf over six years (1999–2004) after Cyclone Vance using Landsat TM satellite imagery and aerial photography. Vance was the strongest tropical cyclone ever to impact the Australian mainland before 2006 and produced wind gusts of more than 280 km h⁻¹. Image data were processed using ENVI™ and IDRISI™ software. Three sets of Landsat TM images from 1999 (a few days before the cyclone), 2002 and 2004 were used, along with 2004 digital aerial photography. A ‘common’ subset of 904 km² was selected from all images and classification was developed using ISODATA™ unsupervised classification to identify spectrally distinct areas followed by principal component analysis (PCA), vegetation indices and supervised classification. Some 12,800 ha of mangrove habitat was present before the cyclone and approximately 5700 ha (44%) was removed by it. Most mangroves lost (74%) between 1999 and 2004 were converted either to bare sediment or to live saltmarshes and this occurred mostly between 1999 and 2002. Five basic categories of damage were conspicuous from imagery and field observations, and evidence suggests that much of the loss was due to the longer term consequences of sediment deposition or smothering, rather than the immediate effects of wind or waves. Mangroves exhibited accelerated recovery between 2002 and 2004, and around 1580 ha regenerated during this time, amounting to a return of 68% of their former coverage. At this recovery rate we estimate that they should have returned to their pre-cyclone area by 2009. Over half of the saltmarsh habitats (54%) were removed by the cyclone (4060 ha) but their recovery has been far more rapid than mangroves. After 5 years, saltmarshes had returned to 87% of their previous area. The 5700 ha of mangrove habitat damaged by Cyclone Vance exceeds any anthropogenic impact that has ever taken place in Western Australia by several orders of magnitude.     

Nonlinear influences on ocean waves observed by X-band radar

The purpose of this study is to discuss the influence of signal nonlinearity upon X-band radar observations. A method for estimating the degree of nonlinearity by bispectral analysis was applied and discussed. We found that bispectral analyses from spatial radar backscatter series are similar to results obtained from water level time series. In addition, the average nonlinear degree from radar backscatter is related to wind speed. The accuracy of wave observations derived by consideration of the nonlinear effect from radar backscatter was also investigated. The estimated error in wave height from the radar data is also related to the degree of nonlinearity. In order to improve accuracy, the modulation transfer function method was applied in order to eliminate the influence of nonlinearity.     

Phase Shift between Changes in Global Temperature and Atmospheric CO2 Content under External Emissions of Greenhouse Gases into the Atmosphere

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The phase shift between changes in the global surface temperature Tg and atmospheric CO2 content $${{q}_{{{\text{C}}{{{\text{O}}}_{2}}}}}$$ has been...     

Dissipation Rate of Turbulence in a Water Layer under Wind Waves Based on Data of a Laboratory Experiment

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The aim of this work is to obtain estimates and parameterization of the dissipation rate of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE dissipation), ε,...     

Tsunami Hazard Assessment on the Egyptian Coast of the Mediterranean

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Tsunami forecast possibilities for areas with a small base of historical tsunamis have been discussed using the Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment...     

Radiative and Thermal Impacts of Smoke Aerosol Longwave Absorption during Fires in the Moscow Region in Summer 2010

The aerosol longwave radiative forcing of the atmosphere and heating rate of the near-surface aerosol layer are estimated for the extreme smoke conditions in the Moscow region in summer 2010. Thermal radiation fluxes in the atmosphere are determined using the integral transmission function and semiempirical aerosol model developed on the basis of standard aerosol models and measurements at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station, Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences. The aerosol radiative forcing reached 33 W/m² at the lower atmospheric boundary and ranged between–1.0 and 1.0 W/m² at the upper atmospheric boundary. The heating rate of the 10-m atmospheric layer near surface was up to 0.2 K/h during the maximum smoke conditions on August 7–9. The sensitivity of the aerosol longwave radiative forcing to the changes in the aerosol absorption coefficient and aerosol optical thickness are estimated.     

Kolmogorov–Obukhov Phenomenon in Turbulence

Some little-known facts in the history of the theory of locally isotropic turbulence are considered.     

Decadal-scale variation in COD and DIN dynamics during the summer in the inner area of the Ariake Sea,Japan

More than 30 years of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) data for the inner area of the Ariake Sea were analyzed with a box model to show the changes in the average seasonal budget and the decadal-scale variation during the summer. The COD peaked in August and March on average. This summertime peak can be explained by an enhanced riverine load and increased primary production. The peak in March suggested additional organic matter production. There were also two peaks in DIN concentration on average: a summertime peak that could be explained by an enhanced riverine load, and a peak in December that was more complicated to explain. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, the bottom water in this area became increasingly hypoxic due to increased COD during the summer, even though there were minimal increases in terrestrial COD and nutrient loads and there were tidal flats covering a widespread area during this period. The increase in COD was caused by increased net ecosystem production, which was due to enhanced primary production induced by an increased freshwater residence time and decreased bivalve grazing. There was a negative feedback control in which hypoxia progressively increased, leading to declines in bivalve biomass, which in turn decreased the grazing pressure limiting primary production, meaning that primary production increased and the area became even more hypoxic. The net DIN production decreased during the 1980s and the 1990s. This was consistent with the change in net ecosystem production according to the COD.