Microstructure observations in the upper layer of the South China Sea

A general pattern for turbulent mixing in the upper layer of the South China Sea (SCS) is presented based on TurboMAP measurements in April and May 2010. The turbulence level decreased significantly overall from north to south, and weakened from east to west in the northern SCS. The average dissipation rate north of 18°N reaches 1.69 × 10^?8 W/kg, approximately six times larger than that south of 18°N. The mean mixing efficiency in the SCS is 0.2, with a maximum of 0.31 near the Luzon Strait. At one repeatedly occupied station located in the central deep basin, the dissipation rate varies diurnally in the mixed layer and pycnocline due to diurnal heating and cooling by solar radiation and local barotropic tide, respectively.     

AMSR-E sea surface temperature (SST) charts enhancement

Microwave satellite images used for retrieving sea surface temperatures often have such distortions as noise and blurring of the thermal fronts. An image processing approach based on the Mumford-Shah model of optimal image approximation is considered for the solution to this problem. We divide images into flat areas and frontal zones, and then process these areas separately. Image fragmentation is based on automatic detection of the thermal front lines. SST enhancement in frontal zones is achieved by using image deconvolution methods. It has been shown that SST errors in high gradient areas reach 1–3 °C. The proposed approach can decrease this discrepancy.     

Seasonal variations in the nitrogen isotopic composition of settling particles at station K2 in the western subarctic North Pacific

Intensive observations using hydrographical cruises and moored sediment trap deployments during 2010 and 2012 at station K2 in the North Pacific Western Subarctic Gyre (WSG) revealed seasonal changes in δ ¹⁵N of both suspended and settling particles. Suspended particles (SUS) were collected from depths between the surface and 200 m; settling particles by drifting sediment traps (DST; 100–200 m) and moored sediment traps (MST; 200 and 500 m). All particles showed higher δ ¹⁵N values in winter and lower in summer, contrary to the expected by isotopic fractionation during phytoplankton nitrate consumption. We suggest that these observed isotopic patterns are due to ammonium consumption via light-controlled nitrification, which could induce variations in δ ¹⁵N(SUS) of 0.4–3.1 ‰ in the euphotic zone (EZ). The δ ¹⁵N(SUS) signature was reflected by δ ¹⁵N(DST) despite modifications during biogenic transformation from suspended particles in the EZ. δ ¹⁵N enrichment (average: 3.6 ‰) and the increase in C:N ratio (by 1.6) in settling particles suggests year-round contributions of metabolites from herbivorous zooplankton as well as TEPs produced by diatoms. Accordingly, seasonal δ ¹⁵N(DST) variations of 2.4–7.0 ‰ showed a significant correlation with primary productivity (PP) at K2. By applying the observed δ ¹⁵N(DST) vs. PP regression to δ ¹⁵N(MST) of 1.9–8.0 ‰, we constructed the first annual time-series of PP changes in the WSG. This new approach to estimate productivity can be a powerful tool for further understanding of the biological pump in the WSG, even though its validity needs to be examined carefully.     

Dynamical downscaling of future sea level change in the western North Pacific using ROMS

The future regional sea level (RSL) rise in the western North Pacific is investigated by dynamical downscaling with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with an eddy-permitting resolution based on three global climate models—MIROC-ESM, CSIRO-Mk3.6.0, and GFDL-CM3—under the highest greenhouse-gas emission scenario. The historical run is forced by the air-sea fluxes calculated from Coordinated Ocean Reference Experiment version 2 (COREv2) data. Three future runs—ROMS-MIROC, ROMS-CSIRO, and ROMS-GFDL—are forced with an atmospheric field constructed by adding the difference between the climate model parameters for the twenty-first and twentieth century to fields in the historical run. In all downscaling, the RSL rise along the eastern coast of Japan is generally half or less of the RSL rise maxima off the eastern coast. The projected regional (total) sea level rises along the Honshu coast during 2081–2100 relative to 1981–2000 are 19–25 (98–104), 6–15 (71–80), and 8–14 (80–86) cm in ROMS-MIROC, ROMS-CSIRO, and ROMS-GFDL, respectively. The discrepancies of the RSL rise along the Honshu coast between the climate models and downscaling are less than 10 cm. The RSL changes in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region in all downscaling simulations are related to the changes of KE (northward shift or intensification) with climate change.     

基于船位监控系统的拖网捕捞努力量提取方法研究

为了基于船位监控系统提取拖网捕捞努力量,通过统计航速获得3个峰值,拖网作业在第2个峰值,即1~2.1 m/s,拖网作业航向差一般在–50°~50°。利用航速、航向差阈值设定,把拖网船状态划分为慢速、作业、航行,然后提取出捕捞作业状态点,1 423艘拖网船共提取到处于捕捞状态的点318 433个,合计拖网捕捞时间15 921 h,利用反距离加权插值法生成捕捞强度分布变化趋势图。捕捞努力量在渔业资源研究中是重要的参考值之一,与传统的捕捞努力量计算方法相比,该方法具有实时、大范围、快速、分辨率高的特点,能够用于辅助渔业资源保护。     

178Hz正弦波对刺参行为、呼吸及免疫应答的影响

根据山东荣成沿岸风电机组产生的声波范围选取其中178Hz的峰值声音,声压级控制于(85±5)d B,在实验室水槽中,采用实验生态学方法研究了178Hz声波影响下的刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)幼参的行为反应、耗氧率以及体腔液抗氧化酶(CAT、SOD)浓度的变化。通过平均聚集率的变化比较,发现刺参对178Hz的声波胁迫环境的行为反应敏感;利用空瓶法测得幼参耗氧率显著低于对照组(P0.05);通过测定刺参体腔液免疫活性发现在该频率声波干扰下的刺参CAT活性显著高于对照组(P0.05),而SOD活性于对照组差异不明显(P0.05)。研究结果说明声波对刺参幼参的呼吸和免疫会产生明显影响,可为我国近海刺参养殖和风电发展策略提供参考。     

基于20a卫星高度计数据的黑潮变异特征

黑潮作为一支典型的西边界流,其路径变化特征及其相关的物理现象对于渔业和航海有着不可忽视的影响。本文基于改进的特征线方法,利用1992~2012年的高度计绝对动力地形数据提取了整个黑潮流区逐月的黑潮主轴和边界位置,并对沿轴速度、主流宽度、表层水体输运以及路径标准差等黑潮特征量进行了分析研究。结果表明,黑潮整体的沿轴速度在夏秋季较大,最大值可达0.95 m/s,而在冬季的速度较小;黑潮主流宽度在10、11月份达到最大值;黑潮表层水体输运在夏季最大,春秋两季次之,冬季最小。沿黑潮流路分区域对黑潮特征进行分析,结果表明,越往黑潮下游,其沿轴速度、主流宽度和表层水体输运越大,同时沿轴速度和表层水体输运量最大值出现的时间也越晚,黑潮主轴位置相对于其多年平均的偏离程度越大,且随时间波动也越强烈。     

Distinct groundwater recharge sources and geochemical evolution of two adjacent sub-basins in the lower Shule River Basin,northwest China

Based on analysis of groundwater hydrogeochemical and isotopic data, this study aims to identify the recharge sources and understand geochemical evolution of groundwater along the downstream section of the Shule River, northwest China, including two sub-basins. Groundwater samples from the Tashi sub-basin show markedly depleted stable isotopes compared to those in the Guazhou sub-basin. This difference suggests that groundwater in the Tashi sub-basin mainly originates from meltwater in the Qilian Mountains, while the groundwater in the Guazhou sub-basin may be recharged by seepage of the Shule River water. During the groundwater flow process in the Tashi sub-basin, minerals within the aquifer material (e.g., halite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum) dissolve in groundwater. Mineral dissolution leads to strongly linear relationships between Na⁺ and Cl^? and between Mg²⁺+ Ca²⁺ and SO₄ ^2??+?HCO₃ ^?, with stoichiometry ratios of approximately 1:1 in both cases. The ion-exchange reaction plays a dominant role in hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in the Guazhou sub-basin and causes a good linear relationship between (Mg²⁺+ Ca²⁺)–(SO₄ ^2??+?HCO₃ ^?) and (Na⁺+ K⁺)–Cl^? with a slope of ?0.89 and also results in positive chloroalkaline indices CAI 1 and CAI 2. The scientific results have implications for groundwater management in the downstream section of Shule River. As an important irrigation district in Hexi Corridor, groundwater in the Guazhou sub-basin should be used sustainably and rationally because its recharge source is not as abundant as expected. It is recommended that the surface water should be used efficiently and routinely, while groundwater exploitation should be limited as much as possible.     

Soil-water dynamics and tree water uptake in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico (USA): a stable isotope study

In the southwestern United States, precipitation in the high mountains is a primary source of groundwater recharge. Precipitation patterns, soil properties and vegetation largely control the rate and timing of groundwater recharge. The interactions between climate, soil and mountain vegetation thus have important implications for the groundwater supply. This study took place in the Sacramento Mountains, which is the recharge area for multiple regional aquifers in southern New Mexico. The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were used to determine whether infiltration of precipitation is homogeneously distributed in the soil or whether it is partitioned among soil-water ‘compartments’, from which trees extract water for transpiration as a function of the season. The results indicate that “immobile” or “slow” soil water, which is derived primarily from snowmelt, infiltrates soils in a relatively uniform fashion, filling small pores in the shallow soils. “Mobile” or “fast” soil water, which is mostly associated with summer thunderstorms, infiltrates very quickly through macropores and along preferential flow paths, evading evaporative loss. It was found that throughout the entire year, trees principally use immobile water derived from snowmelt mixed to differing degrees with seasonally available mobile-water sources. The replenishment of these different water pools in soils appears to depend on initial soil-water content, the manner in which the water was introduced to the soil (snowmelt versus intense thunderstorms), and the seasonal variability of the precipitation and evapotranspiration. These results have important implications for the effect of climate change on recharge mechanisms in the Sacramento Mountains.