Cross-Calibration and Long-Term Monitoring of the Microwave Radiometers of ERS, TOPEX, GFO, Jason, and Envisat

The radiometers on board the satellites ERS-1, TOPEX/Poseidon, ERS-2, GFO, Jason-1, and Envisat measure brightness temperatures at two or three different frequencies to determine the total columnal water vapor content and wet tropospheric path delay, a major correction to the altimeter range measurements. In order to asses the long-term stability of the path delay, the radiometers are calibrated against vicarious cold and hot references, against each other, and against several atmospheric models. Four of these radiometers exhibit significant drifts in at least one of the channels, resulting in yet unmodeled errors in path delay of up to 1 mm/year, thus limiting the accuracy at which global sea level rise can be inferred from the altimeter range measurements.     

A Sensitivity Analysis of the Waterline Method of Constructing a Digital Elevation Model for Intertidal Areas in ERS SAR scene of Eastern England

A sensitivity analysis of the waterline method of constructing a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of an intertidal zone using remote sensing and hydrodynamic modelling is described. Variation in vertical height accuracy as a function of beach slope is investigated using a set of nine ERS Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the Humber/Wash area on the English east coast acquired between 1992 and 1994. Waterlines from these images are heighted using a hydrodynamic tide-surge model and interpolated using block kriging. On 1:500 slope beaches, an average block height estimation standard deviation of 18–22 cm is achieved. This rises to 27 cm on 1:100 slope beaches, and 32 cm on 1:30 slope beaches. The average heighting error at different slopes is decomposed into components due to waterline heighting error, inadequate sensor resolution and interpolation inaccuracy. It is shown that, at 1:500 slope, waterline heighting error and interpolation inaccuracy are the main error sources, whilst at 1:30 slope, errors due to inadequate sensor resolution become dominant. The ability of the technique to generate intertidal DEMs for almost the entire coastal zone in a complete ERS SAR scene covering 100×100 km is demonstrated.     

The Mid-atlantic Ridge (31°S–34°30′S): Temporal and spatial variations of accretionary processes

The ridge located between 31° S and 34°30′S is spreading at a rate of 35 mm yr⁻¹, a transitional velocity between the very slow (≤20 mm yr⁻¹) opening rates of the North Atlantic and Southwest Indian Oceans, and the intermediate rates (60 mm yr⁻¹) of the northern limb of the East Pacific Rise, and the Galapagos and Juan de Fuca Ridges. A synthesis of multi-narrow beam, magnetics and gravity data document that in this area the ridge represents a dynamically evolving system. Here the ridge is partitioned into an ensemble of six distinct segments of variable lengths (12 to 100 km) by two transform faults (first-order discontinuities) and three small offset (< 30 km) discontinuities (second-order discontinuities) that behave non-rigidly creating complex and heterogeneous morphotectonic patterns that are not parallel to flow lines. The offset magnitudes of both the first and second-order discontinuities change in response to differential asymmetric spreading. In addition, along the fossil trace of second-order discontinuities, the lengths of abyssal hills located to either side of a discordant zone are observed to lengthen and shorten creating a saw-toothed pattern. Although the spreading rate remains the same along the length of the ridge studied, the morphology of the spreading segments varies from a deep median valley with characteristics analogous to the rift segments of the North Atlantic to a gently rifted axial bulge that is indistinguishable from the shape and relief of the intermediate rate spreading centers of the East Pacific Rise (i.e., 21°N). Like other carefully surveyed ridge segments at slow and fast rates of accretion, the along-axis profiles of each ridge segment are distinctly convex upwards, and exhibit along-strike changes in relief of 500m to 1500 between the shallowest portion of the segment (approximate center) and the segment ends. Such spatial variations create marked along-axis changes in the morphology and relief of each segment. A relatively low mantle Bouguer anomaly is known to be associated with the ridge segment characterized by a gently rifted axial bulge and is interpreted to indicate the presence of focused mantle upwelling (Kuo and Forsyth, 1988). Moreover, the terrain at the ends of each segment are known to be highly magnetized compared to the centers of each segment (Carbotte et al, 1990). Taken together, these data clearly establish that these profound spatial variations in ridge segment properties between adjoining segments, and along and across each segment, indicate that the upper mantle processes responsible for the formation of this contrasting architecture are not solely related to passive upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the ridge axis. Rather, there must be differences in the thermal and mechanical structure of the crust and upper mantle between and along the ridge segments to explain these spatial variations in axial topography, crustal structure and magnetization. These results are consistent with the results of investigations from other parts of the ridge and suggest that the emplacement of magma is highly focused along segments and positioned beneath the depth minimum of a given segment. The profound differences between segments indicate that the processes governing the behavior of upwelling mantle are decoupled and the variations in the patterns of axis flanking morphology and rate of accretion indicate that processes controlling upwelling and melt production vary markedly in time as well. At this spreading rate and in this area, the accretionary processes are clearly three-dimensional. In addition, the morphology of a ridge segment is not governed so much by opening rate as by the thermal structure of the mantle which underlies the segment.     

Quantum yield for the photochemical production of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater

The direct photooxidation of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) may provide a significant sink for organic carbon in the ocean. To calculate the rate of this reaction on a global scale, it is essential to know its quantum yield, or photochemical efficiency. We have determined quantum yield spectra, φ(λ), (moles DIC/mole photons absorbed) for 14 samples of seawater from environments ranging from a turbid, eutrophic bay to the Gulf Stream. The spectra vary among locations, but can be represented quite well by three pooled spectra for zones defined by location and salinity: inshore φ(λ)=e^{−(6.66+0.0285(λ−290))}; coastal φ(λ)=e^{−(6.36+0.0140(λ−290))}; and open ocean φ(λ)=e^{−(5.53+0.00914(λ−290))}. Production efficiency increases offshore, which suggests that the most highly absorbing and quickly faded terrestrial chromophores are not those directly responsible for DIC photoproduction.     

黄海西部底栖海藻记录的评论

黄海西部是指北起鸭绿江口,南至长江口(包括渤海)的中国沿岸。这一带的海藻研究,迄今将近百年,目前已掌握的海藻分类研究文献共有45篇。我们在研究和分析这些文献后,把这些海藻记录归的为3类。(1)可以接受的记录：根据我们十多年来在黄海沿岸的调查采集经验证实所记录的产生于黄海西部的海藻,或虽尚未采到,但就目前的资料分析,估计该项记录可能是正确的。(2)待证实的记录：有些海藻记录无法肯定其鉴定是否正确,需待重新检查其原标本后始能确定的。(3)不能接受的记录：这类记录中,有些是已被藻类学家所否定,有些经检查原定名标本后证实是错误的,有些则根据地理分布观点,被认为是不可能生长在这个海区的种类。 根据黄海西部的海藻研究的发展情况,我们把过去的工作划分为两个历史阶段。     

Automatic Registration of TOBI Side-Scan Sonar and Multi-Beam Bathymetry Images for Improved Data Fusion

Deep towed side-scan sonar vehicles such as TOBI acquire high quality imagery of the seafloor with very high spatial resolution but poor locational accuracy. Fusion of the side-scan sonar data with bathymetry data from an independent source is often desirable to reduce ambiguity in geological interpretations, to aid in slant-range correction and to enhance seafloor representation. The main obstacle to fusion is accurate registration of the two datasets.The application of hierarchical chamfer matching to the registration of TOBI side-scan sonar images and multi-beam swath bathymetry is described. This matches low level features such as edges in the TOBI image, with corresponding features in a synthetic TOBI image created by simulating the flight of the TOBI vehicle through the bathymetry. The method is completely automatic, relatively fast and robust, and much easier than manual registration. It allows accurate positioning of the TOBI vehicle, enhancing its usefulness as a research tool. The method is illustrated by automatic registration of TOBI and multi-beam bathymetry data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

The intertidal erosion rate of cohesive sediment: a case study from Long Island Sound

Over the past decades, many attempts have been made to generate useful bottom erosion models for the study of cohesive sediment movement. This study addresses some of the key questions involved in determining the functional relationship between erosion rate and bottom shear stress. Current, wave, and turbidity data were collected from a bottom mounted instrument array in a moderately energetic estuarine environment. The bottom shear stress was calculated from a wave–current interaction model. The erosion rate was derived from the observed sediment concentration using a vertical mixing model. Examination of the relationship between erosion rate and bottom stress showed that the erosion rate varied at intertidal frequency. When averaged over the tidal fluctuation, the erosion rate remained approximately constant at low stress, but increased sharply when the shear stress rose above a critical value. This suggests two-stage erosion. The bed has a layered structure, in which a thin layer of loose, high water content material overlies a more consolidated bed. The top layer of high water content material (fluff) was easily disturbed and re-suspended by tidal currents, but the consolidated bottom layer was eroded only under conditions of high shear stress.     

High resolution gravimetric geoid heights and gravimetric vertical deflections of Europe including marine areas

Gravimetric geoid heights and gravimetric vertical deflections have been detemined for Europe including the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea and parts of the North Atlantic Ocean in a 12′×20′ grid. The computation has been carried out by least squares spectral combination using closed integral formulas, combining 104 000 mean free air gravity anomalies in 6′×10′ blocks, 12 000 mean free air gravity anomalies in 1⁰×1⁰ blocks and the sherical harmonic model GEM9. The precision of the computed geoid heights has been estimated to ±1 m, the precision of the computed vertical deflections has been estimated to ±2″. Comparisons of the gravimetric geoid heights and vertical deflections with a number of other solutions have been carried out, confirming the precision estimation.