Temporal variability of near-bottom particle resuspension and dynamics at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, Northeast Atlantic

In order to study particle behaviour and its time-variability in the near-bottom layer on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (48°50′N, 16°30′W, 4850 m), long-term measurements were made of currents, and nephelometry and particle samples were collected using an autonomous lander between mid-1996 and mid-1998. Water samples, collected in the Bottom Nepheloid Layer within 1000 m of the bottom, were filtered for suspended particles whose contents of organic carbon, nitrogen and pigments were determined. This study was co-ordinated with a water column flux study and a detailed programme of benthic studies to understand how the abyssal boundary layer responds to and modifies inputs of organic matter from the water column (MAST3/BENGAL programme).There were strong seasonal fluctuations in the near-bottom (2 m above the bottom, mab) particle flux, whose variation were correlated in time with the water column fluxes. During the periods of peak flux, the near-bottom flux was sometimes higher than that recorded higher up in the water column, but not always at other times. These excesses were attributed to the resuspension events, since we observed a correlation between current speed and nephelometry. However, in summer the peak in the particle resuspension flux could not be explained by the variations in the tidal amplitude. Instead we attribute it to the large quantities of fresh large particles (aggregations) that had just arrived on the bottom; it was probably linked to the feeding activity and sediment reworking by the rich and varied benthic and benthopelagic megafauna.In both 1997 and 1998, the nephelometry signal (directly related to fine particle concentration) and its variability increased after the peaks in large particle flux with a time-lag of 2–3 months. We assume that this time lag corresponds to the time it takes for the large fresh particles, once they have settled on the bottom, to be disaggregated into smaller particles, and hence become subject to resuspension in the quiet current conditions then prevailing in the BENGAL area. The suspended particle analyses confirm the vertical structure of the Bottom Nepheloid Layer, the lower part of which corresponds to the Bottom Mixed Layer (BML) where resuspension and mixing are higher.     

Time splitting and linear stability of the slow part of the barotropic component

In this paper, the authors analyse the stability of particular numerical schemes used in oceanic general circulation models to deal with the barotropic momentum advection term. It is shown that, when this term is integrated using time splitting, its stability properties can be drastically reduced in configurations where there exists shallow areas, where velocities become comparable to the propagation speed of external gravity waves. A simple alternative scheme with improved stability is proposed and discussed.     

Near-bottom particle concentration and flux: Temporal variations observed with sediment traps and nepholometer on the Meriadzek Terrace, Bay of Biscay

The Meriadzek Terrace (a 2100m deep plateau on the North-East Atlantic continental slope) was chosen as the experimental site for a multidisciplinary programme to observe the parameters needed for a better understanding of biological processes in the benthic environment.Two approaches were used to study the input of particulate matter to the bathyal seabed: sediment traps and indirect particle concentration measurements with nephelometry. These two technologies do not measure particles of the same size range, but as we are interested in the fluctuations of the particle supply, their results are complementary.Vertical profiles of nephelometry show that over the Meriadzek Terrace there is 125m thick nepheloid layer immediately above the bottom.The dynamics in the deep layer has been determined by measurements made with a Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP), an in situ monitoring device developed at IFREMER which measures currents, nephelometry, temperature vertical profile near the bottom.Throughout six months of measurements in 1984, the currents at 0.5m and 120m above the bottom were subject to semi-diurnal tidal oscillations. The intensity of light scattering recorded with the nephelometer on the MAP was highly correlated with current velocities especially with semidiurnal tidal oscillations which seem to induce local resuspension. There are also longer term fluctuations, notably a very strong event which lasted several days during August. This event lagged behind a period of high intensity of internal waves correlated with a reversal in current direction. The sediment trap (Pièges à Particules “PAP”) observations showed that the particle fluxes on the Meriadzek Terrace have a cycle of variation similar to primary production which is characterized by a maximum in May during the phytoplankton bloom and a minimum during January. There was also interannual fluctuation.These two kinds of results point out the different time scales (from some hours to several months) of the large temporal fluctuations which affect the near-bottom particle behaviour.     

Characterization of colloidal and particulate matter transported by the magela creek system,Northern Australia

The composition and amount of colloidal and suspended participate matter transported during a small flood event in Magela Creek in tropical northern Australia was investigated. The flood studied constituted approximately 3 % of the total annual flow, most (90%) of which occurred between mid-January and mid-February of the study year. Three fractions were separated from water samples using a sequential method involving a continuous flow centrifuge to separate suspended particulate matter (SPM; nominally > 1 μm) followed by hollow fibre filtration, first using a 0.1 μm filter to separate course colloidal matter (CCM; nominal size 1–0.1 μm) and then a 0–015 μm filter to separate fine colloidal matter (FCM; nominal size 0.1–0.015 μm). The SPM was predominantly inorganic (organic matter 21 %), whereas the colloidal fractions were dominantly organic matter (CCM 60%; FCM 83%). Analysis of individual particles using electron microprobe and automated image analysis indicated that the mineral fractions in both the SPM and CCM were dominated by iron-enriched aluminosilicates (including kaolinite) (72–82%) and quartz (9–10%), indicative of a highly weathered and extensively laterized catchment. Surprisingly there was very little difference in the composition of the SPM or CCM fractions during the flood event studied, which may indicate either that sediment availability was restricted following the major run-off events in January and February, or that all the sediment sources within the catchment are geochemically similar. Approximately the same amounts of particulate (20 tonne), colloidal (21 tonne) and dissolved material (17 tonne) were transported during the 25 hour period of the main flood peak; over 90% of the colloidal matter was 0.1–1.0 μm in size. These data suggest that previous estimates of the amounts of particulate (and colloidal) matter transported by Magela Creek, which were based on suspended solids measurements, may have underestimated the particulate matter load by as much as 50%. It is possible that the relatively high proportion of colloidal matter is unique to Magela Creek because coagulation and aggregation of colloidal matter to particulate matter is slow due to the very low concentations of calcium and magnesium in these waters. However, if the result is more widespread, there are important implications for the global estimates of fluvially transported particulate and dissolved materials as many of the previous studies may have underestimated the particulate load and overestimated the dissolved load.