The effect of dynamic–thermodynamic icebergs on the Southern Ocean climate in a three-dimensional model

Melting icebergs are a mobile source of fresh water as well as a sink of latent heat. In most global climate models, the spatio-temporal redistribution of fresh water and latent heat fluxes related to icebergs is parameterized by an instantaneous more or less arbitrary flux distribution over some parts of the oceans. It is uncertain if such a parameterization provides a realistic representation of the role of icebergs in the coupled climate system. However, icebergs could have a significant climate role, in particular during past abrupt climate change events which have been associated with armada’s of icebergs. We therefore present the interactive coupling of a global climate model to a dynamic thermodynamic iceberg model, leading to a more plausible spatio-temporal redistribution of fresh water and heat fluxes. We show first that our model is able to reproduce a reasonable iceberg distribution in both hemispheres when compared to recent data. Second, in a series of sensitivity experiments we explore cooling and freshening effects of dynamical icebergs on the upper Southern Ocean and we compare these dynamic iceberg results to the effects of an equivalent parameterized iceberg flux.In our model without interactive icebergs, the parameterized fluxes are distributed homogeneously South of 55°S, whereas dynamic icebergs are found to be concentrated closer to shore except for a plume of icebergs floating North–East from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Compared to homogeneous fluxes, the dynamic icebergs lead to a 10% greater net production of Antarctic bottom water (AABW). This increased bottom water production involves open ocean convection, which is enhanced by a less efficient stratification of the ocean when comparing to a homogeneous flux distribution.Icebergs facilitate the formation of sea-ice. In the sensitivity experiments, both the fresh water and the cooling flux lead to a significant increase in sea-ice area of 12% and 6%, respectively, directly affecting the highly coupled and interactive air/sea/ice system. The consequences are most pronounced along the sea-ice edge, where this sea-ice facilitation has the greatest potential to affect ocean stratification, for example by heat insulation and wind shielding, which further amplifies the cooling and freshening of the surface waters.     

Spatial patterns in suprabenthic communities in the English Channel

The purpose of this paper was to establish the main characteristics of the suprabenthic communities of the English Channel including those found in a potential aggregate extraction zone located in the central part. Sampling was carried out with a Macer-GIROQ sledge during four periods in 2007. In this offshore site, the suprabenthic faunal composition and abundance were close to those observed in other similar sites in coarse sand to pebbles in the western and eastern parts of the English Channel. But, the species richness was low (65 species). Amphipods were the dominant group in terms of diversity and abundance. Only a few species, mostly amphipods and decapods, showed significant daily migration. Seasonal variations were moderate. Due to the similar suprabenthic fauna having good swimming ability, the aggregate extraction zone in the central part of the Channel could be rapidly colonized after exploitation and thus could rapidly insure a feeding resource for fish, which are attracted by abundant prey.     

Transport of terrestrial organic matter in the Ogooué deep sea turbidite system (Gabon)

In order to define the nature and distribution of the organic matter (OM) preserved in the modern Ogooué deep sea turbidite system (Gabon), bulk geochemical techniques (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, elemental and isotopic analyses) and palynofacies were applied to three piston cores collected in the Cape Lopez Canyon and lobe and on the continental slope, north of the canyon.The hemipelagic sedimentation in the study area is characterized by high accumulations of well-preserved OM (∼2-3 wt. TOC %). Bulk geochemical and palynofacies analysis indicate both a marine and terrestrial origin of the OM. Contribution of the marine source is higher on the slope than in the canyon and lobe.OM accumulation in turbidites is strongly controlled by the combined influence of the Cape Lopez Canyon and littoral drift. In the canyon and lobe, turbidites show generally low TOC content (0.5 wt. %) and OM is oxidized. The origin of the OM is interpreted as both marine and terrestrial, with a higher contribution of continental source versus marine source. The low TOC contents are due to the large siliciclastic fraction transported by the littoral drift and diverted in the Cape Lopez Canyon during high energy processes (e.g. storms) which tend to dilute the OM in the turbidites. Transport by long-shore currents and/or turbiditic flows leads to oxidation of the OM.On the continental slope located north of the Cape Lopez Canyon, large amounts of OM are deposited in turbidites (up to 14 wt. %). The OM is predominantly derived from terrestrial land plants and has not been subjected to intense oxidation. These deposits are characterized by high hydrocarbon potential (up to 27 kg HC/t rock), indicating a good potential as gas-prone source rock. Because Cape Lopez Canyon captures a significant part of the sediment transported by the littoral drift, the siliciclastic sedimentary flux is reduced north of the canyon; OM is thus concentrated in the turbidites. Variation in TOC content within turbidite laminae can be explained by the burst and sweep deposition process affecting the boundary layer of the turbulent flow.This study confirms that gravity flows play a preponderant role in the accumulation and preservation of OM in deep water and that deep sea turbidite systems could be regarded as an environment where organic sedimentation occurs.     

Oscarella balibaloi,a new sponge species (Homoscleromorpha: Plakinidae) from the Western Mediterranean Sea: cytological description,reproductive cycle and ecology

A new homoscleromorph sponge species was observed for the first time in 2002 along the coast of Provence (France) and since then, several investigations have been implemented. The new homoscleromorph species is devoid of skeleton and it is thus related to the Oscarella genus. Oscarella balibaloi sp. nov. has been found in several littoral submarine caves of the Western Mediterranean Sea (France and Spain). After several years of monitoring, we show that this sponge is becoming abundant in several locations. The species has a peculiar habit, often overgrowing massive sponges, gorgonians or some erected bryozoans. Oscarella balibaloi sp. nov. is thinly encrusting, with an irregular morphology, lobate surface, and soft and very slimy consistency. Its color is white to orange. At the cytological level, this new species is characterized by three distinct types of cells with inclusions in its mesohyl: one with vacuoles and the others with paracrystalline inclusions. The reproduction pattern is very similar to other Oscarella species. We also present a specific metabolic fingerprint and compare it to that of other Mediterranean Oscarella species.     

Impact of spatial resolution on simulated surface water mass transformations in the Atlantic

We analyze the water mass transformation in coarse (1°) and high (1/6°) resolution ocean simulations with the identical configuration of the CLIPPER model and interannual ERA15 forcing function. Climatological characteristics of surface water mass transformation in the two experiments are quite different. The high resolution experiment exhibits a stronger surface transformation in equatorial and tropical regions, in the Gulf Stream area and in the location of the formation of Subtropical Mode Water (STMW), associated with high levels of eddy kinetic energy. The coarse resolution experiment shows a better representation of the transformation rates corresponding to the densest subpolar mode waters and Labrador Sea Water (LSW). This is explained by the differences in lateral mixing procedures between high and coarse resolution experiments. The high resolution 1/6° run is eddy-resolving only in the tropics and mid-latitudes. In these areas eddies are found to enhance the process of water mass transformation compared to the isopycnal diffusion used to parameterized the eddies in the 1° model. Despite its 1/6° resolution, the high resolution model does not adequately represent eddies in the subpolar gyre and Labrador Sea. In these areas the high resolution model fails to correctly simulate water mass transformation because the lateral mixing (provided through the bi-harmonic sub-gridscale parameterization) of newly ventilated waters with surrounding waters is not efficient enough. In contrast in the coarse 1° resolution model, the strong lateral mixing and the unrealistically broad boundary currents imposed by the high diffusivity required for numerical stability mixes newly formed LSW waters with the warmer and saltier waters of the rim current. Finally, it results in a more effective representation of the surface water mass transformation in high latitudes in the 1° model. A possible impact of the increased lateral diffusion in high resolution experiment on the representation of re-stratification in the Labrador Sea was studied in sensitivity experiments with different lateral diffusion coefficients compared to the regional eddy-resolving 1/15° simulation in the subpolar North Atlantic. If the eddies are not resolved in subpolar latitudes (as in the case of 1/6° model), the GM90 parameterization with the coefficient close to 800 m² s⁻¹ provides the closest agreement with the solution of eddy-resolving 1/15° model.     

Photospheric Abundance Peculiarities in RS CVn Binaries

It is shown that Kantowski–Sachs cosmological models do not exist in Rosen's (1973) bimetric theory of gravitation when the source of gravitation is either perfect fluid or cosmic string. Hence, the vacuum model is constructed.     

Evidence for Flash Mixing in He-rich sdB Stars

We present FUSE spectra of three He-rich sdB stars. Two of these stars, PG1544+488 and JL87, reveal extremely strong C III lines, suggesting that they have mixed triple-α carbon from the deep interior out to their surfaces. Using TLUSTY NLTE line-blanketed model atmospheres, we find that PG1544+488 has a surface composition of 96% He, 2% C, and 1% N. JL87 shows a similar surface enrichment of C and N but still retains a significant amount of hydrogen. In contrast, the third star, LB1766, is devoid of hydrogen and strongly depleted of carbon, indicating that its surface material has undergone CN-cycle processing. We interpret these observations with new evolutionary calculations which suggest that He-rich sdB stars with C-rich compositions arise from a delayed helium-core flash on the white-dwarf cooling curve. During such a flash the interior convection zone will penetrate into the stellar envelope, thereby mixing the envelope with the He- and C-rich core. Such “flash-mixed” stars will arrive on the extreme horizontal branch (EHB) with He- and C-rich surface compositions and will be hotter than the hottest canonical EHB stars. Two types of flash mixing are possible:“deep” and “shallow”, depending on whether the hydrogen envelope is mixed deeply into the site of the helium flash or only with the outer layers of the core. Based on both their stellar parameters and surface compositions, we suggest that PG1544+488 and JL87 are examples of “deep” and “shallow” flash mixing, respectively.     

In Situ Multi-Element Analysis of the Mount Pinatubo Quartz-Hosted Melt Inclusions by NIR Femtosecond Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Microscopic melt inclusions found in magmatic minerals are undoubtedly one of the most important sources of information on the chemical composition of melts. This paper reports on the successful application of near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser ablation (LA) - inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to in situ determination of incompatible trace elements (Li, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, Ba, REE, Ta, Th, U) and ore metals (As, Mo, Pb) in individual melt inclusions hosted in quartz from the Mount Pinatubo dacites, Philippines. The determined elements cover a concentration range of five orders of magnitude. Femtosecond LA-ICP-MS analyses of twenty-eight individual melt inclusions demonstrate the efficiency of the microanalytical technique and suggests a spectacular homogeneity of the entrapped melt, at least with respect to the following incompatible trace elements: Rb, Sr, Nb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pb, Th. The analytical precision (1s) for Na, Ca, Rb, Sr, Y, Nb, Ba and LREE ranged from 3 to 20%. Comparison of trace element concentrations in Mt. Pinatubo melt inclusions determined by femtosecond LA-ICP-MS with those of melt inclusions previously analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis (SIMS) and those of matrix glasses previously determined by nanosecond LA-ICP-MS showed an agreement typically within 30–40%. The homogeneity of trace element concentrations of the Mt. Pinatubo melt inclusions and the matrix glasses is consistent with the melt inclusion origin as homogeneous rhyolitic melt that was trapped in quartz phenocrysts at the final crystallisation stages of the host adakite (dacite) magma.