Current Nature of the Kuroshio in the Vicinity of the Kii Peninsula

The Kuroshio flows very close to Cape Shionomisaki when it takes a straight path. The detailed observations of the Kuroshio were made both on board the R/V Seisui-maru of Mie University and on board the R/V Wakayama of the Wakayama Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station on June 11–14, 1996. It was confirmed that the current zone of the Kuroshio touches the coast and bottom slope just off Cape Shionomiaki, and that the coastal water to the east of the cape was completely separated from that to the west. The relatively high sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami could be caused by this separation of the coastal waters when the Kuroshio takes a straight path. This flow is rather curious, as the geostrophic flow, which has a barotropic nature and touches the bottom, would be constrained to follow bottom contours due to the vorticity conservation law. The reason why the Kuroshio leaves the bottom slope to the east of Cape Shionomisaki is attributed to the high curvature of the bottom contours there: if the current were to follow the contours, the centrifugal term in the equation of motion would become large and comparablee to the Coriolis (or pressure gradient) term, and the geostrophic balance would be destroyed. This creates a current-shadow zone just to the east of the cape. As the reason why the current zone of the Kuroshio intrudes into the coastal region to the west of the cape, it is suggested that the Kii Bifurcation Current off the southwest coast of the Kii Peninsula, which is usually found when the Kuroshio takes the straight path, has the effect of drawing the Kuroshio water into the coastal region. The sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami is often used to monitor the flow pattern of the Kuroshio near the Kii Peninsula. It should be noted that Uragami is located in the current shadow zone, while Kushimoto lies in the region where the offshore Kuroshio water intrudes into the coastal region. The resulting large sea level difference indicates that the Kuroshio is flowing along the straight path.     

用X射线分析显微镜对海藻元素的研究Ⅰ.海藻的X射线荧光光谱

X射线分析显微镜(XGT-2000V, Horiba Co.,Japan,1993年制造)是一种新颖、快速的元素分析仪器,可以用来分析海藻中元素的组成特点。本研究对1997年4,5月在山东省威海市采集的22种海藻进行了研究,测定了海藻的Ⅹ射线荧光光谱(XRF),并根据Ⅹ射线特性荧光的能量分析海藻的主要元素组成。然后采用基本参数法(FP法)对每种海藻的主要元素进行了半定量分析。研究结果表明,Ⅹ射线分析显微镜可以快速观测海藻中的主要元素如钾、硫、钙、铁、锌、溴、锶等,是研究元素组成与化学种态的有效的非破坏分析手段。从Ⅹ射线荧光光谱可以看出,绿藻的特征元素是钾、钙、硫,孔石莼(Ulva pertusa)含有较多的铁元素,而浒苔则含有较多的溴元素。褐藻的特征元素除钾、钙、硫之外,还含有较多的锶元素。另外,酸藻 (Desmarestia viridis)含有大量的硫及溴元素,鼠尾藻(Sargassum thunbergii)、单条髓藻(Myelophycus simplex)及酸藻 (Desmarestia viridis)中尚含有较多的铁元素。红藻的特征是多种红藻均含有较大量的溴元素,例如波登仙菜(Ceramium kondai)、松节藻(Rhodomela confervoides)、多管藻(Polysiphonia urceolata)、石花菜(Gelidium amansii)及亮管藻(Hyalosiphonia caespitosa)。另外,珊瑚藻(Corallina pilulifera)中含有大量的钙质。     

A strong motion database for the chiba seismometer array and its engineering analysis

A three-dimensional seismometer array was installed in the Chiba Experiment Station of the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo in 1982. The array system consists of 44 three-component accelerometers densely placed both on the ground surface and in boreholes. A complementary system for the measurement of ground and buried pipe strains was also installed at the same site. The array system has been successfully in operation, and more than 160 earthquakes have been recorded. Considering a wide use of these seismograms, the Chiba array database has recently been created comprising twenty-seven major events. This paper describes the Chiba array system and its strong motion database. Results of engineering analysis using the selected records are also presented.     

Southward intrusion of the intermediate Oyashio water along the east coast of the Boso Peninsula I. Coastal salinity-minimum-layer water off the Boso Peninsula

Index species of zooplankton of the Oyashio water are found in and beneath the salinity minimum layer in Sagami Bay. In order to clarify the intrusion path of the intermediate Oyashio Water (or the water of the Mixed Water Region), the oceanographic conditions off the Boso Peninsula are studied by using available hydrographic data obtained mainly by Japan Meteorological Agency. The cross-sectional salinity distribution along KJ line which extends southeastward from off the tip of the peninsula always indicates the existence of a low salinity patch just off the coast in the salinity minimum layer. This water is well separated from the offshore low salinity water which is considered as the water in the western margin of the so-called North Pacific Intermediate Water. We refer to the former water as the coastal salinity-minimum-layer (SML) water and to the latter as the offshore SML water. The coastal SML water is usually bounded by the current zone of the Kuroshio. The existence of the coastal SML water seems to indicate the possible pathway of the intermediate Oyashio water along the Boso Peninsula into Sagami Bay. The detailed water type analysis is made in T-S plane, S-_st plane, and O₂-_st plane. There is no significant difference in distribution ranges of the water types between the coastal SML water and the offshore SML water. However, the water types of the coastal SML water is not uniformly distributed, and the water can be classified into two groups: group A with relatively high oxygen content and relatively low salinity value and group B with relatively low oxygen content and relatively high salinity value. Group A is thought to be associated with strong event-like intrusions, the details of which will be discussed in Part II.     

Behavior of fresh water injected at the surface of a uniformly rotating ocean

The behavior of low density fresh water injected at the surface of a uniformly rotating saline water was investigated on the basis of a tank experiment. The injected water mass shows a clockwise circulation and grows gradually with an axisymmetric convex shape, until it breaks into two vortices at a critical size. An experimental formula for the change of radius of the water mass with time for the axisymmetric stage is obtained. It is shown that within our experimental range of values the radius of the water mass increases almost in proportion tot ^1/2, wheret is the elapse time, while the inviscid theory indicates that the radius should increase in proportion tot ^1/4. The dependence of the radius on elapse time is essential for forecasting the extent of discharged waters. The position of the maximum azimuthal velocity is fixed at \(V = - ge^{ - a^2 q^2 } \) within our experimental range of values wherer is the radial coordinate,f the Coriolis parameter,v the viscosity coefficient andQ the flow rate of injection, respectively. This radius corresponds to the radial scale derived by Gillet al. (1979). The steadiness of the position of the maximum azimuthal velocity may be essential in partition of the water mass into inner and outer regions and in the understanding the derived experimental formula. The critical radius for breaking is also investigated. The radius is shown to be independent ofQ and to be almost proportional to (Δ _ρ / _ρ )^1/2 f ^-1 whereρ is the density of the saline water andΔρ the density difference between the saline and injected waters. Even after the water supply is cut off in the axisymmetric stage, the radius of the water mass increases at almost the same rate as before, while its thickness decreases. The behavior after supply cut-off is discussed in the Appendix.     

Autocovariance function and power spectrum of the vertical temperature gradient in the thermocline

The nature of the autocovariance function and power spectrum of time series of spike-array type is discussed. As the spacing of spikes is not easily seen directly in power spectrum, prudence should be exercised in interpreting the gradient spectrum of oceanic fine-structure. We calculated the autocovariance function and lag joint probability density of the record of the vertical profile of the vertical temperature gradient measured in the San Diego Trough. The results obtained support the results of the bispectral analysis in the previous paper (Nagata, 1978) that the predominant length scale of about 5 m has two meanings: spacing of the spikes and wavelength of a sinusoidal wave. The results seem to show the existence of nernal waves having a vertical wavelength the same as the spacing of the spikes or the thickness of the homogeneous layer in the oceanic fine-structure.     

Stokes' expansion of internal deep water waves to the fifth order

Stokes' expansion is applied to the internal waves of finite amplitude, which propagate on the interface between two layers of infinite thickness. Stream function, wave profile, phase velocity and mass transport velocity are given in the fifth order approximation. It is shown that (a) phase velocity increases with increase of wave steepness, (b) mass transport appears in the direction of the wave propagation in both layers as in the case of the surface waves, and (c) when the density difference is very small, the wave profile is flattened not only at the troughs but also at the crests.     

Water wedge advancing along the interface between two homogeneous layers

The behavior of the water wedge advancing along the interface between two homogeneous layers is investigated experimentally. The horizontally intruding wedge is strongly influenced by the detailed structure of the interface, even when the interface is sharp enough for its position to be visually determined. Within our experimental range, the intrusion velocity is very slow and depends on the thickness of the interface along which the water wedge intrudes. The wedge length is well described by the relation which is derived using an analogy to the linearly stratified case. The results could be useful for understanding the generation mechanism of the oceanic microstructure.