Oceanographic influences on seabirds and cetaceans of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific, the oceanic region centered on the eastern Pacific warm pool, but also including the equatorial cold tongue and equatorial current system, and summarizes what is known about oceanographic influences on seabirds and cetaceans there. The eastern tropical Pacific supports on the order of 50 species of seabirds and 30 species of cetaceans as regular residents; these include four endemic species, the world’s largest populations for several others, three endemic sub-species, and a multi-species community that is relatively unique to this ecosystem. Three of the meso-scale physical features of the region are particularly significant to seabirds and cetaceans: the Costa Rica Dome for blue whales and short-beaked common dolphins, the Equatorial Front for planktivorous seabirds, and the countercurrent thermocline ridge for flocking seabirds that associate with mixed-species schools of spotted and spinner dolphins and yellowfin tuna. A few qualitative studies of meso- to macro-scale distribution patterns have indicated that some seabirds and cetaceans have species-specific preferences for surface currents. More common are associations with distinct water masses; these relationships have been quantified for a number of species using several different analytical methods. The mechanisms underlying tropical species–habitat relationships are not well understood, in contrast to a number of higher-latitude systems. This may be due to the fact that physical variables have been used as proxies for prey abundance and distribution in species–habitat research in the eastern tropical Pacific.Though seasonal and interannual patterns tend to be complex, species–habitat relationships appear to remain relatively stable over time, and distribution patterns co-vary with patterns of preferred habitat for a number of species. The interactions between seasonal and interannual variation in oceanographic conditions with seasonal patterns in the biology of seabirds and cetaceans may account for some of the complexity in species–habitat relationship patterns.Little work has been done to investigate effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycles on cetaceans, and results of the few studies focusing on oceanic seabirds are complex and not easy to interpret. Although much has been made of the detrimental effects of El Niño events on apex predators, more research is needed to understand the magnitude, and even direction, of these effects on seabirds and cetaceans in space and time.     

A seismic refraction study of cretaceous oceanic lithosphere in the Northwest Pacific Basin

A seismic refraction study on old (110 Myr) lithosphere in the northwest Pacific Basin has placed constraints on crustal and uppermantle seismic structure of old oceanic lithosphere, and lithospheric aging processes. No significant lateral variation in structure other than azimuthally anisotropic mantle velocities was found, allowing the application of powerful amplitude modeling techniques. The anisotropy observed is in an opposite sense to that expected, suggesting the tectonic setting of the area may be more complex than originally thought. Upper crustal velocities are generally larger than for younger crust, supporting current theories of decreased porosity with crustal aging. However, there is no evidence for significant thickening of the oceanic crust with age, nor is there any evidence of a lower crustal layer of high or low velocity relative to the velocity of the rest of Layer 3. The compressional and shear wave velocities rule out a large component of serpentinization of mantle materials. The only evidence for a basal crustal layer of olivine gabbro cumulates is a 1.5 km thick Moho transition zone. In the slow direction of anisotropy, upper mantle velocities increase from 8.0 km s^-1 to 8.35 km s^-1 in the upper 15 km below the Moho. This increase is inconsistent with an homogeneous upper mantle and suggests that compositinal or phase changes occur near the Moho.     

太平洋海域海平面变化的灰色系统分析

应用灰色系统理论，对太平洋海域４８个长期验潮站的月均海平面分别建立了ＧＭ（１，１）模型。ＧＭ（１，１）模型能较好地反映太平洋海域的海平面变化的趋势，它除了能给出连续的海平面变化速率外，同时能方便地给出海平面变化的加速率。模拟结果表明，在太平洋地壳均衡假设下，太平洋海域的月均海平面以平均速率０．１７ｃｍ／ａ上升。在太平洋海域所取的４８个长期验潮站中，有４０个站在加速上升，全部站的平均加速度为０．０００２９ｃｍ／ａ２。且加速率逐渐增大。当然这些加速率都很小，但作为一种普遍性的趋势，这已足以说明：太平洋海域的海平面在加速上升     

Possible Density Change of the Origin of North Pacific Intermediate Water Due to Double Diffusion in the Mixed Water Region

In this study we test Talley's hypothesis that Oyashio winter mixed-layer water (26.5–26.6σ _θ) increases its density to produce the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) salinity minimum (26.7– 26.8σ_θ) in the Mixed Water Region, assuming a combination of cabbeling and double diffusion. The possible density change of Oyashio winter mixed-layer water is discussed using an instantaneous ratio of the change of temperature and salinity along any particular intrusion (R _l ). We estimate the range of R _l ^DD required to convert Oyashio winter mixed-layer water to the NPIW salinity minimum due to double diffusion, and then assume double-diffusive intrusions as this conversion mechanism. A double-diffusive intrusion model is used to estimate R _l ^DD in a situation where salt fingering dominates vertical mixing, as well as to determine whether Oyashio winter mixed-layer water can become the NPIW salinity minimum. Possible density changes are estimated from the model R _l ^DD by assuming the amount of density change due to cabbeling. From these results, we conclude that Oyashio winter mixed-layer water contributes to a freshening of the lighter layer of the NPIW salinity minimum (around 26.70σ_θ) in the MWR.     

Decadal Variability of Subsurface Temperature in the Central North Pacific

Decadal variability of subsurface temperature in the North Pacific has been investigated. Two dominant regions were found; the central subarctic region (CSa) and the north-eastern subtropical region (NESt). In CSa, cooling (warming) of wintertime subsurface temperature corresponds to the large (small) temperature gradient and southward (northward) shift of subsurface temperature front, associated with the increase (decrease) of positive wind stress curl and the southward (northward) shift of curl τ zero line with 2 years delay. It is suggested that the relocation of subtropical-subarctic boundary plays an important role. In NESt, importance of heat flux through the sea surface and heat divergence in the Ekman layer is also discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

西太平洋暖池变异及其对西太平洋次表层海温场的影响

应用热带太平洋上层XBT温度资料,分析研究了西太平洋暖池区(0°～16°N,125°～145°E)上层海洋的变化特征以及与西太平洋次表层海温场之间的关系.研究表明,西太平洋暖池区的垂向温度存在显著的年际变化,尤其在次表层(120～200m)的变化最为明显.西太平洋暖池区的次表层冷暖信号明显早于西太平洋次表层的海温异常.分析发现,西太平洋暖池区的海温异常是导致整个西太平洋次表层海温场变异的关键区,当西太平洋暖池区的次表层冷暖信号加强时,3～4个月后西太平洋海温场出现大范围的冷暖异常.     

东太平洋地区DSDP573孔始新世末期的微玻璃陨石

通过研究 DSDP5 73孔的岩心样品 ,首次在该孔始新世与渐新世的界线地层含金属粘土层中发现了微玻璃陨石 ,且主要富集在其底部。一个样品 (5 g)中最多可达 12粒。这些微玻璃陨石主要呈球形、椭球形。用电子探针测试了其化学成分 ,Si O2 含量为 2 9.6 4%～ 5 8.93%,Al2 O3 为 3.42 %～ 2 0 .96 %,Fe O为 9.98%～ 2 9.5 5 %,Mg O为 4.32 %～ 16 .0 5 %,Ir为 0 .0 6 %～ 0 .81%。总体来说 ,微玻璃陨石的化学成分变化较大 ,可能与靶岩的成分变化较大有关。始新世末期北美微玻璃陨石场的展布方向约为 2 5 0°,这与太平洋板块运动方向改变所需要的矢量变化(2 45°)仅相差 5°,推测很可能是始新世末期陨星的撞击引起了太平洋板块在该时期的运动方向由 NNW突然变为NWW。     

Atmospheric input of trace elements to the western Pacific Ocean and the Kuroshio ocean area

ＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃｉｎｐｕｔｏｆｔｒａｃｅｅｌｅｍｅｎｔｓｔｏｔｈｅｗｅｓｔｅｒｎＰａｃｉｆｉｃＯｃｅａｎａｎｄｔｈｅＫｕｒｏｓｈｉｏｏｃｅａｎａｒｅａ￥ＱｉａｎＦｅｎｌａｎ；ＹｕＨｏｎｇｊｉａｎ；ＬａｎＹｏｕｃｈａｎｇ；ＣｈｅｎＺｈｉ；Ｚｈｏｕ...     

富钴结壳分布的分形特征

利用我国在西太平洋国际海底两个海山获得的富钴结壳资料进行分形研究后发现，富钴结壳的分布具有变维分形分布的特点，结壳丰度呈二阶累计和分形分布，结壳厚度呈多阶不定累计和分形分布，通过计算得到了它们各自的分维数，进而对两个海山的结壳资源进行了初步评价。     

雄性三倍体长牡蛎繁殖潜力的初步研究

国内外很多人做过三倍体长牡砺的诱导工作，但在三倍体性腺发育及配子活力方面的研究，目前仅见Ａｌｌｅｎ等１９８６年和１９９０年对三倍体的海螂和长蛎异常配子的发生报道。Ｃｏｘ１９９６年研究了悉尼岩牡蛎三倍体性腺发育情况，姜卫国等对三倍体合浦珠母贝的生殖腺进行了观察，李霞［１］对三倍体长牡蛎的性腺发育做了较系统的分析和总结。作者用流式细胞仪对长牡蛎Ｃｒａｓｓｏｓｔｒｅａ　ｇｉｇａｓ二、三倍体的性腺细胞进行了初步分析，回答了三倍体长牡蛎生殖潜力及性比方面的一些问题，为进一步研究三倍体长牡蛎的生长、繁殖、杂…