Isotopic tracers for water masses in the coastal region of eastern Hokkaido

In this study we used two stable isotopes, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O, for water mass classification in the coastal region off eastern Hokkaido. δ¹³C* values, which were corrected for the biological effect, and δ ¹⁸O values up to 300 m depth suggested that the isotopic character of the onshore and offshore water in the southern Okhotsk Sea, the Nemuro Strait and the western North Pacific could be explained by the mixing of three source waters: the Oyashio water (OYW), Soya Warm Current water (SWCW) and East Sakhalin Current water (ESCW). In summer, δ ¹³C*-δ ¹⁸O plots indicated mixing between SWCW from the southern Okhotsk Sea and OYW in the Pacific coast of southeastern Hokkaido, while temperature-salinity plots of the onshore water showed minimal difference from the offshore OYW. In winter, on the other hand, the mixed water of ESCW and OYW (or SWCW) appeared in the Pacific coastal region, distributed as cold, low salinity onshore water. Finally, we estimated mixing ratios of OYW, SWCW and ESCW in the coastal region of western North Pacific using their mean values of δ ¹³C* and δ ¹⁸O as endmembers. These results suggest seasonal and yearly changes of water mass combination en route from the southern Okhotsk Sea to the western North Pacific.     

Partially standing wave measurement in the presence of steady current by use of coincident velocity and/or pressure data

In recent years, instrumentation for field flow measurements has become more and more sophisticated. In particular, local pressure and velocity are measured at frequency rates up to at least 2 Hz, which gives information on wave energy. The present work describes the methods for partially standing wave measurement in the presence of current by use of coincident measurements of both horizontal velocity and pressure, or vertical velocity. Reflection calculated from either coincident horizontal and vertical velocities or three-gauge methods are compared. They are based on existing experiments carried out in an ocean wave basin for both regular and irregular waves in the presence of current. Applications to field measurements, out of and in the breaking zones are then presented. In the nearshore, coincident horizontal and vertical velocities far from the bottom, and coincident horizontal velocity and pressure close to the bottom give relevant information concerning partially standing waves.     

Seasonal variation of horizontal material transport through the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits

We conducted hydrographic observations ten times in the Tsushima Strait to reveal seasonal variations of horizontal material transports such as of heat, freshwater, chlorophyll a, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) through the eastern channel of the Tsushima Strait (ECTS). The volume, freshwater, and heat transport results are of nearly the same order as results reported in previous studies. The annual mean DIN and DIP transports of 3.59 kmol/s and 0.29 kmol/s are large relative to those of the Changjiang and the Taiwan Strait and are horizontally transported through the ECTS. Nutrient transports are high in July–August and October and low in April and November. Increased nutrient transports in July–August and October are due to the appearance of a cold saline water mass in the bottom layer of the ECTS. Changes in DIN transports in summer and autumn, which account for two-thirds of the total annual DIN transport, would have a large effect on the nitrogen budget and biological productivity in the Tsushima Warm Current region.     

Climatic regimes and the recruitment rate of anchoveta, Engraulis ringens, off Peru

The recruitment rate of Peruvian anchoveta, Engraulis ringens, was studied to test the hypothesis that long-term environmental variation (regime shifts) had a significant impact on density-dependent processes governing the anchovy recruitment during the period 1963–2004. On the basis of previous defined regimes and turning points for the Humboldt Current System, we identified two groups of years for increased recruitment of anchoveta (1963–1971 and 1986–2004), and one unfavorable period (1972–1985). A common intercept and significantly different slopes were found when the recruitment rate was plotted as a function of the spawning stock biomass during those groups of years, suggesting that density-dependent effects on recruitment were affected during different climate regimes. The favorable (unfavorable) regime was characterized by higher (lower) zooplankton volumes, and with a higher frequency of colder (warmer) waters. Dome-shaped relationships between recruitment rate, spawning stock biomass and SST, were detected with a Generalized Additive Model for the favorable regime. Thus, recruitment could be explained by non-linear effects of environmental variables. Ultimately, climatic regimes are affecting the density-dependent effects on recruitment of anchoveta and the mechanisms involved may be associated with changes in the carrying capacity of the spawning habitat of anchoveta off Peru, which in turn are related with the effects of cold and warm regimes.     

Observations of the North Equatorial Current,Mindanao Current,and Kuroshio current system during the 2006/07 El Niño and 2007/08 La Niña

Two onboard observation campaigns were carried out in the western boundary region of the Philippine Sea in December 2006 and January 2008 during the 2006/07 El Niño and the 2007/08 La Niña to observe the North Equatorial Current (NEC), Mindanao Current (MC), and Kuroshio current system. The NEC and MC measured in late 2006 under El Niño conditions were stronger than those measured during early 2008 under La Niña conditions. The opposite was true for the current speed of the Kuroshio, which was stronger in early 2008 than in late 2006. The increase in dynamic height around 8°N, 130°E from December 2006 to January 2008 resulted in a weakening of the NEC and MC. Local wind variability in this region did not appear to contribute to changes in the current system.     

北赤道流分叉点及南海北部环流的研究进展

介绍了北赤道流分叉点、南海北部环流的一些研究成果,并就黑潮对南海的影响所作的研究进行了回顾.北赤道流分叉点的位置对于北赤道流系水体疏运变化及在黑潮和MC之间水体、热量、盐度输运的分配中起着重要的作用.北赤道流分叉点位置约在14.6°N上,分叉点位置随深度增加而北移.分叉点有明显的季节变化和年际变化,在春、夏季向南移动,而在秋、冬季则向北移动.年际变化与ENSO现象相关紧密,在El Nio事件NEC分叉纬度处于最北端,在La Nio事件处于最南端.对于分叉点位置的定量化研究,仍然需要更多的观测结果进行研究.季风和黑潮是影响南海北部环流的两种主要因素.南海北部上层流场主要由广东沿岸流、黑潮入侵流套、东沙海流、南海暖流和吕宋海流组成.除海盆、次海盆尺度环流外,受季风、黑潮和地形等因素的影响,南海表现出多涡结构.通过近些年的卫星观测和数值模拟的结果,人们对南海中尺度涡的认识大大加深,但要想模拟出风应力形成涡的机制,还需要提高风场和模式的分辨率.由于观测资料的限制,对南海流场的垂直结构、以及春-秋季季风转相时期的流场结构等还研究得较少.吕宋海峡水交换是西太平洋对南海影响的主要途径.黑潮在吕宋海峡附近的形变一直是有争议的热点问题,目前对于黑潮入侵有3种观点:(1) 认为黑潮经过吕宋海峡形成流套结构,并分离出中尺度涡影响南海流场、水团结构;(2) 认为黑潮有一直接分支分离出来进入南海形成黑潮分支;(3) 认为吕宋海峡水交换不属于以上两种情况,西太平洋对南海的水团输送另有机制.北赤道流分叉点在对黑潮的水体、热量、盐度输运的分配中起着重要的作用,黑潮对南海北部环流的影响可能与NEC的分叉点位置有关,但目前对NEC的分叉点位置与南海北部环流相关性的研究甚少.最后提出了对未来加强该方面研究的一些展望.     

南海北部次表层高盐水的季节变化及其与西北太平洋环流的关系

次表层高盐水(34.68‰)作为北太平洋热带水(NPTW)的示踪,可用来研究黑潮入侵,了解南海与太平洋的水体交换。文章利用基于高分辨率混合坐标海洋模式(HYCOM)的海洋再分析资料,研究了南海北部次表层高盐水的季节变化及其影响因子。模拟结果显示,南海北部高盐水位于100~200m水深,最西可达111°E,其体积存在明显的季节变化,12月达到极大值,6月达到极小值。进一步的分析表明,其季节变化主要受低纬度西北太平洋大尺度环流的调制,与北赤道流分叉点位置的季节变化(1月到达最北端、6月到达最南端)呈现很好的相关性。受太平洋大尺度风场的影响,北赤道流分叉点上半年(下半年)向南(北)移动,导致黑潮输运增强(减弱),通过吕宋海峡进入南海的盐通量减少(增加),从而使南海次表层高盐水的盐度降低(升高)。吕宋海峡断面的流速和盐通量分布特征显示,西太平洋高盐水主要通过吕宋海峡中部(20°~21°18'N)进入南海北部。     

冬季黄海暖流区的空间变化和年际变化特征

利用了多年连续的冬季水文调查数据,以黄海暖水舌作为黄海暖流的示性指标,采用经验函数正交分解及相关分析的方法,探讨了黄海暖流的年际变化特征,结果表明:1)黄海暖流的强弱存在4～7 a的年际变化周期,并与冬季局地季风的经向分量具有较好的相关关系;2)黄海暖流的流轴存在一个3～6 a的变化周期,而且其流轴的摆动明显受冬季季风纬向分量的影响;3)季风增强,黄海暖流增强且流轴西移.     

黑潮在吕宋海峡的形变及动力机制

根据１９９０年以来对吕宋海峡和中国南海（ＳＣＳ）北部的ＷＯＣＥ水文资料和其它海洋调查资料的分析，以及对同一海区的卫星遥测海表温度（ＳＳＴ）的资料处理，推断在吕宋海峡常年存在黑潮路径弯曲，西折进入ＳＣＳ并又流出ＳＣＳ的现象，作者将黑潮的这种变形称为“黑潮流套”。黑潮变形进入ＳＣＳ的位置在冬季位于海峡中部、南部附近，范围较大；在夏季略向北移，较集中于海峡中部，范围较小。作者认为，黑潮流套现象可用位涡守恒理论作定性的解释：当黑潮在吕宋海峡失去西边界支持后，其流轴以西贴近西边界的一部分流体，因具有较大的相对正涡度，会脱离黑潮主体在南海东北部形成反时针旋转或顺时针旋转的环流，而黑潮主体会以顺时针旋转的形式在海峡以西的海域出现。整个黑潮以弯曲、扩展的形式在海峡处产生形变，在海峡东侧出现反气旋涡旋的倾向。吕宋海峡黑潮流套及南海北部的诱生环流之流型，会因黑潮本身以及副热带环流整体的变化而变化，也与海峡的宽度有关。总之，吕宋海峡黑潮流套的形成是由当地特殊的地形条件和地转β效应这些内部机制决定的，它的常年存在有其必然性     

台湾岛以东海域束毛藻种群的组成与分布

分别对1996年5月和1997年7月台湾岛以东黑潮及邻近海域51个采样站位的87份网采浮游植物进行了分析,总结了束毛藻种群的物种构成和丰度分布特征,并初步探讨了水动力条件、温盐、营养盐及其他元素对束毛藻生长及分布的影响.结果表明,调查区的束毛藻种群由铁氏束毛藻(Trichodesmium thiebautii)、汉氏束毛藻(Trichodesmium hildebrandtii)和红海束毛藻(Trichodesmium erythraeum)组成,前者分布最为普遍,检出率100%,丰度最大.1996年5月束毛藻平均藻丝体密度为44.55伊102 filaments/m3,铁氏束毛藻占91%,在吕宋海峡密集,总体呈现西南高,东北低的分布态势.1997年7月束毛藻平均藻丝体密度为152.72伊102 filaments/m3,铁氏束毛藻占99%,除吕宋海峡外,台湾东北部海域为次高值区,总体呈现西南高,中部和东部低的分布态势.较之邻近海区结果,台湾岛以东黑潮及邻近海域的束毛藻平均藻丝体密度高于太平洋赤道热带海域、南黄海和东海陆架区、东海产卵场,低于台湾海峡西侧20 m 以浅和东海低氧区.在台湾岛以东海域,束毛藻的丰度分布由其特定的地理位置和黑潮流向所决定,高温高盐的黑潮水系利于束毛藻的增殖,束毛藻的丰度分布与 Fe、P 等化学因子的关系有待进一步寻找证据.