The Biology of Upogebia pusilla (Petagna) (Decapoda, Thalassinidea) I. The Burrows

Abstract. The biology of the thalassinidean shrimp Upogebia pusilla was studied on a tidal flat in the Lagoon of Grado (Northern Adriatic). Burrows were investigated using in situ resin casting and with additional in situ and laboratory observations. Burrows show a basic pattern consisting of a U or a double U with turning chambers and a vertical shaft. Mean burrow diameter depends on animal size, it is smaller than the rigid carapace of the animal. Dimensions, distance between openings, depth of U, total depth, volume and surface are size dependent. The burrow wall is smooth and oxidized. Burrows are always inhabited by a single shrimp. Although they overlap, they are never interconnected. They are mainly constructed by compression of the sediment and are relatively permanent structures. A comparison of the burrows of Thalassinidea with regard to shape, number and appearance of openings, dimensions, properties of the burrow wall and dynamics is given.     

卫星在热带气旋快速增强观测中的应用进展

热带气旋(TC)快速增强(RI)对我国影响大且预报难度较大,在常规观测资料稀少的海洋上,卫星探测技术的发展,提供了更多的RI TC内部结构变化的有效信息,能够帮助人们进一步认识TC强度的变化规律.文中总结了静止轨道及极地轨道卫星上搭载的可见/红外扫描仪、微波成像仪、降水测量雷达、风场测量仪器、闪电成像仪和云雷达资料在TC RI中的应用以及存在的问题,指出发展小卫星星座及静止轨道微波探测,加强RI TC内部的降水、云微物理和风场等重要信息的时间演变分析,并结合数值模拟进一步研究TC RI的物理机制将是未来的发展方向.     

What about reservoirs? Questioning anthropogenic and climatic interferences on water availability

Water resources in semi-arid regions like the Mediterranean Basin are highly vulnerable because of the high variability of weather systems. Additionally, climate change is altering the timing and pattern of water availability in a region where growing populations are placing extra demands on water supplies. Importantly, how reservoirs and dams have an influence on the amount of water resources available is poorly quantified. Therefore, we examine the impact of reservoirs on water resources together with the impact of climate change in a semi-arid Mediterranean catchment. We simulated the Susurluk basin (23.779-km²) using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. We generate results for with (RSV) and without reservoirs (WRSV) scenarios. We run simulations for current and future conditions using dynamically downscaled outputs of the MPI-ESM-MR general circulation model under two greenhouse gas relative concentration pathways (RCPs) in order to reveal the coupled effect of reservoir and climate impacts. Water resources were then converted to their usages – blue water (water in aquifers and rivers), green water storage (water in the soil) and green water flow (water losses by evaporation and transpiration). The results demonstrate that all water resources except green water flow are projected to decrease under all RCPs compared to the reference period, both long-term and at seasonal scales. However, while water scarcity is expected in the future, reservoir storage is shown to be adequate to overcome this problem. Nevertheless, reservoirs reduce the availability of water, particularly in soil moisture stores, which increases the potential for drought by reducing streamflow. Furthermore, reservoirs cause water losses through evaporation from their open surfaces. We conclude that pressures to protect society from economic damage by building reservoirs have a strong impact on the fluxes of watersheds. This is additional to the effect of climate change on water resources.     

西太平洋暖池对西北太平洋季风槽和台风活动影响过程及其机理的最近研究进展

本文回顾和综述了近年来关于西太平洋暖池对西北太平洋热带气旋和台风（TCs）活动影响过程及其机理的研究进展。文中首先简单回顾了近年来关于西太平洋暖池热状态和菲律宾周围对流活动变化特征及其对与TCs活动有关的南海夏季风爆发和西太平洋副热带高压的季节内、年际变异的影响过程和机理的研究;然后,本文系统地回顾了近年来关于西太平洋暖池热状态通过西北太平洋季风槽影响TCs活动年际和年代际变化的影响过程及其机理的研究。此外,文中还指出了关于西太平洋暖池对西北太平洋上空季风槽和TCs活动变异的热力和动力作用需进一步深入研究的科学问题。     

A 44-year high-resolution ocean and atmospheric hindcast for the Mediterranean Basin developed within the HIPOCAS Project

A set of 44-year (1958–2001) homogeneous and high-resolution hindcasts of atmospheric, sea level residuals, and wave states was performed for the Mediterranean Basin within the framework of the HIPOCAS European Project. To this aim, different numerical models were used. As a first step, a Mediterranean high-resolution atmospheric database, suitable to provide realistic and homogeneous forcing for ocean hindcast runs was generated. The HIPOCAS atmospheric database was created by means of dynamical downscaling from the global reanalysis NCEP, using for that the limited area model SN-REMO along with a spectral nudging technique. In a second stage, different Mediterranean oceanic hindcasts were performed. On one hand a long-term database of sea state over the western Mediterranean was generated by means of the wave model WAM and on the other hand a sea level residual database containing storm surge events was obtained from a long-term integration of the HAMSOM model over the entire basin. The three different hindcast runs have been exhaustively validated. On that score, various simulated parameters have been compared to both satellite and in situ measurements. Such comparisons provide a measure of the skills of the different simulated fields to realistically reproduce the observed features. Once these skills are evaluated, a study of the ocean and atmospheric climate trends as well as the interannual variability for the whole 44-year period was carried out with the hindcasted data. The reliability of the data as shown by its comparison to measurements and a proven temporal homogeneity over the 44 years of simulation make the Mediterranean HIPOCAS ocean–atmosphere hindcasted database a useful tool for studies focused on regional climatic variability, as well as for further applications in coastal and environmental decision processes in the Mediterranean area.     

Vulnerability and fate of a coastal sand dune complex,Rosetta-Idku,northwestern Nile Delta,Egypt

Types, distribution, and origin of recent sand dunes between Rosetta and Idku, in the western sector of the Nile Delta, Egypt were investigated. Sand samples from the dunes, beach, and seafloor were studied for grain size distribution and mineralogical composition. It has been found that most of the dunes in the study area have been subjected to deterioration and removal due to the construction of buildings and the International Coastal Highway. The remnant constitutes a damaged belt of foredunes that extends from El Bouseily village to the west of Idku town. The dune’s origin is interpreted to be the result of coastal drifting and the subsequent transport of sediments of the former Canopic Nile branch eastward by the predominant longshore current and by aeolian processes. The blown sand grains accumulated to form a belt of coastal sand dunes of original longitudinal and crescentic forms. Urbanization of the coast has severely altered the landscape. The study area is considered vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the expected rise in sea level. The outcome of potential sea level rise is serious; erosion problems are expected to be exacerbated and vast areas from land and property would be lost. Thus, protection and preservation the remaining dunes in the study area are vital requirements for shore protection.     

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF INHERENT CAUSES FOR DEVIATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKS

To have a clearer picture of mechanisms responsible for the deviation of tropical cyclone (to be simplified as TC hereafter) tracks, the current work assumes the TC as a circular vortex with a radius of R. A general motion equation of TC is then determined by averaging its horizontal motion equation over the sentire region of TC. In the meantime, with the moving track of TC assumed as a characteristic arc, the curvature equation is derived for the track of movement and patterns of its deviation due to TC structure and variation are discussed. The result shows that the scale, size, maximum wind speed and radius are factors causing the deviation of TC tracks. In addition, asymmetric structure of TC is also important for the deviation of tracks. The results, achieved with hypothesis, agree with facts in some cases but disagree with them in others, which are to be verified with more observations or numerical simulations.     

东亚地区南北两个风暴源地中风暴的结构和动力学差异

基于欧洲中心中期天气预报再分析资料(ERA-40),使用涡旋追踪和合成技术、多尺度子空间变换以及局地多尺度能量分析方法研究了东亚地区南北两个风暴源地中风暴的差异。结果发现,南、北两个源地风暴在结构上和内部动力过程上均存在着显著不同。南支源地(40°N以南)风暴底层比高层强,与线性斜压模式中的最不稳定模态结构相似;而北支源地(40°N以北)风暴则正好相反,与下游发展理论所描述的斜压波结构相似。并且发现,南支源地风暴的非地转风场比北支源地风暴的强。能量学诊断结果显示,南支源地风暴的能量源除了斜压不稳定外,有很大一部分来自正压不稳定,而北支源地风暴中则是存在弱的动能逆尺度传输。此外,南支源地风暴的浮力转换和非绝热做功均比北支源地风暴的强,其主要原因是南支源地风暴的垂直运动更强,风暴中的水汽更加充足。      

Genetic variability of the Lessepsian migrant mussel Brachidontes pharaonis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in Tunisia

The present study used two mitochondrial markers (16S rRNA and COI) to assess the genetic diversity of a newly founded Lessepsian migrant mussel, Brachidontes pharaonis, in Tunisian waters. The species appears to be restricted to only one population in Rades Harbour, in the northern part of the country. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the monophyly of B. pharaonis in Tunisia. Both molecular markers revealed high genetic variability of the B. pharaonis population. Haplotype networks and demographic analyses confirmed the recent expansion events within this population. Multiple human-mediated introduction events involving several founder populations and intensive population growth rates are probably the main causes of the high polymorphism observed within this invasive mollusc.     

近海地形对热带气旋移动影响的数值试验

利用含地形、摩擦及非绝热加热外源强迫的准地转正压涡度方程模式 ,通过构造理想的坡地地形及椭圆型岛地形 ,首先分析了孤立地形的动力抬升作用及动力抬升、摩擦、非绝热加热 3者共同作用下对热带气旋 (TC)移动的影响。发现 :地形的动力抬升、摩擦作用以及地形附近海域的非绝热加热对TC移动均有影响 ;然后 ,引入了我国东南近海的实际地形 ,通过数值试验分析了TC移经或登陆在近海不同位置时TC移向、移速的可能变化 ,并给出了近海地形对TC移向、移速影响的空间分布。