The Loyalty—New Hebrides Arc collision: Effects on the Loyalty Ridge and basin system,Southwest Pacific (first results of the ZoNéCo programme)

The ZoNéCo 1 and 2 cruises of Ifremer's Research Vessel L'Atalante, collected new swath bathymetry and geophysical data over the southern and northern segments of the basins and ridges forming the Loyalty system. Between the two surveyed areas, previous studies found evidence for the resistance of the Loyalty Ridge to subduction beneath the New Hebrides trench near 22°S–169°E. On the subducted plate, except for seismicity related to the downbending of the Australian plate, recorded shallow seismicity is sparse within the Loyalty system (Ridge and Basin) where reliable focal mechanism solutions are almost absent.Swath bathymetry, seismic reflection and magnetic data acquired during the ZoNéCo 1 and 2 cruises revealed a transverse asymmetric morphology in the Loyalty system, and an along-strike horst and graben structure on the discontinuous Loyalty Ridge. South of 23°50S and at 20°S, the two WSW-ENE-trending fault systems, respectively, sinistral and dextral, that crosscut the southern and northern segments of the Loyalty system, are interpreted as due to the early effects of collision with the New Hebrides Arc. A NNW-SSE trend, evident along the whole Loyalty system and on the island of New Caledonia, is interpreted as an inherited structural trend that may have been reactivated through flexure of the Australian lithospheric plate at the subduction zone.Overall then, the morphology, structure and evolution of the southern and northern segments of the Loyalty system probably result from the combined effects of the Australian plate lithospheric bulge, the active Loyalty-New Hebrides collision and the overthrust of the New Caledonian ophiolite.     

西太平洋暖池区热带波动的天气效应

为了探讨西太平洋暧地区热带波动的天气效应，利用1980年2－9月140°E日本静止卫星纬度时间剖面卫星云图，分析了5d和14d左右周期热带波动云的演变特征，井综合分析了14d周期的云系演变型式与流场的关系，为预报热带中期天气变化规律提供了依据；热带波动中30－60d大气低频振荡的云量变化最显著，北半球夏半年热带波动的天气压主要在10°N－0°，各半年在10°N－10°S，超过这个区域热带云量的港分布型式就有明显的变化。     

Study on the characteristics of the marine boundary layer in the Equatorial Pacific

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Nanoplanktonic assemblages in the upwelling area off Concepción (∼36°S), central Chile: Abundance, biomass, and grazing potential during the annual cycle

The structure and functioning of nanoplanktonic assemblages in coastal upwelling areas have usually been overlooked in explorations of the productivity of these areas. As part of a multidisciplinary, time-series station in the coastal area off Concepción, seasonal variations (upwelling and non-upwelling) in the abundance and biomass of these assemblages were investigated. Hydrographic measurements and biological samples were taken monthly over a 2-year period (18 August 2004-28 July 2006). Nanoflagellates dominated the total integrated abundance (3-317 × 10⁹ cells m⁻²; 0-80 m). Diatoms and dinoflagellates usually contributed to a lesser degree (<20%) but sporadically made important contributions to the total integrated nanoplankton biomass (0.02-10.6 g C m⁻²). Most of the nanoplankton was concentrated in surface waters (<30 m) during all the samplings and no seasonal differences in abundance or biomass were found in this layer, although the mean values and dispersions around them were highest during the upwelling period along with maximum integrated (0-80 m) chlorophyll-a values, as total or in the <20 μm fraction. Changes in nanoplankton abundance were significantly but weakly (r < 0.4) correlated with changes in the hydrographic variables; the highest correlation values were positive for temperature and oxygen, factors that varied with depth and date. The potential grazing rates of heterotrophic nano-predators (flagellates and dinoflagellates) on prokaryotic prey, estimated with a generic model, ranged from 3 to 242 bacterioplankton predator⁻¹ h⁻¹ and from 0.1 to 14 cyanobacteria predator⁻¹ h⁻¹. Our results imply a small impact of seasonal hydrographic variability on the abundance and biomass of nanoplanktonic assemblages and suggest that grazing by nanoheterotrophs might control the prokaryotic picoplankton populations in the upwelling area off Concepción.     

The Sponge Population of the Cabrera Archipelago (Balearic Islands): Characteristics, Distribution, and Abundance of the Most Representative Species

Abstract. The abundance, distribution, and species richness of the littoral sponges (0–55 m) from the Cabrera Archipelago (Balearic Islands) were studied along light gradients from the surface to the sea bottom and from cave mouths to their inner parts. A total of 98 species (11 Calcarea and 87 Demospongiae ) were recorded, 8 of which are new records for the Spanish coast.
Cluster and correspondence analyses enabled the identification of a sciophilous sponge group including three subgroups: sponges found only in semi-dark cave habitats, a subgroup common to the coralligenous, precoralligenous, and semi-dark cave biocoenoses, and a third subgroup exclusive to the coralligenous biocoenosis. A small number of photophilic species and other species having a wide bathymetric distribution made up another separate group. No species clusters for the different semi-sciophilous (either fleshy or carbonate) or photophilic seaweed communities were discernible. The number of sponge species was negatively correlated with the irradiance level.     

Numerical study of the meridional overturning circulation with “mixing hotspots” in the Pacific Ocean

Using an idealized ocean general circulation model, we examine the effect of “mixing hotspots” (localized regions of intense diapycnal mixing) predicted based on internal wave-wave interaction theory (Hibiya et al., 2006) on the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean. Although the assumed diapycnal diffusivity in the mixing hotspots is a little larger than the predicted value, the upwelling in the mixing hotspots is not sufficient to balance the deep-water production; out of 17 Sv of the downwelled water along the southern boundary, only 9.2 Sv is found to upwell in the mixing hotspots. The imbalance as much as 7.8 Sv is compensated by entrainment into the surface mixed layer in the vicinity of the downwelling region. As a result, the northward transport of the deep water crossing the equator is limited to 5.5 Sv, much less than estimated from previous current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys. One plausible explanation for this is that the magnitude of the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean has been overestimated by these observations. We raise doubts about the validity of the previous ocean general circulation models where diapycnal diffusivity is assigned ad hoc to attain the current magnitude suggested from current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys.     

西太平洋翁通-爪哇海台晚第四纪浮游有孔虫群与古温度变化

通过对翁通-爪哇海台ODP807站的浮游有孔虫进行定量分析,结合已有的氧、碳稳定同位素数据,揭示了晚第四纪赤道西太平洋表层海水温度及上部海水垂向结构的冰期／间冰期变化特征。研究表明,自530kaBP以来,西太平洋暖池区的表层海水温度(SST)和温跃层深度(DOT)都经历过显著的变化,其中年平均SST的冰期／间冰期变化幅度达4．2℃,DOT的波动范围更是超过100m,这进一步论证了西太平洋暖池的不稳定性。频谱分析还揭示出SST和DOT变化不仅具有典型的100ka冰期／间冰期旋回,还有热带地区特有的半岁差周期,说明研究区的古海洋学变化既有高纬驱动的作用,也有热带驱动的影响。     

用Matlab中的Neural Network Toolbox仿真赤道东太平洋SST的预报模型

基于ＮＣＥＰ／ＮＣＡＲ再分析资料和ＣＯＡＤＳ海洋资料中的全球月平均海平面气压场、８５０hPa纬向风场及海洋温度场，利用Ｍatlab中的Ｎeural Network Toolbox仿真环境和ＢＰ模型改进算法比较准确地仿真和反演出了南方涛动指数、赤道纬向风指数和滞后的赤道东太平洋海温之间的动力结构和预报模型。该模型具有很好的拟合精度和可行的预报效果。可在一定时效内预测赤道东太平洋月平均海温的变化趋势。由于所建系统是具有直接因果关系的预报模型，因此不仅可直接用于预测，而且可有效避免类拟非线性微分方程组在积分过程中由于对初值敏感性而可能产生的对预报结果的不确定性。     

Structure of Subsurface Intrusion of the Oyashio Water into the Kuroshio Extension and Formation Process of the North Pacific Intermediate Water

In order to understand the actual formation process of the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW), structure of subsurface intrusions of the Oyashio water and the mixing of the Oyashio and the Kuroshio waters in and around the Kuroshio Extension (KE) were examined on the basis of a synoptic CTD observation carried out in May-June 1992. The fresh Oyashio water in the south of Hokkaido was transported into KE region through the Mixed Water Region (MWR) in the form of subsurface intrusions along two main paths. The one was along the east coast of northern Japan through the First Branch of the Oyashio (FBO) and the other along the eastern face of a warm streamer which connected KE with a warm core ring through the Second Branch of the Oyashio (SBO). The fresh Oyashio water extended southward through FBO strongly mixed with the saline NPIW transported by the Kuroshio in the south of Japan (old NPIW) in and around the warm streamer. On the other hand, the one through SBO well preserved its original properties and extended eastward beyond 150°E along KE with a form of rather narrow band. The intrusion ejected Oyashio water lens with a diameter of 50–60 km southward across KE axis and split northward into the MWR involved in the interaction of KE and a warm core ring, which were supposed to be primary processes of new NPIW formation.     

东太平洋沉积物U的地球化学

本文对地矿部“海洋四号”科学考察船１９８７－１９８９年在东赤道太平洋ＣＣ区所取得的２７个深海表层沉积样品进行Ｕ的地球化学分析，探讨了Ｕ在深海沉积中的地球化学行为，结果表明，不同类型沉积的Ｕ含量不同，平均值由大至小的次序的含沸石粘土（２．１６×１０＾－６），硅质粘土（１．９５×１０＾－６），硅质软泥（１．６５×１０＾－６），钙质硅质粘土（１．５９×１０＾－６），在同类型沉积中Ｕ的分散性较大；Ｕ在区域