Intra-seasonal variability of the abyssal currents in COMRA’s contract area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

In this paper, the intra-seasonal variability of the abyssal currents in the China Ocean Mineral Resources Association (COMRA) polymetallic nodule contact area, located in the western part of the Clarion and Clipperton Fraction Zone in the tropical East Pacific, is investigated using direct observations from subsurface mooring instruments as well as sea-surface height data and reanalysis products. Mooring observations were conducted from September 13, 2017 to August 15, 2018 in the COMRA contact area (10°N, 154°W). The results were as follows: (1) At depths below 200 m, the kinetic energy of intra-seasonal variability (20?100 d) accounts for more than 40% of the overall low-frequency variability, while the ratio reaches more than 50% below 2 000 m. (2) At depths below 200 m, currents show a synchronous oscillation with a characteristic time scale of 30 d, lasting from October to the following January; the energy of the 30-d oscillation increases with depth until the layer of approximately 4 616 m, and the maximum velocity is approximately 10 cm/s. (3) The 30-d oscillation of deep currents is correlated with the tropical instability waves in the upper ocean.     

一次华南双雨带暴雨中的位涡演变与雨带间的相互作用

利用实况资料和WRF中尺度数值模式对2008年6月12日18时—14日00时的华南双雨带暴雨过程进行了数值模拟与诊断分析。结果表明:随着锋面的南压,在锋面的西南方向(广西沿海)生成一低涡,该低涡作为位涡源在中高层表现稳定,分别为锋面雨带(北雨带)与暖区雨带(南雨带)提供正位涡。南雨带对北雨带的作用主要体现在中层(112~114°E附近),南雨带中有位涡的大值向北输送,其输送过程导致两条雨带在该处相连,而在115°E以东的南雨带则无明显的输送过程。同时,北部高空槽中也有大值位涡向北雨带输送,以维持北雨带。研究还发现,本次过程中暖区暴雨与锋面暴雨雨带的结构差异明显,锋面雨带的结构与传统雨带的结构比较一致;有利于暖区暴雨降水的形势主要表现在中高层。RIP轨迹模式的结果也表明,质点在运动过程中位涡的输送源是位于广西沿海的低涡,可见该位涡源对双雨带形成有重要的作用。     

南海上层海洋热含量的年际和年代际变化

分析了1959—1988年南海表面至100m垂直平均温度（TAV）资料，结果表明：南海上层海洋热含量存在明显的准两年、4—5年和年代际振动。在E1Nino年，南海上层热含量显著增加。50年代末至70年代初，南海TAV为负距平，此后转为正距平。南海TAV的变化与ENSO事件、东亚冬季风和热带大气环流的变异密切相关。     

西边界流在边界“豁口”的形变及其机制

大洋西边界流在边界豁口处由于失去边界的支持而发生形变。本文将西边界流视为一种惯性射流，遵循绝对涡度守恒原理，推导了流轴及其两侧流体在西边界豁口处不同形式的弯曲，发现在一定的豁口尺度条件下，西边界流自身的相对涡度分布特点和地球旋转的β效应决定了在失去西侧陆坡支持时，其主体会沿反气旋路径发生一段经向的位移而圈回入射点所在的经度位置。主轴变形的经向尺度与初始速度及西边界流的入射角度有关；主轴西侧可能会出现一小部分分支进入邻近的内海并形成气旋或反气旋式环流；主轴东侧的流体则在豁口以东沿反气旋路径弯曲，从而论证了西边界豁口处形成西边界流弯曲的可能性和原因     

Spatio-temporal variability of small copepods (especially Oithona plumifera) in shallow nearshore waters off the south coast of South Africa

Although small copepods are one of the main dietary sources for many commercially important fish, their role in the pelagic trophic dynamics has traditionally been underestimated due to the methodology commonly used in plankton sampling. Temporal variation in abundance of adults and nauplii of small copepods (particularly Oithona plumifera) in nearshore waters on the south coast of South Africa was investigated fortnightly over 14 months at site (km) and location (100 m) scales. Sampling was within <500 m of the shore, where depth was ca. 10 m, using vertical hauls of an 80-μm mesh plankton net from 1 m above the seabed to the surface. Twenty-seven adult copepod taxa were recorded, but Oithona spp. was consistently the most abundant. Taxon richness was 7–19 on each sampling occasion. There was strong temporal variation (Oithona varied between 0 and 2300 m⁻³), but much of this was short-term variability (e.g. between consecutive sampling sessions), with no seasonality or other long-term discernable patterns. There were periods of consistently low numbers, but very high numbers often followed samples with low abundances. Nor was there spatial structure at the location scale, though numbers differed between sites. Despite considerable variability at the location scale within sites, Kenton consistently showed higher densities than High Rocks. Separate analyses, with Bonferroni adjustment, showed that this difference was significant on eight out of 21 occasions for Oithona, six for other pelagic copepods and three for nauplii. This suggests that hydrodynamics favour aggregation of plankton at Kenton. A high degree of short-term variability, with a tendency for aggregation of small zooplankton at certain sites has implications for both pelagic processes and food-web links between the benthic and pelagic environments.     

Spatial variation patterns of subtidal seaweed assemblages along a subtropical oceanic archipelago: Thermal gradient vs herbivore pressure

The structure and composition of subtidal rocky seaweed assemblages were studied at 69 sites on the Canary Islands (northeastern Atlantic). This group of islands are situated at the southern boundary of the warm temperate region and adjacent to the cold waters from the northwest African coastal upwelling, which creates a difference of almost 2 °C in surface seawater temperature from the eastern to the western islands. This thermal variation allows an examination of the transition between the warm temperate and the tropical regions along this longitudinal gradient together with the hypothesised Fucales-dominated assemblages towards the eastern islands in contrast to the Dictyotales-dominated assemblages towards the western ones. Environmental and biological parameters were considered in order to investigate which were the main factors explaining spatial variation along the gradient in a multi-scaled approach. Although seventy-nine macroalgae were identified, 87.63% of the total mean cover was due to six taxa (Lobophora variegata, nongeniculate corallines, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Jania adhaerens, Cystoseira abies-marina and Pseudolithoderma adriaticum). At a large scale, sea urchin density explained the highest variation in seaweed assemblages (26.94%), and its pattern of distribution across the islands. The expected pattern of distribution according to the upwelling distance only occurred in restricted areas of the Canarian Archipelago in absence of herbivore pressure and habitat degradation. Spatial variations within islands (medium scale) were mainly related to wave exposure, while at a small scale these were mostly due to the degree of sedimentation.     

泰利台风对台湾东北黑潮入侵东海陆架影响的研究

本文利用卫星高度计数据和分析数据,并结合同时期现场深水潜标的流速观测数据,研究了超强台风泰利过境前后台湾东北附近海域流场、位势密度场、位势涡度场以及黑潮入侵东海陆架强度的变化。分析结果表明,泰利台风通过改变台湾东北陆坡附近海域的流场、位势密度场,显著地削弱(增强)了西段(东段)陆坡附近的位势涡度梯度,从而使得西段(东段)陆坡黑潮入侵东海陆架的强度显著增强(减弱)。此外,本文还区分了台湾东北西部陆坡附近表层的跨陆坡"上凸型"位势涡度分布与次表层的跨陆坡"下凹型"位势涡度分布,并认为次表层的跨陆坡"下凹型"位势涡度分布也应作为台湾东北西部陆坡附近"位势涡度障碍"的重要组成部分。本文的研究结果揭示了大气中的台风过程对台湾东北黑潮入侵东海陆架产生显著影响的关键过程及机制,相关结论可为台湾东北黑潮入侵东海陆架变化规律的研究提供有价值的参考。     

北太平洋副热带模态水盐度的年代际变化

副热带模态水(Subtropical Mode Water;STMW)在气候变化中起着重要作用。本文利用全球高分辨率数值模拟结果,研究了北太平洋STMW核心层盐度(Core Layer Salinity;CLS)的年代际变化及其物理机制。结果表明,CLS存在显著的年代际变化,其空间分布则与背景流场分布特征有关。侵蚀区CLS滞后生成区CLS约1~2年,这主要是海流平流输运引起的。生成区内,STMW的季节循环一般可分为生成期(12-4月)、隔离期(5-6月)和侵蚀期(7-11月),生成期混合层盐度(Mixed Layer Salinity;MLS)决定着隔离期和侵蚀期的CLS,而MLS年代际变化则主要由同太平洋年代际涛动存在负相关性的海表面淡水通量的变化引起。     

太平洋年代际海洋变率研究进展

随着“气候变率与可预报性研究”（CLIVAR计划）的实施，年代际气候变率研究已经成为国际气候研究的一个新热点，由于海洋特别是海洋次表层具有巨大的热损性，海洋环流在年代际气候变率中所起的作用已得到越来越多的重视。但迄今为止，海洋以什么方式参与到年代际气候变化中，海洋次表层在年际和年代际时间尺度上起到什么作用这些与海洋环流有关的问题仍未得到解决，而这些问题的解决将有助于建立一种完备的年代际气候变化机制的理论，文章通过对近10a来国内外在该领域内研究进展的回顾，提出了一个关于太平洋年际变化（如ENSO循环）和年代际变化（如PDO循环）相互作用的猜想，为今后在国内开展相关研究提供了一些设想。