Seasonal evolution of the transverse thermohaline asymmetry in the Ria de Pontevedra (northwestern Spain)

A quasi-permanent transverse asymmetry in the thermohaline properties of the Ria de Pontevedra (northwestern Spain) was measured from October 1997 to October 1998 during 23 cruises. On average, the density increased form north to south. This asymmetry was maintained by salinity during the wet season, and by salinity and temperature during the dry season. The density difference between coasts (Δσ_t = σ_tsouth − σ_tnorth) and the river discharge were positively correlated (correlation coefficient, approximately 0.6) throughout the year. The density difference was negatively correlated with the upwelling index during the wet season (correlation coefficient, approximately −0.45) and positively correlated during the dry season (correlation coefficient, approximately 0.55).     

南海环境要素的年际变化与1982—1983年EI Nio

本文在大量调查资料的基础上,分析了1975—1984年南海环境要素的年际变化及其在1982—1983年的表现。研究发现,与正常年份比较,各要素在1982—1983年的表现都比较特殊,沿岸江河径流量猛增;气温、水温、盐度、pH值偏低;海水含氧量偏高,温、盐、密跃层强度增大;南海暖流和黑潮南海分支流轴的平均位置移到调查海区的最南面。作者认为,这一异常现象与1982—1983年赤道太平洋海域发生的强E1 Ni(?)o过程密切相关。     

Management of the commons for biodiversity: lessons from the North Pacific

The North Pacific has the world's largest groundfish fisheries, with a value in excess of $1 billion annually. The North Pacific also is home to the largest population of Steller sea lions (SSL), an ancient species that is now endangered. Decline of the western stock of SSL in the 1970–1990s coincided with the US nationalization and exponential growth in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish fishery.The article treats five aspects of the competition between the fishery and protection of the endangered species. First, we analyze competition of interests in the use, management, and preservation of the North Pacific commons, including offshore and near-shore fisheries, environmental organizations, governments (federal, state, and local), and the scientific community. Second, the article compares and contrasts provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Magnuson–Stevens Act (as amended in 1996 by the Sustainable Fisheries Act).Third, we examine the regulatory environment with a focus on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and its relationship to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. We illustrate how NMFS establishes fishery management plans and the methods, such as crafting biological opinions and environmental-impact-statements, it uses to resolve conflicts. Fourth, we investigate how the dual pressures on the agency—to increase fisheries production for the benefit of the industry and to preserve endangered marine species—have affected its culture (behavioral norms and operational codes). Then, the article explains agency changes in terms of crises, competition among affected interests, and development of new scientific knowledge.The article concludes by drawing lessons from the SSL controversy in the North Pacific which may pertain to national and global biodiversity conflicts. These concern the role of law in biodiversity protection, the role of science, and agency capacity for change.     

Code of Practice For Ocean Mining: An International Effort to Develop a Code For Environmental Management of Marine Mining

A code of practice for ocean mining has been developed by the International Marine Minerals Society. The code provides general guiding Principles for development of marine mineral resources and delineates Operating Guidelines for application, as appropriate, at specific mining sites. In total 11 operating guidelines are provided to serve as benchmarks for industry and targets for regulatory agencies and other stakeholders. They include the following commitments: •To sustainable development, •To environmentally responsible corporate ethics, •To the development of effective community partnership, •To implementation of environmental risk management, •To the integration of environmental management into all phases of development, •To the establishment of corporate environmental performance targets, •To timely environmental improvements and upgrading, •To responsible rehabilitation of operations sites and decommissioning of facilities, and •To accurate and timely, reporting and documentation, archiving, and performance review.     

Annual Cycle of Zooplankton Biomass, Abundance and Species Composition in the Neritic Area of the Balearic Sea, Western Mediterranean

Abstract. Seasonal changes in zooplankton biomass, abundance and species composition were studied at a neritic station in the Balearic Sea between April 1993 and May 1994. Sampling was carried out every 10 days in a zone influenced by the main current circulating through the Mallorca channel. Three main peaks of zooplankton biomass and abundance were observed: (1) at the beginning of summer when the thermocline developed, (2) in autumn when the thermocline broke down, and (3) in early spring. The smaller zooplankton fraction (100–250 μm) comprised on average 32 % of the total biomass and 73 % of total abundance. Copepods were the predominant group (64 % of the total abundance) with Clausocalanus, Oithona and Paracalanus being the most abundant genera. Paracalanus parvus, Clausocalanus furcatus, Acartia clausi, Oithona plumifera, Temora stylifera, Centropages typicus and Oncaea mediterranea were found to be the most important species in the area. Other abundant groups were cladocerans (15 %) and meroplankton larvae (12 %), both of which were particularly numerous during the stratified period. The copepod community was characterized by the above‐cited perennial species, which were abundant during the cycle studied. However, the influence of the hydrological conditions of the Balearic Sea, such as the Atlantic water influx and the physical structure of the water column (stratification and mixing), promoted the observed variability in zooplankton as well as the appearance of characteristic species during the annual cycle.     

二维动画地图表示方法的研究与应用

本文根据动画地图表示内容和常用动画技术的特点,对二维动画地图的表示方法进行了探讨。归纳了基于空间分布特征的表示方法、基于动画地图用途的表示方法和基于动画技术的表示方法及其分类,并讨论了影响选择表示方法的因素和几种表示方法相互配合的应用规律,对动画地图可视化的理论与技术的研究有一定参考。     

微波消解在环境样品分析中的应用

微波消解是近年来兴起的一种样品分析手段,具有快速、高效、试剂用量少、样品不易被沾污、节约能源等优点。对当前微波消解技术在环境样品分析领域的应用和研究现状进行了综述,介绍了微波消解技术的基本原理、特点和设备,尤其对它在环境样品分析中的应用作了较为详细的介绍,并对该技术的应用前景进行了展望。     

中国西部环境与生态科学数据中心：面向西部环境与生态科学的数据集成与共享

国家自然科学基金委员会“中国西部环境与生态科学研究计划”自2001年启动以来,有力地推动了西部区域环境演化、陆地生态过程和人类活动对环境的影响等方面的研究,积累了丰富的基础数据。国家自然科学基金委员会“中国西部环境与生态科学数据中心”承担“西部计划”项目数据产出的收集、管理、集成,并面向西部环境与生态科学的各个领域提供科学数据服务。“西部数据中心”的总体框架是以“西部计划”和地球系统科学发展的科学需求为导向,建成以数据共享、知识积累、合作交流和数据科学为主要内容的集成平台,为“西部计划”多学科的交叉研究和成果的综合集成及地球科学发展的长远目标服务。以共建共享的指导思想集成针对西部环境与生态现状与变化的基础背景数据、环境与生态观测数据、模型数据集、数据工具及数据文档;并以完全与开放的数据共享原则为用户提供推送式数据服务。目前,“西部数据中心”已完成了数据共享平台、知识积累平台与合作交流平台的开发和集成,初步形成了科学数据平台,整理并发布了大量的西部环境生态科学所需的关键数据集。     

一种时空数据静态可视化表达方法

本文简要介绍了时空数据可视化的必要性,以及目前人们采用的时空数据可视化方法,并分析了这些方法的局限性,提出了一种将年轮(annual ring)作为时空载体,结合视觉变量对面状地物的属性数据进行静态可视化的方法。该方法将面状地物的同心环按照类似树木年轮的生长特征进行划分,作为空间和时间的载体,不同时期属性数据映射到相应的同心环中,同心环的厚度和色彩的差异揭示了属性数据的变化。最后以武汉市城市管理网格化平台的统计评价数据为例实现了对比率量表数据的时态可视化表达。本文所提出的静态时空可视化方法将面状地物的空间、属性和时间紧密地结合在一起,克服了以往静态可视化方法中时间-空间、时间-属性相分离的不足,试验证明了这种方法在实践中的可行性。     

Fluid Geochemistry as Indicator of Tectonically-Related,Deep Water Circulations in the Sardinian Rift-Campidano Graben (Italy): New Insights from Environmental Isotopes

The EC funded Geochemical Seismic Zonation program (EEC GSZ Project 1996–1998) chose Sardinia as a low-seismicity site, in which the relationships between fluid geochemistry and seismo-tectonics had to be investigated and results compared with outcomes from other selected high-seismicity sites. A first article, examining the role of fault segmentation and seismic quiescence on the geochemical composition of groundwaters and gases, has already been presented (Angelone et al. 2005). This article deals with environmental isotopes which, together with selected hydrochemical data, give hints on tectonically-related fluid circulations. Four water-dominated hydrothermal systems were considered, all located along regional fault systems and discharging groundwaters belonging to the Na–HCO₃ and Na–Cl facies. In the considered systems, groundwater circulation takes place, principally, in the Palaeozoic Crystalline Basement (PCB), with the exception of the Logudoro system, where hydrological circuits develop in the Mesozoic Carbonate Platform (MCP). The high CO₂ contents, the non-attainment of fluid-rock equilibrium and the large lithological variability prevent the construction of a unique hydrogeological–geochemical conceptual model. In this case, stable isotopes provide a useful tool to describe the origin of fluids and their subterranean movements. Stable isotopes of water, integrated with hydrochemical data, indicate that fluids are derived from three main end members. The dominant component is a relatively recent local meteoric water; the second one is marine water; and the third one is a fossil freshwater, depleted in heavy isotopes with respect to modern rains. The latter end member entered the aquifer system in the past, when climatic conditions were greatly different from today. At least two circulation systems can be recognised, namely a shallow cold system and a deep hydrothermal system, as well as two distinct hydrological processes: (1) gravity-controlled descent of cold water towards greater depths and (2) convection linked to a thermal gradient, causing deep fluids to rise up from the hydrothermal reservoir towards the surface. The highly variable δ¹³C_TDIC values suggest the presence of two distinct CO₂ sources, namely, a biogenic one and a thermogenic one. The relation between the isotopic compositions of CO₂ and He indicates an increased mantle signature in uprising CO₂-rich fluids.