Intra-archipelago moult dispersion of southern elephant seals at the Prince Edward Islands,southern Indian Ocean

During three summer surveys at Prince Edward Island (PEI), southern Indian Ocean (2001, 2004 and 2008), 416 southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina were inspected for identification tags. In all, 42 seals that had been tagged as weaned pups at their natal site were found on Marion Island (MI), 38 of which could be individually identified by resighting their tag numbers. The majority of the MI-tagged seals were yearlings or subadults, and all but one were hauled out at PEI for the annual moult. The attendance rate of the known individuals at their natal island during the annual moult was only 40%, based on their resighting histories. This was significantly lower than the 77 ± 6% moult attendance rate estimated for a random MI population sample drawn from the same cohorts (based on 10 000 replications). Annual resight probabilities (considering all haulout phases) was 58% per annum for the MI seals seen at PEI, and 80 ± 4% for the simulation. Seasonal and annual absences of seals from MI violate the ‘homogeneity of capture’ assumption of mark-recapture models. When multiple sightings during any year are treated as a single sighting, resights during other haulouts (e.g. breeding) compensate only partially for absences during the moult. Therefore, mark-recapture studies undertaken in archipelagos should ideally include both marking and resighting of individuals on all islands which will allow discrimination between mortality and local migration.     

On the use of Atterberg limits on marine soils

Abstract

On the basis of the Atterberg indexes of various sediments collected in the Mediterranean Sea, we select two major parameters indicative of the mechanical behavior of marine soils: the sedimentary facies (i.e., mechanism of deposition expressed by silt content) and the clay mineral association characterized by smectite content in the fraction finer than 2 μm. Activity and real thixotropic ability appear to be particularly important parameters in marine engineering; better values are obtained by a double test operation in distilled and marine water.     

Spatial variability of soil nutrients in Punta Fort William,Greenwich Island,maritime Antarctic

This study aims to report baseline soil nutrients, specifically the organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus profile, in soil samples collected from Puntta Fort William on Greenwich Island in maritime Antarctic. Samples were collected along two transect lines during the early summer of 2008. Ward＇s method of hierarchical agglomerative clustering was employed to group the sampling points based on their physico-chemical properties. In this context, the soil samples can be grouped into three major clus- ters： （1） Samples with intensive biological activities, （2） samples from the area recently exposed by glacial retreat and （3） samples from barren and dried areas. Nutrient contents in Punta Fort William are driven by the intensity of biological activities as well as melt water from the Qnito glacier.     

南海北部东沙运动的构造特征及动力学机制探讨

南海北部陆缘在南海扩张结束后发生了一次重要的构造运动—东沙运动.因前人对其研究较少,目前对其发生时间、影响范围和形成机制等都存在较大的争议.通过对东沙海区及其邻区新近纪地层二维、三维地震资料的详细解释,确定了东沙运动发生在晚中新世晚期,并在晚中新世末/早上新世初(5.5Ma)停止活动.东沙运动主要波及东沙隆起和潮汕坳陷地区,构造上主要表现为断块升降,其中隆起区沉积物遭受剥蚀,造成中新世及部分上新世地层的缺失.这次运动还形成了大量次级的NW-NWW向张性、张扭性断裂,构造运动整体上具有东强西弱的特点.东沙运动可能与新近纪以来菲律宾海板块持续向NWW方向运动导致的吕宋岛弧与欧亚大陆在9～6Ma期间开始发生的弧陆碰撞有关.同时,由于南海向马尼拉海沟下的俯冲及洋壳的冷却沉降作用,南海北部陆缘处于拉张环境,岩浆底侵到下地壳底部形成高速层,破坏了该区域的地壳均衡,从而造成上部地壳的隆升.     

南海珠江口盆地东沙隆起区生物礁演化模式

南海是西太平洋最大的边缘海,其在形成演化过程中出现了有利于生物礁生长发育的环境。东沙隆起在中新世时期属于浅海环境,远离物源区,温度、盐度和水深适宜生物礁的生长和发育。通过地震资料的解释、测井、岩心资料的综合分析,并与相对海平面变化曲线对比,认为东沙隆起发育大量规模不等的生物礁,且其发育演化与相对海平面变化曲线和区域构造演化阶段可以对应起来。相对海平面的旋回性变化和复杂的构造演化过程结合,使得研究区生物礁具有较好的孔渗性,可以成为有潜力的油气储层。     

南海北部东沙岛附近的内潮和余流特征

采用东沙岛附近的一个长达9个月的锚定潜标的观测资料对南海北部的正压潮、内潮和余流情况进行了分析,得到了当地正压潮和内潮的特征。此处正压潮流以全日潮为主,秋、冬季相对较大,春季相对较小;正压余流受海盆尺度环流和地形的限制,在潜标观测期间的秋、冬、春三季基本以偏西向的正压流为主。内潮同正压潮一样,也以全日分潮为主,潮流椭圆随水深发生旋转,在110—120m附近存在内潮非常弱的一层。斜压余流在2009年2—3月比较异常,这是由于在此其间有一个中尺度涡经过。对此潜标数据采用经验正交函数分解的方法进行分析,发现海流的各个主要EOF模态与内波的垂向模态结构有一定的关联。     

西沙群岛潮、余流特征研究

对1962、1974、1976、1991、2002年西沙群岛海域实测海流资料分析得出:西沙群岛潮汐特征系数为3.40,是不正规日潮;潮流特征比较复杂,少数为不规则半日潮流型,多数为不规则日潮流型;半日周期的内潮在永兴岛西部特别显著,最大流速可达1.5m/s,对珊瑚生态系统有重要影响;西沙群岛余流,春季4～5月总体方向是东北,最大余流速度66cm/s,出现在中建岛西部;夏初余流方向偏北,速度明显降低,中建岛表、底层流速都不超过50cm/s。结合18a卫星高度计资料统计分析得出,春季和夏季西沙群岛海域处于反气旋式环流的北部,中建岛处于反气旋式环流的西缘,水平压强梯度大,加之地形影响,因此流速最大。     

利用珊瑚生长率重建西沙海域罗马暖期中期海温变化

珊瑚生长率是记录海水表层温度（SST）的一个重要代用指标。本文以南海中北部西沙永兴岛罗马暖期期间发育的3个澄黄滨珊瑚（Porites lutea）为材料,测量它们的骨骼生长率,并利用珊瑚骨骼生长率与SST的关系式定量重建海温年际变化序列。结果显示：3个滨珊瑚（生长于120-59 BC、46 BC-14 AD和30 BC-28 AD期间）的平均生长率分别为0.88 cm/a（变化于0.53~1.24 cm/a之间）、0.90 cm/a（变化于0.58~1.53 cm/a之间）和1.12 cm/a（变化于0.71~1.46 cm/a之间）。据此重建同时段年平均SST,相应结果分别为26.7℃、26.8℃和27.3℃。2 kaBP前后（120-59 BC,46 BC-28 AD）西沙海域平均SST为26.9±0.4℃,低于现代（1981-2010 AD）约0.7℃。     

珠江口盆地流花碳酸盐台地灰岩坑的地震反射特征及成因探讨

早中新世东沙隆起带上发育了大规模的流花碳酸盐台地,上覆巨厚未固结-弱固结泥岩。基于三维地震数据,利用相干体及可视化等方法,在台地上发现了由溶蚀垮塌作用形成的数量众多的椭圆形的灰岩坑。灰岩坑直径一般为200~700 m,最大超过900 m,深度10~90 m;灰岩坑在地震反射上表现为碳酸盐岩顶部垮塌,并导致上覆泥岩地层塌陷;灰岩坑一般沿NWW向断层分布,这些NWW向断层切割中新世碳酸盐岩和上覆海相泥岩地层,绝大多数终止于T₁₀的不整合面。综合分析东沙海区构造和沉积过程认为：发生在晚中新世末期的东沙运动形成了NWW向张扭性断层,为酸性流体提供了运移通道和物质交换场所;东沙运动伴生的基底岩浆活动可能产生了酸性热液流体;东沙运动末期发生强烈的构造抬升和大规模海底暴露,造成地表水沿断层注入,加快了碳酸盐岩的溶蚀速率。在台地底部珠海组砂岩层的高压流体、地表水和岩浆活动可能产生的酸性热液流体的共同溶蚀作用下,碳酸盐岩地层内部产生溶洞,并且越来越大,最终顶部无法承载上覆巨厚泥岩而发生垮塌,形成灰岩坑。流花碳酸盐台地灰岩坑的形成不是简单的暴露溶蚀,而是构造活动影响下深埋藏溶蚀作用的产物。     

The place of rural, remote and least-wealthy small islands in international water development: the nexus of geography–technology sustainability in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia

Many least-wealthy, rural, remote and resource-poor small island communities are unlikely to benefit from high-profile global water improvement initiatives. Their small landmasses, geologic composition, geography, social and technological isolation, colonial history, and weak educational and financial resources constitute significant barriers to improving access to safe drinking water. This paper discusses the relatively unique position of such island societies in the international community, providing a case study of the Federated States of Micronesia that integrates data and information pertaining to water resources management and governance, spanning from the island village to national scale. A vision is offered regarding the interaction between small island human and biophysical water systems, manifesting ways to pursue water resource development to improve public health which are constructed to be economically, physically and culturally sustainable.