Tectonics of a fast spreading center: A Deep-Tow and sea beam survey on the East Pacific rise at 19°30′ S

Sea Beam and Deep-Tow were used in a tectonic investigation of the fast-spreading (151 mm yr^-1) East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 19°30 S. Detailed surveys were conducted at the EPR axis and at the Brunhes/Matuyama magnetic reversal boundary, while four long traverses (the longest 96 km) surveyed the rise flanks. Faulting accounts for the vast majority of the relief. Both inward and outward facing fault scarps appear in almost equal numbers, and they form the horsts and grabens which compose the abyssal hills. This mechanism for abyssal hill formation differs from that observed at slow and intermediate spreading rates where abyssal hills are formed by back-tilted inward facing normal faults or by volcanic bow-forms. At 19°30 S, systematic back tilting of fault blocks is not observed, and volcanic constructional relief is a short wavelength signal (less than a few hundred meters) superimposed upon the dominant faulted structure (wavelength 2–8 km). Active faulting is confined to within approximately 5–8 km of the rise axis. In terms of frequency, more faulting occurs at fast spreading rates than at slow. The half extension rate due to faulting is 4.1 mm yr^-1 at 19°30 S versus 1.6 mm yr^-1 in the FAMOUS area on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Both spreading and horizontal extension are asymmetric at 19°30 S, and both are greater on the east flank of the rise axis. The fault density observed at 19°30 S is not constant, and zones with very high fault density follow zones with very little faulting. Three mechanisms are proposed which might account for these observations. In the first, faults are buried episodically by massive eruptions which flow more than 5–8 km from the spreading axis, beyond the outer boundary of the active fault zone. This is the least favored mechanism as there is no evidence that lavas which flow that far off axis are sufficiently thick to bury 50–150 m high fault scarps. In the second mechanism, the rate of faulting is reduced during major episodes of volcanism due to changes in the near axis thermal structure associated with swelling of the axial magma chamber. Thus the variation in fault spacing is caused by alternate episodes of faulting and volcanism. In the third mechanism, the rate of faulting may be constant (down to a time scale of decades), but the locus of faulting shifts relative to the axis. A master fault forms near the axis and takes up most of the strain release until the fault or fault set is transported into lithosphere which is sufficiently thick so that the faults become locked. At this point, the locus of faulting shifts to the thinnest, weakest lithosphere near the axis, and the cycle repeats.     

Molecular identification of ascaridoid nematodes from the deep-sea onion-eye grenadier (Macrourus berglax) from the East Greenland Sea

Macrourus berglax from the East Greenland Sea was studied for the presence of ascaridoid nematodes in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The fishes were collected between 278 and 413 m water depth using a benthopelagic net. Based on the amplification of the internal transcribed spacer ITS-1, 5.8S, ITS-2 and flanking sequences (=ITS+), three ascaridoid nematode species were identified. The prevalence of infestation during the 3 years ranged from 42.9% to 62.9% and 22.9% to 40.0% for the anisakids Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.s.), respectively, and from 28.6% to 60.0% for the raphidascarid Hysterothylacium aduncum. A total of 18 specimens, two of each species and examination year, revealed no sibling species, suggesting a limited distribution of other ascaridoid siblings into the deep sea. The ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2 sequences of A. simplex (s.s.) from the East Greenland Sea did not differ from previously published sequence data (GenBank) from other regions in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The sequences of P. decipiens (s.s.) corresponded most closely to those of specimens from Richardson Bay, western Pacific, and differed in four positions (0.5%). They corresponded least to those of specimens from Japan (1.5%). The sequence data for H. aduncum differed in two positions in the ITS-1 (0.2%) and three positions in the ITS-2 (0.3%) from sequences from Japan. A high genetic similarity between the regions can be explained by (a) extensive final host migration in the case of A. simplex (s.s.), (b) an overlapping distribution of final host populations along the continental shelves for P. decipiens (s.s.) and (c) a low host specificity and large population size in the intermediate and final hosts for H. aduncum. The occurrence of the identified species in the macrourid fish underlines the potential of cosmopolitan ascaridoid nematodes to distribute not only horizontally but also vertically in the deep sea.     

热带气旋在东海的活动及其灾害分析

本文根据1949～1989年热带气旋历史资料,对影响东海的热带气旋进行了统计分析,结果表明,热带气旋在东海的活动相当频繁,特别是7、8、9三个月;热带气旋逐年出现个数有明显的年际波动和季节性变化;进入东海的热带气旋大致分为七类路径,不同路径的热带气旋对东海沿岸地区造成不同程度的危害,其灾情以具体实例作了阐述。     

东海沿岸海区垂直环流及其温盐结构动力过程研究Ⅱ．温盐结构

对于本研究采用的动力学模型及其垂直环流的模拟结果已在第Ⅰ部分论述。作者将对与垂直环流对应的温、盐结构进行分析。温度和盐度模拟结果表明：冬季东海沿岸海区的温、盐分布均为近岸低、外海高;近岸温、盐呈垂直均匀分布,在外海出现分层,其温度为表层高、底层低,而盐度却为表层和底层高,中层偏低,长江口以南的近表层以下形成自近岸伸向外海的弱低盐水舌;长江冲淡水区及长江口以北和其以南外海的近表层有温、盐跃层生成,深底层温、盐呈均匀分布,且保持低温高盐特征;随着海区自北往南纬度的降低,岸坡和水深的增大及沿岸下降流的增强,温度和盐度自近岸至外海的垂直均匀分布跨度逐渐变窄;外海近表层的温、盐跃层强度自北至长江口逐渐增强,而自长江口至南逐渐减弱,其位置自北往南逐渐上移;冬季沿岸下降流使长江冲淡水区的盐跃层变厚。夏季海区的温度分布为近岸和外海高,近岸稍远出现冷水涌升,垂向上呈现显著分层,盐度分布为近岸低、外海高;长江冲淡水区及杭州湾以南外海的次表层存在温、盐跃层,其跃层以上出现混合层,且保持高温低盐特征,跃层以下温、盐大致呈均匀分布,并保持低温高盐特征;随着海区自南往北纬度的增高、岸坡和水深的减小及沿岸上升流自南至长江口和自长江口至北的增强和继而减弱,长江冲淡水区的温、盐跃层强度自南至长江口逐渐增强,而自长江口至北逐渐减弱,外海次表层的温、盐跃层强度却自南至长江口逐渐减弱,自长江口至北又逐渐增强,其温、盐跃层的位置自南往北逐渐上移;夏季沿岸上升流使长江冲淡水区的盐跃层变薄。     

东海海底地形分区特征和成因研究

东海一直以其特殊的大地构造地位受到国内外地学界的关注,但作为主要受构造控制的东海海底地形的研究,以往简单趋势性描述居多,专门深入系统的研究尚不多见。不久前完成的高精度、全覆盖多波束海底地形勘测覆盖了东海部分外陆架、大陆坡全部、冲绳海槽和东部岛坡的一部分,取得了海量的测深数据。据此编绘的勘测多波束水深图和结合测区外的传统资料编绘的海底地形图使我们有机会可以重新审视和系统研究东海的海底地形特征。在定量确定了陆架坡折线、陆坡坡脚线和东部槽坡坡脚线的基础上划分出了大陆架、大陆坡、冲绳海槽平原和东部岛坡4大地形区,继之对各区的海底地形特征进行了研究和描述,并在区内选取了有代表性的5条剖面进行了剖析。另外,从地球内营力和外营力两方面分析了影响东海海底地形发育的因素。调查分析表明:整个东海地形分带明显,地形类型多样:大陆架十分宽阔,总体北宽南窄,从大陆向海平缓倾斜,发育了广泛的NW-SE向沙脊群,自大陆向东南呈扇形发散;大陆坡呈NE-SW向条带展布,海底地形陡峻,呈阶梯状下掉,总体北缓南陡,其上峡谷密布,上穿切外陆架,下直达海槽,同时坡麓上海台沟谷伴生发育;冲绳海槽北浅南深,其内在平坦的背景上发育了众多的海山和海丘,其中心又有槽中槽地形;东槽坡地形复杂,发育了     

A comparison of three marine ecosystems surrounding the Korean peninsula: Responses to climate change

This study uses a comparative approach to examine responses of marine ecosystems to climatic regime shifts. The three seas surrounding the Korean peninsula, the Japan/East Sea, the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea represent three contiguous but distinct ecosystems. Sampling has been carried out by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute of South Korea since 1965, using the same methods in all three seas. Sampling was generally synoptic. Amplitude time series of 1st EOF modes for temperature, salinity, zooplankton biomass and concentrations of four major zooplankton taxa were used to determine whether the three marine ecosystems respond in a similar manner to climate variations. Temporal patterns of the variables were strongly similar among the three seas at decadal time scales, but very weakly similar at interannual scales. All three seas responded to a climatic regime shift that occurred in 1989. Temperature, zooplankton biomass and copepod concentrations increased in the late 1980s or early 1990s in all three seas. Concentrations of amphipods, chaetognaths and euphausiids also increased in the Japan/East Sea and the East China Sea, but not the Yellow Sea. The Yellow Sea ecosystem differs strongly from the other two seas, and water exchange between the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is much weaker than that between the East China Sea and Japan/East Sea. Spatial patterns of zooplankton determined by the EOF analysis were closely related to currents and fronts in each of the three seas.     

南海季风区地域性大气环流的结构

作者使用 NCEP/ NCAR再分析资料 ,在热带 30°S～ 30°N纬带用谐波分析方法分离出超长波之后 ,再采用环流诊断方法 ,发现南海季风区存在地域性环流系统。文中给出冬、夏季风期该系统的三维空间结构和相应的热源分布 ,讨论了该地域性环流系统对南海季风气候及其异常的作用 ,并探讨夏季风爆发北部先于南部的一种可能的气候原因。     

1998年春夏南海温盐结构及其变化特征

利用1998年5～8月“南海季风试验”期间“科学1”号和“实验3”号科学考察船两个航次CTD资料,分析了1998年南海夏季风暴发前后南海主要断面的温盐结构及其变化特征.观测发现,南海腹地基本被典型的南海水团所控制,但在南海东北部尤其是吕宋海峡附近,表层和次表层水明显受到西太平洋水的影响.季风暴发以后,南海北部表面温度有显著升高,升幅由西向东递减,而南海中部和南部表面温度基本没变,这使得南海北部东西向温度梯度和整个海盆南北向温度梯度均减小.北部断面表层盐度普遍由34以上降低到34以下,混合层均有所发展,是季风暴发后降水和风力加剧的结果.观测期间黑潮水跨越吕宋海峡的迹象明显但变化剧烈.4～5月,黑潮次表层水除在吕宋海峡中北部出现外,在吕宋岛以西亦有发现,表明有部分黑潮水从吕宋海峡南端沿岸向西进而向南进入南海.6～7月,次表层高盐核在吕宋海峡中北部有极大发展,但在吕宋岛以西却明显萎缩;虽然看上去黑潮水以更强的流速进、出南海,但对南海腹地动力热力结构的影响未必更大.一个超过34.55的表层高盐水体于巴拉望附近被发现,似与通过巴拉望两侧水道入侵南海的西太平洋水有关.     

Far beyond the Gulf: the implications of warfare for Asian labour migration

The implications of the Gulf War are assessed for the countries in Asia that send labor migrants to the Middle East. "This paper seeks to examine the effects of...the loss of remittances (and related issues, including return migration), primarily in terms of the long-term implications of the War for the future of contract labour migration in the Asian region...."     

Characteristics of Clay Minerals in the Northern South China Sea and Its Implications for Evolution of East Asian Monsoon since Miocene

Clay mineral assemblages, crystallinity, chemistry, and micromorphology of clay particles in sediments from ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed, and used to trace sediment sources and obtain proxy records of the past changes in the East Asian monsoon climate since the Miocene, based on a multi-approach, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Clay minerals consist mainly of illite and smectite, with associated chlorite and kaolinite. The illite at ODP Site 1146 has very well-to-well crystallinity, and smectite has moderate-to-poor crystallinity. In SEM the smectite particles at ODP Site 1146 often appear cauliflower-like, a typical micromorphology of volcanic smecites. The smectite at ODP Site 1146 is relatively rich in Si element, but poor in Fe, very similar to the smectite from the West Philippine Sea. In contrast, the chemical composition of illite at ODP Site 1146 has no obvious differences from those of the Loess plateau, Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Pearl River. A further study on sediment source indicates that smectite originates mainly from Luzon, kaolinite from the Pearl River, and illite and chlorite from the Pearl River, Taiwan and/or the Yangtze River. The clay mineral assemblages at ODP Site 1146 were not only controlled by continental eathering regimes surrounding the SCS, but also by the changing strength of the transport processes. The ratios of (illite+chlorite)/smectite at ODP Site 1146 were adopted as proxies for the East Asian monsoon evolution. Relatively higher ratios reflect strongly intensified winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, in contrast, lower ratios indicate a strengthened summer monsoon relative to winter monsoon. The consistent variation of this clay proxy from those of Loess plateau, eolian deposition in the North Pacific, planktonic, benthic foraminifera, and black carbon in the SCS since 20 Ma shows that three profound shifts of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity, and aridity in the Asian inland and the intensity of winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, occurred at about 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and the younger at about 3 Ma. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and 3 Ma.