Circulation in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) during winter—spring

This study is devoted to oceanographic features of the semi-enclosed Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. The data were recorded in winter—spring 1999 on the R/V Meteor cruise leg 44/2. Temperature and salinity profiles were measured at six positions (I—VI). The shipboard NarrowBand Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (NB ADCP) 150 kHz continuously recorded current profiles down to 350 m en route. The research revealed that the current near the Strait of Tiran front (position VI) represents a semidiurnal signal of an internal tide wave (∼12 h period; 0.2 ms⁻¹ amplitude) that might be generated by the barotropic tide at the sill of the Strait. A sequence of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy pairs is found along the axis of the Gulf of Aqaba during winter-spring seasons. These sub-mesoscale signals are dominant above the main thermocline and might be caused by wind forcing and the narrowness of the Gulf; it might remain in other seasons with different dimensions in relation to the depth of thermocline. The total diameter of each pair was twice the baroclinic Rossby radius (R ≈ 10 km). A single anti-cyclonic eddy was observed in the upper 300 m in the northern tip of the Gulf with a diameter of about 5–8 km.     

Late Quaternary Seasonal Sea-Ice History of the Northeastern Japan Sea

The Late Quaternary sea-ice history of the northeastern Japan Sea is discussed on the basis of the occurrence of dropstones and ice-rafted debris (IRD) in fine sediment cores. IRD was found in all strata except those from the Holocene and oxygen isotope stage 5.5. The largest expansion of sea ice was recognized at the last glacial maximum (LGM; oxygen isotope stage 2), when the southern margin of seasonal sea ice was probably located in the vicinity of the Matsumae Plateau. The margin might occasionally have expanded further southward to off the Oga Peninsula. Sea ice expanded southward from mid-stage 5 to the LGM in response to global cooling, but with much fluctuation. Sea ice remained during deglaciation until around 10 ka, but after 10 ka it retreated northward rapidly in response to global warming and changes in surface water conditions. Greater fluctuations in IRD were found in core GH95-1208 collected from off Rumoi, Hokkaido, Japan. More IRD was found in sediments from late stage 3, late stage 5, and early stage 6. The fluctuations were not concordant with global climate changes (based on the standard oxygen isotope curve), and may have been controlled by regional climate factors such as the strength of the winter monsoon, which is related in turn to high-latitude atmospheric circulation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

西洋东大港水道流速垂线分布研究

对辐射沙洲海域东大港4#站位连续2个潮周期的流速测量资料进行了分析、研究,拟合给出了流速垂线分布关系,并根据实际测量资料确定了该站位6个水层的浑水水流尾流函数项表达式。这些表达式表明浑水水流尾流函数是相对深度和摩阻速度的函数。探讨分析了尾流函数的空间分布和潮周期过程。非恒定流的水流尾流函数项的准确表达,对于揭示含沙水流流速结构及水、沙相影响作用规律将起到启发和推动作用。     

Numerical Solution of Lock-Release Gravity Current with Viscous Self-Similar Regime

Lock-release gravity currents with a viscous self-similar regime are simulated by use of the renormalization group(RNG) k - ε model for Reynolds-stress closure. Besides the turbulent regime with initially a slumping phase of a conslant current front speed and later an inviseid self-similar phase of front speed decreasing as t^-1/3(where t is the time measured from release), the viseous self-similar regime is satisfactorily reproduced with front speed decreasing as t^-4/5,consistent with well known experimental observations.     

深圳发展东部滨海旅游度假区的前景探析

深圳具备优良的海滨旅游资源，但其滨海旅游特色一直体现得不够充分，滨海度假旅游品牌在全国以至海外的影响力还很有限。深圳最近对东部滨海地区的发展进行了总体规划，根据深圳东部滨海地区发展现状和发展规划，就开发深圳东部滨海旅游度假胜地、将东部滨海旅游度假区打造成为具有国际水准的、以滨海休闲度假为特色的黄金海岸旅游胜地提出了的几点建议。     

基于非期望产出的中国滨海旅游生态效率评价——以我国沿海城市为例

旅游生态效率是反映旅游经济与旅游环境双向效应(bi-effect)的重要判断指标。本文基于非期望产出视角,采用超效率SBM模型,评价了我国东部沿海18个主要滨海旅游城市的旅游生态效率,并分析了其时空演变特征。研究结果表明:(1)中国东部沿海18市滨海旅游生态效率整体呈中等水平,平均值处于0.727～0.894,阶段特征明显,呈现前期平稳发展,中期下降,后期回升的发展趋势;(2)各城市滨海旅游生态效率水平差异显著,分为下行风险型,持续成长型,稳定型和波动型4种发展类型。平均效率值最高为天津,最低为三亚;(3)分解效率均值中纯技术效率较高,规模效率次之,技术进步是影响综合效率的主要因素;(4)投入冗余和非期望产出冗余已经成为阻碍滨海旅游生态效率进步的关键因素。     

Response of the barrier island coastal region of southwestern Nigeria to climate and non-climate forcing

Despite threats emanating from the influence of climate and non-climate forcing on the barrier island coastal region of southwestern Nigeria, the extent of the coastal erosion is poorly understood. We report evidence of coastal erosion and sediment accumulation in the region over a 34-year period (1973–2017), using Landsat imagery at intervals of approximately six years. Landsat image corrections and various water-extraction algorithms were used to systematically delineate coastal erosion and accumulation in the area. The region was subdivided into western and eastern subregions separated by Lagos Harbour. In the west, erosion took place during the periods 1973–1979, 1979–1984, 1990–1999 and 2005–2011, whereas in the east, erosion occurred during 1973–1979, 1990–1999 and 1999–2005. Coastal sediment accumulation occurred in the east during 1979–1984, 1984–1990, 2005–2011 and 2011–2017, whereas gains in the west occurred during 1984–1990, 1999–2005 and 2011–2017. The study revealed substantial net erosion of 1 228.1 ha in the region as a whole, over the full period. Sediment accumulation accompanying the coastal erosion appears to be linked to longshore drift. Erosion between 1973 and 2011 was probably attributable to climate change (storms and tidal conditions), longshore drift, the inflow and outflow of water at Lagos Harbour, coastal morphology and, possibly, human impacts. However, the coastal changes between 2011 and 2017 were more obviously associated with human activities, such as development of the Eko Atlantic construction project. Coastal surveillance, together with the use of environmentally sensitive protective measures, could possibly help to reduce coastal erosion in the region. Careful coastal management practices, including artificial nourishing and the installation of resilient structures (e.g. seawalls), should be undertaken to protect human settlements that are already at risk from sea-level rise.     

Trichodesmium erythraeum (Ehrenberg) bloom along the southwest coast of India (Arabian Sea) and its impact on trace metal concentrations in seawater

The incidence of a large scale Trichodesmium erythraeum bloom along the southwest coast of India (Arabian Sea) observed in May 2005 is reported. Around 4802 filaments of T. erythraeum ml⁻¹ seawater was observed and a colony consisted of 3.6 × 10⁵ cells. The bloom was predominant off Suratkal (12° 59′N and 74° 31′E) with a depth of about 47 m, covering an area of 7 km in length and 2 km width. The concentrations of Zinc, Cadmium, Lead, Copper, Nickel and Cobalt were determined in samples collected from the bloom and non-bloom sites using stripping voltammetry. The observed hydrographical and meteorological parameters were found to be favorable for the bloom. The concentrations of Zinc, Cadmium and Nickel were found to be higher at bloom stations, while the concentrations of Lead, Copper and Cobalt were found to be very low at bloom stations. Elevated concentrations of Cadmium and Cobalt were observed at Valappad mainly due to the decomposition of detrital material produced in the bloom. Statistically significant differences (P > 0.01) in metal concentrations between the bloom and non-bloom stations were not observed except for Copper. Metals such as Lead, Copper and Cobalt were removed from the seawater at all places where bloom was observed. Cadmium was found to be slowly released during the decaying process of the bloom.     

Feature modeling approach to simulating Loop Current Frontal Eddies

Loop Current Frontal Eddies (LCFE) in the Gulf of Mexico are simulated with a regional configuration of the Princeton Ocean Model using a feature-oriented initialization technique. The initialization procedure is based on a prior investigation of stability characteristics of the Loop Current (LC). Zonal channel experiments conducted with a multi-layer intermediate equations model allowed to identify conditions necessary for formation and growth of frontal eddies. The simulations were able to reproduce key features of LCFE-topography interaction in the DeSoto Canyon region observed during the “Eddy Intrusion” study.     

Influence of Current Width Variation on the Annual Mean Transport of the East Sakhalin Current: A Simple Model

Recent observations suggest that the annual mean southward transport of the East Sakhalin Current (ESC) is significantly larger than the annual mean Sverdrup transport. Motivated by this observational result, transport of a western boundary current has been investigated using a simple numerical model with a western slope. This transport is defined as the instantaneous barotropic transport integrated from the western boundary to the offshore point where the barotropic velocity vanishes. The model, forced by seasonally varying wind stress, exhibits an annual mean of the western boundary current transport that is larger than that of the Sverdrup transport, as observed. The southward transport from October to March in the model nearly equals the instantaneous Sverdrup transport, while the southward transport from April to September decreases slowly. Although the Sverdrup transport in July vanishes, the southward transport in summer nearly maintains the annual mean Sverdrup transport, because the barotropic Rossby wave cannot intrude on the western slope. This summer transport causes the larger annual mean. Although there are some uncertainties in the estimation of the Sverdrup transport in the Sea of Okhotsk, the seasonal variation of the southward transport in the model is qualitatively similar to the observations.