Artificial Reefs in the Low Productive Marine Environments of the Southeastern Mediterranean

Abstract. Fishery yields in the oligotrophic waters of the Southeastern Mediterranean arc low due to habitat and food limitations. A four year study of a complex of artificial structures established in the coastal waters of Israel points to several possible solutions to these problems. One approach is the artificial enrichment of the man-made reef with trash fish. This, together with the configuration of the reef, caused a significant increase in the abundance of fish predators such as groupers of the genus Epinephclus. Omnivores and herbivores were attracted only by the presence of artificial structures. Some species, such as the slipper lobster Scyllurides lulus, only use the man-made reef for shelter during part of the day or season; they forage over a much larger area the rest of the time and are important "importers" of food to the artificial habitat. Artificial kelp were effective in recruiting juveniles and small fishes to the site.     

North Pacific Subtropical Mode Waters Observed in Long XBT Cross Sections along 32.5°N Line

The S/V Shoyo, of the Hydrographic Department, Japan Coast Guard, has conducted high-density expendable bathythermograph (XBT) measurements along the 32.5°N line in the North Pacific every year from 1990 to 1993 as a part of the Japanese-World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). These XBT data are analyzed here, focusing on year-to-year variations of the inventory and core layer temperature (CLT) of the North Pacific subtropical mode water (NPSTMW). Large year-to-year changes are found in the NPSTMW CLTs estimated in longitudes between 140°E and 160°E. CLT values were found of 17.4°C in 1990, 17.1°C in 1991, 17.3°C in 1992 and 17.6°C in 1993. Inspection of the wintertime westerlies over the formation area and sea surface temperature distribution revealed that this change in CLT can be qualitatively attributed to the strength of atmospheric cooling in the formation area in the previous winter. Although a large year-to-year variation of NPSTMW inventory was also found, it is hard to state any relationship between CLT and atmospheric forcing. There is a possibility that different observational seasons may affect the inventory. It has also been found that the thermocline depth in 1991 was shallower in the sea area east of 180° than in 1992 and 1993. Associated with this change, the North Pacific central mode water (NPCMW), characterized by thermostad with temperatures ranging from 14°C to 11°C, appears in the sea area east of 180° in the 1992 and 1993 cross sections. The 1993 cross section, which ranged from the Japanese coast to the west coast of North America, possessed another thermostad in the surface layer, with a temperature of about 17°C in the eastern part of the cross section, off California. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Primary production in the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

The eastern tropical Pacific includes 28 million km² of ocean between 23.5°N and S and Central/South America and 140°W, and contains the eastern and equatorial branches of the north and South Pacific subtropical gyres plus two equatorial and two coastal countercurrents. Spatial patterns of primary production are in general determined by supply of macronutrients (nitrate, phosphate) from below the thermocline. Where the thermocline is shallow and intersects the lighted euphotic zone, biological production is enhanced. In the eastern tropical Pacific thermocline depth is controlled by three interrelated processes: a basin-scale east/west thermocline tilt, a basin-scale thermocline shoaling at the gyre margins, and local wind-driven upwelling. These processes regulate supply of nutrient-rich subsurface waters to the euphotic zone, and on their basis we have divided the eastern tropical Pacific into seven main regions. Primary production and its physical and chemical controls are described for each.Enhanced rates of macronutrient supply maintains levels of primary production in the eastern tropical Pacific above those of the oligotrophic subtropical gyres to the north and south. On the other hand lack of the micronutrient iron limits phytoplankton growth (and nitrogen fixation) over large portions of the open-ocean eastern tropical Pacific, depressing rates of primary production and resulting in the so-called high nitrate-low chlorophyll condition. Very high rates of primary production can occur in those coastal areas where both macronutrients and iron are supplied in abundance to surface waters. In these eutrophic coastal areas large phytoplankton cells dominate; conversely, in the open-ocean small cells are dominant. In a ‘shadow zone’ between the subtropical gyres with limited subsurface ventilation, enough production sinks and decays to produce anoxic and denitrified waters which spread beneath very large parts of the eastern tropical Pacific.Seasonal cycles are weak over much of the open-ocean eastern tropical Pacific, although several eutrophic coastal areas do exhibit substantial seasonality. The ENSO fluctuation, however, is an exceedingly important source of interannual variability in this region. El Niño in general results in a depressed thermocline and thus reduced rates of macronutrient supply and primary production. The multi-decadal PDO is likely also an important source of variability, with the ‘El Viejo’ phase of the PDO resulting in warmer and lower nutrient and productivity conditions similar to El Niño.On average the eastern tropical Pacific is moderately productive and, relative to Pacific and global means, its productivity and area are roughly equivalent. For example, it occupies about 18% of the Pacific Ocean by area and accounts for 22–23% of its productivity. Similarly, it occupies about 9% of the global ocean and accounts for 10% of its productivity. While representative, these average values obscure very substantial spatial and temporal variability that characterizes the dynamics of this tropical ocean.     

A review of eastern tropical Pacific oceanography: Summary

The collection of articles in this volume reviewing eastern tropical Pacific oceanography is briefly summarized, and updated references are given. The region is an unusual biological environment as a consequence of physical characteristics and patterns of forcing – including a strong and shallow thermocline, the ITCZ and coastal wind jets, equatorial upwelling, the Costa Rica Dome, eastern boundary and equatorial current systems, low iron input, inadequate ventilation of subthermocline waters, and dominance of ENSO-scale temporal variability. Remaining unanswered questions are presented.     

新疆阿尔泰山南部富蕴右旋走滑断裂带晚第四纪错断水系的遥感分析研究

富蕴断裂带位于阿尔泰山南侧,横切阿尔泰山褶皱带南缘及额尔齐斯深断裂,是一条呈北北西向展布的右旋走滑断裂带。沿断裂带发育一系列错断水系、错断冲积扇、挤压脊、走滑拉分盆地等反映右旋走滑活动的典型构造地貌标志。本研究在高分辨率遥感图像和数字高程模型分析的基础上,结合野外实地构造地貌测量,对沿富蕴断裂带发育的系统错断水系特征进行了详细分析研究。研究结果表明,沿富蕴断裂带发育不同级别的错断水系,大致可划分为6级:1931年地震形成的冲沟;90m左右断距的错断水系;150m左右断距的错断水系;500m左右断距的错断水系;1500m左右断距的错断水系;2000m以上断距的错断水系。同时,结合研究区及邻区的第四纪冰川资料讨论了不同级别水系可能形成时间:恰尔沟三级支流可能形成时间为末次冰期Ⅲ阶段末期,约20ka;恰尔沟二级支流可能形成时间为末次冰期Ⅰ阶段末期,约120ka;恰尔沟一级支流可能形成于该地区冰川广泛消融的倒数第2次冰期的Ⅱ阶段末期,约为250ka;恰尔沟、水磨沟、白杨沟、乌铁布拉克河、卡布尔特河等可能形成于倒数第3次冰期Ⅱ阶段末期,约为360ka。最后,我们估算出富蕴断裂带晚第四纪以来的平均右旋走滑速率为1.46～4.99mm/a。     

Yangshan Gold Deposit: The Largest Carlin and Carlin-like Type Gold Deposit in China

Gold Headquarter of the CAPF has discovered the Yangshan super large-scale gold depositin Gansu Province, which is a great breakthrough of gold exploration and prospecting in WesternQiniing Mountains of China. The gold resources of this deposit achieved 308 tons with increasingpotentials. Preliminary geological investigations indicate that the Yangshan gold deposit is located inthe intra-continental collision orogenic belt; and the deposit was formed during the continent-continentcollision orogenic processes. The geological characteristics of the deposit are similar to that of thetypical Carlin-type gold deposits, while differences still exist. The ore-forming background is notablydifferent from the Carlin gold deposit province in the United States; and the ore-forming fluids aresimilar with that of the orogenic-type gold deposit. Accordingly, the Yangshan gold deposit is atransitional type between the Carlin-type and the orogenic type gold deposits. At present, the Yangshangold deposit is the largest Carlin and Carlin-like type gold deposit that is ever discovered in China.Researches on metaliogeny, metaliogenic model and ore-enrichment regularities of the Yangshan golddeposit are crucial to meet the pressing needs of the current geological investigation and oreexploration of the deposit.     

粤东成矿地质背景及银-铜-铅-锌成矿物质来源探讨

通过对粤东地区地层和岩石中成矿元素含量和区域地质背景的分析,认为粤东地区铜铅-锌-银成矿作用与燕山期的构造-岩浆作用关系密切,成矿物质中银-铜-锌以下地壳来源为主,铅则以上地壳及沉积地层来源为主。     

东北大兴安岭多年冻土区工程地质特征及评价

土体在冻结状态具有极高的压缩模量, 具有弹性体的工程地质特征。但是在冻土地温升高过程中, 这种特征急剧衰减, 产生蠕变和流变, 建筑物地基强度降低, 导致建筑物基础破坏。同时土体在冻结过程中产生的冻胀作用也将导致建筑物基础的破坏。东北大兴安岭地区多年冻土为高纬度低海拔多年冻土, 其分布具有明显纬度地带性特点。本文在分析该区多年冻土分布特征及冻土工程地质特点的基础上, 对由于土体的冻胀和融沉导致的建筑物基础的危害进行分类研究, 针对性的提出了用热棒降低土体温度以保证多年冻土稳定及用排水的方法减少水对建筑物地基多年冻土影响的工程病害处理措施。     

超高压变质岩矿物中的显微构造缺陷:来自TEM和FTIR研究的证据

超高压变质矿物的某些显微构造缺陷可能指示了岩石短暂和快速抬升过程。文中报道了中国大别山双河地区超高压硬玉石英岩矿物显微构造缺陷的透射电镜(TEM)和Fourier变换红外光谱(FTIR)的研究结果。用TEM研究方法,在硬玉石英岩中硬玉包裹体内发现了亚微米级天然蒙钠长石(MA,C2/m)、高钠长石(HA,C)和低钠长石(LA,C)三种多形变体。表明岩石在折返过程经历过高温变质作用(>930℃),以及退变质过程的快速冷却;在石英包裹体内发现了纳米级柯石英和石盐子矿物,提供了柯石英转变为石英以及峰期变质条件下高盐流体存在的证据。"名义上无水矿物"(NAMs)的结构水(OH/H2O)是以缺陷形式赋存于矿物结构中。FTIR分析结果显示硬玉、石榴石、金红石和石英中结构水的平均含量分别为1000×10-6、(900~1600)×10-6、>2000×10-6和<4×10-6,硬玉石英岩全岩含水量为(490~600)×10-6,表明在高压-超高压变质作用过程中,地壳或原岩中的水可以通过这些NAMs携带到地球深部。该类显微构造缺陷可能是大陆碰撞造山带在高应变速率下的局部弱化和深部断层作用的结果。     

河南桐柏围山城层控金银成矿带同位素地球化学

河南省桐柏山区的围山城金银成矿带包括破山特大型银矿、银洞坡大型金矿、银洞岭大型银多金属矿床及一些矿点,赋矿地层是新元古界歪头山组,矿体产状与地层产状一致,形态呈似层状、鞍状或透镜状,层控特征显著。氢-氧-碳同位素地球化学研究指示早、中阶段的成矿流体主要为变质水,晚阶段有大量大气降水加入成矿流体系统。碳-硫-铅同位素指示成矿物质来自于歪头山组地层;钾-氩同位素表明成矿作用(100~140Ma)发生在秦岭陆陆碰撞造山的高峰期之后碰撞挤压向伸展转变的背景下。综合考虑矿带的成矿流体来源、成矿物质来源以及矿床地质特征,认为围山城成矿带属典型的层控造山型金银成矿系统,形成于中生代扬子与华北板块的陆陆碰撞造山体制。