物理海洋观测研究的进展与挑战

从当今物理海洋所面临的若干前沿科学问题出发,重点探讨了物理海洋观测研究所面临的任务与挑战,包括大洋边界流系统、海洋湍流及跨等密度面混合以及海洋热含量和淡水平衡等.在已有的基础上,对我国在深海研究领域特别是物理海洋观测方面提出了几点针对性的建议.     

乔治王岛东北海域大磷虾虾群构成分析

1985年1月在乔治王岛东北约25海里(水深460米)海域,曾观测到范围较大的大磷虾群.在约4海里范围内用垂直探鱼仪记录了虾群的映象,进行了水平拖网.对6网样品的分析结果表明,虾群组成相当均一.体长频数分布样品间的百分比相似性指数平均为84.3%,性成熟度组成频数分布的相似性指数平均为75.6%,说明这些样品属同一虾群.磷虾平均体长为46.8毫米,成体虾占群体的96.5%,表明它们为一生殖群体.群体分布水层在20—50米深,厚度一般为20米,平均密度为1400尾/千立方米.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviews in are this Article Northern Waters . Clive Archer and David Scivener , EDS. Principles of Geographical Information Systems for Land Resources Assessment . P. A. Burrough . The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book. Environment Canada , United States Environmental Protection Agency , Brock University , AND Northwestern University . Uneven Development in Southern Europe: Studies of Accumulation, Class, Migration and the State. Rays Hudson AND Jim Lewis , EDS. Hazards: Technology and Fairness. Robert W. Kates and Alvin M. Weinberg . The Price of War. Urbanization in Vietnam 1954–85. Nigel Thrift and Dean Forbes . Population Structures and Models: Developments in Spatial Demography. Robert Woods and Philip Rees , EDS. Evaluating Earthquake Hazards in the Los Angeles Region-An Earth-Science Perspective. J. I. Ziony , ed .     

Anomalous subsidence on the rifted volcanic margin of Pakistan: No influence from Deccan plume

The role of hotter than ambient plume mantle in the formation of a rifted volcanic margin in the northern Arabian Sea is investigated using subsidence analysis of a drill site located on the seismically defined Somnath volcanic ridge. The ridge has experienced > 4 km of subsidence since 65 Ma and lies within oceanic lithosphere. We estimate crustal thickness to be 9.5–11.5 km. Curiously < 400 m of the thermal subsidence occurred prior to 37 Ma, when subsidence rates would normally be at a maximum. We reject the hypothesis that this was caused by increasing plume dynamic support after continental break-up because the size of the thermal anomalies required are unrealistic (> 600 °C), especially considering the rapid northward drift of India relative to the Deccan-Réunion hotspot. We suggest that this reflects very slow lithospheric growth, possibly caused by vigorous asthenospheric convection lasting > 28 m.y., and induced by the steep continent–ocean boundary. Post-rift slow subsidence is also recognized on volcanic margins in the NE Atlantic and SE Newfoundland and cannot be used as a unique indicator of plume mantle involvement in continental break-up.     

Assessment of the ecological quality status of soft-bottoms in Reunion Island (tropical Southwest Indian Ocean) using AZTI marine biotic indices

The ability of the two synthetic marine biotic indices, AMBI and M-AMBI, to account for changes in the ecological quality of coastal soft bottoms of Reunion Island according to disturbances was assessed from macrobenthic samples collected in five sectors between 1994 and 2004. Samples were collected under non-perturbed conditions and at two sites subjected to heavy organic enrichment. Both indices are based on a classification of macrofauna into ecological groups (EG), and their transfer to tropical waters required some adaptations. These indices proved efficient in detecting a degradation of habitat quality. Their use resulted in the classification of all sites sampled between 1996 and 1998 as "good" or "high". M-AMBI nevertheless tended to result in the attribution of a slightly worse ecological quality status than AMBI. Together with an update of the EG species list for the Indian Ocean area, our results support the extension of both indices for the assessment of tropical soft bottoms.     

Field Measurements and Numerical Simulations of the 2004 Tsunami Impact on the East Coast of Sri Lanka

This paper employs a numerical model of tsunami propagation together with documented observations and field measurements of the evidence left behind by the tsunami in December 2004, to identify and interpret the factors that have contributed to the significant spatial variability of the level of tsunami impact along the coastal belt of the eastern province of Sri Lanka. The model results considered in the present analysis include the distribution of the amplitude of the tsunami and the pattern of wave propagation over the continental shelf off the east coast, while the field data examined comprise the maximum water levels measured at or near the shoreline, the horizontal inundation distances and the number of housing and other buildings damaged. The computed maximum amplitude of the tsunami at water points nearest the shoreline along the east coast shows considerable variation ranging from 2.2 m to 11.4 m with a mean value of 5.7 m; moreover, the computed amplitudes agree well with the available field measurements. We also show that the shelf bathymetry off the east coast, particularly the submarine canyons at several locations, significantly influences the near-shore transformation of tsunami waves, and consequently, the spatial variation of the maximum water levels along the coastline. The measured values of inundation also show significant variation along the east coast and range from 70 m to 4560 m with a median value of 700 m. Our analyses of field data also show the dominant influence of the coastal topography and geomorphology on the extent of tsunami inundation. Furthermore, the measured inundation distances indicate no apparent correlation with the computed tsunami heights at the respective locations. We also show that both the computed tsunami heights and the measured inundation distances for the east coast closely follow the log-normal statistical distribution.     

The coral reef crisis: The critical importance of <350 ppm CO2

Temperature-induced mass coral bleaching causing mortality on a wide geographic scale started when atmospheric CO₂ levels exceeded ∼320 ppm. When CO₂ levels reached ∼340 ppm, sporadic but highly destructive mass bleaching occurred in most reefs world-wide, often associated with El Niño events. Recovery was dependent on the vulnerability of individual reef areas and on the reef’s previous history and resilience. At today’s level of ∼387 ppm, allowing a lag-time of 10 years for sea temperatures to respond, most reefs world-wide are committed to an irreversible decline. Mass bleaching will in future become annual, departing from the 4 to 7 years return-time of El Niño events. Bleaching will be exacerbated by the effects of degraded water-quality and increased severe weather events. In addition, the progressive onset of ocean acidification will cause reduction of coral growth and retardation of the growth of high magnesium calcite-secreting coralline algae. If CO₂ levels are allowed to reach 450 ppm (due to occur by 2030-2040 at the current rates), reefs will be in rapid and terminal decline world-wide from multiple synergies arising from mass bleaching, ocean acidification, and other environmental impacts. Damage to shallow reef communities will become extensive with consequent reduction of biodiversity followed by extinctions. Reefs will cease to be large-scale nursery grounds for fish and will cease to have most of their current value to humanity. There will be knock-on effects to ecosystems associated with reefs, and to other pelagic and benthic ecosystems. Should CO₂ levels reach 600 ppm reefs will be eroding geological structures with populations of surviving biota restricted to refuges. Domino effects will follow, affecting many other marine ecosystems. This is likely to have been the path of great mass extinctions of the past, adding to the case that anthropogenic CO₂ emissions could trigger the Earth’s sixth mass extinction.     

中国大陆精密重力潮汐改正模型

利用理论和实验重力固体潮模型,充分考虑全球海潮和中国近海潮汐的负荷效应,建立了中国大陆的精密重力潮汐改正模型.结果表明,采用不同的固体潮模型会对重力潮汐结果产生相对变化幅度小于0.06％的差异;在沿海地区海潮负荷的影响约为整个潮汐的4％,而中部地区约为1％,其中中国近海潮汐模型的影响约占整个海潮负荷的10%,内插或外推潮波的负荷约占海潮负荷的3％.通过比较实测的重力数据表明,本文给出的重力潮汐改正模型的精度远远优于0.5×10^-8 m·s^-2,说明了本文构建的模型的实用性,可为中国大陆高精度重力测量提供有效参考和精密的改正模型.     

深地震探测的分辨率分析——以南海北部OBS数据为例

多次深地震探测结果表明南海北部陆缘地壳结构在走向和倾向上都有明显的变化.在一些相隔很近的测线上,探测的深部地壳结构却相差较大,为了分析这些探测结果中差异的原因和地壳结构变化的可靠性,本文以东沙东侧海域测线和东沙西侧海域测线为例,对采集的海底地震仪记录进行了时间、位置校正和初至波走时拾取,利用有限差分地震走时层析成像进行了走时反演,获得所在剖面的地壳速度结构,并分析了模型的横向分辨率,剔除模型中短波长的横向速度变化.分辨率检测结果表明,模型的横向分辨率随着深度快速下降,0～8 km深度范围可以分辨10 km的横向变化,8～17 km的范围能够分辨10～40 km,而17～33 km的范围只能分辨40～80 km.因此,折射波的横向分辨能力不高,在地壳深部难以分辨较小的横向速度变化,前人探测的南海北部6 km宽、延伸至莫霍面的滨外断裂带并不能清晰的识别.