Long-term changes in the type,but not amount,of ingested plastic particles in short-tailed shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea

We report the current (1997-1999, 2001) incidence and amount of ingested plastic in short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) in the southeastern Bering Sea and compare our results with plastic reported in shearwaters during 1970-1978. We also examine correlations between plastic loads and shearwater body mass. We found that 84% (N = 330) of shearwaters sampled in 1997-1999 and 2001 contained plastic. The incidence and amount of ingested plastic have not significantly changed since the 1970s. In contrast, the predominant type of plastic has changed over time, from industrial plastic to user plastic. S,asonal patterns in the incidence and amount of ingested plastic also changed from peak levels during early and late summer in the 1970s to mid summer in the late 1990s and 2001. We suggest that the availability of neuston plastic to seabirds in the Bering Sea has undergone a shift in composition since the 1970s. Shearwater body mass appears little if at all impaired by plastic, at least at present levels of consumption.     

南天山库勒湖蛇绿岩形成环境及构造意义——基性熔岩的地球化学证据

南天山库勒湖蛇绿岩具有两组不同地球化学类型的基性熔岩。第1组熔岩的∑REE=24×10-6~28·36×10-6,(La/Yb)N=0·35~0·37,Zr/Nb=39·91~95·12,Ta/Nb=0·07~0·09,εNd(t)=8·85~12·25,暗示其源区类似于MORB(但比后者更加亏损);同时,该组熔岩的LILE明显富集,HFSE(尤其Nb、Ta)强烈亏损,显示出与岛弧拉斑玄武岩(IAT)的亲源性。第2组熔岩的∑REE(56·38×10-6~101·29×10-6),(La/Yb)N值(0·96~1·36),不相容元素含量等介于E_MORB和OIB之间(更接近于E_MORB),并且Nb、Ta显示正异常;εNd(t)=8·39,Zr/Nb=9·74~10·94,Ta/Nb=0·06,与E_MORB相当,暗示其源区比第1组熔岩相对富集。综合分析两组基性熔岩的地球化学特征,认为它们的形成环境为弧后盆地,第1组熔岩为弧后盆地初始张开阶段受消减带流体沉积物影响的强烈亏损的残余地幔源区发生部分熔融作用的产物,第2组熔岩是由于弧后进一步的次级地幔对流驱动周围或深部相对富集的地幔向处于引张部位的弧后注入或上涌、发生部分熔融作用的产物。库勒湖弧后盆地型蛇绿岩的形成时代与古南天山洋的俯冲消减时代相当,它的形成很有可能与该洋盆晚末志留世—早泥盆世期间的俯冲消减作用(诱发弧后拉张)有关。     

西太平洋海底海山富钴结壳惰性气体同位素组成及其来源

采用高真空气体质谱系统测定了西太平洋麦哲伦海山富钴结壳不同层圈及其基岩的惰性气体丰度和同位素组成,结果显示:(1)西太平洋富钴结壳主要是水成成因,其中惰性气体来源不同,He 绝大多数来自宇宙尘(IDPs),少量来自陆源风成微粒;Ar 主要来自海水溶解的大气,少量来自陆源风成微粒或沉积岩建造水;Ne 和 Xe 主要来自海水中溶解大气, 少量来自宇宙尘;(2)在具三层结构的结壳中,亮煤层(致密层)的惰性气体同位素相对外层和疏松层有较大的不同,显示大洋磷酸岩化对早期沉积的结壳惰性气体组成有较大的影响,如导致~4He 的升高和~3He/~4He 的显著降低;(3)太平洋富钴结壳玄武岩基岩的~3He/~4He 非常低,为0.0095～0.074Ra,与本区磷块岩基岩(0.087Ra)相似,而远低于正常海底玄武岩的~3He/~4He 比值,显示这些基岩曾与富含放射性成因~4He 和 P 的上升洋流或沉积物中建造水发生过水/岩反应,这个过程将释放出较多的成矿元素,有利于富钴结壳的形成,海底海山玄武岩中较低的 He 同位素组成可作为富钴结壳的找矿标志之一。     

内蒙古温都尔庙和巴彦敖包-交其尔蛇绿岩的元素与同位素地球化学：对古亚洲洋东部地幔域特征的限制

内蒙古中部发育的三条蛇绿岩带是华北板块和西伯利亚板块之间的缝合带。本文系统研究了其中的温都尔庙和巴彦敖包-交其尔两个蛇绿岩带中变质玄武岩的元素和 Sr、Nd、Pb 同位素地球化学。苏右旗温都尔庙碱性玄武岩为轻稀土富集型;岩石具有板内和大陆裂谷区玄武岩的特征,可能代表了600Ma 左右,温都尔庙地区开始发育的新洋盆。采自苏左旗的巴彦敖包-交其尔玄武岩分为两类,一类呈现轻稀土富集型,呈洋岛玄武岩特征;另一类具有明显的 Nb、Ta 负异常,显示大洋岛弧玄武岩特征,洋岛玄武岩的存在表明古亚洲洋曾经发育洋盆,大洋岛弧玄武岩的存在表明古亚洲洋内部有大洋岩石圈之间的俯冲。将本文的古亚洲洋洋岛玄武岩与中国西南地区的特提斯洋岛玄武岩进行系统的元素和同位素地球化学特征对比表明,古亚洲洋的洋岛玄武岩显示高 U/Pb(HU)和北大西洋和太平洋省的特征,而特提斯洋岛玄武岩属于印度洋省。这些说明古亚洲洋地幔域与特提斯地幔域是两个独立的构造域,它们代表了长期演化的两个不同的地幔地球化学域。     

Surface Ice Flow Velocity and Tide Retrieval of the Amery Ice Shelf using Precise Point Positioning

Five days of continuous GPS observation data were collected in the frontal zone of the Amery ice shelf and subsequently post-processed using precise point position (PPP) technology based on precise orbit and clock products from the International GNSS service. The surface ice flow velocity of the observed point was derived from PPP to be 2.25 m/day toward the northeast with an azimuth of 41°. Major semi-diurnal and diurnal oceanic tide constituents could be recovered from the 5 days of PPP-derived height variations and compared well with a hydrodynamic ocean tide model. The PPP technique can replace double-difference GPS positioning in remote or hostile environments, and be used to retrieve the surface ice flow velocity without any reference station. Furthermore, the solution can be derived epoch-by-epoch with accuracy in the centimeters to decimeter range.     

Modeling studies of the upper ocean response to a tropical cyclone

A coupled ocean and boundary layer flux numerical modeling system is used to study the upper ocean response to surface heat and momentum fluxes associated with a major hurricane, namely, Hurricane Dennis (July 2005) in the Gulf of Mexico. A suite of experiments is run using this modeling system, constructed by coupling a Navy Coastal Ocean Model simulation of the Gulf of Mexico to an atmospheric flux model. The modeling system is forced by wind fields produced from satellite scatterometer and atmospheric model wind data, and by numerical weather prediction air temperature data. The experiments are initialized from a data assimilative hindcast model run and then forced by surface fluxes with no assimilation for the time during which Hurricane Dennis impacted the region. Four experiments are run to aid in the analysis: one is forced by heat and momentum fluxes, one by only momentum fluxes, one by only heat fluxes, and one with no surface forcing. An equation describing the change in the upper ocean hurricane heat potential due to the storm is developed. Analysis of the model results show that surface heat fluxes are primarily responsible for widespread reduction (0.5°–1.5°C) of sea surface temperature over the inner West Florida Shelf 100–300 km away from the storm center. Momentum fluxes are responsible for stronger surface cooling (2°C) near the center of the storm. The upper ocean heat loss near the storm center of more than 200 MJ/m² is primarily due to the vertical flux of thermal energy between the surface layer and deep ocean. Heat loss to the atmosphere during the storm’s passage is approximately 100–150 MJ/m². The upper ocean cooling is enhanced where the preexisting mixed layer is shallow, e.g., within a cyclonic circulation feature, although the heat flux to the atmosphere in these locations is markedly reduced.     

Seasonal fluctuations in the deep central equatorial Atlantic Ocean: a data–model comparison

Low-frequency current fluctuations in the deep central equatorial Atlantic are analyzed using current meter measurements recorded from November 1992 to November 1994. Current meters were located at about 14°W of longitude and 1° of latitude on both sides of the equator between 1,700 m depth and the ocean bottom. At all sampling depths, the velocity fluctuations are dominantly zonal and symmetrical with respect to the equator. At 1,700 and 2,000 m, the flow is dominated by annual period fluctuations, at 3,000 m, the velocity field amplitude presents a minimum, and at 3,750 and 3,950 m, the flow is modulated by annual and semiannual period variability. The annual signal exhibits an apparent upward phase propagation. When considering the phase and the amplitude of the seasonal fluctuations, the data compare well with the outputs of a realistic numerical simulation of the Atlantic Ocean. Together with a previous analysis of the model simulations, this supports the idea that the observed annual fluctuations are due to wind-forced vertically propagating Kelvin and Rossby waves. Data and model do not provide deciding evidences of the presence of semiannual equatorial waves deeper than 3,500 m depth in the central equatorial Atlantic Ocean.     

Perspectives on present-day sea level change: a tribute to Christian le Provost

In this paper, we first discuss the controversial result of the work by Cabanes et al. (Science 294:840–842, 2001), who suggested that the rate of past century sea level rise may have been overestimated, considering the limited and heterogeneous location of historical tide gauges and the high regional variability of thermal expansion which was supposed to dominate the observed sea level. If correct, this conclusion would have solved the problem raised by the IPCC third assessment report [Church et al, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 881, 2001], namely, the factor two difference between the 20th century observed sea level rise and the computed climatic contributions. However, recent investigations based on new ocean temperature data sets indicate that thermal expansion only explains part (about 0.4 mm/year) of the 1.8 mm/year observed sea level rise of the past few decades. In fact, the Cabanes et al.’s conclusion was incorrect due to a contamination of abnormally high ocean temperature data in the Gulf Stream area that led to an overestimate of thermal expansion in this region. In this paper, we also estimate thermal expansion over the last decade (1993–2003), using a new ocean temperature and salinity database. We compare our result with three other estimates, two being based on global gridded data sets, and one based on an approach similar to that developed here. It is found that the mean rate of thermosteric sea level rise over the past decade is 1.5±0.3 mm/year, i.e. 50% of the observed 3 mm/year by satellite altimetry. For both time spans, past few decades and last decade, a contribution of 1.4 mm/year is not explained by thermal expansion, thus needs to be of water mass origin. Direct estimates of land ice melt for the recent years account for about 1 mm/year sea level rise. Thus, at least for the last decade, we have moved closer to explaining the observed rate of sea level rise than the IPCC third assessment report.     

NUMERICAL EXPERIMENTS OF EFFECT OF SSTA OVER THE INDIAN OCEAN ON ATMOSPHERIC LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATION IN THE EXTRATROPICAL LATITUDE

Numerical experiments on forcing dissipation and heating response of dipole (unipole) are carried out using global spectral models with quasi-geostrophic barotropic vorticity equations. For each experiment model integration is run for 90 days on the condition of three-wave quasi-resonance. The results are given as follows: Under the effects of dipole (unipole) forcing source and basic flow intensity, there exist strong interactions among the three planetary waves and quasi-biweekly and intraseasonal oscillation of the three planetary waves. In the meantime, the changes in the intensity of dipole or unipole forcing source and basic flow have different frequency modulation effects on LFO in the middle and higher latitudes. The results of the stream function field of three quasi-resonant waves evolving with time confirm that the low-frequency oscillation exists in extratropical latitude.     

阿尔泰塔尔浪地区斜长角闪岩和辉长岩的形成时代、地球化学特征和构造意义

阿尔泰塔尔浪地区出露一些斜长角闪岩和辉长岩。其中,斜长角闪岩为基性岩浆岩变质的产物,SiO_2含量为45.42%～52.96%,具有较高的Al_2O_3(13.14%～17.92%)、Fe_2O_3~T(9.08%～16.88%)和TiO_2(0.82%～3.23%)含量。斜长角闪岩样品稀土元素曲线比较平坦,轻重稀土元素分馏不明显(La/Yb_N=1.53～1.79),无明显的Nb和Ta亏损。通过野外产状及地球化学特征分析,认为该斜长角闪岩形成于海山的构造环境。辉长岩SiO_2(46.96%～49.86%)含量稍低,TiO_2(0.38%～1.89%)变化较大,并富Al_2O_3(15.0%～20.81%)、CaO(10.13%～11.60%),具有中等至较高MgO含量(7.3%～8.3%)和相对较低的钾含量(K_2O=0.34%～1.03%),属亚碱性岩石系列(Na_2O>K_2O)。辉长岩呈现两种稀土元素组成特征。一种轻重稀土分馏不明显,配分曲线比较平坦(La/Yb_N=1.10～1.67),具有轻微的Eu正异常(δEu=1.03～1.10);另一种轻重稀土元素分馏较明显(La/Yb_N=5.97～6.39)并具有正的Eu异常(δEu=1.31～1.44),反映其形成过程中可能受到斜长石堆晶的影响。在微量元素蛛网图上,辉长岩具有明显的Ti、Nb和Ta负异常和Pb、Sr正异常,反映出明显的消减带岩浆特征。角闪石的~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar测年结果显示,辉长岩样品的坪年龄为266.9±6.1Ma,且年龄坪谱显示在其形成之后没有受到后期热事件的明显干扰,基本上反映了辉长岩的形成年龄。斜长角闪岩的~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar结果呈现出似马鞍型坪谱,其中最小的年龄坪(297.3±6.1Ma)可能反映了最近一期的变质事件,而且明显早于辉长岩的侵入。斜长角闪岩和辉长岩不同的形成时代和地球化学组成表明二者可能代表了两期不同的基性岩浆活动。斜长角闪岩所具有的板内和消减带的复合特征表明其原岩可能是洋壳在俯冲消减过程中增生的海山残片,而辉长岩所具有消减带特征显示在二叠纪时期阿尔秦地区仍存在受俯冲作用影响的地幔源区。阿尔泰二叠纪岩浆活动无论在岩浆属性还是规模上都与泥盆和石炭纪的岩浆活动存在巨大差异,表明这两个时期的构造背景存在较大不同,可能反映阿尔泰正处于某种构造转换机制的控制之下。