Natural expansion and experimental manipulation of seagrass (Zostera spp.) abundance and the response of infaunal invertebrates

A study of an expanding seagrass bed on the south-west coast of British Columbia, Canada involved documentation and explanation of the pattern of expansion of the vegetation as well as documentation and experimental investigation of the accompanying changes in the distribution of infaunal invertebrates. Expansion followed a major environmental change, improved water clarity initiated in 1969 when a causeway blocked access to the site for silty Fraser River water. The original eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed expanded landward over 30 m year⁻¹, probably causing more and more water to be retained in the bed at low tide and thus improving its own habitat. More rapid expansion occurred from 1979–1983 after Z.japonica colonized at the landward edge of the eelgrass bed and in a separate intertidal area. Expansion ceased around 1983 coincident with, but probably independent of, further construction.Burrowing shrimp (Callianassa californiensis) decreased in abundance between 1977 and 1984 in areas where the two seagrasses colonized. Short-term experiment over one summer and fall showed that removal of all shoots allowed adult shrimp and tube worms to colonize the sediment while addition of shoots of Z. japonica by transplanting caused temporary decreases in shrimp abundance. After a few weeks an established shrimp population destroyed the transplants. Among reasonable alternate hypotheses for the decline in Callianassa, the effect of sediment texture can be eliminated, but either direct negative effects of seagrass, i.e. inhibition of the burrowing of adult shrimp or of settlement of juveniles, or indirect effects, i.e. the harboring of more predators of shrimp in seagrass beds, deserve further study.     

Th sorption and export models in the water column: A review

Over the past few decades, the radioisotope pair of ²³⁸U / ²³⁴Th has been widely and increasingly used to describe particle dynamics and particle export fluxes in a variety of aquatic systems. The present paper is one of five review articles dedicated to ²³⁴Th. It is focused on the models associated with ²³⁴Th whereas the companion papers (same issue) are focused on present and future methodologies and techniques (Rutgers van der Loeff et al.), C / ²³⁴Th ratios (Buesseler et al.), ²³⁴Th speciation (Santschi et al.) and present and future applications of ²³⁴Th [Waples, J.T., Benitez-Nelson, C.R., Savoye, N., Rutgers van der Loeff, M., Baskaran, M., Gustafsson, Ö., this issue. An Introduction to the application and future use of ²³⁴Th in aquatic systems. Marine Chemistry, FATE special issue]. In this paper, we review current ²³⁴Th scavenging models and discuss the relative importance of the non-steady state and physical terms associated with the most commonly used model to estimate ²³⁴Th flux. Based on this discussion we recommend that for future work the use of models should be accompanied by a discussion of the effect that model and data uncertainty have on the model results. We also suggest that future field work incorporate repeat occupations of sample sites on time scales of 1–4 weeks in order to evaluate steady state versus non-steady state estimates of ²³⁴Th export, especially during high flux events (> ca. 800 dpm m^− 2 d^− 1). Finally, knowledge of the physical oceanography of the study area is essential, particularly in ocean margins and in areas of established upwelling (e.g., Equatorial Pacific). These suggestions will greatly enhance the application of ²³⁴Th as a tracer of particle dynamics and flux in more complicated regimes.     

真光层的颗粒动力学──Ⅵ.南海东北部海域上层水体颗粒动力学的示踪研究

利用234Th－238U不平衡研究南海东北部海域3个站位上层水体中的颗粒动力学性质，测定了水往中溶解态及颗粒态234Th的比活度，具体讨论各相中234Th／238U）AR（放射性活度比）比值的垂直分布情况及其与水化学要素间的关系。运用稿态箱式模型计算出各站位不同水层中溶解态234Th相对于清除至颗粒物的平均停留时间和颗粒态234Th相对于迁出作用的停留时间。由模型得出的参数表明3个站位的真光层具有两种不同的层化图像，这一情形与我们在南沙群岛海域得到的结果相一致。结合POC／PTh比值，估算出3个站位从真光层输出的颗粒有机碳（POC）通量分别为4.025.0和5．4mmolC·m－3－d-1。文中进一步讨论了234Th与POC两者停留时间的关系。     

Modified PIC Method for Sea Ice Dynamics

The sea ice cover displays various dynamical characteristics such as breakup, rafting, and ridging under external forces. To model the ice dynamic process accurately, the effective numerical modeling method should be established. In this paper, a modified particle-in-cell （PIC） method for sea ice dynamics is developed coupling the finite difference （FD） method and smoothed particle hydrodynamics （SPH）. In this method, the ice cover is first discretized into a series of lagrangian ice particles which have their own sizes, thicknesses, concentrations and velocities. The ice thickness and concentration at Eulerian grid positions are obtained by interpolation with the Gaussian function from their surrounding ice particles. The momentum of ice cover is solved with FD approach to obtain the Eulerian cell velocity, which is used to estimate the ice particle velocity with the Gaussian function also. The thickness and concentration of ice particles are adjnsted with particle mass density and smooth length, which are adjusted with the redistribution of ice particles. With the above modified PIC method, numerical simulations for ice motion in an idealized rectangular basin and the ice dynamics in the Bohai Sea are carried out. These simulations show that this modified PIC method is applicable to sea ice dynamics simulation.     

A Study on the Dynamic Analysis of A Tracked Vehicle for Ocean Mining on the Deep Seabed

1 .IntroductionOnthedeepseabed ,30 0 0～ 50 0 0mbelowthePacificOcean ,manganesenodulesaresolidifiedandspread ,andmanycountriesintheworldarestudyinghowtominethem .AccordingtoYamazakietal.( 1 998)andAmannetal.( 1 991 ) ,theenvironmentofthedeepseabedisdifferentfromthedrylandinmanyways .Inparticular,thesurfaceoftheseabedisverysoft.Inordertoensuretheperformanceofrunningofamanganesenodulemineronsuchasoftsurface ,thetrackedvehiclemaybeapplied .Ac cordingtoHongandChoi ( 2 0 0 1 ) ,astudyisbeingdone…     

海洋环境荷载下输液立管的静、动力特性研究

考虑管内流动流体和管外海洋环境荷载共同作用 ,建立海洋立管侧向运动微分方程。用Hermite插值函数离散 ,在微机上编写海洋立管静、动力分析程序 ,通过计算分析研究管内流体对立管侧向变形和应力的作用 ;另外 ,探讨管内流体的流动速度和立管顶端的预张力对立管动力特性的影响。结果表明 ,立管变形和应力均随管内流体流动速度增加而增大 ,同时内流速度的增大会降低立管的固有频率 ,但适当增大立管顶端预张力会抵消内流流速增加引起的固有频率下降。     

Origin of short period comets

Reasons for interest in the origin of short-period comets and the difficulties of computing their long-term dynamcal evolution are reviewed. The relative advantages of a source region in an extended inner core of the Oort cloud or a compact comet belt just beyond the planetary system are finely balanced, and it is premature to consider the problem solved. A complication is that some comets belonging to the Jupiter family may be part of a time-dependent system, possibly the remains of a giant comet such as Chiron which could have been part of the system 104 yr ago. The origin of short-period comets plays a pivotal role in many areas of solar system science: planet formation, the source of water (possibly life) on the terrestrial planets, the cratering record on the terrestrial planets and satellites of the outer planets, and the environmental impact posed by massive bodies and their decay products in the Earth's near-space environment.     

Formation Dynamics and Quantitative Prediction of Hydrocarbons of the Superpressure System in the Dongying Sag

Based on the theory of formation dynamics of oil/gas pools, the Dongying sag can be divided into three dynamic systems regarding the accumulation of oil and gas： the superpressure closed system, the semi-closed system and the normal pressure open system. Based on the analysis of genesis of superpressure in the superpressure closed system and the rule of hydrocarbon expulsion, it is found that hydrocarbon generation is related to superpressure, which is the main driving factor of hydrocarbon migration. Micro fractures formed by superpressure are the main channels for hydrocarbon migration. There are three dynamic patterns for hydrocarbon expulsion： free water drainage, hydrocarbon accumulation and drainage through micro fissures. In the superpressure closed system, the oil-driving-water process and oil/gas accumulation were completed in lithologic traps by way of such two dynamic patterns as episodic evolution of superpressure systems and episodic pressure release of faults. The oil-bearing capacity of lithologic traps is intimately related to reservoir-forming dynamic force. Quantitative evaluation of dynamic conditions for pool formation can effectively predict the oil-bearing capability of traps.     

中国公路泥石流研究

公路泥石流是指发育于公路沿线并对公路桥涵、路基路面及相应防护结构具有冲击毁损和淤埋破坏的病害类型。丰富的物源、具有焚风效应的气象条件以及泥石流沟轴线与区域新构造应力场主压应力方向一致等是形成大型泥石流的宏观背景。将泥石流概化为固、液两相流体,运用两相流理论、泥沙运动力学、Bingham流变方程和Bagnold颗粒相互作用试验结果等,初步建立了泥石流固-液分相流速计算方法、基于泥石流在防治结构表面及泥石流沟岸产生的冲击形迹建立的反求泥石流冲击力计算方法以及泥石流磨蚀力计算方法。开发了速流结构、泥石流隧道及翼型墩汇流结构等10余种防治技术,集成了拦-汇-排等多种综合治理模式。据此撰写了《公路泥石流防治工程设计、施工指南》。实施了60余个防治工程。效果显著。研究成果初步构建了公路泥石流理论及技术体系。     

Income distribution dynamics and cross-region convergence in Europe

This paper presents a continuous version of the model of distribution dynamics to analyse the transition dynamics and implied long-run behaviour of the EU-27 NUTS-2 regions over the period 1995–2003. It departs from previous research in two respects: first, by introducing kernel estimation and three-dimensional stacked conditional density plots as well as highest density regions plots for the visualisation of the transition function, based on Hyndman et al. (J Comput Graph Stat 5(4):315–336, 1996), and second, by combining Getis’ spatial filtering view with kernel estimation to explicitly account for the spatial dimension of the growth process. The results of the analysis indicate a very slow catching-up of the poorest regions with the richer ones, a process of shifting away of a small group of very rich regions, and highlight the importance of geography in understanding regional income distribution dynamics.