Tidally incised valleys on tropical carbonate shelves: An example from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The formation of incised valleys on continental shelves is generally attributed to fluvial erosion under low sea level conditions. However, there are exceptions. A multibeam sonar survey at the northern end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, adjacent to the southern edge of the Gulf of Papua, mapped a shelf valley system up to 220 m deep that extends for more than 90 km across the continental shelf. This is the deepest shelf valley yet found in the Great Barrier Reef and is well below the maximum depth of fluvial incision that could have occurred under a − 120 m, eustatic sea level low-stand, as what occurred on this margin during the last ice age. These valleys appear to have formed by a combination of reef growth and tidal current scour, probably in relation to a sea level at around 30–50 m below its present position.

Tidally incised depressions in the valley floor exhibit closed bathymetric contours at both ends. Valley floor sediments are mainly calcareous muddy, gravelly sand on the middle shelf, giving way to well-sorted, gravely sand containing a large relict fraction on the outer shelf. The valley extends between broad platform reefs and framework coral growth, which accumulated through the late Quaternary, coincides with tidal current scour to produce steep-sided (locally vertical) valley walls. The deepest segments of the valley were probably the sites of lakes during the last ice age, when Torres Strait formed an emergent land-bridge between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Numerical modeling predicts that the strongest tidal currents occur over the deepest, outer-shelf segment of the valley when sea level is about 40–50 m below its present position. These results are consistent with a Pleistocene age and relict origin of the valley.

Based on these observations, we propose a new conceptual model for the formation of tidally incised shelf valleys. Tidal erosion on meso- to macro-tidal, rimmed carbonate shelves is enhanced during sea level rise and fall when a tidal, hydraulic pressure gradient is established between the shelf-lagoon and the adjacent ocean basin. Tidal flows attain a maximum, and channel incision is greatest, when a large hydraulic pressure gradient coincides with small channel cross sections. Our tidal-incision model may explain the observation of other workers, that sediment is exported from the Great Barrier Reef shelf to the adjacent ocean basins during intermediate (rather than last glacial maximum) low-stand, sea level positions. The model may apply to other rimmed shelves, both modern and ancient.     

Surface Elevation Distribution of Sea Waves Based on the Maximum Entropy Principle

A probability density function of surface elevation is obtained through improvement of the method introduced by Cieslikiewicz who employed the maximum entropy principle to investigate the surface elevation distribution. The density function can be easily extended to higher order according to demand and is non-negative everywhere, satisfying the basic behavior of the probability. Moreover because the distribution is derived without any assumption about sea waves, it is found from comparison with several accepted distributions that the new form of distribution can be applied in a wider range of wave conditions. In addition, the density function can be used to fit some observed distributions of surface vertical acceleration although something remains unsolved.     

SeagrassNet monitoring across the Americas: case studies of seagrass decline

Seagrasses are an important coastal habitat worldwide and are indicative of environmental health at the critical land–sea interface. In many parts of the world, seagrasses are not well known, although they provide crucial functions and values to the world's oceans and to human populations dwelling along the coast. Established in 2001, SeagrassNet, a monitoring program for seagrasses worldwide, uses a standardized protocol for detecting change in seagrass habitat to capture both seagrass parameters and environmental variables. SeagrassNet is designed to statistically detect change over a relatively short time frame (1–2 years) through quarterly monitoring of permanent plots. Currently, SeagrassNet operates in 18 countries at 48 sites; at each site, a permanent transect is established and a team of people from the area collects data which is sent to the SeagrassNet database for analysis. We present five case studies based on SeagrassNet data from across the Americas (two sites in the USA, one in Belize, and two in Brazil) which have a common theme of seagrass decline; the study represents a first latitudinal comparison across a hemisphere using a common methodology. In two cases, rapid loss of seagrass was related to eutrophication, in two cases losses related to climate change, and in one case, the loss is attributed to a complex trophic interaction resulting from the presence of a marine protected area. SeagrassNet results provide documentation of seagrass change over time and allow us to make scientifically supported statements about the status of seagrass habitat and the extent of need for management action.     

Vertical Sound Velocity Transition in the Coral Reef Core and Its Significance of Indicating Facies

On the basis of the sound velocity measurements of the coral reef core from Nanyong No.1 well of Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands,the paper studies the relations between the vertical sound velocity transition features in the coral reef core and the corresponding stratigraphic depositional facies change as well as stratigraphic gap of erosion,analyses the cause of the sound velocity transition,expounds the concrete process of the sea level change resulting in the stratigraphic gap of erosion and facies change in the coral reef and explains the relations between the vertical sound velocity transition in the coral reef core and the corresponding stratigraphic paleoclimate and the sea level change.This study is of important practical value and theoretical significance to the island and reef engineering construction and the acoustic logging for oil exploration in the reef limestone area as well as the paleoceanographic study of the marginal sea in the westerm Pacific Ocean.     

长江口羽状锋海区浮游植物的生态研究：—昼夜分布动态

本文对长江口羽状锋海区浮游植物的昼夜变动进行了初步研究，结果表明，浮游植物数量的昼夜变化明显，潮汐作用是影响数量昼夜分布变化的主导因素，同时也与该地区浮游植物的水平分布有着密切的联系。     

广东红海湾、珠江口及电白—阳江近海第四纪沉积

根据物探和钻探资料，研究区内第四纪沉积物可分为两部分，下部地震反射结构复杂，斜层理发育，粒度较粗，为晚更新世产物；上部的地震反射结构简单，呈水平状或近水平状结构，粒度较细，为全新世沉积。     

激光雷达技术在我国地形测图中应用前景广阔

激光雷达技术（Light Detection and Ranging,LiDAR）是近十年来快速发展并得到广泛应用的测量手段。美国地质调查局（USGS）、美国国家宇航局（NASA）以及美国地质学会（AASG）已经开始讨论建设全美高分辨率激光雷达数据库。我国正处于东部城市化、土地利用巨变、西部无图而经济高速发展的时期,国家、地方、企业生产单位迫切需要现实性强、精确度高、比例尺大的地形数据产品。满足这些要求的主要途径是采用激光雷达这一先进的测绘技术。我们建议国家、地方与企业统筹规划,各司其职,努力建设我国的激光雷达基础数据库。本文通过Stoker等（2008）介绍的第二届全美激光雷达战略研讨会上论述的激光雷达技术特点、激光雷达数据的科学需求与应用以及商业化运作问题,结合我国目前的激光雷达发展趋势、测绘数据需求以及土地利用变化监测等科学问题,简析激光雷达技术在我国的应用前景。     

基于RS与GIS技术的变更图斑自动识别方法研究

基于RS与GIS技术的土地利用变更图斑自动识别方法,即"以遥感正射影像图为基础,以地理信息和地物反射光谱为判别依据"的变更信息识别方法,能够尽量避免传统利用遥感影像分类技术进行地物变更识别存在的不足。本文通过对距离算法的改良,有效利用遥感数据的实时性和丰富性,在地理信息系统的支持下,提高了对地物变更地块的识别精度。     

Tephra Discovered in High Resolution Peat Sediment and Its Indication to Climatic Event

Floating tephra was deposited together with ice core,snow layer,abyssal sediment,lake sediments,and other geological records.It is of great significance to interpret the impact on the climate change of volcanic eruptions from these geological records.It is the first time that volcanic glass was discovered from the peat of Jinchuan(金川)Maar,Jilin(吉林)Province,China.And it is in situ sediments from a near-source explosive eruption according to particle size analysis and identification results.The tephra were neither from Tianchi(天池)volcano eruptions,Changbai(长白)Mountain,nor from Jinlongdingzi(金龙顶子)volcano about 1 600 aBP eruption,but maybe from an unknown eruption of Longgang(龙岗)volcano group according to their geochemistry and distribution.Geochemical characters of the tephra are similar to those of Jingiongdingzi,which are poor in s.Jica,deficient in alkali,Na20 content is more than K20 content,and are similar to distribution patterns of REE and incompatible elements,which helps to speculate that they originated from the same mantle magma with rare condemnation,and from basaltic explosive eruption of Longgang volcano group.The tephra,from peat with age proved that the eruption possibly happened in 15 BC-26 AD,is one of Longgang volcano group eruption that was not recorded and is earlier than that of Jinglongdingzi about 1 600 aBP eruption.And the sedimentary time of tephra is during the period of low temperature alteration.which may be the influence of eruption toward the local climate according to the correlativity of eruption to local temperature curve of peat cellulose oxygen isotope.