Observations of sediment resuspension and settling off the mouth of Jiaozhou Bay,Yellow Sea

We deployed bottom-mounted quadrapod equipped with acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV), and optical backscatter sensor (OBS) over two semidiurnal tidal cycles along the western coast of the Yellow Sea, China. In combination with shipboard profiling of CTD and LISST-100, we resolved the temporal and spatial distributions of tidal currents, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and particle size distributions. During the observations, tidal-induced bottom shear stress was the main stirring factor. However, weak tidal flow during the ebb phase was accompanied by two large SSC and median size events. The interactions of seiche-induced oscillations with weak ebb flow induced multiple flow reversals and provided a source of turbulence production, which stripped up the benthic fluff layers (only several millimeters) around the Jiaozhou Bay mouth. Several different methods for inferring mean suspended sediment settling velocity agreed well under peak currents, including estimates using LISST-based Stokes’ settling law, and ADCP-based Rouse profiles, ADV-based inertial-dissipation balance and Reynolds flux. Suspended particles in the study site can be roughly classified into two types according to settling behavior: a smaller, denser class consistent with silt and clay and a larger, less dense class consistent with loosely aggregated flocs. In the present work, we prove that acoustic approaches are robust in simultaneously and non-intrusively estimating hydrodynamics, SSC and settling velocities, which is especially applicable for studying sediment dynamics in tidal environments with moderate concentration levels.     

Spatio-temporal distribution of dissolved sulfide in China marginal seas

With sulfide increasingly recognized as an important parameter to assess the oxidation-reduction level in aqueous environment, research on its geochemical behavior is becoming important. Water samples collected in Bohai Sea(1–19 August, 2010), Yellow Sea(20–30 November, 2010) and East China Sea(3–17 June, 2010 and 1–10 November, 2010) were used to determine the occurrence and distribution of dissolved sulfide by methylene blue spectrophotometric method. Results show that:(1) horizontally, concentration of dissolved sulfide significantly varied from the coastal region to the open sea and profoundly influenced by physical processes. High values occurred in the river-sea boundary zone "marginal filter" due to rich riverine input, frequent upwelling and active exchange in shelf edge. Terrestrial input from adjacent rivers and the current cycling contributed to the high sulfide appeared in western Bohai Sea, eastern Shandong Peninsula, and northeast of Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary. Especially, relative higher sulfide values occurred in Yellow Sea, which is consistent with the variation of salinity largely due to the hydrodynamic feature;(2) vertically, measurement of dissolved sulfide in bottom water was higher and more variable than that in surface water caused by the wind-induced resuspension and dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Moreover, nutrient-type profile clearly identified that oxidation plays a major role in the biogeochemistry cycle of sulfide in water;(3) seasonally, investigation for East China Sea in June and November reflected seasonal variation of Changjiang River Diluted Water, Kuroshio Current, and Taiwan Warm Current. Concentration in June was much higher than that sampled in November at most stations. Mean concentration of dissolved sulfide varied seasonally from 2.26 μg/L(June) to 1.16 μg/L(November) in surface and 3.00 μg/L(June) to 1.56 μg/L(November) in bottom. Progress in the field is slow and more effort is needed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of determination and estimate the natural or anthropogenic contribution of dissolved sulfide in ecosystems.     

波浪作用下沉积物中重金属Cu释放规律研究

黄河水下三角洲位于半封闭的渤海内部,海底沉积物中重金属Cu污染严重,且该区域多发风暴潮,引起沉积物再悬浮甚至液化,导致沉积物中重金属Cu重新释放进入海水中。本研究以黄河口粉质土作为底床,采用室内波浪水槽试验模拟重金属Cu在不同水动力条件下,通过静态扩散、底床未液化状态下再悬浮以及底床液化状态下再悬浮3种方式进入上覆水体的释放过程。结果表明:上覆水体中重金属Cu的浓度分布与悬浮泥沙浓度分布密切相关,呈现出一致的变化规律;沉积物液化会明显促进重金属Cu向上覆水体中释放,底床液化再悬浮阶段上覆水体中溶解态Cu的浓度为静态扩散阶段的18倍,为底床非液化再悬浮阶段的11倍;此外,底床液化会导致沉积物中重金属Cu向深处扩散,扩散深度约为沉积物液化深度的一半。     

弱动力浅海中的悬沙输运机制:以天津港附近海域为例

根据在天津港附近海域获取的水动力和浊度数据,分析了悬沙输运特征和输运机制,结果表明:天津港附近海域受不规则半日潮控制呈低流态往复流特征,但涨潮流强于落潮流;涨潮期间底部悬沙浓度与垂线平均流速呈显著线性相关,存在显著的再悬浮作用;潮周期内的悬沙输运呈典型的不对称特征,形成向岸的净输运趋势。输运机制分析结果显示:潮泵效应(尤其是潮汐捕捉效应)是天津港附近海域悬沙输运的主要贡献项,其次是拉格朗日平流输运项,前者比后者高一个量级;垂向剪切作用最小。涨落潮期间流速与悬沙浓度的显著不对称是造成潮汐捕捉效应占主导的基本条件。在潮下带这种悬沙输运格局可能和潮间带发生的细颗粒沉积物捕集(堆积)作用有关。     

Distribution and origin of biologically available phosphorus in the water of the Meiliang Bay in summer

The investigation and continuous monitoring with an innovative iron oxide embedded cellulose acetate membrane (FeO/CAM) on the concentrations of biologically available phosphorus (BAP) were conducted in the Meiliang Bay of the Taihu Lake during summer in 2004. The results showed that the concentrations of dissolved (FeO-DP), particulate (FeO-PP) and total bioavailable phosphorus (FeO-P) had similar horizontal distribution. The BAP concentrations were the highest in those estuaries in the northern bay. With the decrease of the distance to the estuary or long shore, there was little difference between BAP concentrations in an open lake area. During the observation period, algal blooms occurred in most waters of the northern bay, which was reflected from the high concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl-a). While they were not highest in the estuarine waters of those major rivers, this is the case for the BAP concentrations. The concentrations of Chl-a had a significantly positive correlation with those of bioavailable phosphorus in the open area of the Meiliang Bay. With the sediment resuspension induced by wind and wave, BAP concentrations increased in a short-term, indicating that the riverine P inputs mainly contribute to the concentrations of BAP in the estuarine water while internal P release was the major source of BAP in the open lake area. In the eutrophic shallow lake, the blooms of alga may cause pH increase and further result in internal P release. The above results showed that the new membrane of FeO/CAM can be used to monitor the concentrations of BAP and provide the scientific justifications for the control strategy of the lake eu-trophication.     

强弱风浪扰动下太湖的营养盐垂向分布特征

在一次风速12m/s的强风浪过程中及在连续多天弱风浪之后,对太湖梅梁湾一浅水区营养盐、悬浮物等的垂向分布进行了观测和分析。结果表明,在水底沉积物约20cm的情况下,强风浪期间与弱风浪期间相比,湖水中悬浮物浓度提高了10倍,总磷浓度提高了3 6倍。而强风浪期间与弱风浪期间的水体溶解性总磷(DTP)、溶解性活性磷(SRP)的浓度无显著差异。说明尽管强风浪过程引起沉积物大量悬浮,水体悬浮颗粒态营养盐显著增高,但是由于悬浮过程营养盐释放与沉降机制作用十分复杂,活性营养盐的浓度未必能提高。无论强风浪还是弱风浪期间,水体的表层至水土界面上50cm层的悬浮物浓度、营养盐浓度没有明显的分层现象,但明显低于水土界面上50cm内的悬浮物浓度和总磷浓度。无论是强风浪期间还是弱风浪期间,表层到底层水体SRP浓度无显著差异。     

A temperate,tidal lake‐wetland complex 2. Water quality and implications for zooplankton community structure

Lakes Waihola and Waipori are shallow, coastal, tidal lakes that experience wind‐induced sediment resuspension, saline intrusions, and high inputs of nutrients. To determine the influence of externally‐driven, physical factors on spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in the two lakes, meteorological, hydrological, and water quality data were collected over 1 year. Multivariate analyses indicated that wind energy was driving the main water quality gradient in the lakes, which was primarily related to wind‐induced resuspension of lake sediments. The major, seasonally regulated, non‐tidal freshwater inflow was important in determining nutrient and salinity gradients in the lakes. The main nutrient inputs to the system were identified as the regulated, non‐tidal inflow (the upper Waipori River) and the tidal inflow (lower Waipori River). The impact of water quality gradients on zooplankton community structure in the lakes was assessed by canonical multivariate methods. Salinity gradients, caused by seasonal saltwater intrusions, were strongly related to zooplankton community structure in the lakes. Nutrient gradients (indicative of trophic state) were also related to zooplankton community structure. Although wind‐induced sediment resuspension had the largest impact on water quality in the lakes, it had little impact on the zooplankton community structure in either lake. The relationships between water quality and zooplankton community structure were confounded in Lake Waipori because of its very short hydraulic residence time (annual mean =1.9 days). Zooplankton community structure was resilient to short‐term changes in suspended particulate matter concentrations but not to seasonal changes in salinity. The results of this study support others which have shown impacts of even relatively small variations in salinity on the structure of zooplankton communities. This highlights the vulnerability of zooplankton communities in coastal lakes and wetlands to increasing salinity resulting from sea level rise and global climate change.     

Spatial and temporal variability of seawater properties,current velocity and SPM concentration off Cassino Beach-Rio Grande-Southern Brazil

Water column profiles and near-bed time series of pressure, current velocity, suspended-particulate matter (SPM) concentration and seawater temperature and salinity were collected during three short cruises carried out in May 2005 in the shoreface and inner shelf area adjacent to Cassino Beach, southern Brazil. The measurements were part of the Cassino Experiment, a project conducted at an open, sandy coastal area known for the occurrence of patches of fairly large amounts of muddy sediments that are sporadically fluidized, transported onshore and eventually stranded on the beach. The study area is close to the Patos Lagoon mouth, being influenced by its water and suspended-sediment discharge. The presence of the Patos Lagoon outflow on the inner shelf was detected in one of the cruises (May 13) through measurements of near-surface salinity: while close to shore salinity was 29.4, a minimum value of 13.8 was measured at ∼10 km from the coast. Four days later, no trace of the plume was detected in the area. Regarding seawater temperature, no large temporal or spatial variability was documented with measured values ranging from 19.3 to 20 °C. Water column currents were prominently to N and NE, except at the outermost station, located ∼42 km from the coast, where NW-directed flows were observed at surface and mid-depth. Maximum near-bed current velocity oscillated between 18 and 42 cm s⁻¹ in the east–west direction and between 14 and 42 cm s⁻¹ in the north–south direction. Near-surface concentration of SPM oscillated between 11 and 99 mg L⁻¹, in general one order of magnitude lower than near-bed values. However, near-bed concentration of SPM showed large spatial variability: the highest value (2200 mg L⁻¹) was yielded by a water sample collected at ∼8 m water depth, at a station located ∼2 km away from the shoreline; two water samples collected 500 m, apart from this station, yielded SPM concentrations of 148 and 205 mg L⁻¹, one order of magnitude lower. Spectral analyses of near-bed current speed and SPM concentration indicate the relevance of oscillations in the low-frequency (<0.05 Hz) range. Detailed sampling of bottom sediment indicated that in May 2005 the mud patch was centered at ∼8.5 m water depth.     

悬沙组分对再悬浮过程响应的初步研究——以长江口南槽口门为例

根据2011年5月31日至6月3日在长江口南槽口门附近海域投放三角架观测系统获取的沉积动力观测数据以及现场采集的水样和底质样品,进行底部边界层参数、悬沙粒度及悬沙组分分析,以探讨研究区近底部边界层特征和沉积物再悬浮过程。结果表明,研究区海域的悬沙以粉砂组分为主,潮周期内近底部流速与相应层位的悬沙浓度变化呈正相关,存在显著的再悬浮作用。分析发现,随着水体中悬沙砂组分的增加,再悬浮通量随之显著增加;砂组分减小,则再悬浮通量亦减小。因此,悬沙砂组分是对再悬浮过程响应的敏感组分,在一定程度上可指示和"示踪"再悬浮效应。