Upwelling and river runoff as sources of dissolved nitrous oxide to the Alsea estuary,Oregon

Surface waters of Alsea Bay, an unpolluted estuary on the Oregon coast, were analysed for nitrous oxide, nitrate and nitrite on a weekly or biweekly basis during the summer of 1979. The estuary was found to be a variable source of N₂O to the atmosphere. Large and rapid increases in the concentrations of N₂O, NO₃^?, and NO₂^? occurred at the beginning of the sampling period and are attributed to the influx of nutrient-rich upwelling water into the estuary with the tide. The subsequent decline in concentrations of nitrate, nitrite and nitrous oxide over the remainder of the summer is attributed to a decrease in upwelling intensity, a decline in nitrification rates and to assimilatory nitrate reduction. Measurements of nitrous oxide at six stations along the Alsea River were also made in September and October before and after the onset of the rainy season. Samples taken after flood conditions were established were systematically 50% higher than pre-flood samples. The data suggest that soil runoff results in elevated concentrations of N₂O in rivers.     

Nitrogen uptake,ammonium oxidation and nitrous oxide (N2O) levels in the coastal waters of western Cook Strait,New Zealand

Vertical measurements of $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, $\text{NO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ and N₂O concentrations, $\text{NO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ and $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ uptake, and $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ oxidation rates were measured at 5 sites in western Cook Strait, New Zealand, between 31 March and 3 April 1983. Nitrate increased with depth at all stations reaching a maximum of 10.5 μg-atom $\text{NO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{N l}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$ at the most strongly stratified station whereas $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ was relatively constant with depth at all stations (～0.1 μg-atom $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{N l}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$). The highest rates of $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ oxidation generally occurred in the near surface waters and decreased with depth. N₂O levels were near saturation with respect to the air above the sea surface and showed no obvious changes during 24 h incubation. $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ oxidation by nitrifying bacteria may account for about 30% of the total $\text{NH}{}_4{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ utilization (i.e. bacterial+agal) and, assuming oxidation through to $\text{NO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{?}}$, may supply about 40% of the algal requirements of $\text{NO}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ in the study area. These results suggest that bacterial nitrification is of potential importance to the nitrogen dynamics of the western Cook Strait, particularly with respect to the nitrogen demands of the phytoplankton.     

Early J2 basalts in SE China: Incipience of large-scale late Mesozoic magmatism

Magmatism in SE China was dormant during 204–180 Ma, but was reactivated in 180–170 Ma (early J₂), and then became more and more intensive towards the end of early Cretaceous. The small-scale early J₂ magmatism is the incipience to long-term and large-scale magmatism in this region. A near east-west (EW) trend volcanic belt was distributed across south Hunan, south Jiangxi and southwest Fujian was formed during early J₂ time. Along this belt from the inland toward the coast, the lithology of basalts changes from alkali into tholeiite, and the amount of erupted volcanic rocks and the proportions of rhyolites coexisting with the basalts increase. On the basis of geochemical characteristics of these basalts, we infer that the melting degree of source rocks and the extent of fractional crystallization and crustal contamination all increased whereas the depth of mantle source decreased from the inland to the coast, which led to the variations of geological characteristics of the volcanic belt. In early J₂, the western spreading Pacific plate began to subduct underneath SE China continental block, reactivating near EW trend deep fault that was originally formed during the Indosinian event. The stress of the western spreading Pacific plate and the extent of asthenosphere upwelling increased from the inland to the coast, which is consistent with the generation and evolution of early J₂ basalts.     

新疆可可托海—四川简阳地学断面岩石圈与软流圈结构

运用现代构造解析理论和方法,对新疆可可托海—四川简阳人工地震测深剖面与天然地震面波层析成像进行构造解析基础上,综合地质学、深源岩石包体构造岩石学和地球化学以及其他地球物理学标志等多学科综合研究显示,高速块体或幔块构造的几何结构型式是控制该区岩石圈构造格局和岩石圈表层构造变形基本条件之一。本文建立起该地学断面地壳及岩石圈与软流圈速度结构模型和物质组成结构模型,划分出岩石圈3种几何结构模式:克拉通陆根状结构、造山带楔状结构和高原陆根状结构,以及岩石圈二类构造演化类型:克拉通型岩石圈和增厚型岩石圈。在系统论述断面地壳及岩石圈结构构造类型特征基础上,探讨了该断面软流圈结构特征,岩石圈与软流圈相互作用及其地幔动力学模式。     

Consequences of winter upwelling events on biogeochemical and phytoplankton patterns in a western Galician ria (NW Iberian peninsula)

The consequences of two upwelling events in mid- (MW) and late (LW) winter on biogeochemical and phytoplankton patterns were studied in the Pontevedra Ria and compared with the patterns measured under typical winter conditions and under a summer upwelling event. Thermohaline patterns measured during the mid-winter upwelling event (MW-up) revealed the intrusion of saltier seawater (35.9) into the ria associated with the Iberian Poleward Current (IPC). During the late-winter upwelling event (LW-up), the seawater which had welled up into the ria showed characteristics of the Eastern North Atlantic Central Water mass (ENACW). In both cases the measured water residence time (4 days during MW-up and 10 days during LW-up) was related to both meteorological and fluvial forcing. This residence time contrasts with that of summer upwelling (7 days) and with that estimated under unfavorable upwelling atmospheric conditions (2–4 weeks). During MW-up, the ria became poor in nutrients due to continental freshwater dilution, associated with the shorter residence time of the water, and the intrusion of IPC, which is a water body poor in nutrient salts: 2.9 μM of nitrate, 0.1 μM of phosphate and 1.5 μM of silicate. During this event, the ria exported 3.4 mol_DIN s⁻¹, compared with 6.9 mol_DIN s⁻¹ in non-upwelling conditions. Phytoplankton showed a uniform distribution throughout the ria, as during unfavorable upwelling conditions, and was characterized by the dominance of diatoms, mainly Nitzschia longissima and Skeletonema costatum. During LW-up, a nutrient depletion in the photic layer also occurred, but as a result of a phytoplankton spring bloom developing at this time. The ria was a nutrient trap where 4.1 mol_DIN s⁻¹ were processed by photosynthesis. This budget is three times higher than the one under non-upwelling conditions. In contrast with the MW-up, which had no effect on primary production, during LW-up the ria became more productive, although not as productive as during a summer upwelling event (9.9 mol_DIN s⁻¹). The taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community did not change noticeably during LW-up and the summer upwelling, with the same species present and changing only in relative proportions. Diatoms were always the dominant microphytoplankton community, with Pseudonitzschia pungens, Thalassionema nitzschioides and several species of Chaetoceros as characteristic taxons.     

春季长江口富营养化水域浮游植物群集对冲淡水和上升流的响应

A comprehensive study on the phytoplankton standing stocks, species composition and dominant species in the eutrophic Changjiang(Yangtze River) Estuary(CE) was conducted to reveal the response of phytoplankton assemblage to Changjiang Diluted Water(CDW) and upwelling in the spring. Phytoplankton presented peak standing stocks(13.03 μg/L of chlorophyll a, 984.5×103 cells/L of phytoplankton abundance) along the surface isohaline of 25. Sixty-six species in 41 genera of Bacillariophyta and 33 species in 19 genera of Pyrrophyta were identified, as well as 5 species in Chlorophyta and Chrysophyta. Karenia mikimotoi was the most dominant species, followed by Prorocentrum dentatum, Paralia sulcata, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima and Skeletonema costatum. A bloom of K. mikimotoi was observed in the stratified stations, where the water was characterized by low nitrate, low phosphate, low turbidity, and specific ranges of temperature(18–22 °C) and salinity(27–32). K.mikimotoi and P. dentatum accumulated densely in the upper layers along the isohaline of 25. S. costatum was distributed in the west of the isohaline of 20. Benthonic P. sulcata presented high abundance near the bottom,while spread upward at upwelling stations. CDW resulted in overt gradients of salinity, turbidity and nutritional condition, determining the spatial distribution of phytoplankton species. The restricted upwelling resulted in the upward transport of P. sulcata and exclusion of S. costatum, K. mikimotoi and P. dentatum. The results suggested that CDW and upwelling were of importance in regulating the structure and distribution of phytoplankton assemblage in the CE and the East China Sea.     

南海东北部表层沉积中有孔虫的分布及其环境意义

为了探讨南海东北部表层沉积中有孔虫分布的规律，选取184个表层样进行分析，结果发现有孔虫的垂向分布与碳酸盐的溶解作用密切相关。在2300－2500m水深以下，浮游有孔虫丰度迅速减小，而底栖有孔虫占有孔虫全群的比值BF／（BF＋PF）以及底栖有孔虫胶结质壳类的百分含量则迅速增加，这三者随水深的变化在3400－3500m处有一明显的转变，被认为是南海东北部CCD面（碳酸盐补偿深度）所在的位置，且该研究区内碳酸盐补偿深度南部较北部深100m。浮游有孔虫水平分布除了受表层海水温度的的控制外，黑潮南海分支以及吕宋岛北端上升流区带来的富营养水体的存在也起很重要的作用。     

三峡大坝会减小东海的上升流和生产力吗?——敬复王保栋、孙霞两位指教

2000年笔者利用很简单的一维稳态箱式模型,指出若三峡大坝减少了流入东海的淡水量,则将减少东海陆棚边缘涌升的黑潮次表层水.由于黑潮次表层水饱含营养盐,因此若涌升速率降低了,涌升至东海大陆架的营养盐也就跟着降低,从而影响生物生产力及渔获.王、孙二位提出了不同的看法,并正确地指出了一维稳态箱式模型过度简化所导致的若干问题.然而,王、孙二位似乎对大陆架上之浮力效应原理有所误解,因而误以为浮力效应原理与箱式模型所得推论相反.     

Stable isotope ratios in Cape gannets around the southern coasts of Africa reveal penetration of biogeographic patterns in oceanic signatures

The southern coasts of Africa are influenced by two major oceanic currents, leading to biogeographic patterns in inshore and offshore species assemblages, and in the stable isotope signatures of suspended particulate matter and filter-feeding mussels. We used the stable isotope ratios of carbon (¹³C/¹²C) and nitrogen (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) from the blood and feathers of adult and chick Cape gannets (Morus capensis) to investigate whether the geographic differences observed at the lower levels in the marine communities are deep penetrating effects that reach top predators. Additionally, we evaluated whether trophic segregation occurs between adult and reared chick gannets, and whether a shift to wintering habitat occurs in adults. The study was conducted during the 2006 breeding season on Bird Island in the Agulhas system, and on Malgas and Ichaboe Islands, in the south and north Benguela respectively. Our results showed significant differences in the isotope ratios of members of different colonies, but no intra-colony differences between tissues or age groups. These results indicate that there is neither age-related nor temporal segregation in the diet of members of the same colony. Feather isotopic values suggest that adults remain all year round in the same habitats, and do not undertake long migration after reproduction. Since all gannets tend to target similar prey, we attributed among-colony differences in isotope signatures mostly to the oceanic conditions experienced by the main prey of birds rather than substantial differences in diet composition. Overall, isotopic signatures segregate the two current systems, with depleted carbon values in the Agulhas and enriched nitrogen values in the upwelled waters of the Benguela. Within the Benguela birds from Ichaboe in the north had higher δ¹⁵N values than those from Malgas in the south, which we attributed to differences in the functioning of the upwelling cells in the vicinity of the two colonies. Finally, slight variation in the proportion of main prey and discards from fisheries may contribute to the variation in the stable-isotope signatures between colonies in the Benguela.