A spatiotemporal analysis of tropical cyclone tracks in the Atlantic Basin and their relationship to El Niño-Southern Oscillation

There has been an enhanced focus on Atlantic tropical cyclone climatologies with the significant cyclones of the past decade and the associated loss of life and property. This study examines the geographic location of cyclone tracks and their relationship to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The average annual cyclone track latitude and longitude correlate positively with hurricane-season El Niño indices, indicating that during El Niño conditions, tropical cyclone tracks are shifted northward and eastward. June–November indices explain 11–22% and 3–11% of the variance in cyclone track latitude and longitude, respectively. Examination of the strongest and weakest El Niño years yields similar results. Higher sea level pressure over North America, a slight contraction of the Bermuda High, and a slight decrease in 500 mb heights during El Niño years helps to explain the observed northward and eastward movement of tropical cyclone tracks during El Niño years. Additionally, weaker easterly and stronger southerly winds on the western side of the North Atlantic Basin exist during El Niño years. Although future tropical cyclone track projection is beyond the scope of this research, these results may provide insight into forecast improvement and ultimately better responses for coastal communities.     

南极海冰面积变化特性及其与赤道太平洋海表面温度的联系

南极海冰面积变化特性及其与赤道太平洋海表面温度的联系陈锦年,乐肯堂,于康玲,张彦臣（中国科学院海洋研究所,青岛２６６０７１）（青岛海洋大学,青岛２６６００３）关键词南极海冰面积,赤道太平洋海表面温度,厄尔尼诺１引言８０年代以前,人们对南极实地考察、资...     

两种形态ENSO对南半球热带外气候变化特征的影响

本研究利用1979—2012年欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)的ORAP5(Ocean Reanalysis Pilot 5)海洋/海冰再分析资料和ERA-Interim气象再分析资料,采用回归分析方法,分1979—1998年和1999—2012年两个时间段探讨了南半球热带外地区气候变化对两种不同形态ENSO的响应特征。结果表明,南半球热带外区域气候在1999年前后两个时段对ENSO的响应表现出了较大的年代际变化特征。1979—1998年南半球热带外气候变量对Nio3指数在时间上的相关性和空间上的响应强度都普遍大于Nio4指数,说明这一时段东部型ENSO对南半球热带外区域气候变化的影响要更强一些。在1999—2012年,不同形态ENSO与气候变量的相关性大小并无明显的规律,而且空间响应场的差异性并不大。海平面气压、风场和气温对ENSO变化的响应在南半球冬季表现最为强烈,在夏季最弱。三者在1999—2012年秋季对Nio3指数和Nio4指数的响应场中出现了纬向三波数结构。1999—2012年冬季,有异于海平面气压和风场,在罗斯海和阿蒙森海海域海表气温对Nio4变化的正响应明显强于对Nio3的响应,该特征在混合层温度中也有体现,表明海表气温随ENSO的变化受海洋特征变化影响较大。混合层深度和混合层温度的响应场之间存在很大的相关性,混合层温度响应在秋季表现最强,春季最弱,混合层深度响应与之相反。在1979—1998年,海冰密集度对不同Nio指数变化的响应差异主要出现在海冰结冰季节,而海冰厚度对不同Nio指数变化的响应差异在夏季表现较强。海冰密集度和厚度对Nio3变化响应的年代际差异在秋冬季节更加明显,对Nio4变化响应的年代际差异在秋、冬、春季都较明显。     

厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜信号循环回路及其传播特性研究

基于1992～2001年卫星高度计资料分析了海面高度距平在厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜(El Niño/La Niña)现象中的演变过程,发现:(1)在El Niño过程中,海面高度正距平信号从西太平洋沿赤道海域向东传播至东海岸,然后分成南北两支,北支在10°N附近从东太平洋传回西太平洋的信号最强,到达西太沿岸海域再传回赤道,表明El Niño信号传播在北半球存在一明显循环回路.赤道以南循环圈不及赤道以北环路清晰.东太平洋的季节变化信号主要通过6°N,10°N和8°S附近的3个通道向西太平洋传播.La Niña信号主要从5°N和7°S向西传播;(2)在大洋海盆尺度快速传播信号背景下,存在波长700～800km的慢速传播信号,两类信号将信息在太平洋内传送.传播速度分析表明,慢速传播信号的相速与Rossby波相速相符,而快速传播信号应该是海洋对大气变异的响应.     

Post‐Great Oxidation Event Orosirian–Statherian iron formations on the São Francisco craton: Geotectonic implications

The protocratonic core of the São Francisco craton assembled during the 2.1–2.0 Ga Transamazonian orogeny. Orosirian Fe‐rich sequences that extend from the northwestern border of the São Francisco protocraton (Colomi Group) to the southeast under the Espinhaço Belt (the < 1.99 Ga Serra da Serpentina Group) record the opening of an intracratonic basin with the episodically developed ferruginous waters prior to the initiation of the Espinhaço rift at 1.8 Ga. Ferruginous conditions developed again during deposition of the Canjica Iron Formation of the < 1.7 Ga Serra de São José Group in the Espinhaço rift (contemporaneously with felsic magmatism; Conceição do Mato Dentro Rhyolite and Borrachudos Granitic Suite) and extensive sandstones of the < (1666 ±32) Ma Itapanhoacanga and < (1683 ±11) Ma São João da Chapada Formations. In the upper São João da Chapada Formation, banded hematitic phyllite also records input of Fe‐rich fluids. The young age of these iron formations with respect to the conventionally accepted 1.88 Ga age for the youngest shallow‐marine Paleoproterozoic iron formations, the apparent absence of granular facies (granular iron formations), and yet shallow‐water (above fair‐weather base) depositional environment indicate that an unusual setting developed in a large basin after the Great Oxidation Event, in the aftermath of the Transamazonian orogeny. We propose that mantle plumes led to the opening of a previously unrecognized rift system, that could have caused the magmatism, supplied hydrothermal Fe and led to the opening of the Espinhaço, Pirapora, and Paramirim rifts, later obliterated by the Araçuaí orogenic belt during the Neoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic Brasiliano orogeny. The rift system did not develop into an open continental margin but probably evolved into a broad sag basin, stretching across the São Francisco and Congo cratons.     

中西太平洋金枪鱼围网高产渔区年间变化及其原因分析

金枪鱼类是中西太平洋海域重要的经济鱼种,其中鲣产量约占到总产量的50%。本研究利用1995-2010年16年的中西太平洋（20°S~20°N,120°E~155°W）鲣围网生产统计数据和Niño3.4海区（5°S~5°N,120°~170°W）海表温度异常数据,对这16年鲣产量最高的十大渔区（5°×5°）进行时空格局分析,讨论渔场分布差异及CPUE与ENSO指数的关系。结果表明:16年间十大作业渔区主要分布在5°S~5°N、130°~175°E区域,这十大渔区产量占总产量的比重达47.5%,其中5°S~0°、155°~160°E,0°~5°N、130°~135°E,0°~5°N、135°~140°E及5°S~0°、160°~165°E等4个渔区产量占高产渔区产量的比重均超过10%,是中西太平洋重要的鲣产区。高产渔区的分布受海表温度影响较大,在厄尔尼诺时期,高产渔区分布明显偏东,主要分布在155°~180°E海域;在拉尼娜时期,高产渔区分布明显偏西,主要分布在130°~160°E海域。     

Long bone histology of a eusuchian crocodyliform from the Upper Cretaceous of Spain: Implications for growth strategy in extinct crocodiles

The long bone histology of a Late Cretaceous eusuchian crocodyliform from the Iberian Peninsula reveals clear variations in the cortical structure which reflects changes in the speed of bone deposition (i.e., skeletal growth) related to ontogeny. The presence of secondary woven-fibred bone tissue in the perimedullar region of the cortex, and the existence of an external fundamental system in the most external periostic cortex, which is a proxy for somatic maturity and effective cessation of growth, challenges the former idea that the growth strategy of extinct crocodylians fit in the typical ectotherm condition, according to which these animals grew slowly during life under an indeterminate growth strategy. The analysed specimen lived for a minimum of 16 years and the highest preserved apposition rates took place in an advanced ontogenetic stage. The study suggests that the general aspects of the modern crocodylian growth strategy were already in place in some lineages by the Cretaceous.     

The influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles on wave-driven sea-floor sediment mobility along the central California continental margin

Ocean surface waves are the dominant temporally and spatially variable process influencing sea floor sediment resuspension along most continental shelves. Wave-induced sediment mobility on the continental shelf and upper continental slope off central California for different phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events was modeled using monthly statistics derived from more than 14 years of concurrent hourly oceanographic and meteorologic data as boundary input for the Delft SWAN wave model, gridded sea floor grain-size data from the usSEABED database, and regional bathymetry. Differences as small as 0.5 m in wave height, 1 s in wave period, and 10° in wave direction, in conjunction with the spatially heterogeneous unconsolidated sea-floor sedimentary cover, result in significant changes in the predicted mobility of continental shelf surficial sediment in the study area. El Niño events result in more frequent mobilization on the inner shelf in the summer and winter than during La Niña events and on the outer shelf and upper slope in the winter months, while La Niña events result in more frequent mobilization on the mid-shelf during spring and summer months than during El Niño events. The timing and patterns of seabed mobility are addressed in context of geologic and biologic processes. By understanding the spatial and temporal variability in the disturbance of the sea floor, scientists can better interpret sedimentary patterns and ecosystem structure, while providing managers and planners an understanding of natural impacts when considering the permitting of offshore activities that disturb the sea floor such as trawling, dredging, and the emplacement of sea-floor engineering structures.     

Erosive water level regime and climatic variability forcing of beach–dune systems on south‐western Vancouver Island,British Columbia,Canada

Increases in the frequency and magnitude of extreme water levels and storm surges are correlated with known indices of climatic variability (CV), including the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), along some areas of the British Columbia coast. Since a shift to a positive PDO regime in 1977, the effects of ENSO events have been more frequent, persistent, and intense. Teleconnected impacts include more frequent storms, higher surges, and enhanced coastal erosion. The response of oceanographic forcing mechanisms (i.e. tide, surge, wave height, wave period) to CV events and their role in coastal erosion remain unclear, particularly in western Canada. As a first step in exploring the interactions between ocean–atmosphere forcing and beach–dune responses, this paper assembles the historic erosive total water level (TWL) regime and explores relations with observed high magnitude storms that have occurred in the Tofino‐Ucluelet region (Wickaninnish Bay) on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Extreme events where TWL exceeded an erosional threshold (i.e. elevation of the beach–foredune junction) of 5·5 m aCD are examined to identify dominant forcing mechanisms and to classify a regime that describes erosive events driven principally by wave conditions (61·5%), followed by surge (21·8%), and tidal (16·7%) effects. Furthermore, teleconnections between regional CV phenomena, extreme storm events and, by association, coastal erosion, are explored. Despite regional sea level rise (eustatic and steric), rapid crustal uplift rates have resulted in a falling relative sea level and, in some sedimentary systems, shoreline progradation at rates approaching +1·5 m a^–1 over recent decades. Foredune erosion occurs locally with a recurrence interval of approximately 1·53 years followed by rapid rebuilding due to high onshore sand supply and often in the presence of large woody debris and rapidly colonizing vegetation in the backshore. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.