The investigation on particulate organic carbon fluxes with disequilibria between thorium-234 and uranium-238 in the Prydz Bay, the Southern Ocean

Dissolved and particulate thorium-234, particulate organic carbon in the upper 150 m of water columns from five stations in the Prydz Bay, the Southern Ocean were determined during the 22nd Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition （from November 2005 to March 2006 ）. The disequilibria between thorium-234 and its parent uranium-238 in upper layer was used to derive the averaged residence time of thorium-234, which decreased along with the latitude to the south and a minimum value, 1 - 8 d for particulate thorium-234 and 29 - 48 d for dissolved thorium-234, appeared at the medium latitude station, and the export fluxes of thorium-234 were calculated too and ＇a maximum value, 0. 35 -0. 63 Bq/（m^3 · d） for the particulate thorium-234 and 0. 44 -0. 65 Bq/ （m^3 ·d） for the dissolved thorium-234, appeared at the same station. The export fluxes of particulate organic carbon at different water columns were derived by two methods with irreversible scavenging model, and the averaged values were 104. 7 mmol/ （ m2 · d ） （ E method） and 120. 6 mmol/（ m2·d ） （ B method ）, respectively, indicating that a relatively high new production would exist in summer in the Prydz Bay where it will play a potential significant role in sequestering the absorption CO2 to deeper ocean.     

Natural thermoluminescence of fossil foraminiferals as a potential proxy for deep-sea temperature changes

Foraminiferal shells from two piston cores separately located at the Ninetyeast Ridge and the Bengal Fan of the Indian Ocean were selected and purified for measurements of natural thermoluminescence （NTL） intensity by a high precision thermoluminescence meter （RGD-3）. Variations of the NTL intensity along the two core sequences both spanning the last two glacial--interglacial cycles displayed a strong, identical signal of the global ice volume cycles, which matched well with their corresponding oxygen isotope data. As higher NTL intensity occurred within interglacial periods and changes in an NTL signal were most likely influenced by the temperature of ambient seawater in which the planktonic foraminiferal shells long existed, the NTL signal could be considered as a potential proxy for orbital scale temperature changes of bottom seawater in the tropical Indian Ocean.     

Enhanced concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury in the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean

During an almost three months long expedition in the Arctic Ocean, the Beringia 2005, dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) was measured continuously in the surface water. The DGM concentration was measured using an equilibrium system, i.e. the DGM in the water phase equilibrated with a stream of gas and the gas was thereafter analysed with respect to its mercury content. The DGM concentrations were calculated using the following equation, DGM = Hg_eq / k_H' where Hg_eq is the equilibrated concentration of elemental mercury in the gas phase and k_H' is the dimensionless Henry's law constant at desired temperature and salinity. During the expedition several features were observed. For example, enhanced DGM concentration was measured underneath the ice which may indicate that the sea ice acted as a barrier for evasion of mercury from the Arctic Ocean to the atmosphere. Furthermore, elevated DGM concentrations were observed in water that might have originated from river discharge. The gas-exchange of mercury between the ocean and the atmosphere was calculated in the open water and both deposition and evasion were observed. The measurements showed significantly enhanced DGM concentrations, compared to more southern latitudes.     

A review of the ocean science and technology partnership between US and Korea

In 2001, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Integrated Coastal and Ocean Resources Scientific and Technical Arrangement was signed to pursue scientific and technical cooperation in integrated coastal and ocean resources management in the mutual interest of the participants. Over the last 6 years, the cooperation has been very beneficial, particularly for advancing marine science and management programs in Korea, such as Deep Sea Aquaculture, Sea Grant College Program, Marine Protected Areas, and Ocean Observations. The benefits to NOAA from the cooperation include Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) buoys, ocean and coastal observations, GEOSS program, and Global Program of Action. Also the cooperation has spillover effects on other ocean science and technological arrangement between US and Korea. This article reviews purpose, obstacles, and achievement of the cooperation and suggests recommendations for the future steps.     

Dissolved iron in the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean (CLIVAR SR3 section): Meridional and seasonal trends

We report measurements of dissolved iron (dFe, <0.4 μm) in seawater collected from the upper 300 m of the water column along the CLIVAR SR3 section south of Tasmania in March 1998 (between 42°S and 54°S) and November–December 2001 (between 47°S and 66°S). Results from both cruises indicate a general north-to-south decrease in mixed-layer dFe concentrations, from values as high as 0.76 nM in the Subtropical Front to uniformly low concentrations (<0.1 nM) between the Polar Front and the Antarctic continental shelf. Samples collected from the seasonal sea-ice zone in November–December 2001 provide no evidence of significant dFe inputs from the melting pack ice, which may explain the absence of pronounced ice-edge algal blooms in this sector of the Southern Ocean, as implied by satellite ocean-color images. Our data also allow us to infer changes in the dFe concentration of surface waters during the growing season. South of the Polar Front, a comparison of near-surface with subsurface (150 m depth) dFe concentrations in November–December 2001 suggests a net seasonal biological uptake of at least 0.14–0.18 nM dFe, of which 0.05–0.12 nM is depleted early in the growing season (before mid December). A comparison of our spring 2001 and fall 1998 data indicates a barely discernible seasonal depletion of dFe (0.03 nM) within the Polar Frontal Zone. Further north, most of our iron profiles do not exhibit near-surface depletions, and mixed-layer dFe concentrations are sometimes higher in samples from fall 1998 compared to spring 2001; here, the near-surface dFe distributions appear to be dominated by time-varying inputs of aerosol iron or advection of iron-rich subtropical waters from the north.     

Phytoplankton dynamics associated with the monsoon in the Sulu Sea as revealed by pigment signature

Phytoplankton dynamics during the northeast monsoon was investigated in the Sulu Sea from algal pigment analysis. We visited the Sulu Sea in February 2000, a mid period of the northeast monsoon, and in November and December 2002, the beginning of the northeast monsoon. SeaWiFS images showed generally low concentrations of surface chlorophyll a (Chl a) during the southwest monsoon and higher concentrations with several peaks during the northeast monsoon. In the beginning of the northeast monsoon, subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) occurred, where vertical variation in class-specific composition as estimated from pigment signatures was prominent. Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria, prymnesiophytes and crysophytes were important groups above the SCM, and the contribution of cyanobacteria to Chl a became much lower at and below the SCM. Contributions of chlorophytes and prasinophytes to Chl a generally showed maxima near the SCM. This distribution was accompanied by vertical changes in the concentration of photoprotective pigments relative to photosynthetic accessory pigments. During the mid northeast monsoon, the upward supply of nutrients was probably enhanced at some stations due to vertical mixing, and as a consequence diatoms dominated in the upper 100 m water column of these stations, and other eukaryotic flagellates including prymnesiophytes, chrysophytes and cryptophytes were secondary major components of the community. The elevation of Chl a concentration and changes in phytoplankton community during the northeast monsoon likely influence the variation in biological production at higher trophic levels in the Sulu Sea.     

Shear and Richardson number in a mode-water eddy

Measurements of stratification and shear were carried out as part of the EDDIES tracer release experiment in mode-water eddy A4 during the summer of 2005. These measurements were accomplished using both shipboard instrumentation and a drifting mooring. A strong relationship between shear intensity and distance from the center of the eddy A4 was observed with the shipboard ADCP. Diapycnal diffusivity at the SF₆ tracer isopycnal prior to and during the release was estimated from the drifting mooring to be 2.9×10⁻⁶ m² s⁻¹. Diffusivity increased by an order of magnitude to 3.2×10⁻⁵ m² s⁻¹ during the period of the final tracer survey in early September, which was similar to the value estimated from the tracer analysis for the whole experiment (3.5×10⁻⁵ m² s⁻¹, [Ledwell, J.R., McGillicuddy Jr., D.J., Anderson, L.A., 2008. Nutrient flux into an intense deep chlorophyll layer in a mode-water eddy. Deep-Sea Research II, this issue [doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.02.005]].     

应用Argo资料分析西北太平洋冬、夏季水团

应用Argo剖面浮标观测的温、盐度资料,分析了西北太平洋海域冬、夏季的温、盐度分布、水团结构及其分布。首先采用T-S点聚图法分析了该海域水团分布的基本情况,由点聚分析结果可知,该海域至少存在6种以上水团;再用模糊聚类软化法对水团作进一步划分,分别计算了该海域6至11类水团的F和△F值,结果表明,冬、夏季的△F值都以划分为8类时为最大,这与大洋水团的稳定性是一致的,因此,该海域冬、夏季水团以划分为8类最佳,它们分别是北太平洋热带表层水、北太平洋次表层水、北太平洋中层水、北太平洋副热带模态水、北太平洋深层水和赤道表层水,以及南太平洋次表层水和南太平洋中层水。     

热带太平洋次表层三维海温距平场的EOF分析

应用太平洋次表层海温距平资料构造了一个立体的西低东高的四级阶梯模型,使用EOF方法对此模型进行时空分解,重点讨论了分解结果与ENSO循环的关系,并对Nino 3距平指数进行试预报,结果表明,用 EOF分解的第一主分量代表暖池-厄尔尼诺(拉尼娜)模态,第二主分量代表次表层温度距平的东西运移模态,厄尔尼诺事件正是东西运移模态突变的结果.时滞相关分析估算,一次ENSO循环的平均周期约为41个月,厄尔尼诺、拉尼娜模态与温度距平的东西运移模态的位相差平均约为9.7个月.应用逐步回归方法得到超前Nino 3距平指数3、6和12个月的3个预报方程.预报结果表明,第一、第二时间系数对Nino 3距平指数均具有一定的预报价值,预报时效可达1 a左右.     

A global wave parameter database for geophysical applications. Part 1: Wave-current–turbulence interaction parameters for the open ocean based on traditional parameterizations

Ocean surface mixing and drift are influenced by the mixed layer depth, buoyancy fluxes and currents below the mixed layer. Drift and mixing are also functions of the surface Stokes drift U_ss, volume Stokes transport T_S, a wave breaking height scale H_swg, and the flux of energy from waves to ocean turbulence Φ_oc. Here we describe a global database of these parameters, estimated from a well-validated numerical wave model, that uses traditional forms of the wave generation and dissipation parameterizations, and covers the years 2003–2007. Compared to previous studies, the present work has the advantage of being consistent with the known physical processes that regulate the wave field and the air–sea fluxes, and also consistent with a very large number of in situ and satellite observations of wave parameters. Consequently, some of our estimates differ significantly from previous estimates. In particular, we find that the mean global integral of Φ_oc is 68 TW, and the yearly mean value of T_S is typically 10–30% of the Ekman transport, except in well-defined regions where it can reach 60%. We also have refined our previous estimates of U_ss by using a better treatment of the high frequency part of the wave spectrum. In the open ocean, U_ss  0.013U₁₀, where U₁₀ is the wind speed at 10 m height.