Blue-green algae and terrestrial limestone weathering on Aldabra Atoll: An S.E.M. and light microscope study

Blue-green algae have been observed to affect limestone weathering on Aldabra Atoll, Indian Ocean. Three different habitats can be identified on the rock surface, i.e. epilithic, chasmolithic, and endolithic. Algae in each habitat may affect weathering in various ways. Samples of blue-green algae and rock were taken from various terrestrial and coastal environments on Aldabra Atoll. Samples of limestone tablets and calcite crystals after one year in situ were also studied. Light and S.E.M. microscopy revealed that endolithic boreholes were present on many samples, especially those from frequently wetted sites, to a maximum depth of 800 μm. An ‘altered zone’ of micrite and algal filaments was also discovered in many samples. From morphological and petrographical evidence blue-green algal influences on weathering on Aldabra Atoll seem to be very complex and cannot easily be related to small scale landforms.     

Long term remeasurements of micro-erosion meter rates,Aldabra Atoll,Indian Ocean

Micro-erosion meter sites, installed on Aldabra Atoll, Indian Ocean in 1969 to measure erosion rates in coastal and subaerial sites, were remeasured in 1971 and again in 1982. The orders of magnitude of calculated erosion rates are comparable but the precise figures and patterns differ. For subaerial sites the short term (1969–71) range of 0·11–0·58 mm a^?1 compares with a long term (1971–82) range of 0·06–0·75 mm a^?1; for coastal sites short term ranges of 0·002–7·5 mm a^?1 compare with long term rates of 0·09–2·7 mm a^?1. Interpretation and extrapolation of short term data should only be made with caution.     

Evaluation of sea water ingress into an Indian atoll

Groundwater is the prime source of fresh water in most part of world. The groundwater floats in the form of thin lens which is vulnerable to various stresses such as tide, cyclone, draught, abstraction, etc. The problem of getting this meager resource of fresh groundwater sustained for longer time, becomes more difficult task on tiny atoll with large population depending on it. In order to develop sustainable management scheme and identify vulnerable part of aquifer, systematic assessment of groundwater quality on such island have become imperative. Detailed hydrochemical study has been carried out to identify potential fresh groundwater resources on Andrott Island, UT of Lakshadweep, India. The analysis has given an early signal of deterioration in groundwater quality in some parts of the island during non-monsoon period, whereas the quality becomes slightly better during monsoon period. The study suggests immediate measures for arresting the deterioration in groundwater quality as well as augmentation for restoration of aquifer in some parts of the island.     

Bikini Atoll coral biodiversity resilience five decades after nuclear testing

Five decades after a series of nuclear tests began, we provide evidence that 70% of the Bikini Atoll zooxanthellate coral assemblage is resilient to large-scale anthropogenic disturbance. Species composition in 2002 was assessed and compared to that seen prior to nuclear testing. A total of 183 scleractinian coral species was recorded, compared to 126 species recorded in the previous study (excluding synonomies, 148 including synonomies). We found that 42 coral species may be locally extinct at Bikini. Fourteen of these losses may be pseudo-losses due to inconsistent taxonomy between the two studies or insufficient sampling in the second study, however 28 species appear to represent genuine losses. Of these losses, 16 species are obligate lagoonal specialists and 12 have wider habitat compatibility. Twelve species are recorded from Bikini for the first time. We suggest the highly diverse Rongelap Atoll to the east of Bikini may have contributed larval propagules to facilitate the partial resilience of coral biodiversity in the absence of additional anthropogenic threats.     

SPOT5数据东沙环礁珊瑚礁遥感能力分析

对于大面积的大比例尺珊瑚礁遥感制图而言,SPOT5数据是一种高性价比卫星遥感资料.以Quickbird2数据对东沙环礁珊瑚礁的分类、解译的矢量结果作为该区域实际的珊瑚礁分布,以此为基础分析SPOT5数据的珊瑚礁遥感制图能力.SPOT5只有两个水体穿透信道,从基于光谱数据的分类角度看,以XS1通道为准的珊瑚礁信息提取易将高反射的沙底质归为珊瑚礁;以XS2通道为准的珊瑚礁分布制图存在提取不足问题.由于空间分辨率提高,对潟湖淤泥质中的珊瑚礁提取能力较强,要优于ETM数据.结合ETM数据及PCA融合后的SPOT5的遥感解译结果,能提高SPOT5数据的制图能力.     

近165年来中沙环礁中北暗沙滨珊瑚生长率及其对海温变化的响应

海水温度是控制珊瑚生长的关键环境因素之一,随着全球气候变暖,海温持续升高已成为珊瑚生长面临的全球性威胁。文章对采自中沙环礁中北暗沙水深约16m的澄黄滨珊瑚岩心样品开展了生长率分析,揭示出中沙环礁滨珊瑚近165年来的生长历史及变化规律;并通过与西沙群岛永兴岛滨珊瑚生长率的对比,探讨了南海中部滨珊瑚生长的区域差异及其对海温升高的响应关系。过去100多年来中北暗沙和永兴岛海区的平均海温分别为(27.4±0.37)℃和(27.09±0.36)℃,两个海区的海温均呈线性升高趋势,升温速率一致,约为0.43℃·ha^–1。过去100多年间中北暗沙和永兴岛滨珊瑚的平均生长率分别为(0.70±0.16)cm·a^–1和(1.19±0.16)cm·a^–1,但中北暗沙滨珊瑚生长率呈线性下降趋势,下降速率约为9.4%·ha^–1;而永兴岛滨珊瑚生长率呈线性上升趋势,增长速率约为10.9%·ha^–1。过去100多年间两个礁区的滨珊瑚生长率均存在年代际波动,大致与海温的年代际波动对应。两个礁区滨珊瑚生长率与海...     

Improving understanding of the spatial dimensions of biophysical change in atoll island countries and implications for island communities: A Marshall Islands’ case study

Using coarse-scale approaches, existing national assessments of vulnerability and adaptation highlight physical land instability as a major threat to atoll island nationhood. However, such evaluations are bereft of detailed, ground-truthed analyses of the physical impacts of climatic change on reef islands, treating islands as homogenous in both biophysical and social characteristics. The distinct geomorphic context of two proximate reef islands (Jeh and Jabat) in the Marshall Islands was examined through conventional land survey techniques. A template documenting the nuances in island topography was used to evaluate simple inundation scenarios, reflecting current and future sea-level changes under storm surge conditions. The variations in local scale community exposure to inundation were discernible. The study highlights the importance of treating coarse-scale assessments with caution and underscores the need for continued commitment to resolving variations in community experiences to environmental change. Notions of risk and exposure are complex and embedded in both the biophysical and social contexts of each island community. Despite a number of targeted urban vulnerability studies in the Pacific there remains a need for efforts to document localised differences in experience to better inform contemporary adaptation efforts.     

南海九章环礁中牛轭礁和西门礁新生沙洲沉积特征与动态

南沙群岛的珊瑚礁以环礁形式存在, 拥有各具特色的地貌形态。九章环礁中的牛轭礁和西门礁是两座发育有新生沙洲的环礁, 代表灰沙岛形成前一个重要的过渡性地貌演化阶段。这两处新生沙洲表层沉积物样品的粒度分析表明: 沉积物主要组分为珊瑚碎屑, 长轴中值粒径在14~45mm之间, 属于砾石级别; 样品分选系数在4.5~31之间, 分选性很差; 球度值为0.52~0.68, 球度差。粒度特征值中, 中值粒径具有随着到水边线距离的增大而升高的趋势, 而分选性和球度与距水边线距离关系不大。整体上中值粒径与分选系数呈正相关关系, 而与球度呈负相关关系。历史文献记载和卫星图像表明, 牛轭礁和西门礁上的新生沙洲都是近年来才形成的, 与风暴过程及冬季风有关。牛轭礁上沙洲向北迁移, 同时其长轴向东南方向延伸; 西门礁上沙洲整体向东南方向迁移, 并形成回弯形沙嘴形态。新生沙洲的出现与珊瑚碎屑物质供给变化或风暴浪作用变化的关系还需进一步探讨。     

Planimetric and volumetric changes of reef islands in response to wave conditions

Reef islands are morphologically dynamic features located on atolls and platform reefs that are very sensitive to wave‐induced processes on different timescales. The planform morphological evolution of reef islands is widely described; however, the mechanisms of the volumetric variations in response to wave energy are still poorly documented. To assess their multitemporal vertical and horizontal mobility, we performed a series of synchronous measurements of the volumetric changes and incident wave energies at two reef islands and a shingle bank at the Rocas Atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean. The results show the differences in the magnitudes and locations of the sediment mobility between the reef islands. Whereas one island remained stable on all timescales, with only small volumetric changes concentrated at its extremities, the other island (Farol Island) showed high mobility, especially during the energetic northern swell season. The gross volumetric change reached 10.03 × 10³ m³ (5% of the total island volume) on a daily timescale; however, on a seasonal scale, the gross erosion was compensated by the gross accretion, indicating a cyclical seasonal pattern. Moreover, the observed volumetric changes induced by the waves on both daily and seasonal timescales did not result in large shoreline displacements. However, long‐term oceanward erosion and substantial lagoonward accretion were observed at Farol Island on a decadal scale, resulting in a pronounced change in its planform morphology. This appears to be promoted by at least three sediment transport pathways induced by waves at the atoll, including sediment adjustment between the reef islands. Our results show that reef islands on the same atoll can have very distinct morphological behaviors on daily, seasonal and decadal scales in response to the same boundary conditions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中沙海域的广角与多道地震探测

由于浅滩和暗礁广布,中沙海域(环礁区)长期以来处在南海地震探测的空白区域.为了揭示该区域的地壳结构及地层-构造特征,进而全面刻画南海陆缘新生代伸展过程,我们首次在中沙及其邻近海域完成了1条广角地震测线OBS2017-2和4条多道地震测线的数据采集.对得到的海底地震仪(OBS)数据进行了格式转换、位置校正等初步处理,识别了来自地壳深部的震相并对中沙环礁地壳结构进行了正演模拟;对穿过中沙环礁的多道地震剖面进行了地层-构造解释,共划分出6套地层.OBS2017-2测线处理结果显示,其数据质量良好,深部震相清晰,且位于环礁内的台站震相延伸较长,可达100km以上.中沙环礁地壳性质为轻微减薄的坚硬大陆块体,厚度约为25km左右.多道地震剖面显示,环礁之上沉积层厚度较薄,除环礁西南部存在一条基底断裂——"排洪-美溪断裂"外,基本不存在其他构造-岩浆活动.而在环礁坡脚周缘,有广泛的岩浆侵入和喷出体的存在.中沙环礁上较薄的上地壳厚度和沉积特征指示了该区域可能在古新世时期经历的强烈暴露剥蚀作用.中沙海域最新开展的广角和多道地震探测填补了南海地质地球物理研究的空白,为解读该区的构造-沉积演化提供了数据基础.