First results from the North Iceland experiment

Between June 2004 and September 2004 a temporary seismic network was installed on the northern insular shelf of Iceland and onshore in north Iceland. The seismic setup aimed at resolving the subsurface structure and, thus, the geodynamical transition from Icelandic crust to typical oceanic crust along Kolbeinsey Ridge. The experiment recorded about 1,000 earthquakes. The region encloses the Tjörnes Fracture Zone containing the Husavik–Flatey strike-slip fault and the extensional seismic Grimsey Lineament. Most of the seismicity occurs in swarms offshore. Preliminary results reveal typical mid-ocean crust north of Grimsey and a heterogeneous structure with major velocity anomalies along the seismic lineaments and north–south trending subsurface features. Complementary bathymetric mapping highlight numerous extrusion features along the Grimsey Lineament and Kolbeinsey Ridge. The seismic dataset promises to deliver new insights into the tectonic framework for earthquakes in an extensional transform zone along the global mid-ocean ridge system.     

Oceanographic influences on seabirds and cetaceans of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific, the oceanic region centered on the eastern Pacific warm pool, but also including the equatorial cold tongue and equatorial current system, and summarizes what is known about oceanographic influences on seabirds and cetaceans there. The eastern tropical Pacific supports on the order of 50 species of seabirds and 30 species of cetaceans as regular residents; these include four endemic species, the world’s largest populations for several others, three endemic sub-species, and a multi-species community that is relatively unique to this ecosystem. Three of the meso-scale physical features of the region are particularly significant to seabirds and cetaceans: the Costa Rica Dome for blue whales and short-beaked common dolphins, the Equatorial Front for planktivorous seabirds, and the countercurrent thermocline ridge for flocking seabirds that associate with mixed-species schools of spotted and spinner dolphins and yellowfin tuna. A few qualitative studies of meso- to macro-scale distribution patterns have indicated that some seabirds and cetaceans have species-specific preferences for surface currents. More common are associations with distinct water masses; these relationships have been quantified for a number of species using several different analytical methods. The mechanisms underlying tropical species–habitat relationships are not well understood, in contrast to a number of higher-latitude systems. This may be due to the fact that physical variables have been used as proxies for prey abundance and distribution in species–habitat research in the eastern tropical Pacific.Though seasonal and interannual patterns tend to be complex, species–habitat relationships appear to remain relatively stable over time, and distribution patterns co-vary with patterns of preferred habitat for a number of species. The interactions between seasonal and interannual variation in oceanographic conditions with seasonal patterns in the biology of seabirds and cetaceans may account for some of the complexity in species–habitat relationship patterns.Little work has been done to investigate effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycles on cetaceans, and results of the few studies focusing on oceanic seabirds are complex and not easy to interpret. Although much has been made of the detrimental effects of El Niño events on apex predators, more research is needed to understand the magnitude, and even direction, of these effects on seabirds and cetaceans in space and time.     

Methyl halide production and loss rates in sea water from field incubation experiments

Experiments were conducted in the field to determine the non-chemical loss rate of methyl iodide in seawater and to examine production rates of methyl halides. The loss rate of added C13 labelled methyl iodide, present at concentrations similar to those found in seawater, corrected for chemical loss due to reaction with Cl⁻ varied from < 1 to 18% day^− 1, with a mean value of 7%. This rate of loss is much lower than that which was proposed by Bell et al. [Bell, N., Hsu, L., Jacob, D. J., Schultz, M. G., Blake, D. R., Butler, J. H., King, D. B., Lobert, J. M., Maier-Reimer, E., 2002. Methyl iodide: Atmospheric budget and use as a tracer of marine convection in global models, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 107(D17), 4340-4351.] to account for the large discrepancies between observed and predicted mid-latitude concentrations of CH₃I based on their global photochemical source model. The suitability of several types of container for seawater incubations was studied and only quartz tubes appeared to be free of experimental artifact. Collapsible polyvinyl fluoride containers showed major production of methyl halides on irradiation with simulated sunlight. Polyethylene containers caused spurious production of methyl iodide at lower rates.     

太平洋海域海平面变化的灰色系统分析

应用灰色系统理论，对太平洋海域４８个长期验潮站的月均海平面分别建立了ＧＭ（１，１）模型。ＧＭ（１，１）模型能较好地反映太平洋海域的海平面变化的趋势，它除了能给出连续的海平面变化速率外，同时能方便地给出海平面变化的加速率。模拟结果表明，在太平洋地壳均衡假设下，太平洋海域的月均海平面以平均速率０．１７ｃｍ／ａ上升。在太平洋海域所取的４８个长期验潮站中，有４０个站在加速上升，全部站的平均加速度为０．０００２９ｃｍ／ａ２。且加速率逐渐增大。当然这些加速率都很小，但作为一种普遍性的趋势，这已足以说明：太平洋海域的海平面在加速上升     

耗散结构理论在判断南海热带气旋路径演变中的应用

本文用耗散结构理论推导出南海热带气旋的移动公式,通过实际应用和实例检验,证明它对估计南海热带气旋路径演变有一定的实用价值。     

西北太平洋热带气旋发生的时空变化特征

利用中国气象局整编的1949-1988年的《台风年鉴》和1989-2000年的《热带气旋年鉴》资料，统计分析了西北太平洋热带气旋的主要发生源地、各强度等级热带气旋发生的经纬度变化特征、各强度等级热带气旋发生源地和发生频率的季节变化特征。结果表明：西北太平洋有三个热带气旋的主要发生地，分别是南海中北部偏东洋面、菲律宾以东至加罗林群岛之间的洋面、加罗林群岛一带洋面；热带气旋强度越强，发生位置越偏南、偏东；热带气旋平均发生源地存在明显的季节变化特征，冬季平均发生源地偏南偏东，以后逐渐向北向西偏移，夏季以后又向南向东偏移；各强度等级热带气旋2月平均发生频率最小，8月平均发生频率最大，全年TC较集中地发生在7～10月期间。     

0421号热带风暴"海马"登陆前后环境场对其移向和强度影响的分析

0421号热带风暴“海马(Haima)”于2004年9月13日12:00在浙江省温州市沿海登陆,登陆后迅速减弱为热带低压,20:00在浙江境内消失.本研究采用物理量诊断分析法,探讨该热带风暴登陆前后涡度场、湿焓场变化对其移向和强度的影响.结果表明,该热带风暴登陆后,涡度(ξ)明显减弱.涡度局地变化(ξ/t)值分布显示,风暴移动方向的后方,涡度减弱的趋势比前方涡度增大的趋势更剧烈;风暴有向其外围(ξ/t)正值中心(即涡度增幅最大)移动的趋势.该热带风暴登陆前、后,湿焓都增大,但登陆后湿焓增大趋势已大大减弱;风暴有向湿焓局地变化(E/t)正值中心移动的趋势,即向能量增强最大的方向移动.     

Circulation on the north central Chukchi Sea shelf

Mooring and shipboard data collected between 1992 and 1995 delineate the circulation over the north central Chukchi shelf. Previous studies indicated that Pacific waters crossed the Chukchi shelf through Herald Valley (in the west) and Barrow Canyon (in the east). We find a third branch (through the Central Channel) onto the outer shelf. The Central Channel transport varies seasonally in phase with Bering Strait transport, and is 0.2 Sv on average, although some of this might include water entrained from the outflow through Herald Valley. A portion of the Central Channel outflow moves eastward and converges with the Alaskan Coastal Current at the head of Barrow Canyon. The remainder appears to continue northeastward over the central outer shelf toward the shelfbreak, joined by outflow from Herald Valley. The mean flow opposes the prevailing winds and is primarily forced by the sea-level slope between the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Current variations are mainly wind forced, but baroclinic forcing, associated with upstream dense-water formation in coastal polynyas might occasionally be important.Winter water-mass modification depends crucially on the fall and winter winds, which control seasonal ice development. An extensive fall ice cover delays cooling, limits new ice formation, and results in little salinization. In such years, Bering shelf waters cross the Chukchi shelf with little modification. In contrast, extensive open water in fall leads to early and rapid cooling, and if accompanied by vigorous ice production within coastal polynyas, results in the production of high-salinity (>33) shelf waters. Such interannual variability likely affects slope processes and the transport of Pacific waters into the Arctic Ocean interior.     

印度洋东部金枪鱼延绳钓渔业研究--大眼金枪鱼(Thunnus obesus)的生物学特征

根据作者在印度洋东部海域的延绳钓生产实践,对渔获的大眼金枪鱼群体的群体构成、摄食、繁殖等基本生物学特征进行了初步探讨.结果表明,渔获群体由纯重10～115kg、叉长80～195cm个体组成,纯重与叉长关系式w=2.000×10-5×L2.969;渔获物以3～5龄个体为主,雄性个体所占比例明显高于雌性个体,且随年龄增长雄性个体所占比例逐步提高.鱼群在该海域产卵期较长,不同年龄组性腺发育节律有明显差异.     

热带气旋对黄、渤海影响的统计特征分析

本文统计分析了1949—2000年共52年影响黄、渤海的热带气旋时空分布特点及ENS0、西太平洋副热带高压与影响黄、渤海的热带气旋关系。结果表明，西太平洋热带气放以四种主要路径影响黄、渤海，其影响时间、频数及强度均有不同。ENSO和西太平洋副热带高压的强度、位置将影响热带气旋对黄、渤海影响的路径和频数。