Variation in Water Masses on Shelf of Northern Bering Sea in September 2016-2018

Abstract

Based on hydrological data obtained during the 7th to 9th Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions in the summers of 2016–2018, the main water structure on the shelf of the northern Bering Sea and the volume and heat fluxes of the Bering Strait throughflow were analyzed. Distinct variability was identified in the three Pacific water masses feeding the strait - Anadyr Water (AW), Bering Shelf Water (BSW) and Alaskan coastal water (ACW). Overall, the temperature and salinity of the entire section increased each year, with 2018 showing significant anomalies, i.e., a temperature anomaly of up to 1?°C and a maximum salinity anomaly of 2. From 2016 to 2018, the extent of the ACW gradually narrowed in the eastern part of this section, while the AW expanded eastward each year. The net volume transport through each of the three sections increased poleward from 1.65?Sv to 2.76?Sv, with the AW increasing from 0?Sv to 1.03?Sv, the BSW varying between 0.52–1.65?Sv, and the ACW gradually decreasing from 1.04?Sv to disappearing completely. The net heat fluxes were also poleward, varying between 25.77 TW and 61.50 TW, and showing a significant increase. Significant variations in magnitude and extent were observed in each water mass of the Bering Strait throughflow, which could produce widespread effects in the Arctic Ocean and the global ocean beyond.     

Sediment-starved sand ridges on a mixed carbonate/siliciclastic inner shelf off west-central Florida

High-resolution side-scan mosaics, sediment analyses, and physical process data have revealed that the mixed carbonate/siliciclastic, inner shelf of west-central Florida supports a highly complex field of active sand ridges mantled by a hierarchy of bedforms. The sand ridges, mostly oriented obliquely to the shoreline trend, extend from 2 km to over 25 km offshore. They show many similarities to their well-known counterparts situated along the US Atlantic margin in that both increase in relief with increasing water depth, both are oriented obliquely to the coast, and both respond to modern shelf dynamics. There are significant differences in that the sand ridges on the west-central Florida shelf are smaller in all dimensions, have a relatively high carbonate content, and are separated by exposed rock surfaces. They are also shoreface-detached and are sediment-starved, thus stunting their development. Morphological details are highly distinctive and apparent in side-scan imagery due to the high acoustic contrast. The seafloor is active and not a relict system as indicated by: (1) relatively young AMS ¹⁴C dates (<1600 yr BP) from forams in the shallow subsurface (1.6 meters below seafloor), (2) apparent shifts in sharply distinctive grayscale boundaries seen in time-series side-scan mosaics, (3) maintenance of these sharp acoustic boundaries and development of small bedforms in an area of constant and extensive bioturbation, (4) sediment textural asymmetry indicative of selective transport across bedform topography, (5) morphological asymmetry of sand ridges and 2D dunes, and (6) current-meter data indicating that the critical threshold velocity for sediment transport is frequently exceeded. Although larger sand ridges are found along other portions of the west-central Florida inner shelf, these smaller sand ridges are best developed seaward of a major coastal headland, suggesting some genetic relationship. The headland may focus and accelerate the N–S reversing currents. An elevated rock terrace extending from the headland supports these ridges in a shallower water environment than the surrounding shelf, allowing them to be more easily influenced by currents and surface gravity waves. Tidal currents, storm-generated flows, and seasonally developed flows are shore-parallel and oriented obliquely to the NW–SE trending ridges, indicating that they have developed as described by the Huthnance model. Although inner shelf sand ridges have been extensively examined elsewhere, this study is the first to describe them in a low-energy, sediment-starved, dominantly mixed siliciclastic/carbonate sedimentary environment situated on a former limestone platform.     

南海南部大陆架的残留沉积

研究了南海南部大陆架的残留沉积物的粒度、石英砂表面结构特征、生物分布等，并指出残留沉积普遍遭受改造。按其早期的形成环境差异和改造作用不同，划分出加里曼丹－巴拉望残留沉积区和亚南巴斯－纳土纳残留沉积区。     

珠江口伶仃洋温度分布特征

依据实测资料，分析了伶汀洋冬、夏季的水温分布特征及其变化。冬季湾内水温的分布和变化较单一，夏季由于河流入海流量增大，河流与海洋水体的相互作用加强，明显可见两个冷、暖水锋在河口湾中段相交，上段为高温的河流淡水控制区，下段为低温的陆架水控制区，两者显著的特点是其控制区内温度变化很小，而在锋面转折地带的河口湾中段，盐淡水混合强烈，其温度变化大，温度等值线呈倾斜分布。     

Intrusion of Kuroshio water onto the continental shelf of the East China Sea

As a fundamental study to evaluate the contribution of the Kuroshio to primary production in the East China Sea (ECS), we investigated the seasonal pattern of the intrusion from the Kuroshio onto the continental shelf of the ECS and the behavior of the intruded Kuroshio water, using the RIAM Ocean Model (RIAMOM). The total intruded volume transport across the 200m isobath line was evaluated as 2.74 Sv in winter and 2.47 Sv in summer, while the intruded transport below 80m was estimated to be 1.32 Sv in winter and 1.64 Sv in summer. Passive tracer experiments revealed that the main intrusion from the Kuroshio to the shelf area of the ECS, shallower than 80m, takes place through the lower layer northeast of Taiwan in summer, with a volume transport of 0.19 Sv. Comparative studies show several components affecting the intrusion of the Kuroshio across the 200 m isobath line. The Kuroshio water intruded less onto the shelf compared with a case without consideration of tide-induced bottom friction, especially northeast of Taiwan. The variations of the transport from the Taiwan Strait and the east of Taiwan have considerable effects on the intrusion of the Kuroshio onto the shelf.     

A preliminary study of carbon system in the East China Sea

In the central part of the East China Sea, the activity of CO₂ in the surface water and total carbonate, pH and alkalinity in the water column were determined in winter and autumn of 1993. The activity of CO₂ in the continental shelf water was about 50 ppm lower than that of surface air. This decrease corresponds to the absorption of about 40 gC/m²/yr of atmospheric CO₂ in the coastal zone or 1 GtC/yr in the global continental shelf, if this rate is applicable to entire coastal seas. The normalized total carbonate contents were higher in the water near the coast and near the bottom. This increase toward the bottom may be due to the organic matter deposited on the bottom. This conclusion is supported by the distribution of pH. The normalized alkalinity distribution also showed higher values in the near-coast water, but in the surface water, indicating the supply of bicarbonate from river water. The residence time of the East China Sea water, including the Yellow Sea water, has been calculated to be about 0.8 yr from the excess alkalinity and the alkalinity input. Using this residence time and the excess carbonate, we can estimate that the amount of dissolved carbonate transported from the coastal zone to the oceanic basin is about 70 gC/m²/yr or 2 GtC/yr/area-of-global-continental-shelf. This also means that the rivers transport carbon to the oceans at a rate of 30 gC/m²/yr of the coastal sea or 0.8 GtC/yr/ area-of-global shelf, the carbon consisting of dissolved inorganic carbonate and terrestrial organic carbon decomposed on the continental shelf.     

南沙群岛西南陆架区条尾鲱鲤资源状况研究

根据2003年南沙群岛西南陆架区春秋两季调查资料,分析南沙群岛西南陆架区条尾鲱鲤的资源现状.结果表明,渔获率有明显的季节变动,秋季（1.76kg/h）高于春季（0.08kg/h）,春季密集分布于91～100m水深,秋季密集分布于71～80m水深.其群体组成也有季节差异,春季的平均体长、平均体重大于秋季,春季优势体长组为101～110mm,秋季优势体长组为91～100mm,渔获中不足1龄鱼占多数,其资源密度及现存资源量分别为12.02kg/km^2 和880.82t,现存资源量只有原始资源量的54.92%,该鱼种资源已接近衰退状态.文中并讨论合理利用该资源的措施.     

利用卫星遥感资料对南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋的分析

利用7年(1993～1999)月平均的SST卫星遥感资料，分析了南海北部陆架区域海洋表层温度锋在一年中的逐月变化特征，表明南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋存在明显的季节内变化。结合风场的卫星遥感资料，分析了东北季风对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，表明东北季风风速的增加有利于温度锋强度的增强。通过对黑潮南海流套入侵较强的1999年2月与流套入侵较弱的1998年2月的SST卫星遥感资料的对比分析，考察了黑潮南海流套的入侵对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，结果表明黑潮流套的较强入侵能够增加陆架温度锋的强度，对温度锋的走向也会产生一定的影响。     

Periodic Intrusion of Cold Water from the Pacific Ocean into the Bottom Layer of the Bungo Channel in Japan

A cold-water intrusion, called a “bottom intrusion”, occurs in the lower layer of the Bungo Channel in Japan. It is an intrusion from the shelf slope region of the Pacific Ocean margin in the south of the channel. In order to reveal the fundamental characteristics of the bottom intrusion, we conducted long-term observations of water temperature at the surface and bottom layers of the channel and 15-day current observations at the bottom of the shelf-break region. The long-term water temperature data indicated that the bottom intrusion occurs repeatedly between early summer and late autumn, and its reiteration between early and mid-summer causes a local minimum of water temperature in the lower layer in mid-summer. Moreover, the data revealed that most of the bottom intrusions occurred in neap tidal periods. The current meter recorded a bottom intrusion with a speed of approximately 15 cm⋅s⁻¹. The current meter also revealed that the intruded cold water slowly retreated back to the shelf slope region after the intrusion. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.