Assessing estuarine environmental quality using fish-based indices: performance evaluation under climatic instability

The seasonal variation of five selected multimetric indices for the determination of the Ecological Quality Status (EQS) of transitional waters was evaluated, as well as the indices’ responses to an extreme drought event that occurred in 2005. The database used regards the Mondego River estuary, which was sampled from June 2003 to August 2006 on a monthly basis. Among the selected indices (EBI - Deegan et al. [Deegan, L., Finn, J.T., Ayvazlan, S.G., Ryder-Kieffer, C.A., Buonaccoesi, J., 1997. Development and validation of an Estuarine Biotic Integrity Index. Estuaries 30(3), 601-617], EDI - Borja et al. [Borja, A., Franco, J., Valencia, V., Bald, J., Muxika, I., Belzunce, M.J., Solaun, O., 2004. Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive from the Basque Country (northern Spain): a methodological approach. Marine Pollution Bulletin 48(3-4), 209-218], EFCI - Harrison and Whitfield [Harrison, T.D., Whitfield, A.K., 2004. A multi-metric fish index to assess the environmental condition of estuaries. Journal of Fish Biology 65, 683-710], EBI - Breine et al. [Breine, J.J., Maes, J., Quataert, P., Van den Bergh, E., Simoens, I., Van Thuyne, G., Belpaire, C., 2007. A fish-based assessment tool for the ecological quality of the brackish Scheldt estuary in Flanders (Belgium). Hydrobiologia 575, 141-159] and TFCI - Coates et al. [Coates, S., Waugh, A., Anwar, A., Robson, M., 2007. Efficacy of a multi-metric fish index as an analysis tool for the transitional fish component of the Water Framework Directive. Marine Pollution Bulletin 55, 225-240]), the EBI by Breine et al. (2007) was the only that evidenced clear interannual and seasonal variations. The EQS by the several indices ranged from “Low” to “High”, depending on the index considered, evidencing the high level of mismatch between indices. The results are discussed in the scope of the EU Water Framework Directive, regarding monitoring strategies, application of indices and EQS assessment.     

A simulation of the Chilean Coastal Current and associated topographic upwelling near Valparaíso, Chile

A 4-year simulation of the surface circulation driven by the local wind on a section of the central Chilean coast is presented. The model is shown to reproduce the major observed features of the circulation. Comparison to observations of sea-surface temperature (SST) taken within the study area suggests that the model captures well coastal upwelling processes in the region. The circulation is shown to have two distinct modes corresponding to spring/summer and autumn/winter. During spring/summer sustained strong south-westerly wind forcing drives an equatorward coastal jet consistent with the Chile Coastal Current (CCC) and coastal upwelling at previously identified locations of intense upwelling at Topocalma Point and Curaumilla Point. Weaker winds during autumn/winter produce a slower CCC and a more homogenous SST field. Upwelling/relaxation and topographic eddies provide the main sources of variability on sub-seasonal time-scales in the model. The mechanisms responsible for each of these are discussed. Upwelling at Topocalma and Curaumilla Points is shown to be produced through generation of an upwelling Ekman bottom boundary layer following acceleration of the CCC close to the coast, reinforced by secondary circulation due to flow curvature around the headlands. Additional upwelling occurs north of Curaumilla Point due to development of shallow wind-driven overturning flow. Wind-sheltering is shown to be an important factor for explaining the fact that Valparaíso Bay is typically an upwelling shadow. Flow separation and eddy formation within Valparaíso Bay is seen to occur on the order of 10 times per year during relaxation after strong wind events and may persist for a number of weeks. Shorter lived topographic eddies are also seen to occur commonly at Topocalma and Toro Points. These eddies are shown to form in response to the surface elevation minima produced at each of these locations during upwelling.     

Numerical simulations on the explosive cyclogenesis over the kuroshio current

In this paper, the Pennsylvania State University-NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM4) is used to investigate the explosive oceanic cyclone of 14-15 March 1988 over the warm Kuroshio Current. A series of numerical simulations on this cyclogenesis indicates that the favorable weather condi-tions and strong baroclinity in the low- and middle-level are essential to its explosive development. The explosive cyclogenesis occurred over a wide range of sea surface temperatures (SST’s), which was then characterized by strong baroclinity, the low-level jet (LLJ) was initially formed under the favorable atmospheric circulation and then this LLJ advected the moisture and heat northward for the explosive development of the cyclone, the LLJ played an important role in the process of cyclogenesis. Sensitivity experiments show that the latent heating was a key factor to explosive cyclogenesis, the latent heating deepened the short-wave trough, which resulted in the rapid intensification of the cyclone; while in the explosive intensification stage and continuous de-velopment stage, there was less contribution of local surface processes for the explosion of the cy?clone.     

冬季黑潮海温场对台湾地区流场及降水影响的数值模拟

本文用ＰＳＵ／ＮＣＡＲ中尺度模式ＭＭ４对冬季黑潮暖流海温场对台湾地区流场和降水的影响进行了数值模拟分析。结果表明：冬季黑潮暖流海温场明显改变台湾地区的局地流场特征;台湾岛上的降水分布特征取决于台湾岛的地形特征,而黑潮暖流海温场的分布对台湾岛上降水量的大小有着决定性的影响。     

Analysis of sea surface height variabilities in the Kuroshio Current region by using Geosat altimeter data

INTRODUCTIONBeing a current of high temperature and high salinity, the Kuroshio carries a large amount ofheat from low latitude tropical ocean to high latitude ocean, and plays an imPOrtant role in theheat balance in East Asia. The variability of the Kurosl,io can affect the climate of East Asia, aswell as the ocean environment and the fishery resources. A lot of studies showed that the variabilitiies of the Kuroshio were related to the global changes especially to the onset of ENSO.…     

On the Huanghai (Yellow) Sea circulation: a review by current measurements

INTRODUCTIONTheHuanghaiSea(hereafterHS)isashallow,semi-enclosedbasinsurroundedbytheChina'sMainlandtoitswestandmorth,andbytheKoreaPeninsulatOtheeast.TheHSreceivesabundantdischargeoffreshwaterandland-basedmaterialsthroughriversfromChinaandKorea,which ThisstudywassupportedbyagrantfromtheKoreaMinistryofaudienceandTechnoing.maybeaccumulatedpartlyinsidethebasinforacertainpenedormoveoutofthebasinintothenorthwesternEastChinaSea.TheHScirculationisknowntobemostlydependentuPOnsurfacewindfie…     

中国末次冰盛期以来湖泊水量变化及古气候变化机制解释

中国古湖泊数据库收录的42个湖泊,提供的湖泊水量每千年变化的空间信息,可以用来系统分析中国区域末次冰盛期以来大气环流变化的状况.研究结果表明:我国西部从末次冰盛期以来直至全新世中期均为较湿润的气候状况,推测冰期内的湿润条件主要与西风带的降水以及低温低蒸发密切相关,而全新世主要为夏季风降水增加所致;全新世晚期气候趋干明显.我国东部的大部分区域在冰盛期和晚冰期较为干旱;只是在全新世有效降水状况才有大幅度的改善,全新世中期夏季风降水的效应仍然相当显著,控制的范围可达整个中国西部,同时位于现代季风气候区的中国东部,有效降水的峰值区的变化似乎存在从北往南的穿时性,南方有效降水峰值出现在晚全新世.而西南季风区湿润状况的明显改善发生在晚冰期,比东南季风区发生的早,显然这与两个季风系统的相互消长有一定的关系.我国东北区的湿润状况改善的也较早,显示了独特的季风气候机制.     

太湖梅梁湾冬季湖流特征

2003年元月在盛行西北偏北风的情况下,对位于太湖北部的梅梁湾进行了面上湖流调查,发现梅梁湾湾口的湖流较为稳定,以向南流为主,且流速相对较大,最大达8cm/s,梅梁湾西岸有稳定的向北流,而从五里湖口至拖山附近的梅梁湾东线湖水由北向南流动,且在中部附近分为两支,一支向西,再流向北以补偿西岸的向北流,另一支扩散至整个梅梁湾南部,向南流经湾口进入太湖.在梅梁湾东北部,发现有弱辐合中心,该范围内Chl.a和TP、TN的含量明显高于周围水域.从所有点的垂直运动判断,梅梁湾水流以弱上升运动为主,大小为2cm/s以下.从水量平衡分析,以梅梁湾流入太湖为主要特征,水量补给主要来自于北部的五里湖和直湖港及武进港.     

海流剖面仪信号处理系统中最小二乘改进算法的应用研究

ADCP技术是海洋测流领域的热门技术,而频谱估计方法的研究是该技术的核心。文章介绍一种最小二乘的改进算法(ELMS),利用该算法可以很好的提取出淹没在白噪声下的正弦频谱。和传统的快速傅立叶变换方法(FFT)相比,该算法极大的压缩了数据量的要求,而且在信噪比为0DB的时候,仍能够较准确的估计出信号的谱峰位置。实验结果辩明该算法具有良好的鲁棒性。