Estimation of Sea Ice Thickness from SARAL/AltiKa in Drifting Orbit Phase

Abstract

Intra and inter-annual variations in the sea ice thickness are highly sensitive indicators of climatic variations undergoing in the earth’s atmosphere and oceans. This paper describes the method of estimating sea ice thickness using radar waveforms data acquired by SARAL/Altika mission during its drifting orbit phase from July 2016 onwards yielding spatially dense data coverage. Based on statistical analysis of return echoes, classification of the surface has been carried out in three different types, viz. floe, lead and mixed. Time delay correction methods were suitably selected and implemented to make corrections in altimetric range measurements and thereby freeboard. By assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, freeboard data were converted into sea ice thickness. Results show that sea ice thickness varies from 4 to 5?m near ice shelves and 1 to 2.5?m in the marginal sea ice regions. Freeboard and sea ice thickness estimates were also validated using NASA’s Operation Ice Bridge (OIB) datasets. Freeboard measurements show very high correlation (0.97) having RMSE of 0.13. Overestimation of approximately 1–2?m observed in the sea ice thickness, which could be attributed to distance between AltiKa footprint and OIB locations. Moreover, sensitivity analysis shows that snow depth and snow density over sea ice play crucial role in the estimation of sea ice thickness.     

Distribution and abundance patterns of two parapagurid hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) along the west and south coasts of South Africa

A series of over 6 000 research-trawl samples collected along the west and south coasts of South Africa between 1987 and 2014 were analysed for the presence and biomass of two parapagurid hermit crabs, Sympagurus dimorphus and Parapagurus bouvieri. The percentage of trawls that landed S. dimorphus and P. bouvieri and the mean caught biomass were higher on the west than on the south coast for both the more-abundant S. dimorphus (30.59 vs 5.81% success and 287.88 vs 31.37 kg km^–2, respectively) and for the less-abundant P. bouvieri (13.76 vs 3.58% success and 38.56 vs 16.32 kg km^–2, respectively). Very few parapagurids were caught shallower than 150 m; thereafter, the proportion of trawls containing hermit crabs increased, peaking over the depth range 201–250 m for S. dimorphus (54%) and 401–450 m for P. bouvieri (51%), and declining steadily thereafter. On the west coast, the relative caught biomass of S. dimorphus increased significantly from north to south, but there was no apparent latitudinal trend in relative biomass for P. bouvieri. Similarly, there was a significant decline in caught biomass of S. dimorphus with increasing longitude along the south coast, but no apparent trend for P. bouvieri. Although this represents by far the most comprehensive global analyses of distribution and abundance patterns for parapagurids to date, extremely little remains known about the biology and ecological relationships of these species, or indeed of other members of the group.     

Depth and Seasonal Distribution of Some Groups of the Vagile Fauna of the Posidonia oceanica Leaf Stratum: Structural and Trophic Analyses

Abstract. The taxonomical and trophic structures of the vagile fauna communities of the leaf stratum in a Posidonia oceanica meadow at Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy) were investigated at five stations along a depth gradient (1 to 25 m). Sampling was performed in July, November, February, and May. The analyzed groups - polychaetes, molluscs, tanaids, isopods, amphipods, and decapods - exhibited similar distributional trends in all seasons, with coenotic discontinuities occurring at well-defined depths. The same zonation pattern was produced by feeding-guild analysis. Eleven trophic groups were identified. The most abundant groups were: Herbivores, which were found mainly at the shallow stations; Herbivores-deposit feeders, which were widely distributed along the transect; Deposit feeders-carnivores, found mainly at the deep stations.
This study suggests that in the Posidonia leaf stratum, herbivores and herbivores-deposit feeders, as consumers of epiphytic micro- and macroflora and deposited particulate organic matter, play an important role in the energy transfer from producers to higher trophic levels of the system.     

Steady Response of a Ventilated Thermocline to Enhanced Ekman Pumping

The steady response of the ventilated thermocline to an increase in Ekman pumping is investigated, focusing on the effect of the mixed layer depth distribution on the subsurface density anomaly. We consider only the subtropical gyre, and the mixed layer is assumed to be deep in the northwest and shallow elsewhere with a narrow transition zone separating the deep and shallow mixed layer regions. At the intersection of this narrow transition zone and the outcrop line, low potential vorticity fluid is subducted into and ventilates the thermocline. In such a situation, an enhancement of the Ekman pumping confined to the northern subtropical gyre leads to pronounced subsurface cold anomalies in the southern subtropics, which is free of anomalous forcing. These density anomalies are much greater than those that occur when either the mixed layer depth is zonally uniform or the Ekman pumping is enhanced in the whole subtropical gyre. They are caused by anomalous changes in the trajectory of the low potential vorticity fluid in response to anomalous Sverdrup flow. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

陕西中南部现今断层滑动速率和闭锁深度反演

位于华北板块和扬子板块之间的陕西中南部由渭河盆地、秦岭造山带和汉中盆地构成,其新构造运动主要形式为山脉隆升、盆地断陷,因此以重复水准测量为手段的地壳垂直运动研究尤为重要.基于研究区1970年以来的多期精密水准测量数据,用GPS垂直运动速率约束的动态平差方法获得了区域垂直运动速度场.以此为基础,用倾滑位错模型、网格搜索方法反演了研究区主要断层倾滑速率和闭锁深度,结果显示：秦岭北缘断裂倾滑速率为2.25~4.53 mm·a^-1,闭锁深度为7.7~10.0 km;华山山前断裂倾滑速率为2.35~2.71 mm·a^-1;闭锁深度为2.8~5.0 km,反映了该断裂在华县大地震之后,可能还没有完全闭锁,发生大震的应变能积累条件不足;渭河盆地北缘断裂的倾滑动速率为2.0~2.5 mm·a^-1,闭锁深度仅为3.0 km左右,说明该断裂以蠕滑运动为主;略阳断裂倾滑速率为3.02 mm·a^-1,闭锁深度6.7 km,是陕南较活动的断裂.

     

深海沉积物分类与命名的参数指标和主成分分析

对于南海中部(118个表层沉积物样,水深82~4 420 m)、东部(106个表层沉积物样,水深700~4 508 m)海域的表层沉积物的粒度资料按小于200 m,200~2 000 m,大于2 000 m水深段对水深、平均粒径、黏土含量进行统计分析,结果表明从陆架到陆坡再到深海,平均粒径和黏土含量随水深增加呈非常有规律的变化;把大于2 000 m水深区域再细分为大于2 500 m,大于3 000 m,大于3 500 m,结果表明平均粒径和黏土含量随水深增加几乎无变化,在南海中部水深大于2 000 m海域平均粒径为3.39~3.54μm,黏土平均含量为54.91%~55.47%;在南海东部水深大于2 000 m海域平均粒径为3.25~3.37μm,黏土平均含量为53.91%~54.56%。研究表明2 000 m水深具有划分深海沉积物的指示意义。南海中部水深大于2 000 m海域黏土平均含量为55.19%,平均粒径为3.39μm;在南海东部水深大于2 000 m海域黏土平均含量为53.91%,平均粒径为3.37μm;在南海中部、东部水深大于2 000 m海域平均粒径均小于4μm,黏土平均含量均大于50%,表明深海沉积物粒度特征是平均粒径小于4μm和黏土平均含量大于50%。黏土含量是非生物组分的代表和划分深海沉积物类型的一个独立参数,钙质生物和硅质生物组分是另外两个独立参数。南海东部海域表层沉积物中55种元素总含量为47.50%,硅、铝、钛、钠、钾、磷、钙、镁、铁、锰十种主元素含量为47.03%,其他45种元素含量为0.47%,虽然沉积物来源复杂、成因不同,但沉积物化学主成分并不复杂,主要由前10种主元素和氧元素组成。沉积物主元素铝、钙、硅分别富集于黏土、钙质沉积、硅质沉积中。通过建立沉积物生源组分与碳酸钙、三氧化二铝、二氧化硅的量化关系,可把碳酸钙、生物二氧化硅作为钙质生物和硅质生物的两个替代参数。     

东濮凹陷古近系沙河街组沙三段沉积期湖岸线的变化及岩相古地理特征

东濮凹陷沙三段地层为深水相暗色泥岩与砂岩频繁互层及深水相暗色泥岩与盐膏岩频繁互层.这种砂体是东濮凹陷很重要的含油气储层。过去这种砂体往往按照静态的模式被解释为重力流成因,随着勘探的不断深入,越来越多的证据表明这些砂体中存在着牵引流和暴露地表的标志,其成因和沉积模式需要重新认识。东濮凹陷沙三段沉积时期,湖平面变化频繁,有长周期,也有短周期。根据录井、电性及岩心等资料识别出湖平面变化的5级周期,其变化频率约为1000次/Ma。根据计算,东濮凹陷沙三段沉积时期湖水最大深度为30 m。高水位沉积期,湖岸线距盆地中心较远,盆地沉积中心发育暗色泥岩夹薄层碳酸盐岩,盆地边缘发育粗碎屑岩沉积;水位下降期,边缘相砂体不断向盆地中心进积;低水位期湖岸线向盆地中心退缩了1030 km,盆地沉积中心发育盐膏岩沉积,盐膏岩的周围发育低水位三角洲、扇三角洲和滨湖滩坝相的粗碎屑岩体。正是由于湖平面的变化引起的湖岸线迁移,导致高水位沉积期和低水位期湖盆的岩相古地理面貌发生很大的变化,根据这种动态的模式来预测砂体的分布,在指导油气勘探中产生了明显的效果。     

水深梯度对苦草(Vallisneria natans)克隆生长与觅食行为的影响

为了解水深梯度对苦草克隆生长与觅食行为的影响,通过大型原位浮台实验,将苦草幼苗盆栽后悬挂在不同水深(1.0、2.5、4.0、5.5、7.0 m)下培养,比较其生物量、无性系分株数、出芽数、株高、最大根长和匍匐茎总长的变化,并且评估了植株生物量对这些性状的影响.研究结果表明,随水深的增加苦草的生物量、无性系分株数、出芽数、最大根长、匍匐茎总长均显著降低,而株高随水深梯度呈先增加后降低的趋势.植株生物量仅对出芽数没有显著影响.水深梯度与植株生物量的交互作用仅对无性系分株数和匍匐茎总长有显著影响,而对其他性状没有显著影响,说明这两个性状对水深的响应受到个体发育的影响.     

决口海堤水波传播模拟和分析研究Ⅱ:2D传播

应用经验证的SWASH数学模型,分析了海堤决口中心线沿线实测水深分布规律和保护区淹没水量与淹没面积。对不同特征水深进行验证,进而探讨不同波要素对不同形式的海堤决口堤后特征水深分布情况以及波浪传播距离与时间的关系;分析了物理模型试验中海堤决口宽度以及不同波要素对堤后洪水波演进的影响;计算了不同决口深度和宽度对洪水波传播的影响,建立堤后水体淹没水量和淹没面积分布公式。成果可供我国沿海城市和地区在风暴潮和台风浪作用下海堤决口风险图绘制参考。     

云南昭通盆地重磁特征及其地质意义

以区域重磁资料为依据,结合地质资料以及前人的研究成果,分析昭通盆地的重磁特征,对反映昭通盆地的重力低异常进行处理和解释。利用以重力数据为主的基底密度界面反演和剖面反演,详细揭露昭通盆地的基底形态、地层发育特征以及断层构造的展布,并在此基础上分析断层及褶皱构造在盆地的巨厚褐煤层形成过程中的控制作用,更进一步确定了其为构造坳陷型盆地。