Observations of wave pump efficiency

Currently available data on wave pump efficiency is reviewed. The obtainable efficiency is an important consideration in the design of practical devices for the extraction of wave energy and the analysis of natural systems (e.g., coral flats and rip currents). We find that the peak efficiency is 0.5 for very steep (∼ 40–45°) ramps where the waves break over the top of the ramp. For flatter (< 30°) ramps, the breaking process is more gradual and the peak efficiency is less than 0.1. We have identified natural atoll lagoon systems where the flushing is wave driven and successfully modeled it as driven by a wave pump. The same is the case for rip currents. For both of these natural systems, the pump efficiency is around 0.035. In addition a numerical swash model is used to estimate wave pump efficiency and is seen to match the experimental results for natural systems or breaking wave scenario.     

基于深度学习的西沙永乐群岛珊瑚礁遥感信息提取

珊瑚礁是海洋生态系统的重要组成部分,对保护海洋生物多样性以及维持海洋生态平衡具有重大意义。我国南海珊瑚岛礁自然资源丰富,准确、高效地提取珊瑚岛礁信息对南海岛礁监测、管理、规划与保护具有现实意义。本研究基于我国海洋一号C卫星（HY 1C）遥感数据,对西沙永乐群岛珊瑚礁信息进行了研究与分析,提出基于HY 1C遥感数据的珊瑚礁地貌分类体系。采用全卷积神经网络U Net模型,依次通过下采样、上采样操作提取西沙永乐环礁地貌特征,实现原始影像的像素级语义分割。结果表明：基于HY 1C数据建立的地貌分类体系对活珊瑚覆盖及珊瑚生长发育条件具有指示作用,提出的基于U Net模型的珊瑚岛礁地貌信息自动提取方法,能够为我国南海珊瑚岛礁生态系统的全自动、大范围监测和评价提供相应理论基础,在珊瑚礁生态管理与评价中发挥关键作用。精度验证结果表明：U Net模型可以有效提取珊瑚礁地貌信息,采用的地貌信息提取方法具备时空泛化能力,泛化精度高于80%。     

Modeling patterns of coral bleaching at a remote Central Pacific atoll

A mild bleaching event (9.2% prevalence) at Palmyra Atoll occurred in response to the 2009 ENSO, when mean water temperature reached 29.8-30.1 °C. Prevalence among both abundant and sparse taxa varied with no clear pattern in susceptibility relating to coral morphology. Seven taxon-specific models showed that turbidity exacerbated while prior exposure to higher background temperatures alleviated bleaching, with these predictors explaining an average 16.3% and 11.5% variation in prevalence patterns, respectively. Positive associations occurred between bleaching prevalence and both immediate temperature during the bleaching event (average 8.4% variation explained) and increased sand cover (average 3.7%). Despite these associations, mean unexplained variation in prevalence equalled 59%. Lower bleaching prevalence in areas experiencing higher background temperatures suggests acclimation to temperature stress among several coral genera, while WWII modifications may still be impacting the reefs via shoreline sediment re-distribution and increased turbidity, exacerbating coral bleaching susceptibility during periods of high temperature stress.     

Proximate environmental drivers of coral communities at Palmyra Atoll: establishing baselines prior to removing a WWII military causeway

A management proposal aims to partly remove a WWII military causeway at Palmyra Atoll to improve lagoon water circulation and alleviate sedimentation stress on the southeast backreef, an area of high coral cover and diversity. This action could result in a shift in sedimentation across reef sites. To provide management advice, we quantified the proximate environmental factors driving scleractinian coral cover and community patterns at Palmyra. The proportion of fine sedimentation was the optimal predictor of coral cover and changes in community structure, explaining 23.7% and 24.7% of the variation between sites, respectively. Scleractinian coral cover was negatively correlated with increases in fine sedimentation. Removing the causeway could negatively affect the Montipora corals that dominate the western reef terrace, as this genus was negatively correlated with levels of fine sedimentation. The tolerance limits of corals, and sediment re-distribution patterns, should be determined prior to complete removal of the causeway.     

中沙群岛海域春夏交季温盐分布特征

中沙群岛主要由中沙大环礁和黄岩岛组成,其温盐分布对于本区渔业生产、航海保障和水下通讯等具有重要意义。尤其是春夏之交的季节转换时期,该海域水温和盐度及其相应的跃层特性存在显著的季节变化,掌握其季节变化特征具有重要现实意义。本文基于2019年5月（南海春夏季风转换期）中沙大环礁、黄岩岛和2020年6月（夏季风爆发期）中沙大环礁海域大面站调查数据分析,发现中沙大环礁海域水温和盐度分布特征在夏季风爆发前后具有显著的差异性,2个航次的温跃层分布也呈现出较大不同,2019年5月黄岩岛海域温盐中上层分布与中沙大环礁相似,但底层有所差异,跃层深度也较大。2020年6月中沙大环礁内水体升温较快,各层水温均高于2019年5月,其中以底层水体升温最为显著;2019年5月中沙大环礁内水温水平梯度较大,且随着水深加大水平梯度也越大,2020年6日水平温度梯度逐渐减小。2个航次的盐度分布与水温分布较为相似。结合调查时段的海表热通量变化和卫星高度计资料分析认为,2019年5月中沙大环礁西南部海洋吸热高于东北部,故表层水温西南高东北低;2020年6月至7月环礁西南部海洋吸热低于东北部,故表层水温西南低东北高。由于中尺...     

Occurrence of phosphatic microfossils in an Ediacaran–Cambrian mid-oceanic paleo-atoll limestone of southern Siberia

New phosphatic microfossils were recently discovered in an Ediacaran–Cambrian mid-oceanic paleo-atoll limestone in the southern Gorny Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. Microfossils with calcium phosphate shells are abundant in the limestone that occurs as an exotic block within a Cambrian accretionary complex in the Kurai area. SEM observations confirm that the calcium phosphatic shells are ellipsoidal and equal-sized, about 200–300 μm in diameter. Shell walls are about 1 μm thick. As the absence of external and internal structures hinders a detailed comparison/identification, these microfossils are tentatively treated here as paleontological problematica. EPMA-analysis confirmed the concentration of elements P and Ca in microfossil shells and the absence in the matrix, suggesting the primary phosphatic composition of the shells. Because phosphatic microfossils are generally scarce in the Ediacaran but abundant from the Lower Cambrian, in particular within pre-trilobitic SSF assemblages, the phosphatic fossil-bearing limestone in the Kurai area possibly belongs to the Lower Cambrian. The present find proves that mid-oceanic paleo-seamounts as well as continental shelf domains had already been inhabited by diverse metazoans in the Ediacaran–Cambrian transitional interval.     

南沙群岛永暑礁岩体稳定性评价

永暑礁表层为松散的生物砂砾堆积,表层以下为礁灰岩,夹有2个沉积间断面。礁体呈岩盆结构,从外向内胶结程度依次降低。在综合研究了永暑礁自然环境特征、地层岩性以及岩体结构特征的基础上,认为永暑礁整体稳定性良好,不会发生整体倾覆的现象,浅层土体也不会发生剪切、滑移等工程地质问题。并利用非线性弹性本构模型,对永暑礁礁体地基与边坡在不同应力作用下发生变形与破坏的过程及机理进行了探讨,研究结果认为,在外部应力作用下,珊瑚礁内的应力状态将发生变化,局部出现应力集中,边坡出现拉应力。200kPa的荷载使礁体边坡产生的水平位移小于1cm,岩体边坡仍是稳定的,但最大垂直位移达到1．8cm,有可能出现珊瑚砂的整体剪切破坏。     

南沙群岛永暑礁第四系研究

水暑礁礁坪的“南水１井”井尺１５２．０７ｍ，采用了古生物与古地磁定年，＾１４Ｃ、氨基酸外消旋、铀系和ＥＳＲ等方法测年，确定该井地层属第四系，全新统与更新统的分界在井深１７．３ｍ，上更新统与中更新统的分界难确定，中更新统与下更新统分界在９０ｍ。永暑礁第四第划分为全新统南海组，０－１７．３ｍ，更新统南沙组，１７．３－１５２．０７ｍ（末到底）。     

永暑礁海区潮汐海流特征分析

将永暑礁水域1992年逐时潮位和1993年5月-2002年5月各航次的海流及2002年海面逐时风等观测资料进行统计和分析,讨论该岛礁水域潮汐和海流变化特征并对综合极值海流进行初步估算。结果表明,该岛礁水域全日分潮大于半日分潮,潮汐性质属不正规日潮,最大可能潮差较大。春季该岛礁水域实测海流变化较大;最大流速75cm／s。潮流性质为不正规日潮流,随水深的增加日潮流的性质有所减弱;主要日分潮流多作顺时针方向旋转,主要半日潮流则作反时针方向旋转。春季余流较稳定,速度在10cm／s左右,流向多为偏S-SW向。初步探讨了表层不同方位上综合极值海流的分布,不同方位上综合极值海流相差较大,NE、SSW方位上综合极值海流占份量较显著,显示出季风海流的特征。     

The atmospheric lead record preserved in lagoon sediments at a remote equatorial Pacific location: Palmyra Atoll, northern Line Islands

Anthropogenic lead (Pb) inputs to the atmosphere increased greatly over the past century and now dominate Pb supply to the oceans. However, the Pb content of sediments across the equatorial Pacific region is relatively unknown, and data exist only for deep sea sites where Pb deposition lags surface water inputs by up to a century. Here we present ICP-MS analyses of Pb of a core from a lagoon at Palmyra Atoll, northern Line Islands, that spans approximately the past 160 years. The non-bioturbated sediments of the euxinic lagoon, coupled with rapid rates of deposition, provide a unique fine-scale record of atmospheric Pb supply at a remote Pacific location. These first observations of historic Pb sedimentation in an atoll lagoon reveal a 63-fold increase in Pb flux to sediments during the past century and correlate directly with the North American consumption of leaded gasoline that began in 1926.