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.     

基于深度域地震成像的中沙海槽盆地东北部结构构造研究

文章基于叠前深度偏移地震成像分析, 结合前人重磁反演等地球物理资料成果, 对中沙海槽盆地东北部结构构造进行探索研究。研究表明: 中沙海槽盆地东北部发育新生代地层, 厚度在1500~2500m之间, 地层层速度为1500~ 3500m·s^-1, 不存在中生界沉积层, 盆地基底为海山或前寒武系基岩及岩浆岩隆起。中沙海槽盆地新生代陆源海相烃源岩丰富, 盆地新生界地层厚度大, 盆地凹陷、断裂发育, 具有一定的油气勘探潜力。     

中沙大环礁四种大型海藻的光生理特征比较及其对升温的响应*

生活于珊瑚礁区的大型海藻可以与珊瑚一起为礁栖生物提供食物和栖息地, 它们在维护珊瑚礁生态系统生物多样性中起着极为重要的作用。本论文比较研究了生活于我国南海中沙大环礁区4种优势海藻的生化组分、光合特征及其对海水升温的生理响应,其中厚膜藻(Grateloupia ellipitica)和粉枝藻(Liagora samaensis)为红藻, 钙扇藻(Udotea flabellum)和仙掌藻(Halimeda discoidea)为绿藻。结果显示, 与绿藻相比, 红藻藻体叶绿素(Chl a)和类胡萝卜素含量更低且含有藻胆素, 红藻的光补偿点(E_C)和呼吸速率(R_d)均显著低于绿藻。海水升温提高了4种海藻的光能利用效率(α)、E_C、R_d和日净光合固碳量; 同时, 升温还降低红藻的饱和光强(E_K)、提高绿藻的最大光合放氧速率(P_max)。结果还显示, 海水升温在光强较低时提高红藻的光合放氧速率, 光强较高时则降低其放氧速率; 升温也提高绿藻的光合放氧速率, 但光强变化对升温效应的影响不显著。基于4种海藻的光生理特征以及升温效应的种间差异性可见, 短时间升温(~4℃)有利于中沙大环礁区海藻的光合作用; 与绿藻相比, 该升温效应更有利于红藻。     

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...     

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%。     

中国海洋的珊瑚-珊瑚礁: 南海中央区珊瑚-珊瑚礁生物多样性特征

珊瑚是地球上最古老的原住民,具有近6×108年的发育史,弱势群居、喜温和原地长成是珊瑚的基本特征。作者介绍了珊瑚-珊瑚礁的基本特征,综述了跨十年调查的研究区珍贵照片资料和相关认识,指出中国是全球主要的珊瑚-珊瑚礁国家,地位举足轻重;珊瑚-珊瑚礁作为地球生物多样性的代表,造岛、固礁、护鱼、防护岛岸流失,形成南海四大群岛280余座岛、礁、滩、沙,所构建庞大海洋生态系统是无与伦比的海洋生态资源和寸土寸金的南海海洋国土。提出划分南海珊瑚-珊瑚礁为中央区和周缘区2个分布区,阐述了南海中央区珊瑚-珊瑚礁的基本特征,系统汇集报道了间隔10年2个科考航次调查在浅水礁盘浮潜、至20 m水深浅潜-深潜和礁盘及开展岛、礁、滩、沙地质调查的发现,包括科学定名46种六放石珊瑚和6种八放软珊瑚等成果,同时,收集了西沙、中沙、东沙和南沙群岛海域的相关调查航次珊瑚照片;进一步阐述了单体环礁和复合环礁的特征及分布,并进行了初步对比,指出永乐环礁是南海唯一一个真正的切合达尔文模式的环礁,也是环礁发展到最高阶段的产物,构成现代海洋珊瑚-珊瑚礁形成演化研究最好的天然实验室。     

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.     

Insights about the structure and development of Zhongsha Bank in the South China Sea from integrated geophysical modelling

ABSTRACT

We construct a complete density transection based on the velocity structures across the Zhongsha Bank in the South China Sea. Gravity modelling of the lateral density contrasts between tectonic units helps us to determine the structural attributes and boundaries between continental blocks and deep basins. The configuration of the continent–ocean boundary (COB) around the Zhongsha Bank is mapped based on the gravity/magnetic anomaly and crustal structures. A low-density mantle is found beneath the Zhongsha Bank and the oceanic basins, and this mantle is associated with the high heat-flow background. The COB orientation is northeast-east in the north of the bank, with faulted linear structures. In further southeast, where there is a more intact crust, the COB orientation changed to north-northeast. The reconstructed density model and gravity/magnetic map indicate that the Zhongsha Bank is conjugated with the Liyue Bank by a rifted basin, where the crust had experienced localized deformation before the seafloor spreading. Because of the insufficient magmatism in the oceanic basin, the spreading ridge propagates into the weakened continental lithosphere between the two continental blocks, thus completely separating the Zhongsha Bank from the Liyue Bank. Seafloor spreading ridge jumps within the South China Sea may also be affected by the heterogeneous lithosphere beneath the continental blocks and oceanic basins.