Multiple longshore sand bars in the upper Chesapeake Bay

In the upper Chesapeake Bay (Maryland, U.S.A.) field surveys were conducted at 18 multiple longshore sand bar sites. The multiple bar systems were found in water depths less than approximately 2 m (mean sea level), and exhibited mild bottom slopes of 0·0052 or less. The number of bars composing each system ranged from four to 17 and the spacing between the crests typically increased in the offshore direction, ranging from 12 to 70 m. Bar height also typically increased with distance offshore and ranged from 0·03 to 0·61 m. A grain size analysis of crest and trough sediment did not reveal any significant differences and the sediment was categorized as ‘fine sand’. A review of the literature data indicated that the Chesapeake Bay multiple bars possessed similar characteristics to those found in Gelding Bay (Baltic Sea); similarities in fetch, wave height and tidal range between the two bays may account for this finding. The surf-scaling parameter indicated that the multiple bar systems were extremely dissipative with regard to wave energy, and wave height appeared to be an important factor in controlling bar spacing and bar height. A multiple wave break point hypothesis was discussed as a possible mechanism for the formation of Chesapeake Bay multiple longshore bars, and limited observational evidence appeared to support such a mechanism.     

榆林风沙滩区水资源可持续利用对策与建议

本文在对榆林风沙滩区内水资源条件、开发利用现状及存在问题等调查研究资料进行深入分析的基础上,结合国民经济各业未来发展对水资源的需求情况,确定了未来不同水平年的需水量和供水量,并通过供需平衡分析,提出了解决水资源短缺的途径和实现水资源合理开发利用的建议.     

利用滩坝砂体规模研究古风力的定量恢复*

古风力是一项重要的古气候指标,其定量恢复是一个难题。风作用于水体产生的波浪大小间接地反映了风力,能够为古风力的恢复提供思路。发育于破浪带和冲浪回流带的破浪沙坝、沿岸沙坝分别记录了破浪和冲浪过程,作者分别介绍利用古湖泊中发育的破浪沙坝和沿岸沙坝进行古波况和古风力恢复的原理和操作流程。(1)根据破浪沙坝的几何形态,可以将其厚度与破浪水深建立函数关系,而破浪水深又由破浪波高决定,因此破浪沙坝厚度可以恢复破浪波高,据此可以进一步根据波浪统计关系恢复有效波高、根据风浪关系恢复风力。此方法依托以下3个参数: 单期次的破浪沙坝厚度、破浪沙坝的基座坡角、古风程。(2)沿岸沙坝厚度近似记录了冲浪的极限高度,后者受控于有效波高,据此也可以恢复有效波高和风力。此方法依托以下5个参数: 单期次的沿岸沙坝厚度、古(平均)水深、古风程、古风向相对于岸线的入射角、组成沿岸沙坝的沉积物粒度。上述2种方法综合性较强,涉及古风向、古地形坡度、风程或盆地直径、古水深等参数的恢复,需要综合运用古地貌恢复、去压实校正、古岸线识别、古水深恢复等技术,并需要结合波浪理论。古湖泊滨岸带地层中保存有大量的滩坝沉积,利用其恢复古波况和古风况具有一定的应用前景,能够有助于更详细地重建沉积盆地的古地理背景。     

沙滩休闲旅游价值影响因素分析——以青岛海水浴场为例

沙滩休闲游乐价值受到沙滩的物理、化学、生物学特征及人口统计因素等各种社会、经济因素的影响,特别是游客的个体因素对沙滩休闲游乐价值具有重要的影响。通过对影响游客沙滩选择的因素进行评估,结合沙滩的游客支付意愿和环境保护意愿调查,系统地对不同自然及人口统计因素对沙滩游憩成本、沙滩使用支付意愿及环境保护意愿的影响及关联程度进行了统计分析,得出环境质量、家庭收入、沙滩游览次数等因素对沙滩休闲旅游价值具有显著影响。     

Physical determinants of intertidal communities on dissipative beaches: Implications of sea-level rise

Sea-level rise is likely to cause significant changes in the morphodynamic state of beaches in the higher latitudes, resulting in steeper beaches with larger particle sizes. These physical changes have implications for beach invertebrate communities, which are determined largely by sediment particle size, and hence for ecosystem function. Previous studies have explored the relationships between invertebrate communities and environmental variables such as particle size, beach slope and exposure to wave action, and often these physical variables can be integrated in various indices of morphodynamic state. Most of these studies incorporated a full range of beach types that included wave-dominated surf beaches, where the wave action is harsh enough to enable reliable estimates of breaker height, a parameter included in several of the indices, and concluded that more dissipative beaches with gentler slopes and finer particle sizes often support a higher number of species and greater abundance than more reflective beaches. Whether these predictions remain valid for less wave-dominated beaches, where breaker height is more difficult to determine, is uncertain. In the present study, the abundance of meio- and macrofauna was quantified across a range of beaches in the UK, which are generally towards the lower energy end of the morphodynamic gradient, and their relationships with beach physical properties explored. No significant relationships were found between abundance and the standard morphodynamic indices, but significant relationships were found for both macro- and meiofaunal abundance when these indices were combined with an exposure index (derived from velocity, direction, duration and the effective fetch). All the relationships identified between abundance and combined morphodynamic indices indicated a higher abundance of both macro- and meiofauna on the more dissipative beaches. The reverse was however found for species richness. If predictions that accelerated sea-level rise will move beaches towards a more reflective morphodynamic state are correct, this could lead to declines in the abundance of meio- and macrofauna, with potential adverse consequences for ecosystem functioning.     

Source-area controls on the composition of beach and fluvial sands on the southern side of the Gibraltar Strait and Western Alboran Sea (Flysch Basin, Internal and External, Domains, Northern Rif Chain)

The southern side of Gibraltar and the Western Alboran Sea of the northern Rif coasts and rivers provide a natural field laboratory for sampling modern sand at different scales: small catchment basins (first order) and rivers draining mountain belts (second order). The Rifian chain represents a deformed and uplifted thrust-belt and related forelands composed of Palaeozoic nappes, metamorphic and plutonic basement, and their sedimentary Mesozoic and Cenozoic siliciclastic and carbonate cover, respectively. The present physiography of the Rif Chain is shaped by a rugged mountainous relief drained by different scale catchment basins that supply the nearby coastal and marine deep-sea environments. The analysis of the composition of modern fluvial and beach sands is useful for the interpretation of transported sediments by surface processes from the continent toward coasts and later to deep-water environments.Modern beach and fluvial sands of the southern side of Gibraltar and the Western Alboran Sea display three distinct petrologic littoral provinces, from the east to the west and from the north to the south, respectively, designated as: (i) the Tangier–Bel Younech Littoral Province with 90% of sand derived from erosion of Flysch Nappes (Flysch Basin Domain); (ii) the Bel Younech–Sebta Littoral Province with 64% of sand fed mainly by the metamorphic Units of Upper Sebtides and (iii) the Sebta–Ras Mazari Littoral Province with 74% of sand supplied from the epimetamorphic Palaeozoic Ghomaride Nappes and Alpine cover rather than Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary successions of the “Dorsale Calcaire” Units. Comparison of detrital modes of fluvial and coastal marine environments highlights their dispersal pathways and drainage patterns of actualistic sand petrofacies.     

华南沿海若干砂质海滩沉积物粒度特征的分析

根据2003年7月在华南沿海12个砂质海滩所取得的76个沉积物样品（其中次表层样品36个,不计入研究范围）,就该区的沉积物粒度特征展开论述。为了便于分析其沉积物粒度特征,我们把华南沿海12条海滩剖面根据岸滩形态和成因将华南砂质海岸划分为岬湾型砂质海岸、沙坝-渴湖型砂质海岸和夷直型砂质海岸三大类。阐述了不同类型海滩的表层沉积物的粒度特征、类型、分布以及粒度的沿程变化特征。     

南麂列岛大沙岙沙滩贝类的时空分布

南麂列岛作为观光旅游的休闲去处正在日益升温,其中沙滩游玩是最大的活动亮点,大沙岙是南麂列岛最具代表性的沙滩,沙滩内生活着较多贝类,随大量人员的涌入和沿岸环境污染的日趋加重,大沙岙沙滩贝类的栖息地环境受到了较大程度的危害、人为活动正影响着贝类的生长发育。为探明近年来大沙岙贝类种类、数量及群落结构的变化,在南麂列岛国家海洋自然保护区建立初期(1992年)生态调查的基础上,于2003年再次对大沙岙贝类进行了采样分析,结果表明:大沙岙沙滩12种贝类的平均生物量和栖息密度分别为30.16g/m2和20个/m2,北断面开放区贝类的平均生物量和栖息密度(13.98g/m2和11个/m2)明显少于受监控的南断面核心区(46.33g/m2和30个/m2),贝类的平均生物量和栖息密度的垂直分布低潮区(48.43g/m2和31个/m2)高于中潮区(28.03g/m2和20个/m2),贝类的平均栖息密度7月高于3月,北断面贝类的季节变化、多样性和均匀度指数大于南断面。与建区初期同季调查资料比对发现,2003年北断面贝类数量下降幅度(14倍)显著大于南断面贝类下降幅度(1倍)。分析认为,自然环境变化和人为采捕是影响沙滩贝类数量下降的主要外部因子。     

Structure and distribution of the benthic macrofauna on a Northwest African sandy beach close to a freshwater river discharge

The effects of the freshwater discharge of the Oued Sebou River on the macroinfauna, was studied on the sandy beach of Mehdia through the analysis of the abiotic parameters and of the macrozoobenthos. In autumn 2002 and spring 2003, three beach sites, each with two transects, localized at 50, 3500 and 5720 m from the river mouth respectively, were studied. Positive correlations were recorded for beach slope and pH whereas negative ones were obtained for organic matter content and salinity at increasing distances from the river mouth. Significant differences between beach sites and seasons occurred for median grain size, organic matter content and pH. For each beach site, mean macroinfauna abundance varied between 30 and 100 ind.·m⁻² and in spring there was a significant correlation between this parameter and the increasing distance from the river mouth. No significant correlation was instead found between species richness and the increasing distance, although the farthest beach site from the mouth had the highest number of species during both seasons. The results indicated the importance of organic matter content and salinity for the macrofaunal abundance whereas the diversity indices were more affected by beach slope and grain size. The results showed that there was no clear spatial trend in compound indices of the macrofauna across the sampled sites and the influence of the river discharge of Sebou River did not seem to be significant and consistent on the macrobenthos of this mesotidal shore. Comparison with microtidal shores revealed the influence of the tidal excursion and swell characteristics on the response of the benthic structures of sandy beaches to discharges of freshwater.