Variation in concentration of dissolved silicate in the Eastern Philippine deep sea

Upper Circumpolar Deep Water(UCDW)and North Pacifi c Deep Water(NPDW)coexist in the upper deep layer(i.e.,with a 1.2-2.0-℃potential temperature range and a 2000-4100-dbar pressure range)of the Eastern Philippine Sea.They have similar properties in potential temperature and salinity,while have a signifi cant diff erence in dissolved silicate.Based on the repeated observations along a 137°E transect from the World Ocean Database(WOD18),this study revealed the interannual variability of dissolved silicate in the upper deep layer of the Eastern Philippine Sea.Dissolved silicate increased in 1995,1996,2005,2006,and 2007,and decreased in 1997,2000,2001,2002,and 2004.Composition analysis showed that the large diff erence between positive and negative dissolved silicate anomalies occurred mainly at~15°N and north of 25°N,with the concentration reaching 4.25μmol/g.Further analysis indicated that the interannual dissolved silicate variability was related to the zonal current variation in the upper deep layer.The relatively strong(weak)westward current transport increased(decreased)NPDW to the Eastern Philippine Sea,thereby resulting in increased(decreased)dissolved silicate.

Response of the upper ocean to tropical cyclone in the Northwest Pacific observed by gliders during fall 2018

The evolution of thermohaline structure at the upper ocean during three tropical cyclones(TCs)in the Northwest Pacific was studied in this study based on successive observation by two new-style underwater gliders during fall 2018.These remote-controllable gliders with CTD sensor enabled us to explore high frequency responses of temperature,salinity,mixed and barrier layers in the upper ocean to severe TCs in this area.Results showed that three significant cooling-to-warming and stratification destructing-to-reconstructing processes at the mixed layer occurred during the lives of three TCs.The maximal cooling of SST all reached≥0.5℃although TCs with different intensities had different minimal distances to the observed area.Under potential impacts of solar radiation,tide and inertial motions,the mixed layer depth possessed significant high-frequency fluctuations during TC periods.In addition,barrier layers appeared and vanished quickly during TCs,accompanied with varied temperature inversion processes.

Dynamical features of near-inertial motions in global ocean based on the GDP dataset from 2000 to 2019

Based on the latest oceanic surface drifter dataset from the global drifter program during 2000–2019,this study investigated the global variation of relative frequency shift(RFS),near-inertial energy(NIE)and inverse excess bandwidth(IEB)of near-inertial motions,and analyzed their relations with oceanic mesoscale dynamics,relative vorticity and strain.Compared with previous works,we have some new findings in this study:(1)the RFS was high with negative values in some regions in which we found a significant blue shift of the RFS in the equatorward of 30°N(S)and from 50°N to 60°N in the Pacific,and a red shift in the western boundary currents and their extension regions,the North Atlantic and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current regions;(2)more peak values of the NIE were found in global regions like the South Indian Ocean,the Luzon Strait and some areas of the South Ocean;(3)the global distribution of the IEB were characterized by clear zonal bands and affected by vorticity and wind field;(4)the RFS was elevated as the absolute value of the gradient of vorticity increased,the IEB did not depend on the gradient of vorticity,and the eddy kinetic energy(EKE)weakened with the decrease of the absolute value of RFS;(5)the NIE decreased with increasing absolute value of the relative vorticity and the gradient of vorticity,but it increased with increasing strain and EKE when EKE was larger than 0.0032 m2/s2.

Physical structure and phytoplankton community off the eastern Hainan coast during summer 2015

Based on satellite remote sensing dataset and survey data during upwelling season of 2015,the spatial structures of phytoplankton biomass and community for the first time in the eastern Hainan upwelling(EHU)and its adjacent area,the eastern Leizhou Peninsula upwelling(ELPU)were illustrated.It is found that a significant cold tongue with high salinity and low temperature along the eastern Hainan coast driven by upwelling-favorable summer monsoon.The ELPU was relative weaker than the EHU because of its wide and gentle continental slope.Due to mixing by tides and waves,DO concentration with high value(>6.0 mg/L)were almost homogenous from surface to 30 m depth at the EHU.Beneath that,low DO water(<6.0 mg/L,anoxia)were pumped upward from bottom by the upwelling.The ELPU has worse DO condition compared with the EHU where bottom DO were lower than 3.5 mg/L owing to abundant DO consumption.The phytoplankton biomass reached maximal value about 1.5 mg/m3 at 30 m depth layer rather than surface layer at the EHU indicating the impact limit of upwelling on phytoplankton growth and DO distribution.Nourished by rich nutrient input,the phytoplankton biomass at the ELPU were much higher than the EHU where the maximal value can reach about 4.0 mg/m3.The phytoplankton biomass were reduced to about 0.2–0.3 mg/m3 at the offshore areas of the EHU and ELPU which were close to the value at open sea.At the inshore of the EHU,the phytoplankton community was dominated by diatom which accounted for about 50%of phytoplankton biomass.And prokaryotes(about 40%),green algae(about 20%)and prochlorococcus(about 20%)became main species at the offshore of the EHU.At the ELPU,diatom accounted for about 80%of phytoplankton biomass followed by green algae,indicating a different ecosystem at this region compared with the EHU.

Upriver transport of dissolved substances in an estuary and sub-estuary system of the lower James River, Chesapeake Bay

The water exchange between the James River and the Elizabeth River, an estuary and sub-estuary system in the lower Chesapeake Bay, was investigated using a 3D numerical model. The conservative passive tracers were used to represent the dissolved substances （DS） discharged from the Elizabeth River. The approach enabled us to diagnose the underlying physical processes that control the expansion of the DS, which is representative of potential transport of harmful algae blooms, pollutants from the Elizabeth River to the James River without explicitly simulating biological processes. Model simulations with realistic forcings in 2005, together with a series of processoriented numerical experiments, were conducted to explore the correlations of the transport process and external forcing. Model results show that the upriver transport depends highly on the freshwater discharge on a seasonal scale and maximum upriver transport occurs in summer with a mean transport time ranging from 15-30 days. The southerly/easterly wind, low river discharge, and neap tidal condition all act to strengthen the upriver transport. On the other hand, the northerly/westerly wind, river pulse, water level pulse, and spring tidal condition act to inhibit the upriver transport. Tidal flushing plays an important role in transporting the DS during spring tide, which shortens the travel time in the lower James River. The multivariable regression analysis of volume mean subtidal DS concentration in the mesohaline portion of the James River indicates that DS concentration in the upriver area can be explained and well predicted by the physical forcings （r = 0.858, p = 0.00001）.

Geology, environment, and life in the deepest part of the world’s oceans

The hadal zone,mostly comprising of deep trenches and constituting of the deepest part of the world’s oceans,represents the least explored habitat but one of the last frontiers on our planet.The present scientific understanding of the hadal environment is still relatively rudimentary,particularly in comparison with that of shallower marine environments.In the last 30 years,continuous efforts have been launched in deepening our knowledge regarding the ecology of the hadal trench.However,the geological and environmental processes that potentially affect the sedimentary,geochemical and biological processes in hadal trenches have received less attention.Here,we review recent advances in the geology,biology,and environment of hadal trenches and offer a perspective of the hadal science involved therein.For the first time,we release highdefinition images taken by a new full-ocean-depth manned submersible Fendouzhe that reveal novel species with an unexpectedly high density,outcrops of mantle and basaltic rocks,and anthropogenic pollutants at the deepest point of the world’s ocean.We advocate that the hydration of the hadal lithosphere is a driving force that influences a variety of sedimentary,geochemical,and biological processes in the hadal trench.Hadal lithosphere might host the Earth’s deepest subsurface microbial ecosystem.Future research,combined with technological advances and international cooperation,should focus on establishing the intrinsic linkage of the geology,biology,and environment of the hadal trenches.