The Upper Ocean Thermal Structure and the Genesis Locations of Tropical Cyclones in the South China Sea

The relationship between the upper ocean thermal structure and the genesis locations of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated by using the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) best-track archives and high resolution (1/4 degree) temperature analyses of the world's oceans in this paper. In the monthly mean genesis positions of TCs from 1945 to 2005 in the SCS, the mean sea surface temperature (SST) was 28.8℃ and the mean depth of 26℃ water was 53.1 m. From the monthly distribution maps of genesis positions of TCs, SST and the depth of 26℃ water in the SCS, we discovered that there existed regions with SST exceeding 26℃ and 26℃ water depth exceeding 50 m where no tropical cyclones formed from 1945 to 2005 in the SCS, which suggests that there were other factors unfavorable for TC formation in these regions.

Comparative Study of Magmatism in East Pacific Rise Versus Nearby Seamounts:Constraints on Magma Supply and Thermal Structure Beneath Mid-ocean Ridge

Major elements of 2202 basalts from the East Pacific Rise （EPR） and 888 basalts from near- EPR seamounts are used to investigate their differences in magma crystallization pressures and mantle melting conditions. Crystallization pressure calculation from basalts with 5.0wt%〈MgO〈8.0wt % shows that magma crystallization pressures beneath near-EPR seamounts are positively and negatively correlated with Nas and Fes, respectively. However, these correlations are indistinct in axial lavas, which can be explained by chemical homogenization induced by extensive mixing processes. In each segment divided by major transforms and over-lapping spreading centers （OSCs）, near-EPR seamount lavas have higher magma crystallization pressures, higher Fes and lower Nas than the EPR lavas, which indicate cooler lithosphere, lower degrees and shallower melting depths beneath near-EPR seamounts than the EPR. The correlations between magma crystallization pressures and melting conditions beneath near-EPR seamounts imply that the source thermal state controls the melting degree and melt flux, and then melting process controls the shallow lithosphere temperature and magma crystallization depth （pressure）. The cooler mantle sources beneath near-EPR seamounts produce a lower degree of melting and a less robust magma supply, which results in a deep thermal equilibrium level and high magma crystallization pressure. The magma crystallization pressure decreases significantly as spreading rate of the EPR increases from ~80 mm/year in the north （16~N） to ~160 mm/year in the south （19~S）, while this trend is unobvious in near-EPR seamounts. This suggests that the magma supply controlled by spreading rate dominates the ridge crust temperature and magma crystallization depth, while the near-EPR seamount magma supply is not dominated by the axial spreading rate. Because most seamounts form and gain most of their volume within a narrow zone of 5-15 km from ridge axis, they provide good constraint on magma supply and thermal structure beneath the EPR. High magma crystallization pressures in seamounts indicate dramatic temperature decrease from the EPR. The crystallization pressures of seamount lavas are well correlated with mantle melting parameters but in a blurry relationship with axial spreading rate. Despite the adjacency of the EPR and nearby seamounts, the thermal structure beneath the near-EPR seamounts are controlled by their own magma supply and conductive cooling, chemically and thermally unaffected by magmatism beneath the ridge axis.

Thermal structure of continental subduction zone: high temperature caused by the removal of the preceding oceanic slab

The thermal structure of the continental subduction zone can be deduced from high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure rock samples or numerical simulation.However,petrological data indicate that the temperature of subducted continental plates is generally higher than that derived from numerical simulation.In this paper,a two-dimensional kinematic model is used to study the thermal structure of continental subduction zones,with or without a preceding oceanic slab.The results show that the removal of the preceding oceanic slab can effectively increase the slab surface temperature of the continental subduction zone in the early stage of subduction.This can sufficiently explain the difference between the cold thermal structure obtained from previous modeling results and the hot thermal structure obtained from rock sample data.

Reconstruction of vertical thermal structure from several subsurface temperatures in the China Seas and adjacent waters

Empirical Orthogonal Function （EOF） analysis is used in this study to generate main eigenvector fields of historical temperature for the China Seas （here referring to Chinese marine territories） and adjacent waters from 1930 to 2002 （510 143 profiles）. A good temperature profile is reconstructed based on several subsurface in situ temperature observations and the thermocline was estimated using the model. The results show that： 1） For the study area, the former four principal components can explain 95% of the overall variance, and the vertical distribution of temperature is most stable using the in situ temperature observations near the surface. 2） The model verifications based on the observed CTD data from the East China Sea （ECS）, South China Sea （SCS） and the areas around Taiwan Island show that the reconstructed profiles have high correlation with the observed ones with the confidence level 〉95%, especially to describe the characteristics of the thermocline well. The average errors between the reconstructed and observed profiles in these three areas are 0.69℃, 0.52℃ and 1.18℃ respectively. It also shows the model RMS error is less than or close to the climatological error. The statistical model can be used to well estimate the temperature profile vertical structure. 3） Comparing the thermocline characteristics between the reconstructed and observed profiles, the results in the ECS show that the average absolute errors are 1.5m, 1.4 m and 0.17~C/m, and the average relative errors are 24.7%, 8.9% and 22.6% for the upper, lower thermocline boundaries and the gradient, respectively. Although the relative errors are obvious, the absolute error is small. In the SCS, the average absolute errors are 4.1 m, 27.7 m and 0.007℃/m, and the average relative errors are 16.1%, 16.8% and 9.5% for the upper, lower thermocline boundaries and the gradient, respectively. The average relative errors are all 〈20%. Although the average absolute error of the lower thermocline boundary is considerable, but contrast to the spatial scale of average depth of the lower thermocline boundary （165 m）, the average relative error is small （16.8%）. Therefore the model can be used to well estimate the thermocline.

Identification of the sensitive area for targeted observation to improve vertical thermal structure prediction in summer in the Yellow Sea

The sensitive area of targeted observations for short-term(7 d)prediction of vertical thermal structure(VTS)in summer in the Yellow Sea was investigated.We applied the Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation(CNOP)method and an adjoint-free algorithm with the Regional Ocean Modeling System(ROMS).We used vertical integration of CNOP-type temperature errors to locate the sensitive areas,where reduction of initial errors is expected to yield the greatest improvement in VTS prediction for the selected verification area.The identified sensitive areas were northeast−southwest orientated northeast to the verification area,which were possibly related to the southwestward background currents.Then,we performed a series of sensitivity experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the identified sensitive areas.Results show that initial errors in the identified sensitive areas had the greatest negative effect on VTS prediction in the verification area compared to errors in other areas(e.g.,the verification area and areas to its east and northeast).Moreover,removal of initial errors through deploying simulated observations in the identified sensitive areas led to more refined prediction than correction of initial conditions in the verification area itself.Our results suggest that implementation of targeted observation in the CNOP-based sensitive areas is an effective method to improve short-term prediction of VTS in summer in the Yellow Sea.

The Thermal Structure of the Upper Mantle in Eastern China——Inferred from the Petrological Model

Cenozoic basalt in eastern China contains abundant ultramafic xenoliths which are specimens of pyrolitesreleased during basaltic magma eruption. A total of 405 P-T data of pyroxene in the ultramafic rocks have beencollected, which present a more precise pyroxene geotherm. The average geothermal gradient in the upper man-tle represented by the pyroxene geotherm is about 3.3℃ / km, which is much less than that derived from theconductive thermal model (≈14℃ / km), implying the great significance of convective heat transfer. The calcu-lation shows that the contributions of convective and conductive heat transfers are 79% and 21%, respectively.The perturbation in the thermal structure of the upper mantle is an important manifestation of thetectonothermal event of Cenozoic continental rifting and intense basaltic volcanism in eastern China. Based onthe pyroxene geotherm and its comparison with the current geothermal field derived from the measurements ofthe surface heat flows, it is suggested that the Moho may be a secondary thermal boundary. The currentgeothermal field and the thermal structure of the lithosphere in eastern China may mainly reflect the result ofthe tectonothermal disturbance in the Neogene-Quaternary, in other words, the lithosphere has just begun toCool.

A study on the numerical prediction method for the vertical thermal structure in the Bohai Sea and the Huanghai Sea-I.One-dimensional numerical prediction model

In this paper, on the basis of the heat conduction equation without consideration of the advection and turbulence effects, one-dimensional model for describing surface sea temperature ( T1), bottom sea temperature ( Tt ) and the thickness of the upper homogeneous layer ( h ) is developed in terms of the dimensionless temperature θT and depth η and self-simulation function θT - f(η) of vertical temperature profile by means of historical temperature data.The results of trial prediction with our one-dimensional model on T, Th, h , the thickness and gradient of thermocline are satisfactory to some extent.

Seasonal evolution of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea

In this paper, the authors used the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) to simulate the seasonal evolu- tions of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea. The simulated circulation showed that the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) was a compensation current of monsoon-driven current, and that in winter, the YSWC became stronger with depth, and could flow across the Bohai Strait in the north. Sensitivity and control- ling tests led to the following conclusions. In winter, the direction of the Yellow Sea Coastal Current in the sur- face layer was controlled partly by tide instead of wind. In summer, a cyclonic horizontal gyre existed in the middle and eastern parts of the Yellow Sea below 10 m. The downwelling in upper layer and upwelling in lower layer were somehow similar to Hu et al. (1991) conceptual model. The calculated thermal structure showed an obvious northward extending YSWC tongue in winter, its position and coverage of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass in summer.

Abnormality of thermal structure and current in the upper western tropical Pacific Ocean and its effect on subtropical high

-Mainly on the basis of the data obtained during PRC/US bilateral TOGA cruises, abnormal variation occurred during the 1986/1987 El Nino is shown in this paper about the thermal structure and circulation of the upper western tropical Pacific Ocean. The effects of the abmormal variation on the subtropical high over the Northwest Pacific Ocean are discussed. During the El Nino: (1) In the east part of the western tropical Pacific Ocean (the subsurface temperature data on the 165° E section are taken as an example), the water wanner than 29 C in the upper layer spread on the longitudinal section and positive temperature anormalies appeared in a large area of the sea surface. (2) In the west part of the western tropical Pacific Ocean (the subsurface temperature data on the 137°E section are representative ), the cross section occupied by the upper layer warmer water ( T >28 ℃ ) became shrunk, and the sea surface temperature showed negative amomalies. (3) The eastward flows in the upper layer of the 165°E section strengthened. (4)The northward flow volume of warm water from the origin area of Kuroshio, i. e. , the tropical oceanic area south of 18?0' N and from the west of 130?E to the Philippine coast, decreased. When those kinds of abnomal variation occurred, air divergence on the low level (1 000 hPa) over the Northwest Pacific Ocean was intensified, favourable to the strengthening of subtropical high over the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

A three-layer model for the thermal structure in the Huanghai Sea

A one-dimentional three-layer model for the thermal structure in the Huanghai Sea is presented in this study, me model consists of the upper mixed layer caused by heating and wind mixing, the lower mixed layer driven by tidal mixing, and the thermocline with certain thickness. The entrainment velocities of the upper and lower layers are obtained respectively. The results show that the model is capable of describing the development and decline processes of the seasonal thermocline in the Huanghai Sea, simulating successfully the Huanghai Sea Cold Water Mass, the nearshore front and surface cold water off North Jiangsu and explaining reasonably their formation mechanisms as well as the strong thermocline off Qingdao. It is suggested that the tidal mixing plays key role in the formation of the nearshore front off North Jiangsu and the strong thermocline off Qingdao. The wind mixing and the tidal mixing make the lower layer water with high nutrients go up to the upper layer. This physical process may be significant for biological plant production.

Thermal Structure and Rheology of the Upper Mantle Derived from Mantle Xenoliths from Gansu Province, Western China

Mantle xenoliths brought up by Cenozoic volcanic rocks onto the earth’s surface may provide direct information about the upper mantle beneath the volcanic region. This paper presents the study on mantle xenoliths collected from Haoti village, Dangchang County, Gansu Province, western China. The main purpose of the study is to gain an insight into the thermal structure and rheology of the upper mantle beneath the region. The results show that the upper mantle of the region is composed mainly of spinel lherzolite at shallower depth (52～75km), and garnet lherzolite at greater depth (greater than 75km), instead of harzburgite and dunite as proposed by some previous studies. The upper mantle geotherm derived from the equilibrium temperatures and pressures of xenoliths from the region is lower than that of North China, and is somewhat closer to the Oceanic geotherm. The crust-mantle boundary is determined from the geotherm to be at about 52km, and the Moho seems to be the transition zone of lower crust material with spinel lherzolite. If we take 1280℃ as the temperature of the top of asthenosphere, then the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary should be at about 120km depth. The differential stress of the upper mantle is determined by using recrystallized grain size piezometry, while the strain rate and equivalent viscosity are determined by using the high temperature flow law of peridotite. The differential stress, strain rate and viscosity profiles constructed on the basis of the obtained values indicate that asthenospheric diapir occurred in this region during the Cenozoic time, resulting in the corresponding thinning of the lithosphere. However, the scale and intensity of the diapir was significantly less than that occurring in the North China region. Moreover, numerous small-scale shear zones with localized deformation might occur in the lithospheric mantle, as evidenced by the extensive occurrence of xenoliths with tabular equigranular texture.

DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION OF THERMAL STRUCTURE

he temperature distnbution on the surface of a flight vehicle and the va-riation of the modulus of elasticity with respect to temperature are considered. The minimum weight structural design with constraints on frequency, on the coordinates ofmodal nodes and on the upper and lower bounds of the design vanables are studied us-ing Kuhn-Tucker conditions as optimal cntenon. The vanation of the flrst three ordernatural frequencies, modal shapes and minimum structural weight vs temperature gra-dient are discussed. It is pointed out that it is imperative to take into account the effectof aerodynamic heating on structural dynamic optimization. Calculation example showsthat the method obtained is feasible and efficient.

Microearthquake reveals the lithospheric structure at midocean ridges and oceanic transform faults

Mid-ocean ridge and oceanic transforms are among the most prominent features on the seafloor surface and are crucial for understanding seafloor spreading and plate tectonic dynamics,but the deep structure of the oceanic lithosphere remains poorly understood.The large number of microearthquakes occurring along ridges and transforms provide valuable information for gaining an indepth view of the underlying detailed seismic structures,contributing to understanding geodynamic processes within the oceanic lithosphere.Previous studies have indicated that the maximum depth of microseismicity is controlled by the 600-℃isotherm.However,this perspective is being challenged due to increasing observations of deep earthquakes that far exceed this suggested isotherm along mid-ocean ridges and oceanic transform faults.Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these deep events,and we suggest that local geodynamic processes(e.g.,magma supply,mylonite shear zone,longlived faults,hydrothermal vents,etc.)likely play a more important role than previously thought.

Geodynamic modeling of thermal structure of subduction zones

During subduction processes, slabs continuously have heat exchange with the ambient mantle, including both conduction and advection effects. The evolution of slab thermal structure is one of the dominant factors in controlling physical and chemical property changes in subduction zones. It also affects our understanding of many key geological processes, such as mineral dehydration, rock partial melting, arc volcanism, and seismic activities in subduction zones. There are mainly two ways for studying thermal structure of subduction zones with geodynamic models: analytical model and numerical model. Analytical model provides insights into the most dominant controlling physical parameters on the thermal structure, such as slab age, velocity and dip angle, shear stress and thermal conductivity, etc. Numerical model can further deal with more complicated environments, such as viscosity change in the mantle wedge, coupling process between slabs and the ambient mantle, and incorporation of petrology and mineralogy. When applying geodynamic modeling results to specific subduction zones on the Earth, there are many factors which may complicate the process, therefore it is difficult to precisely constrain the thermal structure of subduction zones. With the development of new quantitative methods in geophysics and geochemistry, we may obtain more observational constraints for thermal structure of subduction zones, thus providing more reasonable explanations for geological processes related to subduction zones.

Numerical Analysis and Simulation Experiment of Lithospheric Thermal Structures in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific

The asthenosphere upwelled on a large scale in the western Pacific and South China Sea during the Cenozoic, which formed strong upward throughflow and caused the thermal structure to be changed obviously. The mathematical analysis has demonstrated that the upward throughflow velocity may have varied from 3×10^11 to 6×10^12 m/s. From the relationship between the lithospheric thickness and the conductive heat flux, the lithospheric heat flux in the western Pacific should be above 30 mW/m^2, which is consistent with the observed data. The huge low-speed zone within the upper mantle of the marginal sea in the western Pacific reflects that the upper mantle melts partially, flows regionally in the regional stress field, forms the upward heat flux at its bottom, and causes the change of the lithospheric thermal structure in the region. The numerical simulation result of the expansion and evolution in the South China Sea has demonstrated that in the early expansion, the upward throughflow velocity was relatively fast, and the effect that it had on the thickness of the lithosphere was relatively great,resulting in the mid-ocean basin expanding rapidly. After the formation of the ocean basin in the South China Sea, the upward throughflow velocity decreased, but the conductive heat flux was relatively high, which is close to the actual situation. Therefore, from the heat transfer point of view, this article discusses how the upward heat flux affects the lithospheric thermal structure in the western Pacific and South China Sea. The conclusions show that the upward heat throughflow at the bottom of the lithospheric mantle resulted in the tectonic deformation at the shallow crust. The intensive uplifts and rifts at the crust led to the continent cracks and the expansion in the South China Sea.

Responses of thermal structure and vertical dynamic structure of South China Sea to Typhoon Chanchu

The response of the South China Sea（SCS） to Typhoon Chanchu（2006） was examined using the MM5 and POM model. In the POM model, sea surface boundary conditions were forced by the simulation wind field from MM5, the velocity forcing was introduced in the eastern boundary and the computational schemes of heat fluxes at the surface were introduced. Comparison with the observation data shows that the simulated results are reliable. In the response process of the SCS to Typhoon Chanchu, the influence of the heat fluxes on thermal structure of the SCS was regionally different. Strong wind forcing would lead to upwelling phenomenon in the lateral boundary of deep water basin. Furthermore, the Ekman pumping theory was used to discuss subsurface upwelling and downwelling phenomenon in typhoon forced stage.

THE VERTICAL THERMAL STRUCTURE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE MODE FROM WOCE DATA

The Dipole Mode in tropical Indian Ocean (DMI) is a newly verified independent internal mode of atmosphere ocean system in Indian Ocean. Its surface manifestation is illustrated in detail with the aid of the historical data sets. But relatively few is known about its vertical characteristics. Here the vertical thermal structure of DMI is analyzed using the newly released WOCE GLOBAL DATA (V2.0). Attention is focused on the comparison of the abnormal upper ocean thermal structure along one section with the normal state in year 1990 respectively in two cases: in year 1994 when there was IDM but no E1 Nino and in year 1997 when there were DMI and also E1 Nino. This may shed light on the further theoretical and numerical study of IDM.

Microstructure studies of air-plasma-spray-deposited CoNiCrAlY coatings before and after thermal cyclic loading for high-temperature application

In the present study, bond-coats for thermal barrier coatings were deposited via air plasma spraying（APS） techniques onto Inconel 800 and Hastelloy C-276 alloy substrates. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, and atomic force microscopy（AFM） were used to investigate the phases and microstructure of the as-sprayed, APS-deposited Co Ni Cr Al Y bond-coatings. The aim of this work was to study the suitability of the bond-coat materials for high temperature applications. Confirmation of nanoscale grains of the γ/γ′-phase was obtained by TEM, high-resolution TEM, and AFM. We concluded that these changes result from the plastic deformation of the bond-coat during the deposition, resulting in Co Ni Cr Al Y bond-coatings with excellent thermal cyclic resistance suitable for use in high-temperature applications. Cyclic oxidative stability was observed to also depend on the underlying metallic alloy substrate.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Thermal Stability of a New Binuclear Cu(Ⅱ) Complex with 2-Benzoylbenzoic Acid as the Ligand

A new complex Cu2（o-C6H5COC6H5COO）4（C10H8N2）2（H2O）2 with 2-benzoylben- zoic acid and 2,2′-bipyridine as ligands has been synthesized in mixed methanol and water solvent. Crystal data are as follows： monoclinic, space group Co, a = 14.0133（14）, b = 16.0409（16）, c = 30.372（3） A, β = 100.8950（10）°, V = 6704.1（12） A3, Dc = 1.364 g/cm3, Z = 8,μ（MoKa） = 0.704 mml, F（000） = 2840, the final R= 0.0552 and wR = 0.1431. In the crystal structure, the whole molecule consists of two copper ions, four 2-benzoylbenzoic acid molecules, two 2,2′-bipyridine molecules and two water molecules. Each central copper ion is coordinated with two nitrogen atoms from one 2,2′-bipyridine molecule and three oxygen atoms from two 2-benzoylbenzoic acids and one water molecule, respectively, giving a distorted tetragonal pyramidal geometry. Thermal stability properties of the complex were investigated.

Editorial: Special subject on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures

The thermal protection materials and structures are widely used in hypersonic vehicles for the purpose of thermal insulation, and their mechanical behavior is one of the key issues in design and manufacture of hypersonic vehicles. It is our great pleasure to present the seven papers in this special subject of Theoretical ＆ Applied Mechanics Letters （TAML） and introduce the recent progresses on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures by the authors.