Applications of Bias-removed Ensemble Mean in the Gale Forecasts over the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea

Based on the daily sea surface wind field prediction data of Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA) forecast model,National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP GFS) model and U.S.Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System(NOGAPS) model at 12:00 UTC from June 28 to August 10 in 2009,the bias-removed ensemble mean(BRE) was used to do the forecast test on the sea surface wind fields,and the root-mean-square error(RMSE) was used to test and evaluate the forecast results.The results showed that the BRE considerably reduced the RMSEs of 24 and 48 h sea surface wind field forecasts,and the forecast skill was superior to that of the single model forecast.The RMSE decreases in the south of central Bohai Sea and the middle of the Yellow Sea were the most obvious.In addition,the BRE forecast improved evidently the forecast skill of the gale process which occurred during July 13-14 and August 7 in 2009.The forecast accuracy of the wind speed and the gale location was also improved.

The estimate of sea ice resources quantity in the Bohai Sea based on NOAA/AVHRR data

The research on sea ice resources is the academic base of sea ice exploitation in the Bohai Sea. According to the ice-water spectrum differences and the correlation between ice thickness and albedo, this paper comes up with a sea ice thickness inversion model based on the NOAA/AVHRR data. And then a sea ice resources quantity （SIQ） time series of Bohai Sea is established from 1987 to 2009. The results indicate that the average error of inversion sea ice thickness is below 30%. The maximum sea ice resources quantity is about 6×109 m3 and the minimum is 1.3×109 m3. And a preliminary analysis has been made on the errors of the estimate of sea ice resources quantity （SIQ）.

Relation of ice conditions to climate change in the Bohai Sea of China

The ice conditions in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai Sea greatly change from year to year with winter climate. Ice only covers below 15% of the the waters during the wannest win-ter, while it covers more than 80% during the coldest winter. Ice observation and data acquisition are outlined in the paper. The ice-covered area, the position of ice edge and the ice grades give indication of the ice conditions. The local climate of the waters can be expressed by using the air temperature of the stations of Dalian and Yingkou. The variation of the ice condition indexes with the monthly mean air temperature at Dalian from 1952 to 2000 is shown, as well. The local climate and ice conditions in the waters are affected by many factors,such as, evolution of the general atmospheric circulation and the solar activity. The delayed correlation between the ice conditions and lots of the affecting factors is analysed in the paper. The ice conditions are continuously mild since the 1990s, that is relative to the tendency of the global warming. The ice condition variation of the Bohai Sea is related to the El Nino event and the sunspot period. The seasonal evolution of the ice conditions is also described in the paper.

Freeliving marine nematodes as a pollution indicator of the Bohai Sea

A hierarchical diversity index—taxonomic distinctness index Δ +, which was first defined by Warwick and Clark in 1998, was employed to evaluate the pollution status of the Bohai Sea with freeliving marine nematodes. The result showed that the Bohai Bay and other coastal sampling sites might be affected by oil and gas production and other anthropogenic influences. In other words,anthropogenic disturbance was affecting this component of the benthos in these locations. And most offshore sampling sites in the middle of the Bohai Sea were clear and unpolluted.

Biomass of meiobenthic in the Bohai Sea, China

A grid of 22 stations, giving a broad geographic coverage of the Bohai Sea and the Bohai Strait was selected. Undisturbed sediments were collected from sampling stations during cruises in June 1997, in September/October 1998 and again in April/May 1999. Based on the results of Juario (1975), the average biomass, 0.404 g/(m2a) of meiofauna (including nematode, harpacticoida, bivalve larvae, polycheata and kinorhyncha) in the Bohai Sea is given and accounts for 4.5 percent of the macrofauna in the Bohai Sea. The horizontal distribution of the biomass of meiofauna showed that it was higher at the stations of middle east part of the Bohai Sea and the strait in 1998 and 1999 cruises and it decreased at the stations near to the strait mouth and increased at Station B1 in 1999 cruise. The annual average production in the Bohai Sea is 3.636 g/m2 calculated in term of the formula P = 9B. Compared with the biomass of other sea areas in the world, the biomass of the Bohai Sea is similar but slightly lower. The individual average dry weight of nematodes given by different authors is analyzed.

The observed currents in summer in the Bohai Sea

A harmonic method was used to analyze the tidal currents observed in summer at 11 stations made from 1996 to 2001 in the Bohai Sea, China. Data was compared among different instruments and intervals. Elliptic elements were calculated based on harmonic constants, of which vertical distributions of the maximum speed and rotation direction were discussed for understanding the characteristics of diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal current components. The results indicate that the maximum speed of M2 tidal current component is much larger than that of K1; the rotation direction of M2 tidal current constituent is clockwise in the central part of the Bohai Sea and in the Laizhou Bay, but anticlockwise in the Liaodong Bay and Bohai Bay. For K1 tidal current constituent, it is clockwise in the central Bohai Sea but anti-clockwise in the Laizhou Bay and Liaodong Bay. The tidal currents in most stations in the Bohai Sea were regular semidiurnal except for those in the central Bohai Sea, being irregular semidiurnal.

Analysis of multi-dimensional SAR for determining the thickness of thin sea ice in the Bohai Sea

Flat thin ice (<30 cm thick) is a common ice type in the Bohai Sea, China. Ice thickness detection is important to offshore exploration and marine transport in winter. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to acquire sea ice data in all weather conditions, and it is a useful tool for monitoring sea ice conditions. In this paper, we combine a multi-layered sea ice electromagnetic (EM) scattering model with a sea ice thermodynamic model to assess the determination of the thickness of flat thin ice in the Bohai Sea using SAR at different frequencies, polarization, and incidence angles. Our modeling studies suggest that co-polarization backscattering coefficients and the co-polarized ratio can be used to retrieve the thickness of flat thin ice from C- and X-band SAR, while the co-polarized correlation coefficient can be used to retrieve flat thin ice thickness from L-, C-, and X-band SAR. Importantly, small or moderate incidence angles should be chosen to avoid the effect of speckle noise.

Analyses of the long-term salinity variability in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai (Yellow) Sea

Based on the comprehensive collection of the field observed salinity of the Bohai Sea （BHS） and the northern Huanghai Sea （NHS） from the 1950s to the present, the patterns of 10-years-averaged salinity at the different layers in the recent five decades （the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s） are obtained by the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with the scrupulous data quality control in this study. Then, by combining the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with successive correction method, the annual distributions of salinity both in the BHS and in the NHS are obtained as well. The data analyses indicate that the overall salinity in the BHS and the NHS increases from the 1960s till the present, with the increase of annual mean salinity of 0.04 psu from the 1950s, and the maximum increase rate of salinity is about 0.14 psu/a in the Bohai Bay. The high salinity tongue extended significantly from the NHS into the BHS. The intensified eastern wind field is related to the western intrusion of the NHS warm current, which probably leads to the moving forward of the high salinity water mass into the BHS. However, it is rather different from the salinity distribution characteristics between the 1950s and the 1960s. The extensive precipitation in the 1960s could lead to an increase in the discharge of the Huanghe River, which might result in the decrease of salinity in the BHS. But the salinity isoline of 32 in the NHS still extended significantly into the BHS in the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the patterns of salinity distribution have changed thoroughly. The salinity in the central area of the BHS was low, while the salinity in the Bohai Bay and the Liaodong Bay was higher than the other regions with its horizontal salinity gradient decreasing in the 1980s. The Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis （EOF） is also conducted to study the interannual salinity variability of the BHS and the NHS. The correlation coefficient between the time coefficient series of the main mode and the Huanghe River discharge can reach-64.57%. It can be concluded that salinity variation of the BHS and the NHS has strong negative correlation with the Huanghe River discharge.

Preliminary analysis of distribution and variation of perennialmonthly mean water masses in the Bohai Sea,the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

On the basis of perennial monthly mean temperature and salinity data, the classification of monthly water masses at the surface and the bottom in the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea, has been made by using the method of fuzzy cluster from the modified characteristic of water masses in the shallow water area. In this paper, the basic features, growth and decline patterns of water masses in relation to fishing grounds in the whole shelves of the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea are discussed with emphasis.

Seasonal variability in dissolved oxygen in the Bohai Sea,China

Deoxygenation has frequently appeared in coastal ecosystems over the past century due to the joint infl uence of increasing anthropogenically induced nutrient inputs and global warming.The semi-enclosed Bohai Sea is a typical system that is prone to deoxygenation,with regular hypoxia events consistently recorded in recent decades.Based on in-situ observation data collected in large-scale voyage surveys in the Bohai Sea during 2008-2017,the seasonal variability in dissolved oxygen(DO)and its controlling mechanisms were studied.The results indicated that in spring and autumn,the DO distributions exhibited similar spatial patterns in the surface and bottom layers,while in summer,its spatial distribution was characterized by large-scale oxygen-poor zones distributed off the Qinhuangdao Coast and the central southern Bohai Sea in the bottom layer.The controlling mechanisms of the DO distribution varied from season to season.Spring and autumn DO distributions were dominated by the seawater temperature.Under the combined eff ects of stratifi cation and decomposition,the summer bottom DO exhibited dual-core distribution.On the one hand,stratifi cation could greatly impede vertical mixing,resulting in reduced bottom DO replenishment.On the other hand,the increased bottom organic matter intensifi ed the decomposition processes,inducing massive DO consumption and elevated dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations.In addition,the stronger stratifi cation might be the reason for the more severe deoxygenation in the southern oxygen-poor zones in summer.Our study provides guidance for an in-depth understanding of the DO seasonality in the Bohai Sea and the mechanisms that modulate it and for the improvement of hypoxia forecasts in ocean models.

A model study on carbon cycle and phytoplankton dynamical processes in the Bohai Sea

The carbon cycle of lower trophic level in the Bohai Sea is studied with a three-dimensional biological and physical coupled model. The influences of the processes (including horizontal advection, river nutrient load, active transport etc. ) on the phytoplankton biomass and its evolution are estimated. The Bohai Sea is a weak sink of the CO2 in the atmosphere. During the cycle, 13.7% of the gross production of the phytoplankton enter the higher trophic level and 76.8 % of it are consumed by the respiration itself. The nutrient reproduction comes mainly from the internal biogeochemical loop and the rem-ineralization is an important mechanism of the nutrient transfer from organic form to inorganic. Horizontal advection decreases the total biomass and the eutrophication in some sea areas. Change in the nutrient load of a river can only adjust the local system near its estuary. Controlling the input of the nutrient, which limits the alga growth, can be very useful in lessening the phytoplankton biomass.

The relationship between tidal current field and sediment transport in the Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea

-Based on a two-dimensional numerical M2 tidal model of the Huanghai and Bohai Seas, sediment transport of particles with different sizes in the computational area is given. It is concluded that tidal currents play an important role in sediment transport and deposition in the Huanghai and Bohai Seas.

Seasonal cycle of topography in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea and its relationships with atmospheric forcing and oceanic adjustment based on altimetry data

Seasonal cycle is the most significant signals of topography and circulation in the Bohai Sea (BS)and Yellow Sea (YS) forced by prevailing monsoon and is still poorly understood due to lack of data in their interiors. In the present study, seasonal cycles of topography in the BS and YS and its relationship with atmospheric forcing and oceanic adjustment were examined and discussed using TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-1/2 Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) data. Analyses revealed complicated seasonal cycles of topography composed mainly of2 REOF modes, the winter-summer mode (WIM) and spring-autumn mode (SAM). The WIM with action center in the BS displayed peak and southward pressure gradient in July, and valley and northward pressure gradient in January, which is obviously the direct response to monsoon with about 1-month response time. The SAM with action center in the western south YS displayed peak and northward pressure gradient in October and valley and southward pressure gradient in April. After the mature period of monsoon, the action center in the BS became weakened while that in the western south YS became strengthened because of regional convergence or divergence induced by seasonal variations of the Taiwan Warm Current and Yellow Sea Coastal Current. The direct response of topography to monsoon resulted in the WIM, while oceanic adjustment of topography played an important role in the forming of the SAM.

Meiofaunal Community Spatial Distribution and Diversity as Indicators of Ecological Quality in the Bohai Sea, China

The Bohai Sea is a semi-enclosed marginal sea in the North West Pacific. Meiofauna samples were collected from 22 stations in the Bohai Sea to document the spatial distribution, structure, and diversity of the meiofaunal community and investigate the major factors influencing the community features. A total of 20 higher taxa of meiofauna were identified. The dominant group was Nematoda, accounting for 90.8% of the total meiofaunal abundance on average, followed by Copepoda, Bivalvia, Polychaeta, Kinorhyncha, and Ostracoda. Meiofaunal abundance ranged from 121 ± 89 ind(10 cm2)-1 to 3042 ± 1054 ind(10 cm2)-1. Diversity indices also varied among different stations, with a Margalef's richness index(d) of 1.1–3.1, Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H′) of 0.7–1.8, and Pielou's evenness index(J′) of 0.4– 0.8. Meiofaunal abundance and diversity indices were significantly lower in the areas of Bohai Bay and adjacent to Laizhou Bay. The correlation analysis showed that meiofaunal abundance and diversity indices are closely linked to variations in sediment silt-clay content, medium grain size(MDΦ), and chlorophyll-a concentrations. The ecological quality status of most stations can be ranked from poor to moderate based on meiofaunal richness. According to the value of nematode to copepod ratio(Ne:Co ratio), most stations are uncontaminated, except seven stations are slightly or moderately contaminated. Both meiofaunal richness and Ne:Co ratio indicate the poor ecological quality of three stations adjacent to Laizhou Bay. The efficiency of the meiofauna communities as environmental indicators will be tested in a greater area in the future studies.

A three-dimensional numerical calculation of the wind-driven thermohaline and tide-induced Lagrangian residual current in the Bohai Sea

On the basis of a three-dimensional weakly nonliear theory of Lagrangian residual current in the Baroclinic shallow seas, a diagnostic numerical calculation of wind-driven, thermohaline and tide-induced Lagrangian residual current in the Bohai Sea is made. The model involves the Richardson number in the eddy viscosity coefficient, wind, thcrmolialine and tidal effects in the focing terms. The runoff of the Huanghe River and a part of the Huanghai Warm Water coming from the Huanghai Sea through the Bohai Sea Strait is also considered. The velocity-splitting method is adopted. The wind-driven circu lation, thermohaline circulation and the tide-induced Lagrangian residual circulation are also obtained individually and analysed. The dynamics of the three main eddies in the Lagrangian mean circulation is discussed. Finally, the numerical result is partly verified with the observed data.

The study of productivity in the Bohai Sea-Ⅱ. Primary productivity and estimation of potential fish catch

-On the basis of the data obtained from the surveys in the Bohai Sea during 1982-1983, this paper analysed and discussed the distribution and seasonal variation of primary productivity in the Bohai Sea, and the correlations between the primary productivity and environmental factors. The organic carbon production and prospect of fishery production in the waters of this sea are estimated. It is shown that, there exists production patential in the Bohai Sea, the primary production is 112 gC/ (m2 ?a)the production of organic carbon being 10 million ton per year, the fishery yields 1 million ton and the maximum catch of sea products 0. 5 million ton. The results of the investigation can serve as the basic data for the exploitation, utilization and management of the fishery resources in the Bohai Sea.

Characteristics of the sea ice reflectance spectrum polluted by oil spills based on field experiments in the Bohai Sea

Oil spilled on the sea ice surface in the Bohai Sea of China is studied through the field measurements of the reflectance of a simulated sea ice-oil film mixed pixel. The reflection characteristics of sea ice and oil film are also analyzed. It is found that the mixed pixel of sea ice and oil film is a linear mixed pixel. The means of extracting sea ice pixels containing oil film is presented using a double-band ratio oil-film sea-ice index（DROSI） and a normalized difference oil-film sea-ice index（NDOSI） through the analysis of the reflectance curves of the sea iceoil film pixel for different ratios of oil film. The area proportion of the oil film in the sea ice-oil film pixel can be accurately estimated by the average reflectance of the band of 1 610–1 630 nm, and the volume of the spilled oil can be further estimated. The method of the sea ice-oil film pixel extraction and the models to estimate the proportion of oil film area in the sea ice-oil film pixel can be applied to the oil spill monitoring of the ice-covered area in the Bohai Sea using multispectral or hyperspectral remote sensing images in the shortwave infrared band（1 500–1 780 nm）.

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.

Size-fractionated phytoplankton standing stock and primary production in the Bohai Sea during late spring

During June 1997 cruise by R/V Science No.l, observations on temporal and spatialvariations of the size-fractionated phytoplankton standing stock and primary production were carried out in the Bohai Sea. The size-fractionated chlorophyll a (Chl a) and primary production, photosynthet-ically available radiation (PAR), as well as the related physico-oceanographic and zooplanktonic parameters were measured at five time-series observation stations representing sub-areas of the sea. Results obtained show that there were the marked features of spatial zonation of Chl a and primary production in the Bohai Sea. The values in the Laizhou Bay, the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf were high and showed close relation with tidal fluctuations, i.e. high Chi a concentration occurred during high tide in the Laizhou Bay, and during low tide in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf. In the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, the values were relatively low and no relationship with tidal fluctuation could be found. Chlorophyll a concentration vertically decreased from surface to bottom in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf, while it increased in the Laizhou Bay, the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, and the highest value was encountered at the bottom. Size-fractionation results showed that nano - combining pico -plankton ( < 20 μm) predominated in phytoplankton communities of the Bohai Sea during late spring. The average contribution to total Chl a in each station ranged 76% -95 % (mean is 87 %). The contribution of net (> 20 μm), nano - (2- 20 fan) and picoplankton (< 2 μm) was 13% , 63% and 24% to total production, and 9% , 53% and 38% to total Chl a, respectively. It proved the importance of nano - and pico -plankton in phytoplankton communities in the Bohai Sea e-cosystems. In this paper the factors, such as light intensity and zooplankton grazing pressure, governing standing stock and production of phytoplankton in the Bohai Sea were also discussed.

Exchange fluxes of nutrients between sediment and sea water in the Bohai Sea

Investigations of sediment-water fluxes of nutrients in the Bohai Sea were carried out in September - October 1998 and April - May 1999. The exchange fluxes of nutrients between sediment and sea water were determined by incubating the core-top sediments with overlying water aerated with air. The benthic fluxes of NO3- , NO2- , NH4+ , DIN, DON and TON in the first cruise and the flux-es of NO3 , NO2- , NH4+ , DIN, DON, TDN, PO43- , DOP and TDP in the second cruise were measured. The exchange fluxes of nutrients in fall were higher than in spring. The benthic nutrient fluxes represented 15% -55% of nutrient budgets in the Bohai Sea.