Evidence for water exchange between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean through the Luzon Strait

An analysis of historical oxygen data provides evidence on the water exchange between theSouth China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean (PO). In the vicinity of the Luzon Strait (LS) , the dissolved oxygen concentration of sea water is found to be lower on the Pacific side than on the SCS side at depths between 700 and 1500 m (intermediate layer) , while the situation is reversed above 700 m (upper layer) and below 1 500 m (deep layer). The evidence suggests that water exits the SCS in the intermediate layer but enters it from the Pacific in both the upper and the deep layers, supporting the earlier speculation that the Luzon Strait transport has a sandwiched structure in the vertical. Within the SCS basin, the oxygen distribution indicates widespread vertical movement, including the upwelling in the intermediate layer and the downwelling in the deep layer.

Rare earth elements-rich phase and enriching mechanism in sediments from CC area, the Pacific Ocean

Compared to North American shale composition (NASC), REE contents of sediments from the CC area in the Pacific Ocean are obviously high except that cerium has equal content to that of NASC. Three-valence rare earth elements were completely enriched in phosphate-phase and cerium in iron-phase. Rare earth elements in the sediments were originally derived from seawater. During lithi- genic and minerogenic processes of metalliferous nodules, three-valence rare earth elements in sediments mobilized and incorporated into sediments as authigenous biogenic-apatite, while cerium had change from Ce3+ to Ce4+ and directly precipitated from seawater and entered metalliferous nodules and caused Ce anomalies in REE pattern in sediments.

Contrast between the Climatic States of the Warm Pool in the Indian Ocean and in the Pacific Ocean

Based on the analysis of Levitus data, the climatic states of the warm pool in the Indian Ocean (WPIO) and in the Pacific Ocean (WPPO) are studied. It is found that WPIO has a relatively smaller area, a shallower bottom and a slightly lower seawater temperature than those of WPPO. The horizontal area at different depths, volumes, central positions, and bottom depths of both WPIO and WPPO show quite apparent signals of seasonal variation. The maximum amplitude of WPIO surface area’s seasonal variation is 58% larger over the annual mean value. WPIO’s maximum volume variation amplitude is 66% larger over the annual mean value. The maximum variation amplitudes of the surface area and volume of WPPO are 20. 9% and 20.6% larger over the annual mean value respectively. WPIO and WPPO show different temporal and spatial characteristics mainly due to the different wind fields and restriction of ocean basin geometry. For instance, seasonal northern displacement of WPIO is, to some extent, constrained by the basin of the Indian Ocean, while WPPO moves relatively freely in the longitudinal direction. The influence of WPIO and WPPO over the atmospheric motion must be quite different.

AN ANALYSIS ON LARGE-SCALE AIR-SEA INTERACTIVE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN DURING ENSO EVENTS

By utilizing a 3-D atmospheric circulation resolving method, the authors studied the air-sea interactive linkages between the tropical Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in 1979-2008 E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation （ENSO） events. Their findings showed that evident 3-D gear-coupling characteristics existed in the 1979-2008 ENSO events. Their resolving analyses also suggested that the general circulation showed stronger and wider sinking motions over the eastern Indian Ocean-western Pacific during the mature phase of 1979-2008 ENSO events, compared with the vertical velocities from the U.S. National Centers for Enviornmental Prediction （NCEP） reanalysis data. With their 3-D analysis method, the vertical velocity was resolved by two components, i.e. zonal and meridional components. It was found that the zonal component of the vertical velocities showed a strong sinking motion while the meridional components showed an upward motion during the prevailing phases of the ENSO events. In the tropics, the zonal component of the vertical velocities was found greater than the meridional component, reflecting the dominant characteristics of the vertical velocity, and the overall outcomes showed a strong sinking motion, although the two components also partially offset each other in the processes. Compared with the vertical velocities from NCEP reanalysis, the vertical motions calculated with the 3-D resolving analysis method demonstrate some advantages.

Geographic and temporal variations of sulfate aerosols over the Pacific Ocean

To investigate the life cycle of marine sulfate aerosols, chemicophysical characteristics of marine aerosolswere measured during five cruises in the Pacific Ocean. Dimethyl sulfide concentrations in seawater and in the air were also measured. The geographic variation of sulfate-aerosol concentrations was studied in relation to biogenic and anthropogenic sources,transport with air trajectories, and chemical transformations in the atmosphere. The highest concentrations were found near Asian and American ports, indicating anthropogenic pollution is the major sulfate aerosols source. Higher concentrations were observed in the upwelling regions than in the oligotrophic areas. Along the coastal regions, both mass and number concentrations of sulfate aerosols depended on wind direction and wind speed, and land-breeze and sea-breeze oscillations; no clear diurnal variation was detected. In pelagic areas, along the equator, the concentrations of small sulfate particles showed a maximum in the afternoon and the minimum at night , indicating photo-oxidation as an important process for gas-to-particle conversion. Higher sulfate-aerosol concentrations were observed in spring than in autumn and higher concentrations were found during the La Nina anomaly than during the El Nino anomaly. Biogenic source of sulfate aerosols has an important role in the remote ocean. Case studies of sulfate-aerosol distributions are discussed.

Similarities Between Granites on the East and West Coasts of the Pacific Ocean

The traditional idea proposes that granites on the east and west coasts of the Pacific Ocean are different. According to field investigations of the geology of the western United States coupled with the authors' long-term studies on granites in South China, granites both in eastern China and in the western United States are similar.

Jiamusi Leading to the Pacific Ocean

SANJIANG Plain in eastern Heilongjiang Province was formed from the alluvium of the winding and rolling Heilong, Songhua, and Wusuli rivers. Located in the hinterland of the fertile Sanjiang Plain, Jiamusi faces Russia’s far east region on its opposite bank, and a border measuring 438 kilometers.

Dicroerisma (Actiniscales, Dinophyceae) in the open Pacific Ocean, a gymnodinioid dinoflagellate with an endoskeleton

This study is the first to describe and illustrate the dinoflagellate genus Dicroerisma in the open Pacific Sea and in the southern hemisphere. Eleven individuals ascribed to Dicroerisma psilonereiella were encountered in subsurface waters (>70 m depth) from 34°N to 33°S. Another specimen that differs from the type is also illustrated. These findings reveal that Dicroerisma is a widespread genus and that there is tentative existence of another species within the genus.

The temporal and spatial variations in the Pacific wind and wave fields for the period 2002–2011

The temporal and spatial variations in the wind and wave fields in the Pacific Ocean between 2002 and 2011 are analyzed using a third-generation wave model（WAVEWATCH III）. The model performance for a significant wave height is validated using in situ buoy data. The results show that the wave model effectively hindcasts the significant wave height in the Pacific Ocean, but the errors are relatively large in the mid- and low-latitude regions. The spatial distributions and temporal variations in a wind speed and the significant wave height in the Pacific Ocean are then considered after dividing the Pacific Ocean into five regions, which show meridional differences and seasonal cycles. Regional mean values are used to give yearly average time series for each separate zone. The high latitude region in the Southern Hemisphere had a stronger significant wave height trend in the model results than regions at other latitudes. The sources and sinks of wave energy are then investigated. Their regional mean values are used to quantify variations in surface waves. Finally, the spectral analyses of the daily mean wind speeds and the significant wave heights are obtained. The significant wave height and the wind speed spectra are found to be connected in some ways but also show certain differences.

A study of geographical distributions and temporal variations of air-sea heat fluxes over the Pacific

temporal variations and geographical distributions of sensible and latent heat fluxes over the Pacific were calculated and analyzed by using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) - four-dimensional Data Assimilation System (DAS). The calculated results showed that the heat flux over the northwestern Pacific varied obviously with seasons, but over the other ocean areas of the Pacific O cean there were no such phenomena. There was always the highest Value region of latent heat fluxes over the Pacific Ocean, but the values of sensible heat fluxes were often very small except over the ocean area north of 20°N and there was not highest value region at all. The latent heat fluxes had different distribu tions with longitude in different latitudes. And the variations of latent heat fluxes with latitude were not the same in different longitude and also it varied with seasons.

Thermocline Model for Estimating Argo Sea Surface Temperature Thermocline Model for Estimating Argo Sea Surface Temperature

Argo has become an important constituent of the global ocean observation system.However,due to the lack of sea surface measurements from most Argo profiles,the application of Argo data is still limited.In this study,a thermocline model was constructed based on three key thermocline parameters,i.e,thermocline upper depth,the thermocline bottom depth,and thermocline temperature gradient.Following the model,we estimated the sea surface temperature of Argo profiles by providing the relationship between sea surface and subsurface temperature.We tested the effectiveness of our proposed model using statistical analysis and by comparing the sea surface temperature with the results obtained from traditional methods and in situ observations in the Pacific Ocean.The root mean square errors of results obtained from thermocline model were found to be significantly reduced compared to the extrapolation results and satellite retrieved temperature results.The correlation coefficient between the estimation result and in situ observation was 0.967.Argo surface temperature,estimated by the thermocline model,has been theoretically proved to be reliable.Thus,our model generates theoretically feasible data present the mesoscale phenomenon in more detail.Overall,this study compensates for the lack surface observation of Argo,and provides a new tool to establish complete Argo data sets.

INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ENSO MODE

Near 100-year observed data sets are analyzed, and the results show that the variation of sea surface temperature(SST)in the equatorial Indian Ocean has a feature as a dipole oscillation.The situation of the dipole oscillation mainly shows the positive phase pattern(higher SST in the west and lower SST in the east than normal)and the negative phase pattern(higher SST in the east and lower SST in the west).The amplitude of the positive phase is larger than that of the negative phase.The dipole is stronger in September—November and weaker in January—April than in other months.It principally shows obviously inter-annual(4—5 year period)and inter-decadal variation(25—30 year period).Although the Indian Ocean dipole in the individual year seems to be independent of ENSO in the equatorial Pacific Ocean,in general,the Indian Ocean dipole has obviously negative correlation with the Pacific Ocean “dipole”(similar to the inverse phase of ENSO).The atmospheric zonal(Walker) circulation is fundamental for relating the two dipoles to each other.

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE DIAGNOSIS OF OCEANIC EXPLOSIVE CYCLONES

Using the data of ECMWF (European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) to undertake composite diagnoses of 16 explosive cyclones occurring at the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,it is found that there are a lot of obvious discrepancies on the basic fields between these strong and weak explosive cyclones.The major reasons why the explosive cyclones over the Atlantic are stronger than those over the Pacific Ocean are that the non-zonal upper jet and the low-level warm moist flow over the Atlantic are stronger.The non-zonal upper jet offers stronger divergence,baroclinicity and baroclinic instability fields for explosive cyclones.Anticyclonic curvature at the high level of strong explosive cyclones is easy to make the inertia-gravitational wave developing at the moment of northward transfer of energy and stimulate the cyclones deepening quickly.Warm advection and diabatic heating can cause the upper isobaric surface lifting,as a result,the anticyclone curvature of cyclones enlarges,and wave energy develops easily as well.The most powerful period of the development of explosive cyclones is just the time when the positive vorticity advection center is located over the low vortex.At the upper level,when the distribution of potential vorticity contours changes suddenly from rareness to denseness,and the large values of the potential vorticity both in the west and north sides of cyclones extend downwards together,then cyclones are easy to explosively develop.The formation of strong explosive cyclones is closely related with the non-zonality of upper jet and the anticyclonic curvature.