Progress in Chinese research on water masses and circulation in the Arctic and subarctic ocean

The Arctic Ocean and Arctic sea ice have undergone a series of rapid changes. Oceanographic surveying has become one of the key missions of the Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions since 1999. Using the data obtained in these surveys and from other sources, Chinese researchers have carried out a series of studies in the field of Arctic physical oceanography. The Near Sea-surface Temperature Maximum, freshwater content and heat flux in different regions of the Arctic have drawn wide attention from Chinese researchers. Arctic circulation is changing with the decline of sea ice, which is also influencing the structure and distribution of water masses. Studies have also focused on these issues. In this paper, the main results of research on water masses, currents, the structure of the upper ocean and other major hydrological phenomena over the past two decades are summarized.

WATER MASS FORMATION IN THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN BY AIR-SEA FLUXES

Indian Central Water （ICW） and Subantarctic Mode Water （SAMW） formation rates are estimated from two air-sea flux products, the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set （COADS） and the Southampton Oceanography Centre （SOC） climatology. The ICW formation is estimated to be 8 Sv (1 Sv = 106m3·s-1 ) from both products, with more contributions from freshwater flux. From the COADS product, the SAMW formation rate is estimated to be 31 Sv in the potential density range of 26.5-26.9σθ, with also a significant contribution from freshwater flux. However, the SAMW formation rate estimated from the SOC product is much smaller, which may be due to bias of the SOC heat flux. Poorer quality of the flux products in the Southern Ocean may also contribute to the difference.

Features of physical oceanography in the oceans near the Prydz Bay during the 1998/1999 austral summer

Thermohaline features, spatial extensions, and depths of the antarctic circumpolar deep water, the antarctic bottom water, and the upper layer water near the Prydz Bay （ including the Prydz Bay s.mmer surface water, the antarctic winter water, and the Prydz Bay shelf water ） are analyzed and studied by use of the full depth CTD data obtained in the Southern Ocean near the Prydz Bay during the 1998/1999 austral summer. The northward extension of the shelf water, the thickness of the temperature inversion layer, the minima in the vertical temperature profile and the vertical temperature gradient are interpreted. On the basis of analysis of gravitational potential field, the geostrophic current and the geostrophic volume transport are calculated to determine the location of the strongest current in the zonal circulation near the Prydz Bay and to find the spatial variability of the volume transport in the64° -66.5°S zone. In addition, the central location, the frontal strength, the vertical depth and thickness of the continental water boundary （CWB） are estimated from the CTD data to expound the spatial variability of CWB in the study area （64° -66.5°S, 70° -75°E）.

Distribution of Pacific-origin water in the region of the Chukchi Plateau in the Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2003

The upper ocean thermohaline structures in the region of the Chukchi Plateauare analyzed with the hydrographic data collected by the Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditionin the summer of 2003. Three types of the Pacific-origin water were found in the upper ocean,Alaska Coastal Water (ACW), summer Bering Sea Water (sBSW) and winter Bering Sea Water (wBSW) areindicated by two maximums temperature and one minimum temperature, piling up from the upper to thelower respectively. The extreme warm ACW with a maximum temperature of 1.62℃ was found in thesouthwestern Canada Basin at a depth of about 50 m. A pathway of the ACW into the basin from itsadjacent area did not existed in the expedition period. So it is speculated that the extreme warmfeature of the ACW was formed locally in 2003. The relative weak ACW occurred to the east of theChukchi Cap and in the southern Chukchi Abyssal Plain. The latter one might originate from a warmdownwelling that existed in a small canyon at the shelf break of the Chukchi Sea. The sBSW withoutthe ACW was found only at the southwestern flank of the Chukchi Cap. The ACW and the sBSW were notfound in the northernmost station at 81°N,which indicates the north boundary of the upperPacific-origin water in the Canada Basin. The wBSW, which existed in all deep stations, was exactlyuniform at temperature. The difference of the core potential temperature of the wBSW in the deepregions is only 0.08℃.

Water mass of the northward throughflow in the Bering Strait in the summer of 2003

The temperature and salinity data obtained by the Chinese national arctic research expedition （CHINARE2003） are used to study the water structure in the Bering Strait and ambient regions. Four water masses appeared in the research region： the intermediate Bering Sea water mass （IBWM）, the Alaska coastal water （ACW）, the Anadyr water （AW） and the Bering shelf water （BSW）. The AW originates from the IBWM, but the upper layer water has been greatly altered. In the cruise on 28/29 July 2003, there were only the BSW and ACW in a section across the Bering Strait （BS section）, but in the September 12/13 cruise, the AW, BSW and ACW flowed parallelly into the Bering Strait. The upper waters of these water masses were all altered due to ice melting, runoff, solar radiation, and wind mixing. The waters in the central and northern parts of Bering Strait stratified by two uniform layers,were expressed as the typical feature of the water masses originating from the pacific. A two-layer structure also dominated the vertical stratification in most part of the Chukchi Sea. An obvious subseasonal variation was observed in the BS section, which caused varying transportation of fresh water, heat, and substance, and produced a long-term and extensive impact on the Arctic Ocean.

Progress of Chinese research in physical oceanography of the Southern Ocean

Oceanographic surveying has been one of the key missions of the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition since 1984. Using the field data obtained in these surveys and the results from remote sensing and numerical models, Chinese physical oceanographers have investigated the water masses, fronts and circulation patterns in the Southern Ocean. The results of nearly 30 years of research are summarized in this paper. Most oceanographic observations by Chinese researchers have been con- ducted in Prydz Bay and the adjacent seas. CTD （Conductivity Temperature and Depth） data, collected during the past 20 years, have been applied to study several features of the water masses in this region： The spatial variation of warm summer surface water, the northward extension of shelf water, the flow of ice shelf water from the cavity beneath the Amery Ice Shelf, the upweUing of the Circumpolar Deep Water, and the formation of the Antarctic Bottom Water. The circulation and its dynamic factors have been analyzed with dynamic heights calculated from CTD data as well as by numerical models. The structure and strength of the fronts in the southeast Indian Ocean and the Drake Passage were investigated with underway XBT/XCTD （Expendable Bathythermo- graph/Expendable CTD） and ADCP （Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler） data. Their interaunual variations have been determined and the factors of influence, especially the atmospheric forcing and mesoscale oceanic processes, were studied using remote sens- ing data. The dynamic mechanism of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current （ACC） was analyzed by theoretical models. The transport and pattern of the ACC have been well reproduced by coupled sea ice-ocean models. Additional details of ACC variability were identified based on satellite altimeter data. The response of the ACC to climate change was studied using reanalysis data. Prospects for future research are presented at the end of this paper.

Observed and modelled snow and ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean with CHINARE buoy data

Sea ice and the snow pack on top of it were investigated using Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition （CHINARE） buoy data. Two polar hydrometeorological drifters, known as Zeno ice stations, were deployed during CHINARE 2003. A new type of high-resolution Snow and Ice Mass Balance Arrays, known as SIMBA buoys, were deployed during CHINARE 2014. Data from those buoys were applied to investigate the thickness of sea ice and snow in the CHINARE domain. A simple approach was applied to estimate the average snow thickness on the basis of Zeno temperature data. Snow and ice thicknesses were also derived from vertical temperature profile data based on the SIMBA buoys. A one-dimensional snow and ice thermodynamic model （HIGHTSI） was applied to calculate the snow and ice thickness along the buoy drift trajectories. The model forcing was based on forecasts and analyses of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts （ECMWF）. The Zeno buoys drifted in a confined area during 2003-2004. The snow thickness modelled applying HIGHTSI was consistent with results based on Zeno buoy data. The SIMBA buoys drifted from 81. 1°N, 157.4°W to 73.5°N, 134.9°W in 15 months during 2014-2015. The total ice thickness increased from an initial August 2014 value of 1.97 m to a maximum value of 2.45 in before the onset of snow melt in May 2015; the last observation was approximately 1 m in late November 2015. The ice thickness based on HIGHTSI agreed with SIMBA measurements, in particular when the seasonal variation of oceanic heat flux was taken into account, but the modelled snow thickness differed from the observed one. Sea ice thickness derived from SIMBA data was reasonably good in cold conditions, but challenges remain in both snow and ice thickness in summer.

Features and spatial distribution of circumpolar deep water in the southern Indian Ocean and the effects of Antarctic circum polar current

The data from the Southern Ocean observations of World Ocean Circulation Experiment （WOCE） are used for analysis and illustration of the features and spatial distributions of Circumpolar Deep Water （CDW） in the southern Indian Ocean. It is learnt from the comparison among the vertical distributions of temperature/ salinity/oxygen along the 30°E, 90°E and 145°E sections respectively that some different features of CDW and the fronts can be found at those longitudes, and those differences can be attributed to the zonal transoceanic flow and the merizonal movement in the Circumpolar Deep Water. In fact, the zonal transoceanic flow is the main dynamic factor for the water exchange between the Pacific Ocean and the /ndian Ocean or between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and for the effects on the spatial distributions of the physical properties in CDW.

A harmonic analyzed parameterization of tide-induced mixing for ocean models

The tide-induced mixing plays an important role in the regulation of ocean circulation.Numerical simulation of continental shelf circulation is found to exhibit an unreasonable vertical thermohaline structure without consideration of tide effects.In this study,we establish a harmonic analyzed parameterization of tide-induced（HAT） mixing,by which means to derive time-depended function of mixing coefficient based on harmonic analysis of the vertical mixing coefficient.By employing HAT mixing parameterization scheme,a series of numerical experiments are conducted for the Yellow Sea.Numerical results show that an ocean circulation model with the HAT mixing involved is capable of reproducing the reasonable thermohaline structure of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass,similar to structures produced by explicit tidal forcing on the open boundary.The advantage of the HAT method is its faster computation time,compared with models that directly resolve explicit tidal motion.The HAT parameterization for the tide-induced mixing has potential to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of ocean circulation and climate models.

Responses of the circulation and water mass in the Beibu Gulf to the seasonal forcing regimes

In the past 20 a, the gulf-scale circulation in the Beibu Gulf has been commonly accepted to be driven by a wind stress or density gradient. However, using three sensitive experiments based on a three-dimensional baroclinic model that was verified by observations, the formation mechanisms were revealed： the circula- tion in the northern Beibu Gulf was triggered by the monsoon wind throughout a year; whereas the southern gulf circulation was driven by the monsoon wind and South China Sea （SCS） circulation in winter and sum- mer, respectively. The force of heat flux and tidal harmonics had a strong effect on the circulation strength and range, as well as the local circulation structures, but these factors did not influence the major circulation structure in the Beibu Gulf. On the other hand, the Beibu Gulf Cold Water Mass （BGCWM） would disappear without the force of heat flux because the seasonal thermocline layer was generated by the input of heat so that the vertical mixing between the upper hot water and lower cold water was blocked. In addition, the wind-induced cyclonic gyre in the northern gulf was favorable to the existence of the BGCWM. However, the coverage area of the BGCWM was increased slightly without the force of the tidal harmonics. When the model was driven by the monthly averaged surface forcing, the circulation structure was changed to some extent, and the coverage area of the BGCWM almost extended outwards 100%, implying the circulation and water mass in the Beibu Gulf had strong responses to the temporal resolution of the surface forces.

古海洋氧化还原条件的遗迹化石定量表征特征:以华南二叠纪末生物大灭绝事件为例

地质历史时期的重大生物—环境事件往往伴随着古海洋海水氧化还原条件的改变,而遗迹化石作为原位保存的生物成因沉积构造,对于解读古海洋氧化还原条件具有显著的优势。通过对前人常用的遗迹学参数进行分析总结,发现遗迹化石多样性、生物扰动强度、潜穴直径、特征遗迹化石组合这4项定量参数可以表征古海洋氧化还原条件的变化。文中以华南二叠系乐平统遗迹化石及生物扰动构造作为研究对象,系统分析了二叠纪末生物大灭绝事件前后遗迹化石参数表征的古海洋氧化还原条件变化特征:自吴家坪期晚期华南古海洋开始出现缺氧,然而该缺氧状态在长兴期不具有持续性,而是呈现出周期性缺氧/贫氧→富氧/有氧的波动特征;在二叠纪末生物大灭绝之前,煤山剖面高精度的定量遗迹学参数指示长兴组24e层顶部存在缺氧事件,并与大灭绝事件有着良好的对应关系。这一实例具体展示了遗迹学参数在古海洋水体氧化还原条件重建中应用前景广阔。

西太平洋大塔穆火山的重力导纳分析以及对其形成机制的启示

本文利用卫星重力数据和海底地形数据对大塔穆火山开展详细的重力导纳分析。结果显示大塔穆火山的岩石圈有效弹性厚度是1~3 km,指示火山形成于洋中脊之上,符合低重力异常和洋中脊三联点的构造背景。Airy均衡模型和岩石圈挠曲均衡模型推算的大塔穆火山的平均地壳厚度是11~17 km,最厚处拥有一个约30 km的地壳根,与实际地震观测结果基本一致。大塔穆火山的超厚洋壳不同于正常洋中脊,目前地幔柱与洋中脊相互作用是比较合理的成因模式。研究还发现大塔穆火山底下存在一个质量缺失的低密度区,这个区域可能是残留岩浆房造成的结果,与火山中心的地球化学特征、地震波速异常以及广泛的后期火山活动相吻合。另外,这个低密度区提供浮力支撑火山中心隆起,可能导致火山侧翼因差异性沉降而产生正断层。

南太平洋富稀土海区海水中的溶解态稀土元素空间分布特征研究

深海富稀土沉积物因其资源潜力巨大,近年来备受关注。一般认为,沉积物中稀土元素和钇(总称REY)的主要来源为上覆海水,但针对富稀土海区上覆海水中REY的研究较少。本研究针对南太平洋富稀土海区采集的3个站位的全水深海水样品,测试出了15种溶解态REY,并对比了邻近海域已发表的数据,分析了该海区REY的空间分布特征。研究区表层水中溶解态REY浓度主要受风尘输入影响,而中层和深层水体中溶解态REY浓度主要受水团控制。经过澳大利亚后太古代页岩(PAAS)和北太平洋深层水(NPDW)归一化后的配分模式可确定REY间的分馏特征,分辨出不同水团。与其他大洋中报道的REY数据比较发现,表层水中REY浓度受风尘和河流输入影响导致差别较大,中层水中REY浓度与印度洋较为接近,深层水中REY浓度与不同大洋的水团年龄表现为正相关趋势,即REY浓度由小到大依次为大西洋、印度洋、南太平洋、北太平洋。

近四年全球海水质量变化及其时空特征分析

本文利用卫星重力、卫星测高和海洋温盐数据反演计算全球海水质量变化,并分析其时空变化特征.卫星重力数据利用2003年1月～2006年12月的GRACE月时变重力场球谐系数,同时考虑替换一阶项和C_(20)项,并进行了相关误差滤波、高斯滤波和陆地水文信号泄漏改正,计算得到海洋等效水高变化;利用相同时间跨度的卫星测高数据和海洋温度、盐度水文观测数据,计算全球海平面变化和比容海平面变化,反演得到海水质量变化.反演的两种海水质量变化的年际变化特征一致性较好.三种数据得到的长期趋势变化,与1993～2003年的结果相比,可以看出,海水质量变化加速,并已成为全球海平面上升的主要因素.

由GRACE RL05数据反演近10年中国大陆水储量及海水质量变化

利用CSR(Center for Space Research)提供的GRACE RL05数据反演2003—2012年中国大陆水储量及其周边海域海水质量变化趋势。采用改进去相关滤波算法,使拟合最高阶次位系数为55及数据系列两端球谐位系数无须作为滑动窗口中心可直接拟合,去条带效果相比传统方法更明显。结果表明,中国陆地水储量在华北平原、三峡地区及青海、新疆、西藏交界地区变化较大。十年间,华北平原地下水以4.1±1.3mm/a速度减少,陆地水和地表水变化主要集中在2004—2008年;三峡水库3次蓄水引起地区等效水高变化分别为52mm、18mm及7mm;青海、西藏、新疆3省区交界地区地表水变化引起陆地水、地下水分别以10.6±0.9mm/a及11.6±1.0mm/a的速度增加。扣除冰川均衡调整后,GRACE反演海水质量的变化结果显示,东海、南海、黄海海水质量分别以4.23±0.9mm/a、1.33±0.9mm/a及3.09±1.1mm/a的速度上升,东海海水质量在长江入口附近上升速度最快。

研究海水温盐结构的反射地震方法

在物理海洋学的研究中,利用CTD(Conductivity,Temperature and Depth sensors)测量方法研究海水温盐结构存在着获取数据时间长、数据横向精度低的缺点,而利用反射地震记录可以获得剖面上连续的水体温盐结构,弥补了传统方法的不足。反射地震方法研究海水温盐结构是个新的交叉学科方法,称为"地震海洋学"。由于海水水体的物性变化比地层物性变化小得多,造成海水水体的反射地震资料信噪比很低,各类干扰强烈,因而海水水体的反射地震资料处理也和常规地震资料处理方法有所不同。它处理的重点是振幅补偿,叠前去噪以及叠后处理。笔者通过对"十五"973项目在南海东北部采集的一条高分辨率多道反射地震测线的海水水体部分的地震数据进行处理,压制了强线性干扰波,获得了水体反射图像。地震叠加速度分析获取的3个CDP(Common Depth Point)的垂向速度从1540 m.s-1单调减小到1478 m.s-1,与CTD测量得到的速度变化趋势一致。

2003年夏季东南印度洋上层海洋的水文特征

本文利用 2 0 0 3年 2月我国第 1 9次南极考察队在南极普里兹湾到澳大利亚弗里曼特尔南印度洋断面上获得的XBT和XCTD数据 ,分析了该断面上层的水团分布和锋面的特征 ,并讨论了极锋以南表层的淡水输入和热量输入与海冰、降水及平流之间的关系。南极夏季表层水(AASSW)、亚南极表层水 (SASW)、亚热带表层水 (STSW)分布于温盐跃层之上的混合层中 ,由南向北依次分布。AASSW之下是向北延伸的温度最小值层 ,即冬季水 (WW) ,其下则是涌升的上层南极饶及深层水 (UCDW)。南侵的高温高盐的亚热带表层水 (STSW)之下是温度和盐度相对均匀的亚南极模式水 (SAMW)。本航次发现 ,在 63.5°S ,79.7°E的 60 0m以深有低盐水体 (相对其周围水体 )存在 ,核心盐度 34.5 8,位于 80 0— 90 0m水深之间。这是历次考察在该断面所不曾观测到的现象。断面上的锋面从南向北依次为南极陆坡锋 (ASF)、极锋 (PF)、亚南极锋 (SAF)和亚热带锋 (STF)。ASF位于 65°S以南的 1 0 0m以深 ,等温线和等盐线向南倾斜 ;PF位于 5 4°S ,90 .4°E ;SAF位于 45 .3°— 47.5°S ,1 0 2 .5°— 1 0 4 .4°E之间 ,深达整个测量深度 ,温度具有两个高梯度核心 ;首次在该断面观测到双STF结构 ,位于 41 .9°— 42 .6°S,1 0 6.7°— 1 0 7.3°E和 37.7°—

太平洋入流及其与北冰洋异常变化的联系

太平洋水通过白令海峡进入北冰洋 ,对北冰洋的海冰、水团和环流产生重要影响。在过去的十几年中 ,北冰洋的海冰和海洋系统发生了前所未有的异常变化 ;与此同时 ,白令海峡太平洋入流水的流量和性质发生了改变 ,太平洋水在北冰洋中的运移路径和影响范围也有所不同 ,这些变化之间的关系有待于进一步的研究。本文综述了有关的研究进展 ,探讨了北冰洋异常变化与太平洋入流变化之间的可能联系。

全球平均海平面上升的瞬时速率

在确定海平面上升速率时,传统方法是利用最小二乘拟合获取特定时间段内的平均速率.事实上,由于海平面是一种非稳态变化,其速率随着时间变化.本文使用集成经验模态分解获取海平面变化在2002—2014年间的非线性趋势,然后通过三次样条函数平滑拟合非线性趋势得到连续的一阶导数,即为海平面变化的瞬时速率.结果表明,全球平均海平面的瞬时速率先降后升:从2002的2.7mm·a^(-1)缓慢下降至2010年的2.5mm·a^(-1),然后上升至2014年的3.8mm·a^(-1).通过分析海平面上升各个贡献成分的瞬时速率,发现该上升主要由海水质量增加引起.在2002—2014年间,格陵兰岛冰川消融对海平面上升瞬时速率的贡献从0.51mm·a^(-1)上升至0.85mm·a^(-1),南极冰川消融的贡献则从0.12mm·a^(-1)上升至0.34mm·a^(-1).陆地水储量对海平面上升起抑制作用,但该抑制作用呈下降趋势,其瞬时速率从-0.24mm·a^(-1)增加到0.03mm·a^(-1).比容海平面的瞬时速率表现为下降趋势,从1.6mm·a^(-1)减小至1.0mm·a^(-1).这表明在全球尺度上,海水质量对海平面上升的贡献正在增加,截止到2014年,海水质量的贡献已经接近70%.

海水物质平衡浮标对北冰洋中心区海冰温度与物质平衡的观测

利用中国第3次北极科学考察所布放海冰物质平衡浮标(Ice Mass-Balance buoy,IMB)的观测数据,分析了北冰洋中心区多年冰2008年8月—2009年7月温度与物质平衡的变化特征。结果表明,冰温廓线呈现明显的季节变化,秋季降温过程从海冰表面开始向冰体内部传播。海冰底部的生长/消融率受海水温度控制,随水温的降低,在2月初达到的最大值为1.7 cm/d;在2008年10月中旬至2009年6月下旬为海冰的生长期内,海冰底部平均生长率为0.6 cm/d,海冰底部厚度增长量为160.3 cm;海冰底部的消融较海冰表面约有1个月的滞后。分析海面风场对海冰漂移的影响显示,海冰漂移速率约为风速的2.13%。