The ridge like seafloor highs with various geological origins can be classed into mid-ocean ridges,transverse ridges related to transform faults,hot spot/mantle plume originated ridges,microcontinent rifted from major...The ridge like seafloor highs with various geological origins can be classed into mid-ocean ridges,transverse ridges related to transform faults,hot spot/mantle plume originated ridges,microcontinent rifted from major continent,intra-plate arc formed by interaction of two oceanic plates,and tectonic ridges uplifted by later tectonic activity.Those ridges moved towards the convergent continental margins along with the underlain plate drifting and formed so-called accreted ridges commonly trending at a high angle to the continental margins.At divergent continental margins,the continental crusts were extended and thinned accompanying with magmatism,which formed high terrains protruding or parallel to the coastal line.The ridges worldwide have various origins and the crustal thicknesses and structures of them are diversity.The crusts beneath the microcontinents,and the transverse ridges along the transform margin,and the seafloor highs beside the passive continental margins are continental,while the crusts of other ridges are oceanic.Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea （UNCLOS） has classed the seafloor highs worldwide into three legal categories,namely oceanic ridges,submarine ridges and submarine elevations,for the purpose to delineate the outer limit of the coastal States＇ continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.To define the categories of the legal seafloor highs to which the ridges with various geological origins belong,the continuities in morphology and geology including the rock types,crustal structures,origins and tectonic setting of the ridges and the coastal States＇ land mass with its submerged prolongation should be taken into account.If a ridge is continuous both in morphology and geology with the coastal States＇ land mass and its submerged prolongation,it is a submarine elevation stipulated in Article 76.If it is discontinuous in morphology,the ridge should be regarded as oceanic ridges.If a ridge is continuous in morphology but discontinuous in geology with the coastal States＇ land mass and its submerged prolongation,then it is a submarine ridge as stipulated in Article 76.展开更多
The present status of deep sea bed mining technology for polymetallic nodules has been critically examined in light of its history of development the UNCLoS (the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea) regime ...The present status of deep sea bed mining technology for polymetallic nodules has been critically examined in light of its history of development the UNCLoS (the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea) regime and the current trends in research.The critical technologies have been highlighted and the need for system integration underscored. The deep sea bed environment and the engineering challenge were presented and the necessary features of the deep sea bed mining system for commercial mining was analyzed. The key accomplishments, problems and future bends in research in the development of the mining system are also discussed. Finally, it points out that the technology gaps can be filled by the bine commercial mining is undertaken as a result of market conditions in its favor.展开更多
The Caspian basin for a long time did not have a legal status, so the question of the division of the seabed was in question. In addition, international conventions such as MARPOL, UNCLOS, BWM did not have jurisdictio...The Caspian basin for a long time did not have a legal status, so the question of the division of the seabed was in question. In addition, international conventions such as MARPOL, UNCLOS, BWM did not have jurisdiction over Caspian waters. Due to the lack of general rules regarding the Caspian basin, the risk of pollution from ballast water and sewage discharges remains relevant due to the active shipping industry. But on August 12, 2018, the leaders of littoral states signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, although the situation remains complicated. Thus, in the manuscript the authors provide the first insight into the issues of sewage and ballast water in the Caspian, and the role of oil and natural gas in the regional development.展开更多
The Whaling in the Antarctic Case (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) decided by the International Court of Justice (hereinafter "ICJ" or "the Court") on 31 March 2014 dealt with the inte...The Whaling in the Antarctic Case (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) decided by the International Court of Justice (hereinafter "ICJ" or "the Court") on 31 March 2014 dealt with the interpretation of specific provisions of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), in particular Article VIII.1, and its complementary instruments, i.e., the Schedule and the Annexes of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee. The decision of the Court was a remarkable good one. However, its rigorous reasoning focused almost exclusively on the required purpose of "scientific research" of the JARPA II Programme1 permits as set out in the ICRW, approaching the convention as an autonomous self-contained regime which leaves aside other additional grounds. Nonetheless, it would be beneficial for further jurisdictional developments to strengthen the scope of the ICWR system with the applicable provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other treaties and institutions impinging on whales and whaling, e.g., CITES, Bonn Convention, Antarctic Treaty System, among others. The query remains concerning the unexplored sources of international law ruling Antarctic spaces and species which are absent in the judgment of the Court but may allow an evolutive interpretation of the ICRW.展开更多
As is well-known, Nansha Islands in the South China Sea(SCS) are of important strategic position and invaluable ecological value. Therefore, many attentions are paid to either the political and legal aspects of expose...As is well-known, Nansha Islands in the South China Sea(SCS) are of important strategic position and invaluable ecological value. Therefore, many attentions are paid to either the political and legal aspects of exposed features that matter in the maritime delimitation, or the physical and geographical characteristics of coral reefs that are the predominant structures of these islands. However, it seems that they consistently lose the connection of sciences and humanities in the research of Nansha Islands in the SCS. In this study, we carry out a combinative research, based on remote sensing data using satellite imagery analysis together with historical materials using literature investigation, so as to reconsider to the geographical characteristics of Nansha Islands from a standpoint of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). After thoroughly appraising the statuses of these newly formed sand cays, several high tide features of Nansha Islands are identified. By means of the comparison of satellite images coupled with reference to nautical charting and sailing directions during different time periods, we can conclude that the statuses of these high tide features formed on reef platforms are relatively stable due to the growth of reef-building organisms although their migration patterns are subject to external disturbances, and hence the cursory judgment pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UNCLOS about whether a coral reef belongs to a low tide elevation only based on outdated references or ex parte evidences is not reliable. Moreover, it is accordingly justified to improve further development and perfection of the maritime legislation by eliminating such ambiguities with the growth of coral reefs and the evolution of sand cays being both taken into account.展开更多
文摘The ridge like seafloor highs with various geological origins can be classed into mid-ocean ridges,transverse ridges related to transform faults,hot spot/mantle plume originated ridges,microcontinent rifted from major continent,intra-plate arc formed by interaction of two oceanic plates,and tectonic ridges uplifted by later tectonic activity.Those ridges moved towards the convergent continental margins along with the underlain plate drifting and formed so-called accreted ridges commonly trending at a high angle to the continental margins.At divergent continental margins,the continental crusts were extended and thinned accompanying with magmatism,which formed high terrains protruding or parallel to the coastal line.The ridges worldwide have various origins and the crustal thicknesses and structures of them are diversity.The crusts beneath the microcontinents,and the transverse ridges along the transform margin,and the seafloor highs beside the passive continental margins are continental,while the crusts of other ridges are oceanic.Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea （UNCLOS） has classed the seafloor highs worldwide into three legal categories,namely oceanic ridges,submarine ridges and submarine elevations,for the purpose to delineate the outer limit of the coastal States＇ continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.To define the categories of the legal seafloor highs to which the ridges with various geological origins belong,the continuities in morphology and geology including the rock types,crustal structures,origins and tectonic setting of the ridges and the coastal States＇ land mass with its submerged prolongation should be taken into account.If a ridge is continuous both in morphology and geology with the coastal States＇ land mass and its submerged prolongation,it is a submarine elevation stipulated in Article 76.If it is discontinuous in morphology,the ridge should be regarded as oceanic ridges.If a ridge is continuous in morphology but discontinuous in geology with the coastal States＇ land mass and its submerged prolongation,then it is a submarine ridge as stipulated in Article 76.
文摘The present status of deep sea bed mining technology for polymetallic nodules has been critically examined in light of its history of development the UNCLoS (the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea) regime and the current trends in research.The critical technologies have been highlighted and the need for system integration underscored. The deep sea bed environment and the engineering challenge were presented and the necessary features of the deep sea bed mining system for commercial mining was analyzed. The key accomplishments, problems and future bends in research in the development of the mining system are also discussed. Finally, it points out that the technology gaps can be filled by the bine commercial mining is undertaken as a result of market conditions in its favor.
文摘The Caspian basin for a long time did not have a legal status, so the question of the division of the seabed was in question. In addition, international conventions such as MARPOL, UNCLOS, BWM did not have jurisdiction over Caspian waters. Due to the lack of general rules regarding the Caspian basin, the risk of pollution from ballast water and sewage discharges remains relevant due to the active shipping industry. But on August 12, 2018, the leaders of littoral states signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, although the situation remains complicated. Thus, in the manuscript the authors provide the first insight into the issues of sewage and ballast water in the Caspian, and the role of oil and natural gas in the regional development.
文摘The Whaling in the Antarctic Case (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) decided by the International Court of Justice (hereinafter "ICJ" or "the Court") on 31 March 2014 dealt with the interpretation of specific provisions of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), in particular Article VIII.1, and its complementary instruments, i.e., the Schedule and the Annexes of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee. The decision of the Court was a remarkable good one. However, its rigorous reasoning focused almost exclusively on the required purpose of "scientific research" of the JARPA II Programme1 permits as set out in the ICRW, approaching the convention as an autonomous self-contained regime which leaves aside other additional grounds. Nonetheless, it would be beneficial for further jurisdictional developments to strengthen the scope of the ICWR system with the applicable provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other treaties and institutions impinging on whales and whaling, e.g., CITES, Bonn Convention, Antarctic Treaty System, among others. The query remains concerning the unexplored sources of international law ruling Antarctic spaces and species which are absent in the judgment of the Court but may allow an evolutive interpretation of the ICRW.
基金Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,No.XDA13010401
文摘As is well-known, Nansha Islands in the South China Sea(SCS) are of important strategic position and invaluable ecological value. Therefore, many attentions are paid to either the political and legal aspects of exposed features that matter in the maritime delimitation, or the physical and geographical characteristics of coral reefs that are the predominant structures of these islands. However, it seems that they consistently lose the connection of sciences and humanities in the research of Nansha Islands in the SCS. In this study, we carry out a combinative research, based on remote sensing data using satellite imagery analysis together with historical materials using literature investigation, so as to reconsider to the geographical characteristics of Nansha Islands from a standpoint of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). After thoroughly appraising the statuses of these newly formed sand cays, several high tide features of Nansha Islands are identified. By means of the comparison of satellite images coupled with reference to nautical charting and sailing directions during different time periods, we can conclude that the statuses of these high tide features formed on reef platforms are relatively stable due to the growth of reef-building organisms although their migration patterns are subject to external disturbances, and hence the cursory judgment pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UNCLOS about whether a coral reef belongs to a low tide elevation only based on outdated references or ex parte evidences is not reliable. Moreover, it is accordingly justified to improve further development and perfection of the maritime legislation by eliminating such ambiguities with the growth of coral reefs and the evolution of sand cays being both taken into account.
