Deep learning to estimate ocean subsurface salinity structure in the Indian Ocean using satellite observations

Accurately estimating the ocean subsurface salinity structure(OSSS)is crucial for understanding ocean dynamics and predicting climate variations.We present a convolutional neural network(CNN)model to estimate the OSSS in the Indian Ocean using satellite data and Argo observations.We evaluated the performance of the CNN model in terms of its vertical and spatial distribution,as well as seasonal variation of OSSS estimation.Results demonstrate that the CNN model accurately estimates the most significant salinity features in the Indian Ocean using sea surface data with no significant differences from Argo-derived OSSS.However,the estimation accuracy of the CNN model varies with depth,with the most challenging depth being approximately 70 m,corresponding to the halocline layer.Validations of the CNN model’s accuracy in estimating OSSS in the Indian Ocean are also conducted by comparing Argo observations and CNN model estimations along two selected sections and four selected boxes.The results show that the CNN model effectively captures the seasonal variability of salinity,demonstrating its high performance in salinity estimation using sea surface data.Our analysis reveals that sea surface salinity has the strongest correlation with OSSS in shallow layers,while sea surface height anomaly plays a more significant role in deeper layers.These preliminary results provide valuable insights into the feasibility of estimating OSSS using satellite observations and have implications for studying upper ocean dynamics using machine learning techniques.

New Record Ocean Temperatures and Related Climate Indicators in 2023

The global physical and biogeochemical environment has been substantially altered in response to increased atmospheric greenhouse gases from human activities.In 2023,the sea surface temperature(SST)and upper 2000 m ocean heat content(OHC)reached record highs.The 0–2000 m OHC in 2023 exceeded that of 2022 by 15±10 ZJ(1 Zetta Joules=1021 Joules)(updated IAP/CAS data);9±5 ZJ(NCEI/NOAA data).The Tropical Atlantic Ocean,the Mediterranean Sea,and southern oceans recorded their highest OHC observed since the 1950s.Associated with the onset of a strong El Niño,the global SST reached its record high in 2023 with an annual mean of~0.23℃ higher than 2022 and an astounding>0.3℃ above 2022 values for the second half of 2023.The density stratification and spatial temperature inhomogeneity indexes reached their highest values in 2023.

Alleviated photoinhibition on nitrification in the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean

Nitrification,a central process in the marine nitrogen cycle,produces regenerated nitrate in the euphotic zone and emits N_(2)O,a potent greenhouse gas as a by-product.The regulatory mechanisms of nitrification in the Southern Ocean,which is a critical region for CO_(2)sequestration and radiative benefits,remain poorly understood.Here,we investigated the in situ and dark nitrification rates in the upper 500 m and conducted substrate kinetics experiments across the Indian Sector in the Cosmonaut and Cooperation seas in the late austral summer.Our findings indicate that light inhibition of nitrification decreases exponentially with depth,exhibiting a light threshold of 0.53%photosynthetically active radiation.A positive relationship between dark nitrification and apparent oxygen utilization suggests a dependence on substrate availability from primary production.Importantly,an increased NH_(4)^(+) supply can act as a buffer against photo-inhibitory damage.Globally,substrate affinity(α)increases with depth and transitions from light to dark,decreases with increasing ambient NH_(4)^(+)and exhibits a latitudinal distribution,reflecting substrate utilization strategies.We also reveal that upwelling in Circumpolar Deep Water(CDW)stimulates nitrification through the introduction of potentially higher iron and deep diverse nitrifying microorganisms with higherα.We conclude that although light is the primary limiting factor for nitrification in summer,coupling between substrate availability and CDW upwelling can overcome this limitation,thereby alleviating photoinhibition by up to 45%±5.3%.

The Influence of the Closure of the East Paleo-Tethys Ocean on Southern South China:Evidences from Kinematics and^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar Geochronology of the Rongxian Ductile Shear Zone in Southeastern Guangxi

The Triassic was a crucial period in the tectonic evolution of the South China Block.Research on tectonic deformation during this period provides information on intracontinental orogenic mechanisms in South China.In this study,alongside thermochronological analyses,we examine the macroscopic and microscopic structural features of the Rongxian ductile shear zone,located south of the Darongshan granite in the southeastern part of Guangxi Province,on the southern margin of South China.Sinistral shear is indicated by the characteristics of rotatedσ-type feldspar porphyroclasts,stretching lineations defined by elongated quartz grains and the orientations of quartz c-axes.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircons from two samples of granitic mylonite and one of granite yielded ages of ca.256 Ma.Furthermore,two samples of granitic mylonite yield muscovite^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar plateau ages of 249-246 Ma.These results indicate that the Rongxian ductile shear zone resulted from Early Triassic deformation of the late Permian Darongshan granite.This deformation was likely related to the closure of the eastern Paleo-Tethys Ocean and the subsequent collision of the South China and Indochina blocks,during the early stage of the Indosinian orogeny.

Networking Observation and Applications of Chinese Ocean Satellites

This paper presents the networking observation capabilities of Chinese ocean satellites and their diverse applications in ocean disaster prevention,ecological monitoring,and resource development.Since the inaugural launch in 2002,China has achieved substantial advancements in ocean satellite technology,forming an observation system composed of the HY-1,HY-2,and HY-3 series satellites.These satellites are integral to global ocean environmental monitoring due to their high resolution,extensive coverage,and frequent observations.Looking forward,China aims to further enhance and expand its ocean satellite capabilities through ongoing projects to support global environmental protection and sustainable development.

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.

Hydrographic Characteristics and Oceanic Heat Flux in the Upper Arctic Ocean over the Alpha Ridge Observed by the DTOP Platform in 2018 and 2021

In 2018 and 2021,the Drift-Towing Ocean Profilers(DTOP)provided extensive temperature and salinity data on the upper 120m ocean through their drifts over the Alpha Ridge north of the Canada Basin.The thickness and temperature maximum of Alaska Coastal Water(ACW)ranged from 20m to 40m and-1.5℃to-0.8℃,respectively,and the salinity generally maintained from 30.2 to 32.5.Comparison with World Ocean Atlas 2018’s climatology manifested a 40m-thick and warm ACW roughly ex-ceeding the temperature maximum by 0.4–0.5℃in June–August 2021.This anomalously warm ACW was highly related to the ex-pansion of the Beaufort Gyre in the negative Arctic Oscillation phase.During summer,the under-ice oceanic heat flux F_(w)^(OHF)was elevated,with a maximum value of above 25Wm^(-2).F_(w)^(OHF)was typically low in the freezing season,with an average value of 1.2Wm^(-2).The estimates of upward heat flux contributed by ACW to the sea ice bottom F_(w)^(OHF)were in the range of 3–4Wm^(-2)in June–August 2021,when ACW contained a heat content of more than 80MJm^(-2).The heat loss over this period was driven by a weak stratification upon the ACW layer associated with a surface mixed layer(SML)approaching the ACW core.After autumn,F_(w)^(OHF)was reduced(<2 Wm^(-2))except during rare events when it elevated F_(w)^(OHF)slightly.In addition,the intensive and widespread Ekman suction,which created a violent upwelling north of the Canada Basin,was largely responsible for the substantial cooling and thinning of the ACW layer in the summer of 2021.

Impacts of Ice-Ocean Stress on the Subpolar Southern Ocean:Role of the Ocean Surface Current

The mechanical influences involved in the interaction between the Antarctic sea ice and ocean surface current(OSC)on the subpolar Southern Ocean have been systematically investigated for the first time by conducting two simulations that include and exclude the OSC in the calculation of the ice-ocean stress(IOS), using an eddy-permitting coupled ocean-sea ice global model. By comparing the results of these two experiments, significant increases of 5%, 27%, and 24%, were found in the subpolar Southern Ocean when excluding the OSC in the IOS calculation for the ocean surface stress,upwelling, and downwelling, respectively. Excluding the OSC in the IOS calculation also visibly strengthens the total mechanical energy input to the OSC by about 16%, and increases the eddy kinetic energy and mean kinetic energy by about38% and 12%, respectively. Moreover, the response of the meridional overturning circulation in the Southern Ocean yields respective increases of about 16% and 15% for the upper and lower branches;and the subpolar gyres are also found to considerably intensify, by about 12%, 11%, and 11% in the Weddell Gyre, the Ross Gyre, and the Australian-Antarctic Gyre, respectively. The strengthened ocean circulations and Ekman pumping result in a warmer sea surface temperature(SST), and hence an incremental surface heat loss. The increased sea ice drift and warm SST lead to an expansion of the sea ice area and a reduction of sea ice volume. These results emphasize the importance of OSCs in the air-sea-ice interactions on the global ocean circulations and the mass balance of Antarctic ice shelves, and this component may become more significant as the rapid change of Antarctic sea ice.

Quantifying the Role of the Eddy Transfer Coefficient in Simulating the Response of the Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation to Enhanced Westerlies in a Coarse-resolution Model

This study assesses the capability of a coarse-resolution ocean model to replicate the response of the Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation(MOC) to intensified westerlies,focusing on the role of the eddy transfer coefficient(κ).κ is a parameter commonly used to represent the velocities induced by unresolved eddies.Our findings reveal that a stratification-dependent κ,incorporating spatiotemporal variability,leads to the most robust eddy-induced MOC response,capturing 82% of the reference eddy-resolving simulation.Decomposing the eddy-induced velocity into its vertical variation(VV) and spatial structure(SS) components unveils that the enhanced eddy compensation response primarily stems from an augmented SS term,while the introduced VV term weakens the response.Furthermore,the temporal variability of the stratification-dependent κ emerges as a key factor in enhancing the eddy compensation response to intensified westerlies.The experiment with stratification-dependent κ exhibits a more potent eddy compensation response compared to the constant κ,attributed to the structure of κ and the vertical variation of the density slope.These results underscore the critical role of accurately representing κ in capturing the response of the Southern Ocean MOC and emphasize the significance of the isopycnal slope in modulating the eddy compensation mechanism.

The sudden ocean warming and its potential influences on earlyfrozen landfast ice in the Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

The ocean conditions beneath the ice cover play a key role in understanding the sea ice mass balance in the polar regions.An integrated high-frequency ice-ocean observation system,including Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter,Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Sensor,and Sea Ice Mass Balance Array(SIMBA),was deployed in the landfast ice region close to the Chinese Zhongshan Station in Antarctica.A sudden ocean warming of 0.14℃(p<0.01)was observed beneath early-frozen landfast ice,from(−1.60±0.03)℃during April 16-19 to(−1.46±0.07)℃during April 20-23,2021,which is the only significant warming event in the nearly 8-month records.The sudden ocean warming brought a double rise in oceanic heat flux,from(21.7±11.1)W/m^(2) during April 16-19 to(44.8±21.3)W/m^(2) during April 20-23,2021,which shifted the original growth phase at the ice bottom,leading to a 2 cm melting,as shown from SIMBA and borehole observations.Simultaneously,the slowdown of ice bottom freezing decreased salt rejection,and the daily trend of observed ocean salinity changed from+0.02 d^(-1) during April 16-19,2021 to+0.003 d^(-1) during April 20-23,2021.The potential reasons are increased air temperature due to the transit cyclones and the weakened vertical ocean mixing due to the tide phase transformation from semi-diurnal to diurnal.The high-frequency observations within the ice-ocean boundary layer enhance the comprehensive investigation of the ocean’s influence on ice evolution at a daily scale.

Contrasting physical mechanisms of yellowfin tuna fluctuations between the western and eastern Indian Ocean

As an economically critical pelagic migratory species,yellowfin tuna(Thunnus albacores,YFT)is very sensible to physical and environmental conditions,such as sea surface temperature(SST),ocean heat content(OHC),and the mixed layer depth(MLD).We investigated the impact of SST,OHC,and MLD on fluctuations of YFT catch in the western/eastern Indian Ocean using the long time series of 63-year environmental and YFT datasets.We found that the impact of SST on YFT was heavily overestimated in the past,and MLD plays a more critical role in the YFT catch fluctuation.When the MLD deepens(>34.8 m),SST was more influential in predicting the catches of YFT than OHC in the western Indian Ocean,and OHC was more critical to YFT than SST in the eastern Indian Ocean.However,when the MLD shallows(<34.8 m),MLD was more vital to predict the catch per unit effort(CPUE)of YFT than SST/OHC in the western.After 2000,there was an asynchronous pattern of YFT CPUE induced by higher frequency variations and ocean hiatus of SST/OHC signals in the western and eastern Indian Oceans basins.The impact of the subsurface hiatus may induce the decrease of YFT in the eastern Indian Ocean.The above findings clarified a non-stationary relationship between the environmental factors and catches of YFT and provided new insights into variations in YFT abundance.

The Dynamic Impact of Ocean on Continent

Around 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans with depths that exceed several kilometers, while continents are geographically enclosed by these vast bodies of water. The principle of fluid mechanics stipulates that water yields pressure everywhere in the container that holds it, and the water pressure against the wall of container generates force. Ocean basins are naturally gigantic containers of water, in which continents form the walls of the containers. In this study, we present that the ocean water pressure against the walls of continents generates enormous force, and determine the distribution of this force around continents and estimate its amplitude to be of the order of 1017 N per kilometer of continent width. Our modelling suggests that the stresses yielded by this force are mostly concentrated on the upper part of the continental crust, and their magnitudes reach up to 2.0 - 6.0 MPa. Our results suggest that the force may have significantly impacted the dynamics of continent (lithospheric plate) and its evolution.

Effects of Ocean Acidification on Nitrogen Metabolism of Skeletonema costatum

Ocean acidification(OA),caused by the rising concentration of atmospheric CO_(2),leads to changes in the marine carbonate system.This,in turn,affects the physiological processes of phytoplankton.In response to increased pCO_(2) levels,marine microalgae modulate their physiological responses to meet their energy and metabolic requirements.Nitrogen metabolism is a critical metabolic pathway,directly affecting the growth and reproductive capacity of marine microorganisms.Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate nitrogen metabolism in microalgae under OA conditions is therefore crucial.This study aimed to investi-gate how OA affects the expression profiles of key genes in the nitrogen metabolic pathway of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum.Our findings indicate that OA upregulates key genes involved in the nitrogen metabolic pathway,specifically those related to nitrate assimilation and glutamate metabolism.Moreover,pCO_(2) has been identified as the predominant factor affecting the expression of these genes,with a more significant impact than pH variations in S.costatum.This research not only advances our understanding of the adaptive mechanisms of S.costatum in response to OA but also provides essential data for predicting the ecological consequences of OA on marine diatoms.

Geochronology and Petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous to Early Permian Basalts in the Central Lhasa Subterrane, Southern Tibet: Implications for the Evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean

Basalts from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian are extensively developed in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet. Studying the petrogenesis of these rocks may have implications for the late Paleozoic arc magmatism along the central Lhasa subterrane uncovering more of the evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean and its dynamic mechanism. Basalt samples from the Luobadui Formation in the Leqingla area, NW of Linzhou City in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet exhibit arc-like geochemical signatures in a subduction-zone tectonic setting characterized by high Al_(2)O_(3) and low TiO_(2) contents, fractionated REE patterns with low Nb/La ratios and high LREE concentrations, and negative HFSE anomalies. Based on their higher Th/Ce, Nb/Zr, and lower Ba/Th, Pb/Nd ratios, slightly negative to positive ε_(Nd)(t) values, and the relatively high Sr-Pb isotopic compositions, these samples were probably derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle source of garnet + spinel lherzolite, metasomatized by subducted sediments around 297 Ma. Modeling of the trace elements indicates that these basalts experienced fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and minor plagioclase during magma ascent and eruption. It is proposed that these Late Carboniferous–Early Permian basalts are associated with the northward subduction of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean seafloor along the southern margin of the central Lhasa subterrane.

Investigating the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Anti-Stress Mechanisms in Sepia esculenta Larvae Based on Transcriptome Profiling

With the rapid development of oil,energy,power and other industries,CO_(2) emissions rise sharply,which will cause a large amount of CO_(2) in the air be absorbed by the ocean and lead to ocean acidification.The growth and development of organisms can be seriously affected by acidified seawater.Sepia esculenta is a mollusk with high nutritional and economic value and is widely cultured in offshore waters of China.Larvae are the early life forms of the organism and are more vulnerable to changes in the external environment.Too low pH will lead to some adverse reactions in larvae,which will affect metabolism,immune response and other life activities.In this study,we sequenced the transcriptome of S.esculenta subjected to acidified seawater stress and identified 1072differentially expressed genes(DEGs).The detected atypical expression of DEGs substantiates cellular malformation and translocation in S.esculenta under low pH stimulation.Simultaneously,this also substantiates the notable impact of ocean acidification on mollusks.These DEGs were used for functional enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG,and the top twenty items of the biological process classification in GO terms and 11 KEGG signaling pathways were significantly enriched.Finally,the constructed proteinprotein interaction network(PPI)was used to analyze protein-protein interactions,and 12 key DEGs and 3 hub genes were identified.The reliability of 12 genes was verified by quantitative RT-PCR.A comprehensive analysis of the KEGG signaling pathway and PPI revealed that ocean acidification leads to abnormalities in lipid metabolism in S.esculenta larvae,which can lead to cancer development and metastasis,accompanied by some degree of inflammation.The results of the study will help to further investigate the physiological processes of S.esculenta when stimulated by ocean acidification,and provide a reference to cope with the captive breeding of S.esculenta affected by acidification.

Distribution and influencing factors of microeukaryote in different water layers of the southwestern Indian Ocean Ridge

Microeukaryotes play a vital role in shaping marine ecosystems,especially in marine productivity,the microbial food web,and carbon cycle.The Indian Ocean is one of the largest oligotrophic areas in the world,but little is known about the biodiversity of microeukaryotes in the area.The community composition and geographical distribution of microeukaryotes collected from the surface(SUR)and deep chlorophyll maximum(DCM)layers in the southwestern Indian Ocean were studied using high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene.The metagenomic data helped quantify the impact of environmental factors on microeukaryotic communities.The relative abundance of different taxa groups exhibited distinct patterns between SUR and DCM layers,except for the most dominant Dinoflagellata that accounted for more than 40.6%abundance in each sample.Radiolaria was much more abundant in the nutrient-rich DCM layer than the SUR layer.The community similarity of microeukaryotes decreased with increasing of geographic distance,whereas the temperature and inorganic nitrogen were the most important environmental parameters to community structure.Abundant communities were more influenced by dispersal limitations and rare communities were more responsive to environmental factors.Correlation network analyses revealed strong biotic interactions indicative of parasitism,predation and competition,and their contribution to microeukaryotic population in diverse environments.Overall,this study provided insights into the biodiversity of microeukaryotes by characterizing the differences between water layers and identifying the driving factors in the ocean.

A Dynamic Coupling of Ocean and Plate Motion

Plate motion representing a remarkable Earth process is widely attributed to several primary forces such as ridge push and slab pull. Recently, we have presented that the ocean water pressure against the wall of continents may generate enormous force on continents. Continents are physically fixed on the top of the lithosphere that has been already broken into individual plates, this attachment enables the force to be laterally transferred to the lithospheric plates. In this study, we combine the force and the existing plate driving forces (i.e., ridge push, slab pull, collisional, and shearing) to account for plate motion. We show that the modelled movements for the South American, African, North American, Eurasian, Australian, Pacific plates are well agreement with the observed movements in both speed and azimuth, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the modelled speed against the observed speed of 0.91, 3.76, 2.77, 2.31, 7.43, and 1.95 mm/yr, respectively.

Synergistic Impacts of Indian Ocean SST and Indo-China Peninsula Soil Moisture on the 2020 Record-breaking Mei-yu

The Yangtze River basin(YRB)experienced a record-breaking mei-yu season in June‒July 2020.This unique long-lasting extreme event and its origin have attracted considerable attention.Previous studies have suggested that the Indian Ocean(IO)SST forcing and soil moisture anomaly over the Indochina Peninsula(ICP)were responsible for this unexpected event.However,the relative contributions of IO SST and ICP soil moisture to the 2020 mei-yu rainfall event,especially their linkage with atmospheric circulation changes,remain unclear.By using observations and numerical simulations,this study examines the synergistic impacts of IO SST and ICP soil moisture on the extreme mei-yu in 2020.Results show that the prolonged dry soil moisture led to a warmer surface over the ICP in May under strong IO SST backgrounds.The intensification of the warm condition further magnified the land thermal effects,which in turn facilitated the westward extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high(WNPSH)in June‒July.The intensified WNPSH amplified the water vapor convergence and ascending motion over the YRB,thereby contributing to the 2020 mei-yu.In contrast,the land thermal anomalies diminish during normal IO SST backgrounds due to the limited persistence of soil moisture.The roles of IO SST and ICP soil moisture are verified and quantified using the Community Earth System Model.Their synergistic impacts yield a notable 32%increase in YRB precipitation.Our findings provide evidence for the combined influences of IO SST forcing and ICP soil moisture variability on the occurrence of the 2020 super mei-yu.

Contribution of Surface Waves to Sea Surface Temperatures in the Arctic Ocean

The aim of our study was to examine the contribution of surface waves from WAVEWATCH-III(WW3)to the variation in sea surface temperature(SST)in the Arctic Ocean.The simulated significant wave height(SWH)were validated against the products from Haiyang-2B(HY-2B)in 2021,obtaining a root mean squared error(RMSE)of 0.45 with a correlation of 0.96 and scatter index of 0.18.The wave-induced effects,i.e.,wave breaking and mixing induced by nonbearing waves resulting in changes in radiation stress and Stokes drift,were calculated from WW3,ERA-5 wind,SST,and salinity data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and were taken as forcing fields in the Stony Brook Parallel Ocean Model.The results showed that an RMSE of 0.81℃ with wave-induced effects was less than the RMSE of 1.11℃ achieved without the wave term compared with the simulated SST with the measurements from Argos.Considering the four wave effects and sea ice freezing,the SST in the Arctic Ocean decreased by up to 1℃ in winter.Regression analysis revealed that the SWH was linear in SST(values without subtraction of waves)in summer and autumn,but this behavior was not observed in spring or winter due to the presence of sea ice.The interannual variation also presented a negative relationship between the difference in SST and SWH.

Environmental characteristics of trace metals in seawater from the Ninety East Ridge in the Indian Ocean

The Ninety East Ridge in the Indian Ocean has complex and unique characteristics.The concentrations and distribution characteristics of 10 trace metals(V,Cr,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Cd,Pb,and U)in seawater from the Ninety East Ridge in the Indian Ocean were investigated.Results show that the average concentrations of different trace metals in all the collected seawater samples were 1.134μg/L for V,0.158μg/L for Cr,0.489μg/L for Mn,0.427μg/L for Fe,0.011μg/L for Co,0.395μg/L for Ni,0.403μg/L for Cu,0.097μg/L for Cd,0.139μg/L for Pb,and 3.470μg/L for U.Differences in the horizontal and vertical distributions of all measured trace metals were revealed,and the occurrence of high concentrations was nonuniform.In addition,the significant differences in the concentration distribution of different trace metals in seawater on both sides of the Ninety East Ridge present regional segmentation in the area for various trace metals in deep sea water.This study provided basic data for future investigations on the environmental and ecological impact of trace metals in the Indian Ocean and the potential water mass transport mechanism.