U-Pb zircon geochronology of basaltic pyroclastic rocks from the basement beneath the Xisha Islands in the northwestern South China Sea and its geological significance

As one of the micro-blocks dispersed in the South China Sea(SCS), the basement of the Xisha Islands has rarely been drilled because of the thick overlying Cenozoic sediments, which has led to a confused understanding of the pre-Cenozoic basement of the Xisha Islands. Well CK-1, a kilometer-scale major scientific drill in the Xisha Islands in the northwestern SCS, penetrated thick reefal limestone(0–888.4 m) and the underlying basement rocks(888.4–901.4 m). In this study, we present the zircon U-Pb ages of basement basaltic pyroclastic rocks from Well CK-1 in the Xisha Islands of the northwestern SCS to investigate the basement nature of the Xisha microblock. The basement of Well CK-1 consists of basaltic pyroclastic rocks on the seamount. The zircon grains yielded apparent ages ranging from ca. 2 138.9 Ma to ca. 36 Ma. The old group of zircon grains from Well CK-1 was considered to be inherited zircons. Two Cenozoic zircons gave a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of(36.3 ± 1.1) Ma,Mean Squared Weighted Deviations(MSWD) = 1.2, which may represent the maximum age of the volcano eruption. The Yanshanian inherited zircons(116.9–105.7 Ma and 146.1–130.2 Ma) from Well CK-1 are consistent with the zircons from Well XK-1, indicating that the basement of Chenhang Island may be similar to that of Well XK-1. We propose that the Xisha micro-block may have developed on a uniform Late Jurassic metamorphic crystalline basement, intruded by Cretaceous granitic magma.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Urban Heat Islands and Optimization of Spatial Network Construction in the Central Urban Area of Fuzhou City, China

Although accelerated urbanization has led to economic prosperity,it has also resulted in urban heat island effects.Therefore,identifying methods of using limited urban spaces to alleviate heat islands has become an urgent issue.In this study,we assessed the spatiotemporal evolution of urban heat islands within the central urban area of Fuzhou City,China from 2010 to 2019.This assessment was based on a morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA)model and an urban thermal environment spatial network constructed us-ing the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model.Optimization measures for the spatial network were proposed to provide a theor-etical basis for alleviating urban heat islands.The results show that the heat island area within the study area gradually increased while that of urban cold island area gradually decreased.The core area was the largest of the urban heat island patch landscape elements with a significant impact on other landscape elements,and represented an important factor underlying urban heat island network stability.The thermal environment network revealed a total of 197 thermal environment corridors and 93 heat island sources.These locations were then optimized according to the current land use,which maximized the potential of 1599.83 ha.Optimization based on current land use led to an increase in climate resilience,with effective measures showing reduction in thermal environment spatial network structure and function,contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island.These findings support the use of current land use patterns during urban heat island mitigation measure planning,thus providing an important reference basis for alleviating urban heat island effects.

Drivers,Trends,and Patterns of Changing Vegetation-greenness in Nansha Islands,China from 2016 to 2022

Changes in vegetation status generally also represents changes in the ecological health of islands and reefs(IRs).However,studies are limited of drivers and trends of vegetation change of Nansha Islands,China and how they relate to climate change and human activities.To resolve this limitation,we studied changes to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)vegetation-greenness index for 22 IRs of Nansha Islands during normal and extreme conditions.Trends of vegetation greenness were analyzed using Sen's slope and Mann-Kendall test at two spatial scales(pixel and island),and driving factor analyses were performed by time-lagged partial correlation analyses.These were related to impacts from human activities and climatic factors under normal(temperature,precipitation,radiation,and Normalized Difference Built-up Index(NDBI))and extreme conditions(wind speed and latitude of IRs)from 2016 to 2022.Results showed:1)among the 22 IRs,NDVI increased/decreased significantly in 15/4 IRs,respectively.Huayang Reef had the highest NDVI change-rate(0.48%/mon),and Zhongye Island had the lowest(–0.29%/mon).Local spatial patterns were in one of two forms:dotted-form,and degradation in banded-form.2)Under normal conditions,human activities(characterized by NDBI)had higher impacts on vegetation-greenness than other factors.3)Under extreme conditions,wind speed(R^(2)=0.2337,P<0.05)and latitude(R^(2)=0.2769,P<0.05)provided limited explanation for changes from typhoon events.Our results provide scientific support for the sustainable development of Nansha Islands and the United Nations‘Ocean Decade’initiative.

TIL20: A review of island biogeography and habitat fragmentation studies on subtropical reservoir islands of Thousand Island Lake, China

Reservoir islands formed by dam construction have the same history,clear boundaries,and large numbers that provide a natural platform for testing theories in ecology and biogeography.In this paper,we review studies of multiple zoological taxa on reservoir islands of a large lake in eastern China(Thousand Island Lake).This lake,created in 1959,has 1078 artificial land-bridge islands of varying areas and isolation.Our review summarizes the decades-long studies in island biogeography and habitat fragmentation from this island system,grouped into three topics:species richness(“how many species are there”),community structure(“who are they”),and species interaction(“how they interact with each other”).Our findings support the predictions of the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography and extend this theory to predict community structure of island faunas by moving beyond assumptions of species equivalency.In addition,the extensive studies on ecological networks,including mutualistic,antagonistic,and parasitic interactions,reveal the negative impacts of habitat loss on the maintenance of such networks,even as increasing forest edge enhances the robustness of pollination networks.At the end of this review,we proposed several future research directions based on current studies that are simultaneously at the frontier of ecology and biogeography.

Using Circular Economics Strategies to Manage Tourism on Remote Islands:A SMART Approach

Circular economics theory offers destination managers of remote islands a solution-oriented approach to environmental sustainability. This paper examines the practical benefits of this theory that will support the development of a circular economy regarding sustainable island tourism (SIT). The aim of this paper is to inform discussions regarding the feasibility of applying a practice theory that emphasises changes in the behaviours across three segments, visitors, residents, and enterprises using SMART technologies. To achieve this objective, a SMART indicator system (SIS) was used to identify current practices that would support a circular economy (CE). The key innovation of this study is the creation of a proposed framework that may inform best practices for SIT in the future. The findings highlight the potential opportunity of evidenced-based planning to deliver a circular economy strategy (CES) for remote islands in the future. These insights can potentially impact the way that local authorities and destination managers approach the planning of tourism for six islands along the west coast of Ireland.

Fish Assemblage and Abundance Distribution in Nanji Islands Marine Nature Reserve in Relation to Season Change

The fishing survey station located in the warm waters of the East China Sea is one of the abundant fishery resources of waters;with a large number of economic fish breeding grounds and economic juvenile feeding grounds. Several fish species according to this bottom trawl survey results which appear in the annual survey from winter to autumn give us a total of 58 species, which have appeared throughout the year. But the vast majority of species appears only in certain seasons, according to the sea fish survey and based on seasonal migratory species or species mainly small endemic species. The survey of fish is tropical and subtropical warm water species and warm temperate species, and the history of the area has several types of 397 different species. There are many reasons, in addition to recent years, human disturbance and adverse consequences of environmental changes brought about, but also with the relevant sampling methods and sampler time, the survey sampled only trawl based, from Ping yang Ocean and Fisheries Bureau, the waters are still other jobs method net, gill nets, fishing industry, etc. Survey results show that the type of fish in the summer (58 species) > spring (55 species) > winter (51 species) > autumn (42 species). The type of season was among spring to summer rose, summer to autumn decline. The survey found that in the reef area of the Nanji Islands, no one species of fish is the dominant species throughout the year (according to the dominant species, each species is dominant only in one season). From the dominant species turnover accounting for the four seasons, in winter it has 53.72% of the total biomass or annual biomass, spring it has 41.53% of the overall biomass, summer it has 31.85% and autumn it has 38.56% of total biomass. Visible, seasonal succession of dominant species of fish phenomenon is very obvious, especially in the spring and winter, summer transfers dominate species at this stage show the greatest change, but winter, the transfer of this dominant species changes in minimal. Seasonal changes from biomass and the average annual marine fish survey biomass were 4832.25 g/h. From different seasons, the average biomass in winter (10779.88 g/h) > of the average biomass in spring (3624.1 g/hour) > of the mean biomass in autumn (3158 g/h) > the average Biomass in summer (1767 g/h). All of them show significant seasonal variation of the biomass, in winter and spring, the biomass is generally not high, but significantly higher than in the summer and autumn seasons. Each season, around the coast of southern Zhejiang, is less than the biomass and other catches off, which involves investigating sea location, size range, and the survey ship different network related tools. Another change from the area of biomass, some studies found that the survey of four-season fish of waters above the biological capacity of several kilograms only in some stations, namely stations and the highest biomass in summer appeared in stations 3, 7 and 11. In autumn the highest biomass appeared in stations 3, 6, 20 and 23.

Land-use change and windstorms legacies drove the recolonization dynamics of laurel forests in Tenerife, Canary islands

Laurel forests are quite relevant for biodiversity conservation and are among the island ecosystems most severely damaged by human activities.In the past,Canary laurel forests have been greatly altered by logging,livestock and agriculture.The remains of laurel forests are currently protected in the Canary Islands(Spain).However,we miss basic information needed for their restoration and adaptive management,such as tree longevity,growth potential and responsiveness to natural and anthropogenic disturbances.Using dendrochronological methods,we studied how forest dynamic is related to land-use change and windstorms in two well-preserved laurel forests on Tenerife Island.Wood cores were collected from over 80 trees per stand at three stands per forest.We used ring-width series to estimate tree ages and calculate annual basal area increments(BAI),cumulative diameter increases,and changes indicative of released and suppressed growth.Twelve tree species were found in all stands,with Laurus novocanariensis,Ilex canariensis and Morella faya being the most common species.Although some individuals were over 100 years old,61.8%-88.9% of the trees per stand established between 1940 and 1970,coinciding with a post-war period of land abandonment,rural exodus and the onset of a tourism economy.Some trees have shown growth rates larger than 1 cm diameter per year and most species have had increasing BAI trends over the past decades.Strong growth releases occurred after windstorms at both sites,but the effects of windstorms were site-dependent,with the 1958 storm affecting mainly the eastern tip of the island(Anaga massif)and the 1991 storm the western tip(Teno massif).Given the great ability of laurel forest trees to establish after land use cessation and to increase growth after local disturbances such as windstorms,passive restoration may be sufficient to regenerate this habitat in currently degraded areas.

An investigation of the morphodynamic change of reef islands under monochromatic waves

The persistence and habitability of coral reef islands in future extreme oceanographic conditions has received increasing attention in the recent decade,concerning that the sea level rise(SLR)and more frequent and intense storms in the context of global climate change are expected to destabilize those islands.Here,we conduct a set of wave-flume laboratory experiments focusing on the morphodynamic change of reef islands to varying ocean forcing conditions(wave height and SLR).Subsequently,a phase-resolving XBeach numerical model is adopted to simulate the monochromatic wave process and its associated sediment dynamics.The adopted model is also firstly validated by laboratory experimental results as reported in this study.It is then used to examine the impacts of island morphological factors(island width,island height,island location and island side slope)on the island migration.The combined laboratory/physical and numerical experiment outputs suggest that reef islands can accrete vertically in response to the sea level rise and the increased storminess.

Effects of Different Spatial Resolutions on Prediction Accuracy of Thunnus alalunga Fishing Ground in Waters Near the Cook Islands Based on Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)Neural Network Model

Albacore tuna(Thunnus alalunga)is one of the target species of tuna longline fishing,and waters near the Cook Islands are a vital albacore tuna fishing ground.Marine environmental data are usually presented with different spatial resolutions,which leads to different results in tuna fishery prediction.Study on the impact of different spatial resolutions on the prediction accuracy of albacore tuna fishery to select the best spatial resolution can contribute to better management of albacore tuna resources.The nominal catch per unit effort(CPUE)of albacore tuna is calculated according to vessel monitor system(VMS)data collected from Chinese distantwater fishery enterprises from January 1,2017 to May 31,2021.A total of 26 spatiotemporal and environmental factors,including temperature,salinity,dissolved oxygen of 0–300 m water layer,chlorophyll-a concentration in the sea surface,sea surface height,month,longitude,and latitude,were selected as variables.The temporal resolution of the variables was daily and the spatial resolutions were set to be 0.5°×0.5°,1°×1°,2°×2°,and 5°×5°.The relationship between the nominal CPUE and each individual factor was analyzed to remove the factors irrelavant to the nominal CPUE,together with a multicollinearity diagnosis on the factors to remove factors highly related to the other factors within the four spatial resolutions.The relationship models between CPUE and spatiotemporal and environmental factors by four spatial resolutions were established based on the long short-term memory(LSTM)neural network model.The mean absolute error(MAE)and root mean square error(RMSE)were used to analyze the fitness and accuracy of the models,and to determine the effects of different spatial resolutions on the prediction accuracy of the albacore tuna fishing ground.The results show the resolution of 1°×1°can lead to the best prediction accuracy,with the MAE and RMSE being 0.0268 and 0.0452 respectively,followed by 0.5°×0.5°,2°×2°and 5°×5°with declining prediction accuracy.The results suggested that 1)albacore tuna fishing ground can be predicted by LSTM;2)the VMS records the data in detail and can be used scientifically to calculate the CPUE;3)correlation analysis,and multicollinearity diagnosis are necessary to improve the prediction accuracy of the model;4)the spatial resolution should be 1°×1°in the forecast of albacore tuna fishing ground in waters near the Cook Islands.

The study of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands

In this study, the inverse method is used to compute the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and southeast of Kyushu and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of hydrographic data obtained during September-October, 1987 by R/V Chofu Maru. The results show that: (1)A part of the Taiwan Warm Current has a tendency to converge to the shelf break; (2) the Kuroshio flows across the section C3 (PN) with a reduced current width, and the velocity of the Kuroshio at the section C3 increases and its maximum current speed is about 158 cm/s, and its volume transport here is about 26×106m3/s; (3) the Kuroshio has two current cores at the sections C3 (PN) and B2 (at the Tokara Strait); (4) the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands are found to flow northward over the Ryukyu Trench during September-October, 1987. The velocities of the currents are not strong throughout the depths. At the section C2 east of the Ryukyu Islands, the maximum current speed is at the 699 m levei and its magnitude is 25 cm/s, and its volume transport is about 21×06 m3/s; (5) the volume transports of the Kuroshio through the sections B2 (at the Tokara Strait) and C6 (southeast of Kyushu) are 23. 33, 67. 31×106 m3/s, respectively; (6) there are two meso-scale anticyclonic warm eddies between 135° E and the area east of the Ryukyu Islands, and their characters and hydrographic structure are discussed.

Application of CSAMT in hydrogeology exploration in Shandong Province–An example from geothermal exploration in Changdao County(south four islands)

The geophysical exploration in Changdao County is conducted using controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric(CSAMT) method. The inversion results reveal obvious evidences of one existed fault and five new blind faults, including their location, size, occurrence and development degree. Another two low resistance anomaly zones are delineated. According to the results, a geothermal well drilling test is applied in the middle of South Changshan Island, discovering a large flow of salt hotspring with bromine and strontium. The outlet temperature is 36 ℃ and the yield of a single well is 1 830 m^3/d. This study on island hotspring exploration marks the first of its kind conducted in Shandong Province. It provides basic high-quality information for subsequent similar studies.

WAVENUMBER AND DEPTH PROPERTIES OF TEMPERATURE FINESTRUCTURE IN THE REGION AROUND THE RYUKYU ISLANDS

Forty two CTD profiles gathered in summertime of 1997 were used for finestructure studies around the Ryukyu Islands indicating that finestructure properties varied with depth; and that the wavenumber spectra density is a negative (-3～-4) power function of the wavenumber in the high wavenumber range. The identical finestructure spectral features in different stations indicate considerable water exchange through the Kerama Trench. The wavelet spectrum’s spatial structure and intermittency is related to the vertical mixing of water.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Coral Sand in the Nansha Islands

Coral sand is a unique material developed in the tropical ocean environment, which is mainly composed of coral and other marine organism debris, with the CaCO3 content up to 96 %. It has special physical and mechanical properties due to its composition, structure and sedimentary environment. In this contribution, we discuss its specific gravity, porosity ratio compressibility, crushing, shearing and intensity for coral sand samples from the Nansha islands based on laboratory mechanical tests. Our results show distinct high porosity ratio, high friction angle and low intensity as compared with the quartz sand. We believe that grain crushing is the main factor that influences the deformation and strength of coral sand. Comprehensive study on the physical and mechanical properties of coral sands is significant in providing reliable scientific parameters to construction on coral islet, and thus avoids accidents in construction.

MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS OF INITIAL DEPRESSION ARISEN FROM CRUSTAL MOVEMENT DURING QUATERNARY ON SEVERAL ISLANDS IN THE RYUKYUS, JAPAN

interest is to make clear the occurring mechanism of the init(?) (?)ion on the limestone terrain I have been investigating (?) (?)ssions on several islands over the Ryukyu islands under the hum(?) (?) zone.The Ryukyus are composod of more than 70 isiands with (?) (?) reef limestone There are geomor(?)hological feature of var karstic initial depressions on each isiand affeeted by diff(?) crustal movement with (?)eated aplifted dro(?)ed

THE HYDROGRAPHIC FEATURES OF THE OCEAN REGION AROUND THE RYUKYU ISLANDS DURING SUMMER OF 1997

Study of CTD data collected by the R/V DONG FANG HONG 2 in a 1997 summercruise in the ocean region around the Ryukyu Islands showed: 1) the existence, in the upper layer, of ahigh salinity water (HSW) core at about 200 dbar, and a low salinity water (LSW) core, centered atabout 700 dbar on the Pacific Ocean side of the Ryukyu Ridge, and located shallower on the East Chinafor (ECS) side; 2) the existence, in the upper layer, of warm water regions (WWR) west of Amami Is-land and Ishigaki Island, and a cold water region (CWR) east of Okinawa Ieland; in the lower layer, ofa CWR (WWR) southwest (southeast) of Okinawa Island; 3) the intrusion of North Pacific IntermediateWater into the ECS through the Kerama Trench located south of Okinawa Island and the strait east of Tai-wan Island.

Morphology of crater and caldera lakes in the Far Eastern region of Russia and the features of their development

Volcanic lakes in the Kuril-Kamchatka region are difficult to access,and for this reason,they remain poorly studied,with only scattered and brief data available.The authors have conducted a study of 10 lake basins using modern digital echolocation survey techniques and have also compiled and summarized published data for 15 lakes in the region,calculating their main morphometric characteristics.It has been established that many caldera lake basins are modified by young explosive funnels,extrusive or effusive domes,and exhibit traces of hydrothermal activity.While lakes of the same genetic type in the Kuril-Kamchatka region are similar in depth and depression forms,the group of caldera lakes shows less homogeneity across all morphometric indicators.It was found that the absolute heights of the reservoirs on Kamchatka Peninsula are generally greater than those on the Kuril Islands,as is often the case with the size of their basins.The volcanic lakes under study can rapidly change their volume and shape under the influence of endogenous processes.For the first time for this region,on the base of repeated observations,underwater extrusive dome rate growth and the approximate rates of 2 lake level changes were calculated.Repeated observations of lakes in the Ksudach calderas(Kamchatka)and on Simushir Island indicate approximate rates of level changes:a decrease ranging within 0.5-0.6 m per year(over a 27-year observation interval)and an increase reaching up to 0.26 m per year(over a 48-year interval).The growth rate of the underwater extrusive dome in Lake Shtyubel has averaged 1-1.6 m per year over the past 25 years.This analysis has facilitated the first generalization regarding the morphology and developmental features of crater and caldera lakes in the Kuril-Kamchatka region of Russia,representing an important step in their study.The results obtained will provide a solid foundation for subsequent research in this region and may be of interest to researchers studying other volcanic lakes.

Factors Influencing the Spatial Variability of Air Temperature Urban Heat Island Intensity in Chinese Cities

Few studies have investigated the spatial patterns of the air temperature urban heat island(AUHI)and its controlling factors.In this study,the data generated by an urban climate model were used to investigate the spatial variations of the AUHI across China and the underlying climate and ecological drivers.A total of 355 urban clusters were used.We performed an attribution analysis of the AUHI to elucidate the mechanisms underlying its formation.The results show that the midday AUHI is negatively correlated with climate wetness(humid:0.34 K;semi-humid:0.50 K;semi-arid:0.73 K).The annual mean midnight AUHI does not show discernible spatial patterns,but is generally stronger than the midday AUHI.The urban–rural difference in convection efficiency is the largest contributor to the midday AUHI in the humid(0.32±0.09 K)and the semi-arid(0.36±0.11 K)climate zones.The release of anthropogenic heat from urban land is the dominant contributor to the midnight AUHI in all three climate zones.The rural vegetation density is the most important driver of the daytime and nighttime AUHI spatial variations.A spatial covariance analysis revealed that this vegetation influence is manifested mainly through its regulation of heat storage in rural land.

Geochemistry of island arc assemblage in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the role of Pan-African magmatism in crustal growth of the Arabian–Nubian Shield:A review

Neoproterozoic island arc assemblage of the Arabian–Nubian Shield(ANS)in the Eastern Desert(ED)of Egypt comprises juvenile suites of metavolcanics(MV),large amounts of meta-sedimentary rocks(MS),and voluminous metagabbros-diorites(MGD)and syn-tectonic intrusions of older granitoids(OG).We report here the updates of these four rock units in terms of classification,distribution,chemical characteristics,geodynamic evolution,metamorphism,and ages.In addition,we discuss these integrated data to elucidate a reasonable and reliable model for crustal evolution in the ANS.The main features of these rock units indicate their relation to each other and the geodynamic environment dominated by early immature oceanic island arcs to primitive continental arcs.Integrated information of the island arc metavolcanic and plutonic rocks(gabbros,diorites,tonalites,and granodiorites)furnish evidence of the genetic relationships.These include proximity and a coeval nature in the field;all protolith magmas are subalkaline in nature following calc-alkaline series with minor tholeiitic affinities;common geochemical signature of the arc rocks and subduction-related magmatism;their similar enrichment in LREEs;and similar major element compositions with mafic melts derived from metasomatized mantle wedge.The volcano-sedimentary and the OG rocks underwent multiphase deformation events whereas the MGD complexes deformed slightly.Based on the magmatic,sedimentological,and metamorphic evolutions constrained by geochronological data as well as the progressive evolutionary trend from extensional to compressional regimes,a possible gradual decrease in the subducted slab dip angle is the most infl uential in any geodynamic model for arc assemblage in the ED of Egypt.

Island biogeography theory and the habitat heterogeneity jointly explain global patterns of Rhododendron diversity

Mountain biodiversity is of great importance to biogeography and ecology.However,it is unclear what ecological and evolutionary processes best explain the generation and maintenance of its high levels of species diversity.In this study,we determined which of six common hypotheses(e.g.,climate hypotheses,habitat heterogeneity hypothesis and island biogeography theory)best explain global patterns of species diversity in Rhododendron.We found that Rhododendron diversity patterns were most strongly explained by proxies of island biogeography theory(i.e.,mountain area)and habitat heterogeneity(i.e.,elevation range).When we examined other relationships important to island biogeography theory,we found that the planimetric area and the volume of mountains were positively correlated with the Rhododendron diversity,whereas the‘mountains-to-mainland’distance was negatively correlated with Rhododendron diversity and shared species.Our findings demonstrate that Rhododendron diversity can be explained by island biogeography theory and habitat heterogeneity,and mountains can be regarded as islands which supported island biogeography theory.