Tempo-spatial Variation of Nutrient and Chlorophyll-a Concentrations From Summer to Winter in the Zhangzi Island Area （Northern Yellow Sea）

Nutrient and Chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） concentrations were investigated monthly along three transects extending from a mariculturc area to open waters around the Zhangzi Island area from July to December 2009. The objective of this study is to illus- trate food availability to the bottom-sowed scallop Patinopecten yessoensis under the influences of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （YSCWM）, freshwater input and feedbacks of cultivated scallops. Significant thermal stratification was present in open waters from July to October, and salinity decreased in July and August in surface layers in the mariculture area. Nutrient concentrations increased with depth in both areas in summer, but were similar through water column in November and December. On average, nutrient in- creased from summer to autumn in all components except ammonia. Nutrient concentrations lower than the minimum thresholds for phytoplankton growth were present only in upper layers in summer, but stoichiometric nitrogen limitation existed in the entire inves- tigation period. Column-averaged Chl-a concentration was lower in open waters than in mariculture area in all months. It increased significantly in mariculturc area in August and October, and was less variable in open waters. Our results show that nutrients limita- tion to phytoplankton growth is present mainly in upper layer in association with stratification caused by YSCWM in summer. Freshwater input and upwelling of nutrients accumulated in YSCWM can stimulate phytoplankton production in mariculture area. Farming activities may change stoichiometric nutrient ratios but have less influence on Chl-a concentration.     

Statistic characteristics of thermal structure in the southern Yellow Sea in summer

Based on the temperature data along 34°N, 35°N and 36°N sections in August from 1977 to 2003, the structure and formation of the Southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (SYSCWM) and its responses to El Nino events are analyzed. Results show that: (1) There exist double cold cores under the main thermocline along the 35°N and 36°N sections. Also, double warm cores exist above the main thermocline along the 36°N section. (2) Thermocline dome by upwelling separates the upper warm water into two parts, the eastern and western warm waters. Additionally, the circulation structure caused by upwelling along the cold front and northeastward current along the coast in summer is the main reasons of double warm cores along the 36°N section. The intermediate cold water is formed in early spring and moves eastward slowly, which results in the formation of the western one of double cold cores. (3) Position of the thermocline dome and its intensity vary interannually, which is related to El Nino events. However, the     

An approach to the age of Huanghe River in shelf regions of Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

There are two different opinions on the formation history of Huanghe （Yellow） River. One postulates that Huanghe River might have come into existence before Tertiary. The other supposes that it joined up into a long river only in the last stage of Late Pleistocene. The appearance of Huanghe River is believed to have close relation to the uplifting of Tibetan Plateau. It is not likely that it could have come into being before its high elevation riverhead was formed. Today Huanghe River occurred probably during the recession of the sea in glacial periods. In the last glacial age, the climate was very harsh in the area north of the modern estuary of Changjiang （Yangtse） River; some areas were permafrost and the others barren deserts. At that time, eolation was the major exogenic force on exposed shelf. Beginning from 12 Ka BP, the global climate warmed up, resulting in gradual disappearance of continental mountain glaciers retreated, and sea level rose. Consequently, Huanghe River was replenished with water to become modern river system. With continued rising of sea level, Huanghe River delta moved continuously eastward.     

The link between interannual variation of the South China Sea summer monsoon onset and summer precipitation in Shandong Province

Relationship between the onset date of South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon and the summer rainfall in Shandong Province was examined by comprehensive analysis to establish a conceptual model of the link. If the summer monsoon occurs earlier, the 500 hPa level would induce the teleconnection of Eurasian pattern in the summer (June-August), which indicates that the western Pacific subtropical high is displaced northward further than usual, the Siberian high is intensified and the Okhotsk low is deepened. Under such circumstance, Shandong, located in the west side of the subtropical high and in front of the mid-Siberia high, would be expected to have a wet summer because it is quite possible for cold and warm air to meet and interact with each other in Shandong. Statistical analysis revealed that the 500 hPa anomalies over Korea and Japan were sensitive to the SCS monsoon onset date and very important to precipitation in Shandong, and that the convective activities over the deep water basin in the SCS in 24-26 pentads significantly influenced the position of the ridge line of the western Pacific subtropical high. These findings yielded better understanding of the causative mechanisms involved in the precipitation generation, so that the knowledge gained can possibly be applied for long-lead forecast.     

Surface circulation patterns observed by drifters in the Yellow Sea in summer of 2001, 2002 and 2003

In summer of 2001, 2002 and 2003, ten, six and seventeen satellite-tracked surface drifters with drogues centered at 15 and 4 m were deployed, respectively, in the southern Yellow Sea (YS). 23 drifters of them transmitted useful data of at least 30 days. The wind-driven component of the drift was removed from the original drift velocity of drifters. The wind data used are from NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction), USA.Trajectories and drift velocities of the 23 drifters depicted the upper circulation structure in the southern YS. There exists an anti-cyclonic eddy with a mean speed and radius of 0.063 m/s and 50km in the central southern YS, whose center lingered within 35.3-36.0°N / 123.5-124.0°E. Showed by 6 drifters, a basin-scale elliptic cyclonic gyre with a mean speed of 0.114 m/s, long and short radius of 250 and 200 km surrounds the anti-cyclonic eddy. In the southwestern part of the southern YS has obvious frontal eddy activities within about 100 km with a mean speed about 0.076     

Stratigraphic Sequences and Their Implication in a Sea Area of the Western Yellow Sea Near Qingdao Coast During the Late Quaternary

1　Introduction　TheYellowSeahasaveragewaterdepthsbetween30and 90m (Liuetal.,1 987) .Liuindicatesthattworegressiveevents ,namedChengshantou (4 0 -75ka)andYellowSea (1 5 - 2 3ka) ,haveoccurredsincetheLatePleistocenebasedonthepeatbedsfoundincores (Liuetal.,…     

Seasonal evolution of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea

In this paper, the authors used the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) to simulate the seasonal evolutions of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea. The simulated circulation showed that the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) was a compensation current of monsoon-driven current, and that in winter, the YSWC became stronger with depth, and could flow across the Bohai Strait in the north. Sensitivity and controlling tests led to the following conclusions, In winter, the direction of the Yellow Sea Coastal Current in the surface layer was controlled partly by tide instead of wind, In summer, a cyclonic horizontal gyre existed in the middle and eastern parts of the Yellow Sea below 10 m. The downwelling in upper layer and upwelling in lower layer were somehow similar to Hu et al. (1991) conceptual model. The calculated thermal structure showed an obvious northward extending YSWC tongue in winter, its position and coverage of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass in summer.     

Seasonality and causes of the Yellow Sea Warm Current

To study the seasonality and causes of the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) in detail, rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF) and extended associate pattern analysis are adopted with daily sea surface salinity (SSS), sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) datasets covering 1126 days from American Navy Experimental Real-Time East Asian Seas Ocean Nowcast System in the present paper. Results show that in the Yellow and East China Seas, the YSWC is a mean barotropic flow as compensation of winter-monsoon-driven surface currents, which has been directly observed. When East Asia winter monsoon weakens, so do the meridional pressure gradient of the surface seawater and the YSWC, while the transversal pressure gradient changes rather slowly that results in the YSWC left turning. In addition, there is southward mean flow compensation of summer-monsoon-driven surface currents, which actually was also directly ob-served.     

Petroleum Exploration in the Yemeni Red Sea and Offshore Area (Tihama Basin)

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Sporo-pollen Assemblage and Paleoclimate Events in Shelf Area of the Southern Yellow Sea Since 1.5 ka B.P.

Based on the authors‘ 1986 to 1994 sporo-pollen assemblage analysis in the southern Yellow Sea area, data from 3 main cores were studied in combination with ^14C, palaeomagnetic and thermoluminescence data. The evolution of the paleoclimate environments in the southern Yellow Sea since 15ka B.P. was revealed that, in deglaciation of the last glacial period, the climate of late glaciation transformed into that of postglaciation, accompanied by a series of violent climate fluctuations. These evolution events happened in a global climate background and related to the geographic changes in eastern China. We distinguished three short-term cooling events and two warming events. Among them, the sporo-pollen assemblage of subzone A1 showed some cold climate features indicating that a cooling event occurred at about 15 - 14ka. B .P. in early deglaciation. This subzone corresponds to the Oldest Dryas. In subzone A3 , many drought-enduring herbal pollens and some few pollens of cold-resistant Picea, Abies, etc. were found, which indicated that a cooling event, with cold and arid climate, occurred at about 12- 11ka. B.P. in late deglaciation. This subzone corresponds to the Younger Dryas. The sporo-pollen assemblage of zone B showed warm and arid climate features in postglaciation. Although the assemblage of subzone B2 indicated a cold and arid climate environment, the development of flora in subzone B2 climate was less cold than that in A3 . Subzone B2 indicated a cooling event which occurred at about 9ka B.P. in early Holocene. Subzone A2, with some distinct differences from subzone A1 and A3 , indicated a warming event which occurred at 14 - 13ka. B.P. and should correspond to a warming fluctuation. The sporo-pollen assemblage of zone C showed features of warm-moist flora and climate, and indicated a warming event which universally occurred along the coast of eastern China at 8 - 3ka B.P. in middle Holocene, and its duration was longer than that of any climate events mentioned above. This period was climatic optimum and belonged to an altithermal period in postglaciation.     

Distribution of heavy metals and nutrients in rainwater in coastal regions between the southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Rainwater samples were collected in series in Qianliyan Island (southern Yellow Sea) and Shengsi Archipelago (East China Sea) between May 2000 and May 2002, chemical analysis for pH values,concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) and nutrients (NH4^-, NO3^-, PO43^-, SiO32^-) were performed.Results indicate that concentrations of most of the heavy metals and nutrients in rainwater show clear seasonal variation, i.e. high level in winter and low level in summer. Regionally, concentrations are higher in the southern Yellow Sea than in the East China Sea, but the annual input of heavy metals into oceans by wet deposition is similar in both stations. However, the input of nutrients by wet deposition in the East China Sea is 2-3 times higher than that in the southern Yellow Sea. In individual, Pb and PO4^3- are input to the sea mainly by dry deposition; whereas Cu, Zn, Cd and N compounds are input dominantly by wet deposition, the N/P ratios in the rainwater from two stations are much higher than those in seawater, showing a significant impact of atmospheric wet deposition on marine production and biogeochemical circulation of nutrients in these sea regions.     

A research on statistical retrieval algorithms and spectral characteristics of the total absorption coefficients in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

1 INTRODUCTION The Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are typical coastal Case-II waters with high sediment load and complicate optical properties. The total absorption coefficient of sea water is one of the main parameters influencing the calculation of o…     

Multilayer distribution of carbon dioxide system in surface water of the Yellow Sea in spring

Surface water can be divided into three layers from top downward: surface microlayer (SML, thickness≤50 μm), subsurface layer (SSL, ≈25 cm) and surface layer (SL, 1–5m), among which the SML plays an important role on sea-air interaction because of its unique physical-chemical property. Carbon dioxide system including DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon), Alk (alkalinity), pH and pCO2 (partial pressure of CO2) in multilayered waters of the Yellow Sea was studied for the first time in March and May 2005. The results show that: DIC and Alk are obviously enriched in SML. The contents of DIC, Alk and pCO2 become lower in turn from SML, SSL to SL, higher in March and lower in May, whereas for pH it was opposite. The relationship between DIC and Alk is clearly positive, but negative between pH and pCO2. Meanwhile, pCO2 and temperature/salinity is also in positive relation, pCO2 decreases with latitude increase. DIC and Alk show a similar variation trend with the maximum at 02:00–03:00, but pH and pCO2 show an opposite pattern. In addition, the distribution patterns are similar to each other in the three layers. The Yellow Sea is shown to be a sink of atmospheric CO2 in spring by two methods: (1) comparing pCO2 in seawater and atmosphere; (2) turning direction of “pH-depth” curve. Calculation on the base of pCO2 data in SML in four models shows that carbon flux in spring in the area was about -6.96×106 t C.     

Determination of trophic levels of marine fish in the Yellow Sea and northern East China Sea using nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) analysis of otoliths

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Fish otolith δ15N (δ15Noto) is a demonstrated source of information of dietary history for marine fish as it is available in otolith archives and...     

Provenance and Tectonic Implications of Paleozoic Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin,China–Revealed from the Borehole CSDP-2

Well CSDP-2 is a fully coring deep drilling hole, penetrating the thick Paleozoic marine strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin(SYSB) in the lower Yangtze Block(LYB). Based on the petrological and geochemical analysis of 40 sandstone samples from the core CSDP-2, the provenance and tectonic features of Paleozoic detrital rocks from SYSB are analyzed and systematically delineated in this article. The results show that the Silurian – Carboniferous sandstones are mature sublitharenite, while the Permian sandstones are unstable feldspathic litharenite. The average CIA(chemical index of alteration) is 74.61, which reflects these sediments were derived from source rocks with moderate chemical weathering. The REE(rare earth element) patterns are characterized by LREE enrichment, flat HREE and obviously negative Eu anomaly, which are similar to that of the upper continental crust. Dickinson QFL discrimination results indicate the recycled orogeny provenance. Various diagrams for the discrimination of sedimentary provenance based on major and trace element data show all the sediments were derived predominantly from quartz sedimentary rocks, of which the Permian strata contain more felsic sedimentary rocks. Geochemical data for these detrital rocks suggest they occur at the passive continental margin and island arc settings, and the Permian sandstone presents active continental margin setting.     

Simulation and analysis on seasonal variability of average salinityin the Yellow Sea

The CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) data collected by six China-Korea joint cruises during 1996-1998 and the climatological data suggest that the seasonal variability of average salinity in the Yellow Sea (Sa) presents a general sinusoid pattern. To study the mechanism of the variability, annual cycles of Sa were simulated and a theoretical analysis based on the governing equations was reported.Three main factors are responsible for the variability: the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC), the Changji-ang (Yangtze) River diluted water (YRDW) and the evaporation minus precipitation (E-P). From December to the next May, the variability of Sa is mainly controlled by the salt transportation of the YSWC. But in early July, the YSWC is overtaken and replaced by the YRDW which then becomes the most important controller in summer. From late September to November, the E-P gradually took the lead. The mass exchange north of the 37癗 line is not significant.     

Late Cenozoic Tectonic Deformation in the Dongsha Islands and Adjacent Sea Area

Dongsha Island and the adjacent sea area locate at the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS), and is connected to the east by the Manila Trench. Analyses of seismic stratigraphy and gravity, magnetic and drilling wells data led to the discovery of three post-fault sequences (Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ). Extensive tectonic uplift, magma activity and erosion occurred in Dongsha Island and the adjacent area, where most of the faults in the northeastern SCS were still active during Pliocene and Quaternary. Two groups of faults trending NEE and NW were developed during Late Cenozoic. We conclude that three important tectonic movements, especially Dongsha movement(4.4 - 5.2 Ma) and Liuhua movement (1.4 - 1.89 Ma), controlled the structural framework in the Dongsha rise; whose deformation in the east is stronger than that in the west and whose stress field variation suggests that the tectonic uplift in the study area contributed to magmato-tectonic events correlated to the main collision phases between the East China and Taiwan 5 - 3 and 3 - 0 Ma ago.     

The substance composition of sterols in the sediments from the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea and global climatic significance

The compounds of sterols such as C27 ,C2s ,C29 and C30 are recorded from C-8 core of the Chukchi Sea. The double bond position is located at 5-, 5,22 as well as 22-,24-. The compound of sterols such as C27 ,C28 ,C29 are recorded from B2-9 core of the Bering Sea. The double bond position is located at 5-, 5, 22 as well as 22. The composition characteristics of sterols indicate that the substance is mainly contributed by the terrigenous origin and marine silicate organisms. The results are also suggest that the record of abnormal sterols from the surface sediments （2 -0 era）in the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea represent the period from 1980s to the late 1990s. The strong signal of the Arctic warming is preserved in the sediments, which indicates the eco - environmental change responding to climatic effect of circumjacent.     

Abundance of general aerobic heterotrophic bacteria in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea and their adaptation to temperature

1　IntroductionInthedeepseawithawatertemperaturelowerthan5℃andtheseabottom ,theor ganicmattersareoxidizedmainlybytheaerobicbacteria (BenderandHeggie 1 984;Her bert 1 986) ,whichmeansthattheaerobicbacteriainthisenvironmentareratherabun dant.Thearcticseaareaisanareawhereenvironmentispermanentlycold ,butsomere searchresults (Sahmetal.1 998)indicatethattherearedominantbacteria eubacteriainthearcticseawaterandsediment,andtheiradaptationtotemperaturehasnosubstantialdifferenceincomparisonwiththatof…