Turbulent mixing and internal tides in Gaoping (Kaoping) Submarine Canyon, Taiwan

Turbulent overturning on scales greater than 10 m is observed near the bottom and in mid-depth layers within the Gaoping (formerly spelled Kaoping) Submarine Canyon (KPSC) in southern Taiwan. Bursts of strong turbulence coexist with bursts of strong sediment concentrations in mid-depth layers. The turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate in some turbulence bursts exceeds 10^− 4 W kg^− 1, and the eddy diffusivity exceeds 10^− 1 m² s^− 1. Within the canyon, the depth averaged turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate is ~ 7 × 10^− 6 W kg^− 1, and the depth averaged eddy diffusivity is ~ 10^− 2 m² s^− 1. These are more than two orders of magnitude greater than typical values in the open ocean, and are much larger than those found in the Monterey Canyon where the strong turbulent mixing has also been. The interaction of tidal currents with the complex topography in Gaoping Submarine Canyon is presumably responsible for the observed turbulent overturning via shear instability and the breaking of internal tides and internal waves at critical frequencies. Strong 1st-mode internal tides exist in KPSC. The depth averaged internal tidal energy near the canyon mouth is ~ 0.17 m² s^− 2. The depth integrated internal tidal energy flux at the mouth of the canyon is ~ 14 kW m^− 1, propagating along the axis of the canyon toward the canyon head. The internal tidal energy flux in the canyon is 3–7 times greater than that found in Monterey Canyon, presumably due to the more than 10 times larger barotropic tide in the canyon. Simple energy budget calculations conclude that internal tides alone may provide energy sufficient to explain the turbulent mixing estimated within the canyon. Further experiments are needed in order to quantify the seasonal and geographical distributions of internal tides in Gaoping Submarine Canyon and their effects on the sediment flux in the canyon.     

Parameterization of air–sea gas fluxes at extreme wind speeds

Air–sea flux measurements of O₂ and N₂ obtained during Hurricane Frances in September 2004 [D'Asaro, E. A. and McNeil, C. L., 2006. Measurements of air–sea gas exchange at extreme wind speeds. Journal Marine Systems, this edition.] using air-deployed neutrally buoyant floats reveal the first evidence of a new regime of air–sea gas transfer occurring at wind speeds in excess of 35 m s^− 1. In this regime, plumes of bubbles 1 mm and smaller in size are transported down from near the surface of the ocean to greater depths by vertical turbulent currents with speeds up to 20−30 cm s^− 1. These bubble plumes mostly dissolve before reaching a depth of approximately 20 m as a result of hydrostatic compression. Injection of air into the ocean by this mechanism results in the invasion of gases in proportion to their tropospheric molar gas ratios, and further supersaturation of less soluble gases. A new formulation for air–sea fluxes of weakly soluble gases as a function of wind speed is proposed to extend existing formulations [Woolf, D.K, 1997. Bubbles and their role in gas exchange. In: Liss, P.S., and Duce, R.A., (Eds.), The Sea Surface and Global Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 173–205.] to span the entire natural range of wind speeds over the open ocean, which includes hurricanes. The new formulation has separate contributions to air–sea gas flux from: 1) non-supersaturating near-surface equilibration processes, which include direct transfer associated with the air–sea interface and ventilation associated with surface wave breaking; 2) partial dissolution of bubbles smaller than 1 mm that mix into the ocean via turbulence; and 3) complete dissolution of bubbles of up to 1 mm in size via subduction of bubble plumes. The model can be simplified by combining “surface equilibration” terms that allow exchange of gases into and out of the ocean, and “gas injection” terms that only allow gas to enter the ocean. The model was tested against the Hurricane Frances data set. Although all the model parameters cannot be determined uniquely, some features are clear. The fluxes due to the surface equilibration terms, estimated both from data and from model inversions, increase rapidly at high wind speed but are still far below those predicted using the cubic parameterization of Wanninkhof and McGillis [Wannikhof, R. and McGillis, W.R., 1999. A cubic relationship between air–sea CO₂ exchange and wind speed. Geophysical Research Letters, 26:1889–1892.] at high wind speed. The fluxes due to gas injection terms increase with wind speed even more rapidly, causing bubble injection to dominate at the highest wind speeds.     

A dense water outflow from the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Mixing and the contribution of tides

We use hydrographic, current, and microstructure measurements, and tide-forced ocean models, to estimate benthic and interfacial mixing impacting the evolution of a bottom-trapped outflow of dense shelf water from the Drygalski Trough in the northwestern Ross Sea. During summer 2003 an energetic outflow was observed from the outer shelf ( 500 m isobath) to the  1600 m isobath on the continental slope. Outflow thickness was as great as  200 m, and mean speeds were  0.6 m s^− 1 relative to background currents exceeding  1 m s^− 1 that were primarily tidal in origin. No outflow was detected on the slope in winter 2004, although a thin layer of dense shelf water was present on the outer shelf. When the outflow was well-developed, the estimated benthic stress was of order one Pascal and the bulk Froude number over the upper slope exceeded one. Diapycnal scalar diffusivity (K_z) values in the transition region at the top of the outflow, estimated from Thorpe-scale analysis of potential density and measurements of microscale temperature gradient from sensors attached to the CTD rosette, were of order 10^− 3−10^− 2 m² s^− 1. For two cases where the upper outflow boundary was particularly sharply defined, entrainment rate w_e was estimated from K_z and bulk outflow parameters to be  10^− 3 m s^− 1 ( 100 m day^− 1). A tide-forced, three-dimensional primitive equation ocean model with Mellor-Yamada level 2.5 turbulence closure scheme for diapycnal mixing yields results consistent with a significant tidal role in mixing associated with benthic stress and shear within the stratified ocean interior.     

Circulation on the Armorican shelf (Bay of Biscay) in autumn

Three drifters drogued at 65 m were launched on a transect on the Armorican shelf of the Bay of Biscay for 4 years. The experiments were conducted in autumn. They revealed a north-westward, poleward current over the 100 m isobath and a very weak eastward current over depths comprised between 120 and 150 m. A model was used to assess the role of residual tidal currents and wind-induced circulation. The results show that the former are quite weak and the latter do not explain the average velocity of over 10 cm s^− 1. It is thought that this current is mainly driven by the density gradient induced by the breakdown of stratification. Hydrological data and satellite images from the period are discussed, in the light of this hypothesis.     

Impact of macrozoobenthic structures on near-bed sediment fluxes

Sandy sediments in shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea are often characterised by large numbers of biogenic structures which are produced by macrozoobenthos species. A series of experiments was devised to quantify how the interaction of such structures with the near-bed flow regime affects the sediment flux. Most experiments were done with simplified replicates of structures generated by typical species commonly found in the Mecklenburg Bight, starting with solitary structures and regularly-spaced arrays in a range of characteristic population densities, followed by a complex benthic macrofauna community, both artificial and alive. A laboratory flume channel, equipped with an acoustic Doppler flow sensor and a topography scanning laser, was used for high-resolution measurements (2 mm horizontal step size and 0.3 mm vertical resolution) of sand erosion (220 µm median grain size, at 20 cm s^− 1) and fine particle deposition (8 µm grain size, at 5 cm s^− 1). Sediment transport threshold values were measured for each layout. As a rule-of-thumb, both the erosion fluxes and the deposition of suspended matter increased considerably at low population densities (below 2%, expressed as percent of the sediment surface covered, i.e. roughness density RD). Above densities of 4%, erosion almost stopped inside the test arrays, and deposition remained well below the level of unpopulated areas. An attempt to extrapolate these findings to field conditions (using field current velocity data from 2001) showed that the net flux switched from erosion to deposition for densities above 5%. These parameters can now be integrated into a numerical sediment transport model coupling waves, currents, sediment dynamics and biological processes, which is currently under construction at the Baltic Sea Research Institute (IOW), Rostock, Germany.     

Westward moving waves or eddies (Storms) on the Subtropical/Azores Front near 32.5°N? Interpretation of the Eulerian currents and temperature records at moorings 155 (35.5°W) and 156 (34.4°W)

Three Argos buoy-years of Lagrangian data in westward-moving cyclonic eddies, or Storms, near 32.5°N, together with hydrographic measurements, have shown that Storms move westward at nearly 3 km day⁻¹. Water in eddies can be trapped and moved westward by advection within the eddy or by phase propagation of the eddy pattern, so we cannot say that the flow field (or Eulerian mean) is 3 km day⁻¹ westward. Two moorings (155 and 156) deployed in the Storm Corridor have provided a further 8 instrument-years of Eulerian data. The temperature and current records confirmed that two Storms a year passed each mooring over the 2-year measurement period. As expected, there is a lag of 1.3 month at mooring 155 (which is 102 km to the west of mooring 156) with respect to conditions at mooring 156. The progressive vector diagrams (PVDs) derived from the current meter records exhibit fairly regular X (east or zonal) and Y (north or meridional) displacement scales that repeat with semi-annual periodicity (SAP). The dominant current signal is the north component of the SAP, which reaches an amplitude of 18 cm s⁻¹ for the upper layer or near surface current record (242-m depth). The geostrophic north component values derived from altimetry were in good agreement with the upper layer current meter measurements. The large north component amplitude was not interpreted as evidence for Rossby Waves but rather due to the passage of nine eddies (eight complete) of alternate sign (cyclonic, anticyclonic) passing the mooring rigs during the 2-year deployment period. The Y scale shows that the near surface characteristic or mean maximum azimuthal speed is about 35 cm s⁻¹ for cyclonic eddies or Storms, and that this value is reduced to 4 cm s⁻¹ at 1400-m depth. The residual or mean Eulerian currents range from 8 cm s⁻¹ for the upper layer currents to 1 cm s⁻¹ for the deeper currents at 1400-m depth and are predominantly westward. Simple theoretical considerations and idealised numerical simulations show that the mean westward Eulerian current depends markedly on whether the eddy centres pass to the north or south of the rigs. This raises the question as to what do we mean by Eulerian residual currents, even for relatively long records (2 years). It is shown that the strong near surface westward current (6 km day⁻¹) measured at mooring 155 is largely due to a westward-moving eddy field with variable centre offsets. The magnitude of the near surface east–west component of flow was estimated as eastward at 2 cm s⁻¹. The north–south component of mean flow was southward at 2 cm s⁻¹. The deeper records gave a weak westward flow of 1 cm s⁻¹ but did not show a significant southward component for the mean Eulerian flow field. 7.4 float-years of Lagrangian ALACE data in the Subtropical Front region near 740 dbar gave mean east–west flows that were <0.5 cm s⁻¹. Overall, it is shown that the eddy structures propagate westward mainly by phase propagation (i.e. a westward-moving pattern with no westward advection for the current meter to measure), though plane Rossby Wave dynamics appeared inappropriate. Theoretical and modeling considerations show that a speed of 3-km day⁻¹ westward is too large a value for the self-advection of eddies due to the beta effect.     

Recovery of North-East Atlantic temperature fields from profiling floats: Determination of the optimal float number from sampling and instrumental error analysis

Argo is an international project that is deploying an array of temperature and salinity profiling floats over the global ocean. Here we use the error formulation derived from Optimal Statistical Interpolation to estimate statistical errors associated with the recovery of the temperature field in the North-East Atlantic ocean. Results indicate that with the present distribution of floats (119 in the considered domain), scales of wavelength larger than 500 km can be recovered with a relative uncertainty (rms error relative to the standard deviation of the field) of about 7% at 50 m, 8% at 200 m and 10% at 1000 m. This corresponds to mean absolute errors of 0.111 °C at 50 m, 0.104 °C at 200 m and 0.073 °C at 1000 m.The splitting of total errors into instrumental and sampling contributions reveals that, in the present scenario, errors are more due to the small number of floats than to instrumental errors, especially at upper levels. For scales larger than 500 km this will hold true until 200–250 floats are deployed (less than 200 for deep levels). In such a simulated scenario, the number of observations and the technology become approximately equally limiting factors for the accuracy of the temperature field mapping, with total relative errors of less than 2% at upper levels and about 3% at 1000 m.     

Krill behaviour as recorded by acoustic doppler current profilers in the Gullmarsfjord

Vertical distribution of sound scattering layers were observed using bottom deployed acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP) during early spring of 1996 and autumn of 1997 in the Gullmarsfjord on the Swedish west coast. Variations in relative backscatter were interpreted in relation to horizontal water velocities, oxygen saturation as well as differences in the light, salinity and temperature regimes. Net catches revealed that much of the backscatter below 20-m depth was associated with the presence of krill, principally Meganyctiphanes norvegica.Horizontal currents seemed to influence the migration and distribution of krill, which showed weak vertical migration patterns with low abundance during periods of strong intermediate in- and outflows, while during periods with weaker currents, a more regular diel migration occurred. Horizontal water velocities >5 cm s⁻¹ seemed to have the potential to decrease the peak in the backscatter profile. Mean vertical migration rates of krill was 1 cm s⁻¹, while maximum vertical migration rates were estimated to be 2.5–3 cm s⁻¹. The range of the vertical migration was different in 1997 due to severe oxygen deficiency in the bottom water, which prevented the krill from descending >80 m. The commencement of vertical migration correlated closely to the seasonal light conditions. The descent was immediately triggered by sunrise, while ascent occurred with a delay of about 1 h at sunset.     

Suspended sediment and erosion dynamics in Kugmallit Bay and Beaufort Sea during ice-free conditions

The Mackenzie River is the largest river on the North American side of the Arctic and its huge freshwater and sediment load impacts the Canadian Beaufort Shelf. Huge quantities of sediment and associated organic carbon are transported in the Mackenzie plume into the interior of the Arctic Ocean mainly during the freshet (May to September). Changing climate scenarios portend increased coastal erosion and resuspension that lead to altered river-shelf-slope particle budgets. We measured sedimentation rates, suspended particulate matter (SPM), particle size and settling rates during ice-free conditions in Kugmallit Bay (3–5 m depth). Additionally, measurements of erosion rate, critical shear stress, particle size distribution and resuspension threshold of bottom sediments were examined at four regionally contrasting sites (33–523 m depth) on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf using a new method for assessing sediment erosion. Wind induced resuspension was evidenced by a strong relationship between SPM and wind speed in Kugmallit Bay. Deployment of sediment traps showed decreasing sedimentation rates at sites along an inshore–offshore transect ranging from 5400 to 3700 g m^− 2 day^− 1. Particle settling rates and size distributions measured using a Perspex settling chamber showed strong relationships between equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) and particle settling rates (r² = 0.91). Mean settling rates were 0.72 cm s^− 1 with corresponding ESD values of 0.9 mm. Undisturbed sediment cores were exposed to shear stress in an attempt to compare differences in sediment stability across the shelf during September to October 2003. Shear was generated by vertically oscillating a perforated disc at controlled frequencies corresponding to calibrated shear velocity using a piston grid erosion device. Critical (Type I) erosion thresholds (u) varied between 1.1 and 1.3 cm s^− 1 with no obvious differences in location. Sediments at the deepest site Amundsen Gulf displayed the highest erosion rates (22–54 g m^− 2 min^− 1) with resuspended particle sizes ranging from 100 to 930 µm for all sites. There was no indication of biotic influence on sediment stability, although our cores did not display a fluff layer of unconsolidated sediment. Concurrent studies in the delta and shelf region suggest the importance of a nepheloid layer which transports suspended particles to the slope. Continuous cycles of resuspension, deposition, and horizontal advection may intensify with reduction of sea ice in this region. Our measurements coupled with studies of circulation and cross-shelf exchange allow parameterization and modeling of particle dynamics and carbon fluxes under various climate change scenarios.     

Experiments on the survival of six brackish macro-invertebrates from the Baltic Sea after dredged spoil coverage and its implications for the field

Physical disturbance by disposal of dredged materials in estuarine and coastal waters may result in burial of benthic fauna. Survival rates depend on a variety of factors including the type and amount of disposed materials and the lifestyle of the organisms. Laboratory burial experiments using six common macrobenthic invertebrates from a brackish habitat of the western Baltic Sea were performed to test the organisms' escape reaction to dredged material disposal. Experimental lab-results were then extrapolated to a field situation with corresponding bottom topography and covering layer thicknesses at experimental field disposal study sites. Resulted survival rates were then verified by comparison with results of an earlier field study at the same disposal sites.Our experimental design in the lab included the disposal of two types of dredged material (i.e. ‘till’ and ‘sand/till mixture’) and two covering layer depths (i.e. 10–20 cm and 14–40 cm). All three bivalves Arctica islandica (Linnaeus), Macoma balthica (Linnaeus), Mya arenaria (Linnaeus) and the polychaete Nephtys hombergii (Savigny) successfully burrowed to the surface of a 32–41 cm deposited sediment layer of till or sand/till mixture and restored contact with the overlying water. These high escape potentials could partly be explained by the heterogeneous texture of the till and sand/till mixture with ‘voids’. The polychaete Bylgides (Harmothoe) sarsi (Malmgren) successfully burrowed through a 16 cm covering layer whereas the polychaete Lagis koreni (Malmgren) showed almost no escaping reaction. No general differences in escape behaviour after burial were detected between our test species from the brackish habitat and those reported in the literature for the same species in marine environments. However, a size-dependence in mobility of motile polychaetes and M. arenaria was apparent within our study. In comparison to a thick coverage, thin covering layers (i.e. 15–16 cm and 20 cm) increased the chance of the organisms (N. hombergii and M. arenaria) to reach the sediment surface after burial. This was not observed for the other test species. While crawling upward to the new sediment surfaces burrowing velocities of up to 8 cm d^− 1 were observed for the bivalves and up to 20 cm d^− 1 for N. hombergii. Between 17 and 79% of the test organisms showed burrowing activity after experimental burial. The survival rate (defined as the ability to regained contact with the sediment surface) ranged from 0 to 33%, depending on species and on burial depth. The organisms reached the sediment surface by burrowing (polychaetes and bivalves) and/or by extending their siphons to the new sediment surface (bivalves). The extrapolation of laboratory survival rates to the two disposal sites was obtained based on the in situ thicknesses of the dredged spoil layers measured by multi-beam echo sounder. This resulted in total average survival rate estimates for the test species of 45 and 43% for the two disposal sites. The results obtained during the laboratory tests and the following extrapolation to the field were verified by the range of results from a previous field study, using grab sampling shortly before and after a disposal event in June 2001. The effect of dredged material disposal on the tested Baltic Sea benthic macrofauna was assessed by extrapolating the verified laboratory results to the field.     

Effects of surfactant on the growth of wind waves — Simultaneous observations with optical and microwave sensors

The growth of wind waves was investigated in a circulating tank over slick and “clean” surfaces. The slick surface was produced through the aging of seawater, and the “clean” surface was obtained by overflowing. Water-surface slopes and microwave backscattering were simultaneously measured with an optical slope gauge and a continuous-wave radar, respectively. Dependencies of the mean-square slope and the radar backscattered power on the wind-friction velocity over these two surfaces were found to be different. A delayed growth of ripples over the slick surface was identified from optical and microwave measurements. The suppression of ripples by surface slicks was most significant at low winds up to the wind-friction velocity of 15 cm s⁻¹. A reduction of −18 dB in the mean-square slope is found at the wind-friction velocity of 11 cm s⁻¹. The exponent of power-law dependence of radar cross section on wind-friction velocity over the slick surface was much larger than that over the “clean” surface. The radar backscattering from the slick surface was reduced by −40 dB at light winds and saturated at high winds with the wind-friction velocities smaller than 11 cm s⁻¹ and larger than 24 cm s⁻¹, respectively.     

Characteristic flow patterns generated by macrozoobenthic structures

A laboratory flume channel, equipped with an acoustic Doppler flow sensor and a bottom scanning laser, was used for detailed, non-intrusive flow measurements (at 2 cm s^− 1 and 10 cm s^− 1) around solitary biogenic structures, combined with high-resolution mapping of the structure shape and position. The structures were replicates of typical macrozoobenthic species commonly found in the Mecklenburg Bight and with a presumed influence on both, the near-bed current regime and sediment transport dynamics: a worm tube, a snail shell, a mussel, a sand mound, a pit, and a cross-stream track furrow. The flow was considerably altered locally by the different protruding structures (worm tube, snail, mussel and mound). They reduced the horizontal approach velocity by 72% to 79% in the wake zone at about 1–2 cm height, and the flow was deflected around the structures with vertical and lateral velocities of up to 10% and 20% of the free-stream velocity respectively in a region adjacent to the structures. The resulting flow separation (at flow Reynolds number of about 4000 and 20,000 respectively) divided an outer deflection region from an inner region with characteristic vortices and the wake region. All protruding structures showed this general pattern, but also produced individual characteristics. Conversely, the depressions (track and pit) only had a weak influence on the local boundary layer flow, combined with a considerable flow reduction within their cavities (between 29% and 53% of the free-stream velocity). A longitudinal vortex formed, below which a stagnant space was found. The average height affected by the structure-related mass flow rate deficit for the two velocities was 1.6 cm and 1.3 cm respectively (80% of height and 64%) for the protruding structures and 0.6 cm and 0.9 cm (90% and 127% of depth) for the depressions. Marine benthic soft-bottom macrozoobenthos species are expected to benefit from the flow modifications they induce, particularly in terms of food particle capture due to altered particle pathways and residence times, but also for the exchange of gases, solutes and spawn. The present results confirm previous studies on flow interaction effects of various biogenic structures, and they add a deeper level of detail for a better understanding of the fine-scale effects.     

A two-dimensional response to a tropical storm on the Gulf of Mexico shelf

Surface current data from drifting buoys and remotely sensed wind data recorded over the continental shelf in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during the passage of tropical storm Josephine in October 1996 are examined. Drifter data show the existence of a strong surface jet (velocities reaching 1 m s⁻¹) that moves up the west Florida shelf and westward along the Louisiana–Texas shelf, and lasts for nearly 1 week. The coastal jet occurs during an intense synoptic scale wind event where wind speeds reach 15 m s⁻¹. A simple force balance and statistical analysis are performed to assess the role of strong wind forcing. The primary balance shows an Ekman-type current. The role of local acceleration is greatest when winds are directed along bathymetry. A simple two-dimensional strongly forced shelf response model developed from the linear steady-state momentum equations also indicates larger along-shore currents due to both Ekman-type forcing by cross-shore winds and a cross-shore pressure gradient arising from conservation of mass. Model parameters fit empirically are within 15% of theoretical values. The simple model explains 30% and 46% of the variance in the observed along-shore and cross-shore surface currents, respectively.     

Variations of the abundance and nucleic acid content of heterotrophic bacteria in Beaufort Shelf waters during winter and spring

Depth profiles of heterotrophic bacteria abundance were measured weekly over a 6-month period from December to May in Franklin Bay, a 230 m-deep coastal Arctic Ocean site of the southeastern Beaufort Sea. Total bacteria, low nucleic acid (LNA) and high nucleic acid (HNA) bacteria abundances were measured using flow cytometry after SYBR Green I staining. The HNA bacteria abundance in surface waters started to increase 5–6 weeks after phytoplankton growth resumed in spring, increasing from 1 × 10⁵ to 3 × 10⁵ cells mL^− 1 over an 8-week period, with a net growth rate of 0.018 d^− 1. LNA bacteria response was delayed by more than two months relative to the beginning of the phytoplankton biomass accumulation and had a lower net growth rate of 0.013 d^− 1. The marked increase in bacterial abundance occurred before any significant increase in organic matter input from river discharge (as indicated by the unchanged surface water salinity and DOC concentrations), and in the absence of water temperature increase. The abundance of bacteria below the halocline was relatively high until January (up to 5 × 10⁵ cells mL^− 1) but then decreased to values close to 2 × 10⁵ cells mL^− 1. The three-fold bacterial abundance increase observed in surface waters in spring was mostly due to HNA bacteria, supporting the idea that these cells are the most active.     

Turbulence in coastal fronts near the mouths of Block Island and Long Island Sounds

Measurements of turbulence were performed in four frontal locations near the mouths of Block Island Sound (BIS) and Long Island Sound (LIS). These measurements extend from the offshore front associated with BIS and Mid-Atlantic Bight Shelf water, to the onshore fronts near the Montauk Point (MK) headland, and the Connecticut River plume front. The latter feature is closely associated with the major fresh water input to LIS. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate, ε, was obtained using shear probes mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Offshore, the BIS estuarine outflow front showed, during spring season and ebb tide, maximum TKE dissipation rate, ε, estimates of order 10^− 5 W/kg, with background values of order 10^− 6 to 10^− 9 W/kg. Edwards et al. [Edwards, C.A., Fake, T.A., and Bogden, P.S., 2004a. Spring–summer frontogenesis at the mouth of Block Island Sound: 1. A numerical investigation into tidal and buoyancy-forced motion. Journal of Geophysical Research 109 (C12021), doi:10.1029/2003JC002132.] model this front as the boundary of a tidally driven, baroclinically adjusted BIS flow around the MK headland eddy. At the entrance to BIS, near MK, two additional fronts are observed, one of which was over sand waves. For the headland site front east of MK, without sand waves, during ebb tide, ε estimates of 10^− 5 to 10^− 6 W/kg were observed. The model shows that this front is at the northern end of an anti-cyclonic headland eddy, and within a region of strong tidal mixing. For the headland site front further northeast over sand waves, maximum ε estimates were of order 10^− 4 W/kg within a background of order 10^− 7–10^− 6 W/kg. From the model, this front is at the northeastern edge of the anti-cyclonic headland eddy and within the tidal mixing zone. For the Connecticut River plume front, a surface trapped plume, during ebb tide, maximum ε estimates of 10^− 5 W/kg were obtained, within a background of 10^− 6 to 10^− 8 W/kg. Of all four fronts, the river plume front has the largest finescale mean-square shear, S² ~ 0.15 s^− 2. All of the frontal locations had local values of the buoyancy Reynolds number indicating strong isotropic turbulence at the dissipation scales. Local values of the Froude number indicated shear instability in all of the fronts.     

On the distribution of dissolved lead in the Loire estuary and the North Biscay continental shelf, France

The dissolved lead was studied in the whole salinity gradient of the system composed of the Loire estuary and the North Biscay continental shelf. About 130 samples were collected in winter 2001 and spring 2002 during Nutrigas and Gasprod campaigns (Programme PNEC-Golfe de Gascogne, RV Thalassa) and metal measurements were conducted on board by Potentiometric Stripping Analysis. In the Loire estuary, levels of dissolved lead ranged from 0.15 to 0.24 nM and from 0.04 to 0.26 nM in winter and spring, respectively. Compared to the concentrations reported in 1987 and 1990 (0.4–1.7 nM; Boutier, B., Chiffoleau, J.F., Auger, D., Truquet, I., 1993. Influence of the Loire river on dissolved lead and cadmium concentrations in coastal waters of Brittany. Estuar. Coast. Shelf S., 36:133–143, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 36, 133–143) our study indicated much lower values. The fall in concentration in the estuary could be attributed to the stopping of activity of Octel, a big manufacturer of tetra alkyl lead. Discharge in dissolved metal to the continental shelf by the Loire river was assessed as 7.5 and 1.9 kg day^− 1 for winter and spring, respectively. On the continental shelf, levels of dissolved lead varied within 0.06 and 0.27 nM in winter (0.15 ± 0.06 nM, sd = 1.96, n = 49), whereas concentrations measured in spring were in the range 0.06–0.17 nM (0.09 ± 0.03 nM, sd = 1.96, n = 60). This difference in metal concentration was related to the amounts of rainfall that have fallen over the continental shelf: estimations of inputs by this way (74 and 32 kg day^− 1 in winter and spring, respectively) appeared to be significantly higher than inputs from the Loire river (7.5 and 1.9 kg day^− 1 in winter and spring, respectively). The distributions of dissolved metal in the surface waters highlighted the role of suspended particular matter (SPM) for a rapid “trapping” of lead near the mouth of the estuary. The vertical distributions showed, in the stratified area, a biological transfer of lead between winter and spring from surface waters to the halocline.     

The structure of dissipation in the western Irish Sea front

We report on an intensive campaign in the summer of 2006 to observe turbulent energy dissipation in the vicinity of a tidal mixing front which separates well mixed and seasonally stratified regimes in the western Irish Sea. The rate of turbulent dissipation ε was observed on a section across the front by a combination of vertical profiles with the FLY dissipation profiler and horizontal profiles by shear sensors mounted on an AUV (Autosub). Mean flow conditions and stratification were obtained from a bed mounted ADCP and a vertical chain of thermistors on a mooring. During an Autosub mission of 60 h, the vehicle, moving at a speed of ~ 1.2 m s^− 1, completed 10 useable frontal crossings between end points which were allowed to move with the mean flow. The results were combined with parallel measurements of the vertical profile of ε which were made using FLY for periods of up to 13 h at positions along the Autosub track. The two data sets, which show a satisfactory degree of consistency, were combined to elucidate the space–time variation of dissipation in the frontal zone. Using harmonic analysis, the spatial structure of dissipation was separated from the strong time dependent signal at the M₄ tidal frequency to yield a picture of the cross-frontal distribution of energy dissipation. A complementary picture of the frontal velocity field was obtained from a moored ADCP and estimates of the mean velocity derived from the thermal wind using the observed density distribution. which indicated the presence of a strong (0.2 m s^− 1) jet-like flow in the high gradient region of the front. Under neap tidal conditions, mean dissipation varied across the section by 3 orders of magnitude exceeding 10^− 2 W m^− 3 near the seabed in the mixed regime and decreasing to 10^− 5 W m^− 3. in the strongly stratified interior regime. The spatial pattern of dissipation is consistent in general form with the predictions of models of tidal mixing and does not reflect any strong influence by the frontal jet.     

Effect of wave boundary layer on sea-to-air dimethylsulfide transfer velocity during typhoon passage

A full-spectral third-generation ocean wind–wave model (Wavewatch-III) implemented in the South China Sea is used to investigate the effects of the wave boundary layer on the drag coefficient and the sea-to-air transfer velocity of dimethylsulfide (DMS) during passage of Typhoon Wukong (September 5–11, 2000) with a maximum sustained wind speed of 38 m s^− 1. The model is driven by the reanalyzed surface winds (1° × 1°, four times daily) from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. It is found that the wave boundary layer evidently enhances (16.5%) the drag coefficient (in turn increases the momentum flux across the air–sea interface), and reduces (13.1%) the sea-to-air DMS transfer velocity (in turn decreases the sea-to-air DMS flux). This indicates the possibility of important roles of wave boundary layer in atmospheric DMS contents and global climate system.     

Bacterial production and microbial food web structure in a large arctic river and the coastal Arctic Ocean

Globally significant quantities of organic carbon are stored in northern permafrost soils, but little is known about how this carbon is processed by microbial communities once it enters rivers and is transported to the coastal Arctic Ocean. As part of the Arctic River-Delta Experiment (ARDEX), we measured environmental and microbiological variables along a 300 km transect in the Mackenzie River and coastal Beaufort Sea, in July–August 2004. Surface bacterial concentrations averaged 6.7 × 10⁵ cells mL^− 1 with no significant differences between sampling zones. Picocyanobacteria were abundant in the river, and mostly observed as cell colonies. Their concentrations in the surface waters decreased across the salinity gradient, dropping from 51,000 (river) to 30 (sea) cells mL^− 1. There were accompanying shifts in protist community structure, from diatoms, cryptophytes, heterotrophic protists and chrysophytes in the river, to dinoflagellates, prymnesiophytes, chrysophytes, prasinophytes, diatoms and heterotrophic protists in the Beaufort Sea.Size-fractionated bacterial production, as measured by ³H–leucine uptake, varied from 76 to 416 ng C L^− 1 h^− 1. The contribution of particle-attached bacteria (> 3 µm fraction) to total bacterial production decreased from > 90% at the Mackenzie River stations to < 20% at an offshore marine site, and the relative importance of this particle-based fraction was inversely correlated with salinity and positively correlated with particulate organic carbon concentrations. Glucose enrichment experiments indicated that bacterial metabolism was carbon limited in the Mackenzie River but not in the coastal ocean. Prior exposure of water samples to full sunlight increased the biolability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the Mackenzie River but decreased it in the Beaufort Sea.Estimated depth-integrated bacterial respiration rates in the Mackenzie River were higher than depth-integrated primary production rates, while at the marine stations bacterial respiration rates were near or below the integrated primary production rates. Consistent with these results, P_CO2 measurements showed surface water supersaturation in the river (mean of 146% of air equilibrium values) and subsaturation or near-saturation in the coastal sea. These results show a well-developed microbial food web in the Mackenzie River system that will likely convert tundra carbon to atmospheric CO₂ at increasing rates as the arctic climate continues to warm.     

Microbial food web responses to light and nutrients beneath the coastal Arctic Ocean sea ice during the winter–spring transition

We measured the abundance and biomass of phototrophic and heterotrophic microbes in the upper mixed layer of the water column in ice-covered Franklin Bay, Beaufort Sea, Canada, from December 2003 to May 2004, and evaluated the influence of light and nutrients on these communities by way of a shipboard enrichment experiment. Bacterial cell concentrations showed no consistent trends throughout the sampling period, averaging (± SD) 2.4 (0.9) × 10⁸ cells L^− 1; integrated bacterial biomass for the upper mixed layer ranged from 1.33 mg C m^− 3 to 3.60 mg C m^− 3. Small cells numerically dominated the heterotrophic protist community in both winter and spring, but in terms of biomass, protists with a diameter > 10 µm generally dominated the standing stocks. Heterotrophic protist biomass integrated over the upper mixed layer ranged from 1.23 mg C m^− 3 to 6.56 mg C m^− 3. Phytoplankton biomass was low and variable, but persisted during the winter period. The standing stock of pigment-containing protists ranged from a minimum value of 0.38 mg C m^− 3 in winter to a maximal value of 6.09 mg C m^− 3 in spring and the most abundant taxa were Micromonas-like cells. These picoprasinophytes began to increase under the ice in February and their population size was positively correlated with surface irradiance. Despite the continuing presence of sea ice, phytoplankton biomass rose by more than an order of magnitude in the upper mixed layer by May. The shipboard experiment in April showed that this phototrophic increase in the community was not responsive to pulsed nutrient enrichment, with all treatments showing a strong growth response to improved irradiance conditions. Molecular (DGGE) and microscopic analyses indicated that most components of the eukaryotic community responded positively to the light treatment. These results show the persistence of a phototrophic inoculum throughout winter darkness, and the strong seasonal response by arctic microbial food webs to sub-ice irradiance in early spring.