Geochemical controls on distributions and speciation of As and Hg in sediments along the Gaoping (Kaoping) Estuary–Canyon system off southwestern Taiwan

Surface and box-cored sediments were collected along the Gaoping (formerly spelled Kaoping) Estuary–Canyon system and analyzed for As and Hg contents and speciation, ²¹⁰Pb-based sedimentation rates and various geochemical parameters to elucidate the mechanisms that control natural and anthropogenic inputs of As and Hg from the Gaoping (Kaoping) River (KPR). The contents of As and Hg in surface sediments ranged from 1.84 to 20.7 mg kg^− 1 and from 0.07 to 2.15 mg kg^− 1, respectively, in the estuary and canyon. The concentrations generally decreased from the lower river toward the mixing boundary and then increased toward the estuarine mouth, followed by a slight variation in the canyon. Both As and Hg concentrations correlated strongly with clay, total organic carbon (TOC), Al, Fe and Mn contents in estuarine sediments but not necessary the same cases for canyon surface sediments. The factor analysis of surface sediments shows that the first two factors, which account for 75.6% of the variance, may represent major roles of carriers (clay, Al and Fe–Mn oxides) and TOC in controlling As and Hg distributions, respectively. Accordingly, the spatial patterns of the enrichments of As (1.9–16.2) and Hg (1.8–30.8) with reference to the crust levels follow the individual element's distribution patterns, likely because of deposition variability following inputs from the river. The contents of mobile As and Hg correlated substantially with the contents of both metals that were extracted with 0.1 M HCl. In addition to the major pool in the residual fraction (65–87%), As was relatively abundant in Fe–Mn oxides/hydroxides, whereas Hg was abundant in the organic/sulfide fraction. The deposition and accumulation rates of As and Hg in the canyon clearly decreased as the depth of water increased. The depth distributions of both metals are likely controlled primarily by TOC and Fe–Mn oxides associated factors followed by a contribution from anthropogenic pollution. The metal pollution appears to have increased substantially around 1970, following the economic boom in Taiwan, suggesting that modern sediments in the Gaoping (Kaoping) Canyon were derived from the Gaoping (Kaoping) River (KPR).     

Interannual variability of the shelf-slope front position between 75° and 50° W

The shelf-slope front (SSF) is a continuous shelf-break front running from the Tail of the Grand Banks to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, separating colder and less-saline continental shelf waters from warmer and more saline slope waters. Time series containing mean monthly SSF positions were produced along each of 26 longitude lines between 75° and 50°W by workers located at Bedford Institute of Oceanography by digitizing individual frontal charts and computing mean monthly latitudinal positions over a 29-year (1973–2001) period. After removing seasonal variability at each longitude, interannual variability (IAV) of the SSF position at each longitude was computed as the annual mean of all monthly SSF position anomalies for each year over the 29-year period. Despite some missing data, a longitude-time plot reveals alternating bands of offshore (late-1970s, late-1980s, late-1990s) and onshore (early-1980s, early-1990s, early-2000s) annual mean SSF anomaly values, exhibiting a period of approximately 10 years. Annual mean SSF anomaly amplitudes are largest in the east, with maxima of O (± 100 km) located east of 60° W for years when data are available. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes 1–4 (accounting for > 90% of the variance) form a set of basis functions that describe the SSF anomaly data and allow reconstruction of the entire data set since missing data are relatively few (14%). A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis using the “reconstructed” data reveals a wavelength scale of approximately 20° of longitude, a distance nearly equal to the entire study domain, along with steady, westward phase propagation of SSF anomalies over approximately the same distance. Speed calculations for the westward-propagating features yield a value of approximately 1.2 to 2.4 cm s^− 1 (1 to 2 km d^− 1), with annual mean SSF anomalies thus requiring about 4 years to propagate from the Tail of the Grand Banks in the east to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the west. This propagation speed and the timing of the SSF positional anomalies at the Tail of the Grand Banks for the 29-year study period are in agreement with speeds computed for the propagation of quasi-decadal salinity anomalies through the Labrador Sea and the time of their arrival at the Tail of the Grand Banks. The small westward SSF anomaly propagation speed is an order of magnitude smaller than the associated currents, in agreement with a highly damped flow-through system originating from both Davis Strait and the West Greenland Current as discussed by other workers. Observations from both southern and northern portions of the study domain, within both continental shelf and slope waters, show that interannual changes in the volume of shelf water along with shelf water bulk properties exhibit a strong relationship with IAV of the SSF position over long time periods.     

Shallow water processes govern system-wide phytoplankton bloom dynamics: A modeling study

A pseudo-two-dimensional numerical model of estuarine phytoplankton growth and consumption, vertical turbulent mixing, and idealized cross-estuary transport was developed and applied to South San Francisco Bay. This estuary has two bathymetrically distinct habitat types (deep channel, shallow shoal) and associated differences in local net rates of phytoplankton growth and consumption, as well as differences in the water column's tendency to stratify. Because many physical and biological time scales relevant to algal population dynamics decrease with decreasing depth, process rates can be especially fast in the shallow water. We used the model to explore the potential significance of hydrodynamic connectivity between a channel and shoal and whether lateral transport can allow physical or biological processes (e.g. stratification, benthic grazing, light attenuation) in one sub-region to control phytoplankton biomass and bloom development in the adjacent sub-region. Model results for South San Francisco Bay suggest that lateral transport from a productive shoal can result in phytoplankton biomass accumulation in an adjacent deep, unproductive channel. The model further suggests that turbidity and benthic grazing in the shoal can control the occurrence of a bloom system-wide; whereas, turbidity, benthic grazing, and vertical density stratification in the channel are likely to only control local bloom occurrence or modify system-wide bloom magnitude. Measurements from a related field program are generally consistent with model-derived conclusions.     

Environmental factors which affect growth of Japanese common squid, Todarodes pacificus, analyzed by a bioenergetics model coupled with a lower trophic ecosystem model

Bioenergetics model is applied to Japanese common squid, Todarodes pacificus. The temporal change of wet weight of common squid, which migrates in the Sea of Japan, is simulated. The time dependent horizontal distribution of prey is calculated a priori by 3-D coupled physical–biological model. The biological model NEMURO (North Pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography) is used to simulate the lower-trophic ecosystem including three kinds of zooplankton biomass two of which is used as prey of common squid. A bioenergetics model reproduced appropriate growth curve of common squid, migrating in the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The results show that the wet weight of common squid in the northern Sea of Japan is heavier than that migrating in the central Sea of Japan, because prey density of the northern Sea of Japan is higher than that of the central Sea of Japan. We also investigate the wet weight anomaly for a global warming scenario. In this case, wet weight of common squid decreases because water temperature exceeds the optimum temperature for common squid. This result indicates that migration route and spawning area of common squid might change with global warming.     

海运教育与培训以及操船模拟器的国际展望

着重对操船模拟器的作用、技术条件、质量保证进行了专业分析,同时阐述了其在海运教育与培训中的作用,以及这两个领域的国际协作前景。     

Transport state enterprises: the Canadian experience

Abstract

In most economies, the ownership and control of state enterprises has been an important government policy instrument. This has been particularly true in the transportation sector in which governments have intervened extensively through the acquisition and creation of state enterprises. While the genesis of and rationale for transportation state enterprises have varied from country to country and even from time to time within each country, at present, most governments do exercise a significant degree of ownership and control in transportation. Some of these enterprises enjoy monopoly status and others are in competition with and behave similarly to their private sector counterparts.

Consequently, and in recent years, questions have been raised about government intervention in the market‐place as it relates to effective management control and accountability of state enterprises. Questions have also been raised about the continuing need for transportation state enterprises and some governments have promoted some form of divestiture (privatization).

This paper addresses the accountability and control of transportation state enterprises based on the Canadian experience. It discusses their role and policies related to diversification, financing and divestiture, and the need for development of a performance framework.     

Fine sediment deposits in shelf seas

From field observations it appears that the top layer of a shelf bottom in general exhibits an intricate geographical pattern of sediment formations. Sediments of different composition are confined in distinct regions. This contradicts the idea that current and wave forces stir up bottom sediment and disperse it in a random way over the shelf; the dispersal process is counteracted by sorting mechanisms. In this paper the bottom patterns of fine cohesive sediments are considered. A specific sorting mechanism is studied which may explain the patchy structure of fine sediment deposits. It is shown that fine sediments can be trapped in bottom deposits which contain a fine sediment fraction high enough to prevent pore water motion in the shelf bed. This mechanism opposes sediment dispersal away from existing deposits. It may also explain the formation or the preservation of mud patches, even in regions where the bottom shear stress is relatively high.     

Assimilation of sea surface temperature in the POL Coastal Ocean Modelling System

A one-dimensional scheme is used to assimilate satellite Sea Surface Temperature data into the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System, set up in the Irish Sea with a fine resolution ( 1.8 km). The capabilities of the assimilation scheme are investigated using two different sets of satellite data, of lower and similar resolution to that of the model respectively. Comparison of results with independent data show that assimilation improves the modelled Sea Surface Temperature, but does not address model representation of the temperature vertical structure. It is concluded that for the Irish Sea and at the scales resolved by the model, the assimilation problem cannot be approached in a one-dimensional framework. It is also pointed out that forecast error needs to account explicitly for errors in the representation of the vertical structure of the thermal field.Three-dimensional methods that are suited for coastal systems are then suggested.     

国外舰船隔振器研究进展

20世纪90年代以来,国外在舰船隔振器方面开展了很多研究工作,包括橡胶隔振器、全金属隔振器、聚胺酯隔振器、气囊式隔振器及其他采用不同控制技术的隔振器等。本文用实例从不同方面介绍了它们的特点及应用。     

机车运行途中故障诊断推理方法的研究

针对机车运行途中故障诊断推理的方法进行了研究,通过利用系统专家的经验知识建立故障树模型,并运用双向推理控制策略和启发式搜索算法建立推理机,实现了机车运行途中故障诊断推理系统的动态建立。