High-resolution seafloor mapping using the DSL-120 sonar system: Quantitative assessment of sidescan and phase-bathymetry data from the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge     

Scheirer  Daniel S.  Fornari  Daniel J.  Humphris  Susan E.  Lerner  Steven 《Marine Geophysical Researches》2000,21(1-2):121-142

High-resolution, side-looking sonar data collected near the seafloor (100 m altitude) provide important structural and topographic information for defining the geological history and current tectonic framework of seafloor terrains. DSL-120 kHz sonar data collected in the rift valley of the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37° N provide the ability to quantitatively assess the effective resolution limits of both the sidescan imagery and the computed phase-bathymetry of this sonar system. While the theoretical, vertical and horizontal pixel resolutions of the DSL-120 system are <1 m, statistical analysis of DSL-120 sonar data collected from the Lucky Strike segment indicates that the effective spatial resolution of features is 1–2 m for sidescan imagery and 4 m for phase-bathymetry in the seafloor terrain of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley. Comparison of multibeam bathymetry data collected at the sea-surface with deep-tow DSL-120 bathymetry indicates that depth differences are on the order of the resolution of the multibeam system (10–30 m). Much of this residual can be accounted for by navigational mismatches and the higher resolving ability of the DSL-120 data, which has a bathymetric footprint on the seafloor that is 20 times smaller than that of hull-mounted multibeam at these seafloor depths (2000 m). Comparison of DSL-120 bathymetry with itself on crossing lines indicates that residual depth values are ±20 m, with much of that variation being accounted for by navigational errors. A DSL-120 survey conducted in 1998 on the Juan de Fuca Ridge with better navigation and less complex seafloor terrain had residual depth values half those of the Lucky Strike survey. The quality of the bathymetry data varies as a function of position within the swath, with poorer data directly beneath the tow vehicle and also towards the swath edges.Variations in sidescan amplitude observed across the rift valley and on Lucky Strike Seamount correlate well with changes in seafloor roughness caused by transitions from sedimented seafloor to bare rock outcrops. Distinct changes in sonar backscatter amplitude were also observed between areas covered with hydrothermal pavement that grade into lava flows and the collapsed surface of the lava lake in the summit depression of Lucky Strike Seamount. Small features on the seafloor, including volcanic constructional features (e.g., small cones, haystacks, fissures and collapse features) and hydrothermal vent chimneys or mounds taller than 2 m and greater than 9 m² in surface area, can easily be resolved and mapped using this system. These features at Lucky Strike have been confirmed visually using the submersible Alvin, the remotely operated vehicle Jason, and the towed optical/acoustic mapping system Argo II.  相似文献   

Impacts of stormwater discharges on the nearshore benthic environment of Santa Monica Bay     

Schiff K  Bay S 《Marine environmental research》2003,56(1-2):225-243

Although large loads of potentially toxic constituents are discharged from coastal urban watersheds, very little is known about the fates and eventual impacts of these stormwater inputs once they enter the ocean. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of stormwater discharges on the benthic marine environment of Santa Monica Bay. Sediment samples were collected across a gradient of stormwater impact following significantly sized storm events offshore Ballona Creek (a predominantly developed watershed) and Malibu Creek (a predominantly undeveloped watershed). Sediments offshore Malibu Creek had a greater proportion of fine-grained sediments, organic carbon, and naturally occurring metals (i.e., aluminum and iron), whereas sediments offshore Ballona Creek had higher concentrations of anthropogenic metals (i.e., lead) and organic pollutants (i.e., total DDT, total PCB, total PAH). The accumulation of anthropogenic sediment contaminants offshore Ballona Creek was evident up to 2 km downcoast and 4 km upcoast from the creek mouth and sediment concentrations covaried with distance from the discharge. Although changes in sediment texture, organic content, and an increase in sediment contamination were observed, there was little or no alteration to the benthic communities offshore either Ballona or Malibu Creek. Both sites were characterized as having an abundance, species richness, biodiversity and benthic response index similar to shallow water areas distant from creek mouths throughout the Southern California Bight. There was not a preponderance of pollution tolerant, nor a lack or pollution sensitive, species offshore either creek mouth.  相似文献   

Tectonic core of a sedimentary drift: a potential ridge propagation feature beneath the Blake Outer Ridge     

Dayton Dove  Steven C. Jaume  Erin Beutel 《Marine Geophysical Researches》2007,28(1):1-11

The Blake Outer Ridge is a 480–kilometer long linear sedimentary drift ridge striking perpendicular to the North American coastline. By modeling free-air gravity anomalies we tested for the presence of a crustal feature that may control the location and orientation of the Blake Outer Ridge. Most of our crustal density models that match observed gravity anomalies require an increase in oceanic crustal thickness of 1–3 km on the southwest side of the Blake Outer Ridge relative to the northeast side. Most of these models also require 1–4 km of crustal thinning in zone 20–30 km southwest of the crest of the Blake Outer Ridge. Although these features are consistent with the structure of oceanic fracture zones, the Blake Outer Ridge is not parallel to adjacent known fracture zones. Magnetic anomalies suggest that the ocean crust beneath this feature formed during a period of mid-ocean ridge reorganization, and that the Blake Outer Ridge may be built upon the bathymetric expression of an oblique extensional feature associated with ridge propagation. It is likely that the orientation of this trough acted as a catalyst for sediment deposition with the start of the Western Boundary Undercurrent in the mid-Oligocene.  相似文献   

The effects of light and nutrients on rates of ammonium transformation in a eutrophic river     

Fredric Lipschultz  Steven C. Wofsy  Lewis E. Fox 《Marine Chemistry》1985,16(4)

Rates for nitrification, phytoplankton uptake of ammonium, and regeneration of ammonium were measured in the Delaware River as functions of irradiance and nutrient concentrations, using ¹⁵N labeling methods. Phytoplankton uptake increased and nitrification rates declined with increased light intensity. The irradiance level required for maximum uptake by phytoplankton was similar to that for maximal inhibition of nitrification (about 300μEm⁻² s⁻¹). Daily, water-column averaged rates, calculated by integration of the observed rate-intensity relationships, indicate that light plays a key role in regulating the balance between oxidation of NH₄⁺ by bacteria and assimilation by phytoplankton in the Delaware. The results show that uptake of ammonium by phytoplankton in the dark may exceed uptake in the light in optically thick systems.  相似文献   

Aquatic surface microlayer contamination in chesapeake bay   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

John T. Hardy  Eric A. Crecelius  Liam D. Antrim  Steven L. Kiesser  Virginia L. Broadhurst 《Marine Chemistry》1990,28(4)

The aquatic surface microlayer (SMIC), 50 μm thick, serves as a concentration point for metal and organic contaminants that have low water solubility or are associated with floatable particles. Also, the eggs and larvae of many fish and shellfish species float on, or come in contact with, the water surface throughout their early development. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the present degree of aquatic surface microlayer pollution at selected sites in Chesapeake Bay, and (2) to provide a preliminary evaluation of sources contributing to any observed contamination.Twelve stations located in urban bays, major rivers, and the north central bay were sampled three times, each at 5-day intervals during May 1986. Samples of 1.4–4.1 each were collected from the upper 30–60-μm water surface (surface microlayer, SMIC) using a Teflon-coated rotating drum microlayer sampler. One sample of subsurface water was collected in the central bay.At all stations, concentrations of metals, alkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons in the SMIC were high compared with one bulk-water sample and with typical concentrations in water of Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere. SMIC contamination varied greatly among the three sampling times, but high mean contaminant levels (total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.9–6.2 μg 1⁻¹; Pb, 4.9–24 μg 1⁻¹; Cu, 4–16 μg 1⁻¹; and Zn, 34–59 μg 1⁻¹) were found at the upper Potomac and northern bay sites. Three separate areas were identified on the basis of relative concentrations of different aromatic hydrocarbons in SMIC samples - the northern bay, the Potomac River, and the cleaner southern and eastern portions of the sampling area.Suspected sources of surface contamination include gasoline and diesel fuel combustion, coal combustion, and petroleum product releases. Concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons, at approximately half the stations sampled, are sufficient to pose a threat to the reproductive stages of some fish and shellfish. Sampling and analysis of the surface microlayer provides a sensitive tool for source identification and monitoring of potentially harmful aquatic pollution.  相似文献   

Pb and other ore metals in modern seafloor tectonic environments: Evidence from melt inclusions   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Yannick Beaudoin  Steven D. Scott  Zoltan Zajacz 《Marine Geology》2007,242(4):271-289

Many modern seafloor tectonic environments are host to hydrothermal systems and associated polymetallic sulfide deposits. Metal transport and precipitation are controlled by magmatic processes such as pre-eruptive degassing and the hydrothermal cycle. The original availability of Pb and other ore metals in a given setting is dependent on concentrations in the original magmatic source or additional enrichment processes. We have examined the Pb budget of melt inclusions from nine modern seafloor settings representing back-arcs, mid-ocean ridges and seamounts. Melt inclusions provide information on the characteristics of parental magmas, including insights into metal budgets. Trace element data in melt inclusions hosted in plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene were obtained by laser-ablation inductively-coupled mass-spectrometry.Results from back-arcs emphasize the impact of slab-subduction and dehydration processes on the chemical characteristics of generated magmas. Volatile- and fluid-mobile element-rich melt inclusions at Manus basin and Okinawa trough reflect a robust contribution of elements from the subducting slab as evidenced by relatively low Ce/Pb ratios. At Bransfield strait, on the other hand, melt inclusions are volatile poor, and fluid-mobile element ratios are similar to mid-ocean ridge values indicating little or no contribution from the slab. High Cu concentrations at Manus basin and Okinawa trough can be explained by fluxing of ferric iron from the subducting slab benefiting the production of sulfate over sulfide.Metal budgets for seamounts located on and nearby the axis of mid-ocean ridge segments appear to be independent of any input of mantle plume material. Results from the southern Explorer ridge (strong lower mantle influence, transitional- and enriched-MORBs), Pito and Axial seamounts (moderate lower mantle influence, transitional-MORBs) and a Foundation near-ridge seamount (little to no mantle influence, normal-MORB) show that, despite similar tectonic environments and varying contributions of mantle plume material, Cu, Zn and Pb values do not vary significantly between the enriched and non-enriched magma components of a given setting.  相似文献   

Relative microbial activity and mineralization associated with water masses in the lower Cook Inlet,Alaska     

R. P. Griffiths  T. M. McNamara  S. E. Steven  R. Y. Morita 《Journal of Oceanography》1981,37(5):227-233

A study of the microbial uptake and respiration (mineralization) of radioactive glutamic acid was made in 141 surface water samples in the Cook Inlet, Alaska during three sampling periods (October, 1976; April, 1977; and November, 1977). The rate at which the test substrate was incorporated into cell material plus that respired as CO₂ was used to calculate the relative microbial activity. A northern water mass with salinities less than 31 showed high rates of relative microbial activity but low mineralization rates as indicated by respiration of¹⁴CO₂. The reverse pattern was seen in the water mass (salinity higher than 31) to the south which was more typical of coastal water. These data suggest that the organic nutrients in these two water masses are quite different either qualitatively or quantitatively. This study illustrates how the observed measurement of relative microbial activity might be helpful in defining specific water masses.(The publication of this article was unintentionally delayed owing to a fault in secretarial routine.)Published as Technical Paper No. 6009, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.  相似文献   

The sea as a source of atmospheric phosphorus   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

William F. Graham  Steven R. Piotrowicz  Robert A. Duce 《Marine Chemistry》1979,7(4):325-342

The geochemical fractionation of phosphorus on the drop produced by bubbles bursting in seawater has been studied using a field sampling system called the Bubble Interfacial Microlayer Sampler (BIMS). The droplets from bursting bubbles were collected on filter samples in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island during the summer of 1975. Phosphorus was found to be fractionated by the bubble-bursting process. The enrichment factor ranged from 4 to 170. Enrichment was found to increase with decreasing phosphorus concentration at 20 cm depth while it decreases with increasing wind velocity. Enrichment was independent of bubbling depth. Together these facts suggest that the sea-surface microlayer is the source of the phosphorus on the ejected drops. Organic phosphorus on the filter samples was found to be enriched relative to surface-water phosphorus by factors of 100–200, while reactive phosphorus was enriched by factors of only 6–8. This suggests that surface-active organic phosphorus compounds are the source phosphorus in the microlayer.The organic phosphorus content of samples of atmospheric particulates collected over the phosphate-rich upwelling waters near the Peru coast was found to correlate significantly with sea-salt sodium. Enrichments calculated using the average phosphorus concentration of the surface water in this area agree well with the results of the BIMS study. Thus it appears that phosphorus fractionation does occur in nature and may be important in supplying this nutrient to some coastal regions of the world.  相似文献   

A Numerical Simulation of Residual Circulation in Tampa Bay. Part II: Lagrangian Residence Time   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Steven D. Meyers  Mark E. Luther 《Estuaries and Coasts》2008,31(5):815-827

Lagrangian retention and flushing are examined by advecting neutrally buoyant point particles within a circulation field generated by a numerical ocean model of Tampa Bay. Large temporal variations in Lagrangian residence time are found under realistic changes in boundary conditions. Two 90-day time periods are examined. The first (P1) is characterized by low freshwater inflow and weak baroclinic circulation. The second (P2) has high freshwater inflow and strong baroclinic circulation. At the beginning of both time periods, 686,400 particles are released uniformly throughout the bay. Issues relating to particle distribution and flushing are examined at three different spatial scales: (1) at the scale of the entire bay, (2) the four major regions within the bay, and (3) at the scale of individual model grid cells. Two simple theoretical models for the particle number over time, N(t), are fit to the particle counts from the ocean model. The theoretical models are shown to represent N(t) reasonably well when considering the entire bay, allowing for straightforward calculation of baywide residence times: 156 days for P1 and 36 days for P2. However, the accuracy of these simple models decreases with decreasing spatial scale. This is likely due to the fact that particles may exit, reenter, or redistribute from one region to another in any sequence. The smaller the domain under consideration, the more this exchange process dominates. Therefore, definitions of residence time need to be modified for “non-local” situations. After choosing a reasonable definition, and removal of the tidal and synoptic signals, the residence times at each grid cell in P1 is found to vary spatially from a few days to 90 days, the limit of the calculation, with an average residence time of 53 days. For P2, the overall spatial pattern is more homogeneous, and the residence times have an average value of 26 days.  相似文献   

Simco,a simulation software for CONICA,the coude nir camera for the very large telescope     

Peter Claes 《Experimental Astronomy》1994,3(1-4):121-122

CONICA is an acronym for COudé Near Infrared Camera. It is one of the four currently planned Infrared instruments for ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. This multimode instrument is to be installed at the Coudé-focus (of Unit Telescope no. 1), where adaptive optics and speckle interferometry will also be available. High angular resolution imaging (to the diffraction limit) will be possible in the 1–5 m range, as well as spectroscopy with low- and medium resolution and polarimetry by means of Wollaston prism and wiregrid analysers. Various softwares are developed for this instrument. One of them: the Simulation Software has a threefold aim: 1. provide the user with feedback information on his/her choices of observational parameters. This is be achieved by displaying the calculated performance and throughput of the combined Source-Atmosphere-Telescope-Camera-Detector system in various formats, such as images, tables, isophotical images ... for point as well as for extended sources (also annular, double, etc.); 2. verify if his expectations are realistic, before actually using CONICA itself. 3. give feedback on the design to the developers of the instrument.On leave from his original institute, now at ESTEC in the ISO-project  相似文献