Sample records for pacific ocean compared

  1. Interannual to Decadal SST Variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, G.; Newman, M.; Han, W.

    2017-12-01

    The Indian Ocean has received increasing attention in recent years for its large impacts on regional and global climate. However, due mainly to the close interdependence of the climate variation within the Tropical Pacific and the Indian Ocean, the internal sea surface temperature (SST) variability within the Indian Ocean has not been studied extensively on longer time scales. In this presentation we will show analysis of the interannual to decadal SST variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean in observations and Linear Inverse Model (LIM) results. We also compare the decoupled Indian Ocean SST variability from the Pacific against fully coupled one based on LIM integrations, to test the factors influence the features of the leading SST modes in the Indian Ocean. The result shows the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode, which is strongly related to global averaged SST variability, passively responses to the Pacific variation. Without tropical Indo-Pacific coupling interaction, the intensity of IOB significantly decreases by 80%. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) mode demonstrates its independence from the Pacific SST variability since the IOD does not change its long-term characteristics at all without inter-basin interactions. The overall SSTA variance decreases significantly in the Tropical Indian Ocean in the coupling restricted LIM runs, especially when the one-way impact from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean is turned off, suggesting that most of the variability in the Indian Ocean comes from the Pacific influence. On the other hand, the Indian Ocean could also transport anomalies to the Pacific, making the interaction a complete two-way process.

  2. The 2015/16 El Niño Event in Context of the MERRA-2 Reanalysis: A Comparison of the Tropical Pacific with 1982/83 and 1997/98

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lim, Young-Kwon; Kovach, Robin M.; Pawson, Steven; Vernieres, Guillaume

    2017-01-01

    The 2015-2016 El Nino is analyzed using atmospheric/oceanic analysis produced using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) data assimilation systems. As well as describing the structure of the event, a theme of the work is to compare and contrast it with two other strong El Ninos, in 1982/1983 and 1997/1998. These three El Nino events are included in the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and in the more recent MERRA-2 reanalyses. MERRA-2 allows a comparison of fields derived from the underlying GEOS model, facilitating a more detailed comparison of physical forcing mechanisms in the El Nino events. Various atmospheric/oceanic structures indicate that the 2015/2016 El Nino maximized in the Nino3.4 region, with the large region of warming over most of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. The eastern tropical Indian Ocean, Maritime Continent, and western tropical Pacific are found to be less dry in boreal winter, compared to the earlier two strong events. While the 2015/2016 El Nino had an earlier occurrence of the equatorial Pacific warming and was the strongest event on record in the central Pacific, the 1997/1998 event exhibited a more rapid growth due to stronger westerly wind bursts and Madden-Julian Oscillation during spring, making it the strongest El Nino in the eastern Pacific. Compared to 1982/1983 and 1997/1998, the 2015/2016 event has a shallower thermocline over the eastern Pacific with a weaker zonal contrast of sub-surface water temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. While the three major ENSO events have similarities, each are unique when looking at the atmosphere and ocean surface and sub-surface.

  3. Interbasin effects of the Indian Ocean on Pacific decadal climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mochizuki, Takashi; Kimoto, Masahide; Watanabe, Masahiro; Chikamoto, Yoshimitsu; Ishii, Masayoshi

    2016-07-01

    We demonstrate the significant impact of the Indian Ocean on the Pacific climate on decadal timescales by comparing two sets of data assimilation experiments (pacemaker experiments) conducted over recent decades. For the Indian Ocean of an atmosphere-ocean coupled global climate model, we assimilate ocean temperature and salinity anomalies defined as deviations from climatology or as anomalies with the area-averaged changes for the Indian Ocean subtracted. When decadal sea surface temperature (SST) trends are observed to be strong over the Indian Ocean, the equatorial thermocline uniformly deepens, and the model simulates the eastward tendencies of surface wind aloft. Surface winds strongly converge around the maritime continent, and the associated strengthening of the Walker circulation suppresses an increasing trend in the equatorial Pacific SST through ocean thermocline shoaling, similar to common changes associated with seasonal Indian Ocean warming.

  4. Genetic structure of the crown-of-thorns seastar in the Pacific Ocean, with focus on Guam.

    PubMed

    Tusso, Sergio; Morcinek, Kerstin; Vogler, Catherine; Schupp, Peter J; Caballes, Ciemon F; Vargas, Sergio; Wörheide, Gert

    2016-01-01

    Population outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS), Acanthaster 'planci' L., are among the most important biological disturbances of tropical coral reefs. Over the past 50 years, several devastating outbreaks have been documented around Guam, an island in the western Pacific Ocean. Previous analyses have shown that in the Pacific Ocean, COTS larval dispersal may be geographically restricted to certain regions. Here, we assess the genetic structure of Pacific COTS populations and compared samples from around Guam with a number of distant localities in the Pacific Ocean, and focused on determining the degree of genetic structure among populations previously considered to be isolated. Using microsatellites, we document substantial genetic structure between 14 localities from different geographical regions in the Pacific Ocean. Populations from the 14 locations sampled were found to be structured in three significantly differentiated groups: (1) all locations immediately around Guam, as well as Kingman Reef and Swains Island; (2) Japan, Philippines, GBR and Vanuatu; and (3) Johnston Atoll, which was significantly different from all other localities. The lack of genetic differentiation between Guam and extremely distant populations from Kingman Reef and Swains Island suggests potential long-distance dispersal of COTS in the Pacific.

  5. Long-term variabilities of meridional geostrophic volumn transport in North Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, H.; Yuan, D.; Dewar, W. K.

    2016-02-01

    The meridional geostrophic volumn transport (MGVT) by the ocean plays a very important role in the climatic water mass and heat balance because of its large heat capacity which enables the oceans to store the large amount of radiation received in the summer and to release it in winter. Better understanding of the role of the oceans in climate variability is essential to assess the likely range of future climate fluctuations. In the last century the North Pacific Ocean experienced considerable climate variability, especially on decadal time scale. Some studies have shown that the North Pacific Ocean is the origin of North Pacific multidecadal variability (Latif and Barnett, 1994; Barnett et al., 1999). These fluctuations were associated with large anomalies in sea level, temperature, storminess and rainfall, the heat transport and other extremes are changing as well. If the MGVT of the ocean is well-determined, it can be used as a test of the validity of numerical, global climate models. In this paper, we investigate the long-term variability of the MGVT in North Pacific ocean based on 55 years long global ocean heat and salt content data (Levitus et al., 2012). Very clear inter-decadal variations can be seen in tropical , subtropical and subpolar regions of North Pacific Ocean. There are very consistent variations between the MGVT anomalies and the inter-decadal pacific oscillation (IPO) index in the tropical gyre with cold phase of IPO corresponding to negative MGVT anomalies and warm phase corresponding to positive MGVT anomalies. The subtropical gyre shows more complex variations, and the subpolar gyre shows a negative MGVT anomaly before late 1970's and a positive anomaly after that time. The geostrophic velocities of North Pacific Ocean show significantly different anomalies during the two IPO cold phases of 1955-1976 and 1999 to present, which suggests a different mechanism of the two cold phases. The long term variations of Sverdrup transport compares well with that of the MGVT in the basin of 8-10N and north of 35N, but the two compares poorly or even reversed in the middle part of the basin. A reduced gravity model is used to investigate the mechanisms of the above variations.

  6. Midlatitude atmosphere-ocean interaction during El Nino. Part I. The north Pacific ocean

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alexander, M.A.

    Atmosphere-ocean modeling experiments are used to investigate the formation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Pacific Ocean during fall and winter of the El Nino year. Experiments in which the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM) surface fields are used to force a mixed-layer ocean model in the North Pacific (no air-sea feedback) are compared to simulations in which the CCM and North Pacific Ocean model are coupled. Anomalies in the atmosphere and the North Pacific Ocean during El Nino are obtained from the difference between simulations with and without prescribed warm SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific.more » In both the forced and coupled experiments, the anomaly pattern resembles a composite of the actual SST anomaly field during El Nino: warm SSTs develop along the coast of North America and cold SSTs form in the central Pacific. In the coupled simulations, air-sea interaction results in a 25% to 50% reduction in the magnitude of the SST and mixed-layer depth anomalies, resulting in more realistic SST fields. Coupling also decreases the SST anomaly variance; as a result, the anomaly centers remain statistically significant even though the magnitude of the anomalies is reduced. Three additional sensitivity studies indicate that air-sea feedback and entrainment act to damp SST anomalies while Ekman pumping has a negligible effect on mixed-layer depth and SST anomalies in midatitudes.« less

  7. Spice: Southwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganachaud, A. S.; Melet, A.; Maes, C.

    2010-12-01

    South Pacific oceanic waters are carried from the subtropical gyre centre in the westward flowing South Equatorial Current (SEC), towards the southwest Pacific-a major circulation pathway that redistributes water from the subtropics to the equator and Southern Ocean. The transit in the Coral Sea is potentially of great importance to tropical climate prediction because changes in either the temperature or the amount of water arriving at the equator have the capability to modulate ENSO and produce basin-scale climate feedbacks. The south branch is associated with comparable impacts in the Tasman Sea area. The Southwest Pacific is a region of complex circulation, with the SEC splitting in strong zonal jets upon encountering island archipelagos. Those jets partition on the Australian eastern boundary to feed the East Australian Current for the southern branch and the North Queensland Current and eventually the Equatorial Undercurrent for the northern branch. On average, the oceanic circulation is driven by the Trade Winds, and subject to substantial variability, related with the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) position and intensity. The circulation, and its influence on remote and regional climate, is poorly understood due to the lack of appropriate measurements. Ocean and atmosphere scientists from Australia, France, New Zealand, the United States and Pacific Island countries initiated an international research project under the auspices of CLIVAR to comprehend the southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and its direct and indirect influence on the climate and environment. SPICE is a regionally-coordinated experiment to measure, study and monitor the ocean circulation and the SPCZ, to validate and improve numerical models, and to integrate with assimilating systems. This ongoing project reflects a strong sense that substantial progress can be made through collaboration among South Pacific national research groups, coordinated with broader South Pacific projects.

  8. Changes in Sea Salt Emissions Enhance ENSO Variability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Yang; Russell, Lynn M.; Lou, Sijia

    Two 150-year pre-industrial simulations with and without interactive sea salt emissions from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) are performed to quantify the interactions between sea salt emissions and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Variations in sea salt emissions over the tropical Pacific Ocean are affected by changing wind speed associated with ENSO variability. ENSO-induced interannual variations in sea salt emissions result in decreasing (increasing) aerosol optical depth (AOD) by 0.03 over the equatorial central-eastern (western) Pacific Ocean during El Niño events compared to those during La Niña events. These changes in AOD further increase (decrease) radiative fluxes into the atmospheremore » by +0.2 W m -2 (-0.4 W m -2) over the tropical eastern (western) Pacific. Thereby, sea surface temperature increases (decreases) by 0.2–0.4 K over the tropical eastern (western) Pacific Ocean during El Niño compared to La Niña events and enhances ENSO variability by 10%. The increase in ENSO amplitude is a result of systematic heating (cooling) during the warm (cold) phase, of ENSO in the eastern Pacific. Interannual variations in sea salt emissions then produce the anomalous ascent (subsidence) over the equatorial eastern (western) Pacific between El Niño and La Niña events, which is a result of heating anomalies. Due to variations in sea salt emissions, the convective precipitation is enhanced by 0.6–1.2 mm day -1 over the tropical central-eastern Pacific Ocean and weakened by 0.9–1.5 mm day -1 over the Maritime Continent during El Niño compared to La Niña events, enhancing the precipitation variability over the tropical Pacific.« less

  9. Genetic structure of the crown-of-thorns seastar in the Pacific Ocean, with focus on Guam

    PubMed Central

    Tusso, Sergio; Morcinek, Kerstin; Vogler, Catherine; Schupp, Peter J.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Vargas, Sergio

    2016-01-01

    Population outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS), Acanthaster ‘planci’ L., are among the most important biological disturbances of tropical coral reefs. Over the past 50 years, several devastating outbreaks have been documented around Guam, an island in the western Pacific Ocean. Previous analyses have shown that in the Pacific Ocean, COTS larval dispersal may be geographically restricted to certain regions. Here, we assess the genetic structure of Pacific COTS populations and compared samples from around Guam with a number of distant localities in the Pacific Ocean, and focused on determining the degree of genetic structure among populations previously considered to be isolated. Using microsatellites, we document substantial genetic structure between 14 localities from different geographical regions in the Pacific Ocean. Populations from the 14 locations sampled were found to be structured in three significantly differentiated groups: (1) all locations immediately around Guam, as well as Kingman Reef and Swains Island; (2) Japan, Philippines, GBR and Vanuatu; and (3) Johnston Atoll, which was significantly different from all other localities. The lack of genetic differentiation between Guam and extremely distant populations from Kingman Reef and Swains Island suggests potential long-distance dispersal of COTS in the Pacific. PMID:27168979

  10. North Pacific Mesoscale Coupled Air-Ocean Simulations Compared with Observations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cerovecki, Ivana; McClean, Julie; Koracin, Darko

    2014-11-14

    The overall objective of this study was to improve the representation of regional ocean circulation in the North Pacific by using high resolution atmospheric forcing that accurately represents mesoscale processes in ocean-atmosphere regional (North Pacific) model configuration. The goal was to assess the importance of accurate representation of mesoscale processes in the atmosphere and the ocean on large scale circulation. This is an important question, as mesoscale processes in the atmosphere which are resolved by the high resolution mesoscale atmospheric models such as Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), are absent in commonly used atmospheric forcing such as CORE forcing, employedmore » in e.g. the Community Climate System Model (CCSM).« less

  11. Active Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) during the warm Pliocene.

    PubMed

    Burls, Natalie J; Fedorov, Alexey V; Sigman, Daniel M; Jaccard, Samuel L; Tiedemann, Ralf; Haug, Gerald H

    2017-09-01

    An essential element of modern ocean circulation and climate is the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which includes deep-water formation in the subarctic North Atlantic. However, a comparable overturning circulation is absent in the Pacific, the world's largest ocean, where relatively fresh surface waters inhibit North Pacific deep convection. We present complementary measurement and modeling evidence that the warm, ~400-ppmv (parts per million by volume) CO 2 world of the Pliocene supported subarctic North Pacific deep-water formation and a Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) cell. In Pliocene subarctic North Pacific sediments, we report orbitally paced maxima in calcium carbonate accumulation rate, with accompanying pigment and total organic carbon measurements supporting deep-ocean ventilation-driven preservation as their cause. Together with high accumulation rates of biogenic opal, these findings require vigorous bidirectional communication between surface waters and interior waters down to ~3 km in the western subarctic North Pacific, implying deep convection. Redox-sensitive trace metal data provide further evidence of higher Pliocene deep-ocean ventilation before the 2.73-Ma (million years) transition. This observational analysis is supported by climate modeling results, demonstrating that atmospheric moisture transport changes, in response to the reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradients of the Pliocene, were capable of eroding the halocline, leading to deep-water formation in the western subarctic Pacific and a strong PMOC. This second Northern Hemisphere overturning cell has important implications for heat transport, the ocean/atmosphere cycle of carbon, and potentially the equilibrium response of the Pacific to global warming.

  12. Planktonic marine diatom record of the past 18 m.y.: Appearances and extinctions in the Pacific and Southern Oceans

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barron, J.A.

    2003-01-01

    Recently published diatom biochronologies provide accurate (to 0.1 m.y.) determination of the ages of appearances and disappearances of planktonic diatoms during the past 18 m.y. in the equatorial Pacific, North Pacific, and Southern Ocean. Comparisons of these records reveal the age of evolutionary appearance and extinction of species and their region of origin. Extinct planktonic diatom species have a mean longevity of 3.4 ?? 2.8 m.y. (SD, n = 53) in the equatorial Pacific, 2.5 ?? 2.1 m.y. (n = 52) in the North Pacific, and 2.9 ?? 2.3 m.y. (n = 38) in the Southern Ocean. The relatively large standard deviations are likely due to the inclusion of taxa that probably could be subdivided into two or more species. In the equatorial Pacific, evolutionary turnover of diatom species was relatively high between 18.0 and 6.0 Ma compared with the period after 6.0 Ma, presumably reflecting changing oceanic circulation and evolving water masses. In the North Pacific, evolutionary turnover peaked between 10.0 and 4.5 Ma, with increasing high-latitude cooling and enhanced provincialism. In the Southern Ocean, evolutionary turnover of endemic diatoms was greatest between 5.0 and 1.6 Ma, which provides evidence for the strong provincial character of Pliocene diatom assemblages. Taken as a whole, oceanic diatom assemblages became increasingly provincial in character during the late Miocene and Pliocene, as pole-to-equator thermal gradients increased and oceanic frontal systems were strengthened.

  13. PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in albatross from the North Pacific and Southern Oceans: levels, patterns, and toxicological implications.

    PubMed

    Tanabe, Shinsuke; Watanabe, Mafumi; Minh, Tu Binh; Kunisue, Tatsuya; Nakanishi, Shigeyuki; Ono, Hitoshi; Tanaka, Hiroyuki

    2004-01-15

    Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs) were determined in five albatross species collected from the North Pacific and Southern Oceans to assess the north-south differences in residue levels, accumulation patterns, and toxic potential. Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses from the North Pacific Ocean contained higher levels of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs than albatrosses from the Southern Ocean, indicating that emission sources of these contaminants were predominant in the northern hemisphere. Residue levels in albatrosses from the remote North Pacific Ocean far from the point source of pollution were comparable to or higher than those in terrestrial and coastal birds from contaminated areas in developed nations, suggesting the specific exposure and accumulation of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in albatross. The long life span and ingestion of plastic resin pellets by albatrosses could be the plausible explanations for the elevated accumulation of persistent and lipophilic contaminants including PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in these birds. Relative proportions of PCDFs and coplanar PCBs in albatross were higher than those observed in birds inhabiting terrestrial and coastal areas, suggesting that these toxic chemicals may have higher transportability by air and water than PCDDs. Congener patterns of PCDD/Fs in albatross showed less variability as compared to those in terrestrial species, indicating that contamination patterns of PCDD/Fs were similar within the open ocean environment. Contributions of PCDD/Fs to total TEQs in albatrosses from the open ocean were generally lower than those in terrestrial birds, suggesting different toxic potency of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs on animals inhabiting open ocean and terrestrial environment. Whereas albatrosses from southern oceans retained lower TEQ concentrations, possible adverse effects of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs to black-footed and Laysan albatrosses of the North Pacific Ocean may be suspected from TEQ levels.

  14. Oceanic Situational Awareness Over the Pacific Corridor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Welch, Bryan; Greenfeld, Israel

    2005-01-01

    Air traffic control (ATC) mandated, aircraft separations over the oceans impose a limitation on traffic capacity for a given corridor, given the projected traffic growth over the Pacific Ocean. The separations result from a lack of acceptable situational awareness over oceans where radar position updates are not available. This study considers the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) data transmitted over a commercial satellite communications system as an approach to provide ATC with the needed situational awareness and thusly allow for reduced aircraft separations. This study uses Federal Aviation Administration data from a single day for the Pacific Corridor to analyze traffic loading to be used as a benchmark against which to compare several approaches for coordinating data transmissions from the aircraft to the satellites.

  15. Nd isotopic structure of the Pacific Ocean 70-30 Ma and numerical evidence for vigorous ocean circulation and ocean heat transport in a greenhouse world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Deborah J.; Korty, Robert; Huber, Matthew; Schubert, Jessica A.; Haines, Brian

    2014-05-01

    The oceanic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is a crucial component of the climate system, impacting heat and nutrient transport, and global carbon cycling. Past greenhouse climate intervals present a paradox because their weak equator-to-pole temperature gradients imply a weaker MOC, yet increased poleward oceanic heat transport appears to be required to maintain these weak gradients. To investigate the mode of MOC that operated during the early Cenozoic, we compare new Nd isotope data with Nd tracer-enabled numerical ocean circulation and coupled climate model simulations. Assimilation of new Nd isotope data from South Pacific Deep Sea Drilling Project and Ocean Drilling Program Sites 323, 463, 596, 865, and 869 with previously published data confirm the hypothesized MOC characterized by vigorous sinking in the South and North Pacific 70 to 30 Ma. Compilation of all Pacific Nd isotope data indicates vigorous, distinct, and separate overturning circulations in each basin until 40 Ma. Simulations consistently reproduce South Pacific and North Pacific deep convection over a broad range of conditions, but cases using strong deep ocean vertical mixing produced the best data-model match. Strong mixing, potentially resulting from enhanced abyssal tidal dissipation, greater interaction of wind-driven internal wave activity with submarine plateaus, or higher than modern values of the geothermal heat flux enable models to achieve enhanced MOC circulation rates with resulting Nd isotope distributions consistent with the proxy data. The consequent poleward heat transport may resolve the paradox of warmer worlds with reduced temperature gradients.

  16. A comparative study on the dominant factors responsible for the weaker-than-expected El Niño event in 2014

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jianying; Liu, Boqi; Li, Jiandong; Mao, Jiangyu

    2015-10-01

    Anomalous warming occurred in the equatorial central-eastern Pacific in early May 2014, attracting much attention to the possible occurrence of an extreme El Niño event that year because of its similarity to the situation in early 1997. However, the subsequent variation in sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) during summer 2014 in the tropical Pacific was evidently different to that in 1997, but somewhat similar to the situation of the 1990 aborted El Niño event. Based on NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data, the physical processes responsible for the strength of El Niño events are examined by comparing the dominant factors in 2014 in terms of the preceding instability of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system and westerly wind bursts (WWBs) with those in 1997 and 1990, separately. Although the unstable ocean-atmosphere system formed over the tropical Pacific in the preceding winter of 2014, the strength of the preceding instability was relatively weak. Weak oceanic eastward-propagating downwelling Kelvin waves were forced by the weak WWBs over the equatorial western Pacific in March 2014, as in February 1990. The consequent positive upper-oceanic heat content anomalies in the spring of 2014 induced only weak positive SSTAs in the central-eastern Pacific-unfavorable for the subsequent generation of summertime WWB sequences. Moreover, the equatorial western Pacific was not cooled, indicating the absence of positive Bjerknes feedback in early summer 2014. Therefore, the development of El Niño was suspended in summer 2014.

  17. A Comparative Study on the Dominant Factors Responsible for the Weaker-than-expected El Niño Event in 2014

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MAO, J.; Li, J.; Liu, B.; Li, J.

    2015-12-01

    Anomalous warming occurred in the equatorial central-eastern Pacific in early May 2014, attracting much attention to the possible occurrence of an extreme El Niño event that year because of its similarity to the situation in early 1997. However, the subsequent variation in sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) during summer 2014 in the tropical Pacific was evidently different to that in 1997, but somewhat similar to the situation of the 1990 aborted El Niño event. Based on NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data, the physical processes responsible for the strength of El Niño events are examined by comparing the dominant factors in 2014 in terms of the preceding instability of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system and westerly wind bursts (WWBs) with those in 1997 and 1990, separately. Although the unstable ocean-atmosphere system formed over the tropical Pacific in the preceding winter of 2014, the strength of the preceding instability was relatively weak. Weak oceanic eastward-propagating downwelling Kelvin waves were forced by the weak WWBs over the equatorial western Pacific in March 2014, as in February 1990. The consequent positive upper-oceanic heat content anomalies in the spring of 2014 induced only weak positive SSTAs in the central-eastern Pacific-unfavorable for the subsequent generation of summertime WWB sequences. Moreover, the equatorial western Pacific was not cooled, indicating the absence of positive Bjerknes feedback in early summer 2014. Therefore, the development of El Niño was suspended in summer 2014.

  18. First study on 236U in the Northeast Pacific Ocean using a new target preparation procedure for AMS measurements.

    PubMed

    Eigl, R; Steier, P; Winkler, S R; Sakata, K; Sakaguchi, A

    2016-10-01

    We succeeded in obtaining the depth profile of 236 U for a sampling station in the Northeast Pacific Ocean using only one litre of seawater sample from each depth. For this purpose, a new procedure was developed that allowed for the preparation of accelerator mass spectrometry targets for trace uranium using only 100 μg of iron carrier material. The 236 U concentrations in water samples from the Northeast Pacific Ocean showed large variations from (9.26 ± 0.42) × 10 6 atoms/kg at 60 m depth to (0.08 ± 0.02) × 10 6 atoms/kg at a depth of 3000 m. The high 236 U concentrations in surface water reflect the input of 236 U by global and local fallout from nuclear weapons tests. The low 236 U concentrations in seawater from 1500 m and below are an indicator for the low vertical diffusion of surface water to deeper layers in the North Pacific Ocean. The total inventory of 236 U on the water column was (8.35 ± 0.23) × 10 12 atoms/m 2 , which is lower compared to those of other ocean regions solely affected by global fallout on comparable latitudes. This study represents the first dataset for 236 U in the Pacific Ocean and shows the possibility of downsizing sample volumes which may help in future applications of 236 U as tracer for large ocean areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Active Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) during the warm Pliocene

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burls, Natalie J.; Fedorov, Alexey V.; Sigman, Daniel M.

    An essential element of modern ocean circulation and climate is the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which includes deep-water formation in the subarctic North Atlantic. However, a comparable overturning circulation is absent in the Pacific, theworld’s largest ocean,where relatively fresh surface waters inhibitNorth Pacific deep convection. We present complementary measurement and modeling evidence that the warm, ~400–ppmv (parts per million by volume) CO 2 world of the Pliocene supported subarctic North Pacific deep-water formation and a Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) cell. In Pliocene subarctic North Pacific sediments, we report orbitally paced maxima in calcium carbonate accumulation rate, with accompanyingmore » pigment and total organic carbon measurements supporting deep-ocean ventilation-driven preservation as their cause. Together with high accumulation rates of biogenic opal, these findings require vigorous bidirectional communication between surface waters and interior waters down to ~3 km in the western subarctic North Pacific, implying deep convection. Redoxsensitive trace metal data provide further evidence of higher Pliocene deep-ocean ventilation before the 2.73-Ma (million years) transition. This observational analysis is supported by climate modeling results, demonstrating that atmospheric moisture transport changes, in response to the reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradients of the Pliocene, were capable of eroding the halocline, leading to deep-water formation in the western subarctic Pacific and a strong PMOC. This second Northern Hemisphere overturning cell has important implications for heat transport, the ocean/atmosphere cycle of carbon, and potentially the equilibrium response of the Pacific to global warming.« less

  20. Active Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) during the warm Pliocene

    PubMed Central

    Burls, Natalie J.; Fedorov, Alexey V.; Sigman, Daniel M.; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Tiedemann, Ralf; Haug, Gerald H.

    2017-01-01

    An essential element of modern ocean circulation and climate is the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which includes deep-water formation in the subarctic North Atlantic. However, a comparable overturning circulation is absent in the Pacific, the world’s largest ocean, where relatively fresh surface waters inhibit North Pacific deep convection. We present complementary measurement and modeling evidence that the warm, ~400–ppmv (parts per million by volume) CO2 world of the Pliocene supported subarctic North Pacific deep-water formation and a Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) cell. In Pliocene subarctic North Pacific sediments, we report orbitally paced maxima in calcium carbonate accumulation rate, with accompanying pigment and total organic carbon measurements supporting deep-ocean ventilation-driven preservation as their cause. Together with high accumulation rates of biogenic opal, these findings require vigorous bidirectional communication between surface waters and interior waters down to ~3 km in the western subarctic North Pacific, implying deep convection. Redox-sensitive trace metal data provide further evidence of higher Pliocene deep-ocean ventilation before the 2.73-Ma (million years) transition. This observational analysis is supported by climate modeling results, demonstrating that atmospheric moisture transport changes, in response to the reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradients of the Pliocene, were capable of eroding the halocline, leading to deep-water formation in the western subarctic Pacific and a strong PMOC. This second Northern Hemisphere overturning cell has important implications for heat transport, the ocean/atmosphere cycle of carbon, and potentially the equilibrium response of the Pacific to global warming. PMID:28924606

  1. Active Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) during the warm Pliocene

    DOE PAGES

    Burls, Natalie J.; Fedorov, Alexey V.; Sigman, Daniel M.; ...

    2017-09-13

    An essential element of modern ocean circulation and climate is the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which includes deep-water formation in the subarctic North Atlantic. However, a comparable overturning circulation is absent in the Pacific, theworld’s largest ocean,where relatively fresh surface waters inhibitNorth Pacific deep convection. We present complementary measurement and modeling evidence that the warm, ~400–ppmv (parts per million by volume) CO 2 world of the Pliocene supported subarctic North Pacific deep-water formation and a Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) cell. In Pliocene subarctic North Pacific sediments, we report orbitally paced maxima in calcium carbonate accumulation rate, with accompanyingmore » pigment and total organic carbon measurements supporting deep-ocean ventilation-driven preservation as their cause. Together with high accumulation rates of biogenic opal, these findings require vigorous bidirectional communication between surface waters and interior waters down to ~3 km in the western subarctic North Pacific, implying deep convection. Redoxsensitive trace metal data provide further evidence of higher Pliocene deep-ocean ventilation before the 2.73-Ma (million years) transition. This observational analysis is supported by climate modeling results, demonstrating that atmospheric moisture transport changes, in response to the reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradients of the Pliocene, were capable of eroding the halocline, leading to deep-water formation in the western subarctic Pacific and a strong PMOC. This second Northern Hemisphere overturning cell has important implications for heat transport, the ocean/atmosphere cycle of carbon, and potentially the equilibrium response of the Pacific to global warming.« less

  2. Comparative Analysis of Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Commercially Important Fish and Shellfish from Sri Lanka and Japan.

    PubMed

    Devadason, Chandravathany; Jayasinghe, Chamila; Sivakanesan, Ramiah; Senarath, Samanthika; Beppu, Fumiaki; Gotoh, Naohiro

    2016-01-01

    Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, allowing plenty of fishes to be caught. Moreover, these fishes represent one of the undocumented fish resources in the world and their detailed lipid profiles have not been previously examined. In this study, the lipid content and fatty acid composition of 50 commercially important fishes from the Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka) and the Pacific Ocean (Japan) were compared. The total lipid content and fatty acid composition, including eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, DHA), differed significantly among species. Fish from the Pacific Ocean had higher proportions of fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. Herrings and mackerels from both oceanic areas demonstrated high levels of EPA and DHA, and n-3/n-6 ratio. Brackish and freshwater fishes from both groups showed low levels of PUFAs. Fish from the Indian Ocean were high in n-6 fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acid levels were high in omnivorous fish from the Pacific Ocean, and saturated fatty acid levels were high in fish from the Indian Ocean. The results of this study will be of value in determining the dietary usefulness of fish caught in Sri Lanka.

  3. Walker Circulation, El Niño and La Niña

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halpern, D.

    2014-12-01

    Ocean surface wind vector is likely the critical variable to predict onset, maintenance and dissipation of El Niño and La Niña. Analyses of SeaWinds and ASCAT 10-m height (called "surface") vector winds in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans from 1°S-1°N during March 2000 - June 2011 revealed the longitudinal distribution of the surface zonal wind component associated with the Walker Circulation. In the Pacific Ocean east of 140°E and west of 85°W, the mean wind direction was westward towards the maritime continent with maximum mean zonal wind speed (- 6.5 m s-1) at 150°W; east of 85°W the mean direction was toward the convection zone over South America. Four El Niños and five La Niñas occurred from March 2000 - June 2011. In the Pacific from 150°E to 160°W, the average El Niño (La Niña) westward wind speed was 2 m s-1 (1 m s-1) smaller (larger) than normal. In the west Pacific, the variation in westward wind speeds in El Niño and La Niña conditions relative to normal conditions would be expected to substantially uplift the thermocline during El Niño compared to La Niña, which is consistent with conventional wisdom. In the east Pacific from 130°W - 100°W, average El Niño westward wind speeds were less than normal and La Niña conditions by 0.5 m s-1 and 1 m s-1, respectively. The "central" Pacific nature of the El Niños may have influenced the smaller difference between El Niño and La Niña westward wind speeds in the east Pacific compared to the west Pacific. Analyses of longitudinal distributions of thermocline depths will be discussed. Surface zonal wind speeds in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans showed no evidence of El Niño and La Niña; surface meridional winds showed an apparent response in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but not in the Atlantic Ocean. At 700-m height, the MISR zonal wind component in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans had similar features as those at the surface, except in the east Pacific where the westward wind speeds were identical during El Niño, La Niña and normal conditions. In the east Pacific, the shear between 10- and 700-m heights increased (decreased) during La Niña (El Niño).

  4. Adjustments of a global Finite-Element Sea Ice Ocean Model configuration to improve the general ocean circulation in the North Pacific and its marginal seas.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scholz, Patrick; Lohmann, Gerrit

    2017-04-01

    The sub-Arctic oceans like the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Labrador Sea or the Greenland- Irminger-Norwegian (GIN) Sea react particularly sensitive to global climate changes and have the potential to reversely regulate climate change by CO2 uptake in the other areas of the world. So far, the natural processes in the Arctic and Subarctic system, especially over the Pacific realm, remain poorly understood in terms of numerical modeling. As such, in this study we focus on the North Pacific and its adjacent marginal seas (e.g. the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Japan), which have nowadays a significant role in the climate system of the Northwest Pacific by influencing the atmospheric and oceanic circulation as well as the hydrology of the Pacific water masses. The Sea of Okhotsk, in particular, is characterized by a highly dynamical sea-ice coverage, where, in autumn and winter, due to massive sea ice formation and brine rejection, the Sea of Okhotsk Intermediate Water (SOIW) is formed which contributes to the mid-depth (500-1000m) water layer of the North Pacific known as newly formed North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW). By employing a Finite-Element Sea-Ice Ocean Model (FESOM), in a global configuration, but with high resolution over the marginal seas of the Northwest Pacific Ocean ( 7 km), we tested different meshes and forcing improvements to correct the general ocean circulation in the North Pacific realm towards a more realistic pattern. By using different forcing data (e.g. CORE2, ERA-40/interim, CCMP-correction), adapting the mesh resolutions in the tropical and subtropical North Pacific and changing the bathymetry over important inflow straits (e.g. Amukta Passage, Kruzenstern Strait), we show that the better results are obtained (when compared with observational data) via a combination of CCMP corrected COREv2 forcing with increased resolution in the pathway of the Kuroshio Extension Current and Northern Equatorial Current.

  5. Ocean dynamics, not dust, have controlled equatorial Pacific productivity over the past 500,000 years

    PubMed Central

    Winckler, Gisela; Anderson, Robert F.; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Marcantonio, Franco

    2016-01-01

    Biological productivity in the equatorial Pacific is relatively high compared with other low-latitude regimes, especially east of the dateline, where divergence driven by the trade winds brings nutrient-rich waters of the Equatorial Undercurrent to the surface. The equatorial Pacific is one of the three principal high-nutrient low-chlorophyll ocean regimes where biological utilization of nitrate and phosphate is limited, in part, by the availability of iron. Throughout most of the equatorial Pacific, upwelling of water from the Equatorial Undercurrent supplies far more dissolved iron than is delivered by dust, by as much as two orders of magnitude. Nevertheless, recent studies have inferred that the greater supply of dust during ice ages stimulated greater utilization of nutrients within the region of upwelling on the equator, thereby contributing to the sequestration of carbon in the ocean interior. Here we present proxy records for dust and for biological productivity over the past 500 ky at three sites spanning the breadth of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to test the dust fertilization hypothesis. Dust supply peaked under glacial conditions, consistent with previous studies, whereas proxies of export production exhibit maxima during ice age terminations. Temporal decoupling between dust supply and biological productivity indicates that other factors, likely involving ocean dynamics, played a greater role than dust in regulating equatorial Pacific productivity. PMID:27185933

  6. Ocean dynamics, not dust, have controlled equatorial Pacific productivity over the past 500,000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winckler, Gisela; Anderson, Robert F.; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Marcantonio, Franco

    2016-05-01

    Biological productivity in the equatorial Pacific is relatively high compared with other low-latitude regimes, especially east of the dateline, where divergence driven by the trade winds brings nutrient-rich waters of the Equatorial Undercurrent to the surface. The equatorial Pacific is one of the three principal high-nutrient low-chlorophyll ocean regimes where biological utilization of nitrate and phosphate is limited, in part, by the availability of iron. Throughout most of the equatorial Pacific, upwelling of water from the Equatorial Undercurrent supplies far more dissolved iron than is delivered by dust, by as much as two orders of magnitude. Nevertheless, recent studies have inferred that the greater supply of dust during ice ages stimulated greater utilization of nutrients within the region of upwelling on the equator, thereby contributing to the sequestration of carbon in the ocean interior. Here we present proxy records for dust and for biological productivity over the past 500 ky at three sites spanning the breadth of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to test the dust fertilization hypothesis. Dust supply peaked under glacial conditions, consistent with previous studies, whereas proxies of export production exhibit maxima during ice age terminations. Temporal decoupling between dust supply and biological productivity indicates that other factors, likely involving ocean dynamics, played a greater role than dust in regulating equatorial Pacific productivity.

  7. Ocean dynamics, not dust, have controlled equatorial Pacific productivity over the past 500,000 years.

    PubMed

    Winckler, Gisela; Anderson, Robert F; Jaccard, Samuel L; Marcantonio, Franco

    2016-05-31

    Biological productivity in the equatorial Pacific is relatively high compared with other low-latitude regimes, especially east of the dateline, where divergence driven by the trade winds brings nutrient-rich waters of the Equatorial Undercurrent to the surface. The equatorial Pacific is one of the three principal high-nutrient low-chlorophyll ocean regimes where biological utilization of nitrate and phosphate is limited, in part, by the availability of iron. Throughout most of the equatorial Pacific, upwelling of water from the Equatorial Undercurrent supplies far more dissolved iron than is delivered by dust, by as much as two orders of magnitude. Nevertheless, recent studies have inferred that the greater supply of dust during ice ages stimulated greater utilization of nutrients within the region of upwelling on the equator, thereby contributing to the sequestration of carbon in the ocean interior. Here we present proxy records for dust and for biological productivity over the past 500 ky at three sites spanning the breadth of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to test the dust fertilization hypothesis. Dust supply peaked under glacial conditions, consistent with previous studies, whereas proxies of export production exhibit maxima during ice age terminations. Temporal decoupling between dust supply and biological productivity indicates that other factors, likely involving ocean dynamics, played a greater role than dust in regulating equatorial Pacific productivity.

  8. Transportation costs for forest products from the Puget Sound area and Alaska to Pacific Rim markets.

    Treesearch

    Harold W. Wisdom

    1990-01-01

    Ocean freight rates to Pacific Rim markets for softwood logs, cants, and wood pulp from Alaska were compared with rates from the Puget Sound area by using analysis of covariance and analysis of variance techniques. The results did not support the hypothesis that lower freight rates for Alaska result from shorter shipping distances. In many cases, ocean freight rates...

  9. Identifying Stratospheric Air Intrusions and Associated Hurricane-Force Wind Events over the North Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Malloy, Kelsey; Folmer, Michael J.; Phillips, Joseph; Sienkiewicz, Joseph M.; Berndt, Emily

    2017-01-01

    Motivation: Ocean data is sparse: reliance on satellite imagery for marine forecasting; Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) –“mariner’s weather lifeline”. Responsible for: Pacific, Atlantic, Pacific Alaska surface analyses –24, 48, 96 hrs.; Wind & wave analyses –24, 48, 96 hrs.; Issue warnings, make decisions, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite –R Series (now GOES-16), Compared to the old GOES: 3 times spectral resolution, 4 times spatial resolution, 5 times faster coverage; Comparable to Japanese Meteorological Agency’s Himawari-8, used a lot throughout this research. Research Question: How can integrating satellite data imagery and derived products help forecasters improve prognosis of rapid cyclogenesis and hurricane-force wind events? Phase I –Identifying stratospheric air intrusions: Water Vapor –6.2, 6.9, 7.3 micron channels; Airmass RGB Product; AIRS, IASI, NUCAPS total column ozone and ozone anomaly; ASCAT (A/B) and AMSR-2 wind data.

  10. Dispersion of Fukushima radionuclides in the global atmosphere and the ocean.

    PubMed

    Povinec, P P; Gera, M; Holý, K; Hirose, K; Lujaniené, G; Nakano, M; Plastino, W; Sýkora, I; Bartok, J; Gažák, M

    2013-11-01

    Large quantities of radionuclides were released in March-April 2011 during the accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant to the atmosphere and the ocean. Atmospheric and marine modeling has been carried out to predict the dispersion of radionuclides worldwide, to compare the predicted and measured radionuclide concentrations, and to assess the impact of the accident on the environment. Atmospheric Lagrangian dispersion modeling was used to simulate the dispersion of (137)Cs over America and Europe. Global ocean circulation model was applied to predict the dispersion of (137)Cs in the Pacific Ocean. The measured and simulated (137)Cs concentrations in atmospheric aerosols and in seawater are compared with global fallout and the Chernobyl accident, which represent the main sources of the pre-Fukushima radionuclide background in the environment. The radionuclide concentrations in the atmosphere have been negligible when compared with the Chernobyl levels. The maximum (137)Cs concentration in surface waters of the open Pacific Ocean will be around 20 Bq/m(3). The plume will reach the US coast 4-5 y after the accident, however, the levels will be below 3 Bq/m(3). All the North Pacific Ocean will be labeled with Fukushima (137)Cs 10 y after the accident with concentration bellow 1 Bq/m(3). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. An Ongoing Shift in Pacific Ocean Sea Level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheon, S. H.; Hamlington, B.; Thompson, P. R.; Merrifield, M. A.; Nerem, R. S.; Leben, R. R.; Kim, K. Y.

    2016-12-01

    According to the satellite altimeter data, local sea level trends have shown considerable diversity spatially as well as temporally. In particular, dramatic changes in sea level in the Pacific have been observed throughout the altimeter record, with high trends in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and comparatively lower trends in the eastern Pacific. In recent years, however, a shift appears to be occurring, with falling trends in the (WTP) and rising trends in the eastern tropical and northeastern Pacific (ETP and NEP). From a planning perspective, it is important to figure out whether these sharp changes are part of a short-term shift or the beginning of a longer-term change in sea level. In this study, we distinguish the origins of the recent shift in Pacific Ocean sea level. Cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis is applied to separate the properties of the recent sea level change in the Pacific Ocean. From the CSEOF analysis results, we point out two dominant modes of sea level shift in the Pacific Ocean. The first mode is related to the biennial oscillation associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the other is related to lower-frequency variability with a strong signal in the northern Pacific. Considering a relatively high correlation between recent sea level change and the low-frequency mode, we suggest that the low-frequency mode has played a dominant role in the sea level shift in the Pacific Ocean. Using a reconstructed sea level dataset, we examine the variability of this low-frequency mode in the past, and find similar periods of dramatic sea level change in the Pacific. Based on the sea level record of the last five years and according to the analysis, we conclude that in the coming decades, higher sea level trends off the U.S. West Coast should be expected, while reduced trends in the WTP will likely be observed.

  12. Using trajectories to explain the moisture budget asymmetry between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Craig, P.; Ferreira, D.; Methven, J.

    2017-12-01

    The net surface water flux (evaporation minus precipitation minus runoff, E-P-R) of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 0.4 - 0.6 Sv (1 Sv = 109 kg s-1) larger than that of the Pacific Ocean, as shown in atmospheric and oceanic reanalyses and by oceanographic estimates. This asymmetry is linked to the asymmetry in sea surface salinity and the existence of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. It is shown that the reason for the asymmetry in E-P-R is greater precipitation per unit area over the Pacific south of 30N, while evaporation rates are similar over both basins. It is further argued that the Pacific Ocean is anomalous compared to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in terms of atmospheric moisture flux convergence and precipitation across the tropics and subtropics. To clarify the mechanism by which water vapour is exported out of the Atlantic basin and imported into the Pacific, we use an air mass trajectory model driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis. Using 12-hourly releases of 14-day back trajectories on the boundaries of ocean drainage basins over the period 2010-2014, we are able to partition the atmospheric moisture fluxes between basins according to their origins (i.e. last contact with the boundary layer). We show that at most a quarter of the E-P-R asymmetry is explained by higher moisture export to the Arctic and Southern basins from the Atlantic than from the Pacific. The main contributions come from differences in the longitudinal atmospheric transport of moisture between the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific basins. In particular, during the Asian summer monsoon the recurvature of the low level flow in the Somali Jet results in a much weaker westward moisture transport from the Indian into the Atlantic basin than across Central America (where it is similar to the zonal average) while there is stronger eastward transport from the Indian to Pacific basins. The net effect is stronger moisture convergence into the Pacific, but weaker into the Atlantic. In contrast to previous thinking, the role of the moisture flux across Central America in the asymmetry, albeit significant, is not dominant.

  13. Comparative Analysis of Japanese Three-Spined Stickleback Clades Reveals the Pacific Ocean Lineage Has Adapted to Freshwater Environments while the Japan Sea Has Not

    PubMed Central

    Ravinet, Mark; Takeuchi, Naoko; Kume, Manabu; Mori, Seiichi; Kitano, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Divergent selection and adaptive divergence can increase phenotypic diversification amongst populations and lineages. Yet adaptive divergence between different environments, habitats or niches does not occur in all lineages. For example, the colonization of freshwater environments by ancestral marine species has triggered adaptive radiation and phenotypic diversification in some taxa but not in others. Studying closely related lineages differing in their ability to diversify is an excellent means of understanding the factors promoting and constraining adaptive evolution. A well-known example of the evolution of increased phenotypic diversification following freshwater colonization is the three-spined stickleback. Two closely related stickleback lineages, the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea occur in Japan. However, Japanese freshwater stickleback populations are derived from the Pacific Ocean lineage only, suggesting the Japan Sea lineage is unable to colonize freshwater. Using stable isotope data and trophic morphology, we first show higher rates of phenotypic and ecological diversification between marine and freshwater populations within the Pacific Ocean lineage, confirming adaptive divergence has occurred between the two lineages and within the Pacific Ocean lineage but not in the Japan Sea lineage. We further identified consistent divergence in diet and foraging behaviour between marine forms from each lineage, confirming Pacific Ocean marine sticklebacks, from which all Japanese freshwater populations are derived, are better adapted to freshwater environments than Japan Sea sticklebacks. We suggest adaptive divergence between ancestral marine populations may have played a role in constraining phenotypic diversification and adaptive evolution in Japanese sticklebacks. PMID:25460163

  14. Comparative analysis of Japanese three-spined stickleback clades reveals the Pacific Ocean lineage has adapted to freshwater environments while the Japan Sea has not.

    PubMed

    Ravinet, Mark; Takeuchi, Naoko; Kume, Manabu; Mori, Seiichi; Kitano, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Divergent selection and adaptive divergence can increase phenotypic diversification amongst populations and lineages. Yet adaptive divergence between different environments, habitats or niches does not occur in all lineages. For example, the colonization of freshwater environments by ancestral marine species has triggered adaptive radiation and phenotypic diversification in some taxa but not in others. Studying closely related lineages differing in their ability to diversify is an excellent means of understanding the factors promoting and constraining adaptive evolution. A well-known example of the evolution of increased phenotypic diversification following freshwater colonization is the three-spined stickleback. Two closely related stickleback lineages, the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea occur in Japan. However, Japanese freshwater stickleback populations are derived from the Pacific Ocean lineage only, suggesting the Japan Sea lineage is unable to colonize freshwater. Using stable isotope data and trophic morphology, we first show higher rates of phenotypic and ecological diversification between marine and freshwater populations within the Pacific Ocean lineage, confirming adaptive divergence has occurred between the two lineages and within the Pacific Ocean lineage but not in the Japan Sea lineage. We further identified consistent divergence in diet and foraging behaviour between marine forms from each lineage, confirming Pacific Ocean marine sticklebacks, from which all Japanese freshwater populations are derived, are better adapted to freshwater environments than Japan Sea sticklebacks. We suggest adaptive divergence between ancestral marine populations may have played a role in constraining phenotypic diversification and adaptive evolution in Japanese sticklebacks.

  15. Tropical Rainfall Distributions Determined Using TRMM Combined with other Satellite and Raingauge Information

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George J.; Bolvin, David T.; Curtis, Scott; Nelkin, Eric J.

    1999-01-01

    Abstract A technique is described to use Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) combined radar/radiometer information to adjust geosynchronous infrared satellite data (the TRMM Adjusted GOES Precipitation Index, or TRMM AGPI). The AGPI is then merged with rain gauge information (mostly over land; the TRMM merged product) to provide fine- scale (1 deg latitude/longitude) pentad and monthly analyses, respectively. The TRMM merged estimates are 10% higher than those from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) when integrated over the tropical oceans (37 deg N-S) for 1998, with 20% differences noted in the most heavily raining areas. In the dry subtropics the TRMM values are smaller than the GPCP estimates. The TRMM merged-product tropical-mean estimates for 1998 are 3.3 mm/ day over ocean and 3.1 mm/ day over land and ocean combined. Regional differences are noted between the western and eastern Pacific Ocean maxima when TRMM and GPCP are compared. In the eastern Pacific rain maximum the TRMM and GPCP mean values are nearly equal, very different from the other tropical rainy areas where TRMM merged-product estimates are higher. This regional difference may indicate that TRMM is better at taking in to account the vertical structure of the rain systems and the difference in structure between the western and eastern (shallower) Pacific convection. Comparisons of these TRMM merged analysis estimates with surface data sets shows varied results; the bias is near zero when compared to western Pacific Ocean atoll raingauge data, but significantly positive compared to Kwajalein radar estimates (adjusted by rain gauges). Over land the TRMM estimates also show a significant positive bias. The inclusion of gauge information in the final merged product significantly reduces the bias over land, as expected. The monthly precipitation patterns produced by the TRMM merged data process clearly show the evolution of the ENSO tropical precipitation pattern from early 1998 (El Nino) through early 1999 (La Nina) and beyond. The El Nino minus La Nina difference map shows the eastern Pacific maximum, the maritime continent minima and other tropical and mid-latitude features. The differences in the Pacific are very similar to those detected by the GPCP analyses. However, summing the El Nino minus La Nina differences over the global tropical oceans yields divergent answers from TRMM, GPCP and other estimates. This emphasizes the need for additional validation and analysis before it is feasible to understand the relations between global precipitation anomalies and Pacific Ocean ENSO temperature changes.

  16. 33 CFR 334.890 - Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Point Loma....890 Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending southerly from Point Loma, California, described as follows...

  17. 33 CFR 334.890 - Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Point Loma....890 Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending southerly from Point Loma, California, described as follows...

  18. 33 CFR 334.980 - Pacific Ocean, around San Nicholas Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, around San... REGULATIONS § 334.980 Pacific Ocean, around San Nicholas Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area—(1) Perimeter (restricted). The waters of the Pacific Ocean around San Nicholas Island, Calif...

  19. 33 CFR 334.890 - Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Point Loma....890 Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending southerly from Point Loma, California, described as follows...

  20. 50 CFR 679.64 - Harvesting sideboard limits in other fisheries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Pacific ocean perch. (A) The Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch harvest limit will be equal to the 1996 through 1997 aggregate retained catch of Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors listed... sum of the Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch catch in 1996 and 1997 multiplied by the remainder of...

  1. 76 FR 39792 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch, Northern Rockfish, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-07

    .... 101126522-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA544 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and pelagic shelf rockfish by catcher... sideboard limits of Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and pelagic shelf rockfish established for...

  2. 76 FR 39793 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Northern Rockfish, Pacific Ocean Perch, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-07

    ..., Pacific Ocean Perch, and Pelagic Shelf Rockfish for Catcher Vessels Participating in the Limited Access...; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and... 2011 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish...

  3. 75 FR 38938 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Northern Rockfish, Pacific Ocean Perch, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-07

    ..., Pacific Ocean Perch, and Pelagic Shelf Rockfish for Catcher Vessels Participating in the Limited Access...; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and... 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish...

  4. 50 CFR 679.64 - Harvesting sideboard limits in other fisheries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Pacific ocean perch. (A) The Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch harvest limit will be equal to the 1996 through 1997 aggregate retained catch of Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors listed... sum of the Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch catch in 1996 and 1997 multiplied by the remainder of...

  5. Oceanic response to changes in the WAIS and astronomical forcing during the MIS31 superinterglacial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Justino, Flavio; Lindemann, Douglas; Kucharski, Fred; Wilson, Aaron; Bromwich, David; Stordal, Frode

    2017-09-01

    Marine Isotope Stage 31 (MIS31, between 1085 and 1055 ka) was characterized by higher extratropical air temperatures and a substantial recession of polar glaciers compared to today. Paleoreconstructions and model simulations have increased the understanding of the MIS31 interval, but questions remain regarding the role of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in modifying the climate associated with the variations in Earth's orbital parameters. Multi-century coupled climate simulations, with the astronomical configuration of the MIS31 and modified West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) topography, show an increase in the thermohaline flux and northward oceanic heat transport (OHT) in the Pacific Ocean. These oceanic changes are driven by anomalous atmospheric circulation and increased surface salinity in concert with a stronger meridional overturning circulation (MOC). The intensified northward OHT is responsible for up to 85 % of the global OHT anomalies and contributes to the overall reduction in sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) due to Earth's astronomical configuration. The relative contributions of the Atlantic Ocean to global OHT and MOC anomalies are minor compared to those of the Pacific. However, sea ice changes are remarkable, highlighted by decreased (increased) cover in the Ross (Weddell) Sea but widespread reductions in sea ice across the NH.

  6. Bimodality and regime behavior in atmosphere-ocean interactions during the recent climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fallah, Bijan; Sodoudi, Sahar

    2015-06-01

    Maximum covariance analysis (MCA) and isometric feature mapping (Isomap) are applied to investigate the spatio-temporal atmosphere-ocean interactions otherwise hidden in observational data for the period of 1979-2010. Despite an established long-term surface warming trend for the whole northern hemisphere, sea surface temperatures (SST) in the East Pacific have remained relatively constant for the period of 2001-2010. Our analysis reveals that SST anomaly probability density function of the leading two Isomap components is bimodal. We conclude that Isomap shows the existence of two distinct regimes in surface ocean temperature, resembling the break and active phases of rainfall over equatorial land areas. These regimes occurred within two separated time windows during the past three decades. Strengthening of trade winds over Pacific was coincident with the cold phase of east equatorial Pacific. This pattern was reversed during the warm phase of east equatorial Pacific. The El Niño event of 1997/1998 happened within the transition mode between these two regimes and may be a trigger for the SST changes in the Pacific. Furthermore, we suggest that Isomap, compared with MCA, provides more information about the behavior and predictability of the inter-seasonal atmosphere-ocean interactions.

  7. Environmental Genomic Analysis of Stratified Microbial Communities and Climate Active Gases in the Subarctic Pacific Oxygen Minimum Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, J.; Hallam, S.; Merzouk, A.; Tortell, P.

    2008-12-01

    Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are areas of low dissolved oxygen concentrations that play a major role in biogeochemical cycling within the world's oceans. They are major sinks for nitrogen and sources for the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Therefore, microbial mediated biological activity associated with these systems directly impacts ocean productivity and global climate balance. There is increasing evidence that ocean warming trends will decrease dissolved oxygen concentrations within the coastal and interior regions of the subarctic Pacific, causing an expansion of the hypoxic boundary layer. This expansion will have a direct effect on coastal benthic ecosystems and the productivity of marine fisheries due to habitat loss and changes in nutrient cycling. In order to understand the potential implications of these transitions, we are performing environmental genomic analyses of indigenous microbial communities found in coastal and open ocean OMZs in the subarctic Pacific Ocean in relation to dissolved gas and nutrient concentrations. In addition to identifying and describing the key microbial players and biochemical pathways contributing to carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism within the subarctic Pacific Ocean, this work provides a solid comparative genomic foundation for understanding the biogeochemical processes at work in marine OMZs around the globe.

  8. 33 CFR 334.905 - Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp... REGULATIONS § 334.905 Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Gulf of Santa Catalina, offshore of Camp Pendleton in the Pacific Ocean...

  9. 33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

  10. 33 CFR 334.905 - Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp... REGULATIONS § 334.905 Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Gulf of Santa Catalina, offshore of Camp Pendleton in the Pacific Ocean...

  11. 33 CFR 334.905 - Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp... REGULATIONS § 334.905 Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Gulf of Santa Catalina, offshore of Camp Pendleton in the Pacific Ocean...

  12. 33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

  13. 33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

  14. 33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

  15. 33 CFR 334.905 - Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp... REGULATIONS § 334.905 Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Gulf of Santa Catalina, offshore of Camp Pendleton in the Pacific Ocean...

  16. 33 CFR 334.950 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.950 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas. (a) The danger zones. (1) The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area beginning at China Point Light...

  17. 33 CFR 334.905 - Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp... REGULATIONS § 334.905 Pacific Ocean, offshore of Camp Pendleton, California; Fallbrook restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Gulf of Santa Catalina, offshore of Camp Pendleton in the Pacific Ocean...

  18. 33 CFR 334.950 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.950 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas. (a) The danger zones. (1) The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area beginning at China Point Light...

  19. 33 CFR 334.950 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.950 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas. (a) The danger zones. (1) The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area beginning at China Point Light...

  20. 75 FR 69598 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch by Vessels in the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA032 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited... (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 Pacific ocean perch total allowable catch...

  1. 75 FR 69599 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch by Vessels in the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA031 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited... (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 Pacific ocean perch total allowable catch...

  2. 75 FR 43090 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western Yakutat...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-23

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XX77 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors participating in the... necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 sideboard limit of Pacific ocean perch established for catcher...

  3. 75 FR 42337 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher/Processors...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-21

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XX71 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors participating in the rockfish limited access... exceeding the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch allocated to catcher/processors...

  4. 76 FR 43934 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher/Processors...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-22

    .... 101126522-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA587 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors participating in the rockfish limited access... exceeding the 2011 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch allocated to catcher/processors...

  5. 75 FR 69599 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch by Vessels in the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA033 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited... (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 Pacific ocean perch total allowable catch...

  6. Response of the tropical Pacific Ocean to El Niño versus global warming

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Fukai; Luo, Yiyong; Lu, Jian

    Climate models project an El Niño-like SST response in the tropical Pacific Ocean to global warming (GW). By employing the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and applying an overriding technique to its ocean component, Parallel Ocean Program version 2 (POP2), this study investigates the similarity and difference of formation mechanism for the changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean under El Niño and GW. Results show that, despite sharing some similarities between the two scenarios, there are many significant distinctions between GW and El Niño: 1) the phase locking of the seasonal cycle reduction is more notable under GW compared withmore » El Niño, implying more extreme El Niño events in the future; 2) in contrast to the penetration of the equatorial subsurface temperature anomaly that appears to propagate in the form of an oceanic equatorial upwelling Kelvin wave during El Niño, the GW-induced subsurface temperature anomaly manifest in the form of off-equatorial upwelling Rossby waves; 3) while significant across-equator northward heat transport (NHT) is induced by the wind stress anomalies associated with El Niño, little NHT is found at the equator due to a symmetric change in the shallow meridional overturning circulation that appears to be weakened in both North and South Pacific under GW; and 4) the maintaining mechanisms for the eastern equatorial Pacific warming are also substantially different.« less

  7. 76 FR 70420 - Fisheries of the Pacific Region

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA801 Fisheries of the Pacific Region AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric... that Pacific ocean perch, (Sebastes alutus), which is managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council...

  8. Optimum interpolation analysis of basin-scale ¹³⁷Cs transport in surface seawater in the North Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Inomata, Y; Aoyama, M; Tsumune, D; Motoi, T; Nakano, H

    2012-12-01

    ¹³⁷Cs is one of the conservative tracers applied to the study of oceanic circulation processes on decadal time scales. To investigate the spatial distribution and the temporal variation of ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in surface seawater in the North Pacific Ocean after 1957, a technique for optimum interpolation (OI) was applied to understand the behaviour of ¹³⁷Cs that revealed the basin-scale circulation of Cs ¹³⁷Cs in surface seawater in the North Pacific Ocean: ¹³⁷Cs deposited in the western North Pacific Ocean from global fallout (late 1950s and early 1960s) and from local fallout (transported from the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls during the late 1950s) was further transported eastward with the Kuroshio and North Pacific Currents within several years of deposition and was accumulated in the eastern North Pacific Ocean until 1967. Subsequently, ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in the eastern North Pacific Ocean decreased due to southward transport. Less radioactively contaminated seawater was also transported northward, upstream of the North Equatorial Current in the western North Pacific Ocean in the 1970s, indicating seawater re-circulation in the North Pacific Gyre.

  9. 33 CFR 334.1400 - Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point... REGULATIONS § 334.1400 Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area. (a) The area. That portion of the Pacific Ocean lying offshore of Oahu between Ewa Beach and Barbers Point, basically...

  10. 33 CFR 334.1400 - Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point... REGULATIONS § 334.1400 Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area. (a) The area. That portion of the Pacific Ocean lying offshore of Oahu between Ewa Beach and Barbers Point, basically...

  11. 33 CFR 334.1400 - Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point... REGULATIONS § 334.1400 Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area. (a) The area. That portion of the Pacific Ocean lying offshore of Oahu between Ewa Beach and Barbers Point, basically...

  12. 77 FR 34262 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-11

    .... 111213751-2102-02] RIN 0648-XC061 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  13. 77 FR 42439 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-19

    .... 111207737-2141-02] RIN 0648-XC113 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska...

  14. 75 FR 53608 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-01

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XY66 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska...

  15. 75 FR 69600 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Eastern Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA034 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  16. 76 FR 43933 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-22

    .... 101126521-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA589 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  17. 76 FR 65972 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Eastern Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-25

    .... 101126521-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA782 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  18. 78 FR 42718 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-17

    .... 121018563-3148-02] RIN 0648-XC757 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Aleutian... allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI...

  19. 78 FR 44465 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-24

    .... 120918468-3111-02] RIN 0648-XC771 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska...

  20. 75 FR 69601 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Central Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA035 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  1. 77 FR 39440 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Central Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-03

    .... 111213751-2102-02] RIN 0648-XC085 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  2. 75 FR 39183 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-08

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XX39 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska...

  3. 77 FR 41332 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-13

    .... 111207737-2141-02] RIN 0648-XC109 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2012 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean...

  4. 75 FR 42338 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-21

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XX72 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in...: NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean...

  5. 76 FR 45709 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-01

    ...; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries...; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat... allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200...

  6. 75 FR 69601 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western Aleutian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... 0910131363-0087-02] RIN 0648-XA036 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch.... ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in... allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited...

  7. 77 FR 39649 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-05

    .... 111207737-2141-02] RIN 0648-XC086 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska...

  8. 78 FR 39631 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-02

    .... 120918468-3111-02] RIN 0648-XC739 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf... Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local...

  9. 76 FR 39791 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-07

    .... 101126522-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA542 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch...: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf...) of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska...

  10. 33 CFR 334.1400 - Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point... REGULATIONS § 334.1400 Pacific Ocean, at Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; restricted area. (a) The area. That portion of the Pacific Ocean lying offshore of Oahu between Ewa Beach and Barbers Point, basically...

  11. Assessment of Plio-Pleistocene Sea Surface Temperature Evolution Across Ocean Basins, Hemispheres, and Latitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peterson, L.; Lawrence, K. T.; Mauriello, H.; Wilson, J.; Holte, L.

    2015-12-01

    New sea surface temperature (SST) records from the southern Pacific and southern Atlantic Oceans allow assessment of similarities and differences in climate evolution across ocean basins, hemispheres, and latitudes over the last 5 million years. Our high-resolution, alkenone-derived SST records from ODP Sites 1088 (South Atlantic, 41°S) and 1125 (South Pacific, 42°S) share strong structural similarities. When compared with SST records from the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, these records provide compelling evidence for broadly hemispherically symmetrical open-ocean temperature evolution in both ocean basins as tropical warm pools contracted over the Plio-Pleistocene. This symmetry in temperature evolution occurs despite strong asymmetries in the development of the cryosphere over this interval, which was marked by extensive northern hemisphere ice sheet growth. Parallel SST evolution across ocean basins and hemispheres suggests that on longterm (>105 yr) timescales, many regions of the world ocean are more sensitive to the global energy budget than to local or regional climate dynamics, although important exceptions include coastal upwelling zone SSTs, high latitude SSTs, and benthic δ18O. Our analysis further reveals that throughout the last 5 Ma, temperature evolution in the extra-tropical Pacific of both hemispheres is very similar to the evolution of SST in the eastern equatorial Pacific upwelling zone, revealing tight coupling between the growth of meridional and equatorial Pacific zonal temperature gradients over this interval as both the extra-tropics and the eastern equatorial Pacific cold tongue underwent cooling. Finally, while long term temperature evolution is broadly consistent across latitudes and ocean basins throughout the entire Plio-Pleistocene, we see evidence that climate coupling on orbital timescales strengthened significantly at 2.7 Ma, at which point obliquity-band coherence emerges among diverse SST records. We attribute this emergence of coherence to a strengthened greenhouse gas feedback at the obliquity frequency that was initiated with the intensification of northern hemisphere glaciation, as proposed by Herbert et al. (2010).

  12. The IOD-ENSO precursory teleconnection over the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean: dynamics and long-term trends under global warming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Dongliang; Hu, Xiaoyue; Xu, Peng; Zhao, Xia; Masumoto, Yukio; Han, Weiqing

    2018-01-01

    The dynamics of the teleconnection between the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in the tropical Indian Ocean and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific Ocean at the time lag of one year are investigated using lag correlations between the oceanic anomalies in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean in fall and those in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean in the following winter-fall seasons in the observations and in high-resolution global ocean model simulations. The lag correlations suggest that the IOD-forced interannual transport anomalies of the Indonesian Throughflow generate thermocline anomalies in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean, which propagate to the east to induce ocean-atmosphere coupled evolution leading to ENSO. In comparison, lag correlations between the surface zonal wind anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific in fall and the Indo-Pacific oceanic anomalies at time lags longer than a season are all insignificant, suggesting the short memory of the atmospheric bridge. A linear continuously stratified model is used to investigate the dynamics of the oceanic connection between the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. The experiments suggest that interannual equatorial Kelvin waves from the Indian Ocean propagate into the equatorial Pacific Ocean through the Makassar Strait and the eastern Indonesian seas with a penetration rate of about 10%-15% depending on the baroclinic modes. The IOD-ENSO teleconnection is found to get stronger in the past century or so. Diagnoses of the CMIP5 model simulations suggest that the increased teleconnection is associated with decreased Indonesian Throughflow transports in the recent century, which is found sensitive to the global warming forcing.

  13. Impact of the Fukushima accident on tritium, radiocarbon and radiocesium levels in seawater of the western North Pacific Ocean: A comparison with pre-Fukushima situation.

    PubMed

    Povinec, P P; Liong Wee Kwong, L; Kaizer, J; Molnár, M; Nies, H; Palcsu, L; Papp, L; Pham, M K; Jean-Baptiste, P

    2017-01-01

    Tritium, radiocarbon and radiocesium concentrations in water column samples in coastal waters offshore Fukushima and in the western North Pacific Ocean collected in 2011-2012 during the Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa (KoK) cruise are compared with other published results. The highest levels in surface seawater were observed for 134 Cs and 137 Cs in seawater samples collected offshore Fukushima (up to 1.1 Bq L -1 ), which represent an increase by about three orders of magnitude when compared with the pre-Fukushima concentration. Tritium levels were much lower (up to 0.15 Bq L -1 ), representing an increase by about a factor of 6. The impact on the radiocarbon distribution was measurable, but the observed levels were only by about 9% above the global fallout background. The 137 Cs (and similarly 134 Cs) inventory in the water column of the investigated western North Pacific region was (2.7 ± 0.4) PBq, while for 3 H it was only (0.3 ± 0.2) PBq. Direct releases of highly contaminated water from the damaged Fukushima NPP, as well as dry and wet depositions of these radionuclides over the western North Pacific considerably changed their distribution patterns in seawater. Presently we can distinguish Fukushima labeled waters from global fallout background thanks to short-lived 134 Cs. However, in the long-term perspective when 134 Cs will decay, new distribution patterns of 3 H, 14 C and 137 Cs in the Pacific Ocean should be established for future oceanographic and climate change studies in the Pacific Ocean. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Genetic Population Structure of the Coral Reef Sea Star Linckia laevigata in the Western Indian Ocean and Indo-West Pacific.

    PubMed

    Otwoma, Levy Michael; Kochzius, Marc

    2016-01-01

    The coral reef sea star Linckia laevigata is common on shallow water coral reefs of the Indo-West Pacific. Its large geographic distribution and comprehensive data from previous studies makes it suitable to examine genetic differentiation and connectivity over large geographical scales. Based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene this study investigates the genetic population structure and connectivity of L. laevigata in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and compares it to previous studies in the Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago (IMPA). A total of 138 samples were collected from nine locations in the WIO. AMOVA revealed a low but significant ΦST-value of 0.024 for the WIO populations. In the hierarchical AMOVA, the following grouping rejected the hypothesis of panmixia: (1) Kenya (Watamu, Mombasa, Diani) and Tanzanian Island populations (Misali and Jambiani) and (2) the rest of the WIO sites (mainland Tanzania and Madagascar; ΦCT = 0.03). The genetic population structure was stronger and more significant (ΦST = 0.13) in the comparative analysis of WIO and IMPA populations. Three clades were identified in the haplotype network. The strong genetic differentiation (ΦCT = 0.199, P < 0.001) suggests that Indo-West Pacific populations of L. laevigata can be grouped into four biogeographic regions: (1) WIO (2) Eastern Indian Ocean (3) IMPA and (4) Western Pacific. The findings of this study support the existence of a genetic break in the Indo-West Pacific consistent with the effect of lowered sea level during the Pleistocene, which limited gene flow between the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

  15. Genetic Population Structure of the Coral Reef Sea Star Linckia laevigata in the Western Indian Ocean and Indo-West Pacific

    PubMed Central

    Kochzius, Marc

    2016-01-01

    The coral reef sea star Linckia laevigata is common on shallow water coral reefs of the Indo-West Pacific. Its large geographic distribution and comprehensive data from previous studies makes it suitable to examine genetic differentiation and connectivity over large geographical scales. Based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene this study investigates the genetic population structure and connectivity of L. laevigata in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and compares it to previous studies in the Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago (IMPA). A total of 138 samples were collected from nine locations in the WIO. AMOVA revealed a low but significant ΦST-value of 0.024 for the WIO populations. In the hierarchical AMOVA, the following grouping rejected the hypothesis of panmixia: (1) Kenya (Watamu, Mombasa, Diani) and Tanzanian Island populations (Misali and Jambiani) and (2) the rest of the WIO sites (mainland Tanzania and Madagascar; ΦCT = 0.03). The genetic population structure was stronger and more significant (ΦST = 0.13) in the comparative analysis of WIO and IMPA populations. Three clades were identified in the haplotype network. The strong genetic differentiation (ΦCT = 0.199, P < 0.001) suggests that Indo-West Pacific populations of L. laevigata can be grouped into four biogeographic regions: (1) WIO (2) Eastern Indian Ocean (3) IMPA and (4) Western Pacific. The findings of this study support the existence of a genetic break in the Indo-West Pacific consistent with the effect of lowered sea level during the Pleistocene, which limited gene flow between the Pacific and Indian Ocean. PMID:27798700

  16. 33 CFR 334.960 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.960 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove. (a) The danger zone. The waters of the Pacific Ocean in an area about one-half mile off the west coast of San...

  17. 33 CFR 334.920 - Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off the east coast... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.920 Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending easterly from the...

  18. 33 CFR 334.920 - Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off the east coast... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.920 Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending easterly from the...

  19. 33 CFR 334.960 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.960 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove. (a) The danger zone. The waters of the Pacific Ocean in an area about one-half mile off the west coast of San...

  20. 33 CFR 334.920 - Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off the east coast... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.920 Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending easterly from the...

  1. 33 CFR 334.920 - Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off the east coast... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.920 Pacific Ocean off the east coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area extending easterly from the...

  2. 33 CFR 334.960 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.960 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove. (a) The danger zone. The waters of the Pacific Ocean in an area about one-half mile off the west coast of San...

  3. 33 CFR 334.960 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... REGULATIONS § 334.960 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval danger zone off West Cove. (a) The danger zone. The waters of the Pacific Ocean in an area about one-half mile off the west coast of San...

  4. Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus trophic ecology in the eastern North Pacific Ocean inferred from nitrogen and carbon stable-isotope ratios and diet.

    PubMed

    Courtney, D L; Foy, R

    2012-04-01

    Stable-isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and lipid-normalized carbon (δ¹³C') were used to examine geographic and ontogenetic variability in the trophic ecology of a high latitude benthopelagic elasmobranch, the Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus. Mean muscle tissue δ¹³C' values of S. pacificus differed significantly among geographic regions of the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Linear models identified significant ontogenetic and geographic variability in muscle tissue δ¹⁵N values of S. pacificus. The trophic position of S. pacificus in the eastern North Pacific Ocean estimated here from previously published stomach-content data (4·3) was within the range of S. pacificus trophic position predicted from a linear model of S. pacificus muscle tissue δ¹⁵N (3·3-5·7) for fish of the same mean total length (L(T) ; 201·5 cm), but uncertainty in predicted trophic position was very high (95% prediction intervals ranged from 2·9 to 6·4). The relative trophic position of S. pacificus determined here from a literature review of δ¹⁵N by taxa in the eastern North Pacific Ocean was also lower than would be expected based on stomach-content data alone when compared to fishes, squid and filter feeding whales. Stable-isotope analysis revealed wider variability in the feeding ecology of S. pacificus in the eastern North Pacific Ocean than shown by diet data alone, and expanded previous conclusions drawn from analyses of stomach-content data to regional and temporal scales meaningful for fisheries management. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  5. Transformation of tsunami waves passing through the Straits of the Kuril Islands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostenko, Irina; Kurkin, Andrey; Pelinovsky, Efim; Zaytsev, Andrey

    2015-04-01

    Pacific ocean and themselves Kuril Islands are located in the zone of high seismic activity, where underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis. They propagate across Pacific ocean and penetrates into the Okhotsk sea. It is natural to expect that the Kuril Islands reflect the Okhotsk sea from the Pacific tsunami waves. It has long been noted that the historical tsunami appeared less intense in the sea of Okhotsk in comparison with the Pacific coast of the Kuril Islands. Despite the fact that in the area of the Kuril Islands and in the Pacific ocean earthquakes with magnitude more than 8 occur, in the entire history of observations on the Okhotsk sea coast catastrophic tsunami was not registered. The study of the peculiarities of the propagation of historical and hypothetical tsunami in the North-Eastern part of the Pacific ocean was carried out in order to identify level of effect of the Kuril Islands and Straits on them. Tsunami sources were located in the Okhotsk sea and in the Pacific ocean. For this purpose, we performed a series of computational experiments using two bathymetries: 1) with use Kuril Islands; 2) without Kuril Islands. Magnitude and intensity of the tsunami, obtained during numerical simulation of height, were analyzed. The simulation results are compared with the observations. Numerical experiments have shown that in the simulation without the Kuril Islands tsunamis in the Okhotsk sea have higher waves, and in the Central part of the sea relatively quickly damped than in fact. Based on shallow-water equation tsunami numerical code NAMI DANCE was used for numerical simulations. This work was supported by ASTARTE project.

  6. The Great Chilean Tsunamis of 2010, 2014 and 2015 on the Coast and Offshore of Mexico: Comparative Features Based on Open-Ocean Energy Parameterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rabinovich, A.; Zaytsev, O.; Thomson, R.

    2016-12-01

    The three recent great earthquakes offshore of Chile on 27 February 2010 (Maule, Mw 8.8), 1 April 2014 (Iquique, Mw 8.2) and 16 September 2015 (Illapel, Mw 8.3) generated major trans-oceanic tsunamis that spread throughout the entire Pacific Ocean and were measured by numerous coastal tide gauges and open-ocean DART stations. Statistical and spectral analyses of the tsunami waves from the three events recorded on the Pacific coast of Mexico enabled us to compare the events and to identify coastal "hot spots", regions with maximum tsunami risk. Based on joint spectral analyses of tsunamis and background noise, we have developed a method for reconstructing the "true" tsunami spectra in the deep ocean. The "reconstructed" open-ocean tsunami spectra are in excellent agreement with the actual tsunami spectra evaluated from direct analysis of the DART records offshore of Mexico. We have further used the spectral estimates to parameterize the energy of the three Chilean tsunamis based on the total open-ocean tsunami energy and frequency content of the individual events.

  7. Wind Forcing of the Pacific Ocean Using Scatterometer Wind Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, Kathryn A.

    1999-01-01

    The long-term objective of this research was an understanding of the wind-forced ocean circulation, particularly for the Pacific Ocean. To determine the ocean's response to the winds, we first needed to generate accurate maps of wind stress. For the ocean's response to wind stress we examined the sea surface height (SSH) both from altimeters and from numerical models for the Pacific Ocean.

  8. Analysis of the 2015-16 El Niño Event Using NASA's GEOS Data Assimilation System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pawson, S.; Lim, Y. K.; Kovach, R. M.; Vernieres, G.

    2016-12-01

    The strong El Niño event that occurred in 2015/2016 is analyzed using atmospheric and oceanic analyses produced using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) systems. A theme of the work is to compare and contrast this event with two other strong El Niños, in 1982/1983 and 1997/1998, that are included in the satellite-data era of the MERRA and MERRA-2 reanalyses produced using the GEOS system. Distribution of the maximum anomalies of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST), precipitation, Walker circulation, and cloud fraction indicate that 2015/2016 is a Central Pacific (CP) El Niño. The event had an early onset compared to the 1997/1998 El Niño, with extremely strong warming and precipitation over the Central Pacific, and was the strongest in terms of central Pacific SST anomalies. The large region of warm temperature anomalies over most of the Pacific and Indian Ocean in the 2015-2016 event were due to the accumulative impacts of the El Niño event along with a positive phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and a decadal warming trend over the western Pacific, Maritime Continent, and Indian Ocean. The relatively weak development of the 2015/2016 El Niño event over the Eastern Pacific was likely due to weaker westerly wind bursts and Madden-Julian Oscillation during spring, which in 1997/1998 served to drive the warm anomalies further East towards South America, making that event the strongest Eastern Pacific El Niño (in the recent data record). This is reflected in the 2015/2016 event having a shallower thermocline over the Eastern Pacific, with a weaker zonal gradient of sub-surface water temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. The major extra-tropical teleconnections associated with the El Niño in 2015/2016 are at least comparable to those in the 1982/1983 and 1997/1998 El Niño events. Specifically, the Pacific North American (PNA) teleconnection in 2015/2016 is the strongest of these three El Niño events, leading to larger extra-tropical anomalies of geopotential height, temperature, and precipitation over North America.

  9. 76 FR 73517 - Fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean; Pelagic Fisheries; Vessel Identification Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-29

    ... [Docket No. 110218143-1606-02] RIN 0648-BA49 Fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean; Pelagic Fisheries... Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean... Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). DATES: These regulations become effective on...

  10. Responses of the deep ocean carbonate system to carbon reorganization during the Last Glacial-interglacial cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Jimin; Anderson, Robert F.; Jin, Zhangdong; Rae, James W. B.; Opdyke, Bradley N.; Eggins, Stephen M.

    2013-09-01

    We present new deep water carbonate ion concentration ([CO32-]) records, reconstructed using Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi B/Ca, for one core from Caribbean Basin (water depth = 3623 m, sill depth = 1.8 km) and three cores located at 2.3-4.3 km water depth from the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the Last Glacial-interglacial cycle. The pattern of deep water [CO32-] in the Caribbean Basin roughly mirrors that of atmospheric CO2, reflecting a dominant influence from preformed [CO32-] in the North Atlantic Ocean. Compared to the amplitude of ˜65 μmol/kg in the deep Caribbean Basin, deep water [CO32-] in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has varied by no more than ˜15 μmol/kg due to effective buffering of CaCO3 on deep-sea pH in the Pacific Ocean. Our results suggest little change in the global mean deep ocean [CO32-] between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Late Holocene. The three records from the Pacific Ocean show long-term increases in [CO32-] by ˜7 μmol/kg from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5c to mid MIS 3, consistent with the response of the deep ocean carbonate system to a decline in neritic carbonate production associated with ˜60 m drop in sea-level (the “coral-reef” hypothesis). Superimposed upon the long-term trend, deep water [CO32-] in the Pacific Ocean displays transient changes, which decouple with δ13C in the same cores, at the start and end of MIS 4. These changes in [CO32-] and δ13C are consistent with what would be expected from vertical nutrient fractionation and carbonate compensation. The observed ˜4 μmol/kg [CO32-] decline in the two Pacific cores at >3.4 km water depth from MIS 3 to the LGM indicate further strengthening of deep ocean stratification, which contributed to the final step of atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glaciation. The striking similarity between deep water [CO32-] and 230Th-normalized CaCO3 flux at two adjacent sites from the central equatorial Pacific Ocean provides convincing evidence that deep-sea carbonate dissolution dominantly controlled CaCO3 preservation at these sites in the past. Our results offer new and quantitative constraints from deep ocean carbonate chemistry to understand roles of various mechanisms in atmospheric CO2 changes over the Last Glacial-interglacial cycle.

  11. Upper-Ocean Processes under the Stratus Cloud Deck in the Southeast Pacific Ocean

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    resolving Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Both are compared with estimates based on Woods Hole Oceano - graphic Institution (WHOI) Improved...Jason-1 and Jason-2 sea surface heights and geostrophic currents (computed from absolute topography) produced by Segment Sol Multimissions d’Altimétrie

  12. Input of 129I into the western Pacific Ocean resulting from the Fukushima nuclear event

    DOE PAGES

    Tumey, S. J.; Guilderson, T. P.; Brown, T. A.; ...

    2013-04-02

    We present an initial characterization of the input of 129I into the Pacific Ocean resulting from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. This characterization is based primarily on 129I measurements on samples collected from a research cruise conducted in waters off the eastern coast of Japan in June 2011. The resulting measurements were compared with samples intended to reflect pre-Fukushima background that were collected during a May 2011 transect of the Pacific by a commercial container vessel. In surface waters, we observed peak 129I concentrations of ~300 μBq/m 3 which represents an elevation of nearly three orders of magnitude compared tomore » pre-Fukushima backgrounds. The 129I results were coupled with 137Cs measurements from the same cruise and derived an average 129I/137Cs activity ratio of 0.442 × 10 -6 for the effluent from Fukushima. Finally, we present 129I depth profiles from five stations from this cruise which form the basis for future studies of ocean transport and mixing process as well as estimations of the total budget of 129I released into the Pacific.« less

  13. Input of 129I into the western Pacific Ocean resulting from the Fukushima nuclear event

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tumey, S. J.; Guilderson, T. P.; Brown, T. A.

    We present an initial characterization of the input of 129I into the Pacific Ocean resulting from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. This characterization is based primarily on 129I measurements on samples collected from a research cruise conducted in waters off the eastern coast of Japan in June 2011. The resulting measurements were compared with samples intended to reflect pre-Fukushima background that were collected during a May 2011 transect of the Pacific by a commercial container vessel. In surface waters, we observed peak 129I concentrations of ~300 μBq/m 3 which represents an elevation of nearly three orders of magnitude compared tomore » pre-Fukushima backgrounds. The 129I results were coupled with 137Cs measurements from the same cruise and derived an average 129I/137Cs activity ratio of 0.442 × 10 -6 for the effluent from Fukushima. Finally, we present 129I depth profiles from five stations from this cruise which form the basis for future studies of ocean transport and mixing process as well as estimations of the total budget of 129I released into the Pacific.« less

  14. A potential large and persistent black carbon forcing over Northern Pacific inferred from satellite observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zhongshu; Liu, Junfeng; Mauzerall, Denise L.; Li, Xiaoyuan; Fan, Songmiao; Horowitz, Larry W.; He, Cenlin; Yi, Kan; Tao, Shu

    2017-03-01

    Black carbon (BC) aerosol strongly absorbs solar radiation, which warms climate. However, accurate estimation of BC’s climate effect is limited by the uncertainties of its spatiotemporal distribution, especially over remote oceanic areas. The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observation (HIPPO) program from 2009 to 2011 intercepted multiple snapshots of BC profiles over Pacific in various seasons, and revealed a 2 to 5 times overestimate of BC by current global models. In this study, we compared the measurements from aircraft campaigns and satellites, and found a robust association between BC concentrations and satellite-retrieved CO, tropospheric NO2, and aerosol optical depth (AOD) (R2 > 0.8). This establishes a basis to construct a satellite-based column BC approximation (sBC*) over remote oceans. The inferred sBC* shows that Asian outflows in spring bring much more BC aerosols to the mid-Pacific than those occurring in other seasons. In addition, inter-annual variability of sBC* is seen over the Northern Pacific, with abundances varying consistently with the springtime Pacific/North American (PNA) index. Our sBC* dataset infers a widespread overestimation of BC loadings and BC Direct Radiative Forcing by current models over North Pacific, which further suggests that large uncertainties exist on aerosol-climate interactions over other remote oceanic areas beyond Pacific.

  15. A potential large and persistent black carbon forcing over Northern Pacific inferred from satellite observations.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhongshu; Liu, Junfeng; Mauzerall, Denise L; Li, Xiaoyuan; Fan, Songmiao; Horowitz, Larry W; He, Cenlin; Yi, Kan; Tao, Shu

    2017-03-07

    Black carbon (BC) aerosol strongly absorbs solar radiation, which warms climate. However, accurate estimation of BC's climate effect is limited by the uncertainties of its spatiotemporal distribution, especially over remote oceanic areas. The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observation (HIPPO) program from 2009 to 2011 intercepted multiple snapshots of BC profiles over Pacific in various seasons, and revealed a 2 to 5 times overestimate of BC by current global models. In this study, we compared the measurements from aircraft campaigns and satellites, and found a robust association between BC concentrations and satellite-retrieved CO, tropospheric NO 2 , and aerosol optical depth (AOD) (R 2  > 0.8). This establishes a basis to construct a satellite-based column BC approximation (sBC*) over remote oceans. The inferred sBC* shows that Asian outflows in spring bring much more BC aerosols to the mid-Pacific than those occurring in other seasons. In addition, inter-annual variability of sBC* is seen over the Northern Pacific, with abundances varying consistently with the springtime Pacific/North American (PNA) index. Our sBC* dataset infers a widespread overestimation of BC loadings and BC Direct Radiative Forcing by current models over North Pacific, which further suggests that large uncertainties exist on aerosol-climate interactions over other remote oceanic areas beyond Pacific.

  16. High abundances of cyanomyoviruses in marine ecosystems demonstrate ecological relevance.

    PubMed

    Matteson, Audrey R; Rowe, Janet M; Ponsero, Alise J; Pimentel, Tiana M; Boyd, Philip W; Wilhelm, Steven W

    2013-05-01

    The distribution of cyanomyoviruses was estimated using a quantitative PCR (qPCR) approach that targeted the g20 gene as a proxy for phage. Samples were collected spatially during a > 3000 km transect through the Sargasso Sea and temporally during a gyre-constrained phytoplankton bloom within the southern Pacific Ocean. Cyanomyovirus abundances were lower in the Sargasso Sea than in the southern Pacific Ocean, ranging from 2.75 × 10(3) to 5.15 × 10(4) mL(-1) and correlating with the abundance of their potential hosts (Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus). Cyanomyovirus abundance in the southern Pacific Ocean (east of New Zealand) followed Synechococcus host populations in the system: this included a decrease in g20 gene copies (from 4.3 × 10(5) to 9.6 × 10(3) mL(-1) ) following the demise of a Synechococcus bloom. When compared with direct counts of viruses, observations suggest that the cyanomyoviruses comprised 0.5 to >25% of the total virus community. We estimated daily lysis rates of 0.2-46% of the standing stock of Synechococcus in the Pacific Ocean compared with c. < 1.0% in the Sargasso Sea. In total, our observations confirm this family of viruses is abundant in marine systems and that they are an important source of cyanobacterial mortality. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Vertical distribution of 236U in the North Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Eigl, R; Steier, P; Sakata, K; Sakaguchi, A

    2017-04-01

    The first extensive study on 236 U in the North Pacific Ocean has been conducted. The vertical distribution of 236 U/ 238 U isotopic ratios and the 236 U concentrations were analysed on seven depth profiles, and large variations with depth were found. The range of 236 U/ 238 U isotopic ratios was from (0.09 ± 0.03) × 10 -10 to (14.1 ± 2.2) × 10 -10 , which corresponds to 236 U concentrations of (0.69 ± 0.24) × 10 5 atoms/kg and (119 ± 21) × 10 5 atoms/kg, respectively. The variations in 236 U concentrations could mainly be attributed to the different water masses in the North Pacific Ocean and their formation processes. Uranium-236 inventories on the water column of each sampling station were calculated and varied between (3.89 ± 0.08) × 10 12 atoms/m 2 and (7.03 ± 0.50) × 10 12 atoms/m 2 , which is lower than in former studies on comparable latitudes in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Japan. The low inventories of 236 U found for the North Pacific Ocean in this study can be explained by the lack of additional input sources of artificial radionuclides, apart from global and regional/local fallout. This study expands the use of 236 U as oceanographic circulation tracer to yet another ocean basin and shows that this isotope can be used for tracing circulation patterns of water masses in the Pacific Ocean. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Pacific deep circulation and ventilation controlled by tidal mixing away from the sea bottom.

    PubMed

    Oka, Akira; Niwa, Yoshihiro

    2013-01-01

    Vertical mixing in the ocean is a key driver of the global ocean thermohaline circulation, one of the most important factors controlling past and future climate change. Prior observational and theoretical studies have focused on intense tidal mixing near the sea bottom (near-field mixing). However, ocean general circulation models that employ a parameterization of near-field mixing significantly underestimate the strength of the Pacific thermohaline circulation. Here we demonstrate that tidally induced mixing away from the sea bottom (far-field mixing) is essential in controlling the Pacific thermohaline circulation. Via the addition of far-field mixing to a widely used tidal parameterization, we successfully simulate the Pacific thermohaline circulation. We also propose that far-field mixing is indispensable for explaining the presence of the world ocean's oldest water in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Our findings suggest that far-field mixing controls ventilation of the deep Pacific Ocean, a process important for ocean carbon and biogeochemical cycles.

  19. GLOBAL WARMING. Recent hiatus caused by decadal shift in Indo-Pacific heating.

    PubMed

    Nieves, Veronica; Willis, Josh K; Patzert, William C

    2015-07-31

    Recent modeling studies have proposed different scenarios to explain the slowdown in surface temperature warming in the most recent decade. Some of these studies seem to support the idea of internal variability and/or rearrangement of heat between the surface and the ocean interior. Others suggest that radiative forcing might also play a role. Our examination of observational data over the past two decades shows some significant differences when compared to model results from reanalyses and provides the most definitive explanation of how the heat was redistributed. We find that cooling in the top 100-meter layer of the Pacific Ocean was mainly compensated for by warming in the 100- to 300-meter layer of the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the past decade since 2003. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  20. The Impacts of Daily Surface Forcing in the Upper Ocean over Tropical Pacific: A Numerical Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sui, C.-H.; Rienecker, Michele M.; Li, Xiaofan; Lau, William K.-M.; Laszlo, Istvan; Pinker, Rachel T.

    2001-01-01

    Tropical Pacific Ocean is an important region that affects global climate. How the ocean responds to the atmospheric surface forcing (surface radiative, heat and momentum fluxes) is a major topic in oceanographic research community. The ocean becomes warm when more heat flux puts into the ocean. The monthly mean forcing has been used in the past years since daily forcing was unavailable due to the lack of observations. The daily forcing is now available from the satellite measurements. This study investigates the response of the upper ocean over tropical Pacific to the daily atmospheric surface forcing. The ocean surface heat budgets are calculated to determine the important processes for the oceanic response. The differences of oceanic responses between the eastern and western Pacific are intensively discussed.

  1. Attribution of the 2015 record high sea surface temperatures over the central equatorial Pacific and tropical Indian Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, In-Hong; Min, Seung-Ki; Yeh, Sang-Wook; Weller, Evan; Kim, Seon Tae

    2017-04-01

    This study assessed the anthropogenic contribution to the 2015 record-breaking high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) observed in the central equatorial Pacific and tropical Indian Ocean. Considering a close link between extreme warm events in these regions, we conducted a joint attribution analysis using a fraction of attributable risk approach. Probability of occurrence of such extreme anomalies and long-term trends for the two oceanic regions were compared between CMIP5 multi-model simulations with and without anthropogenic forcing. Results show that the excessive warming in both regions is well beyond the range of natural variability and robustly attributable to human activities due to greenhouse gas increase. We further explored associated mechanisms including the Bjerknes feedback and background anthropogenic warming. It is concluded that background warming was the main contribution to the 2015 extreme SST event over the central equatorial Pacific Ocean on a developing El Niño condition, which in turn induced the extreme SST event over the tropical Indian Ocean through the atmospheric bridge effect.

  2. A high-resolution OGCM simulation of the Tropical Pacific Ocean during the 1985-1994 TOGA period. Part I: Long equatorial waves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boulanger, J. P.; Delecluse, F.; Maes, C.; Levy, C.

    1995-01-01

    A high resolution oceanic general circulation model of the three topical oceans is used to investigate long equatorial wave activity in the Pacific Ocean during the 1985-1994 TOGA period. Zonal wind stress forcing and simulated dynamic height are interpreted using techniques previously applied to data. Kelvin and first Rossby waves are observed propagating during all the period. A seasonal cycle and interannual anomalies are computed for each long equatorial wave. The east Pacific basin is mainly dominated by seasonal cycle variations while strong interannual anomalies are observed west of the dateline. Long wave interannual anomalies are then compared to wave coefficients simulated by a simple wind-forced model. Our results outline the major role played by wind forcing on interannual time scales in generating long equatorial waves. However, near both eastern and western boundaries, some differences can be attributed to long wave reflections. A comparison to wave coefficients calculated from GEOSAT sea-level data gives some insight of the model behavior.

  3. A Pacific Ocean general circulation model for satellite data assimilation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chao, Y.; Halpern, D.; Mechoso, C. R.

    1991-01-01

    A tropical Pacific Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) to be used in satellite data assimilation studies is described. The transfer of the OGCM from a CYBER-205 at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory to a CRAY-2 at NASA's Ames Research Center is documented. Two 3-year model integrations from identical initial conditions but performed on those two computers are compared. The model simulations are very similar to each other, as expected, but the simulations performed with the higher-precision CRAY-2 is smoother than that with the lower-precision CYBER-205. The CYBER-205 and CRAY-2 use 32 and 64-bit mantissa arithmetic, respectively. The major features of the oceanic circulation in the tropical Pacific, namely the North Equatorial Current, the North Equatorial Countercurrent, the South Equatorial Current, and the Equatorial Undercurrent, are realistically produced and their seasonal cycles are described. The OGCM provides a powerful tool for study of tropical oceans and for the assimilation of satellite altimetry data.

  4. Regal phylogeography: Range-wide survey of the marine angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus reveals evolutionary partitions between the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Coleman, Richard R; Eble, Jeffrey A; DiBattista, Joseph D; Rocha, Luiz A; Randall, John E; Berumen, Michael L; Bowen, Brian W

    2016-07-01

    The regal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus; family Pomacanthidae) occurs on reefs from the Red Sea to the central Pacific, with an Indian Ocean/Rea Sea color morph distinct from a Pacific Ocean morph. To assess population differentiation and evaluate the possibility of cryptic evolutionary partitions in this monotypic genus, we surveyed mtDNA cytochrome b and two nuclear introns (S7 and RAG2) in 547 individuals from 15 locations. Phylogeographic analyses revealed four mtDNA lineages (d=0.006-0.015) corresponding to the Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea, and two admixed lineages in the Indian Ocean, a pattern consistent with known biogeographic barriers. Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean had both Indian and Pacific lineages. Both S7 and RAG2 showed strong population-level differentiation between the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean (ΦST=0.066-0.512). The only consistent population sub-structure within these three regions was at the Society Islands (French Polynesia), where surrounding oceanographic conditions may reinforce isolation. Coalescence analyses indicate the Pacific (1.7Ma) as the oldest extant lineage followed by the Red Sea lineage (1.4Ma). Results from a median-joining network suggest radiations of two lineages from the Red Sea that currently occupy the Indian Ocean (0.7-0.9Ma). Persistence of a Red Sea lineage through Pleistocene glacial cycles suggests a long-term refuge in this region. The affiliation of Pacific and Red Sea populations, apparent in cytochrome b and S7 (but equivocal in RAG2) raises the hypothesis that the Indian Ocean was recolonized from the Red Sea, possibly more than once. Assessing the genetic architecture of this widespread monotypic genus reveals cryptic evolutionary diversity that merits subspecific recognition. We recommend P.d. diacanthus and P.d. flavescens for the Pacific and Indian Ocean/Red Sea forms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Ocean noise in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Sirović, Ana; Wiggins, Sean M; Oleson, Erin M

    2013-10-01

    Ocean ambient noise is well studied in the North Pacific and North Atlantic but is poorly described for most of the worlds' oceans. Calibrated passive acoustic recordings were collected during 2009-2010 at seven locations in the central and western tropical and subtropical Pacific. Monthly and hourly mean power spectra (15-1000 Hz) were calculated in addition to their skewness, kurtosis, and percentile distributions. Overall, ambient noise at these seven sites was 10-20 dB lower than reported recently for most other locations in the North Pacific. At frequencies <100 Hz, spectrum levels were equivalent to those predicted for remote or light shipping. Noise levels in the 40 Hz band were compared to the presence of nearby and distant ships as reported to the World Meteorological Organization Voluntary Observing Ship Scheme (VOS) project. There was a positive, but nonsignificant correlation between distant shipping and low frequency noise (at 40 Hz). There was a seasonal variation in ambient noise at frequencies >200 Hz with higher levels recorded in the winter than in the summer. Several species of baleen whales, humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), and fin (B. physalus) whales, also contributed seasonally to ambient noise in characteristic frequency bands.

  6. 50 CFR Table 37 to Part 679 - GOA Amendment 80 Sideboard Limit for Groundfish for the Amendment 80 Sector

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 96.1% of the TAC. Pelagic shelf rockfish 89.6% of the TAC. Central GOA Pacific cod 4.4% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch Subject to regulations in subpart G to this part... regulations in subpart G to this part. Western GOA Pacific cod 2.0% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 99.4% of...

  7. 50 CFR Table 37 to Part 679 - GOA Amendment 80 Sideboard Limit for Groundfish for the Amendment 80 Sector

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 96.1% of the TAC. Pelagic shelf rockfish 89.6% of the TAC. Central GOA Pacific cod 4.4% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch Subject to regulations in subpart G to this part... regulations in subpart G to this part. Western GOA Pacific cod 2.0% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 99.4% of...

  8. 50 CFR Table 37 to Part 679 - GOA Amendment 80 Sideboard Limit for Groundfish for the Amendment 80 Sector

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 96.1% of the TAC. Pelagic shelf rockfish 89.6% of the TAC. Central GOA Pacific cod 4.4% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch Subject to regulations in subpart G to this part... regulations in subpart G to this part. Western GOA Pacific cod 2.0% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 99.4% of...

  9. 50 CFR Table 37 to Part 679 - GOA Amendment 80 Sideboard Limit for Groundfish for the Amendment 80 Sector

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 96.1% of the TAC. Pelagic shelf rockfish 89.6% of the TAC. Central GOA Pacific cod 4.4% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch Subject to regulations in subpart G to this part... regulations in subpart G to this part. Western GOA Pacific cod 2.0% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 99.4% of...

  10. 50 CFR Table 37 to Part 679 - GOA Amendment 80 Sideboard Limit for Groundfish for the Amendment 80 Sector

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 96.1% of the TAC. Pelagic shelf rockfish 89.6% of the TAC. Central GOA Pacific cod 4.4% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch Subject to regulations in subpart G to this part... regulations in subpart G to this part. Western GOA Pacific cod 2.0% of the TAC. Pacific ocean perch 99.4% of...

  11. Neodymium Isotope associated with planktonic foraminifera as a proxy of deglacial changes in Pacific ocean circulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, R.

    2015-12-01

    Neodymium isotopes of ferromanganese oxide coatings precipitated on planktonic foraminifera have been intensively used as a proxy for water mass reconstruction in the deep Atlantic and Indian Ocean, but their suitability is not well constrained in the Pacific and may be affected by enhanced inputs and scavenging relative to advection. In this study, Nd isotopes and Rare Earth Element (REE) concentrations of planktonic foraminifera from ~60 sites widely distributed throughout the Pacific are presented. We found that the REE pattern associated with planktonic foraminifera in our study and Fe-Mn oxides/coatings in the global ocean have a common heavy REE depleted pattern when normalized to their ambient seawater due to preferential removal of light REEs onto particles relative to heavy REEs during scavenging. The core-top ɛNd results agree with the proximal seawater compositions, indicating that planktonic foraminiferal coatings can give a reliable record of past changes in bottom water Nd isotopes in the Pacific. A good correlation between foraminifera Nd isotopes and seawater phosphate suggests that Nd with a predominantly radiogenic isotopic composition was probably added gradually along continental boundaries so that the Nd isotopic composition change paralleled the accumulation of nutrients in the deep Pacific. By confirming Nd isotopes as a reliable water mass tracer in the Pacific Ocean, this proxy is then applied to reconstruct how the water mass circulation changes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Most of the cores in deep North Pacific show essentially invariant Nd isotopic compositions during the LGM compared with core-top values, suggesting that Nd isotope of Pacific end-member did not change during glacial times. However, the LGM Southwest Pacific cores have more radiogenic ɛNd than core-tops corroborating the previous findings of reduced inflow of North Atlantic Deep Water. The Eastern Equatorial Pacific cores above ~2 km showed consistently lower LGM ɛNd values, which might suggest a reduced influence of more radiogenic North Pacific Deep Water return flow. Taken together, our results indicate a slower Pacific overturning circulation during the glacial times, and the inflow and return flow of the Pacific meridional overturning were closely linked in the glacial-interglacial cycles.

  12. Satellite Sea-surface Salinity Retrieval Dependencies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayler, E. J.; Ren, L.

    2016-02-01

    Comparing satellite sea-surface salinity (SSS) measurements and in situ observations reveals large-scale differences. What causes these differences? In this study, five boxes, sampling various oceanic regimes of the global ocean, provide insights on the relative performance of satellite SSS retrievals with respect to the influences of SST, precipitation and wind speed. The regions sampled are: the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), NASA's Salinity Processes of the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) area, the North Pacific subarctic region, and the southern Indian Ocean. This study examines satellite SSS data from NASA's Aquarius Mission and ESA's Soil Moisture - Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, specifically: Aquarius official Aquarius Data Processing System (ADPS) Level-2 data, experimental Aquarius Combined Active-Passive (CAP) Level-2 SSS data developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and SMOS Level-2 data.

  13. A potential large and persistent black carbon forcing over Northern Pacific inferred from satellite observations

    PubMed Central

    Li, Zhongshu; Liu, Junfeng; Mauzerall, Denise L.; Li, Xiaoyuan; Fan, Songmiao; Horowitz, Larry W.; He, Cenlin; Yi, Kan; Tao, Shu

    2017-01-01

    Black carbon (BC) aerosol strongly absorbs solar radiation, which warms climate. However, accurate estimation of BC’s climate effect is limited by the uncertainties of its spatiotemporal distribution, especially over remote oceanic areas. The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observation (HIPPO) program from 2009 to 2011 intercepted multiple snapshots of BC profiles over Pacific in various seasons, and revealed a 2 to 5 times overestimate of BC by current global models. In this study, we compared the measurements from aircraft campaigns and satellites, and found a robust association between BC concentrations and satellite-retrieved CO, tropospheric NO2, and aerosol optical depth (AOD) (R2 > 0.8). This establishes a basis to construct a satellite-based column BC approximation (sBC*) over remote oceans. The inferred sBC* shows that Asian outflows in spring bring much more BC aerosols to the mid-Pacific than those occurring in other seasons. In addition, inter-annual variability of sBC* is seen over the Northern Pacific, with abundances varying consistently with the springtime Pacific/North American (PNA) index. Our sBC* dataset infers a widespread overestimation of BC loadings and BC Direct Radiative Forcing by current models over North Pacific, which further suggests that large uncertainties exist on aerosol-climate interactions over other remote oceanic areas beyond Pacific. PMID:28266532

  14. Human-caused Indo-Pacific warm pool expansion

    PubMed Central

    Weller, Evan; Min, Seung-Ki; Cai, Wenju; Zwiers, Francis W.; Kim, Yeon-Hee; Lee, Donghyun

    2016-01-01

    The Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) has warmed and grown substantially during the past century. The IPWP is Earth’s largest region of warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), has the highest rainfall, and is fundamental to global atmospheric circulation and hydrological cycle. The region has also experienced the world’s highest rates of sea-level rise in recent decades, indicating large increases in ocean heat content and leading to substantial impacts on small island states in the region. Previous studies have considered mechanisms for the basin-scale ocean warming, but not the causes of the observed IPWP expansion, where expansion in the Indian Ocean has far exceeded that in the Pacific Ocean. We identify human and natural contributions to the observed IPWP changes since the 1950s by comparing observations with climate model simulations using an optimal fingerprinting technique. Greenhouse gas forcing is found to be the dominant cause of the observed increases in IPWP intensity and size, whereas natural fluctuations associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation have played a smaller yet significant role. Further, we show that the shape and impact of human-induced IPWP growth could be asymmetric between the Indian and Pacific basins, the causes of which remain uncertain. Human-induced changes in the IPWP have important implications for understanding and projecting related changes in monsoonal rainfall, and frequency or intensity of tropical storms, which have profound socioeconomic consequences. PMID:27419228

  15. Human-caused Indo-Pacific warm pool expansion.

    PubMed

    Weller, Evan; Min, Seung-Ki; Cai, Wenju; Zwiers, Francis W; Kim, Yeon-Hee; Lee, Donghyun

    2016-07-01

    The Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) has warmed and grown substantially during the past century. The IPWP is Earth's largest region of warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), has the highest rainfall, and is fundamental to global atmospheric circulation and hydrological cycle. The region has also experienced the world's highest rates of sea-level rise in recent decades, indicating large increases in ocean heat content and leading to substantial impacts on small island states in the region. Previous studies have considered mechanisms for the basin-scale ocean warming, but not the causes of the observed IPWP expansion, where expansion in the Indian Ocean has far exceeded that in the Pacific Ocean. We identify human and natural contributions to the observed IPWP changes since the 1950s by comparing observations with climate model simulations using an optimal fingerprinting technique. Greenhouse gas forcing is found to be the dominant cause of the observed increases in IPWP intensity and size, whereas natural fluctuations associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation have played a smaller yet significant role. Further, we show that the shape and impact of human-induced IPWP growth could be asymmetric between the Indian and Pacific basins, the causes of which remain uncertain. Human-induced changes in the IPWP have important implications for understanding and projecting related changes in monsoonal rainfall, and frequency or intensity of tropical storms, which have profound socioeconomic consequences.

  16. Pleurolucina from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans: a new intertidal species from Curaçao with unusual shell microstructure (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Lucinidae).

    PubMed

    Glover, Emily A; Taylor, John D

    2016-01-01

    A new shallow water species of the lucinid bivalve Pleurolucina is described from Curaçao in the southern Caribbean Sea and compared with known species of the genus from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Although confused with the Floridian species Pleurolucina leucocyma , it is most similar to the eastern Pacific Pleurolucina undata . As in all studied lucinids, the new species possesses symbiotic bacteria housed in the ctenidia. The shell microstructure is unusual with repeated and intercalated conchiolin layers that have sublayers of 'tulip-shaped' calcareous spherules. Predatory drillings by naticid gastropods frequently terminate at the conchiolin layers.

  17. Combined effects of recent Pacific cooling and Indian Ocean warming on the Asian monsoon.

    PubMed

    Ueda, Hiroaki; Kamae, Youichi; Hayasaki, Masamitsu; Kitoh, Akio; Watanabe, Shigeru; Miki, Yurisa; Kumai, Atsuki

    2015-11-13

    Recent research indicates that the cooling trend in the tropical Pacific Ocean over the past 15 years underlies the contemporaneous hiatus in global mean temperature increase. During the hiatus, the tropical Pacific Ocean displays a La Niña-like cooling pattern while sea surface temperature (SST) in the Indian Ocean has continued to increase. This SST pattern differs from the well-known La Niña-induced basin-wide cooling across the Indian Ocean on the interannual timescale. Here, based on model experiments, we show that the SST pattern during the hiatus explains pronounced regional anomalies of rainfall in the Asian monsoon region and thermodynamic effects due to specific humidity change are secondary. Specifically, Indo-Pacific SST anomalies cause convection to intensify over the tropical western Pacific, which in turn suppresses rainfall in mid-latitude East Asia through atmospheric teleconnection. Overall, the tropical Pacific SST effect opposes and is greater than the Indian Ocean SST effect.

  18. Indian Ocean warming modulates Pacific climate change.

    PubMed

    Luo, Jing-Jia; Sasaki, Wataru; Masumoto, Yukio

    2012-11-13

    It has been widely believed that the tropical Pacific trade winds weakened in the last century and would further decrease under a warmer climate in the 21st century. Recent high-quality observations, however, suggest that the tropical Pacific winds have actually strengthened in the past two decades. Precise causes of the recent Pacific climate shift are uncertain. Here we explore how the enhanced tropical Indian Ocean warming in recent decades favors stronger trade winds in the western Pacific via the atmosphere and hence is likely to have contributed to the La Niña-like state (with enhanced east-west Walker circulation) through the Pacific ocean-atmosphere interactions. Further analysis, based on 163 climate model simulations with centennial historical and projected external radiative forcing, suggests that the Indian Ocean warming relative to the Pacific's could play an important role in modulating the Pacific climate changes in the 20th and 21st centuries.

  19. The Indian Ocean as a Connector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durgadoo, J. V.; Biastoch, A.; Boning, C. W.

    2016-02-01

    The Indian Ocean is a conduit for the upper ocean flow of the global thermohaline circulation. It receives water from the Pacific Ocean through the Indonesian throughflow and the Tasman leakage, and exports water into the Atlantic by means of Agulhas leakage. A small contribution from the northern Indian Ocean is also detectable within Agulhas leakage. Changes on different timescales in the various components of the Pacific inflows and the Atlantic outflow have been reported. Little is known on the role of the Indian Ocean circulation in communicating changes from the Pacific into the Atlantic, let alone any eventual alterations in response to climate change. The precise routes and timescales of Indonesian throughflow, Tasman leakage, Red Sea and Persian Gulf Waters towards the Atlantic are examined in a Lagrangian framework within a high-resolution global ocean model. In this presentation, the following questions are addressed: How are Pacific waters modified in the Indian Ocean before reaching the Agulhas system? On what timescale is water that enters the Indian Ocean from the Pacific flushed out? How important are detours in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea?

  20. Interdecadal variations of ENSO around 1999/2000

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Zeng-Zhen; Kumar, Arun; Huang, Bohua; Zhu, Jieshun; Ren, Hong-Li

    2017-02-01

    This paper discusses the interdecadal changes of the climate in the tropical Pacific with a focus on the corresponding changes in the characteristics of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Compared with 1979-1999, the whole tropical Pacific climate system, including both the ocean and atmosphere, shifted to a lower variability regime after 1999/2000. Meanwhile, the frequency of ENSO became less regular and was closer to a white noise process. The lead time of the equatorial Pacific's subsurface ocean heat content in preceding ENSO decreased remarkably, in addition to a reduction in the maximum correlation between them. The weakening of the correlation and the shortening of the lead time pose more challenges for ENSO prediction, and is the likely reason behind the decrease in skill with respect to ENSO prediction after 2000. Coincident with the changes in tropical Pacific climate variability, the mean states of the atmospheric and oceanic components also experienced physically coherent changes. The warm anomaly of SST in the western Pacific and cold anomaly in the eastern Pacific resulted in an increased zonal SST gradient, linked to an enhancement in surface wind stress and strengthening of the Walker circulation, as well as an increase in the slope of the thermocline. These changes were consistent with an increase (a decrease) in precipitation and an enhancement (a suppression) of the deep convection in the western (eastern) equatorial Pacific. Possible connections between the mean state and ENSO variability and frequency changes in the tropical Pacific are also discussed.

  1. Coherent climate anomalies over the Indo-western Pacific in post-El Niño summer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosaka, Y.; Xie, S. P.; DU, Y.; Hu, K.; Chowdary, J. S.; Huang, G.

    2016-12-01

    El Niño typically peaks in boreal winter, and the associated equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) signal dissipates before subsequent summer. Its impact, however, outlasts until boreal summer in the Indo-western Pacific, featuring basin-wide Indian Ocean warming and tropical Northwestern Pacific cooling accompanied by the Pacific-Japan (PJ) teleconnection pattern with surface anomalous anticyclone (AAC) extending from the Philippine Sea to the northern Indian Ocean. Two formation mechanisms have been proposed for these climate anomalies in post-El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) summer. One hypothesis invokes the wind-evaporation-SST (WES) feedback in the tropical Northwestern Pacific, while the other points to inter-basin feedback between the Indian Ocean and tropical Northwestern Pacific. Based on a coupled model experiment, we propose an ocean-atmosphere coupled mode that synthesizes the two mechanisms. This Indo-western Pacific Ocean capacitor (IPOC) mode evolves seasonally from spring to summer under seasonal migration of background state. In spring, the WES feedback is operative in association with the tropical Northwestern Pacific cooling, while in summer the Indian Ocean warming and the inter-basin interaction maintains the AAC. While the IPOC mode is independent of ENSO in mechanism, ENSO can drive this mode in its decay phase. This excitation, however, has undergone substantial interdecadal modulations, depending on ENSO amplitude and persistence of Indian Ocean warming. The ENSO-IPOC correlation is high after the mid-1970s and at the beginning of the 20th century, but low in between.

  2. Evidence for infragravity wave-tide resonance in deep oceans.

    PubMed

    Sugioka, Hiroko; Fukao, Yoshio; Kanazawa, Toshihiko

    2010-10-05

    Ocean tides are the oscillatory motions of seawater forced by the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun with periods of a half to a day and wavelengths of the semi-Pacific to Pacific scale. Ocean infragravity (IG) waves are sea-surface gravity waves with periods of several minutes and wavelengths of several dozen kilometres. Here we report the first evidence of the resonance between these two ubiquitous phenomena, mutually very different in period and wavelength, in deep oceans. The evidence comes from long-term, large-scale observations with arrays of broadband ocean-bottom seismometers located at depths of more than 4,000 m in the Pacific Ocean. This observational evidence is substantiated by a theoretical argument that IG waves and the tide can resonantly couple and that such coupling occurs over unexpectedly wide areas of the Pacific Ocean. Through this resonant coupling, some of ocean tidal energy is transferred in deep oceans to IG wave energy.

  3. A genesis potential index for Western North Pacific tropical cyclones by using oceanic parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Min; Zhou, Lei; Chen, Dake; Wang, Chunzai

    2016-09-01

    This study attempts to create a tropical cyclone (TC) genesis potential index (GPI) by considering oceanic parameters and necessary atmospheric parameters. Based on the general understanding of the oceanic impacts on TC genesis, many candidate factors are evaluated and discriminated, resulting in a new GPI index, which is referred to as GPIocean. GPIocean includes the parameters of (1) absolute vorticity at 1000 hPa, (2) net sea surface longwave radiation, (3) mean ocean temperature in the upper mixed layer, and (4) depth of the 26°C isotherm. GPIocean is comparable to existing GPIs in representing TC genesis over the western North Pacific on seasonal and interannual variations. The same procedure can be applied to create a similar GPI for the other ocean basins. In the context of climate change, this new index is expected to be useful for evaluating the oceanic influences on TC genesis by using ocean reanalysis products and climate model outputs.

  4. Formation of Fe-Mn crusts within a continental margin environment

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Conrad, Tracey A.; Hein, James R.; Paytan, Adina; Clague, David A.

    2017-01-01

    This study examines Fe-Mn crusts that form on seamounts along the California continental-margin (CCM), within the United States 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. The study area extends from approximately 30° to 38° North latitudes and from 117° to 126° West longitudes. The area of study is a tectonically active northeast Pacific plate boundary region and is also part of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre with currents dominated by the California Current System. Upwelling of nutrient-rich water results in high primary productivity that produces a pronounced oxygen minimum zone. Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts forming along the CCM show distinct chemical and mineral compositions compared to open-ocean crusts. On average, CCM crusts contain more Fe relative to Mn than open-ocean Pacific crusts. The continental shelf and slope release both Fe and Mn under low-oxygen conditions. Silica is also enriched relative to Al compared to open-ocean crusts. This is due to the North Pacific silica plume and enrichment of Si along the path of deep-water circulation, resulting in Si enrichment in bottom and intermediate waters of the eastern Pacific.The CCM Fe-Mn crusts have a higher percentage of birnessite than open-ocean crusts, reflecting lower dissolved seawater oxygen that results from the intense coastal upwelling and proximity to zones of continental slope pore-water anoxia. Carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) is not present and CCM crusts do not show evidence of phosphatization, even in the older sections. The mineralogy indicates a suboxic environment under which birnessite forms, but in which pH is not high enough to facilitate CFA deposition. Growth rates of CCM crusts generally increase with increasing water depth, likely due to deep-water Fe sources mobilized from reduced shelf and slope sediments.Many elements of economic interest including Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, W, and Te have slightly or significantly lower concentrations in CCM crusts relative to crusts from the Pacific Prime Crust Zone and other open-ocean basins. However, concentrations of total rare earth elements and yttrium average only slightly lower contents and in the future may be a strategic resource for the U.S.

  5. 33 CFR 110.216 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif. 110.216 Section 110.216 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.216 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  6. 33 CFR 110.237 - Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage. 110.237 Section 110.237 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.237 Pacific Ocean at Waimea...

  7. 33 CFR 110.216 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif. 110.216 Section 110.216 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.216 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  8. 33 CFR 110.222 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif. 110.222 Section 110.222 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.222 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  9. 33 CFR 110.237 - Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage. 110.237 Section 110.237 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.237 Pacific Ocean at Waimea...

  10. 33 CFR 110.222 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif. 110.222 Section 110.222 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.222 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  11. 33 CFR 110.216 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif. 110.216 Section 110.216 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.216 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  12. 33 CFR 110.237 - Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Waimea, Hawaii, Naval Anchorage. 110.237 Section 110.237 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.237 Pacific Ocean at Waimea...

  13. 33 CFR 110.222 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif. 110.222 Section 110.222 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.222 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  14. 33 CFR 110.222 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif. 110.222 Section 110.222 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.222 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  15. 33 CFR 110.216 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif. 110.216 Section 110.216 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.216 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  16. 33 CFR 110.222 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara Island, Calif. 110.222 Section 110.222 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.222 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  17. 33 CFR 110.216 - Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Santa Catalina Island, Calif. 110.216 Section 110.216 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.216 Pacific Ocean at Santa...

  18. Dynamics of the Oceanic Surface Mixed Layer. Proceedings of ’Aha Huliko’a Hawaiian Winter Workshop (4th) Held in Manoa, Hawaii on January 14-16, 1987,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-01-01

    the tropical Pacific Ocean . Contribution in Atmospheric Science No. 20, University of California, Davis. Wyrtki, K., 1981: An estimate of... distribution of net E-P and heating in the tropical Pacific determines the vertical T-S relationship of the upper ocean in the western equatorial Pacific... contributing factor. The effect of such impulsive forcing on the western equatorial Pacific upper ocean can be seen in Fig. 11 from the

  19. Impact of resolving the diurnal cycle in an ocean-atmosphere GCM. Part 2: A diurnally coupled CGCM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernie, D. J.; Guilyardi, E.; Madec, G.; Slingo, J. M.; Woolnough, S. J.; Cole, J.

    2008-12-01

    Coupled ocean atmosphere general circulation models (GCM) are typically coupled once every 24 h, excluding the diurnal cycle from the upper ocean. Previous studies attempting to examine the role of the diurnal cycle of the upper ocean and particularly of diurnal SST variability have used models unable to resolve the processes of interest. In part 1 of this study a high vertical resolution ocean GCM configuration with modified physics was developed that could resolve the diurnal cycle in the upper ocean. In this study it is coupled every 3 h to atmospheric GCM to examine the sensitivity of the mean climate simulation and aspects of its variability to the inclusion of diurnal ocean-atmosphere coupling. The inclusion of the diurnal cycle leads to a tropics wide increase in mean sea surface temperature (SST), with the strongest signal being across the equatorial Pacific where the warming increases from 0.2°C in the central and western Pacific to over 0.3°C in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Much of this warming is shown to be a direct consequence of the rectification of daily mean SST by the diurnal variability of SST. The warming of the equatorial Pacific leads to a redistribution of precipitation from the Inter tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) toward the equator. In the western Pacific there is an increase in precipitation between Papa new guinea and 170°E of up to 1.2 mm/day, improving the simulation compared to climatology. Pacific sub tropical cells are increased in strength by about 10%, in line with results of part 1 of this study, due to the modification of the exchange of momentum between the equatorially divergent Ekman currents and the geostropic convergence at depth, effectively increasing the dynamical response of the tropical Pacific to zonal wind stresses. During the spring relaxation of the Pacific trade winds, a large diurnal cycle of SST increases the seasonal warming of the equatorial Pacific. When the trade winds then re-intensify, the increase in the dynamical response of the ocean leads to a stronger equatorial upwelling. These two processes both lead to stronger seasonal basin scale feedbacks in the coupled system, increasing the strength of the seasonal cycle of the tropical Pacific sector by around 10%. This means that the diurnal cycle in the upper ocean plays a part in the coupled feedbacks between ocean and atmosphere that maintain the basic state and the timing of the seasonal cycle of SST and trade winds in the tropical Pacific. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is examined by use of a large scale MJO index, lag correlations and composites of events. The inclusion of the diurnal cycle leads to a reduction in overall MJO activity. Precipitation composites show that the MJO is stronger and more coherent when the diurnal cycle of coupling is resolved, with the propagation and different phases being far more distinct both locally and to larger lead times across the tropical Indo-Pacific. Part one of this study showed that that diurnal variability of SST is modulated by the MJO and therefore increases the intraseasonal SST response to the different phases of the MJO. Precipitation-based composites of SST variability confirm this increase in the coupled simulations. It is argued that including this has increased the thermodynamical coupling of the ocean and atmosphere on the timescale of the MJO (20-100 days), accounting for the improvement in the MJO strength and coherency seen in composites of precipitation and SST. These results show that the diurnal cycle of ocean-atmosphere interaction has profound impact on a range of up-scale variability in the tropical climate and as such, it is an important feature of the modelled climate system which is currently either neglected or poorly resolved in state of the art coupled models.

  20. Climate variability and predictability associated with the Indo-Pacific Oceanic Channel Dynamics in the CCSM4 Coupled System Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Dongliang; Xu, Peng; Xu, Tengfei

    2017-01-01

    An experiment using the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4), a participant of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-5 (CMIP5), is analyzed to assess the skills of this model in simulating and predicting the climate variabilities associated with the oceanic channel dynamics across the Indo-Pacific Oceans. The results of these analyses suggest that the model is able to reproduce the observed lag correlation between the oceanic anomalies in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean and those in the cold tongue in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean at a time lag of 1 year. This success may be largely attributed to the successful simulation of the interannual variations of the Indonesian Throughflow, which carries the anomalies of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) into the western equatorial Pacific Ocean to produce subsurface temperature anomalies, which in turn propagate to the eastern equatorial Pacific to generate ENSO. This connection is termed the "oceanic channel dynamics" and is shown to be consistent with the observational analyses. However, the model simulates a weaker connection between the IOD and the interannual variability of the Indonesian Throughflow transport than found in the observations. In addition, the model overestimates the westerly wind anomalies in the western-central equatorial Pacific in the year following the IOD, which forces unrealistic upwelling Rossby waves in the western equatorial Pacific and downwelling Kelvin waves in the east. This assessment suggests that the CCSM4 coupled climate system has underestimated the oceanic channel dynamics and overestimated the atmospheric bridge processes.

  1. 78 FR 56658 - Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council); Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC864 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council); Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public...

  2. Difference in the influence of Indo-Pacific Ocean heat content on South Asian Summer Monsoon intensity before and after 1976/1977

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Yujie; Feng, Junqiao; Hu, Dunxin

    2016-05-01

    Monthly ocean temperature from ORAS4 datasets and atmospheric data from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis I/II were used to analyze the relationship between the intensity of the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) and upper ocean heat content (HC) in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. The monsoon was differentiated into a Southwest Asian Summer Monsoon (SWASM) (2.5°-20°N, 35°-70°E) and Southeast Asian Summer Monsoon (SEASM) (2.5°-20°N, 70°-110°E). Results show that before the 1976/77 climate shift, the SWASM was strongly related to HC in the southern Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean. The southern Indian Ocean affected SWASM by altering the pressure gradient between southern Africa and the northern Indian Ocean and by enhancing the Somali cross-equatorial flow. The tropical Pacific impacted the SWASM through the remote forcing of ENSO. After the 1976/77 shift, there was a close relationship between equatorial central Pacific HC and the SEASM. However, before that shift, their relationship was weak.

  3. Impact of Typhoons on the Western Pacific Ocean (ITOP) DRI: Numerical Modeling of Ocean Mixed Layer Turbulence and Entrainment at High Winds

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-30

    1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Impact of Typhoons on the Western Pacific Ocean (ITOP...The measurement and modeling activities include a focus on the impact of surface waves, air-sea fluxes and the temperature, salinity and velocity...SUBTITLE Impact of Typhoons on the Western Pacific Ocean (ITOP) DRI: Numerical Modeling of Ocean Mixed Layer Turbulence and Entrainment at High Winds

  4. North Pacific Mesoscale Coupled Air-Ocean Simulations Compared with Observations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Koracin, Darko; Cerovecki, Ivana; Vellore, Ramesh

    2013-04-11

    Executive summary The main objective of the study was to investigate atmospheric and ocean interaction processes in the western Pacific and, in particular, effects of significant ocean heat loss in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions on the lower and upper atmosphere. It is yet to be determined how significant are these processes are on climate scales. The understanding of these processes led us also to development of the methodology of coupling the Weather and Research Forecasting model with the Parallel Ocean Program model for western Pacific regional weather and climate simulations. We tested NCAR-developed research software Coupler 7 formore » coupling of the WRF and POP models and assessed its usability for regional-scale applications. We completed test simulations using the Coupler 7 framework, but implemented a standard WRF model code with options for both one- and two-way mode coupling. This type of coupling will allow us to seamlessly incorporate new WRF updates and versions in the future. We also performed a long-term WRF simulation (15 years) covering the entire North Pacific as well as high-resolution simulations of a case study which included extreme ocean heat losses in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions. Since the extreme ocean heat loss occurs during winter cold air outbreaks (CAO), we simulated and analyzed a case study of a severe CAO event in January 2000 in detail. We found that the ocean heat loss induced by CAOs is amplified by additional advection from mesocyclones forming on the southern part of the Japan Sea. Large scale synoptic patterns with anomalously strong anticyclone over Siberia and Mongolia, deep Aleutian Low, and the Pacific subtropical ridge are a crucial setup for the CAO. It was found that the onset of the CAO is related to the breaking of atmospheric Rossby waves and vertical transport of vorticity that facilitates meridional advection. The study also indicates that intrinsic parameterization of the surface fluxes within the WRF model needs more evaluation and analysis.« less

  5. Fundamental differences in diversity and genomic population structure between Atlantic and Pacific Prochlorococcus.

    PubMed

    Kashtan, Nadav; Roggensack, Sara E; Berta-Thompson, Jessie W; Grinberg, Maor; Stepanauskas, Ramunas; Chisholm, Sallie W

    2017-09-01

    The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans represent different biogeochemical regimes in which the abundant marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus thrives. We have shown that Prochlorococcus populations in the Atlantic are composed of hundreds of genomically, and likely ecologically, distinct coexisting subpopulations with distinct genomic backbones. Here we ask if differences in the ecology and selection pressures between the Atlantic and Pacific are reflected in the diversity and genomic composition of their indigenous Prochlorococcus populations. We applied large-scale single-cell genomics and compared the cell-by-cell genomic composition of wild populations of co-occurring cells from samples from Station ALOHA off Hawaii, and from Bermuda Atlantic Time Series Station off Bermuda. We reveal fundamental differences in diversity and genomic structure of populations between the sites. The Pacific populations are more diverse than those in the Atlantic, composed of significantly more coexisting subpopulations and lacking dominant subpopulations. Prochlorococcus from the two sites seem to be composed of mostly non-overlapping distinct sets of subpopulations with different genomic backbones-likely reflecting different sets of ocean-specific micro-niches. Furthermore, phylogenetically closely related strains carry ocean-associated nutrient acquisition genes likely reflecting differences in major selection pressures between the oceans. This differential selection, along with geographic separation, clearly has a significant role in shaping these populations.

  6. Simulation of heat storages and associated heat budgets in the Pacific Ocean: 2. Interdecadal timescale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Auad, Guillermo; Miller, Arthur J.; White, Warren B.

    1998-11-01

    We use a primitive equation isopycnal model of the Pacific Ocean to simulate and diagnose the anomalous heat balance on interdecadal timescales associated with heat storage changes observed from 1970-1988 in the expendable bathythermograph (XBT) data set. Given the smallness of the interdecadal signals compared to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal, the agreement between model and observations is remarkably good. The total anomalous heat balance is made up of two parts, the diabatic part (from the model temperature equation) and the adiabatic part (from the model mass conservation equation) due to thermocline heave. We therefore describe our analysis of both the total and diabatic anomalous heat balances in four areas of the tropical and subtropical North Pacific Ocean in the upper 400 m. The interdecadal total (diabatic plus adiabatic) heat balance in the North Pacific Ocean is characterized by a complicated interplay of different physical processes, especially revealed in basin-scale averages of the heat budget components that have comparable amounts of variance. In smaller subregions, simpler balances hold. For example, in the western equatorial Pacific (area 1) the total heat content tendency term is nearly zero, so that a simple balance exists between surface heat flux, vertical heat transport, and horizontal mixing. In the western subtropical Pacific the total heat content tendency balances the three-dimensional divergence of the heat flux. We speculate that this complexity is indicative of multiple physical mechanisms involved in the generation of North Pacific interdecadal variability. The diabatic heat balance north of 24°N, a region of special interest to The World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), can be simplified to a balance between the tendency term, surface heat flux, and meridional advection, the last term dominated by anomalous advection of mean temperature gradients. For the western equatorial region the diabatic heat content tendency is nearly zero and the steady balance involves simply horizontal advection and the surface heat flux, which at these latitudes has a damping role in the model. An important finding of this study is the identification of two interdecadal timescales, roughly 10 and 20 years, both similar to those reported by other investigators in recent years. [Tourre et al., 1998; Latif and Barnett, 1994; Robertson, 1995; White et al, 1997; Gu and Philander, 1997; Jacobs et al., 1994]. The 20-year timescale is only present in diabatic heat budget components, while the 10-year timescale is present in both diabatic and adiabatic components. The 10-year timescale can also be seen in the surface heat flux time series, but it occurs in the ocean adiabatic components which demonstrates the importance of oceanic adjustment through Rossby wave dynamics on decadal timescales.

  7. Cesium, iodine and tritium in NW Pacific waters - a comparison of the Fukushima impact with global fallout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Povinec, P. P.; Aoyama, M.; Biddulph, D.; Breier, R.; Buesseler, K.; Chang, C. C.; Golser, R.; Hou, X. L.; Ješkovský, M.; Jull, A. J. T.; Kaizer, J.; Nakano, M.; Nies, H.; Palcsu, L.; Papp, L.; Pham, M. K.; Steier, P.; Zhang, L. Y.

    2013-08-01

    Radionuclide impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident on the distribution of radionuclides in seawater of the NW Pacific Ocean is compared with global fallout from atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons. Surface and water column samples collected during the Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa (KOK) international expedition carried out in June 2011 were analyzed for 134Cs, 137Cs, 129I and 3H. The 137Cs, 129I and 3H levels in surface seawater offshore Fukushima varied between 0.002-3.5 Bq L-1, 0.01-0.8 μBq L-1, and 0.05-0.15 Bq L-1, respectively. At the sampling site about 40 km from the coast, where all three radionuclides were analyzed, the Fukushima impact on the levels of these three radionuclides represents an increase above the global fallout background by factors of about 1000, 50 and 3, respectively. The water column data indicate that the transport of Fukushima-derived radionuclides downward to the depth of 300 m has already occurred. The observed 137Cs levels in surface waters and in the water column are compared with predictions obtained from the ocean general circulation model, which indicates that the Kuroshio Current acts as a southern boundary for the transport of the radionuclides, which have been transported from the Fukushima coast eastward in the NW Pacific Ocean. The 137Cs inventory in the water column is estimated to be about 2.2 PBq, what can be regarded as a lower limit of the direct liquid discharges into the sea as the seawater sampling was carried out only in the area from 34 to 37° N, and from 142 to 147° E. About 4.6 GBq of 129I was deposited in the NW Pacific Ocean, and 2.4-7 GBq of 129I was directly discharged as liquid wastes into the sea offshore Fukushima. The total amount of 3H released and deposited over the NW Pacific Ocean was estimated to be 0.1-0.5 PBq. These estimations depend, however, on the evaluation of the total 137Cs activities released as liquid wastes directly into the sea, which should improve when more data are available. Due to a suitable residence time in the ocean, Fukushima-derived radionuclides will provide useful tracers for isotope oceanography studies on the transport of water masses during the next decades in the NW Pacific Ocean.

  8. 33 CFR 110.220 - Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. 110.220 Section 110.220 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. (a) The restricted areas—(1) East...

  9. 33 CFR 110.235 - Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). 110.235 Section 110.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). (a) The anchorage grounds—(1...

  10. 33 CFR 110.220 - Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. 110.220 Section 110.220 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. (a) The restricted areas—(1) East...

  11. 33 CFR 110.220 - Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. 110.220 Section 110.220 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. (a) The restricted area. All...

  12. 33 CFR 110.235 - Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). 110.235 Section 110.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). (a) The anchorage grounds—(1...

  13. 33 CFR 110.235 - Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). 110.235 Section 110.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). (a) The anchorage grounds—(1...

  14. 33 CFR 110.235 - Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). 110.235 Section 110.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). (a) The anchorage grounds—(1...

  15. 33 CFR 110.220 - Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. 110.220 Section 110.220 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. (a) The restricted areas—(1) East...

  16. 33 CFR 110.220 - Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. 110.220 Section 110.220 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Nicolas Island, Calif.; restricted anchorage areas. (a) The restricted areas—(1) East...

  17. 33 CFR 110.235 - Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). 110.235 Section 110.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean (Mamala Bay), Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii (Datum: NAD 83). (a) The anchorage grounds—(1...

  18. 50 CFR 679.64 - Harvesting sideboard limits in other fisheries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... area or subarea of the BSAI as follows: (i) Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch. (A) The Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch harvest limit will be equal to the 1996 through 1997 aggregate retained catch of Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch by catcher/processors listed in Sections 208(e)(1) through...

  19. Robustness of observation-based decadal sea level variability in the Indo-Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nidheesh, A. G.; Lengaigne, M.; Vialard, J.; Izumo, T.; Unnikrishnan, A. S.; Meyssignac, B.; Hamlington, B.; de Boyer Montegut, C.

    2017-07-01

    We examine the consistency of Indo-Pacific decadal sea level variability in 10 gridded, observation-based sea level products for the 1960-2010 period. Decadal sea level variations are robust in the Pacific, with more than 50% of variance explained by decadal modulation of two flavors of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (classical ENSO and Modoki). Amplitude of decadal sea level variability is weaker in the Indian Ocean than in the Pacific. All data sets indicate a transmission of decadal sea level signals from the western Pacific to the northwest Australian coast through the Indonesian throughflow. The southern tropical Indian Ocean sea level variability is associated with decadal modulations of ENSO in reconstructions but not in reanalyses or in situ data set. The Pacific-independent Indian Ocean decadal sea level variability is not robust but tends to be maximum in the southwestern tropical Indian Ocean. The inconsistency of Indian Ocean decadal variability across the sea level products calls for caution in making definitive conclusions on decadal sea level variability in this basin.

  20. Indo-Pacific ENSO modes in a double-basin Zebiak-Cane model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wieners, Claudia; de Ruijter, Will; Dijkstra, Henk

    2016-04-01

    We study Indo-Pacific interactions on ENSO timescales in a double-basin version of the Zebiak-Cane ENSO model, employing both time integrations and bifurcation analysis (continuation methods). The model contains two oceans (the Indian and Pacific Ocean) separated by a meridional wall. Interaction between the basins is possible via the atmosphere overlaying both basins. We focus on the effect of the Indian Ocean (both its mean state and its variability) on ENSO stability. In addition, inspired by analysis of observational data (Wieners et al, Coherent tropical Indo-Pacific interannual climate variability, in review), we investigate the effect of state-dependent atmospheric noise. Preliminary results include the following: 1) The background state of the Indian Ocean stabilises the Pacific ENSO (i.e. the Hopf bifurcation is shifted to higher values of the SST-atmosphere coupling), 2) the West Pacific cooling (warming) co-occurring with El Niño (La Niña) is essential to simulate the phase relations between Pacific and Indian SST anomalies, 3) a non-linear atmosphere is needed to simulate the effect of the Indian Ocean variability onto the Pacific ENSO that is suggested by observations.

  1. Methylmercury Mass Budgets and Distribution Characteristics in the Western Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyunji; Soerensen, Anne L; Hur, Jin; Heimbürger, Lars-Eric; Hahm, Doshik; Rhee, Tae Siek; Noh, Seam; Han, Seunghee

    2017-02-07

    Methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation in marine organisms poses serious ecosystem and human health risk, yet the sources of MeHg in the surface and subsurface ocean remain uncertain. Here, we report the first MeHg mass budgets for the Western Pacific Ocean estimated based on cruise observations. We found the major net source of MeHg in surface water to be vertical diffusion from the subsurface layer (1.8-12 nmol m -2  yr -1 ). A higher upward diffusion in the North Pacific (12 nmol m -2  yr -1 ) than in the Equatorial Pacific (1.8-5.7 nmol m -2  yr -1 ) caused elevated surface MeHg concentrations observed in the North Pacific. We furthermore found that the slope of the linear regression line for MeHg versus apparent oxygen utilization in the Equatorial Pacific was about 2-fold higher than that in the North Pacific. We suggest this could be explained by redistribution of surface water in the tropical convergence-divergence zone, supporting active organic carbon decomposition in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. On the basis of this study, we predict oceanic regions with high organic carbon remineralization to have enhanced MeHg concentrations in both surface and subsurface waters.

  2. Boundary scavenging in the Pacific Ocean - A comparison of Be-10 and Pa-231

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, R. F.; Lao, Y.; Broecker, W. S.; Trumbore, S. E.; Hofmann, H. J.

    1990-01-01

    Measurements of U, Th, Pa-231, and Be-10 concentrations were conducted in Holocene sediments from several sites representing open-ocean and ocean-margin environments in the Pacific Ocean. The results show that boundary scavenging plays a major role in the removal of Be-10 from the Pacific. Deposition of Be-10 is more than an order of magnitude greater at margin sites than at deep central Pacific sites, while Pa-231 is 4- to 5-fold greater at margin sites. The factors controling boundary scavenging of Pa and Be are discussed.

  3. Surface Energy Budget Disruption in the Northeast Pacific in Response to a Marine Heat Wave

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmeisser, L.; Siedlecki, S. A.; Ackerman, T. P.; Bond, N. A.

    2016-12-01

    The surface energy budget of the ocean varies greatly over space and time as a result of ocean-atmosphere interactions. Changes in the budget due to variability in incident shortwave radiation can alter the thermal structure of the upper ocean, influence photosynthetic processes, and ultimately affect marine biogeochemistry. Thus, accurate representation of the surface energy budget over the oceans is essential for successfully modeling ocean processes and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Siedlecki et al. [Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 27203] show that NOAA's Climate Forecast System (CFS) shortwave radiation fields are biased high relative to CFS reanalysis data by about 50 W/m2 in the study area off the coast of Washington and Oregon. This bias varies in space and time and is known to exist in large scale climate models. The bias results in reduced skill in ocean forecasts at the surface, with specific impacts on sea surface temperature and biogeochemistry. In order to better understand the surface radiation balance over the ocean and the biases present in large scale climate models, we use several data sets to analyze an anomalous sea surface temperature event (marine heat wave, MHW) in the Northeast Pacific during 2014-2015. This `blob' of warm water disrupted ocean-atmosphere feedbacks in the region and altered the surface energy balance; thus, it provides a case study to better understand physical mechanisms at play in the surface radiation balance. CERES SYN1deg satellite data are compared to model output from CFS (1°x1° resolution) and WRF (12km resolution). We use all three fields to assess the impact of model resolution on the surface energy budget, as well as identify feedbacks in ocean-atmosphere processes that may differ between the observations and the models. Observational time series from 2009-15 of shortwave radiation, longwave radiation, and cloud parameters across 3 latitudinal lines (44.5N, 47N, 50N) in the Northeast Pacific (150W to 125W) clearly show disruption in cloud fraction, water content, and radiative fluxes during the MHW. The timing and spatial extent of the disruption differ in the models. The surface radiation budget for the Northeast Pacific over this time period from the observations and models is compared and discussed.

  4. Vertical mercury distributions in the oceans

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gill, G.A.; Fitzgerald, W.F.

    1988-06-01

    The vertical distribution of mercury (Hg) was determined at coastal and open ocean sites in the northwest Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Reliable and diagnostic Hg distribution were obtained, permitting major processes governing the marine biogeochemistry of Hg to be identified. The northwest Atlantic near Bermuda showed surface water Hg concentrations near 4 pM, a maximum of 10 pM within the main thermocline, and concentrations less than or equal to surface water values below the depth of the maximum. The maximum appears to result from lateral transport of Hg enriched waters from higher latitudes. In the central North Pacific, surface watersmore » (to 940 m) were slightly elevated (1.9 {plus minus} 0.7 pM) compared to deeper waters (1.4 {plus minus} 0.4 pM), but on thermocline Hg maximum was observed. At similar depths, Hg concentrations near Bermuda were elevated compared to the central North Pacific Ocean. The authors hypothesize that the source of this Hg comes from diagenetic reactions in oxic margin sediments, releasing dissolved Hg to overlying water. Geochemical steady-state box modeling arguments predict a relatively short ({approximately}350 years) mean residence time for Hg in the oceans, demonstrating the reactive nature of Hg in seawater and precluding significant involvement in nutrient-type recycling. Mercury's distributional features and reactive nature suggest that interaction of Hg with settling particulate matter and margin sediments play important roles in regulating oceanic Hg concentrations. Oceanic Hg distributions are governed by an external cycling process, in which water column distributions reflect a rapid competition between the magnitude of the input source and the intensity of the (water column) removal process.« less

  5. Extremes in East African hydroclimate and links to Indo-Pacific variability on interannual to decadal timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ummenhofer, Caroline C.; Kulüke, Marco; Tierney, Jessica E.

    2018-04-01

    East African hydroclimate exhibits considerable variability across a range of timescales, with implications for its population that depends on the region's two rainy seasons. Recent work demonstrated that current state-of-the-art climate models consistently underestimate the long rains in boreal spring over the Horn of Africa while overestimating the short rains in autumn. This inability to represent the seasonal cycle makes it problematic for climate models to project changes in East African precipitation. Here we consider whether this bias also has implications for understanding interannual and decadal variability in the East African long and short rains. Using a consistent framework with an unforced multi-century global coupled climate model simulation, the role of Indo-Pacific variability for East African rainfall is compared across timescales and related to observations. The dominant driver of East African rainfall anomalies critically depends on the timescale under consideration: Interannual variations in East African hydroclimate coincide with significant sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies across the Indo-Pacific, including those associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the eastern Pacific, and are linked to changes in the Walker circulation, regional winds and vertical velocities over East Africa. Prolonged drought/pluvial periods in contrast exhibit anomalous SST predominantly in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) region, while eastern Pacific anomalies are insignificant. We assessed dominant frequencies in Indo-Pacific SST and found the eastern equatorial Pacific dominated by higher-frequency variability in the ENSO band, while the tropical Indian Ocean and IPWP exhibit lower-frequency variability beyond 10 years. This is consistent with the different contribution to regional precipitation anomalies for the eastern Pacific versus Indian Ocean and IPWP on interannual and decadal timescales, respectively. In the model, the dominant low-frequency signal seen in the observations in the Indo-Pacific is not well-represented as it instead exhibits overly strong variability on subdecadal timescales. The overly strong ENSO-teleconnection likely contributes to the overestimated role of the short rains in the seasonal cycle in the model compared to observations.

  6. TOPEX/El Niño Watch - Pacific Ocean Conditions are Split: Cold in East, Hot in West, July 27, 1999

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1999-08-23

    The North Pacific Ocean continues to run hot and cold, with abnormally low sea levels and cool waters in the northeastern Pacific contrasting with unusually high sea levels and warm waters in the northwestern Pacific.

  7. Seasonal variations of sulfate, carbonaceous species (black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and trace elements in fine atmospheric aerosols collected at subtropical islands in the East China Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaneyasu, Naoki; Takada, Hideshige

    2004-03-01

    In order to characterize the outflow of pollution derived aerosols from the Asian Pacific rim to the North Pacific Ocean, seasonal variations of fine aerosol components (aerodynamic diameter <2 μm) were collected at two islands (Amami Island and Miyako Island) that surround the East China Sea. Monthly averaged concentrations of non-sea-salt SO42- (nss.SO42-) and black carbon (BC) at Amami and Miyako showed relatively high values in winter to spring and low values in summer. The observed seasonal variation is basically determined by the northwesterly monsoon in winter to spring and southeasterly wind from the stationary North Pacific anticyclone in summer. The minimum concentration levels of nss.SO42- and BC in summer were almost 2-3 times that of the North Pacific background level. Trace metals in aerosols showed similar seasonal variations observed for nss.SO42- and BC. The concentrations of nss.SO42- and Sb were highly correlated; this is in contradiction with the results at stations established in Pacific Exploratory Mission-West ground monitoring sites. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) also showed a pronounced maximum in winter and/or spring, with maximum concentrations comparable in magnitude to those in spring at Barrow, Alaska. Many of the low molecular weight species of PAHs had high correlation with BC, suggesting that they were either transported independently in a similar way or were transported attached to BC. Furthermore, the relative abundance of some PAH species in the present study and those found in deep-ocean surface sediments sampled in the middle Pacific Ocean are compared and discussed.

  8. Protozoa in the diets of Neocalanus spp. in the oceanic subarctic Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gifford, Dian J.

    Copepod species of the genus Neocalanus dominate the zooplankton biomass of the oceanic subarctic Pacific Ocean. Neocalanus spp. populations in the subarctic Pacific environment are successful: they feed, accumulate lipid, and persist from year to year. Prior experimental observations derived from a variety of methods indicated that, although their functional morphology is such that they clear the small phytoplankton cells characteristic of the oceanic subarctic Pacific environment efficiently, Neocalanus spp. do not consume sufficient phytoplankton to meet even basic metabolic requirements in that environment. Hence, their success in the subarctic Pacific must depend on their ability to obtain nutrition from other sources. As part of the SUPER ( SUbarctic Pacific Ecosystem Research) program, experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that N. plumchrus and N. cristatus obtain a significant portion of their nutrition from planktonic Protozoa. The experiments demonstrate that Protozoa alone do not provide sufficient nutrition for N. cristatus to meet its basic metabolic needs. Protozoa constitute the major dietary component of N. plumchrus however, in agreement with the predictions of FROST'S (1987) model of the subarctic Pacific ecosystem. At a minimum this diet permits N. plumchrus to meet basic metabolic requirements. Copepod grazing activities appear to be sufficient to control protozoan stocks in the oceanic subarctic Pacific during late spring and early summer when Neocalanus spp. inhabit the upper water column.

  9. 33 CFR 334.1140 - Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone. 334.1140 Section 334.1140 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1140 Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone. (a) The area. The waters around San...

  10. 33 CFR 110.218 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. 110.218 Section 110.218 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. (a) The anchorage grounds...

  11. 33 CFR 334.1360 - Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1360 Section 334.1360 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1360 Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The...

  12. 33 CFR 110.218 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. 110.218 Section 110.218 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. (a) The anchorage grounds...

  13. 33 CFR 110.236 - Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages. 110.236 Section 110.236 Navigation and... Grounds § 110.236 Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal...

  14. 33 CFR 334.1140 - Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone. 334.1140 Section 334.1140 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1140 Pacific Ocean at San Miguel Island, Calif.; naval danger zone. (a) The area. The waters around San...

  15. 33 CFR 110.236 - Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages. 110.236 Section 110.236 Navigation and... Grounds § 110.236 Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal...

  16. 33 CFR 110.218 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. 110.218 Section 110.218 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. (a) The anchorage grounds...

  17. 33 CFR 110.218 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. 110.218 Section 110.218 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. (a) The anchorage grounds...

  18. 33 CFR 334.921 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. 334.921 Section 334.921 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....921 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All waters...

  19. 33 CFR 334.921 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. 334.921 Section 334.921 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....921 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All waters...

  20. 33 CFR 334.1360 - Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1360 Section 334.1360 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1360 Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The...

  1. 33 CFR 334.921 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. 334.921 Section 334.921 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....921 Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; naval restricted area. (a) The area. All waters...

  2. 33 CFR 110.236 - Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages. 110.236 Section 110.236 Navigation and... Grounds § 110.236 Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal...

  3. 33 CFR 334.1360 - Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1360 Section 334.1360 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1360 Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The...

  4. 75 FR 53873 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Vessels...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-02

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XY70 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Vessels Participating in the Rockfish Entry Level Fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the... for Pacific ocean perch for vessels participating in the rockfish entry level fishery in the Central...

  5. 75 FR 38936 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher Vessels...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-07

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XX35 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher Vessels Participating in the Rockfish Entry Level Trawl Fishery in the Central Regulatory... directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by trawl catcher vessels participating in the rockfish entry level...

  6. 76 FR 39790 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher Vessels...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-07

    .... 101126522-0640-02] RIN 0648-XA543 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch for Catcher Vessels Participating in the Rockfish Entry Level Trawl Fishery in the Central Regulatory... directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by trawl catcher vessels participating in the rockfish entry level...

  7. Phocine Distemper Virus in Northern Sea Otters in the Pacific Ocean, Alaska, USA

    PubMed Central

    Mazet, Jonna A.K.; Gill, Verena A.; Doroff, Angela M.; Burek, Kathy A.; Hammond, John A.

    2009-01-01

    Phocine distemper virus (PDV) has caused 2 epidemics in harbor seals in the Atlantic Ocean but had never been identified in any Pacific Ocean species. We found that northern sea otters in Alaska are infected with PDV, which has created a disease threat to several sympatric and decreasing Pacific marine mammals. PMID:19523293

  8. 33 CFR 334.1360 - Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1360 Section 334.1360 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1360 Pacific Ocean at Barber's Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The...

  9. 33 CFR 110.218 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. 110.218 Section 110.218 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, Calif.; in vicinity of Wilson Cove. (a) The anchorage grounds...

  10. 33 CFR 334.1390 - Pacific Ocean off the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1390 Section 334.1390... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1390 Pacific Ocean off the Pacific Missile Range Facility at... Pacific Missile Range Facility range boats, beach markings including beach signs along the north and south...

  11. 33 CFR 334.900 - Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. 334.900 Section 334.900 Navigation and Navigable Waters... REGULATIONS § 334.900 Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. (a) The...

  12. 33 CFR 334.1410 - Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range. 334.1410 Section 334.1410 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1410 Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii...

  13. 33 CFR 165.T11-577 - Security Zone; Naval Exercise; Pacific Ocean, Coronado, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Security Zone; Naval Exercise; Pacific Ocean, Coronado, CA. 165.T11-577 Section 165.T11-577 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.T11-577 Security Zone; Naval Exercise; Pacific Ocean, Coronado, CA. (a) Location. The limits of...

  14. 33 CFR 334.900 - Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. 334.900 Section 334.900 Navigation and Navigable Waters... REGULATIONS § 334.900 Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. (a) The...

  15. 33 CFR 334.1410 - Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range. 334.1410 Section 334.1410 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1410 Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii...

  16. 33 CFR 334.900 - Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. 334.900 Section 334.900 Navigation and Navigable Waters... REGULATIONS § 334.900 Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. (a) The...

  17. 33 CFR 334.1370 - Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1370 Section 334.1370 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1370 Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The waters...

  18. 33 CFR 334.1370 - Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1370 Section 334.1370 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1370 Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The waters...

  19. 33 CFR 334.900 - Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. 334.900 Section 334.900 Navigation and Navigable Waters... REGULATIONS § 334.900 Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. (a) The...

  20. 33 CFR 334.900 - Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. 334.900 Section 334.900 Navigation and Navigable Waters... REGULATIONS § 334.900 Pacific Ocean, U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; restricted area. (a) The...

  1. 33 CFR 334.1410 - Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range. 334.1410 Section 334.1410 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1410 Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii...

  2. 33 CFR 334.1370 - Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1370 Section 334.1370 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1370 Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The waters...

  3. 33 CFR 334.1410 - Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range. 334.1410 Section 334.1410 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1410 Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii...

  4. 33 CFR 110.236 - Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal anchorages.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point... Grounds § 110.236 Pacific Ocean off Barbers Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii: Offshore pipeline terminal... regulations. (1) No vessels may anchor, moor, or navigate in anchorages A, B, C, or D except: (i) Vessels...

  5. 33 CFR 334.1370 - Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1370 Section 334.1370 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF....1370 Pacific Ocean at Keahi Point, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. The waters...

  6. 33 CFR 334.1410 - Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, Makai Undersea Test Range. 334.1410 Section 334.1410 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.1410 Pacific Ocean, at Makapuu Point, Waimanalo, Island of Oahu, Hawaii...

  7. The dependence on atmospheric resolution of ENSO and related East Asian-western North Pacific summer climate variability in a coupled model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Bo; Zhao, Guijie; Huang, Gang; Wang, Pengfei; Yan, Bangliang

    2017-08-01

    The authors present results for El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and East Asian-western North Pacific climate variability simulated in a new version high-resolution coupled model (ICM.V2) developed at the Center for Monsoon System Research of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CMSR, IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The analyses are based on the last 100-year output of a 1000-year simulation. Results are compared to an earlier version of the same coupled model (ICM.V1), reanalysis, and observations. The two versions of ICM have similar physics but different atmospheric resolution. The simulated climatological mean states show marked improvement over many regions, especially the tropics in ICM.V2 compared to those in ICM.V1. The common bias in the cold tongue has reduced, and the warm biases along the ocean boundaries have improved as well. With improved simulation of ENSO, including its period and strength, the ENSO-related western North Pacific summer climate variability becomes more realistic compared to the observations. The simulated East Asian summer monsoon anomalies in the El Niño decaying summer are substantially more realistic in ICM.V2, which might be related to a better simulation of the Indo-Pacific Ocean capacitor (IPOC) effect and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO).

  8. Trace Element Inputs to the Upper West Pacific from Nd Isotopes and Rare Earth Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behrens, M. K.; Pahnke, K.; Schnetger, B.; Brumsack, H. J.

    2015-12-01

    Neodymium isotopes (143Nd/144Nd, expressed as ɛNd) and rare earth element (REE) concentrations in the ocean trace water mass transport and margin-seawater exchange processes. The distinct ɛNd and REE signatures of the lithogenic components of margin sediments of the West Pacific allow characterization of trace element inputs to the Pacific Ocean. We present dissolved ɛNdand REE concentrations from twelve vertical profiles of a transect from South Korea to Fiji. Near South Korea, surface waters are marked by unradiogenic ɛNd (as low as -7.3), high REE concentrations (e.g., Nd = 15.3 pmol/kg) and low salinity. Towards the open ocean, these parameters gradually change towards typical Pacific open ocean values (ɛNd = -3.3, [Nd] = 5.55 pmol/kg). Subsurface waters show REE depletions, followed by the typical REE increase with increasing water depth. These distributions indicate trace element input near South Korea and enhanced subsurface scavenging, as indicated by strong heavy REE to light REE fractionation. In the tropical West Pacific (10°N-15°S), high surface and subsurface water ɛNd values (+0.7) and positive Eu anomalies trace the influence of volcanic islands. Yet, absolute REE concentrations are extremely low at these depths (e.g., Nd = 2.77 pmol/kg). Using shale-normalized Nd/Er and Ho/Dy ratios, that show a much stronger surface to subsurface decrease in coastal waters compared to the open ocean, we suggest enhanced scavenging in this area. Eastward flowing intermediate waters (NPIW, AAIW) have ɛNd values up to +1.9 (NPIW) and +3.7 (AAIW) higher than those entering the tropical West Pacific from north and south, respectively. Modified ɛNd at intermediate depths and no change in REE patterns suggest that boundary exchange along volcanic island margins modifies the seawater ɛNd without changing the REE budget.

  9. Remote Linkages to Anomalous Winter Atmospheric Ridging over the Northeastern Pacific

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Swain, Daniel L.; Singh, Deepti; Horton, Daniel E.; Mankin, Justin S.; Ballard, Tristan C.; Diffenbaugh, Noah S.

    2017-01-01

    Severe drought in California between 2013 and 2016 has been linked to the multiyear persistence of anomalously high atmospheric pressure over the northeastern Pacific Ocean, which deflected the Pacific storm track northward and suppressed regional precipitation during California's winter 'rainy season.' Multiple hypotheses have emerged regarding why this high pressure ridge near the west coast of North America was so resilient-including unusual sea surface temperature patterns in the Pacific Ocean, reductions in Arctic sea ice, random atmospheric variability, or some combination thereof. Here we explore relationships between previously documented atmospheric conditions over the North Pacific and several potential remote oceanic and cryospheric influences using both observational data and a large ensemble of climate model simulations. Our results suggest that persistent wintertime atmospheric ridging similar to that implicated in California's 2013-2016 drought can at least partially be linked to unusual Pacific sea surface temperatures, and that Pacific Ocean conditions may offer some degree of cool-season foresight in this region despite the presence of substantial internal variability.

  10. Remote Linkages to Anomalous Winter Atmospheric Ridging Over the Northeastern Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swain, Daniel L.; Singh, Deepti; Horton, Daniel E.; Mankin, Justin S.; Ballard, Tristan C.; Diffenbaugh, Noah S.

    2017-11-01

    Severe drought in California between 2013 and 2016 has been linked to the multiyear persistence of anomalously high atmospheric pressure over the northeastern Pacific Ocean, which deflected the Pacific storm track northward and suppressed regional precipitation during California's winter "rainy season." Multiple hypotheses have emerged regarding why this high pressure ridge near the west coast of North America was so resilient—including unusual sea surface temperature patterns in the Pacific Ocean, reductions in Arctic sea ice, random atmospheric variability, or some combination thereof. Here we explore relationships between previously documented atmospheric conditions over the North Pacific and several potential remote oceanic and cryospheric influences using both observational data and a large ensemble of climate model simulations. Our results suggest that persistent wintertime atmospheric ridging similar to that implicated in California's 2013-2016 drought can at least partially be linked to unusual Pacific sea surface temperatures and that Pacific Ocean conditions may offer some degree of cool-season foresight in this region despite the presence of substantial internal variability.

  11. Acidic processing of mineral dust iron by anthropogenic compounds over the north Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solmon, F.; Chuang, P. Y.; Meskhidze, N.; Chen, Y.

    2009-01-01

    Atmospheric processing of mineral aerosol by anthropogenic pollutants may be an important process by which insoluble iron can be transformed into soluble forms and become available to oceanic biota. Observations of the soluble iron fraction in atmospheric aerosol exhibit large variability, which is poorly represented in models. In this study, we implemented a dust iron dissolution scheme in a global chemistry transport model (GEOS-Chem). The model is applied over the North Pacific Ocean during April 2001, a period when concentrations of dust and pollution within the east Asia outflow were high. Simulated fields of many key chemical constituents compare reasonably well with available observations, although some discrepancies are identified and discussed. In our simulations, the production of soluble iron varies temporally and regionally depending on pollution-to-dust ratio, primarily due to strong buffering by calcite. Overall, we show that the chemical processing mechanism produces significant amounts of dissolved iron reaching and being deposited in remote regions of the Pacific basin, with some seasonal variability. Simulated enhancements in particulate soluble iron fraction range from 0.5% to 6%, which is consistent with the observations. According to our simulations, ˜30% to 70% of particulate soluble iron over the North Pacific Ocean basin can be attributed to atmospheric processing. On the basis of April 2001 monthly simulations, sensitivity tests suggest that doubling SO2 emissions can induce a significant increase (13% on average, up to 40% during specific events) in dissolved iron production and deposition to the remote Pacific. We roughly estimate that half of the primary productivity induced by iron deposition in a north Pacific high-nutrient low-chlorophyll region is due to soluble iron derived from anthropogenic chemical processing of Asian aerosol.

  12. Ocean Thermal and Color Evolution During the 1997/1998 ENSO Event

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rienecker, Michele

    1998-01-01

    A reduced gravity primitive equation modeling and assimilation system is used to study the evolution of the tropical Pacific during the 1997/1998 ENSO cycle. The modeling/assimilation scheme ingests satellite altimeter data and TAO temperature profiles and uses SSM/I satellite derived winds as surface boundary forcing. The four-dimensional structure of the upper ocean circulation structure will be compared against available in situ observations across the Pacific basin. In particular, variability near the Galapagos Islands will be highlighted during the spring of 1998 when phytoplankton concentrations were observed to increase a hundred-fold over a two week period.

  13. 78 FR 48860 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; South Pacific Tuna Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-12

    ... Collection; Comment Request; South Pacific Tuna Act AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... information is required to meet U.S. obligations under the Treaty. The Treaty authorizes U.S. tuna vessels to fish within fishing zones of a large region of the Pacific Ocean. The South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988...

  14. Palaeotsunamis in the Pacific Islands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Goff, J.; Chague-Goff, C.; Dominey-Howes, D.; McAdoo, B.; Cronin, S.; Bonte-Grapetin, Michael; Nichol, S.; Horrocks, M.; Cisternas, M.; Lamarche, G.; Pelletier, B.; Jaffe, B.; Dudley, W.

    2011-01-01

    The recent 29 September 2009 South Pacific and 27 February 2010 Chilean events are a graphic reminder that the tsunami hazard and risk for the Pacific Ocean region should not be forgotten. Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) generally have short (<150 years) historic records, which means that to understand their tsunami hazard and risk researchers must study evidence for prehistoric events. However, our current state of knowledge of palaeotsunamis in PICs as opposed to their circum-Pacific counterparts is minimal at best. We briefly outline the limited extent of our current knowledge and propose an innovative methodology for future research in the Pacific. Each PIC represents a point source of information in the Pacific Ocean and this would allow their palaeotsunami records to be treated akin to palaeo-DART?? (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) buoys. Contemporaneous palaeotsunamis from local, regional and distant sources could be identified by using the spatial distribution of island records throughout the Pacific Ocean in conjunction with robust event chronologies. This would be highly innovative and, more importantly, would help provide the building blocks necessary to achieve more meaningful disaster risk reduction for PICs. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

  15. Connections between the tropical Pacific Ocean, Arctic sea ice, and anomalous northeastern Pacific ridging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swain, D. L.; Singh, D.; Horton, D. E.; Mankin, J. S.; Ballard, T.; Thomas, L. N.; Diffenbaugh, N. S.

    2016-12-01

    The ongoing and severe drought in California is linked to the multi-year persistence of anomalously strong ridging along the west coast of North America, which has deflected the Pacific storm track north of its climatological mean position. Recent work has shown that that highly amplified and strongly meridional atmospheric flow patterns in this region similar to the "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge" have become more common in recent decades. Previous investigations have suggested multiple possible contributors to this conspicuous atmospheric anomaly—including remote teleconnections to unusual tropical Pacific Ocean warmth and/or reduced Arctic sea ice, internal (natural) atmospheric variability, and anthropogenic forcing due to greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we explore observed relationships between mid-tropospheric atmospheric structure in this region and five hypothesized surface forcings: sea ice extent in the (1) Barents/Kara and (2) Beaufort/Chukchi regions, and sea surface temperatures in the (3) extratropical northeastern Pacific Ocean, (4) western tropical Pacific Ocean, and (5) eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Using a predictive model based upon these observed relationships, we also investigate whether the failure of the powerful 2015-2016 El Niño event to bring above-average precipitation to California could have been predicted based upon these teleconnections.

  16. The response of an ocean general circulation model to surface wind stress produced by an atmospheric general circulation model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, B.; Schneider, E.K.

    1995-10-01

    Two surface wind stress datasets for 1979-91, one based on observations and the other from an investigation of the COLA atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with prescribed SST, are used to drive the GFDL ocean general circulation model. These two runs are referred to as the control and COLA experiments, respectively. Simulated SST and upper-ocean heat contents (HC) in the tropical Pacific Ocean are compared with observations and between experiments. Both simulation reproduced the observed mean SST and HC fields as well as their annual cycles realistically. Major errors common to both runs are colder than observed SST in themore » eastern equatorial ocean and HC in the western Pacific south of the equator, with errors generally larger in the COLA experiment. New errors arising from the AGCM wind forcing include higher SST near the South American coast throughout the year and weaker HC gradients along the equator in boreal spring. The former is associated with suppressed coastal upwelling by weak along shore AGCM winds, and the latter is caused by weaker equatorial easterlies in boreal spring. The low-frequency ENSO fluctuations are also realistic for both runs. Correlations between the observed and simulated SST anomalies from the COLA simulation are as high as those from the control run in the central equatorial Pacific. A major problem in the COLA simulation is the appearance of unrealistic tropical cold anomalies during the boreal spring of mature El Nino years. These anomalies propagate along the equator from the western Pacific to the eastern coast in about three months, and temporarily eliminate the warm SST and HC anomalies in the eastern Pacific. This erroneous oceanic response in the COLA simulation is caused by a reversal of the westerly wind anomalies on the equator, associated with an unrealistic southward shift of the ITCZ in boreal spring during El Nino events. 66 refs., 16 figs.« less

  17. Microplastics in the Ocean.

    PubMed

    Shim, Won Joon; Thomposon, Richard C

    2015-10-01

    Since their ubiquity in the ocean and marine organisms was first revealed, global concern about microplastics has grown considerably. The North Pacific Ocean and the adjacent marginal seas have high levels of microplastic contamination compared with the global average. This special issue on microplastics was organized by the North Pacific Marine Science Organization to share information on microplastic pollution in the North Pacific region. The special issue highlights high levels of contamination in the North Pacific both on shorelines and at the sea surface. Particularly high levels of contamination were reported on the western and southern coasts of Korea. Sources, including sewage discharge, aquaculture, and shipyards, were implicated. With the direction and energy of surface winds and currents have an important influence on shoreline patterns of distribution. The special issue also demonstrates potential for ingestion of microplastic by small planktonic organisms at the base of the food chain. A wide range of chemicals are associated with plastic debris and concerns are expressed about the potential for these chemicals to transfer to biota upon ingestion. As an introduction to the topic, this paper provides a brief background on microplastic contamination, highlights some key research gaps, and summarizes findings from the articles published in this issue.

  18. 78 FR 14755 - International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-07

    ... effort, influenced to some extent by oceanic conditions associated with El Ni[ntilde]o-Southern... the fleet during El Ni[ntilde]o events, when warm water spreads from the western Pacific to the... important fishing grounds to the fleet during El Ni[ntilde]o events (as compared to neutral or La Ni[ntilde...

  19. Ocean transport and variability studies of the South Pacific, Southern, and Indian Oceans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Church, John A.; Cresswell, G. R.; Nilsson, C. S.; Mcdougall, T. J.; Coleman, R.; Rizos, C.; Penrose, J.; Hunter, J. R.; Lynch, M. J.

    1991-01-01

    The objectives of this study are to analyze ocean dynamics in the western South Pacific and the adjacent Southern Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean. Specifically, our objectives for these three regions are, for the South Pacific Ocean: (1) To estimate the volume transport of the east Australian Current (EAC) along the Australian coast and in the Tasman Front, and to estimate the time variability (on seasonal and interannual time scales) of this transport. (2) To contribute to estimating the meridional heat and freshwater fluxes (and their variability) at about 30 deg S. Good estimates of the transport in the western boundary current are essential for accurate estimates of these fluxes. (3) To determine how the EAC transport (and its extension, the Tasman Front and the East Auckland Current) closes the subtropical gyre of the South Pacific and to better determine the structure at the confluence of this current and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. (4) To examine the structure and time variability of the circulation in the western South Pacific and the adjacent Southern Ocean, particularly at the Tasman Front. For the Indian Ocean: (5) To study the seasonal interannual variations in the strength of the Leeuwin Current. (6) To monitor the Pacific-Indian Ocean throughflow and the South Equatorial and the South Java Currents between northwest Australia and Indonesia. (7) To study the processes that form the water of the permanent oceanic thermocline and, in particular, the way in which new thermocline water enters the permanent thermocline in late winter and early spring as the mixed layer restratifies. For the Southern Ocean: (8) To study the mesoscale and meridional structure of the Southern Ocean between 150 deg E and 170 deg E; in particular, to describe the Antarctic frontal system south of Tasmania and determine its interannual variability; to estimate the exchanges of heat, salt, and other properties between the Indian and Pacific Oceans; and to investigate the annual ventilation of the Antarctic Intermediate Water and Subantarctic Mode Water Masses.

  20. 33 CFR 334.1120 - Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. 334.1120 Section 334.1120 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1120 Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. (a...

  1. 33 CFR 334.1120 - Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. 334.1120 Section 334.1120 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1120 Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. (a...

  2. 33 CFR 334.1120 - Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. 334.1120 Section 334.1120 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1120 Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. (a...

  3. 33 CFR 334.1120 - Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. 334.1120 Section 334.1120 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1120 Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. (a...

  4. 33 CFR 334.1120 - Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. 334.1120 Section 334.1120 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1120 Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Point Mugu, Calif.; naval small arms firing range. (a...

  5. 33 CFR 334.866 - Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of Coronado, San Diego County, California...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of Coronado, San Diego County, California; naval danger zone. 334.866 Section 334.866... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.866 Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of...

  6. 33 CFR 334.866 - Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of Coronado, San Diego County, California...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of Coronado, San Diego County, California; naval danger zone. 334.866 Section 334.866... AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.866 Pacific Ocean at Naval Base Coronado, in the City of...

  7. 33 CFR 334.940 - Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard units. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.940 Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San...

  8. 33 CFR 334.940 - Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard units. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.940 Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San...

  9. 33 CFR 334.940 - Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard units. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.940 Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San...

  10. 33 CFR 334.940 - Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard units. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.940 Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San...

  11. 33 CFR 334.940 - Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San Pedro, Calif.; practice firing range for U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard units. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.940 Pacific Ocean in vicinity of San...

  12. Consensuses and discrepancies of basin-scale ocean heat content changes in different ocean analyses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Gongjie; Cheng, Lijing; Abraham, John; Li, Chongyin

    2018-04-01

    Inconsistent global/basin ocean heat content (OHC) changes were found in different ocean subsurface temperature analyses, especially in recent studies related to the slowdown in global surface temperature rise. This finding challenges the reliability of the ocean subsurface temperature analyses and motivates a more comprehensive inter-comparison between the analyses. Here we compare the OHC changes in three ocean analyses (Ishii, EN4 and IAP) to investigate the uncertainty in OHC in four major ocean basins from decadal to multi-decadal scales. First, all products show an increase of OHC since 1970 in each ocean basin revealing a robust warming, although the warming rates are not identical. The geographical patterns, the key modes and the vertical structure of OHC changes are consistent among the three datasets, implying that the main OHC variabilities can be robustly represented. However, large discrepancies are found in the percentage of basinal ocean heating related to the global ocean, with the largest differences in the Pacific and Southern Ocean. Meanwhile, we find a large discrepancy of ocean heat storage in different layers, especially within 300-700 m in the Pacific and Southern Oceans. Furthermore, the near surface analysis of Ishii and IAP are consistent with sea surface temperature (SST) products, but EN4 is found to underestimate the long-term trend. Compared with ocean heat storage derived from the atmospheric budget equation, all products show consistent seasonal cycles of OHC in the upper 1500 m especially during 2008 to 2012. Overall, our analyses further the understanding of the observed OHC variations, and we recommend a careful quantification of errors in the ocean analyses.

  13. Bottom-up and climatic forcing on the worldwide population of leatherback turtles.

    PubMed

    Saba, Vincent S; Spotila, James R; Chavez, Francisco P; Musick, John A

    2008-05-01

    Nesting populations of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic and western Indian Oceans are increasing or stable while those in the Pacific are declining. It has been suggested that leatherbacks in the eastern Pacific may be resource limited due to environmental variability derived from the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), but this has yet to be tested. Here we explored bottom-up forcing and the responding reproductive output of nesting leatherbacks worldwide. We achieved this through an extensive review of leatherback nesting and migration data and by analyzing the spatial, temporal, and quantitative nature of resources as indicated by net primary production at post-nesting female migration and foraging areas. Leatherbacks in the eastern Pacific were the smallest in body size and had the lowest reproductive output due to less productive and inconsistent resources within their migration and foraging areas. This derived from natural interannual and multidecadal climate variability together with an influence of anthropogenic climate warming that is possibly affecting these natural cycles. The reproductive output of leatherbacks in the Atlantic and western Indian Oceans was nearly twice that of turtles in the eastern Pacific. The inconsistent nature of the Pacific Ocean may also render western Pacific leatherbacks susceptible to a more variable reproductive output; however, it appears that egg harvesting on nesting beaches is their major threat. We suggest that the eastern Pacific leatherback population is more sensitive to anthropogenic mortality due to recruitment rates that are lower and more variable, thus accounting for much of the population differences compared to Atlantic and western Indian turtles.

  14. Widespread iron limitation of phytoplankton in the south pacific ocean

    PubMed

    Behrenfeld; Kolber

    1999-02-05

    Diel fluorescence patterns were discovered in phytoplankton sampled over 7000 kilometers of the South Pacific Ocean that appear indicative of iron-limiting growth conditions. These patterns were rapidly lost after in situ iron enrichment and were not observed during a 15,000-kilometer transect in the Atlantic Ocean where iron concentrations are relatively high. Laboratory studies of marine Synechococcus sp. indicated that the patterns in the South Pacific are a unique manifestation of iron limitation on the fluorescence signature of state transitions. Results suggest that primary productivity is iron limited not only throughout the equatorial Pacific but also over much of the vast South Pacific gyre.

  15. Effects of ocean initial perturbation on developing phase of ENSO in a coupled seasonal prediction model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hyun-Chul; Kumar, Arun; Wang, Wanqiu

    2018-03-01

    Coupled prediction systems for seasonal and inter-annual variability in the tropical Pacific are initialized from ocean analyses. In ocean initial states, small scale perturbations are inevitably smoothed or distorted by the observational limits and data assimilation procedures, which tends to induce potential ocean initial errors for the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) prediction. Here, the evolution and effects of ocean initial errors from the small scale perturbation on the developing phase of ENSO are investigated by an ensemble of coupled model predictions. Results show that the ocean initial errors at the thermocline in the western tropical Pacific grow rapidly to project on the first mode of equatorial Kelvin wave and propagate to the east along the thermocline. In boreal spring when the surface buoyancy flux weakens in the eastern tropical Pacific, the subsurface errors influence sea surface temperature variability and would account for the seasonal dependence of prediction skill in the NINO3 region. It is concluded that the ENSO prediction in the eastern tropical Pacific after boreal spring can be improved by increasing the observational accuracy of subsurface ocean initial states in the western tropical Pacific.

  16. Pacific Locked in La Nada Limbo

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-02-07

    The latest image of sea surface heights in the Pacific Ocean from NASA Jason-2 satellite shows that the equatorial Pacific Ocean is now in its 10th month of being locked in what some call a neutral, or La Nada state.

  17. Dissolved lead in the deep Southeast Pacific Ocean: results of the 2013 US GEOTRACES cruise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boyle, E. A.; Lee, J. M.; Zhang, J.; Echegoyen, Y.

    2014-12-01

    Lead (Pb) in the modern ocean is dominated by anthropogenic Pb, which has been evidenced by highly elevated seawater Pb concentrations and Pb stable isotope ratios (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, and 208Pb) altered from pre-anthropogenic values. A number of studies have shown the human impact on oceanic Pb in many parts of the world ocean, but little Pb data has been available for the Southeast Pacific Ocean. In this presentation, we will show the dissolved Pb (<0.2µm) results from the US GEOTRACES cruise in October - December 2013, which sailed from Manta, Ecuador, to Tahiti along around 12 degrees south. Dissolved Pb concentrations from all 36 surface stations and deep (>1000m) Pb profiles from 18 stations will be presented, and the results will be also compared to our unpublished data from the BiG RAPA cruise in 2010, whose cruise track from Arica, Peru, to Easter Island is slightly south of the US GEOTRACES cruise. The BiG RAPA data showed that dissolved Pb concentrations of the southeast Pacific Ocean are relatively low, varying in the range of 8-20 pmol/kg at the surface with a slight maximum (14-22 pmol/kg) at around 400m depth, and 2-10 pmol/kg in deep waters below 1000m depth. The Pb concentrations were found to be higher at a marginal station off Peru, reaching 45 pmol/kg at the surface and 65 pmol/kg in the subsurface maximum at 150m depth, and varying between 17 and 23 pmol/kg in deep waters. Our dataset, along with the results from the BiG RAPA cruise, will provide the first overview on the dissolved Pb distribution of the southeast Pacific Ocean, which will further our understanding on the human impact on the global ocean.

  18. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yanai, M.; Tomita, T.

    Using the National Centers for Environmental Predictions (NCEP)-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis, distributions of the heat source Q{sub 1} and moisture sink Q{sub 2} between 50{degree}N and 50{degree}S are determined for a 15-yr period from 1980 to 1994. Heating mechanisms operating in various parts of the world are examined by comparing the horizontal distributions of the vertically integrated heat source {l_angle}Q{sub 1}{r_angle} with those of the vertically integrated moisture sink {l_angle}Q{sub 2}{r_angle} and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) flux and by comparing the vertical distributions of Q{sub 1} with those of Q{sub 2}. In northern winter, the major heatmore » sources are located (i) in a broad zone connecting the tropical Indian Ocean, Indonesia, and the South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ); (ii) over the Congo and Amazon Basins; and (iii) off the east coasts of Asia and North America. In northern summer, the major heat sources are over (i) the Bay of Bengal coast, (ii) the western tropical Pacific, and (iii) Central America. Heat sources in various regions exhibit strong interannual variability. A long (4-5 yr) periodicity corresponding to the variations in OLR and sea surface temperature (SST) is dominant in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific Ocean, while a shorter-period oscillation is superimposed upon the long-period variation over the equatorial Indian Ocean. The interannual variations of {l_angle}Q{sub 1}{r_angle}, OLR, and SST are strongly coupled in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific. However, the coupling between the interannual variations of {l_angle}Q{sub 1}{r_angle} and OLR with those of SST is weak in the equatorial western Pacific and Indian Ocean, suggesting that factors other than the local SST are also at work in controlling the variations of atmospheric convection in these regions. 62 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.« less

  19. Anthropogenic 129I in the North Pacific, Bering and Chukchi Seas, and Arctic Ocean in 2012-2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagai, H.; Hasegawa, A.; Yamagata, T.; Kumamoto, Y.; Nishino, S.; Matsuzaki, H.

    2015-10-01

    Most of anthropogenic 129I in marine environment are due to discharge from the nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities at Sellafield (U.K.) and La Hague (France) for past few decades. The discharge raised 129I concentration in seawaters in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to more than 109 atoms L-1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that in other region. Recently, in March 2011, a large quantity of 129I was released into the western North Pacific due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (F1NPP) accident. To evaluate the influence of these events, we have measured 129I concentration in seawaters in the northern North Pacific Ocean, Bering and Chukchi Seas, and Arctic Ocean in 2012-2013. The 129I concentrations were 1.0-1.8 × 107 atoms L-1 in the surface waters in the vicinity of 47°N 150°E-130°W North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea (<74°N), which are equal to or lower than the 129I concentration level in surface water in the North Pacific Ocean before the F1NPP accident. The vertical profiles in the North Pacific were almost same as that observed in the western North Pacific before the F1NPP accident. The 129I distribution in seawater in the North Pacific to the Chukchi Sea revealed no significant increase of 129I concentration caused by the F1NPP accident. The 129I concentrations were 13-14 × 107 atoms L-1 in surface waters and 80 × 107 atoms L-1 at depths of 300 and 800 m in the Arctic Ocean.

  20. 75 FR 43485 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; South Pacific Tuna Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-26

    ... Collection; Comment Request; South Pacific Tuna Act AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... authorizes U.S. tuna vessels to fish within fishing zones of a large region of the Pacific Ocean. The South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973-973r) and U.S. implementing regulations (50 CFR Part 300, Subpart...

  1. The Future of the Pacific Basin: A Keynote Address.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cleveland, Harlan

    People of the Pacific Basin must decide how to manage the Pacific Ocean commons, who does what in a changing industrial structure, and how to adapt to the new technological revolution. Although the United Nations' Law of the Sea moved into national jurisdiction many of the ocean resources of the Pacific Region, there is one new major…

  2. Transhemispheric ecosystem disservices of pink salmon in a Pacific Ocean macrosystem.

    PubMed

    Springer, Alan M; van Vliet, Gus B; Bool, Natalie; Crowley, Mike; Fullagar, Peter; Lea, Mary-Anne; Monash, Ross; Price, Cassandra; Vertigan, Caitlin; Woehler, Eric J

    2018-05-29

    Pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) in the North Pacific Ocean have flourished since the 1970s, with growth in wild populations augmented by rising hatchery production. As their abundance has grown, so too has evidence that they are having important effects on other species and on ocean ecosystems. In alternating years of high abundance, they can initiate pelagic trophic cascades in the northern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea and depress the availability of common prey resources of other species of salmon, resident seabirds, and other pelagic species. We now propose that the geographic scale of ecosystem disservices of pink salmon is far greater due to a 15,000-kilometer transhemispheric teleconnection in a Pacific Ocean macrosystem maintained by short-tailed shearwaters ( Ardenna tenuirostris ), seabirds that migrate annually between their nesting grounds in the South Pacific Ocean and wintering grounds in the North Pacific Ocean. Over this century, the frequency and magnitude of mass mortalities of shearwaters as they arrive in Australia, and their abundance and productivity, have been related to the abundance of pink salmon. This has influenced human social, economic, and cultural traditions there, and has the potential to alter the role shearwaters play in insular terrestrial ecology. We can view the unique biennial pulses of pink salmon as a large, replicated, natural experiment that offers basin-scale opportunities to better learn how these ecosystems function. By exploring trophic interaction chains driven by pink salmon, we may achieve a deeper conservation conscientiousness for these northern open oceans.

  3. Dueling Deglacial Depth Transects: A Synthesis of Isotope Records from the South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Provides Insight into Deglacial Ocean Circulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sikes, E. L.; Allen, K. A.; Lund, D. C.

    2016-12-01

    The end of the last ice age was marked by rapid increases in atmospheric CO2 and changes in ocean circulation and seawater δ13C and Δ14C, suggesting that enhanced ventilation of the deep ocean may have released sequestered CO2 to the atmosphere. Here we compare depth transects of Δ14C and high-resolution Cibicidoides sp. δ13C and δ18O records from the Southwest Pacific and the Southwest Atlantic to gain insight into the changing extent and composition of water masses in the Southern Hemisphere. Our vertical transects document that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), water mass properties and boundaries in the Southwest Atlantic and Pacific were very different from one another and from their respective modern profiles. The shallow to deep δ13C difference (Δδ13C, 660- 2500 m) in the Pacific was 1.7‰, more than double the Holocene value ( 0.7‰) and a deep watermass boundary was situated above 1600m. LGM Δδ13C in the Atlantic was similar to the Pacific, but the deep geochemical front was situated at 2500 m (as observed previously; e.g. Hoffman and Lund, 2012). At the onset of Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1; 18 - 14.5 ka), changes in the shallow isotope records (< 1500 m) from the two basins differed, indicating independent controls on intermediate water composition/formation in these two ocean basins. During HS1 in the Pacific, rapid δ13C and Δ14C enrichment above 1600 m coincided with δ13C depletion in Atlantic waters between 1500 m and 2500 m. Benthic δ13C below 2500 m in both basins and D14C in the Pacific remained depleted until the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.7 to 12.7 ka). During the ACR, Pacific Δ14C below 1600 m increased while both the Atlantic and Pacific experienced a rapid increase in δ13C and decrease in δ18O below 2500 m. These simultaneous isotopic shifts in the Pacific and Atlantic support the idea of a widespread pulse of deep-water ventilation driven by the resumption of North Atlantic Deep Water formation during the ACR. Overall, early shallow to intermediate ventilation differed between the two basins and simultaneous deep ventilation occurred later in the deglaciation, coincident with the reinitiation of deep overturning circulation during the Bølling-Allerød.

  4. Influence of Kuroshio Oceanic Eddies on North Pacific Weather Patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, X.; Chang, P.; Saravanan, R.; Montuoro, R.; Hsieh, J. S.; Wu, D.; Lin, X.; Wu, L.; Jing, Z.

    2016-02-01

    High-resolution satellite observations reveal energetic meso-scale ocean eddy activity and positive correlation between meso-scale sea surface temperature (SST) and surface wind along oceanic frontal zones, such as the Kuroshio and Gulf Stream, suggesting a potential role of meso-scale oceanic eddies in forcing the atmosphere. Using a 27 km horizontal resolution Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model forced with observed daily SST at 0.09° spatial resolution during boreal winter season, two ensembles of 10 WRF simulations, in one of which meso-scale SST variability induced by ocean eddies was suppressed, were conducted in the North Pacific to study the local and remote influence of meso-scale oceanic eddies in the Kuroshio Extention Region (KER) on the atmosphere. Suppression of meso-scale oceanic eddies results in a deep tropospheric response along and downstream of the KER, including a significant decrease (increase) in winter season mean rainfall along the KER (west coast of US), a reduction of storm genesis in the KER, and a southward shift of the jet stream and North Pacific storm track in the eastern North Pacific. The simulated local and remote rainfall response to meso-scale oceanic eddies in the KER is also supported by observational analysis. A mechanism invoking moist baroclinic instability is proposed as a plausible explanation for the linkage between meso-scale oceanic eddies in the KER and large-scale atmospheric response in the North Pacific. It is argued that meso-scale oceanic eddies can have a rectified effect on planetary boundary layer moisture, the stability of the lower atmosphere and latent heat release, which in turn affect cyclogenesis. The accumulated effect of the altered storm development downstream further contributes to the equivalent barotropic mean flow change in the eastern North Pacific basin.

  5. Northwestern Pacific typhoon intensity controlled by changes in ocean temperatures.

    PubMed

    Mei, Wei; Xie, Shang-Ping; Primeau, François; McWilliams, James C; Pasquero, Claudia

    2015-05-01

    Dominant climatic factors controlling the lifetime peak intensity of typhoons are determined from six decades of Pacific typhoon data. We find that upper ocean temperatures in the low-latitude northwestern Pacific (LLNWP) and sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific control the seasonal average lifetime peak intensity by setting the rate and duration of typhoon intensification, respectively. An anomalously strong LLNWP upper ocean warming has favored increased intensification rates and led to unprecedentedly high average typhoon intensity during the recent global warming hiatus period, despite a reduction in intensification duration tied to the central equatorial Pacific surface cooling. Continued LLNWP upper ocean warming as predicted under a moderate [that is, Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5] climate change scenario is expected to further increase the average typhoon intensity by an additional 14% by 2100.

  6. Large fluctuations of dissolved oxygen in the Indian and Pacific oceans during Dansgaard-Oeschger oscillations caused by variations of North Atlantic Deep Water subduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmittner, Andreas; Galbraith, Eric D.; Hostetler, Steven W.; Pedersen, Thomas F.; Zhang, Rong

    2007-09-01

    Paleoclimate records from glacial Indian and Pacific oceans sediments document millennial-scale fluctuations of subsurface dissolved oxygen levels and denitrification coherent with North Atlantic temperature oscillations. Yet the mechanism of this teleconnection between the remote ocean basins remains elusive. Here we present model simulations of the oxygen and nitrogen cycles that explain how changes in deepwater subduction in the North Atlantic can cause large and synchronous variations of oxygen minimum zones throughout the Northern Hemisphere of the Indian and Pacific oceans, consistent with the paleoclimate records. Cold periods in the North Atlantic are associated with reduced nutrient delivery to the upper Indo-Pacific oceans, thereby decreasing productivity. Reduced export production diminishes subsurface respiration of organic matter leading to higher oxygen concentrations and less denitrification. This effect of reduced oxygen consumption dominates at low latitudes. At high latitudes in the Southern Ocean and North Pacific, increased mixed layer depths and steepening of isopycnals improve ocean ventilation and oxygen supply to the subsurface. Atmospheric teleconnections through changes in wind-driven ocean circulation modify this basin-scale pattern regionally. These results suggest that changes in the Atlantic Ocean circulation, similar to those projected by climate models to possibly occur in the centuries to come because of anthropogenic climate warming, can have large effects on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles even in remote areas.

  7. Warm Ocean Temperatures Blanket the Far-Western Pacific

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-03-28

    Data taken during a 10-day collection cycle ending March 9, 2001, show that above-normal sea-surface heights and warmer ocean temp. red and white areas still blanket the far-western tropical Pacific and much of the north and south mid-Pacific.

  8. 75 FR 11118 - Fisheries of the Pacific Region

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XU49 Fisheries of the Pacific Region AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric.... The Pacific Fishery Management Council is in the process of reviewing the overfished threshold for...

  9. Swept away: ocean currents and seascape features influence genetic structure across the 18,000 Km Indo-Pacific distribution of a marine invertebrate, the black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera.

    PubMed

    Lal, Monal M; Southgate, Paul C; Jerry, Dean R; Bosserelle, Cyprien; Zenger, Kyall R

    2017-01-10

    Genetic structure in many widely-distributed broadcast spawning marine invertebrates remains poorly understood, posing substantial challenges for their fishery management, conservation and aquaculture. Under the Core-Periphery Hypothesis (CPH), genetic diversity is expected to be highest at the centre of a species' distribution, progressively decreasing with increased differentiation towards outer range limits, as populations become increasingly isolated, fragmented and locally adapted. The unique life history characteristics of many marine invertebrates such as high dispersal rates, stochastic survival and variable recruitment are also likely to influence how populations are organised. To examine the microevolutionary forces influencing population structure, connectivity and adaptive variation in a highly-dispersive bivalve, populations of the black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera were examined across its ~18,000 km Indo-Pacific distribution. Analyses utilising 9,624 genome-wide SNPs and 580 oysters, discovered differing patterns of significant and substantial broad-scale genetic structure between the Indian and Pacific Ocean basins. Indian Ocean populations were markedly divergent (F st  = 0.2534-0.4177, p < 0.001), compared to Pacific Ocean oysters, where basin-wide gene flow was much higher (F st  = 0.0007-0.1090, p < 0.001). Partitioning of genetic diversity (hierarchical AMOVA) attributed 18.1% of variance between ocean basins, whereas greater proportions were resolved within samples and populations (45.8% and 35.7% respectively). Visualisation of population structure at selectively neutral loci resolved three and five discrete genetic clusters for the Indian and Pacific Oceans respectively. Evaluation of genetic structure at adaptive loci for Pacific populations (89 SNPs under directional selection; F st  = 0.1012-0.4371, FDR = 0.05), revealed five clusters identical to those detected at neutral SNPs, suggesting environmental heterogeneity within the Pacific. Patterns of structure and connectivity were supported by Mantel tests of isolation by distance (IBD) and independent hydrodynamic particle dispersal simulations. It is evident that genetic structure and connectivity across the natural range of P. margaritifera is highly complex, and produced by the interaction of ocean currents, IBD and seascape features at a broad scale, together with habitat geomorphology and local adaptation at regional levels. Overall population organisation is far more elaborate than generalised CPH predictions, however valuable insights for regional fishery management, and a greater understanding of range-wide genetic structure in a highly-dispersive marine invertebrate have been gained.

  10. 78 FR 64891 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679 [Docket No. 121018563-3148-02] RIN 0648-XC944 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule...

  11. 78 FR 64892 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679 [Docket No. 121018563-3148-02] RIN 0648-XC943 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch... (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule...

  12. Vertical Distribution of Temperature in Transitional Season II and West Monsoon in Western Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pranoto, Hikari A. H.; Kunarso; Soeyanto, Endro

    2018-02-01

    Western Pacific is the water mass intersection from both the Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific ocean. The Western Pacific ocean is warm pool area which formed by several warm surface currents. As a warm pool area and also the water mass intersection, western Pacific ocean becomes an interesting study area. The object of this study is to describe the temperature vertical distribution by mooring buoy and temporally in transitional season II (September - November 2014) and west monsoon (December 2014 - February 2015) in Western Pacific. Vertical temperature and wind speed data that was used in this study was recorded by INA-TRITON mooring instrument and obtained from Laboratory of Marine Survey, BPPT. Supporting data of this study was wind vector data from ECMWF to observe the relation between temperature distribution and monsoon. The quantitative approach was used in this study by processing temperature and wind data from INA-TRITON and interpreted graphically. In the area of study, it was found that in transitional season II the range of sea surface temperature to 500-meter depth was about 8.29 - 29.90 °C while in west monsoon was 8.12 - 29.45 °C. According to the research result, the sea SST of western Pacific ocean was related to monsoonal change with SST and wind speed correlation coefficient was 0.78. While the deep layer temperature was affected by water mass flow which passes through the western Pacific Ocean.

  13. Prochlorococcus as a Possible Source for Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP).

    PubMed

    Iuculano, Francesca; Mazuecos, Ignacio P; Reche, Isabel; Agustí, Susana

    2017-01-01

    Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), usually associated with phytoplankton blooms, promote the formation of marine aggregates. Their exportation to deep waters is considered a key component of the biological carbon pump. Here, we explored the role of solar radiation and picocyanobacteria in the formation of TEP in oligotrophic surface waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in ten on-deck incubation experiments during the Malaspina 2010 Expedition. TEP concentrations were low on the ocean's surface although these concentrations were significantly higher on the surface of the Pacific (24.45 ± 2.3 μg XG Eq. L -1 ) than on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean (8.18 ± 4.56 μg XG Eq. L -1 ). Solar radiation induced a significant production of TEP in the on-deck experiments from the surface water of the Pacific Ocean, reaching values up to 187.3 μg XG Eq. L -1 compared with the low production observed in the dark controls. By contrast, TEP production in the Atlantic Ocean experiments was lower, and its formation was not related to the light treatments. Prochlorococcus sp. from the surface ocean was very sensitive to solar radiation and experienced a high cell decay in the Pacific Ocean experiments. TEP production in the on-deck incubation experiments was closely related to the observed cell decay rates of Prochlorococcus sp., suggesting that this picocyanobacteria genus is a potential source of TEP. The evidence to propose such potential role was derived experimentally, using natural communities including the presence of several species and a variety of processes. Laboratory experiments with cultures of a non-axenic strain of Prochlorococcus marinus were then used to test TEP production by this genus. TEP concentrations in the culture increased with increasing cell abundance during the exponential phase, reaching the highest TEP concentration at the beginning of the stationary phase. The average TEP concentration of 1474 ± 226 μg XG Eq. L -1 (mean ± SE) observed at the stationary phase of P. marinus cultures is comparable with the values reported in the literature for diatom cultures, also growing in non-axenic as well as axenic cultures. Our results identify Prochlorococcus sp. as a possible relevant source of TEP in the oligotrophic ocean.

  14. Tropical Atlantic Impacts on the Decadal Climate Variability of the Tropical Ocean and Atmosphere.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.; Xie, S. P.; Gille, S. T.; Yoo, C.

    2015-12-01

    Previous studies revealed atmospheric bridges between the tropical Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean. In particular, several recent works indicate that the Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) may contribute to the climate variability over the equatorial Pacific. Inspired by these studies, our work aims at investigating the impact of the tropical Atlantic on the entire tropical climate system, and uncovering the physical dynamics under these tropical teleconnections. We first performed a 'pacemaker' simulation by restoring the satellite era tropical Atlantic SST changes in a fully coupled model - the CESM1. Results reveal that the Atlantic warming heats the Indo-Western Pacific and cools the Eastern Pacific, enhances the Walker circulation and drives the subsurface Pacific to a La Niña mode, contributing to 60-70% of the above tropical changes in the past 30 years. The same pan-tropical teleconnections have been validated by the statistics of observations and 106 CMIP5 control simulations. We then used a hierarchy of atmospheric and oceanic models with different complexities, to single out the roles of atmospheric dynamics, atmosphere-ocean fluxes, and oceanic dynamics in these teleconnections. With these simulations we established a two-step mechanism as shown in the schematic figure: 1) Atlantic warming generates an atmospheric deep convection and induces easterly wind anomalies over the Indo-Western Pacific in the form of Kelvin waves, and westerly wind anomalies over the eastern equatorial Pacific as Rossby waves, in line with Gill's solution. This circulation changes warms the Indo-Western Pacific and cools the Eastern Pacific with the wind-evaporation-SST effect, forming a temperature gradient over the Indo-Pacific basins. 2) The temperature gradient further generates a secondary atmospheric deep convection, which reinforces the easterly wind anomalies over the equatorial Pacific and enhances the Walker circulation, triggering the Pacific to a La Niña mode with Bjerknes ocean dynamical feedback. This mechanism contributes to the understanding of the global decadal climate variability and predictability. In particular, Atlantic contributes to the Eastern Pacific cooling, which is considered as an important source of the recent global warming hiatus.

  15. Water mass transformation along the Indonesian throughflow in an OGCM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koch-Larrouy, Ariane; Madec, Gurvan; Blanke, Bruno; Molcard, Robert

    2008-11-01

    The oceanic pathways connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean are described using a quantitative Lagrangian method applied to Eulerian fields from an ocean general circulation model simulation of the Indonesian seas. The main routes diagnosed are in good agreement with those inferred from observations. The secondary routes and the Pacific recirculation are also quantified. The model reproduces the observed salt penetration of subtropical waters from the South Pacific, the homohaline stratification in the southern Indonesian basins, and the cold fresh tongue which exits into the Indian Ocean. These particular water mass characteristics, close to those observed, are obtained when a tidal mixing parameterization is introduced into the model. Trajectories are obtained which link the water masses at the entrance and at the exit of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF), and the mixing along each trajectory is quantified. Both the ITF and the Pacific recirculation are transformed, suggesting that the Indonesian transformation affects both the Indian and Pacific stratification. A recipe to form Indonesian water masses is proposed. We present three major features of the circulation that revisit the classical picture of the ITF and its associated water mass transformation, while still being in agreement with observations. Firstly, the homohaline layer is not a result of pure isopycnal mixing of the North Pacific Intermediate Water and South Pacific Subtropical Water (SPSW) within the Banda Sea, as previously thought. Instead, the observed homohaline layer is reproduced by the model, but it is caused by both isopycnal mixing with the SPSW and a dominant vertical mixing before the Banda Sea with the NPSW. This new mechanism could be real since the model reproduces the SPSW penetration as observed. Secondly, the model explains why the Banda Sea thermocline water is so fresh compared to the SPSW. Until now, the only explanation was a recirculation of the freshwater from the western route. The model does not reproduce this recirculation but instead shows strong mixing of the SPSW within the Halmahera and Seram Seas, which erodes the salinity maximum so that its signature is not longer perceptible. Finally, this work highlights the key role of the Java Sea freshwater. Even though its annual net mass contribution is small, its fresh salinity contribution is highly significant and represents the main reason why the Pacific salinity maxima are eroded.

  16. Global warming hiatus contributed to the increased occurrence of intense tropical cyclones in the coastal regions along East Asia.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jiuwei; Zhan, Ruifen; Wang, Yuqing

    2018-04-16

    The recent global warming hiatus (GWH) was characterized by a La Niña-like cooling in the tropical Eastern Pacific accompanied with the Indian Ocean and the tropical Atlantic Ocean warming. Here we show that the recent GWH contributed significantly to the increased occurrence of intense tropical cyclones in the coastal regions along East Asia since 1998. The GWH associated sea surface temperature anomalies triggered a pair of anomalous cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations and equatorial easterly anomalies over the Northwest Pacific, which favored TC genesis and intensification over the western Northwest Pacific but suppressed TC genesis and intensification over the southeastern Northwest Pacific due to increased vertical wind shear and anticyclonic circulation anomalies. Results from atmospheric general circulation model experiments demonstrate that the Pacific La Niña-like cooling dominated the Indian Ocean and the tropical Atlantic Ocean warming in contributing to the observed GWH-related anomalous atmospheric circulation over the Northwest Pacific.

  17. Tsunami Speed Variations in Density-stratified Compressible Global Oceans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watada, S.

    2013-12-01

    Recent tsunami observations in the deep ocean have accumulated unequivocal evidence that tsunami traveltime delays compared with the linear long-wave tsunami simulations occur during tsunami propagation in the deep ocean. The delay is up to 2% of the tsunami traveltime. Watada et al. [2013] investigated the cause of the delay using the normal mode theory of tsunamis and attributed the delay to the compressibility of seawater, the elasticity of the solid earth, and the gravitational potential change associated with mass motion during the passage of tsunamis. Tsunami speed variations in the deep ocean caused by seawater density stratification is investigated using a newly developed propagator matrix method that is applicable to seawater with depth-variable sound speeds and density gradients. For a 4-km deep ocean, the total tsunami speed reduction is 0.45% compared with incompressible homogeneous seawater; two thirds of the reduction is due to elastic energy stored in the water and one third is due to water density stratification mainly by hydrostatic compression. Tsunami speeds are computed for global ocean density and sound speed profiles and characteristic structures are discussed. Tsunami speed reductions are proportional to ocean depth with small variations, except for in warm Mediterranean seas. The impacts of seawater compressibility and the elasticity effect of the solid earth on tsunami traveltime should be included for precise modeling of trans-oceanic tsunamis. Data locations where a vertical ocean profile deeper than 2500 m is available in World Ocean Atlas 2009. The dark gray area indicates the Pacific Ocean defined in WOA09. a) Tsunami speed variations. Red, gray and black bars represent global, Pacific, and Mediterranean Sea, respectively. b) Regression lines of the tsunami velocity reduction for all oceans. c)Vertical ocean profiles at grid points indicated by the stars in Figure 1.

  18. Climate Variability and Phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rousseaux, Cecile

    2012-01-01

    The effect of climate variability on phytoplankton communities was assessed for the tropical and sub-tropical Pacific Ocean between 1998 and 2005 using an established biogeochemical assimilation model. The phytoplankton communities exhibited wide range of responses to climate variability, from radical shifts in the Equatorial Pacific, to changes of only a couple of phytoplankton groups in the North Central Pacific, to no significant changes in the South Pacific. In the Equatorial Pacific, climate variability dominated the variability of phytoplankton. Here, nitrate, chlorophyll and all but one of the 4 phytoplankton types (diatoms, cyanobacteria and coccolithophores) were strongly correlated (p<0.01) with the Multivariate El Nino Southern Oscillation Index (MEI). In the North Central Pacific, MEI and chlorophyll were significantly (p<0.01) correlated along with two of the phytoplankton groups (chlorophytes and coccolithophores). Ocean biology in the South Pacific was not significantly correlated with MEI. During La Nina events, diatoms increased and expanded westward along the cold tongue (correlation with MEI, r=-0.81), while cyanobacteria concentrations decreased significantly (r=0.78). El Nino produced the reverse pattern, with cyanobacteria populations increasing while diatoms plummeted. The diverse response of phytoplankton in the different major basins of the Pacific suggests the different roles climate variability can play in ocean biology.

  19. The Effect of ENSO on Phytoplankton Composition in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rousseaux, Cecile

    2012-01-01

    The effect of climate variability on phytoplankton communities was assessed for the tropical and sub-tropical Pacific Ocean between 1998 and 2005 using an established biogeochemical assimilation model. The phytoplankton communities exhibited wide range of responses to climate variability, from radical shifts in the Equatorial Pacific, to changes of only a couple of phytoplankton groups in the North Central Pacific, to no significant changes in the South Pacific. In the Equatorial Pacific, climate variability dominated the variability of phytoplankton. Here, nitrate, chlorophyll and all but one of the 4 phytoplankton types (diatoms, cyanobacteria and coccolithophores) were strongly correlated (p less than 0.01) with the Multivariate El Nino Southern Oscillation Index (MEI). In the North Central Pacific, MEI and chlorophyll were significantly (p<0.01) correlated along with two of the phytoplankton groups (chlorophytes and coccolithophores). Ocean biology in the South Pacific was not significantly correlated with MEI. During La Ni a events, diatoms increased and expanded westward along the cold tongue (correlation with MEI, r=-0.81), while cyanobacteria concentrations decreased significantly (r=0.78). El Nino produced the reverse pattern, with cyanobacteria populations increasing while diatoms plummeted. The diverse response of phytoplankton in the different major basins of the Pacific suggests the different roles climate variability can play in ocean biology.

  20. Variability of neodymium isotopes associated with planktonic foraminifera in the Pacific Ocean during the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Rong; Piotrowski, Alexander M.; Bostock, Helen C.; Crowhurst, Simon; Rennie, Victoria

    2016-08-01

    The deep Pacific Ocean holds the largest oceanic reservoir of carbon which may interchange with the atmosphere on climatologically important timescales. The circulation of the deep Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), however, is not well understood. Neodymium (Nd) isotopes of ferromanganese oxide coatings precipitated on planktonic foraminifera are a valuable proxy for deep ocean water mass reconstruction in paleoceanography. In this study, we present Nd isotope compositions (εNd) of planktonic foraminifera for the Holocene and the LGM obtained from 55 new sites widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean. The Holocene planktonic foraminiferal εNd results agree with the proximal seawater data, indicating that they provide a reliable record of modern bottom water Nd isotopes in the deep Pacific. There is a good correlation between foraminiferal εNd and seawater phosphate concentrations (R2 = 0.80), but poorer correlation with silicate (R2 = 0.37). Our interpretation is that the radiogenic Nd isotope is added to the deep open Pacific through particle release from the upper ocean during deep water mass advection and aging. The data thus also imply the Nd isotopes in the Pacific are not likely to be controlled by silicate cycling. In the North Pacific, the glacial Nd isotopic compositions are similar to the Holocene values, indicating that the Nd isotope composition of North Pacific Deep Water (NPDW) remained constant (-3.5 to -4). During the LGM, the southwest Pacific cores throughout the water column show higher εNd corroborating previous studies which suggested a reduced inflow of North Atlantic Deep Water to the Pacific. However, the western equatorial Pacific deep water does not record a corresponding radiogenic excursion, implying reduced radiogenic boundary inputs during the LGM probably due to a shorter duration of seawater-particle interaction in a stronger glacial deep boundary current. A significant negative glacial εNd excursion is evident in mid-depth (1-2 km) cores of the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) which may suggest a stronger influence of NPDW return flow to the core sites and decreased local input in the EEP. Taken together, our Nd records do not support a dynamically slower glacial Pacific overturning circulation, and imply that the increased carbon inventory of Pacific deep water might be due to poor high latitude air-sea exchange and increased biological pump efficiency in glacial times.

  1. Molecular phylogenetics of Floridosentis ward, 1953 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) parasites of mullets (Osteichthyes) from Mexico, using 28S rDNA sequences.

    PubMed

    Rosas-Valdez, Rogelio; Morrone, Juan J; García-Varela, Martín

    2012-08-01

    Species of Floridosentis (Acanthocephala) are common parasites of mullets (Mugil spp., Mugilidae) found in tropical marine and brackish water in the Americas. Floridosentis includes 2 species distributed in Mexico, i.e., Floridosentis pacifica, restricted to the Pacific Ocean near Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Floridosentis mugilis, distributed along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. We sampled 18 populations of F. mugilis and F. pacifica (12 from the Pacific and 6 from the Gulf of Mexico) and sequenced a fragment of the rDNA large subunit to evaluate phylogenetic relationships of populations of Floridosentis spp. from Mexico. Species identification of museum specimens of F. mugilis from the Pacific Ocean was confirmed by examination of morphology traits. Phylogenetic trees inferred with maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference indicate that Floridosentis is monophyletic comprising of 2 major well-supported clades, the first clade corresponding to F. mugilis from the Gulf of Mexico, and the second to F. pacifica from the Pacific Ocean. Genetic divergence between species ranged from 7.68 to 8.60%. Intraspecific divergence ranged from 0.14 to 0.86% for F. mugilis and from 1.72 to 4.49% for F. pacifica. Data obtained from diagnostic characters indicate that specimens from the Pacific Ocean in Mexico have differences in some traits among locations. These results are consistent with the phylogenetic hypothesis, indicating that F. pacifica is distributed in the Pacific Ocean in Mexico with 3 major lineages.

  2. Indo-Pacific Oceanic Connection and ENSO Events Observed and Simulated with a Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere Model Forced Over 1980-1998

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perigaud, C.; Florenchie, P.

    2000-01-01

    In situ and satellite sea level data sets over 1980-1998 are used to estimate the interannual variations of the geostrophic zonal transport across the opening of the Northwestern Pacific boundary into the Celebes sea.

  3. Sensitivity of equatorial Pacific and Indian Ocean watermasses to the position of the Indonesian Throughflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodgers, Keith B.; Latif, Mojib; Legutke, Stephanie

    2000-09-01

    The sensitivity of the thermal structure of the equatorial Pacific and Indian Ocean pycnoclines to a model's representation of the Indonesian Straits connecting the two basins is investigated. Two integrations are performed using the global HOPE ocean model. The initial conditions and surface forcing for both cases are identical; the only difference between the runs is that one has an opening for the Indonesian Straits which spans the equator on the Pacific side, and the other has an opening which lies fully north of the equator. The resulting sensitivity throughout much of the upper ocean is greater than 0.5°C for both the equatorial Indian and Pacific. A realistic simulation of net Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) transport (measured in Sverdrups) is not sufficient for an adequate simulation of equatorial watermasses. The ITF must also contain a realistic admixture of northern and southern Pacific source water.

  4. Dynamical excitation of the tropical Pacific Ocean and ENSO variability by Little Ice Age cooling.

    PubMed

    Rustic, Gerald T; Koutavas, Athanasios; Marchitto, Thomas M; Linsley, Braddock K

    2015-12-18

    Tropical Pacific Ocean dynamics during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Little Ice Age (LIA) are poorly characterized due to a lack of evidence from the eastern equatorial Pacific. We reconstructed sea surface temperature, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity, and the tropical Pacific zonal gradient for the past millennium from Galápagos ocean sediments. We document a mid-millennium shift (MMS) in ocean-atmosphere circulation around 1500-1650 CE, from a state with dampened ENSO and strong zonal gradient to one with amplified ENSO and weak gradient. The MMS coincided with the deepest LIA cooling and was probably caused by a southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone. The peak of the MCA (900-1150 CE) was a warm period in the eastern Pacific, contradicting the paradigm of a persistent La Niña pattern. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  5. Persistence of deeply sourced iron in the Pacific Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Horner, Tristan J.; Williams, Helen M.; Hein, James R.; Saito, Mak A.; Burton, Kevin W.; Halliday, Alex N.; Nielsen, Sune G.

    2015-01-01

    Biological carbon fixation is limited by the supply of Fe in vast regions of the global ocean. Dissolved Fe in seawater is primarily sourced from continental mineral dust, submarine hydrothermalism, and sediment dissolution along continental margins. However, the relative contributions of these three sources to the Fe budget of the open ocean remains contentious. By exploiting the Fe stable isotopic fingerprints of these sources, it is possible to trace distinct Fe pools through marine environments, and through time using sedimentary records. We present a reconstruction of deep-sea Fe isotopic compositions from a Pacific Fe−Mn crust spanning the past 76 My. We find that there have been large and systematic changes in the Fe isotopic composition of seawater over the Cenozoic that reflect the influence of several, distinct Fe sources to the central Pacific Ocean. Given that deeply sourced Fe from hydrothermalism and marginal sediment dissolution exhibit the largest Fe isotopic variations in modern oceanic settings, the record requires that these deep Fe sources have exerted a major control over the Fe inventory of the Pacific for the past 76 My. The persistence of deeply sourced Fe in the Pacific Ocean illustrates that multiple sources contribute to the total Fe budget of the ocean and highlights the importance of oceanic circulation in determining if deeply sourced Fe is ever ventilated at the surface. PMID:25605900

  6. Oceanic Channel of the IOD-ENSO teleconnection over the Indo-Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Dongliang; Wang, Jing; Zhao, Xia; Zhou, Hui; Xu, Tengfei; Xu, Peng

    2017-04-01

    The lag correlations of observations and model simulated data that participate the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-5 (CMIP5) are used to study the precursory teleconnection between the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the Pacific ENSO one year later through the Indonesian seas. The results suggest that Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) play an important role in the IOD-ENSO teleconnection. Numerical simulations using a hierarchy of ocean models and climate coupled models have shown that the interannual sea level depressions in the southeastern Indian Ocean during IOD force enhanced ITF to transport warm water of the Pacific warm pool to the Indian Ocean, producing cold subsurface temperature anomalies, which propagate to the eastern equatorial Pacific and induce significant coupled ocean-atmosphere evolution. The teleconnection is found to have decadal variability. Similar decadal variability has also been identified in the historical simulations of the CMIP5 models. The dynamics of the inter-basin teleconnection during the positive phases of the decadal variability are diagnosed to be the interannual variations of the ITF associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). During the negative phases, the thermocline in the eastern equatorial Pacific is anomalously deeper so that the sea surface temperature anomalies in the cold tongue are not sensitive to the thermocline depth changes. The IOD-ENSO teleconnection is found not affected significantly by the anthropogenic forcing.

  7. Persistence of deeply sourced iron in the Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Horner, Tristan J; Williams, Helen M; Hein, James R; Saito, Mak A; Burton, Kevin W; Halliday, Alex N; Nielsen, Sune G

    2015-02-03

    Biological carbon fixation is limited by the supply of Fe in vast regions of the global ocean. Dissolved Fe in seawater is primarily sourced from continental mineral dust, submarine hydrothermalism, and sediment dissolution along continental margins. However, the relative contributions of these three sources to the Fe budget of the open ocean remains contentious. By exploiting the Fe stable isotopic fingerprints of these sources, it is possible to trace distinct Fe pools through marine environments, and through time using sedimentary records. We present a reconstruction of deep-sea Fe isotopic compositions from a Pacific Fe-Mn crust spanning the past 76 My. We find that there have been large and systematic changes in the Fe isotopic composition of seawater over the Cenozoic that reflect the influence of several, distinct Fe sources to the central Pacific Ocean. Given that deeply sourced Fe from hydrothermalism and marginal sediment dissolution exhibit the largest Fe isotopic variations in modern oceanic settings, the record requires that these deep Fe sources have exerted a major control over the Fe inventory of the Pacific for the past 76 My. The persistence of deeply sourced Fe in the Pacific Ocean illustrates that multiple sources contribute to the total Fe budget of the ocean and highlights the importance of oceanic circulation in determining if deeply sourced Fe is ever ventilated at the surface.

  8. REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF SEA-SURFACE-TEMPERATURE PATTERNS FOR THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    SEA WATER, *SURFACE TEMPERATURE, *OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA, PACIFIC OCEAN, REGRESSION ANALYSIS , STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT, DETECTION, UNDERWATER COMMUNICATIONS, DISTRIBUTION, THERMAL PROPERTIES, COMPUTERS.

  9. Modeling Surface Water Transport in the Central Pacific Ocean With 129I Records From Coral Skeletons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beck, W.; Biddulph, D. L.; Russell, J. L.; Burr, G. S.; Jull, T. J.; Correge, T.; Roeder, B.

    2008-12-01

    129I occurs naturally in extremely low abundance via cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere as well as by spontaneous fission of uranium. Oceanic concentrations of 129I have risen by several orders of magnitude during the last half century largely from environmental pollution coming from several point-source nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. In the Pacific basin, much of the increase has apparently come from the Hanford Nuclear reprocessing plant in the United States, with iodine primarily arriving via the Columbia River. Coral skeletons preserve records of 129I concentration of the surface waters from which they were deposited, yielding records with annual resolution or better. We will present three such records from different locations in the Pacific Ocean: the Solomon Islands, Easter Island and Clipperton Atoll. For this study, drill cores from living massive coral skeletons of the species Porites Lobata were collected from these sites. 129I/127I values were measured using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the University of Arizona with an NEC 3 MV Pelletron accelerator. Results from the analysis of the corals will be compared to the distribution of other mixed-layer tracers (chloro-fluorocarbons and tritium) collected during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment cruises conducted between 1990 and 2002. The 129I/127I records observed in these corals will also be compared to tracer transit time calculations determined from a 20th century simulation of the GFDL coupled-climate passive-tracer model.

  10. The Role of Ocean Dynamical Thermostat in Delaying the El Niño–Like Response over the Equatorial Pacific to Climate Warming

    DOE PAGES

    Luo, Yiyong; Lu, Jian; Liu, Fukai; ...

    2017-03-27

    The role of the ocean dynamics in the response of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to climate warming is investigated using both an atmosphere-ocean coupled climate system and its ocean component. Results show that the initial response (fast pattern) to an uniform heating imposed on to the ocean is a warming centered to the west of the dateline owing to the conventional ocean dynamical thermostat (ODT) mechanism in the eastern equatorial Pacific-a cooling effect arising from the up-gradient upwelling. In time, the warming pattern gradually propagates eastward, becoming more El Niño-like (slow pattern). The transition from the fast to the slowmore » patterns is likely resulted from i) the gradual warming of the equatorial thermocline temperature, which is associated with the arrival of the relatively warmer extratropical waters advected along the subsurface branch of the subtropical cells (STC) and ii) the reduction of the STC strength itself. A mixed layer heat budget analysis finds that it is the total ocean dynamical effect rather than the conventional ODT that holds the key for understanding the pattern of the SST in the equatorial Pacific and that the surface heat flux works mainly to compensate the ocean dynamics. Further passive tracer experiments with the ocean component of the coupled system verify the role of the ocean dynamical processes in initiating a La Niña-like SST warming and in setting the pace of the transition to an El Niño-like warming and identify an oceanic origin for the slow eastern Pacific warming independent of the weakening trade wind.« less

  11. The Role of Ocean Dynamical Thermostat in Delaying the El Niño–Like Response over the Equatorial Pacific to Climate Warming

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luo, Yiyong; Lu, Jian; Liu, Fukai

    The role of the ocean dynamics in the response of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to climate warming is investigated using both an atmosphere-ocean coupled climate system and its ocean component. Results show that the initial response (fast pattern) to an uniform heating imposed on to the ocean is a warming centered to the west of the dateline owing to the conventional ocean dynamical thermostat (ODT) mechanism in the eastern equatorial Pacific-a cooling effect arising from the up-gradient upwelling. In time, the warming pattern gradually propagates eastward, becoming more El Niño-like (slow pattern). The transition from the fast to the slowmore » patterns is likely resulted from i) the gradual warming of the equatorial thermocline temperature, which is associated with the arrival of the relatively warmer extratropical waters advected along the subsurface branch of the subtropical cells (STC) and ii) the reduction of the STC strength itself. A mixed layer heat budget analysis finds that it is the total ocean dynamical effect rather than the conventional ODT that holds the key for understanding the pattern of the SST in the equatorial Pacific and that the surface heat flux works mainly to compensate the ocean dynamics. Further passive tracer experiments with the ocean component of the coupled system verify the role of the ocean dynamical processes in initiating a La Niña-like SST warming and in setting the pace of the transition to an El Niño-like warming and identify an oceanic origin for the slow eastern Pacific warming independent of the weakening trade wind.« less

  12. Drake passage and central american seaway controls on the distribution of the oceanic carbon reservoir

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fyke, Jeremy G.; D'Orgeville, Marc; Weaver, Andrew J.

    2015-05-01

    A coupled carbon/climate model is used to explore the impact of Drake Passage opening and Central American Seaway closure on the distribution of carbon in the global oceans. We find that gateway evolution likely played an important role in setting the modern day distribution of oceanic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), which is currently characterized by relatively low concentrations in the Atlantic ocean, and high concentrations in the Southern, Indian, and Pacific oceans. In agreement with previous studies, we find a closed Drake Passage in the presence of an open Central American Seaway results in suppressed Atlantic meridional overturning and enhancedmore » southern hemispheric deep convection. Opening of the Drake Passage triggers Antarctic Circumpolar Current flow and a weak Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Subsequent Central American Seaway closure reinforces the AMOC while also stagnating equatorial Pacific subsurface waters. These gateway-derived oceanographic changes are reflected in large shifts to the global distribution of DIC. An initially closed Drake Passage results in high DIC concentrations in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, and lower DIC concentrations in the Pacific/Indian/Southern oceans. Opening Drake Passage reverses this gradient by lowering mid-depth Atlantic and Arctic DIC concentrations and raising deep Pacific/Indian/Southern Ocean DIC concentrations. Central American Seaway closure further reinforces this trend through additional Atlantic mid-depth DIC decreases, as well as Pacific mid-depth DIC concentration increases, with the net effect being a transition to a modern distribution of oceanic DIC.« less

  13. Large fluctuations of dissolved oxygen in the Indian and Pacific oceans during Dansgaard-Oeschger oscillations caused by variations of North Atlantic Deep Water subduction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schmittner, A.; Galbraith, E.D.; Hostetler, S.W.; Pedersen, Thomas F.; Zhang, R.

    2007-01-01

    Paleoclimate records from glacial Indian and Pacific oceans sediments document millennial-scale fluctuations of subsurface dissolved oxygen levels and denitrification coherent with North Atlantic temperature oscillations. Yet the mechanism of this teleconnection between the remote ocean basins remains elusive. Here we present model simulations of the oxygen and nitrogen cycles that explain how changes in deepwater subduction in the North Atlantic can cause large and synchronous variations of oxygen minimum zones, throughout the Northern Hemisphere of the Indian and Pacific oceans, consistent with the paleoclimate records. Cold periods in the North Atlantic are associated with reduced nutrient delivery to the upper Indo-Pacific oceans, thereby decreasing productivity. Reduced export production diminishes subsurface respiration of organic matter leading to higher oxygen concentrations and less denitrification. This effect of reduced oxygen consumption dominates at low latitudes. At high latitudes in the Southern Ocean and North Pacific, increased mixed layer depths and steepening of isopycnals improve ocean ventilation and oxygen supply to the subsurface. Atmospheric teleconnections through changes in wind-driven ocean circulation modify this basin-scale pattern regionally. These results suggest that changes in the Atlantic Ocean circulation, similar to those projected by climate models to possibly occur in the centuries to come because of anthropogenic climate warming, can have large effects on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles even in remote areas. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

  14. 78 FR 65887 - International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; 2013 Bigeye Tuna Longline Fishery Closure in the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-04

    .... 110620342-1659-03] RIN 0648-XC922 International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; 2013 Bigeye Tuna Longline Fishery Closure in the Eastern Pacific Ocean AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; fishery closure. SUMMARY...

  15. Distant storms as drivers of environmental change at Pacific atolls.

    PubMed

    Gardner, Jonathan P A; Garton, David W; Collen, John D; Zwartz, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    The central Pacific Ocean with its many low lying islands and atolls is under threat from sea level rise and increased storm activity. Here, we illustrate how increasing frequency and severity of large scale storm events associated with global climate change may be particularly profound at the local scale for human populations that rely on lagoon systems for provision of a variety of goods and services. In August 2011 a storm originating in the Southern Ocean caused a large amplitude ocean swell to move northward through the Pacific Ocean. Its arrival at Palmyra Atoll coincided with transient elevated sea surface height and triggered turnover of the lagoon water column. This storm-induced change to the lagoon reflects long distance connectivity with propagated wave energy from the Southern Ocean and illustrates the increasing threats generated by climate change that are faced by human populations on most low-lying Pacific islands and atolls.

  16. Distant Storms as Drivers of Environmental Change at Pacific Atolls

    PubMed Central

    Gardner, Jonathan P. A.; Garton, David W.; Collen, John D.; Zwartz, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    The central Pacific Ocean with its many low lying islands and atolls is under threat from sea level rise and increased storm activity. Here, we illustrate how increasing frequency and severity of large scale storm events associated with global climate change may be particularly profound at the local scale for human populations that rely on lagoon systems for provision of a variety of goods and services. In August 2011 a storm originating in the Southern Ocean caused a large amplitude ocean swell to move northward through the Pacific Ocean. Its arrival at Palmyra Atoll coincided with transient elevated sea surface height and triggered turnover of the lagoon water column. This storm-induced change to the lagoon reflects long distance connectivity with propagated wave energy from the Southern Ocean and illustrates the increasing threats generated by climate change that are faced by human populations on most low-lying Pacific islands and atolls. PMID:24498232

  17. Origin of the Indian Ocean-type isotopic signature in basalts from Philippine Sea plate spreading centers: An assessment of local versus large-scale processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hickey-Vargas, Rosemary

    1998-09-01

    Basalts erupted from spreading centers on the Philippine Sea plate between 50 Ma and the present have the distinctive isotopic characteristics of Indian Ocean mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), such as high 208Pb/204Pb and low 143Nd/144Nd for a given 206Pb/204Pb compared with Pacific and Atlantic Ocean MORB. This feature may indicate that the upper mantle of the Philippine Sea plate originated as part of the existing Indian Ocean upper mantle domain, or, alternatively, that local processes duplicated these isotopic characteristics within the sub-Philippine Sea plate upper mantle. Synthesis of new and published isotopic data for Philippine Sea plate basin basalts and island arc volcanic rocks, radiometric ages, and tectonic reconstructions of the plate indicates that local processes, such as contamination of the upper mantle by subducted materials or by western Pacific mantle plumes, did not produce the Indian Ocean-type signature in Philippine Sea plate MORB. It is more likely that the plate originated over a rapidly growing Indian Ocean upper mantle domain that had spread into the area between Australia/New Guinea and southeast Asia before 50 Ma.

  18. Investigating the Vertical Distribution and Source Attribution of Black Carbon over the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J.; Liu, J.; Ban-Weiss, G. A.; Tao, S.

    2014-12-01

    Long-range transport of black carbon (BC) aerosols to the Pacific Ocean can potentially play a significant role in changing the marine climate through influences on temperature and cloud profiles and the top-of-atmosphere and surface energy balance. Therefore, quantitatively understanding sources of BC over the Pacific, particularly at different altitudes, is of great importance. In this study, we simulate the transport of thirteen continental BC tracers with a variety of e-folding aging times (few hours to 1 month) using the global chemical transport model MOZART-4. We then optimize BC aging rate according to different source regions by constraining the vertical profile of BC concentrations to the HAIPER Polo-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO). We find that for all HIPPO deployments, a shorter BC aging timescale (less than half day) for tropical and mid-latitude tracers and a longer aging timescale (2-10 days) for high-latitude tracers (except summer) in most cases significantly reduces model biases. By comparing the source-receptor relationship between the optimized BC tracers over the Pacific, we find that during 2009-2011, East Asia contributes most to the BC loading over the Northern Pacific in all seasons except summer, while South American, African and Australian tracers dominate the BC loadings over the Southern Pacific. In addition, unlike other tracers, African BC is a dominant contributor over a larger area in the free troposphere versus the boundary layer. Our findings indicate that the aging rate of BC strongly depends on source location and season, which may significantly influence the contribution of different source regions to BC forcing over the Pacific Ocean.

  19. Understanding the effect of an excessive cold tongue bias on projecting the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern in CMIP5 models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ying, Jun; Huang, Ping; Lian, Tao; Tan, Hongjian

    2018-05-01

    An excessive cold tongue is a common bias among current climate models, and considered an important source of bias in projections of tropical Pacific climate change under global warming. Specifically, the excessive cold tongue bias is closely related to the tropical Pacific SST warming (TPSW) pattern. In this study, we reveal that two processes are the critical mechanisms by which the excessive cold tongue bias influences the projection of the TPSW pattern, based on 32 models from phase 5 of Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection (CMIP5). On the one hand, by assuming that the shortwave (SW) radiation to SST feedback is linearly correlated to the cold tongue SST, the excessive cold tongue bias can induce an overly weak negative SW-SST feedback in the central Pacific, which can lead to a positive SST warming bias in the central to western Pacific (around 150°E-140°W). Moreover, the overly weak local atmospheric dynamics response to SST is a key process of the overly weak SW-SST feedback, compared with the cloud response to atmospheric dynamics and the SW radiation response to cloud. On the other hand, the overly strong ocean zonal overturning circulation associated with the excessive cold tongue bias results in an overestimation of the ocean dynamical thermostat effect, with enhanced ocean stratification under global warming, leading to a negative SST warming bias in the central and eastern Pacific (around 170°W-120°W). These two processes jointly form a positive SST warming bias in the western Pacific, contributing to a La Niña-like warming bias. Therefore, we suggest a more realistic climatological cold tongue SST is needed for a more reliable projection of the TPSW pattern.

  20. Fragile Reefs of the Eastern Pacific: Does low Cementation Provide a Model for Reefs in a High CO2 World?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manzello, D.; Kleypas, J.; Eakin, M.; Budd, D.

    2007-05-01

    Around the world, reefs will experience high pCO2, low pH, low carbonate concentrations, and low aragonite saturation state as atmospheric CO2 rises. Ocean carbon chemistry measurements show that eastern Pacific waters already exist at high pCO2 and low carbonate concentrations due to natural upwelling in the region. Because of the upwelling, this region may serve as a model for coral reef development under enhanced atmospheric CO2 and oceanic pCO2; that is, low coral growth, low secondary cementation, and high physical, chemical, and biological erosion. Reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean are characterized by low biological diversity and relatively small size. Both past coring and recent analysis reveal that, while many reefs in the eastern Pacific are several thousand years old, they are fragile and lack significant cementation, even in the innermost, oldest structures. They are also extremely porous with high water throughflow. Without secondary cementation, branching coral frameworks are held together only by organically produced calcium carbonate (e.g. coralline algae), sponges, and other reef infauna, and contain a high proportion of loose sediments. The result is reef frameworks that are more susceptible to destruction from mechanical or biological erosion. The poorly cemented nature of eastern Pacific reefs is thus hypothesized to have been a factor in the severe bioerosion that occurred on these reefs after past bleaching events (1982-3, 1997-8). We will present data that indicate low rates of cementation and high rates of erosion on eastern Pacific coral reefs and will compare current carbonate chemistry in the eastern Pacific to model predictions of what reefs around the globe may experience in coming decades.

  1. The Arctic: Glacial Refugium or Area of Secondary Contact? Inference from the Population Genetic Structure of the Thick-Billed Murre (Uria lomvia), with Implications for Management.

    PubMed

    Tigano, Anna; Damus, Martin; Birt, Tim P; Morris-Pocock, Jamie A; Artukhin, Yuri B; Friesen, Vicki L

    2015-01-01

    Quaternary glaciations affected the distribution of many species. Here, we investigate whether the Arctic represented a glacial refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum or an area of secondary contact following the ice retreat, by analyzing the genetic population structure of the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), a seabird that breeds throughout the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The thick-billed murre is a species of socio-economic importance and faces numerous threats including hunting, oil pollution, gill netting, and climate change. We compared variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (n = 424), supplemented by 4 microsatellite loci (n = 445), among thick-billed murres sampled throughout their range. MtDNA data indicated that colonies comprise 4 genetically differentiated groups (Φst = 0.11-0.81): 1) Atlantic Ocean plus New Siberian Islands region, 2) Cape Parry, 3) Chukchi Sea, and 4) Pacific Ocean. Microsatellite variation differed between Atlantic and Pacific populations. Otherwise, little substructure was found within either ocean. Atlantic and Pacific populations appear to have been genetically isolated since the last interglacial period and should be considered separate evolutionary significant units for management. The Chukchi Sea and Cape Parry appear to represent areas of secondary contact, rather than arctic refugial populations. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Distribution and rates of nitrogen fixation in the western tropical South Pacific Ocean constrained by nitrogen isotope budgets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knapp, Angela N.; McCabe, Kelly M.; Grosso, Olivier; Leblond, Nathalie; Moutin, Thierry; Bonnet, Sophie

    2018-05-01

    Constraining the rates and spatial distribution of dinitrogen (N2) fixation fluxes to the ocean informs our understanding of the environmental sensitivities of N2 fixation as well as the timescale over which the fluxes of nitrogen (N) to and from the ocean may respond to each other. Here we quantify rates of N2 fixation as well as its contribution to export production along a zonal transect in the western tropical South Pacific (WTSP) Ocean using N isotope (δ15N) budgets. Comparing measurements of water column nitrate + nitrite δ15N with the δ15N of sinking particulate N at a western, central, and eastern station, these δ15N budgets indicate high, modest, and low rates of N2 fixation at the respective stations. The results also imply that N2 fixation supports exceptionally high, i.e. ≥ 50 %, of export production at the western and central stations, which are also proximal to the largest iron sources. These geochemically based rates of N2 fixation are equal to or greater than those previously reported in the tropical North Atlantic, indicating that the WTSP Ocean has the capacity to support globally significant rates of N2 fixation, which may compensate for N removal in the oxygen-deficient zones of the eastern tropical Pacific.

  3. Controls on tropical Pacific Ocean productivity revealed through nutrient stress diagnostics.

    PubMed

    Behrenfeld, Michael J; Worthington, Kirby; Sherrell, Robert M; Chavez, Francisco P; Strutton, Peter; McPhaden, Michael; Shea, Donald M

    2006-08-31

    In situ enrichment experiments have shown that the growth of bloom-forming diatoms in the major high-nitrate low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions of the world's oceans is limited by the availability of iron. Yet even the largest of these manipulative experiments represents only a small fraction of an ocean basin, and the responses observed are strongly influenced by the proliferation of rare species rather than the growth of naturally dominant populations. Here we link unique fluorescence attributes of phytoplankton to specific physiological responses to nutrient stress, and use these relationships to evaluate the factors that constrain phytoplankton growth in the tropical Pacific Ocean on an unprecedented spatial scale. On the basis of fluorescence measurements taken over 12 years, we delineate three major ecophysiological regimes in this region. We find that iron has a key function in regulating phytoplankton growth in both HNLC and oligotrophic waters near the Equator and further south, whereas nitrogen and zooplankton grazing are the primary factors that regulate biomass production in the north. Application of our findings to the interpretation of satellite chlorophyll fields shows that productivity in the tropical Pacific basin may be 1.2-2.5 Pg C yr(-1) lower than previous estimates have suggested, a difference that is comparable to the global change in ocean production that accompanied the largest El Niño to La Niña transition on record.

  4. Evidence for prolonged El Nino-like conditions in the Pacific during the Late Pleistocene: a 43 ka noble gas record from California groundwaters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kulongoski, J.T.; Hilton, David R.; Izbicki, J.A.; Belitz, K.

    2009-01-01

    Information on the ocean/atmosphere state over the period spanning the Last Glacial Maximum - from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene - provides crucial constraints on the relationship between orbital forcing and global climate change. The Pacific Ocean is particularly important in this respect because of its dominant role in exporting heat and moisture from the tropics to higher latitudes. Through targeting groundwaters in the Mojave Desert, California, we show that noble gas derived temperatures in California averaged 4.2 ?? 1.1 ??C cooler in the Late Pleistocene (from ???43 to ???12 ka) compared to the Holocene (from ???10 to ???5 ka). Furthermore, the older groundwaters contain higher concentrations of excess air (entrained air bubbles) and have elevated oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratios (??18O) - indicators of vigorous aquifer recharge, and greater rainfall amounts and/or more intense precipitation events, respectively. Together, these paleoclimate indicators reveal that cooler and wetter conditions prevailed in the Mojave Desert from ???43 to ???12 ka. We suggest that during the Late Pleistocene, the Pacific ocean/atmosphere state was similar to present-day El Nino-like patterns, and was characterized by prolonged periods of weak trade winds, weak upwelling along the eastern Pacific margin, and increased precipitation in the southwestern U.S.

  5. Pacific patterns of dust deposition, iron supply and export production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winckler, G.; Anderson, R. F.; Park, J.; Schwartz, R.; Pahnke, K.; Struve, T.; Lamy, F.; Gersonde, R.

    2015-12-01

    The scarcity of iron limits marine export production and carbon uptake in about a quarter of the global ocean where the surface concentration of nitrate and phosphate is high, as biological utilization of these macronutrients is incomplete. Of these high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) regions, the Southern Ocean is the region where variations in iron availability can have the largest effect on Earth's carbon cycle through its fertilizing effect on marine ecosystems, both in the modern and in the past. Recent work in the Subantarctic South Atlantic (Martínez-Garcia et al., 2009, 2014, Anderson et al., 2014) suggests that dust-driven iron fertilization lowered atmospheric CO2 by up to 40 ppm in the latter half of each glacial cycle of the late Pleistocene, with the increase in Subantarctic productivity consuming a greater fraction of the surface nutrients and thus driving more storage of carbon in the ocean interior. The other sectors of the Southern Ocean remain poorly constrained, including the Pacific Sector, that accounts for the largest surface area of the Subantarctic Southern Ocean. Here we report records of dust deposition, iron supply and export production from a set of cores from the Subantarctic Pacific (PS75, Lamy et al 2014) and initial results about the origin of dust transported to the Subantarctic Pacific Ocean from radiogenic isotopes and rare earth elements. We test how tightly dust and biological productivity are coupled over glacial/interglacial and millennial timescales in the Subantarctic Pacific and place the region in a context of global patterns of biological productivity, nutrient utilization and iron fertilization by dust, including comparisons to the other Pacific HNLC regions, the Subarctic North Pacific and equatorial Pacific.

  6. Regional impacts of ocean color on tropical Pacific variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, W.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Wittenberg, A.

    2009-08-01

    The role of the penetration length scale of shortwave radiation into the surface ocean and its impact on tropical Pacific variability is investigated with a fully coupled ocean, atmosphere, land and ice model. Previous work has shown that removal of all ocean color results in a system that tends strongly towards an El Niño state. Results from a suite of surface chlorophyll perturbation experiments show that the mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is highly sensitive to the concentration and distribution of ocean chlorophyll. Setting the near-oligotrophic regions to contain optically pure water warms the mean state and suppresses variability in the western tropical Pacific. Doing the same above the shadow zones of the tropical Pacific also warms the mean state but enhances the variability. It is shown that increasing penetration can both deepen the pycnocline (which tends to damp El Niño) while shifting the mean circulation so that the wind response to temperature changes is altered. Depending on what region is involved this change in the wind stress can either strengthen or weaken ENSO variability.

  7. Regional impacts of ocean color on tropical Pacific variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, W.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Wittenberg, A.

    2009-02-01

    The role of the penetration length scale of shortwave radiation into the surface ocean and its impact on tropical Pacific variability is investigated with a fully coupled ocean, atmosphere, land and ice model. Previous work has shown that removal of all ocean color results in a system that tends strongly towards an El Niño state. Results from a suite of surface chlorophyll perturbation experiments show that the mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is highly sensitive to the concentration and distribution of ocean chlorophyll. Setting the near-oligotrophic regions to contain optically pure water warms the mean state and suppresses variability in the western tropical Pacific. Doing the same above the shadow zones of the tropical Pacific also warms the mean state but enhances the variability. It is shown that increasing penetration can both deepen the pycnocline (which tends to damp El Niño) while shifting the mean circulation so that the wind response to temperature changes is altered. Depending on what region is involved this change in the wind stress can either strengthen or weaken ENSO variability.

  8. On the Enigmatic Birth of the Pacific Plate within the Panthalassa Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boschman, L.; Van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.

    2016-12-01

    The oceanic Pacific Plate started forming in Early Jurassic time within the vast Panthalassa Ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangea and contains the oldest lithosphere that can directly constrain the geodynamic history of the circum-Pangean Earth. Here, we show that the geometry of the oldest marine magnetic anomalies of the Pacific Plate attests of a unique plate kinematic event that sparked the plate's birth in virtually a point location, surrounded by the Izanagi, Farallon and Phoenix Plates. We reconstruct the unstable triple junction that caused the plate reorganization leading to the birth of the Pacific Plate and present a model of the plate tectonic configuration that preconditioned this event. We show that a stable, but migrating triple junction involving the gradual cessation of intra-oceanic Panthalassa subduction culminated in the formation of an unstable transform-transform-transform triple junction. The consequent plate boundary reorganization resulted in the formation of a stable triangular three-ridge system from which the nascent Pacific Plate expanded. We link the birth of the Pacific Plate to the regional termination of intra-Panthalassa subduction. Remnants thereof have been identified in the deep lower mantle of which the locations may provide paleolongitudinal control on the absolute location of the early Pacific Plate. Our results constitute an essential step in unraveling the plate tectonic evolution of `Thalassa Incognita' comprising the comprehensive Panthalassa Ocean surrounding Pangea.

  9. Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the Pelagic Thresher Shark (Alopias pelagicus) in the Pacific Ocean: Evidence for Two Evolutionarily Significant Units

    PubMed Central

    Cardeñosa, Diego; Hyde, John; Caballero, Susana

    2014-01-01

    There has been an increasing concern about shark overexploitation in the last decade, especially for open ocean shark species, where there is a paucity of data about their life histories and population dynamics. Little is known regarding the population structure of the pelagic thresher shark, Alopias pelagicus. Though an earlier study using mtDNA control region data, showed evidence for differences between eastern and western Pacific populations, the study was hampered by low sample size and sparse geographic coverage, particularly a lack of samples from the central Pacific. Here, we present the population structure of Alopias pelagicus analyzing 351 samples from six different locations across the Pacific Ocean. Using data from mitochondrial DNA COI sequences and seven microsatellite loci we found evidence of strong population differentiation between western and eastern Pacific populations and evidence for reciprocally monophyly for organelle haplotypes and significant divergence of allele frequencies at nuclear loci, suggesting the existence of two Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU) in the Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, the population in Hawaii appears to be composed of both ESUs in what seems to be clear sympatry with reproductive isolation. These results may indicate the existence of a new cryptic species in the Pacific Ocean. The presence of these distinct ESUs highlights the need for revised management plans for this highly exploited shark throughout its range. PMID:25337814

  10. Genetic diversity and population structure of the pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) in the Pacific Ocean: evidence for two evolutionarily significant units.

    PubMed

    Cardeñosa, Diego; Hyde, John; Caballero, Susana

    2014-01-01

    There has been an increasing concern about shark overexploitation in the last decade, especially for open ocean shark species, where there is a paucity of data about their life histories and population dynamics. Little is known regarding the population structure of the pelagic thresher shark, Alopias pelagicus. Though an earlier study using mtDNA control region data, showed evidence for differences between eastern and western Pacific populations, the study was hampered by low sample size and sparse geographic coverage, particularly a lack of samples from the central Pacific. Here, we present the population structure of Alopias pelagicus analyzing 351 samples from six different locations across the Pacific Ocean. Using data from mitochondrial DNA COI sequences and seven microsatellite loci we found evidence of strong population differentiation between western and eastern Pacific populations and evidence for reciprocally monophyly for organelle haplotypes and significant divergence of allele frequencies at nuclear loci, suggesting the existence of two Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU) in the Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, the population in Hawaii appears to be composed of both ESUs in what seems to be clear sympatry with reproductive isolation. These results may indicate the existence of a new cryptic species in the Pacific Ocean. The presence of these distinct ESUs highlights the need for revised management plans for this highly exploited shark throughout its range.

  11. Deep Ocean Circulation and Nutrient Contents from Atlantic-Pacific Gradients of Neodymium and Carbon Isotopes During the Last 1 Ma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piotrowski, A. M.; Elderfield, H.; Howe, J. N. W.

    2014-12-01

    The last few million years saw changing boundary conditions to the Earth system which set the stage for bi-polar glaciation and Milankovich-forced glacial-interglacial cycles which dominate Quaternary climate variability. Recent studies have highlighted the relative importance of temperature, ice volume and ocean circulation changes during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition at ~900 ka (Elderfield et al., 2012, Pena and Goldstein, 2014). Reconstructing the history of global deep water mass propagation and its carbon content is important for fully understanding the ocean's role in amplifying Milankovich changes to cause glacial-interglacial transitions. A new foraminiferal-coating Nd isotope record from ODP Site 1123 on the deep Chatham Rise is interpreted as showing glacial-interglacial changes in the bottom water propagation of Atlantic-sourced waters into the Pacific via the Southern Ocean during the last 1 million years. This is compared to globally-distributed bottom water Nd isotope records; including a new deep western equatorial Atlantic Ocean record from ODP Site 929, as well as published records from ODP 1088 and Site 1090 in the South Atlantic (Pena and Goldstein, 2014), and ODP 758 in the deep Indian Ocean (Gourlan et al., 2010). Atlantic-to-Pacific gradients in deep ocean neodymium isotopes are constructed for key time intervals to elucidate changes in deep water sourcing and circulation pathways through the global ocean. Benthic carbon isotopes are used to estimate deep water nutrient contents of deep water masses and constrain locations and modes of deep water formation. References: Elderfield et al. Science 337, 704 (2012) Pena and Goldstein, Science 345, 318 (2014) Gourlan et al., Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 2484-2498 (2010)

  12. Anthropogenic Influence on the Changes of the Subtropical Gyre Circulation in the South Pacific in the 20th Century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albrecht, F.; Pizarro, O.; Montecinos, A.

    2016-12-01

    The subtropical ocean gyre in the South Pacific is a large scale wind-driven ocean circulation, including the Peru-Chile Current, the westward South Equatorial Current, the East Australian Current, and the eastward South Pacific Current. Large scale ocean circulations play an essential role in the climate of the Earth over long and short term time scales.In the recent years a spin-up of this circulation has been recognized analyzing observations of sea level, temperature and salinity profiles, sea surface temperature and wind. Until now it is not clear whether this spin-up is decadal variability or whether it is a long-term trend introduced by anthropogenic forcing. This study aims to analyze whether and how anthropogenic forcing influences the position and the strength of the gyre in the 20th century. To determine that, yearly means of different variables of an ensemble of CMIP5 models are analyzed. The experiments 'historical' and 'historicalNat' are examined. The 'historical' experiment simulates the climate of the 20th century and the 'historicalNat' experiment covers the same time period, but only includes natural forcings. Comparing the outcomes of these two experiments is supposed to give information about the anthropogenic influence on the subtropical gyre of the South Pacific.The main variable we analyze is sea level change. This is directly related to the gyre circulation. The center of the gyre is characterized by a high pressure zone (high sea level) and the temporal and spatial variability of the sea level height field gives information about changes in the gyre circulation. The CMIP5 databank includes steric and dynamic sea level changes. Steric sea level, that is the contribution of temperature and salinity of the water, describes the major contribution to regional sea level change with respect to the global mean. Density changes contract or expand the water, which also changes the sea surface height. This does not only occur at the surface, but at all layers in the ocean. Sea level change thus integrates ocean variability throughout the depth of the ocean. Sea level simulations of the different experiments are compared using long-term trends, multi-year anomalies and EOF-Analysis. Changes in temperature and salinity in the deeper ocean are used to describe the development of the gyre below the surface.

  13. Prochlorococcus as a Possible Source for Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP)

    PubMed Central

    Iuculano, Francesca; Mazuecos, Ignacio P.; Reche, Isabel; Agustí, Susana

    2017-01-01

    Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), usually associated with phytoplankton blooms, promote the formation of marine aggregates. Their exportation to deep waters is considered a key component of the biological carbon pump. Here, we explored the role of solar radiation and picocyanobacteria in the formation of TEP in oligotrophic surface waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in ten on-deck incubation experiments during the Malaspina 2010 Expedition. TEP concentrations were low on the ocean’s surface although these concentrations were significantly higher on the surface of the Pacific (24.45 ± 2.3 μg XG Eq. L-1) than on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean (8.18 ± 4.56 μg XG Eq. L-1). Solar radiation induced a significant production of TEP in the on-deck experiments from the surface water of the Pacific Ocean, reaching values up to 187.3 μg XG Eq. L-1 compared with the low production observed in the dark controls. By contrast, TEP production in the Atlantic Ocean experiments was lower, and its formation was not related to the light treatments. Prochlorococcus sp. from the surface ocean was very sensitive to solar radiation and experienced a high cell decay in the Pacific Ocean experiments. TEP production in the on-deck incubation experiments was closely related to the observed cell decay rates of Prochlorococcus sp., suggesting that this picocyanobacteria genus is a potential source of TEP. The evidence to propose such potential role was derived experimentally, using natural communities including the presence of several species and a variety of processes. Laboratory experiments with cultures of a non-axenic strain of Prochlorococcus marinus were then used to test TEP production by this genus. TEP concentrations in the culture increased with increasing cell abundance during the exponential phase, reaching the highest TEP concentration at the beginning of the stationary phase. The average TEP concentration of 1474 ± 226 μg XG Eq. L-1 (mean ± SE) observed at the stationary phase of P. marinus cultures is comparable with the values reported in the literature for diatom cultures, also growing in non-axenic as well as axenic cultures. Our results identify Prochlorococcus sp. as a possible relevant source of TEP in the oligotrophic ocean. PMID:28491056

  14. Quantitative Analysis of the Distribution of cis-Eicosenoic Acid Positional Isomers in Marine Fishes from the Indian Ocean.

    PubMed

    Senarath, Samanthika; Yoshinaga, Kazuaki; Nagai, Toshiharu; Yoshida, Akihiko; Beppu, Fumiaki; Jayasinghe, Chamila; Devadawson, Chandravathany; Gotoh, Naohiro

    2017-02-01

    This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of cis-eicosenoic acid (c-20:1) positional isomers in fishes from the Indian Ocean and compared to those from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Lipids were extracted from the edible part of the fish and then methylated. The eicosenoic acid methyl ester fraction was separated from total fatty acid methyl esters by reversed-phase HPLC and quantitatively analyzed using a GC-FID fitted with the SLB-IL111 highly polar GC column. c14-20:1 was used as an internal standard. The results indicated that the highest levels of c-20:1 positional isomers were found in fishes from the Pacific Ocean (saury, 166.95±12.4 mg/g of oil), followed by the Atlantic Ocean (capelin, 162.7±3.5 mg/g of oil), and lastly in fishes from the Indian Ocean (goatfish, 34.39 mg/g of oil). With only a few exceptions, the most abundant 20:1 positional isomer found in fishes of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean was the c11-20:1 isomer (>50%) followed by the c13-20:1 isomer (<25%). Unusually, the c7-20:1 isomer was predominantly found in a few fishes such as the tooth ponyfish, longface emperor, and commerson's sole. The c9, c5, and c15-20:1 isomers were the least occurring in fishes from the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the c9-20:1 isomer was the principal isomer identified in fishes from the Pacific Ocean. The results revealed that the content and distribution of c-20:1 positional isomers varied among fishes in different oceans. The data presented in the current study are the first to report on the distribution of c-20:1 positional isomers in fishes from the Indian Ocean.

  15. 50 CFR 679.64 - Harvesting sideboard limits in other fisheries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    .../processors be calculated? Except for Aleutian Islands pollock and BSAI Pacific cod, the Regional... group in which a TAC is specified for an area or subarea of the BSAI as follows: (i) Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch. (A) The Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch harvest limit will be equal to the 1996...

  16. 33 CFR 334.1390 - Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. 334.1390 Section 334.1390 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1390 Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. (a... individual basis, by prior arrangement with the Commanding Officer, Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaiian...

  17. 33 CFR 334.1390 - Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. 334.1390 Section 334.1390 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1390 Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. (a... individual basis, by prior arrangement with the Commanding Officer, Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaiian...

  18. 33 CFR 334.1390 - Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ..., Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. 334.1390 Section 334.1390 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1390 Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. (a... individual basis, by prior arrangement with the Commanding Officer, Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaiian...

  19. 33 CFR 334.1390 - Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. 334.1390 Section 334.1390 Navigation and Navigable... REGULATIONS § 334.1390 Pacific Ocean at Barking Sands, Island of Kauai, Hawaii; missile range facility. (a... individual basis, by prior arrangement with the Commanding Officer, Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaiian...

  20. 75 FR 8820 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-26

    ... Pacific Ocean perch) will increase slightly with the adjustments to the cumulative limits in the limited..., projected impacts to Pacific Ocean perch (POP), darkblotched rockfish, and widow rockfish are also reduced... regulatory discards, while balancing the risk of inducing effort shifts to convert the trip limit from an...

  1. Apollo XIII Spacecraft - Splashdown - South Pacific Ocean

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1970-04-17

    S70-35652 (17 April 1970) --- The Apollo 13 spacecraft heads toward a splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean. The Apollo 13 Command Module splashed down in the South Pacific at 12:07:44 p.m., April 17, 1970. Note the capsule and its parachutes just visible against a gap in the dark clouds.

  2. Impacts of ENSO events on cloud radiative effects in preindustrial conditions: Changes in cloud fraction and their dependence on interactive aerosol emissions and concentrations: IMPACT OF ENSO ON CLOUD RADIATIVE EFFECT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Yang; Russell, Lynn M.; Xu, Li

    The impacts of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on shortwave and longwave cloud radiative effects (CRESW and CRELW) and the underlying changes in cloud fraction as well as aerosol emissions, wet scavenging and transport are quantified using three 150-year simulations in preindustrial conditions by the CESM model. Compared to recent observations from Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), the model simulation successfully reproduced larger variations of CRESW over the tropical western and central Pacific, Indonesian regions, and the eastern Pacific Ocean, as well as large variations of CRELW located mainly within the tropics. The ENSO cycle ismore » found to dominate interannual variations of cloud radiative effects, especially over the tropics. Relative to those during La Niña events, simulated cooling (warming) effects from CRESW (CRELW) during El Niño events are stronger over the tropical western and central Pacific Ocean, with the largest difference exceeding 40 Wm–2 (30 Wm–2), with weaker effects of 10–30 Wm–2 over Indonesian regions and the subtropical Pacific Ocean. Sensitivity tests show that variations of cloud radiative effects are mainly driven by ENSO-related changes in cloud fraction. The variations in medium and high cloud fractions each account for about 20–50% of the interannual variations of CRESW over the tropics and almost all of the variations of CRELW between 60°S and 60°N. The variation of low cloud fraction contributes most interannual variations of CRESW over the mid-latitude oceans. Variations in natural aerosol concentrations considering emissions, wet scavenging and transport explained 10–30% of the interannual variations of both CRESW and CRELW over the tropical Pacific, Indonesian regions and the tropical Indian Ocean. Changes in wet scavenging of natural aerosol modulate the variations of cloud radiative effects. Because of increased (decreased) precipitation over the tropical western Pacific Ocean in El Niño (La Niña) events, increased (decreased) wet scavenging of natural aerosols dampens more than 4–6% of variations of cloud radiative effects averaged over the tropics. In contrast, increased surface winds cause feedbacks that increase sea spray emissions that enhance the variations by 3–4% averaged over the tropics.« less

  3. Unprecedented 2015/2016 Indo-Pacific Heat Transfer Speeds Up Tropical Pacific Heat Recharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayer, Michael; Alonso Balmaseda, Magdalena; Haimberger, Leopold

    2018-04-01

    El Niño events are characterized by anomalously warm tropical Pacific surface waters and concurrent ocean heat discharge, a precursor of subsequent cold La Niña conditions. Here we show that El Niño 2015/2016 departed from this norm: despite extreme peak surface temperatures, tropical Pacific (30°N-30°S) upper ocean heat content increased by 9.6 ± 1.7 ZJ (1 ZJ = 1021 J), in stark contrast to the previous strong El Niño in 1997/1998 (-11.5 ± 2.9 ZJ). Unprecedented reduction of Indonesian Throughflow volume and heat transport played a key role in the anomalous 2015/2016 event. We argue that this anomaly is linked with the previously documented intensified warming and associated rising sea levels in the Indian Ocean during the last decade. Additionally, increased absorption of solar radiation acted to dampen Pacific ocean heat content discharge. These results explain the weak and short-lived La Niña conditions in 2016/2017 and indicate the need for realistic representation of Indo-Pacific energy transfers for skillful seasonal-to-decadal predictions.

  4. Reconstruction of paleoceanographic significance in the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian Ocean during the Neogene based on calcareous nannofossil productivity and coccolith size distribution of Reticulofenestra - with special reference to formation of petroleum source rocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pratiwi, S. D.; Sato, T.; Ovinda, O.; Syavitri, D.

    2017-12-01

    We studied in detail the calcareous nannofossils assemblages from the ODP Sites of the western Pacific, Bahama Bank of Caribbean Sea, northwestern Pacific, Equatorial Pacific and the Indian Ocean to reconstruct the Cenozoic paleoceanographic evolution and correlate with the global events. The absolute abundant of coccolith (number/g) is gradually increased from NN6 throughout NN19 Zone, while the relative abundance of Discoaster is decreased in the Pacific Ocean. The size of Reticulofenestra increased five times throughout the section. However, it drastically decreased in NN8-10 (8.80 Ma), NN12-13 (5.40 Ma), NN14-NN15 (3.75 Ma), NN17/NN18 (2.52 Ma) and in NN19 Zone (0.80 Ma) in the western Pacific site. The characteristic of eutrophication condition determined by the high productivity of coccolith and the drastic decrease of the maximum size of Reticulofenestra are strongly related to the appearance of nutricline in the sea surface ocean. On the basis of the relationship between the changes of maximum sizes of Reticulofenestra and nutrient condition, these eutrophication events are clearly traceable in the western Pacific, Bahama Bank of Caribbean Sea, northwestern Pacific, Equatorial Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Two paleoceanographic events found in 8.80 Ma and 3.75 Ma are interpreted as a change to high nutrient condition resulted in the intensification of Asian Monsoon and closure of Panama Isthmus (Fig.). The upwelling of nutrient-rich oceanic waters may give rise to exceptionally high organic productivity. Organic carbon- rich facies accumulate preferentially during major intensification episodes. The timing of high productivity of coccolith during the middle to late Miocene is related and applicable to the formation of petroleum source rock and traceable to the Japan, marginal eastern North Pacific and California oil sites. This study suggests that the timing of the collapse of sea surface condition or eutrophication condition (8.00 Ma to 10.00 Ma) is correlated to the timing of formation petroleum source rocks in Circum Pacific based on calcareous nannofossils study.

  5. Comparison of Moist Static Energy and Budget between the GCM-Simulated Madden–Julian Oscillation and Observations over the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wu, Xiaoqing; Deng, Liping

    The moist static energy (MSE) anomalies and MSE budget associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) simulated in the Iowa State University General Circulation Model (ISUGCM) over the Indian and Pacific Oceans are compared with observations. Different phase relationships between MJO 850-hPa zonal wind, precipitation, and surface latent heat flux are simulated over the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, which are greatly influenced by the convection closure, trigger conditions, and convective momentum transport (CMT). The moist static energy builds up from the lower troposphere 15–20 days before the peak of MJO precipitation, and reaches the maximum in the middle troposphere (500–600more » hPa) near the peak of MJO precipitation. The gradual lower-tropospheric heating and moistening and the upward transport of moist static energy are important aspects of MJO events, which are documented in observational studies but poorly simulated in most GCMs. The trigger conditions for deep convection, obtained from the year-long cloud resolving model (CRM) simulations, contribute to the striking difference between ISUGCM simulations with the original and modified convection schemes and play the major role in the improved MJO simulation in ISUGCM. Additionally, the budget analysis with the ISUGCM simulations shows the increase in MJO MSE is in phase with the horizontal advection of MSE over the western Pacific, while out of phase with the horizontal advection of MSE over the Indian Ocean. However, the NCEP analysis shows that the tendency of MJO MSE is in phase with the horizontal advection of MSE over both oceans.« less

  6. Christmas Island, Line Island Group, Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Christmas Island (2.0N,158.0W), mid central Pacific Ocean, is considered to be the largest atoll in the world, about 25 km in diameter, and is part of the Line Island Group, a northwest-southeast trending chain of volcanic islands on some of the oldest ocean crust in the Pacific. The lagoon is nearly filled with reef growth leaving only a narrow entrance from the sea and large cocoanut groves are found along the fringes of the lagoon.

  7. Asymmetric Signature of Glacial Antarctic Intermediate Water in the Central South Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tapia, R.; Nuernberg, D.; Ho, S. L.; Lamy, F.; Ullermann, J.; Gersonde, R.; Tiedemann, R.

    2017-12-01

    Southern Ocean Intermediate Waters (SOIWs) play a key role in modulating the global climate on glacial-interglacial time scales as they connect the Southern Ocean and the tropics. Despite their importance, the past evolution of the SOIWs in the central South Pacific is largely unknown due to a dearth of sedimentary archives. Here we compare Mg/Ca-temperature, stable carbon and oxygen isotope records from surface-dwelling (G. bulloides) and deep-dwelling (G. inflata) planktic foraminifera at site PS75/059-2 (54°12.9' S, 125°25.53' W; recovery 13.98 m; 3.613 m water depth), located north of the modern Subantarctic Front. Our study focuses on the temperature and salinity variability controlled by SOIWs, which were subducted at the Subantarctic Front during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 29-17ka BP) and the Penultimate Glacial Maximum (PGM; 180-150ka BP). During both glacial periods conditions at the subsurface ocean were colder and fresher relative to the Holocene (<10ka) suggesting an enhanced presence of SOIWs. In spite of the comparable subsurface cooling during both glacial, the subsurface ocean during the PGM was saltier and 0.35‰ more depleted in δ13C in comparison to the LGM. Interestingly, the mean δ13C value of the PGM is comparable to the Carbon Isotope Minimum Events, which might suggests a larger contribution of "old" low δ13C deep waters to the study site during the PGM. A Latitudinal comparison of subsurface proxies suggests glacial asymmetries in the advection of SOIWs into the central Pacific, plausibly related to glacial changes in the convection depth of SOIWs at the South Antarctic Front area rather than changes in production of the SOIWs.

  8. A Prototype Two-Decade Fully-Coupled Fine-Resolution CCSM Simulation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McClean, Julie L.; Bader, David C; Bryan, Frank O.

    2011-01-01

    A fully coupled global simulation using the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) was configured using grid resolutions of 0.1{sup o} for the ocean and sea-ice, and 0.25{sup o} for the atmosphere and land, and was run under present-day greenhouse gas conditions for 20 years. It represents one of the first efforts to simulate the planetary system at such high horizontal resolution. The climatology of the circulation of the atmosphere and the upper ocean were compared with observational data and reanalysis products to identify persistent mean climate biases. Intensified and contracted polar vortices, and too cold sea surface temperatures (SSTs) inmore » the subpolar and mid-latitude Northern Hemisphere were the dominant biases produced by the model. Intense category 4 cyclones formed spontaneously in the tropical North Pacific. A case study of the ocean response to one such event shows the realistic formation of a cold SST wake, mixed layer deepening, and warming below the mixed layer. Too many tropical cyclones formed in the North Pacific however, due to too high SSTs in the tropical eastern Pacific. In the North Atlantic anomalously low SSTs lead to a dearth of hurricanes. Agulhas eddy pathways are more realistic than in equivalent stand-alone ocean simulations forced with atmospheric reanalysis.« less

  9. US Navy Operational Global Ocean and Arctic Ice Prediction Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    meridional overturning circulation (Figure 29 in Hurlburt et al., 2011), when comparing a non-assimilative simulation with a data assimilative...boundary current regions of the Gulf Stream ( Atlantic ), the Kuroshio (Pacific), and the Agulhas and Somali Currents (both Indian). Consequently...Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), initially for the North Atlantic (Mehra and

  10. Ancient Divergence in the Trans-Oceanic Deep-Sea Shark Centroscymnus crepidater

    PubMed Central

    Cunha, Regina L.; Coscia, Ilaria; Madeira, Celine; Mariani, Stefano; Stefanni, Sergio; Castilho, Rita

    2012-01-01

    Unravelling the genetic structure and phylogeographic patterns of deep-sea sharks is particularly challenging given the inherent difficulty in obtaining samples. The deep-sea shark Centroscymnus crepidater is a medium-sized benthopelagic species that exhibits a circumglobal distribution occurring both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. Contrary to the wealth of phylogeographic studies focused on coastal sharks, the genetic structure of bathyal species remains largely unexplored. We used a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region, and microsatellite data, to examine genetic structure in C. crepidater collected from the Atlantic Ocean, Tasman Sea, and southern Pacific Ocean (Chatham Rise). Two deeply divergent (3.1%) mtDNA clades were recovered, with one clade including both Atlantic and Pacific specimens, and the other composed of Atlantic samples with a single specimen from the Pacific (Chatham Rise). Bayesian analyses estimated this splitting in the Miocene at about 15 million years ago. The ancestral C. crepidater lineage was probably widely distributed in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. The oceanic cooling observed during the Miocene due to an Antarctic glaciation and the Tethys closure caused changes in environmental conditions that presumably restricted gene flow between basins. Fluctuations in food resources in the Southern Ocean might have promoted the dispersal of C. crepidater throughout the northern Atlantic where habitat conditions were more suitable during the Miocene. The significant genetic structure revealed by microsatellite data suggests the existence of present-day barriers to gene flow between the Atlantic and Pacific populations most likely due to the influence of the Agulhas Current retroflection on prey movements. PMID:23145122

  11. Decadal variations of Pacific North Equatorial Current bifurcation from multiple ocean products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhai, Fangguo; Wang, Qingye; Wang, Fujun; Hu, Dunxin

    2014-02-01

    In this study, we examine the decadal variations of the Pacific North Equatorial Current (NEC) bifurcation latitude (NBL) averaged over upper 100 m and underlying dynamics over the past six decades using 11 ocean products, including seven kinds of ocean reanalyzes based on ocean data assimilation systems, two kinds of numerical simulations without assimilating observations and two kinds of objective analyzes based on in situ observations only. During the period of 1954-2007, the multiproduct mean of decadal NBL anomalies shows maxima around 1965/1966, 1980/1981, 1995/1996, and 2003/2004, and minima around 1958, 1971/1972, 1986/1987, and 2000/2001, respectively. The NBL decadal variations are related to the first Empirical Orthogonal Function mode of decadal anomalies of sea surface height (SSH) in the northwestern tropical Pacific Ocean, which shows spatially coherent variation over the whole region and explains most of the total variance. Further regression and composite analyzes indicate that northerly/southerly NBL corresponds to negative/positive SSH anomalies and cyclonic/anticyclonic gyre anomalies in the northwestern tropical Pacific Ocean. These decadal circulation variations and thus the decadal NBL variations are governed mostly by the first two vertical modes and attribute the most to the first baroclinic mode. The NBL decadal variation is highly positively correlated with the tropical Pacific decadal variability (TPDV) around the zero time lag. With a lead of about half the decadal cycle the NBL displays closer but negative relationship to TPDV in four ocean products, possibly manifesting the dynamical role of the circulation in the northwestern tropical Pacific in the phase-shifting of TPDV.

  12. ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu inventories and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the equatorial Pacific Ocean water column.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Masatoshi; Zheng, Jian

    2012-07-15

    The (239+240)Pu concentrations and (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios were determined by alpha spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for seawater samples from two stations, one at the equator and the other in the equatorial South Pacific. To better understand the fate of Pu isotopes, this study dealt with the contribution of the close-in fallout Pu from the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) in water columns of the Pacific Ocean. The (239)Pu, (240)Pu and (239+240)Pu inventories over the depth interval 0-3000 m at the equator station were 10.4, 8.9 and 19.3 Bq m(-2), respectively. Further, no noticeable difference was observed in (239)Pu, (240)Pu and (239+240)Pu inventories over the depth interval 0-3000 m between the two stations. The total (239+240)Pu inventories were significantly higher than the expected cumulative deposition density of global fallout. Water column (239+240)Pu inventories measured in this study were lower than those reported for comparable stations in the Geochemical Ocean Sections Study, indicating that these inventories have been decreasing at average rates of 0.89 ± 0.07 and 0.16 ± 0.07 Bq m(-2)yr(-1) at the equator and equatorial South Pacific stations, respectively, from 1973 to 1990. The obtained (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios were higher than the mean global fallout ratio of 0.18. These high atom ratios proved the existence of close-in tropospheric fallout Pu from the PPG in the Marshall Islands. The (239+240)Pu inventories originating from the close-in fallout in the entire water column were estimated to be 11.1 Bq m(-2) at the equator station and 7.1 Bq m(-2) at the equatorial South Pacific Ocean station, and the relative percentages of close-in fallout Pu were 40% at the former and 34% at the latter. A significant amount of close-in fallout Pu originating from the PPG has been transported to deep layers below the 1000 m depth in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Indian summer monsoon rainfall variability during 2014 and 2015 and associated Indo-Pacific upper ocean temperature patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kakatkar, Rashmi; Gnanaseelan, C.; Chowdary, J. S.; Parekh, Anant; Deepa, J. S.

    2018-02-01

    In this study, factors responsible for the deficit Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) rainfall in 2014 and 2015 and the ability of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology-Global Ocean Data Assimilation System (IITM-GODAS) in representing the oceanic features are examined. IITM-GODAS has been used to provide initial conditions for seasonal forecast in India during 2014 and 2015. The years 2014 and 2015 witnessed deficit ISM rainfall but were evolved from two entirely different preconditions over Pacific. This raises concern over the present understanding of the role of Pacific Ocean on ISM variability. Analysis reveals that the mechanisms associated with the rainfall deficit over the Indian Subcontinent are different in the two years. It is found that remote forcing in summer of 2015 due to El Niño is mostly responsible for the deficit monsoon rainfall through changes in Walker circulation and large-scale subsidence. In the case of the summer of 2014, both local circulation with anomalous anticyclone over central India and intrusion of mid-latitude dry winds from north have contributed for the deficit rainfall. In addition to the above, Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) sea surface temperature (SST) and remote forcing from Pacific Ocean also modulated the ISM rainfall. It is observed that Pacific SST warming has extended westward in 2014, making it a basin scale warming unlike the strong El Niño year 2015. The eastern equatorial Indian Ocean is anomalously warmer than west in summer of 2014, and vice versa in 2015. These differences in SST in both tropical Pacific and TIO have considerable impact on ISM rainfall in 2014 and 2015. The study reveals that initializing coupled forecast models with proper upper ocean temperature over the Indo-Pacific is therefore essential for improved model forecast. It is important to note that the IITM-GODAS which assimilates only array for real-time geostrophic oceanography (ARGO) temperature and salinity profiles could capture most of the observed surface and subsurface temperature variations from early spring to summer during the years 2014 and 2015 over the Indo-Pacific region. This study highlights the importance of maintaining observing systems such as ARGO for accurate monsoon forecast.

  14. Eastern Pacific cooling and Atlantic overturning circulation during the last deglaciation.

    PubMed

    Kienast, Markus; Kienast, Stephanie S; Calvert, Stephen E; Eglinton, Timothy I; Mollenhauer, Gesine; François, Roger; Mix, Alan C

    2006-10-19

    Surface ocean conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean could hold the clue to whether millennial-scale global climate change during glacial times was initiated through tropical ocean-atmosphere feedbacks or by changes in the Atlantic thermohaline circulation. North Atlantic cold periods during Heinrich events and millennial-scale cold events (stadials) have been linked with climatic changes in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and South America, as well as the Indian and East Asian monsoon systems, but not with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. Here we present a high-resolution record of sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific derived from alkenone unsaturation measurements. Our data show a temperature drop of approximately 1 degrees C, synchronous (within dating uncertainties) with the shutdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during Heinrich event 1, and a smaller temperature drop of approximately 0.5 degrees C synchronous with the smaller reduction in the overturning circulation during the Younger Dryas event. Both cold events coincide with maxima in surface ocean productivity as inferred from 230Th-normalized carbon burial fluxes, suggesting increased upwelling at the time. From the concurrence of equatorial Pacific cooling with the two North Atlantic cold periods during deglaciation, we conclude that these millennial-scale climate changes were probably driven by a reorganization of the oceans' thermohaline circulation, although possibly amplified by tropical ocean-atmosphere interaction as suggested before.

  15. Assessment of prediction skill in equatorial Pacific Ocean in high resolution model of CFS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arora, Anika; Rao, Suryachandra A.; Pillai, Prasanth; Dhakate, Ashish; Salunke, Kiran; Srivastava, Ankur

    2018-01-01

    The effect of increasing atmospheric resolution on prediction skill of El Niño southern oscillation phenomenon in climate forecast system model is explored in this paper. Improvement in prediction skill for sea surface temperature (SST) and winds at all leads compared to low resolution model in the tropical Indo-Pacific basin is observed. High resolution model is able to capture extreme events reasonably well. As a result, the signal to noise ratio is improved in the high resolution model. However, spring predictability barrier (SPB) for summer months in Nino 3 and Nino 3.4 region is stronger in high resolution model, in spite of improvement in overall prediction skill and dynamics everywhere else. Anomaly correlation coefficient of SST in high resolution model with observations in Nino 3.4 region targeting boreal summer months when predicted at lead times of 3-8 months in advance decreased compared its lower resolution counterpart. It is noted that higher variance of winds predicted in spring season over central equatorial Pacific compared to observed variance of winds results in stronger than normal response on subsurface ocean, hence increases SPB for boreal summer months in high resolution model.

  16. A newly found fragment of Cretaceous oceanic Lip derived from Pacific superplume; an example from the Sanbagawa eclogite-peridotite mass in Shikoku, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ota, T.; Terabayashi, M.; Kaneko, Y.; Yamamoto, H.; Okamoto, K.; Katayama, I.; Komiya, T.

    2001-12-01

    It is well-known that the Pacific superplume has been episodically active to form a number of oceanic Lips in the Pacific. During the middle Cretaceous time, it has formed Ontong-Jawa, Caribbean plateau, Mid-Pacific seamount chains and others. Moreover, several accreted fragments of those equivalents have been recently recognized as accreted fragments in accretionary orogens around the Pacific rims. Here, we list up a possible candidate which appears as a small piece now but it must have been a huge one equivalent to Ontong-Java size. The Cretaceous Sanbagawa belt in SW Japan is an accretionary complex metamorphosed at high-P/T conditions from 300-900° C and 0.5-2.6 GPa. We have recently completed a new lithotectonic map at 1:5000 scale for the highest grade areas, central Shikoku, with special attention on duplex structure and protolith occurrences. The mapped area consists of pelitic, basic and quartz schists with epidote-amphibolite facies grade, which enclose the Iratsu- and Higashi-Akaishi eclogite-peridotite masses. The eclogite-peridotite masses are composed of ultramafic rocks, eclogitic metabasites with basalt and gabbro origin, metacarbonate, metachert and pelitic gneiss (trench turbidite) in ascending order, and are divided into 4 horses consisting of those lithologies. These are separated on the top by the roof thrust and on the bottom by the floor thrust, indicating duplex. Based on duplex occurrences of oceanic materials within trench turbidite and reconstructed oceanic plate stratigraphy, we reconstruct the subduction polarity as always northwards, and directional change with time. The reconstructed oceanic plate stratigraphy suggests their origin of oceanic plateau covered by pelagic limestone with minor cherts on their flank before the arrival time at trench. The petrological thickness of plateau may exceed 30km, because high-pressure granulite facies assemblage remained in metagabbro in the Iratsu eclogite mass (Yokoyama, 1980), indicating huge oceanic plateau in origin. Moreover, the relative convergence motion of plate was estimated to be changed from NW to NE during the accretion of huge oceanic plateau. The Cretaceous paleogeography in the Pacific Ocean, based on paleo-plate reconstruction and the accreted oceanic crusts and plateaus around the circum-Pacific orogenic belts, has drawn the huge composite volcanoes formed at South Pacific Superplume around the earliest Cretaceous, named 'Gossira continent' (Suzuki et al., 2000, AGU abstract). Our reconstructed oceanic plateau would have constituted a part of the Gossira continent. >http://www.geo.titech.ac.jp/maruyamalab/f_maruyamalab.e.html

  17. A Southern Ocean trigger for Northwest Pacific ventilation during the Holocene?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

    2014-02-01

    Holocene ocean circulation is poorly understood due to sparsity of dateable marine archives with submillennial-scale resolution. Here we present a record of mid-depth water radiocarbon contents in the Northwest (NW) Pacific Ocean over the last 12.000 years, which shows remarkable millennial-scale variations relative to changes in atmospheric radiocarbon inventory. Apparent decoupling of these variations from regional ventilation and mixing processes leads us to the suggestion that the mid-depth NW Pacific may have responded to changes in Southern Ocean overturning forced by latitudinal displacements of the southern westerly winds. By inference, a tendency of in-phase related North Atlantic and Southern Ocean overturning would argue against the development of a steady bipolar seesaw regime during the Holocene.

  18. A Southern Ocean trigger for Northwest Pacific ventilation during the Holocene?

    PubMed

    Rella, S F; Uchida, M

    2014-02-17

    Holocene ocean circulation is poorly understood due to sparsity of dateable marine archives with submillennial-scale resolution. Here we present a record of mid-depth water radiocarbon contents in the Northwest (NW) Pacific Ocean over the last 12.000 years, which shows remarkable millennial-scale variations relative to changes in atmospheric radiocarbon inventory. Apparent decoupling of these variations from regional ventilation and mixing processes leads us to the suggestion that the mid-depth NW Pacific may have responded to changes in Southern Ocean overturning forced by latitudinal displacements of the southern westerly winds. By inference, a tendency of in-phase related North Atlantic and Southern Ocean overturning would argue against the development of a steady bipolar seesaw regime during the Holocene.

  19. A Southern Ocean trigger for Northwest Pacific ventilation during the Holocene?

    PubMed Central

    Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

    2014-01-01

    Holocene ocean circulation is poorly understood due to sparsity of dateable marine archives with submillennial-scale resolution. Here we present a record of mid-depth water radiocarbon contents in the Northwest (NW) Pacific Ocean over the last 12.000 years, which shows remarkable millennial-scale variations relative to changes in atmospheric radiocarbon inventory. Apparent decoupling of these variations from regional ventilation and mixing processes leads us to the suggestion that the mid-depth NW Pacific may have responded to changes in Southern Ocean overturning forced by latitudinal displacements of the southern westerly winds. By inference, a tendency of in-phase related North Atlantic and Southern Ocean overturning would argue against the development of a steady bipolar seesaw regime during the Holocene. PMID:24509792

  20. U-Series Disequilibria across the New Southern Ocean Mantle Province, Australian-Antarctic Ridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scott, S. R.; Sims, K. W. W.; Park, S. H.; Langmuir, C. H.; Lin, J.; Kim, S. S.; Blichert-Toft, J.; Michael, P. J.; Choi, H.; Yang, Y. S.

    2017-12-01

    Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) provide a unique window into the temporal and spatial scales of mantle evolution. Long-lived radiogenic isotopes in MORB have demonstrated that the mantle contains many different chemical components or "flavors". U-series disequilibria in MORB have further shown that different chemical components/lithologies in the mantle contribute differently to mantle melting processes beneath mid-ocean ridges. Recent Sr, Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopic analyses from newly collected basalts along the Australian-Antarctic Ridge (AAR) have revealed that a large distinct mantle province exists between the Australian-Antarctic Discordance and the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, extending from West Antarctica and Marie Byrd Land to New Zealand and Eastern Australia (Park et al., submitted). This southern mantle province is located between the Indian-type mantle and the Pacific-type mantle domains. U-series measurements in the Southeast Indian Ridge and East Pacific Rise provinces show distinct signatures suggestive of differences in melting processes and source lithology. To examine whether the AAR mantle province also exhibits different U-series systematics we have measured U-Th-Ra disequilibria data on 38 basalts from the AAR sampled along 500 km of ridge axis from two segments that cross the newly discovered Southern Ocean Mantle province. We compare the data to those from nearby ridge segments show that the AAR possesses unique U-series disequilibria, and are thus undergoing distinct mantle melting dynamics relative to the adjacent Pacific and Indian ridges. (230Th)/(238U) excesses in zero-age basalts (i.e., those with (226Ra)/(230Th) > 1.0) range from 1.3 to 1.7, while (226Ra)/(230Th) ranges from 1.0 to 2.3. (226Ra)/(230Th) and (230Th)/(238U) are negatively correlated, consistent with the model of mixing between deep and shallow melts. The AAR data show higher values of disequilibria compared to the Indian and Pacific Ridges, which can be explained by either lower melting rates and porosities, or a higher gt/cpx ratio in their mantle source. That both long-lived radiogenic isotopes and U-series disequilibria are distinct in these three adjacent mantle provinces suggests that lithological differences are strongly influencing the melting process beneath each of these mid-ocean ridges.

  1. An atlas of 1975 GEOS-3 radar altimeter data for hurricane/tropical disturbance studies, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stanley, H. R.; Chan, B.; Munson, J. R.

    1977-01-01

    Geographic locations of 1975 hurricanes and other tropical disturbances were correlated with the closest approaching orbits of the GEOS-3 satellite and its radar altimeter. The disturbance locations and altimeter data were gathered for a seven-month period beginning with GEOS-3 launch in mid-April 1975. Areas of coverage were the Atlantic Ocean, the Carribean, the Gulf of Mexico, the west coast of the continental United States, and the central and western Pacific Ocean. Volume 1 contains disturbance coverage data for the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Central and Western Pacific coverage is documented in Volume II.

  2. The Indonesian throughflow, its variability and centennial change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Ming; Zhang, Ningning; Liu, Qinyan; Wijffels, Susan

    2018-12-01

    The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is an important component of the upper cell of the global overturning circulation that provides a low-latitude pathway for warm, fresh waters from the Pacific to enter the Indian Ocean. Variability and changes of the ITF have significant impacts on Indo-Pacific oceanography and global climate. In this paper, the observed features of the ITF and its interannual to decadal variability are reviewed, and processes that influence the centennial change of the ITF under the influence of the global warming are discussed. The ITF flows across a region that comprises the intersection of two ocean waveguides—those of the equatorial Pacific and equatorial Indian Ocean. The ITF geostrophic transport is stronger during La Niñas and weaker during El Niños due to the influences through the Pacific waveguide. The Indian Ocean wind variability associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in many years offsets the Pacific ENSO influences on the ITF geostrophic transport during the developing and mature phases of El Niño and La Niña through the Indian Ocean waveguide, due to the co-varying IOD variability with ENSO. Decadal and multi-decadal changes of the geostrophic ITF transport have been revealed: there was a weakening change from the mid-1970s climate regime shift followed by a strengthening trend of about 1Sv every 10 year during 1984-2013. These decadal changes are mostly due to the ITF responses to decadal variations of the trade winds in the Pacific. Thus, Godfrey's Island Rule, as well as other ITF proxies, appears to be able to quantify decadal variations of the ITF. Climate models project a weakening trend of the ITF under the global warming. Both climate models and downscaled ocean model show that this ITF weakening is not directly associated with the changes of the trade winds in the Pacific into the future, and the reduction of deep upwelling in the Pacific basin is mainly responsible for the ITF weakening. There is a need to amend the Island Rule to take into account the contributions from the overturning circulation which the current ITF proxies fail to capture. The implication of a weakened ITF on the Indo-Pacific Ocean circulation still needs to be assessed.

  3. Fukushima radionuclides in the NW Pacific, and assessment of doses for Japanese and world population from ingestion of seafood

    PubMed Central

    Povinec, Pavel P.; Hirose, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    Variations of Fukushima-derived radionuclides (90Sr, 134Cs and 137Cs) in seawater and biota offshore Fukushima and in the NW Pacific Ocean were investigated and radiation doses to the Japanese and world population from ingestion of seafood contaminated by Fukushima radionuclides were estimated and compared with those from other sources of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides. The total effective dose commitment from ingestion of radionuclides in fish, shellfish and seaweed caught in coastal waters off Fukushima was estimated to be 0.6 ± 0.4 mSv/y. The individual effective dose commitment from consumption of radioactive-contaminated fish caught in the open Pacific Ocean was estimated to be 0.07 ± 0.05 mSv/y. These doses are comparable or much lower than doses delivered from the consumption of natural 210Po in fish and in shellfish (0.7 mSv/y). The estimated individual doses have been below the levels when any health damage of the Japanese and world population could be expected. PMID:25761420

  4. Fukushima radionuclides in the NW Pacific, and assessment of doses for Japanese and world population from ingestion of seafood.

    PubMed

    Povinec, Pavel P; Hirose, Katsumi

    2015-03-12

    Variations of Fukushima-derived radionuclides ((90)Sr, (134)Cs and (137)Cs) in seawater and biota offshore Fukushima and in the NW Pacific Ocean were investigated and radiation doses to the Japanese and world population from ingestion of seafood contaminated by Fukushima radionuclides were estimated and compared with those from other sources of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides. The total effective dose commitment from ingestion of radionuclides in fish, shellfish and seaweed caught in coastal waters off Fukushima was estimated to be 0.6 ± 0.4 mSv/y. The individual effective dose commitment from consumption of radioactive-contaminated fish caught in the open Pacific Ocean was estimated to be 0.07 ± 0.05 mSv/y. These doses are comparable or much lower than doses delivered from the consumption of natural (210)Po in fish and in shellfish (0.7 mSv/y). The estimated individual doses have been below the levels when any health damage of the Japanese and world population could be expected.

  5. Predicting connectivity of green turtles at Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific: a focus on mtDNA and dispersal modelling

    PubMed Central

    Naro-Maciel, Eugenia; Gaughran, Stephen J.; Putman, Nathan F.; Amato, George; Arengo, Felicity; Dutton, Peter H.; McFadden, Katherine W.; Vintinner, Erin C.; Sterling, Eleanor J.

    2014-01-01

    Population connectivity and spatial distribution are fundamentally related to ecology, evolution and behaviour. Here, we combined powerful genetic analysis with simulations of particle dispersal in a high-resolution ocean circulation model to investigate the distribution of green turtles foraging at the remote Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, central Pacific. We analysed mitochondrial sequences from turtles (n = 349) collected there over 5 years (2008–2012). Genetic analysis assigned natal origins almost exclusively (approx. 97%) to the West Central and South Central Pacific combined Regional Management Units. Further, our modelling results indicated that turtles could potentially drift from rookeries to Palmyra Atoll via surface currents along a near-Equatorial swathe traversing the Pacific. Comparing findings from genetics and modelling highlighted the complex impacts of ocean currents and behaviour on natal origins. Although the Palmyra feeding ground was highly differentiated genetically from others in the Indo-Pacific, there was no significant differentiation among years, sexes or stage-classes at the Refuge. Understanding the distribution of this foraging population advances knowledge of green turtles and contributes to effective conservation planning for this threatened species. PMID:24451389

  6. Predicting connectivity of green turtles at Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific: a focus on mtDNA and dispersal modelling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Naro-Maciel, Eugenia; Gaughran, Stephen J.; Putman, Nathan F.; Amato, George; Arengo, Felicity; Dutton, Peter H.; McFadden, Katherine W.; Vintinner, Erin C.; Sterling, Eleanor J.

    2014-01-01

    Population connectivity and spatial distribution are fundamentally related to ecology, evolution and behaviour. Here, we combined powerful genetic analysis with simulations of particle dispersal in a high-resolution ocean circulation model to investigate the distribution of green turtles foraging at the remote Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, central Pacific. We analysed mitochondrial sequences from turtles (n = 349) collected there over 5 years (2008–2012). Genetic analysis assigned natal origins almost exclusively (approx. 97%) to the West Central and South Central Pacific combined Regional Management Units. Further, our modelling results indicated that turtles could potentially drift from rookeries to Palmyra Atoll via surface currents along a near-Equatorial swathe traversing the Pacific. Comparing findings from genetics and modelling highlighted the complex impacts of ocean currents and behaviour on natal origins. Although the Palmyra feeding ground was highly differentiated genetically from others in the Indo-Pacific, there was no significant differentiation among years, sexes or stage-classes at the Refuge. Understanding the distribution of this foraging population advances knowledge of green turtles and contributes to effective conservation planning for this threatened species.

  7. Changing characteristics of streamflow in the Midwest and its relation to oceanic-atmospheric oscillations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thakur, B.; Pathak, P.; Kalra, A.; Ahmad, S.

    2016-12-01

    The identification of primary drivers of streamflow may prove beneficial in forecasting streamflow in the Midwestern U.S. In the past researches, streamflow in the region have been strongly correlated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The present study takes in to account the pre-defined Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions (e.g., ENSO, PDO, AMO) along with new regions with an intent to identify new significantly correlated regions. This study assesses the interrelationship between sea surface temperatures (SST) anomalies in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean and seasonal streamflow in the Midwestern U.S. Average Pacific and Atlantic Ocean SST anomalies, were calculated for 2 different 3 month series: September-November and December-February so as to create a lead time varying from 3 to 9 months. Streamflow were averaged for three seasons: spring (April-June), spring-summer (April-August) and summer (June-August). The correlation between streamflow and SST is analyzed using singular value decomposition for a period of 1960-2013. The result of the study showed several regions-other than the known Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions- that were significantly correlated with streamflow stations. Higher correlation between the climate indices and streamflow were observed as the lead time decreased. The identification of the associations between SST and streamflow and significant SST regions in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean may enhance the skill of streamflow predictability and water management in the region.

  8. Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Tim; Wang, Bin; Wu, Bo; Zhou, Tianjun; Chang, Chih-Pei; Zhang, Renhe

    2017-12-01

    The western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) is an important atmospheric circulation system that conveys El Niño impact on East Asian climate. In this review paper, various theories on the formation and maintenance of the WNPAC, including warm pool atmosphere-ocean interaction, Indian Ocean capacitor, a combination mode that emphasizes nonlinear interaction between ENSO and annual cycle, moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation, and central Pacific SST forcing, are discussed. It is concluded that local atmosphere-ocean interaction and moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation mechanisms are essential for the initial development and maintenance of the WNPAC during El Niño mature winter and subsequent spring. The Indian Ocean capacitor mechanism does not contribute to the earlier development but helps maintain the WNPAC in El Niño decaying summer. The cold SST anomaly in the western North Pacific, although damped in the summer, also plays a role. An interbasin atmosphere-ocean interaction across the Indo-Pacific warm pool emerges as a new mechanism in summer. In addition, the central Pacific cold SST anomaly may induce the WNPAC during rapid El Niño decaying/La Niña developing or La Niña persisting summer. The near-annual periods predicted by the combination mode theory are hardly detected from observations and thus do not contribute to the formation of the WNPAC. The tropical Atlantic may have a capacitor effect similar to the tropical Indian Ocean.

  9. Resurrection of Indian Ocean humbug damselfish, Dascyllus abudafur (Forsskål) from synonymy with its Pacific Ocean sibling, Dascyllus aruanus (L.).

    PubMed

    Borsa, Philippe; Sembiring, Andrianus; Fauvelot, Cécile; Chen, Wei-Jen

    2014-12-01

    Previous phylogeographic studies of the humbug damselfish, a widespread Indo-West Pacific coral reef fish, have revealed a split of two main mitochondrial lineages distributed on either side of the Indo-Pacific barrier. This has been interpreted as the result of vicariance. It has been hypothesized that reproductive barriers might currently limit gene flow between humbug damselfish populations from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. In this study, we review the published phylogeographic information to update the distribution of the two main mitochondrial lineages of humbug damselfish. The Indian lineage was distributed from the Red Sea to the eastern extremity of the Sunda Shelf while the Pacific lineage, which diverged from the former by 0.6% net nucleotide divergence and diagnostic substitutions at three nucleotide sites at the cytochrome b locus, was distributed east and north of the Sunda Shelf. The two forms, which are also genetically distinct at nuclear loci, were also characterized by distinct pigmentation patterns. We argue that the two forms represent geminate species. Epithet aruanus Linnaeus is maintained for the Pacific Ocean humbug damselfish while epithet abudafur (Forsskål) is here resurrected for the Indian Ocean humbug damselfish. Future studies should focus on the population genetic structure of the transition zone between Dascyllus abudafur and D. aruanus. Copyright © 2014 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. 33 CFR 334.1350 - Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1350 Section 334.1350 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS... Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. Beginning at point of origin at Kaena...

  11. 33 CFR 334.1350 - Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1350 Section 334.1350 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS... Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. Beginning at point of origin at Kaena...

  12. 33 CFR 334.1350 - Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1350 Section 334.1350 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS... Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. Beginning at point of origin at Kaena...

  13. 33 CFR 334.1350 - Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. 334.1350 Section 334.1350 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS... Ocean, Island of Oahu, Hawaii; danger zone. (a) The danger zone. Beginning at point of origin at Kaena...

  14. Products and Services Notice - Naval Oceanography Portal

    Science.gov Websites

    Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert, Northwest Pacific Ocean Issued as required when tropical cyclone PGTW Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert, North Indian Ocean Issued as required when TC formation is , Southwest Pacific Ocean Issued as required when TC formation is expected in 12-24 hours WTPS31-35 PGTW

  15. Near-Equatorial Deep Circulation in the Indian and Pacific Oceans

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-09-01

    Pacific Rise. 3.1 The Data Set A transpacific hydrographic cruise from the Philippines to Costa Rica was made on the R.V. Moana Wave from January to...Western Indian Ocean. Marine Geology , 33, 1-44. Joyce, T. M., B. A. Warren and L. D. Talley (1986) The geothermal heating of the abyssal subarctic Pacific

  16. 76 FR 30308 - Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-25

    ... Stock Assessment Review Panel (STAR Panel) for the Pacific ocean perch and petrale sole stock assessments will hold a work session that is open to the public. DATES: The STAR Panel for Pacific ocean perch... 5:30 p.m. or as necessary to complete business for the day. The STAR panel will reconvene on Tuesday...

  17. Southwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (SPICE) scientific advances and future west pacific coordination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganachaud, A. S.; Sprintall, J.; Lin, X.; Ando, K.

    2016-02-01

    The Southwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (SPICE) is an international research program under the auspices of CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability). The key objectives are to understand the Southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and Convergence Zone (SPCZ) dynamics, as well as their influence on regional and basin-scale climate patterns. It was designed to measure and monitor the ocean circulation, and to validate and improve numerical models. South Pacific oceanic waters are carried from the subtropical gyre centre in the westward flowing South Equatorial Current (SEC), towards the southwest Pacific-a major circulation pathway that redistributes water from the subtropics to the equator and Southern Ocean. Water transit through the Coral and Solomon Seas is potentially of great importance to tropical climate prediction because changes in either the temperature or the amount of water arriving at the equator have the capability to modulate ENSO and produce basin-scale climate feedbacks. On average, the oceanic circulation is driven by the Trade Winds, and subject to substantial variability, related with the SPCZ position and intensity. The circulation is complex, with the SEC splitting into zonal jets upon encountering island archipelagos, before joining either the East Australian Current or the New Guinea Costal UnderCurrent towards the equator. SPICE included large, coordinated in situ measurement programs and high resolution numerical simulations of the area. After 8 years of substantial in situ oceanic observational and modeling efforts, our understanding of the region has much improved. We have a refined description of the SPCZ behavior, boundary currents, pathways, and water mass transformation, including the previously undocumented Solomon Sea. The transports are large and vary substantially in a counter-intuitive way, with asymmetries and gating effects that depend on time scales. We will review the recent advancements and discuss our current knowledge gaps and important emerging research directions. In particular we will discuss how SPICE, along with the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (NPOCE) and Indonesian ThroughFlow (ITF) programs could evolve toward an integrative observing system under CLIVAR coordination.

  18. Seismic velocity structure of the incoming Pacific Plate subducting into the central part of the Japan Trench revealed by traveltime tomography using OBS data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obana, K.; Fujie, G.; Kodaira, S.; Takahashi, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Miura, S.; Shinohara, M.

    2016-12-01

    Subduction of oceanic plates plays an important role in the water transportation from the earth surface into the deep mantle. Recent active seismic survey studies succeed to image that the seismic velocities within the oceanic crust and the uppermost mantle in the outer rise region decreases toward the trench axis. These velocity changes are considered as an indication of the hydration and alteration of the incoming oceanic plates prior to the subduction. However, the area with sufficient resolution of the active seismic studies is often limited at depths corresponding to the oceanic crust and several km beneath the oceanic Moho. In this study, we have examined the seismic velocity structure of the incoming/subducting Pacific Plate beneath the trench axis and outer trench-slope of the central part of the Japan Trench. The seismicity in the Pacific Plate, including several M7-class intra-plate earthquakes, has been active since the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake in the study area. These activities were observed by the ocean bottom seismographs (OBS) deployed repeatedly. The data obtained from these OBS observations allow us to resolve the seismic velocity structures at greater depths compared to the active seismic surveys. We conducted 3-D traveltime tomography by using double-difference tomography method (Zhang and Thurber, 2003). The results show that the seismic velocities within the oceanic mantle decreased toward the trench axis. The velocity reduction begins at about 80 km seaward of the trench axis and extended to a depth of at least 30 km beneath the trench axis area. If the observed P-wave velocity reduction from 8.4 km/s to 7.7 km/s at a depth of 15 km below the oceanic Moho is caused by the serpentinization of the oceanic mantle (Carlson and Miller, 2003), roughly 2.5 weight per cent of water is expected in the low velocity anomalies in the oceanic mantle.

  19. Multidecadal-scale adjustment of the ocean mixed layer heat budget in the tropics: examining ocean reanalyses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cook, Kerry H.; Vizy, Edward K.; Sun, Xiaoming

    2018-03-01

    Distributions of ocean mixed layer temperature trends and trends in the net heat flux from the atmosphere differ, indicating the important role of the transport of heat within the ocean for determining temperature trends. Annual-mean, linear trends in the components of the tropical ocean mixed layer heat budget for 1980-2015 are diagnosed in 4 ocean reanalyses to improve our physical understanding of multidecadal-scale SST trends. The well-known temperature trend in the tropical Pacific, with cooling in the east and warming in the west, is reproduced in each reanalysis with high statistical significance. Cooling in the east is associated with negative trends in the net heat flux from the atmosphere and enhanced equatorial upwelling related to a strengthening of the subtropical cells. Negative trends in the net heat flux also occur in the western tropical Pacific, but advective warming associated with a strengthening and shoaling of the equatorial undercurrent overwhelms these negative trends. The strengthening of the equatorial undercurrent is consistent with enhanced easterly wind stress, which is applied to the ocean reanalyses, and differential sea level trends that enhance the negative zonal height gradient across the Pacific. The Pacific North Equatorial countercurrent is also strengthening in all 4 reanalyses in association with a strengthening of the sea level trough at 10°N in the central and eastern Pacific. All 4 ocean reanalyses produce warming of 0.1-0.3 K/decade in the North Atlantic with statistical significance levels ranging from below 90-99%. The Atlantic is similar to the Pacific in having the equatorial undercurrent strengthening, but indications of shoaling are less consistent in the reanalyses and the North Equatorial Countercurrent in the Atlantic is not strengthening. Large-scale ocean mixed layer warming trends in the Indian Ocean in the reanalyses are interrupted by some regional cooling close to the equator. Net surface heat flux trends are mostly negative, indicating increasing heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere. Wind stress trends applied to the ocean reanalyses are weak, but trends in the Indian Ocean equatorial undercurrent are strong. Since the Indian monsoon climate introduces strong seasonality, the annual analysis may not be adequate for studying physical processes in this ocean basin.

  20. Decadal atmosphere-ocean variations in the Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trenberth, Kevin E.; Hurrell, James W.

    1994-03-01

    Considerable evidence has emerged of a substantial decade-long change in the north Pacific atmosphere and ocean lasting from about 1976 to 1988. Observed significant changes in the atmospheric circulation throughout the troposphere revealed a deeper and eastward shifted Aleutian low pressure system in the winter half year which advected warmer and moister air along the west coast of North America and into Alaska and colder air over the north Pacific. Consequently, there were increases in temperatures and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) along the west coast of North America and Alaska but decreases in SSTs over the central north Pacific, as well as changes in coastal rainfall and streamflow, and decreases in sea ice in the Bering Sea. Associated changes occurred in the surface wind stress, and, by inference, in the Sverdrup transport in the north Pacific Ocean. Changes in the monthly mean flow were accompanied by a southward shift in the storm tracks and associated synoptic eddy activity and in the surface ocean sensible and latent heat fluxes. In addition to the changes in the physical environment, the deeper Aleutian low increased the nutrient supply as seen through increases in total chlorophyll in the water column, phytoplankton and zooplankton. These changes, along with the altered ocean currents and temperatures, changed the migration patterns and increased the stock of many fish species. A north Pacific (NP) index is defined to measure the decadal variations, and the temporal variability of the index is explored on daily, annual, interannual and decadal time scales. The dominant atmosphere-ocean relation in the north Pacific is one where atmospheric changes lead SSTs by one to two months. However, strong ties are revealed with events in the tropical Pacific, with changes in tropical Pacific SSTs leading SSTs in the north Pacific by three months. Changes in the storm tracks in the north Pacific help to reinforce and maintain the anomalous circulation in the upper troposphere. A hypothesis is put forward outlining the tropical and extratropical realtionships which stresses the role of tropical forcing but with important feed-backs in the extratropics that serve to emphasize the decadal relative to interannual time scales. The Pacific decadal timescale variations are linked to recent changes in the frequency and intensity of El Niño versus La Nina events but whether climate change associated with “global warming” is a factor is an open question.

  1. Equatorial Wave Line, Pacific Ocean

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1993-01-19

    STS054-95-042 (13-19 Jan 1993) --- The Equatorial Pacific Ocean is represented in this 70mm view. The international oceanographic research community is presently conducting a program called Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) to study the global ocean carbon budget. A considerable amount of effort within this program is presently being focused on the Equatorial Pacific Ocean because of the high annual average biological productivity. The high productivity is the result of nearly constant easterly winds causing cool, nutrient-rich water to well up at the equator. In this view of the sun glint pattern was photographed at about 2 degrees north latitude, 103 degrees west longitude, as the Space Shuttle passed over the Equatorial Pacific. The long narrow line is the equatorial front, which defines the boundary between warm surface equatorial water and cool, recently upwelled water. Such features are of interest to the JGOFS researchers and it is anticipated that photographs such as this will benefit the JGOFS program.

  2. Spatial δ18Osw-SSS relationship across the western tropical Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, D. M.; Conroy, J. L.; Wyman, A.; Read, D.

    2017-12-01

    Dynamic hydroclimate processes across the western tropical Pacific lead to strong spatial and temporal variability in δ18Osw and sea-surface salinity (SSS) across the western Pacific. Corals in this region have therefore provided key information about past SSS variability, as δ18Osw contributes strongly to coral δ18O across this region. However, uncertainties in the δ18Osw-SSS relationship across space and time often limit quantitative SSS reconstructions from such coral records. Recent work demonstrates considerable variability in the δ18Osw-SSS relationship across the Pacific, which may lead to over- or under-estimation of the contribution of SSS to coral δ18O, particularly across the western tropical Pacific (Conroy et al. 2017). Here we assess the spatial δ18Osw-SSS relationship across the dynamic western tropical Pacific, capitalizing on a transit between Subic Bay, Philippines and Townsville, Australia aboard the International Ocean Discovery program's JOIDES Resolution. Water samples and weather conditions were collected 3 times daily (6:00, 12:00, 18:00) en route, resulting in a network of 47 samples spaced at semi-regular 130-260 km intervals across the western Pacific from 14°N to 18°S. The route also crossed near long-term δ18Osw monitoring sites at Papua New Guinea and Palau (Conroy et al. 2017), allowing us to compare the spatial and temporal δ18Osw-SSS relationships at these sites and test the space-for-time assumption. We present the δ18Osw-SSS relationship across this region, compare the relationship across space and time, and discuss the implications of our results for SSS reconstructions from coral δ18O.

  3. Asian dust transportation and fertilizing the coastal and open ocean in the Northern Pacific (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, H.; Xiaohong Yao, Jinhui Shi, Jianhua Qi

    2010-12-01

    Dust storm carries a large amount of aerosol particles, sweeps continents and exports to oceans. When these aerosol particles deposit in ocean, which provides abundant nutrients such as nitrogen and iron for ocean ecosystem, increases the primary production and induces algae bloom. Asian dust storm generates at a high latitude and a high elevation and is obvious a hemispheric scale phenomenon. Dust sources in East Asia are one of the major dust sources on the earth which contribute to 5%-40% of the global dust release. The regions affected by the Asian dust storm include not only China and Mongolia but also the downwind Korea, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, the west coast of America, even the subarctic region and Europe. The Asian dust storm is obviously a hemispheric scale phenomenon, which has more important impact on the ecosystem in the western Pacific. Asian dust is unique not only in morphology, soil texture, and dust storm activities, but also mixing and capturing anthropogenic air pollutants on the transport pathway. Deposition of Asian dust substantially affects surface biological productivity. To improve understandings of Asian dust and its effect on ocean ecosystem from the coastal sea to open ocean, ADOES (Asian Dust and Ocean EcoSystem) was proposed under the frame of international SOLAS (Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study). A series of studies were performed in high- nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC), low-nutrient low-chlorophyll (LNLC) and eutrophication coastal regions of the Pacific Ocean. These studies provided evidence of biotic response to natural iron fertilization caused by Asian dust particles in the subarctic North Pacific and showed that dust storm episodes were significant in the initiation of spring blooms in the East China Sea. On-board incubations on the cruise in a LNLC region of the western Pacific at the southeast of Japan showed different responses of ocean ecosystem to nitrogen and dust fertilization. Correlation of the Asian dust storms with chlorophyll, primary productivity and algae blooms in the coastal seas of China from 1998 to 2008 were also illustrated.

  4. Production and export in a global ocean ecosystem model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palmer, J. R.; Totterdell, I. J.

    2001-05-01

    The Hadley Centre Ocean Carbon Cycle (HadOCC) model is a coupled physical-biogeochemical model of the ocean carbon cycle. It features an explicit representation of the marine ecosystem, which is assumed to be limited by nitrogen availability. The biogeochemical compartments are dissolved nutrient, total CO 2, total alkalinity, phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus. The results of the standard simulation are presented. The annual primary production predicted by the model ( 47.7 Gt C yr -1) compares well to the estimates made by Longhurst et al. (1995, J. Plankton Res., 17, 1245) and Antoine et al. (1996, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 10, 57). The HadOCC model finds high production in the sub-polar North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, and around the Antarctic convergence, and low production in the sub-tropical gyres. However in disagreement with the observations of Longhurst et al. and Antoine et al., the model predicts very high production in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. The export flux of carbon in the model agrees well with data from deep-water sediment traps. In order to examine the factors controlling production in the ocean, additional simulations have been run. A nutrient-restoring simulation confirms that the areas with the highest primary production are those with the greatest nutrient supply. A reduced wind-stress experiment demonstrates that the high production found in the equatorial Pacific is driven by excessive upwelling of nutrient-rich water. Three further simulations show that nutrient supply at high latitudes, and hence production there, is sensitive to the parameters and climatological forcings of the mixed layer sub-model.

  5. Coastal vulnerability across the Pacific dominated by El Niño-Southern Oscillation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barnard, Patrick L.; Short, Andrew D.; Harley, Mitchell D.; Splinter, Kristen D.; Vitousek, Sean; Turner, Ian L.; Allan, Jonathan; Banno, Masayuki; Bryan, Karin R.; Doria, André; Hansen, Jeff E.; Kato, Shigeru; Kuriyama, Yoshiaki; Randall-Goodwin, Evan; Ruggiero, Peter; Walker, Ian J.; Heathfield, Derek K.

    2015-01-01

    To predict future coastal hazards, it is important to quantify any links between climate drivers and spatial patterns of coastal change. However, most studies of future coastal vulnerability do not account for the dynamic components of coastal water levels during storms, notably wave-driven processes, storm surges and seasonal water level anomalies, although these components can add metres to water levels during extreme events. Here we synthesize multi-decadal, co-located data assimilated between 1979 and 2012 that describe wave climate, local water levels and coastal change for 48 beaches throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. We find that observed coastal erosion across the Pacific varies most closely with El Niño/Southern Oscillation, with a smaller influence from the Southern Annular Mode and the Pacific North American pattern. In the northern and southern Pacific Ocean, regional wave and water level anomalies are significantly correlated to a suite of climate indices, particularly during boreal winter; conditions in the northeast Pacific Ocean are often opposite to those in the western and southern Pacific. We conclude that, if projections for an increasing frequency of extreme El Niño and La Niña events over the twenty-first century are confirmed, then populated regions on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean basin could be alternately exposed to extreme coastal erosion and flooding, independent of sea-level rise.

  6. Record of the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province Upwellings Preserved in the Cretaceous Large Igneous Provinces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madrigal, P.; Gazel, E.; Flores, K. E.; Bizimis, M.; Jicha, B. R.

    2015-12-01

    As the surface expression of deep mantle dynamics, Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are associated with the edges of large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVP) rooted at the core-mantle boundary. Instabilities in the LLSVP can cause periodic upwellings of material in the form of mantle plumes, which impact the lithosphere forming LIPs. However, the time frames of these massive lava outpourings are still uncertain. While continental LIPs are more readily accessible, oceanic LIPs have only been studied through drilling and sampling of fragments accreted to continental margins or island arcs, hence, they are relatively less understood. The impact of oceanic LIPs on oceanic biota is conspicuously recorded in global occurrences of black shale deposits that evidence episodes of anoxia and mass extinctions shortly after the formation of LIPs that ultimately can affect life on the entire planet. Our new geochemical and geochronological data of accreted Pacific LIPs found in the coasts of Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica record three LIP pulses possibly reflecting upwelling periods of the LLSVP at 140, 120 and 90 Ma. In order to test different models of origin of these LIPS, we created a complete reconstruction of the Pacific Plate configuration from the Mid-Jurassic to Upper-Cretaceous to show the existing correlation between upwelling pulses at edges of the Pacific LLSVP, oceanic anoxic events and the age from Pacific LIPs. We propose that since the formation of the Pacific plate at circa 175-180 Ma, a series of upwellings that interacted with mid-ocean ridge systems separated by 10-20 Ma have affected the planet periodically forming oceanic LIPs that still can be found today on the Pacific seafloor and accreted along the plate margins.

  7. Enhanced POC export in the oligotrophic northwest Pacific Ocean after extreme weather events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Kuo-Shu; Hung, Chin-Chang; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Chou, Wen-Chen; Chung, Chih-Ching; Shih, Yung-Yen; Wang, Chau-Chang

    2013-11-01

    study effects of extreme weather events (EWEs, e.g., dust storm and typhoon) on the export of particulate organic carbon (POC) measured by a floating sediment trap in the oligotrophic ocean, eight sea-going expeditions were conducted in the oligotrophic northwest Pacific (NWP) in 2007 and 2008, covering all four seasons and the passage of several EWEs. Results of year-round field observations demonstrate that the POC export fluxes in the oligotrophic NWP did not exhibit apparent seasonal variations yielding an average flux of 36.9 ± 5.8 mg-C m-2 d-1 without EWE effects. With EWE effects, however, the POC export flux (51.7 ± 13.2 mg-C m-2 d-1) showed an approximately 40% increase compared to the average flux measured without EWE effects. These results suggest that EWEs can trigger elevated POC export from the euphotic zone in the oligotrophic ocean.

  8. Synchronous multi-decadal climate variability of the whole Pacific areas revealed in tree rings since 1567

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Keyan; Cook, Edward; Guo, Zhengtang; Chen, Deliang; Ou, Tinghai; Zhao, Yan

    2018-02-01

    Oceanic and atmospheric patterns play a crucial role in modulating climate variability from interannual to multi-decadal timescales by causing large-scale co-varying climate changes. The brevity of the existing instrumental records hinders the ability to recognize climate patterns before the industrial era, which can be alleviated using proxies. Unfortunately, proxy based reconstructions of oceanic and atmospheric modes of the past millennia often have modest agreements with each other before the instrumental period, raising questions about the robustness of the reconstructions. To ensure the stability of climate signals in proxy data through time, we first identified tree-ring datasets from distant regions containing coherent variations in Asia and North America, and then interpreted their climate information. We found that the multi-decadal covarying climate patterns of the middle and high latitudinal regions around the northern Pacific Ocean agreed quite well with the climate reconstructions of the tropical and southern Pacific areas. This indicates a synchronous variability at the multi-decadal timescale of the past 430 years for the entire Pacific Ocean. This pattern is closely linked to the dominant mode of the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) after removing the warming trend. This Pacific multi-decadal SST variability resembles the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.

  9. Contrasting Indian Ocean SST Variability With and Without ENSO Influence: A Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean GCM Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jin-Yi; Lau, K. M.

    2004-01-01

    In this study, we perform experiments with a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (CGCM) to examine ENSO's influence on the interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variability of the tropical Indian Ocean. The control experiment includes both the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the ocean model component of the CGCM (the Indo-Pacific Run). The anomaly experiment excludes ENSOs influence by including only the Indian Ocean while prescribing monthly-varying climatological SSTs for the Pacific Ocean (the Indian-Ocean Run). In the Indo-Pacific Run, an oscillatory mode of the Indian Ocean SST variability is identified by a multi-channel singular spectral analysis (MSSA). The oscillatory mode comprises two patterns that can be identified with the Indian Ocean Zonal Mode (IOZM) and a basin-wide warming/cooling mode respectively. In the model, the IOZM peaks about 3-5 months after ENSO reaches its maximum intensity. The basin mode peaks 8 months after the IOZM. The timing and associated SST patterns suggests that the IOZM is related to ENSO, and the basin- wide warming/cooling develops as a result of the decay of the IOZM spreading SST anomalies from western Indian Ocean to the eastern Indian Ocean. In contrast, in the Indian-Ocean Run, no oscillatory modes can be identified by the MSSA, even though the Indian Ocean SST variability is characterized by east-west SST contrast patterns similar to the IOZM. In both control and anomaly runs, IOZM-like SST variability appears to be associated with forcings from fluctuations of the Indian monsoon. Our modeling results suggest that the oscillatory feature of the IOZM is primarily forced by ENSO.

  10. Estimate of radiocaesium derived FNPP1 accident in the North Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inomata, Yayoi; Aoyama, Michio; Tsubono, Takaki; Tsumune, Daisuke; Yamada, Masatoshi

    2017-04-01

    134Cs and 137Cs (radiocaesium) were released to the North Pacific Ocean by direct discharge and atmospheric deposition released from the TEPCO Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP1) accident in 2011. After the FNPP1 accident, measurements of 134Cs and 137Cs were conducted by many researches. However, those results are only snapshots in order to interpret the distribution and transport of the released radiocaesium on a basin scale. It is recognized that estimation of the total amount of released 134Cs and 137Cs is necessary to assess the radioecological impacts of their release on the environment. It was reported that the inventory of 134Cs or 137Cs on the North Pacific Ocean after the FNPP1 accident was 15.2-18.3 PBq based on the observations (Aoyama et al., 2016a), 15.3±1.6 PBq by OI analysis (Inomata et al., 2016), 16.1±1.64 PBq by global ocean model (Tsubono et al., 2016). These suggest that more than 75 % of the atmospheric-released radiocaesium (15.2-20.4 PBq; Aoyama et al., 2016a) were deposited on the North Pacific Ocean. The radiocaesium from the atmospheric fallout and direct discharge were expected to mixing as well as diluting near the coastal region and transported eastward across the North Pacific Ocean in the surface layer. Furthermore, radicaesium were rapidly mixed and penetrated into the subsurface water in the North Pacific Ocean in winter. It was revealed that these radiocaesium existed in the Subtropical Mode Water (STMW, Aoyama et al., 2016b; Kaeriyama et al., 2016) and Central Mode Water (CMW, Aoyama et al., 2016b), suggesting that mode water formation and subduction are efficient pathway for the transport of FNPP1 derived radiocaesium into the ocean interior within 1-year timescale. Kaeriyama et al. (2016) estimated the total amount of FNPP1 derived radiocaesium in the STMW was 4.2 ± 1.1 PBq in October-November 2012. However, there is no estimation of the amount of radiocaesium in the CMW. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss about the mass balance of radiocaesium injected into the North Pacific Ocean. In this study, we conducted the optimum interpolation (OI) analysis to estimate the inventory of radiocaesium in the ocean interior as well as surface sweater by using the measured activities. Furthermore, transport speed of radiocaesium in the surface layer in the North Pacific Ocean were also estimated. The data used in this study were derived from all of the available data reported by such as the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and voluntary cargo ships. The data analysis period was until December 2015 after the FNPP1 accident. It was found that the radiocaesium across the North Pacific Ocean were reached to 180˚ E around 40˚ N latitude at July, 2012 by OI analysis. The transport speed was estimated to 8.5 cm s-1. These were reached to the coastal site of America continent and the activities were increased after the year of 2014. The transport speed across 70˚ W (40˚ N latitude) was decreased to 5.2 cm s-1. We estimated the inventory of radiocaesium in the surface seawater (depth; 0-100m) during the periods from August to December, 2012, based on the OI analysis. Amount of 134Cs inventory was estimated to 4.7 PBq with decay-corrected to 1 October 2012 (7.9 PBq at the time on 11 March 2011). (In the case of 137Cs, the inventory was estimated to 12.5 PBq with decay-corrected to 1 October 2012 and 13 PBq at the time on 11 March 2011 which includes pre-Fukushima 137Cs derived from atmospheric weapons test conducted in late 1950s and eraly 1960s). These correspond to 43-53% of the injected 134Cs in the North Pacific Ocean. It was reported that the 4.2±1.1 PBq of 134Cs were distributed in the STMW (Kaeriyama et al., 2016), which corresponds to 22-28% of the injected 134Cs in the North Pacific Ocean. Taking into account these estimation, FNPP1 derived radiocaesium existed in the CMW in the North Pacific Ocean would be about 3-6 PBq. (References) Aoyama, M., Hamajima, Y., Hult, M., Uematsu, M., Oka, E., . 2016. 134Cs and 137Cs in the North Pacific Ocean derived from the March 2011 TEPCO Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Japan. Part one: surface pathway and vertical distributions. J. Oceanogr. 72:53-65. Aoyama, M., Kajino, M., Tanaka, T. Y., Sekiyama, T.T., Tsumune, D., Tsubono, T., Hamajima, Y., Inomata, Y., Gamo, T., .2016. 134Cs and 137Cs in the North Pacific Ocean derived from the March 2011 TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Japan. Part two: estimation of 134Cs and 137Cs inventories in the North Pacific Ocean. J. Oceanogr. 72:53-65. Inomata, Y., Aoyama, M., Tsubono, T., Tsumune, D., Hirose, K. 2016. Spatial and temporal distributions of 134Cs and 137Cs derived from the TEPCOFukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in the North Pacific Ocean by using optimal interpolation analysis. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts 18:126-36. Tsubono, T., Misumi. K., Tsumune, D., Bryan, F.O., Hirose, K., Aoyama, M. 2016. Evaluation of radioactive cesium impact from atmospheric deposition and direct release fluxes into the North Pacific from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Deep-Sea Res. I. 115:10-21. Kaeriyama, H., Shimizu, Y., Setou, T., Kumamoto, Y., Okazaki, M., Ambe, D., Ono, T. 2016. Intrusion of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium into subsurface water due to formation of mode waters in the North Pacific. Sci. Report., 6:22010 | DOI: 10.1038/srep22010.

  11. Global warming and tropical Pacific sea surface temperature: Why models and observations do not agree

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coats, Sloan; Karnauskas, Kristopher

    2017-04-01

    The pattern of sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific Ocean provides an important control on global climate, necessitating an understanding of how this pattern will change in response to anthropogenic radiative forcing. State-of-the-art climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) overwhelmingly project a decrease in the tropical Pacific zonal SST gradient over the coming century. This decrease is, in part, a response of the ocean to a weakening Walker circulation in the CMIP5 models, a consequence of the mass and energy balances of the hydrologic cycle identified by Held and Soden (2006). CMIP5 models, however, are not able to reproduce the observed increase in the zonal SST gradient between 1900-2013 C.E., which we argue to be robust using advanced statistical techniques and new observational datasets. While this increase is suggestive of the ocean dynamical thermostat mechanism of Clement et al. (1996), we provide evidence that a strengthening Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) also contributes to eastern equatorial Pacific cooling. Importantly, the strengthening EUC is a response of the ocean to a weakening Walker circulation and thus can help to reconcile the range of opposing theories and observations of anthropogenic climate change in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Because of a newly identified bias in their simulation of equatorial coupled atmosphere-ocean dynamics, however, CMIP5 models do not capture the magnitude of the response of the EUC to anthropogenic radiative forcing. Consequently, they project a continuation of the opposite to what has been observed in the real world, with potentially serious consequences for projected climate impacts that are influenced by the tropical Pacific Ocean.

  12. Ocean Acoustic Observatory Federation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-09-30

    range detection and localization of blue whale calls in the northeast Pacific Ocean ousing military hydrophone arrays, Jour. Acoust . Soc. Am., vol. 104...3616- 3624, 1998 . 5 Stafford , Kathleen M., Sharon L. Nieukirk, and Christopher G. Fox, Low-frequency whale sounds recorded on hydrophones... Stafford , Kathleen M., Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Vocalizations recorded in the North Pacific Ocean: Geographic, Seasonal, and Diel Variation,

  13. Assimilation of Long-Range Lightning Data over the Pacific

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-30

    convective rainfall analyses over the Pacific, and (iii) to improve marine prediction of cyclogenesis of both tropical and extratropical cyclones through...data over the North Pacific Ocean, refine the relationships between lightning and storm hydrometeor characteristics, and assimilate lightning...unresolved storm -scale areas of deep convection over the data-sparse open oceans. Diabatic heating sources, especially latent heat release in deep

  14. Climate change and hydrology in the Blue Mountains [Chapter 3

    Treesearch

    Caty F. Clifton; Kate T. Day; Kathie Dello; Gordon E. Grant; Jessica E. Halofsky; Daniel J. Isaak; Charles H. Luce; Mohammad Safeeq; Brian P. Staab; John Stevenson

    2017-01-01

    The dominant influences on climatic patterns in the Pacific Northwest are the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Range. The diurnal temperature range is higher east of the Cascade crest, further inland from the Pacific Ocean. More precipitation falls west of the Cascade Mountains crest, and a strong rain shadow greatly reduces precipitation east of the crest. The southern...

  15. 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentration surface water time series in the Pacific and Indian Oceans--WOMARS results.

    PubMed

    Povinec, Pavel P; Aarkrog, Asker; Buesseler, Ken O; Delfanti, Roberta; Hirose, Katsumi; Hong, Gi Hoon; Ito, Toshimichi; Livingston, Hugh D; Nies, Hartmut; Noshkin, Victor E; Shima, Shigeki; Togawa, Orihiko

    2005-01-01

    Under an IAEA's Co-ordinated Research Project "Worldwide Marine Radioactivity Studies (WOMARS)" 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentration surface water time series in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have been investigated. The Pacific and Indian Oceans were divided into 17 latitudinal boxes according to ocean circulation, global fallout patterns and the location of nuclear weapons test sites. The present levels and time trends in radionuclide concentrations in surface water for each box were studied and the corresponding effective half-lives were estimated. For the year 2000, the estimated average 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentrations in surface waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans varied from 0.1 to 1.5 mBq/L, 0.1 to 2.8 mBq/L, and 0.1 to 5.2 microBq/L, respectively. The mean effective half-lives for 90Sr and 137Cs in surface water were 12+/-1 years for the North, 20+/-1 years for the South and 21+/-2 years for the Equatorial Pacific. For (239,240)Pu the corresponding mean effective half-lives were 7+/-1 years for the North, 12+/-4 years for the South and 10+/-2 years for the Equatorial Pacific. For the Indian Ocean the mean effective half-lives of 137Cs and (239,240)Pu were 21+/-2 years and 9+/-1 years, respectively. There is evidence that fallout removal rates before 1970 were faster than those observed during recent decades. The estimated surface water concentrations of 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu in latitudinal belts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans for the year 2000 may be used as the average levels so that any new contribution from nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons test sites, radioactive waste dumping sites and from possible nuclear accidents can be identified.

  16. Role of sea surface wind stress forcing on transport between Tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Q.

    Using an Indian-Pacific Ocean Circulation Model (IPOM) a simulation study on the Transports of between Tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean such as Indonesian Through flow (ITF) has been done. IPOM covered the area 25°E-70°W, 35°S-60°N. There are 31 levels in the vertical with 22 levels upper 400m in it. The horizontal resolution is 1/3° lat x 1.5° lon between 10°S and 10°N. The coastline and ocean topography of IPOM is prepared from Scripps topography data on 1x1°grid. Forcing IPOM with monthly observational wind stress in 1990-1999 the interannual variation of sea temperature has been reproduced well, not only on El Nino in the Pacific but also on Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Therefore, the oceanic circulations in the tropical ocean are reasonable. The analyses of the oceanic circulations from the simulations suggest that the transport southward through Makassar Strait is the primary route of thermocline water masses from the North Pacific to the Indonesian sea. The transport westward through Bali-Western Australian Transect (BWAT, at 117.5E) can be thought as the final output of ITF through the archipelago to Indian Ocean. The transport westward through BWAT is in 8-12S above 150m, its core centered near surface 10S, which looks like a jet. The westward velocity is more than 50 cm/s. The transport shows significant seasonal and interannual variations. The maximum is in Jul-Oct, minimum in Jan-Mar. These results are consistent with some observation basically. The correlation analyses indict that the variations of transport westward is related with the southeasterly anomaly in the east tropical Indian ocean. The transport variation lags wind anomaly about 3 months. The correlation coefficient is more than 0.6. The transport is strong during IOD, for example in 1994 and 1997. The variations are also related with the northwesterly anomaly in the center equatorial Pacific and the easterly in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The transport is strong in most ENSO events. The above results suggest the sea surface wind stress from satellite is widely useful.

  17. El Nino-southern oscillation simulated in an MRI atmosphere-ocean coupled general circulation model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nagai, T.; Tokioka, T.; Endoh, M.

    A coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (GCM) was time integrated for 30 years to study interannual variability in the tropics. The atmospheric component is a global GCM with 5 levels in the vertical and 4[degrees]latitude X 5[degrees] longitude grids in the horizontal including standard physical processes (e.g., interactive clouds). The oceanic component is a GCM for the Pacific with 19 levels in the vertical and 1[degrees]x 2.5[degrees] grids in the horizontal including seasonal varying solar radiation as forcing. The model succeeded in reproducing interannual variations that resemble the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with realistic seasonal variations in the atmospheric andmore » oceanic fields. The model ENSO cycle has a time scale of approximately 5 years and the model El Nino (warm) events are locked roughly in phase to the seasonal cycle. The cold events, however, are less evident in comparison with the El Nino events. The time scale of the model ENSO cycle is determined by propagation time of signals from the central-eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and back to the eastern Pacific. Seasonal timing is also important in the ENSO time scale: wind anomalies in the central-eastern Pacific occur in summer and the atmosphere ocean coupling in the western Pacific operates efficiently in the first half of the year.« less

  18. Possible relationship between East Indian Ocean SST and tropical cyclone affecting Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, J. Y.; Choi, K. S.; Kim, B. J.

    2014-12-01

    In this study, a strong negative correlation was found between East Indian Ocean (EIO) SST and frequency of summertime tropical cyclone (TC) affecting Korea.For the Warm EIO SST years, the TCs mostly occurred in the southwestern region of tropical and subtropical western Pacific, and migrated west toward the southern coast of China and Indochinese peninsula through the South China Sea. This is because the anomalous easterlies, induced by the development of anomalous anticyclone (weakening of monsoon trough) from the tropical central Pacific to the southern coast of China, served as the steering flows for the westward migration of TCs. In contrast, for the cold EIO SST years, the TCs mostly occurred in the northeastern region of tropical and subtropical western Pacific, and migrated toward Korea and Japan located in the mid-latitudes of East Asia through the East China Sea. This is because the northeastward retreat of subtropical western North Pacific high (SWNPH) was more distinct for the cold EIO SST years compared to the warm EIO SST years. Therefore, the TCs of warm EIO SST years weakened or dissipated shortly due to the effect of geographical features as they land on the southern coast of China and Indochinese peninsula, whereas the TCs of cold EIO SST years had stronger intensity than the TCs of warm EIO SST years as sufficient energy is supplied from the ocean while moving toward Korea and Japan.

  19. Electrical conductivity of old oceanic mantle in the northwestern Pacific I: 1-D profiles suggesting differences in thermal structure not predictable from a plate cooling model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baba, Kiyoshi; Tada, Noriko; Matsuno, Tetsuo; Liang, Pengfei; Li, Ruibai; Zhang, Luolei; Shimizu, Hisayoshi; Abe, Natsue; Hirano, Naoto; Ichiki, Masahiro; Utada, Hisashi

    2017-08-01

    Seafloor magnetotelluric (MT) experiments were recently conducted in two areas of the northwestern Pacific to investigate the nature of the old oceanic upper mantle. The areas are far from any tectonic activity, and "normal" mantle structure is therefore expected. The data were carefully analyzed to reduce the effects of coastlines and seafloor topographic changes, which are significant boundaries in electrical conductivity and thus distort seafloor MT data. An isotropic, one-dimensional electrical conductivity profile was estimated for each area. The profiles were compared with those obtained from two previous study areas in the northwestern Pacific. Between the four profiles, significant differences were observed in the thickness of the resistive layer beyond expectations based on cooling of homogeneous oceanic lithosphere over time. This surprising feature is now further clarified from what was suggested in a previous study. To explain the observed spatial variation, dynamic processes must be introduced, such as influence of the plume associated with the formation of the Shatsky Rise, or spatially non-uniform, small-scale convection in the asthenosphere. There is significant room of further investigation to determine a reasonable and comprehensive interpretation of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system beneath the northwestern Pacific. The present results demonstrate that electrical conductivity provides key information for such investigation.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  20. Modelled ocean changes at the Plio-Pleistocene transition driven by Antarctic ice advance

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Daniel J.; Bolton, Kevin P.; Haywood, Alan M.

    2017-01-01

    The Earth underwent a major transition from the warm climates of the Pliocene to the Pleistocene ice ages between 3.2 and 2.6 million years ago. The intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation is the most obvious result of the Plio-Pleistocene transition. However, recent data show that the ocean also underwent a significant change, with the convergence of deep water mass properties in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean. Here we show that the lack of coastal ice in the Pacific sector of Antarctica leads to major reductions in Pacific Ocean overturning and the loss of the modern North Pacific Deep Water (NPDW) mass in climate models of the warmest periods of the Pliocene. These results potentially explain the convergence of global deep water mass properties at the Plio-Pleistocene transition, as Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) became the common source. PMID:28252023

  1. Whither a Common Security for Southeast Asia?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-06-05

    Southeast Asian countries to directly and indirectly influence any passage through them between the Pacific Ocean, North Asia, and Indian Ocean regions. A...most important of these sea-lanes is the Malacca Straits, which is the shortest route between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The alternatives to the...accelerated via the sea routes. In the old days, the region straddled the major trade route between the Far East and Europe through the Indian Ocean

  2. Diversity of culturable filamentous Ascomycetes in the eastern South Pacific Ocean off Chile.

    PubMed

    Vera, Jeanett; Gutiérrez, Marcelo H; Palfner, Götz; Pantoja, Silvio

    2017-08-01

    Our study reports the diversity of culturable mycoplankton in the eastern South Pacific Ocean off Chile to contribute with novel knowledge on taxonomy of filamentous fungi isolated from distinct physicochemical and biological marine environments. We characterized spatial distribution of isolates, evaluated their viability and assessed the influence of organic substrate availability on fungal development. Thirty-nine Operational Taxonomic Units were identified from 99 fungal strains isolated from coastal and oceanic waters by using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery. All Operational Taxonomic Units belonged to phylum Ascomycota and orders Eurotiales, Dothideales, Sordariales and Hypocreales, mainly Penicillium sp. (82%); 11 sequences did not match existing species in GenBank, suggesting occurrence of novel fungal taxa. Our results suggest that fungal communities in the South Pacific Ocean off Chile appear to thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions in the ocean and that substrate availability may be a factor influencing fungal viability in the ocean.

  3. Atlantic Induced Pan-tropical Climate Variability in the Upper-ocean and Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.; Xie, S. P.; Gille, S. T.; Yoo, C.

    2016-02-01

    During the last three decades, tropical sea surface temperature (SST) exhibited dipole-like trends, with warming over the tropical Atlantic and Indo-Western Pacific but cooling over the Eastern Pacific. The Eastern Pacific cooling has recently been identified as a driver of the global warming hiatus. Previous studies revealed atmospheric bridges between the tropical Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean, which could potentially contribute to this zonally asymmetric SST pattern. However, the mechanisms and the interactions between these teleconnections remain unclear. To investigate these questions, we performed a `pacemaker' simulation by restoring the tropical Atlantic SST changes in a state-of-the-art climate model - the CESM1. Results show that the Atlantic plays a key role in initiating the tropical-wide teleconnections, and the Atlantic-induced anomalies contribute 55%-75% of the total tropical SST and circulation changes during the satellite era. A hierarchy of oceanic and atmospheric models are then used to investigate the physical mechanisms of these teleconnections: the Atlantic warming enhances atmospheric deep convection, drives easterly wind anomalies over the Indo-Western Pacific through the Kelvin wave, and westerly anomalies over the eastern Pacific as Rossby waves, in line with Gill's solution (Fig1a). These wind changes induce an Indo-Western Pacific warming via the wind-evaporation-SST effect, and this warming intensifies the La Niña-type response in the upper Pacific Ocean by enhancing the easterly trade winds and through the Bjerknes ocean-dynamical processes (Fig1b). The teleconnection finally develops into a tropical-wide SST dipole pattern with an enhanced trade wind and Walker circulation, similar as the observed changes during the satellite era. This mechanism reveals that the tropical ocean basins are more tightly connected than previously thought, and the Atlantic plays a key role in the tropical climate pattern formation and further the global warming hiatus. The tropical Atlantic warming is likely due to radiative forcing and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Our study suggests that the AMOC may force the decadal variability of the tropical ocean and atmosphere, and thus contributes to the decadal predictability of the global climate.

  4. Lake sediment isotope records of hydroclimatic changes in the Pacific Northwest over the last two thousand years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steinman, B. A.; Abbott, M.; Mann, M. E.; Ortiz, J. D.

    2012-12-01

    Recent drought conditions and greater water demand caused by population expansion are placing increasing stress on the ecosystems and economies of western North America. Variations in drought frequency and intensity in this region are primarily controlled by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which affect precipitation and temperature on interannual to centennial timescales. During the Little Ice Age (LIA) and Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) the tropical Pacific Ocean was likely characterized by shifts toward more El Niño and La Niña like mean state conditions, respectively, which produced changes in water availability that have no historic precedent. Here we report isotopic evidence (sediment δ18O records) from 9 lakes in the southern Yukon, central British Columbia, and the northwestern United States indicating that the LIA was a time of exceptional dryness in the Pacific Northwest and that the MCA was relatively wetter. We compare the lake sediment isotope data to synoptic ocean-atmosphere paleoproxy datasets as well as records of external forcing (i.e., solar and volcanic) that span the last 1-2 thousand years to ascertain the influence of climate system responses to external forcing on precipitation-evaporation balance in western North America. Modeling and proxy data comparisons have described links between the mean state of the tropical Pacific Ocean and radiative forcing on multi-decadal to centennial time scales during the middle and late Holocene. Analysis of proxy data including tree rings and speleothems have documented connections between inferred solar activity maxima, La Niña like conditions in the tropical Pacific and reduced water availability in the American southwest. Lake sediment δ18O data from the Pacific Northwest evince a pattern opposite that of the southwest in which periods of greater solar activity correspond with wetter hydroclimatic conditions, and vice versa, similar to the observed, north-south antiphasing pattern of drought linked to ENSO dynamics and consistent with the theorized "ocean dynamical thermostat" response of the tropical Pacific to radiative forcing.; October-March precipitation anomalies (%, 1900-2007) associated with ENSO (Jun-Nov) and Northern Annular Mode (NAM) (Jan-Mar) conditions that likely characterized the MCA (left) and LIA (right).

  5. Natural variability of pCO2 and pH in the Atlantic and Pacific coastal margins of the U.S

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutton, A. J.; Sabine, C. L.; Feely, R. A.; Newton, J.; Salisbury, J.; Vandemark, D. C.; Musielewicz, S. B.; Maenner-Jones, S.; Bott, R.; Lawrence-Slavas, N.

    2011-12-01

    The discovery that seawater chemistry is changing as a result of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, referred to as "ocean acidification", has prompted a large effort to understand how this changing chemistry will impact marine life. Changes in carbon chemistry have been documented in the open ocean; however, in dynamic coastal systems where many marine species live, ocean acidification and the natural biogeochemical variability that organisms are currently exposed to are poorly quantified. In 2010 we began equipping coastal moorings currently measuring pCO2 with pH and other biogeochemical sensors to measure ocean acidification parameters at 3 hour intervals in the surface water. Here we present the magnitude and diurnal to seasonal variability of pCO2 and pH during the first year of observations at 2 sites in the Atlantic and Pacific coastal margins of the U.S.: the Gulf of Maine and outer coast of Washington state. Both the magnitude and range of pCO2 and pH values were much greater at the coastal moorings compared to the open ocean mooring at Ocean Station Papa in the North Pacific and also varied between the two coastal mooring sites. We observed maximum pCO2 values in coastal waters exceeding predicted values for the open ocean at 2x pre-industrial CO2 levels. The range of pCO2 and pH values during this time series was approximately 4 times the range observed at open ocean mooring Papa (2007-2011 time series). In many cases, large variance was observed at short time scales, with values fluctuating more than 200 μatm pCO2 and 0.2 pH between 3-hour cycles. These types of observations are critical for understanding how ocean acidification will manifest in naturally dynamic coastal systems and for informing the experimental design of species response studies that aim to mimic carbon chemistry experienced by coastal marine organisms.

  6. Comparative phylogeography of the western Indian Ocean reef fauna

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borsa, Philippe; Durand, Jean-Dominique; Chen, Wei-Jen; Hubert, Nicolas; Muths, Delphine; Mou-Tham, Gérard; Kulbicki, Michel

    2016-04-01

    Assessing patterns of connectivity at the community and population levels is relevant to marine resource management and conservation. The present study reviews this issue with a focus on the western Indian Ocean (WIO) biogeographic province. This part of the Indian Ocean holds more species than expected from current models of global reef fish species richness. In this study, checklists of reef fish species were examined to determine levels of endemism in each of 10 biogeographic provinces of the Indian Ocean. Results showed that the number of endemic species was higher in the WIO than in any other region of the Indian Ocean. Endemic species from the WIO on the average had a larger body size than elsewhere in the tropical Indian Ocean. This suggests an effect of peripheral speciation, as previously documented in the Hawaiian reef fish fauna, relative to other sites in the tropical western Pacific. To explore evolutionary dynamics of species across biogeographic provinces and infer mechanisms of speciation, we present and compare the results of phylogeographic surveys based on compilations of published and unpublished mitochondrial DNA sequences for 19 Indo-Pacific reef-associated fishes (rainbow grouper Cephalopholis argus, scrawled butterflyfish Chaetodon meyeri, bluespot mullet Crenimugil sp. A, humbug damselfish Dascyllus abudafur/Dascyllus aruanus, areolate grouper Epinephelus areolatus, blacktip grouper Epinephelus fasciatus, honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra, bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii, cleaner wrasse Labroides sp. 1, longface emperor Lethrinus sp. A, bluestripe snapper Lutjanus kasmira, unicornfishes Naso brevirosris, Naso unicornis and Naso vlamingii, blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii, largescale mullet Planiliza macrolepis, common parrotfish Scarus psicattus, crescent grunter Terapon jarbua, whitetip reef shark Triaenodon obesus) and three coastal Indo-West Pacific invertebrates (blue seastar Linckia laevigata, spiny lobster Panulirus homarus, small giant clam Tridacna maxima). Heterogeneous and often unbalanced sampling design, paucity of data in a number of cases, and among-species discrepancy in phylogeographic structure precluded any generalization regarding phylogeographic patterns. Nevertheless, the WIO might have been a source of haplotypes in some cases and it also harboured an endemic clade in at least one case. The present survey also highlighted likely cryptic species. This may eventually affect the accuracy of the current checklists of species, which form the basis of some of the recent advances in Indo-West Pacific marine ecology and biogeography.

  7. 75 FR 62503 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Tuna Fisheries Logbook

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Tuna Fisheries Logbook AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric....) participation in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) results in certain recordkeeping...

  8. 75 FR 20812 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northwest Region Pacific Whiting Shoreside...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northwest Region Pacific Whiting Shoreside Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting Program AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice...

  9. Decadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DU, Y.; Zhang, Y.

    2016-02-01

    A contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004-2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity changes in the tropical Indo-Pacific as a consequence of global warming. Understanding decadal variations of SSS in the tropical Indo-Pacific will better inform on how the tropical hydrological cycle will be affected by the natural variability and a warming climate.

  10. Decadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Yan; Zhang, Yuhong; Feng, Ming; Wang, Tianyu; Zhang, Ningning; Wijffels, Susan

    2015-11-01

    A contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004-2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity changes in the tropical Indo-Pacific as a consequence of global warming. Understanding decadal variations of SSS in the tropical Indo-Pacific will better inform on how the tropical hydrological cycle will be affected by the natural variability and a warming climate.

  11. Decadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s

    PubMed Central

    Du, Yan; Zhang, Yuhong; Feng, Ming; Wang, Tianyu; Zhang, Ningning; Wijffels, Susan

    2015-01-01

    A contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004–2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity changes in the tropical Indo-Pacific as a consequence of global warming. Understanding decadal variations of SSS in the tropical Indo-Pacific will better inform on how the tropical hydrological cycle will be affected by the natural variability and a warming climate. PMID:26522168

  12. Decadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s.

    PubMed

    Du, Yan; Zhang, Yuhong; Feng, Ming; Wang, Tianyu; Zhang, Ningning; Wijffels, Susan

    2015-11-02

    A contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004-2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity changes in the tropical Indo-Pacific as a consequence of global warming. Understanding decadal variations of SSS in the tropical Indo-Pacific will better inform on how the tropical hydrological cycle will be affected by the natural variability and a warming climate.

  13. Numerical simulation on the southern flood and northern drought in summer 2014 over Eastern China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Lianlian; He, Shengping; Li, Fei; Ma, Jiehua; Wang, Huijun

    2017-12-01

    In summer 2014, Eastern China suffered a typical "southern flood and northern drought" anomalous climate. Observational analyses indicated that the anomalous vertical motion, East Asian subtropical westerly jet stream, and the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) played important roles in the formation of such precipitation anomaly. Furthermore, using the climate model (IAP-AGCM-4.1) perturbed by simultaneous observed sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in global scale and four different regions (North Pacific, Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, and Equatorial Pacific), this study investigated the potential contribution of ocean to such "southern flood and northern drought" over Eastern China in summer 2014. The simulations forced by global-scale SSTAs or North Pacific SSTAs displayed the most similarity to the observed "southern flood and northern drought" over Eastern China. It was revealed that the global-scale and North Pacific SSTAs influenced the rainfall over Eastern China via modulating the EASM. The related simulations successfully reproduced the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies. The experiment driven by Indian Ocean SSTAs could also reproduce the similar precipitation anomaly pattern and suggested that the Indian Ocean exerted pronounced influence on the North Pacific Subtropical High. Additionally, the simulations forced by SSTAs in the North Atlantic and Equatorial Pacific successfully reproduced the northern drought but failed to capture the southern flood. The simulations suggested that precipitation anomaly over Eastern China in summer 2014 was a comprehensive effect of global SSTAs and the dominant contribution to the "southern flood and northern drought" pattern came from the North Pacific and Indian Ocean.

  14. A regional ocean model for the Southwest Pacific Ocean region to assess the risk of storms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natoo, N.; Paul, A.; Hadfield, M.; Jendersie, S.; Bornman, J.; de Lange, W.; Ye, W.; Schulz, M.

    2012-04-01

    New Zealand's coasts are not only affected by mid-latitude storms, but infrequently also by storms that originate from the tropics. Projections for the southern hemisphere's southwest Pacific island countries for the 21st century show a poleward shift of the mid-latitude storm tracks, which consequently might result in changes in wind, precipitation and temperature patterns. Furthermore, an increase in frequency of intense storms is expected for the New Zealand region, which will very likely increase the risk of storm surges and flooding of coastal and low-lying regions. We employ the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to assess the changes in the storm climate of the New Zealand region. The model set-up uses a resolution of ~50 km for the Southwest Pacific Ocean "parent domain" and ~10 km for the New Zealand "child domain", to well represent the major eddies that influence the climate of North Island. With the aim to later utilize this nested ocean model set-up as part of a coupled ocean-atmosphere modelling system for the Southwest Pacific Ocean region, results for the 20th century will be presented. The simulated circulation is shown to be largely consistent with the observed regional oceanography.

  15. Summary of Research 1998, Department of Oceanography.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-08-01

    Center," Eastern Pacific Oceanographic Conference, Timberline Lodge , OR, 23-26 September 1998. DoD KEY TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Battlespace Environments...34 1998 Annual Meeting, Eastern Pacific Oceanic Conference, Timberline , OR, September 1998. Asanuma, H., Chavez, F., Collins, C, Michisake, R., andRago...Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference, Timberline , OR, September 1998. Laws, K.E., Fernandez, D.M., Paduan, J.D., and Vesecky, J.F., "Simulation Studies of

  16. Abrupt Deglacial Changes in Subarctic Pacific Ventilation: Intermediate and Deep Water Ventilation, Oxygen Fluctuations, and the relation to carbon cycle dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lembke-Jene, L.; Tiedemann, R.; Gong, X.; Max, L.; Zou, J.; Shi, X.; Lohmann, G.

    2016-12-01

    The modern subarctic Pacific halocline prevents the formation of deepwater masses andonly mid-depth waters are ventilated by North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW). During the last glacial, isolation of the deep North Pacific ids thought to have been more pronounced, combined with a better ventilated and expanded NPIW. This glacial deep to intermediate separation, together with upper ocean stratification, has principal implications for the deep ocean storage of carbon, as well as the mid-depth provision of nutrients by NPIW to the lower-latitude thermocline and the Pacific subarctic gyre. To date, conflicting evidence persists how the North Pacific biological and physical carbon pump reorganized during millennial-scale glacial and deglacial changes over the past 50 ka, limiting our understanding of carbon pool dynamics between Pacific ocean and the atmosphere. We present proxydata and paleoclimate modelling evidence for rapid intermediate and deep ocean nutrient and ventilation changes based on a sediment core collection with good temporal and spatial resolution from the Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea, and the open subarctic North Pacific. High sedimentation rates (20-200 cm/ka) enable us to decipher rapid climatic changes on millennial time scales through MIS 2-3 and with a higher, up to inter-decadal, resolution during the last glacial termination. Paired AMS radiocarbon planktic-benthic ages help us to constrain water mass age changes, while multi-species foraminiferal stable isotope and redox-sensitive elemental time series provide information on past oxygenation and nutrient dynamics. We found evidence for a weaker chemical separation between intermediate and deep water during the glacial than previously thought, with rapid alternations between major NPIW ventilation areas in marginal seas, in particular during Heinrich stadials and the termination. We provide new information about the deglacial mid-depth subarctic Pacific de-oxygenation timing, extent and forcing. Finally, we discuss evidence for the spatial characteristics and causes of observed physical and chemical intermediate and deep ocean changes, based on results from a suite of paleoclimate modelling experiments using the COSMOS Earth System Model, and the high-resolution (eddy-permitting) sea ice - ocean model AWI-FESOM.

  17. El Nino and the Global Ocean Observing System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, David

    1999-01-01

    Until a decade ago, an often-quoted expression in oceanography is that very few observations are recorded throughout the ocean. Now, the sentiment is no longer valid in the uppermost 10% of the tropical Pacific Ocean nor at the surface of the global ocean. One of the remarkable legacies of the 1985-1994 Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Program is an in situ marine meteorological and upper oceanographic measurement array throughout the equatorial Pacific to monitor the development and maintenance of El Nino episodes. The TOGA Observing System, which initially consisted of moored- and drifting-buoy arrays, a network of commercial ships, and coastal and island stations, now includes a constellation of satellites and data-assimilating models to simulate subsurface oceanographic conditions. The El Nino and La Nina tropical Pacific Ocean observing system represents the initial phase of an integrated global ocean observing system. Remarkable improvements have been made in ocean model simulation of subsurface currents, but some problems persist. For example, the simulation of the South Equatorial Current (SEC) remains an important challenge in the 2S-2N Pacific equatorial wave guide. During El Nino the SEC at the equator is reduced and sometimes the direction is reversed, becoming eastward. Both conditions allow warm water stored in the western Pacific to invade the eastern region, creating an El Nino episode. Assimilation of data is a tenet of faith to correct simulation errors caused by deficiencies in surface fluxes (especially wind stress) and parameterizations of subgrid-scale physical processes. In the first of two numerical experiments, the Pacific SEC was simulated with and without assimilation of subsurface temperature data. Along the equator, a very weak SEC occurred throughout the eastern Pacific, independent of assimilation of data. However, as displayed in the diagram, in the western Pacific there was no satisfactory agreement between the two simulations. To help determine reliability of the simulated SEC in the western Pacific, current measurements recorded during the 9-19 October 1994 voyage of the French research vessel L'Atalante are also shown in the diagram. With data assimilation, the simulated SEC was in much better agreement with L'Atalante observations. The simulated SEC with data assimilation was far from perfect, in part because of the sparsity of subsurface temperature observations. In the next experiment, TOPEX/POSEIDON sea surface height data in combination with subsurface temperatures will be assimilated to assess further improvement of the simulation of the SEC.

  18. Seaglider surveys at Ocean Station Papa: Circulation and water mass properties in a meander of the North Pacific Current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pelland, Noel A.; Eriksen, Charles C.; Cronin, Meghan F.

    2016-09-01

    A Seaglider autonomous underwater vehicle augmented the Ocean Station Papa (OSP; 50°N, 145°W) surface mooring, measuring spatial structure on scales relevant to the monthly evolution of the moored time series. During each of three missions from June 2008 to January 2010, a Seaglider made biweekly 50 km × 50 km surveys in a bowtie-shaped survey track. Horizontal temperature and salinity gradients measured by these surveys were an order of magnitude stronger than climatological values and sometimes of opposite sign. Geostrophically inferred circulation was corroborated by moored acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements and AVISO satellite altimetry estimates of surface currents, confirming that glider surveys accurately resolved monthly scale mesoscale spatial structure. In contrast to climatological North Pacific Current circulation, upper-ocean flow was modestly northward during the first half of the 18 month survey period, and weakly westward during its latter half, with Rossby number O>(0.01>). This change in circulation coincided with a shift from cool and fresh to warm, saline, oxygen-rich water in the upper-ocean halocline, and an increase in vertical fine structure there and in the lower pycnocline. The anomalous flow and abrupt water mass transition were due to the slow growth of an anticyclonic meander within the North Pacific Current with radius comparable to the scale of the survey pattern, originating to the southeast of OSP.

  19. A Study of the December 1992 Westerly Wind Burst Event during TOGA COARE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Chaing; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Duffy, Dean G.; Lai, George S.; Lin, Po-Hsiung

    1999-01-01

    Using the Penn State/NCAR MM5 mesoscale model, a westerly wind burst (WWB) that occurred during the period from 19 to 30 December 1992 over the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) has been simulated and compared with observation. This event is characterized by the presence of super cloud clusters and the occurrence of a major WWB that extended over the western and central Pacific Ocean. Although several of the observed convective systems were not precisely simulated by MM5, the model did capture many other observed characteristics, such as the explosive development of convection, the cyclonic circulation and the WWB. The WWB resulted from the coalescence of three types of tropical disturbances. The first type was a low-level westerly jet (LWJ) that developed at the equator and may be associated with the eastward propagation of an ISO (Intraseasonal Oscillation). The second type featured an easterly wave-like disturbance that originated in the south central Pacific Ocean and propagated westward. Finally, the third type involved a cross-equatorial flow that deflected Northern Hemispheric easterlies into the Southern Hemisphere and may be caused by inertial instability. These disturbances worked in concert, resulting in intense convection over the TOGA COARE region. Once intense convection developed, a large-scale circulation was produced over the western Pacific warm pool, propagated eastward, and initiated a WWB.

  20. New records of lampriform fishes (Teleostei: Lampriformes) from the Pacific coast of lower Central America, with comments on the diversity, taxonomy and distribution of the Lampriformes in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Angulo, Arturo; López-Sánchez, Myrna I

    2017-02-23

    New records of occurrence for four species of lampriform fishes (Teleostei: Lampriformes; Desmodema polystictum, Regalecus russelii, Trachipterus fukuzakii and Zu cristatus) poorly known or previously unknown for the Pacific coast of lower Central America (Costa Rica-Panama) are herein reported. Museum specimens supporting such records are characterized and described. Comparative morphometric and meristic data on other collections and species of lampriforms, as well as distributional information, are provided and discussed. Diversity, taxonomy and distribution of the eastern Pacific species of the order also are briefly discussed. Finally, a key to the eastern Pacific species of the Lampriformes, based on our research and data available in the literature, is presented.

  1. Influence of Antarctic Oscillation on Intraseasonal Variability of Large-Scale Circulations Over the Western North Pacific

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-03-01

    quartiles, and thus locates the central 50% of the data. The center bar through each box represents the persistence median. The whiskers extend away from...level of tropical cyclone activity. Numerous factors (e.g., scarcity of observations over large ocean basins , various scales of motion present in the... central South Indian Ocean, South Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand, and South Atlantic Ocean near the Falkland Islands. The increased pressure gradient

  2. Changes to extreme wave climates of islands within the Western Tropical Pacific throughout the 21st century under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, with implications for island vulnerability and sustainability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shope, James B.; Storlazzi, Curt; Erikson, Li; Hegermiller, Christie

    2016-01-01

    Waves are the dominant influence on coastal morphology and ecosystem structure of tropical Pacific islands. Wave heights, periods, and directions for the 21st century were projected using near-surface wind fields from four atmosphere-ocean coupled global climate models (GCM) under representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. GCM-derived wind fields forced the global WAVEWATCH-III wave model to generate hourly time-series of bulk wave parameters around 25 islands in the mid to western tropical Pacific Ocean for historical (1976–2005), mid-, and end-of-century time periods. Extreme significant wave heights decreased (~10.0%) throughout the 21st century under both climate scenarios compared to historical wave conditions and the higher radiative forcing 8.5 scenario displayed a greater and more widespread decrease in extreme significant wave heights compared to the lower forcing 4.5 scenario. An exception was for the end-of-century June–August season. Offshore of islands in the central equatorial Pacific, extreme significant wave heights displayed the largest changes from historical values. The frequency of extreme events during December–February decreased under RCP 8.5, whereas the frequency increased under RCP 4.5. Mean wave directions often rotated more than 30° clockwise at several locations during June–August, which could indicate a weakening of the trade winds’ influence on extreme wave directions and increasing dominance of Southern Ocean swell or eastern shift of storm tracks. The projected changes in extreme wave heights, directions of extreme events, and frequencies at which extreme events occur will likely result in changes to the morphology and sustainability of island nations.

  3. Upper-Ocean Thermal Structure and the Western North Pacific Category 5 Typhoons. Part 1. Ocean Features and the Category 5 Typhoons’ Intensification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    Structure and the Western North Pacific Category 5 Typhoons. Part 1: Ocean Features and the Category 5 Typhoons’ Intensification 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...intensification of category 5 cyclones. Based on 13 yr of satellite altimetry data, in situ &climatological upper-ocean thermal structure data, best-track...Form 298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 3288 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW VOLUME 136 Upper-Ocean Thermal Structure and the Western North

  4. Changing central Pacific El Niños reduce stability of North American salmon survival rates

    PubMed Central

    Kilduff, D. Patrick; Di Lorenzo, Emanuele; Botsford, Louis W.; Teo, Steven L. H.

    2015-01-01

    Pacific salmon are a dominant component of the northeast Pacific ecosystem. Their status is of concern because salmon abundance is highly variable—including protected stocks, a recently closed fishery, and actively managed fisheries that provide substantial ecosystem services. Variable ocean conditions, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), have influenced these fisheries, while diminished diversity of freshwater habitats have increased variability via the portfolio effect. We address the question of how recent changes in ocean conditions will affect populations of two salmon species. Since the 1980s, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have been more frequently associated with central tropical Pacific warming (CPW) rather than the canonical eastern Pacific warming ENSO (EPW). CPW is linked to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), whereas EPW is linked to the PDO, different indicators of northeast Pacific Ocean ecosystem productivity. Here we show that both coho and Chinook salmon survival rates along western North America indicate that the NPGO, rather than the PDO, explains salmon survival since the 1980s. The observed increase in NPGO variance in recent decades was accompanied by an increase in coherence of local survival rates of these two species, increasing salmon variability via the portfolio effect. Such increases in coherence among salmon stocks are usually attributed to controllable freshwater influences such as hatcheries and habitat degradation, but the unknown mechanism underlying the ocean climate effect identified here is not directly subject to management actions. PMID:26240365

  5. Hiatus-like decades in the absence of equatorial Pacific cooling and accelerated global ocean heat uptake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von Känel, Lukas; Frölicher, Thomas L.; Gruber, Nicolas

    2017-08-01

    A surface cooling pattern in the equatorial Pacific associated with a negative phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation is the leading hypothesis to explain the smaller rate of global warming during 1998-2012, with these cooler than normal conditions thought to have accelerated the oceanic heat uptake. Here using a 30-member ensemble simulation of a global Earth system model, we show that in 10% of all simulated decades with a global cooling trend, the eastern equatorial Pacific actually warms. This implies that there is a 1 in 10 chance that decadal hiatus periods may occur without the equatorial Pacific being the dominant pacemaker. In addition, the global ocean heat uptake tends to slow down during hiatus decades implying a fundamentally different global climate feedback factor on decadal time scales than on centennial time scales and calling for caution inferring climate sensitivity from decadal-scale variability.

  6. The bomb 14C transient in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodgers, Keith B.; Schrag, Daniel P.; Cane, Mark A.; Naik, Naomi H.

    2000-04-01

    A modeling study of the bomb 14C transient is presented for the Pacific Ocean. A primitive equation ocean circulation model has been configured for a high-resolution domain that accounts for the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Four separate runs were performed: (1) seasonal forcing with 20 Sv of ITF transport, (2) seasonal forcing with 10 Sv of ITF transport, (3) seasonal forcing with no ITF transport, and (4) interannual forcing with 15 Sv of ITF transport. This study has two main objectives. First, it is intended to describe the time evolution of the bomb 14C transient. This serves as a tool with which one can identify the physical processes controlling the evolving bomb 14C distribution in the Pacific thermocline and thus provides an interpretive framework for the database of Δ14C measurements in the Pacific. Second, transient tracers are applied to the physical oceanographic problem of intergyre exchange. This is of importance in furthering our understanding of the potential role of the upper Pacific Ocean in climate variability. We use bomb 14C as a dye tracer of intergyre exchange between the subtropical gyres and the equatorial upwelling regions of the equatorial Pacific. Observations show that while the atmospheric Δ14C signal peaked in the early to mid-1960s, the Δ14C levels in the surface water waters of the subtropical gyres peaked near 1970, and the Δ14C of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific continued to rise through the 1980s. It is shown that the model exhibits skill in representing the large-scale observed features observed for the bomb 14C transient in the Pacific Ocean. The model successfully captures the basin-scale inventories of bomb 14C in the tropics as well as in the extratropics of the North Pacific. For the equatorial Pacific this is attributed to the model's high meridional resolution. The discrepancies in the three-dimensional distribution of bomb 14C between the model and data are discussed within the context of the dynamical controls on the Δ14C distribution of bomb 14C in the Pacific.

  7. The cycling of iron, zinc and cadmium in the North East Pacific Ocean - Insights from stable isotopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conway, Tim M.; John, Seth G.

    2015-09-01

    Dissolved stable isotope ratios of the transition metals provide useful information, both for understanding the cycling of these bioactive trace elements through the oceans, and tracing their marine sources and sinks. Here, we present seawater dissolved Fe, Zn and Cd concentration and stable isotope ratio (δ56Fe, δ66Zn, and δ114Cd) profiles from two stations in the Pacific Ocean, the SAFe Station (30°N 140°W) in the subtropical North East Pacific from the GEOTRACES IC2 cruise, and the marginal San Pedro Basin (33.8°N 118.4°W) within the South California Bight. These data represent, to our knowledge, the first full-water column profiles for δ66Zn and δ56Fe from the open-ocean North Pacific, and the first observations of dissolved δ66Zn and δ114Cd in a low-oxygen marginal basin. At the SAFe station, δ56Fe is isotopically lighter throughout the water column (-0.6 to +0.1‰, relative to IRRM-014) compared to the North Atlantic, suggesting significant differences in Fe sources or Fe cycling between these two ocean basins. A broad minimum in δ56Fe associated with the North Pacific oxygen minimum zone (OMZ; <75 μmol kg-1 dissolved oxygen; ∼550-2000 m depth) is consistent with reductive sediments along the California margin being an important source of dissolved Fe to the North Pacific. Other processes which may influence δ56Fe at SAFe include biological cycling in the upper ocean, and input of Fe from hydrothermal vents and oxic sediments below the OMZ. Zn and Cd concentration profiles at both stations broadly match the distribution of the macronutrients silicate and phosphate, respectively. At SAFe, δ114Cd increases towards the surface, reflecting the biological preference for assimilation of lighter Cd isotopes, while negative Cd∗ (-0.12) associated with low oxygen waters supports the recently proposed hypothesis of water-column CdS precipitation. In contrast to δ114Cd, δ66Zn at SAFe decreases towards the surface ocean, perhaps due to scavenging of isotopically heavy Zn, while at intermediate depths δ66Zn provides further evidence of a mid-depth dissolved δ66Zn maximum. We suggest this may be a global feature of Zn biogeochemistry related to either regeneration of heavy adsorbed Zn, or to ZnS formation and removal within the water column. Data from San Pedro shows that anoxic sediments can be a source of isotopically light Zn to the water column (δ66Zn of ∼-0.3‰ relative to JMC Lyon), though evidence of this signal is not observed being transported to SAFe. Within North Pacific Intermediate Water at SAFe (NPIW; ∼500 m) elevated Cd∗ and Zn∗ and a focused minimum in δ56Fe suggest possible transport of Fe, Zn, and Cd over thousands of km from subpolar waters, meaning that NPIW may have a strong influence on the subsurface distribution of trace metals throughout the North Pacific.

  8. 78 FR 43860 - Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC770 Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. SUMMARY: The...

  9. Integrated Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analyses of Microbial Communities in the Meso- and Bathypelagic Realm of North Pacific Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Jieying; Gao, Weimin; Johnson, Roger H.; Zhang, Weiwen; Meldrum, Deirdre R.

    2013-01-01

    Although emerging evidence indicates that deep-sea water contains an untapped reservoir of high metabolic and genetic diversity, this realm has not been studied well compared with surface sea water. The study provided the first integrated meta-genomic and -transcriptomic analysis of the microbial communities in deep-sea water of North Pacific Ocean. DNA/RNA amplifications and simultaneous metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses were employed to discover information concerning deep-sea microbial communities from four different deep-sea sites ranging from the mesopelagic to pelagic ocean. Within the prokaryotic community, bacteria is absolutely dominant (~90%) over archaea in both metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data pools. The emergence of archaeal phyla Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, bacterial phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, sub-phyla Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria, and the decrease of bacterial phyla Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria are the main composition changes of prokaryotic communities in the deep-sea water, when compared with the reference Global Ocean Sampling Expedition (GOS) surface water. Photosynthetic Cyanobacteria exist in all four metagenomic libraries and two metatranscriptomic libraries. In Eukaryota community, decreased abundance of fungi and algae in deep sea was observed. RNA/DNA ratio was employed as an index to show metabolic activity strength of microbes in deep sea. Functional analysis indicated that deep-sea microbes are leading a defensive lifestyle. PMID:24152557

  10. New Hexactinellid Sponge Chaunoplectella megapora sp. nov. (Lyssacinosida: Leucopsacidae) from Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, Eastern Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chunsheng; Zhang, Yuan; Lu, Bo; Wang, Dexiang

    2018-01-23

    The new Hexactinellid sponge Chaunoplectella megapora sp. nov. reported in this study was collected from the COMRA contract area, the western part of Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) in the eastern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 5258 m. This sponge's extraordinary multiporous body with the presence of unique codonhexasters, sigmatocomes, toothed discohexasters and hemidiscohexasters, as well as stellate disocohexasters, characterizes it as a new species in the genus Chaunoplectella. This report presents the first record of family Leucopsacidae at this site in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

  11. On the enigmatic birth of the Pacific Plate within the Panthalassa Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Boschman, Lydian M.; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.

    2016-01-01

    The oceanic Pacific Plate started forming in Early Jurassic time within the vast Panthalassa Ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangea, and contains the oldest lithosphere that can directly constrain the geodynamic history of the circum-Pangean Earth. We show that the geometry of the oldest marine magnetic anomalies of the Pacific Plate attests to a unique plate kinematic event that sparked the plate’s birth at virtually a point location, surrounded by the Izanagi, Farallon, and Phoenix Plates. We reconstruct the unstable triple junction that caused the plate reorganization, which led to the birth of the Pacific Plate, and present a model of the plate tectonic configuration that preconditioned this event. We show that a stable but migrating triple junction involving the gradual cessation of intraoceanic Panthalassa subduction culminated in the formation of an unstable transform-transform-transform triple junction. The consequent plate boundary reorganization resulted in the formation of a stable triangular three-ridge system from which the nascent Pacific Plate expanded. We link the birth of the Pacific Plate to the regional termination of intra-Panthalassa subduction. Remnants thereof have been identified in the deep lower mantle of which the locations may provide paleolongitudinal control on the absolute location of the early Pacific Plate. Our results constitute an essential step in unraveling the plate tectonic evolution of “Thalassa Incognita” that comprises the comprehensive Panthalassa Ocean surrounding Pangea. PMID:29713683

  12. Pacific bluefin tuna transport Fukushima-derived radionuclides from Japan to California

    PubMed Central

    Madigan, Daniel J.; Baumann, Zofia; Fisher, Nicholas S.

    2012-01-01

    The Fukushima Dai-ichi release of radionuclides into ocean waters caused significant local and global concern regarding the spread of radioactive material. We report unequivocal evidence that Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis, transported Fukushima-derived radionuclides across the entire North Pacific Ocean. We measured γ-emitting radionuclides in California-caught tunas and found 134Cs (4.0 ± 1.4 Bq kg−1) and elevated 137Cs (6.3 ± 1.5 Bq kg−1) in 15 Pacific bluefin tuna sampled in August 2011. We found no 134Cs and background concentrations (∼1 Bq kg−1) of 137Cs in pre-Fukushima bluefin and post-Fukushima yellowfin tunas, ruling out elevated radiocesium uptake before 2011 or in California waters post-Fukushima. These findings indicate that Pacific bluefin tuna can rapidly transport radionuclides from a point source in Japan to distant ecoregions and demonstrate the importance of migratory animals as transport vectors of radionuclides. Other large, highly migratory marine animals make extensive use of waters around Japan, and these animals may also be transport vectors of Fukushima-derived radionuclides to distant regions of the North and South Pacific Oceans. These results reveal tools to trace migration origin (using the presence of 134Cs) and potentially migration timing (using 134Cs:137Cs ratios) in highly migratory marine species in the Pacific Ocean. PMID:22645346

  13. On the enigmatic birth of the Pacific Plate within the Panthalassa Ocean.

    PubMed

    Boschman, Lydian M; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J J

    2016-07-01

    The oceanic Pacific Plate started forming in Early Jurassic time within the vast Panthalassa Ocean that surrounded the supercontinent Pangea, and contains the oldest lithosphere that can directly constrain the geodynamic history of the circum-Pangean Earth. We show that the geometry of the oldest marine magnetic anomalies of the Pacific Plate attests to a unique plate kinematic event that sparked the plate's birth at virtually a point location, surrounded by the Izanagi, Farallon, and Phoenix Plates. We reconstruct the unstable triple junction that caused the plate reorganization, which led to the birth of the Pacific Plate, and present a model of the plate tectonic configuration that preconditioned this event. We show that a stable but migrating triple junction involving the gradual cessation of intraoceanic Panthalassa subduction culminated in the formation of an unstable transform-transform-transform triple junction. The consequent plate boundary reorganization resulted in the formation of a stable triangular three-ridge system from which the nascent Pacific Plate expanded. We link the birth of the Pacific Plate to the regional termination of intra-Panthalassa subduction. Remnants thereof have been identified in the deep lower mantle of which the locations may provide paleolongitudinal control on the absolute location of the early Pacific Plate. Our results constitute an essential step in unraveling the plate tectonic evolution of "Thalassa Incognita" that comprises the comprehensive Panthalassa Ocean surrounding Pangea.

  14. Tropical Pacific Climate, Carbon, and Ocean Biogeochemical Response to the Central American Seaway in a GFDL Earth System Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sentman, L. T.; Dunne, J. P.; Stouffer, R. J.; Krasting, J. P.; Wittenberg, A. T.; Toggweiler, J. R.; Broccoli, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    To explore the tropical Pacific climate, carbon, and ocean biogeochemical response to the shoaling and closure of the Central American Seaway during the Pliocene (5.3-2.6 Ma), we performed a suite of sensitivity experiments using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model, GFDL-ESM2G, varying only the seaway widths and sill depths. These novel ESM simulations include near-final closure of the seaway with a very narrow, 1º grid cell wide opening. Net mass transport through the seaway into the Caribbean is 20.5-23.1 Sv with a deep seaway, but only 14.1 Sv for the wide/shallow seaway because of the inter-basin bi-directional horizontal mass transport. Seaway transport originates from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Pacific and rejoins it in the South Atlantic, reducing the Indonesian Throughflow and transporting heat and salt southward into the South Atlantic, in contrast to present-day and previous seaway simulations. Tropical Pacific mean climate and interannual variability is sensitive to the seaway shoaling, with the largest response to the wider/deeper seaway. In the tropical Pacific, the top 300-m warms 0.4-0.8°C, the equatorial east-west sea surface temperature gradient increases, the north-south sea surface temperature asymmetry at 110°W decreases, thermocline deepens 5-11 m, and the east-west thermocline gradient increases. In the Niño-3 region, ENSO amplitude increases, skewed toward more cold (La Niña) events, El Niño and La Niña develops earlier ( 3 months), the annual cycle weakens and the semi-annual and interannual cycles strengthen from increased symmetry of the north-south sea surface temperature gradient, and atmospheric global teleconnections strengthen with the seaway. The increase in global ocean overturning with the seaway results in a younger average ocean ideal age, reduced dissolved inorganic carbon inventory and marine net primary productivity, and altered inter-basin patterns of surface sediment carbonate sedimentation and preservation in the Caribbean and eastern equatorial Pacific, consistent with paleoclimate proxy data. The air-sea CO2 flux into the ocean decreases with the narrow seaway, thereby increasing atmospheric pCO2 concentrations by at least 236 ppm compared with present-day, with implications for warming during the Pliocene.

  15. Interannual Variation in Phytoplankton Concentration and Community in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rousseaux, C. S.; Gregg, W. W.

    2011-01-01

    Climate events such as El Nino have been shown to have an effect on the biology of our ocean. Because of the lack of data, we still have very little knowledge about the spatial and temporal effect these climate events may have on biological marine systems. In this study, we used the NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model (NOBM) to assess the interannual variability in phytoplankton community in the Pacific Ocean between 1998 and 2005. In the North Central and Equatorial Pacific Ocean, changes in the Multivariate El Nino Index were associated with changes in phytoplankton composition. The model identified an increase in diatoms of approx.33 % in the equatorial Pacific in 1999 during a La Nina event. This increase in diatoms coincided with a decrease of approx.11 % in cyanobacteria concentration. The inverse relationship between cyanobacteria and diatoms concentration was significant (p<0.05) throughout the period of study. The use of a numerical model allows us to assess the impact climate variability has on key phytoplankton groups known to lead to contrasting food chain at a spatial and temporal resolution unachievable when relying solely on in-situ observations.

  16. Elemental mercury concentrations and fluxes in the tropical atmosphere and ocean.

    PubMed

    Soerensen, Anne L; Mason, Robert P; Balcom, Prentiss H; Jacob, Daniel J; Zhang, Yanxu; Kuss, Joachim; Sunderland, Elsie M

    2014-10-07

    Air-sea exchange of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) is a critical component of the global biogeochemical Hg cycle. To better understand variability in atmospheric and oceanic Hg(0), we collected high-resolution measurements across large gradients in seawater temperature, salinity, and productivity in the Pacific Ocean (20°N-15°S). We modeled surface ocean Hg inputs and losses using an ocean general circulation model (MITgcm) and an atmospheric chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). Observed surface seawater Hg(0) was much more variable than atmospheric concentrations. Peak seawater Hg(0) concentrations (∼ 130 fM) observed in the Pacific intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) were ∼ 3-fold greater than surrounding areas (∼ 50 fM). This is similar to observations from the Atlantic Ocean. Peak evasion in the northern Pacific ITCZ was four times higher than surrounding regions and located at the intersection of high wind speeds and elevated seawater Hg(0). Modeling results show that high Hg inputs from enhanced precipitation in the ITCZ combined with the shallow ocean mixed layer in this region drive elevated seawater Hg(0) concentrations. Modeled seawater Hg(0) concentrations reproduce observed peaks in the ITCZ of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans but underestimate its magnitude, likely due to insufficient deep convective scavenging of oxidized Hg from the upper troposphere. Our results demonstrate the importance of scavenging of reactive mercury in the upper atmosphere driving variability in seawater Hg(0) and net Hg inputs to biologically productive regions of the tropical ocean.

  17. 100% of the World Ocean Floor Mapped by 2030 - Contribution of the South and West Pacific Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre to the Seabed 2030 Initiative

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamarche, G.; Neil, H.; Stagpoole, V. M.; Greenland, A.; Mackay, K.; Black, J.; Griffin, E.

    2017-12-01

    The Seabed 2030 SaWPac Centre (South and West Pacific Ocean Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre) has been formed to generate new high resolution ocean floor maps of the western and southern Pacific Ocean. The centre is part of the joint Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) initiative to produce a definitive map of the World Ocean floor by 2030, empowering the world to make policy decisions, use the ocean sustainability and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information of the Earth's seabed. The SaWPac Centre is based at NIWA Wellington (New Zealand) and includes a collaborative partnership with GNS Science and Land Information New Zealand. It is responsible for the region from South America to Australia, north of latitude 50°S to 10° north of the Equator and the western part of the Northern Pacific Ocean to Russia. The region includes the world's deepest trenches and also covers some of the remotest oceans where bathymetric data form existing ship tracks is spaced up to 100 km apart. The challenge for the SaWPac Centre is to collate and combine all the available bathymetric data from the numerous nations that have surveyed in the region. The centre will also promote efforts to collect new data and contribute to map products generated by the Seabed 2030 global mapping project.

  18. Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl compounds in surface waters from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

    PubMed

    Cai, Minghong; Zhao, Zhen; Yin, Zhigao; Ahrens, Lutz; Huang, Peng; Cai, Minggang; Yang, Haizhen; He, Jianfeng; Sturm, Renate; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Xie, Zhiyong

    2012-01-17

    Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were determined in 22 surface water samples (39-76°N) and three sea ice core and snow samples (77-87°N) collected from North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean during the fourth Chinese Arctic Expedition in 2010. Geographically, the average concentration of ∑PFC in surface water samples were 560 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, 500 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Arctic Ocean, and 340 ± 130 pg L(-1) for the Bering Sea, respectively. The perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) were the dominant PFC class in the water samples, however, the spatial pattern of PFCs varied. The C(5), C(7) and C(8) PFCAs (i.e., perfluoropentanoate (PFPA), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)) were the dominant PFCs in the Northwest Pacific Ocean while in the Bering Sea the PFPA dominated. The changing in the pattern and concentrations in Pacific Ocean indicate that the PFCs in surface water were influenced by sources from the East-Asian (such as Japan and China) and North American coast, and dilution effect during their transport to the Arctic. The presence of PFCs in the snow and ice core samples indicates an atmospheric deposition of PFCs in the Arctic. The elevated PFC concentration in the Arctic Ocean shows that the ice melting had an impact on the PFC levels and distribution. In addition, the C(4) and C(5) PFCAs (i.e., perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), PFPA) became the dominant PFCs in the Arctic Ocean indicating that PFBA is a marker for sea ice melting as the source of exposure.

  19. Hydrogenetic Ferromanganese Crusts of the California Continental Margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conrad, Tracey A.

    Hydrogenetic Ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts grow from seawater and in doing so sequester elements of economic interest and serve as archives of past seawater chemistry. Ferromanganese crusts have been extensively studied in open-ocean environments. However, few studies have examined continent-proximal Fe-Mn crusts especially from the northeast Pacific. This thesis addresses Fe-Mn crusts within the northeast Pacific California continental margin (CCM), which is a dynamic geological and oceanographic environment. In the first of three studies, I analyzed the chemical and mineralogical composition of Fe-Mn crusts and show that continental-proximal processes greatly influence the chemistry and mineralogy of CCM Fe-Mn crusts. When compared to global open-ocean Fe-Mn crusts, CCM crusts have higher concentrations of iron, silica, and thorium with lower concentrations of many elements of economic interest including manganese, cobalt, and tellurium, among other elements. The mineralogy of CCM Fe-Mn crusts is also unique with more birnessite and todorokite present than found in open-ocean samples. Unlike open-ocean Fe-Mn crusts, carbonate-fluorapatite is not present in CCM crusts. This lack of phosphatization makes CCM Fe-Mn crusts excellent candidates for robust paleoceanography records. The second and third studies in this thesis use isotope geochemistry on select CCM Fe-Mn crusts from four seamounts in the CCM to study past terrestrial inputs into the CCM and sources and behavior of Pb and Nd isotopes over the past 7 million years along the northeast Pacific margin. The second study focuses on riverine inputs into the Monterey Submarine Canyon System and sources of the continental material. Osmium isotopes in the crusts are compared to the Cenozoic Os seawater curve to develop an age model for the samples that show the crusts range in age of initiation of crust growth from approximately 20 to 6 Myr. Lead and neodymium isotopes measured in select Fe-Mn crusts show that large amounts of terrestrial material entered the CCM via the Monterey Canyon from prior to 6.8+/-0.5 until 4.5 +/-0.5 Myr ago. These data combined with reconstructions of the paleo-coastline indicate that incision of the modern Monterey Canyon started around 7 Myr ago. Isotope plots of potential source regions indicate that the source of the material is the border of the southern Sierra Nevada and western Basin and Range. This answers a long-standing and fundamental question about the timing and formation of the Monterey Canyon, the dominant feature of the Monterey Bay. The third study presented here uses the differences in lead and neodymium isotopic values in CCM Fe-Mn crusts over time compared to open-ocean Pacific, North Pacific, and Arctic Ocean Fe-Mn crusts to identify regional time-series trends and sources for these important oceanographic tracers. I found that sediment fluxes and inputs of terrestrial material from North American rivers effects the lead and neodymium isotope composition of regional seawater.

  20. Joint influence of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool and Northern Arabian Sea Temperatures on the Indian Summer Monsoon in a Global Climate Model Simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Befort, Daniel J.; Leckebusch, Gregor C.; Cubasch, Ulrich

    2016-04-01

    Proxy-based studies confirmed that the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) shows large variations during the Holocene. These changes might be explained by changes in orbital conditions and solar insolation but are also thought to be associated to changes in oceanic conditions, e.g. over the Indo-Pacific-Warm-Pool region. However, due to the nature of these (proxy-based) analyses no conclusion about atmospheric circulation changes during dry and wet epochs are possible. Here, a fully-coupled global climate simulation (AOGCM) covering the past 6000 years is analysed regarding ISM variability. Several dry and wet epochs are found, the most striking around 2ka BP (dry) and 1.7ka BP (wet). As only orbital parameters change during integration, we expect these "shorter-term" changes to be associated with changes in oceanic conditions. During 1.7ka BP the sea surface temperatures (SST) over the Northern Arabian Sea (NARAB) are significantly warmer compared to 2ka BP, whereas cooler conditions are found over the western Pacific Ocean. Additionally, significant differences are found over large parts of the North Atlantic. To explain in how far these different ocean basins are responsible for anomalous conditions during 1.7ka BP, several sensitivity experiments with changed SST/SIC conditions are carried out. It is found that neither the SST's in the Pacific nor in the Indian Ocean are able to reproduce the anomalous rainfall and atmospheric circulation patterns during 1.7ka on its own. Instead, anomalous dry conditions during 2ka BP and wet conditions during 1.7ka BP are associated with a shift of the Indo-Pacific-Warm-Pool (IPWP) and simultaneous anomalous sea-surface temperatures over the NARAB region. Eventually, it is tested in how far this hypothesis holds true for other dry and wet events in the AOGCM data during the whole 6000 years. In general, a shift of the IPWP without anomalous SST conditions over the NARAB region (and vice versa) is not sufficient to cause long-lasting rainfall variations over India on a centennial time-scale.

  1. Understanding the El Niño-like Oceanic Response in the Tropical Pacific to Global Warming

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luo, Yiyong; Lu, Jian; Liu, Fukai

    The enhanced central and eastern Pacific SST warming and the associated ocean processes under global warming are investigated using the ocean component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), Parallel Ocean Program version 2 (POP2). The tropical SST warming pattern in the coupled CESM can be faithfully reproduced by the POP2 forced with surface fluxes computed using the aerodynamic bulk formula. By prescribing the wind stress and/or wind speed through the bulk formula, the effects of wind stress change and/or the wind-evaporation-SST (WES) feedback are isolated and their linearity is evaluated in this ocean-alone setting. Result shows that, although themore » weakening of the equatorial easterlies contributes positively to the El Niño-like SST warming, 80% of which can be simulated by the POP2 without considering the effects of wind change in both mechanical and thermodynamic fluxes. This result points to the importance of the air-sea thermal interaction and the relative feebleness of the ocean dynamical process in the El Niño-like equatorial Pacific SST response to global warming. On the other hand, the wind stress change is found to play a dominant role in the oceanic response in the tropical Pacific, accounting for most of the changes in the equatorial ocean current system and thermal structures, including the weakening of the surface westward currents, the enhancement of the near-surface stratification and the shoaling of the equatorial thermocline. Interestingly, greenhouse gas warming in the absence of wind stress change and WES feedback also contributes substantially to the changes at the subsurface equatorial Pacific. Further, this warming impact can be largely replicated by an idealized ocean experiment forced by a uniform surface heat flux, whereby, arguably, a purest form of oceanic dynamical thermostat is revealed.« less

  2. The seasonal march of the equatorial Pacific upper-ocean and its El Niño variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gasparin, Florent; Roemmich, Dean

    2017-08-01

    Based on two modern data sets, the climatological seasonal march of the upper-ocean is examined in the equatorial Pacific for the period 2004-2014, because of its large contribution to the total variance, its relationship to El Niño, and its unique equatorial wave phenomena. Argo provides a broadscale view of the equatorial Pacific upper-ocean based on subsurface temperature and salinity measurements for the period 2004-2015, and satellite altimetry provides synoptic observations of the sea surface height (SSH) for the period 1993-2015. Using either 11-year (1993-2003/2004-2014) time-series for averaging, the seasonal Rossby waves stands out clearly and eastward intraseasonal Kelvin wave propagation is strong enough in individual years to leave residuals in the 11-year averages, particularly but not exclusively, during El Niño onset years. The agreement of altimetric SSH minus Argo steric height (SH) residuals with GRACE ocean mass estimates confirms the scale-matching of in situ variability with that of satellite observations. Surface layer and subsurface thermohaline variations are both important in determining SH and SSH basin-wide patterns. The SH/SSH October-November maximum in the central-eastern Pacific is primarily due to a downward deflection of the thermocline (∼20 m), causing a warm subsurface anomaly (>1 °C), in response to the phasing of downwelling intraseasonal Kelvin and seasonal Rossby waves. Compared with the climatology, the stronger October-November maximum in the 2004-2014 El Niño composites is due to higher intraseasonal oscillations and interannual variability. Associated with these equatorial wave patterns along the thermocline, the western warm/fresh pool waters move zonally at interannual timescales through zonal wind stress and pressure gradient fluctuations, and cause substantial fresh (up to 0.6 psu) and warm (∼1 °C higher than the climatology) anomalies in the western-central Pacific surface-layer during the El Niño onset year, and of the opposite sign during the termination year. These El Niño-related patterns are then analyzed focusing on the case of the onset of the strong 2015/2016 episode, and are seen to be around two times larger than that in the 2004-2014 El Niño composites. The present work exploits the capabilities of Argo and altimetry to update and improve the description of the physical state of the equatorial Pacific upper-ocean, and provides a benchmark for assessing the accuracy of models in representing equatorial Pacific variability.

  3. Natural biogeochemical cycle of mercury in a global three-dimensional ocean tracer model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yanxu; Jaeglé, Lyatt; Thompson, LuAnne

    2014-05-01

    We implement mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry in the offline global 3-D ocean tracer model (OFFTRAC) to investigate the natural Hg cycle, prior to any anthropogenic input. The simulation includes three Hg tracers: dissolved elemental (Hg0aq), dissolved divalent (HgIIaq), and particle-bound mercury (HgPaq). Our Hg parameterization takes into account redox chemistry in ocean waters, air-sea exchange of Hg0, scavenging of HgIIaq onto sinking particles, and resupply of HgIIaq at depth by remineralization of sinking particles. Atmospheric boundary conditions are provided by a global simulation of the natural atmospheric Hg cycle in the GEOS-Chem model. In the surface ocean, the OFFTRAC model predicts global mean concentrations of 0.16 pM for total Hg, partitioned as 80% HgIIaq, 14% Hg0aq, and 6% HgPaq. Total Hg concentrations increase to 0.38 pM in the thermocline/intermediate waters (between the mixed layer and 1000 m depth) and 0.82 pM in deep waters (below 1000 m), reflecting removal of Hg from the surface to the subsurface ocean by particle sinking followed by remineralization at depth. Our model predicts that Hg concentrations in the deep North Pacific Ocean (>2000 m) are a factor of 2-3 higher than in the deep North Atlantic Ocean. This is the result of cumulative input of Hg from particle remineralization as deep waters transit from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific on their ~2000 year journey. The model is able to reproduce the relatively uniform concentrations of total Hg observed in the old deep waters of the North Pacific Ocean (observations: 1.2 ± 0.4 pM; model: 1.1 ± 0.04 pM) and Southern Ocean (observations: 1.1 ± 0.2 pM; model: 0.8 ± 0.02 pM). However, the modeled concentrations are factors of 5-6 too low compared to observed concentrations in the surface ocean and in the young water masses of the deep North Atlantic Ocean. This large underestimate for these regions implies a factor of 5-6 anthropogenic enhancement in Hg concentrations.

  4. Intensification of decadal and multi-decadal sea level variability in the western tropical Pacific during recent decades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Weiqing; Meehl, Gerald A.; Hu, Aixue; Alexander, Michael A.; Yamagata, Toshio; Yuan, Dongliang; Ishii, Masayoshi; Pegion, Philip; Zheng, Jian; Hamlington, Benjamin D.; Quan, Xiao-Wei; Leben, Robert R.

    2014-09-01

    Previous studies have linked the rapid sea level rise (SLR) in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) since the early 1990s to the Pacific decadal climate modes, notably the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the north Pacific or Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) considering its basin wide signature. Here, the authors investigate the changing patterns of decadal (10-20 years) and multidecadal (>20 years) sea level variability (global mean SLR removed) in the Pacific associated with the IPO, by analyzing satellite and in situ observations, together with reconstructed and reanalysis products, and performing ocean and atmosphere model experiments. Robust intensification is detected for both decadal and multidecadal sea level variability in the WTP since the early 1990s. The IPO intensity, however, did not increase and thus cannot explain the faster SLR. The observed, accelerated WTP SLR results from the combined effects of Indian Ocean and WTP warming and central-eastern tropical Pacific cooling associated with the IPO cold transition. The warm Indian Ocean acts in concert with the warm WTP and cold central-eastern tropical Pacific to drive intensified easterlies and negative Ekman pumping velocity in western-central tropical Pacific, thereby enhancing the western tropical Pacific SLR. On decadal timescales, the intensified sea level variability since the late 1980s or early 1990s results from the "out of phase" relationship of sea surface temperature anomalies between the Indian and central-eastern tropical Pacific since 1985, which produces "in phase" effects on the WTP sea level variability.

  5. Environmental variability and chum salmon production at the northwestern Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Suam; Kang, Sukyung; Kim, Ju Kyoung; Bang, Minkyoung

    2017-12-01

    Chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, are distributed widely in the North Pacific Ocean, and about 76% of chum salmon were caught from Russian, Japanese, and Korean waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean during the last 20 years. Although it has been speculated that the recent increase in salmon production was aided by not only the enhancement program that targeted chum salmon but also by favorable ocean conditions since the early 1990s, the ecological processes for determining the yield of salmon have not been clearly delineated. To investigate the relationship between yield and the controlling factors for ocean survival of chum salmon, a time-series of climate indices, seawater temperature, and prey availability in the northwestern Pacific including Korean waters were analyzed using some statistical tools. The results of cross-correlation function (CCF) analysis and cumulative sum (CuSum) of anomalies indicated that there were significant environmental changes in the North Pacific during the last century, and each regional stock of chum salmon responded to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) differently: for Russian stock, the correlations between PDO index and catch were significantly negative with a time-lag of 0 and 1 years; for Japanese stock, significantly positive with a timelag of 0-2 years; and for Korean stock, positive but no significant correlation. The results of statistical analyses with Korean chum salmon also revealed that a coastal seawater temperature over 14°C and the return rate of spawning adults to the natal river produced a significant negative correlation.

  6. AMS measurements of 14C and 129I in seawater around radioactive waste dump sites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Povinec, P. P.; Oregioni, B.; Jull, A. J. T.; Kieser, W. E.; Zhao, X.-L.

    2000-10-01

    According to a recent IAEA compilation of inventories of radioactive wastes dumped in the world ocean, a total of 85 PBq of radioactive wastes were dumped, in the Atlantic (45 PBq), the Pacific (1.4 PBq) and the Arctic (38 PBq) Oceans and their marginal seas between 1946 and 1993, mostly in the form of low-level wastes. 3H, and 14C formed an important part of the beta-activity of these dumped wastes. Because of its long half-life, 14C will be the main constituent in possible leakages from the wastes in the future. On the other hand, 14C and 129I are important radioactive tracers which have been artificially introduced into the oceans. Small amounts of 14C and 129I can be easily measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) on mg-size samples of carbon and iodine extracted from 500 ml seawater samples. The high analytical sensitivity enables one therefore to find even trace amounts of 14C and 129I which could be released from radioactive wastes, and to compare the measured levels with the global distribution of these radionuclides. The IAEAs Marine Environment Laboratory (IAEA-MEL) has been engaged in an assessment program related to radioactive waste dumping in the oceans since 1992 and has participated in several expeditions to the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Pacific Oceans to sample seawater, biota and sediment for radiological assessment studies. In the present paper, we report on methods of 14C and 129I measurements in seawater by AMS and present data on the NE Atlantic, the Arctic and the NW Pacific Ocean dumping sites. A small increase of 14C was observed at the NE Atlantic dumping site.

  7. The increasing control of the Atlantic Ocean on ENSO after the early 1990s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, J. Y.; Paek, H.; Wang, L.; Lyu, K.

    2016-12-01

    The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most powerful interannual variability in Earth's climate system. Previous studies have emphasized processes within the tropical Pacific or Indian Oceans for the generation of ENSO. Recent studies have increasingly suggested that the Atlantic Ocean may play an active role in forcing ENSO variability. In this talk, we will present evidence from observational analyses and modeling experiments to show that the Atlantic Ocean became more capable of influencing ENSO properties after the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) changed to its positive phase in the early-1990s. A wave source mechanism is proposed to explain how the positive phase of the AMO can intensify the North Pacific Subtropical High (NPSH) to change the ENSO from the Eastern Pacific (EP) type to the Central Pacific (CP) type. A sequence of processes are identified to suggest that the AMO can displace the Pacific Walker circulation, induce a wave source in the tropical central Pacific, and excite a barotropic wave train toward higher-latitudes to enhance the NPSH, which then triggers subtropical Pacific atmospheric forcing and atmosphere-ocean coupling to increase the occurrence of the CP ENSO. An Atlantic capacitor mechanism is also proposed to explain how the positive phase of the AMO can intensify the quasi-biennial (QB) component of ENSO resulting in a more frequent occurrence of ENSO events. We will show that the capacitor mechanism works only after the AMO warmed up the Atlantic sea surface temperatures after the early-1990s. The increased feedback from the Atlantic to the Pacific has enabled the Atlantic capacitor mechanism to intensify the biennial variability in the Pacific during the past two decades. Our suggestion is very different from the previous prevailing views that have emphasized the Indo-Pacific Oceans as the pacemaker for the biennial variability in ENSO. The increasing control of the Atlantic has enabled the CP ENSO dynamics to influence most of the ENSO events during the past two decades, including the most recent 2015-16 El Niño. We will explain how the CP ENSO dynamics made the 2015-16 "Godzilla" El Niño different from the 1997-98 "Godzilla" El Niño and why these two extreme El Niño events produced different impacts on the US climate.

  8. Decadal slowdown in global air temperature rise triggered by variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    England, Matthew H.

    2015-04-01

    Various explanations have been proposed for the recent slowdown in global surface air temperature (SAT) rise, either involving enhanced ocean heat uptake or reduced radiation reaching Earth's surface. Among the mechanisms postulated involving enhanced ocean heat uptake, past work has argued for both a Pacific and Atlantic origin, with additional contributions from the Southern Ocean. Here we examine the mechanisms driving 'hiatus' periods originating out of the Atlantic Ocean. We show that while Atlantic-driven hiatuses are entirely plausible and consistent with known climate feedbacks associated with variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the present climate state is configured to enhance global-average SAT, not reduce it. We show that Atlantic hiatuses are instead characterised by anomalously cool fresh oceanic conditions in the North Atlantic, with the atmosphere advecting the cool temperature signature zonally. Compared to the 1980s and 1990s, however, the mean climate since 2001 has been characterised by a warm saline North Atlantic, suggesting the AMOC cannot be implicated as a direct driver of the current hiatus. We further discuss the impacts of a warm tropical Atlantic on the unprecedented trade wind acceleration in the Pacific Ocean, and propose that this is the main way that the Atlantic has contributed to the present "false pause" in global warming.

  9. Subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tremblay, J. E.

    2016-02-01

    Recent observations underscored the near-ubiquitous presence of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) and their potential importance for total primary production (PP) and pelagic food webs in perennially stratified waters of the Arctic Ocean. The contribution of SCM layers to annual PP is particularly important in oligotrophic areas, where modest nutrient supply to the upper euphotic zone results in weak or short-lived phytoplankton blooms near the surface. The large amount of nutrients present in the Pacific halocline relative to comparable depths in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic may also foster particularly productive SCM along the path of Pacific water. The association between strongly stratified conditions and the SCM in today's Arctic Ocean has broad relevance in providing a glimpse into the future of other oceans whose vertical stratification progressively rises with water temperature and freshwater content. In this regard, there is much to learn on the photosynthetic and nutritive ecology of SCM layers, whose biogeochemical significance depends on the extent to which they rely on allochthonous nitrogen (new production), their contribution to carbon biomass and their ability to influence air-sea CO2 exchange. Here we report on several years of eco-physiological investigations of SCM across the Arctic Ocean, with an aim to provide a basis of comparison with the ecology of SCM in other ocean areas.

  10. 50 CFR Table 11 to Part 679 - BSAI Retainable Percentages

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 15 20 2 20 141 Pacific Ocean perch 20 20 20 20 35 35 20 20 20 20 35 15 7 15 20 2 20 152/151... at § 679.2, except for Pacific ocean perch; and northern, shortraker, and rougheye rockfish. 4 The... Squid Aggregatedforage fish 7 Otherspecies 4 110 Pacific cod 20 na 5 20 20 35 35 20 20 20 20 1 1 2 5 20...

  11. 50 CFR Table 11 to Part 679 - BSAI Retainable Percentages

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 15 20 2 20 141 Pacific Ocean perch 20 20 20 20 35 35 20 20 20 20 35 15 7 15 20 2 20 152/151... at § 679.2, except for Pacific ocean perch; and northern, shortraker, and rougheye rockfish. 4 The... Squid Aggregatedforage fish 7 Otherspecies 4 110 Pacific cod 20 na 5 20 20 35 35 20 20 20 20 1 1 2 5 20...

  12. Eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean T-S variations with El Nino

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, O.; Fukumori, I.; Lee, T.; Johnson, G. C.

    2004-01-01

    Temperature-Salinity (T-S) relationship variability in the pycnocline of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean (NINO3 region, 5 degrees S ??degrees N, 150 degrees W ?? degrees W) over the last two decades is investigated using observational data and model simulation.

  13. 33 CFR 334.950 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... danger zones. (1) The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area beginning at China Point Light... beginning at China Point Light; extending in a direction of 181 degrees true, 2.0 nautical miles; thence 303...

  14. 33 CFR 334.950 - Pacific Ocean at San Clemente Island, California; Navy shore bombardment areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... danger zones. (1) The waters of the Pacific Ocean within an area beginning at China Point Light... beginning at China Point Light; extending in a direction of 181 degrees true, 2.0 nautical miles; thence 303...

  15. Millennial-scale iron fertilization of the eastern equatorial Pacific over the past 100,000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loveley, Matthew R.; Marcantonio, Franco; Wisler, Marilyn M.; Hertzberg, Jennifer E.; Schmidt, Matthew W.; Lyle, Mitchell

    2017-10-01

    The eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean plays a crucial role in global climate, as it is a substantial source of CO2 to the atmosphere and accounts for a significant portion of global new export productivity. Here we present a 100,000-year sediment core from the eastern equatorial Pacific, and reconstruct dust flux, export productivity and bottom-water oxygenation using excess-230Th-derived fluxes of 232Th and barium, and authigenic uranium concentrations, respectively. We find that during the last glacial period (71,000 to 41,000 years ago), increased delivery of dust to the eastern equatorial Pacific was coeval with North Atlantic Heinrich stadial events. Millennial-scale pulses of increased dust flux coincided with episodes of heightened biological productivity, suggesting that dissolution of dust released iron that promoted ocean fertilization. We also find that periods of low atmospheric CO2 concentrations were associated with suboxic conditions and increased storage of respired carbon in the deep eastern equatorial Pacific. Increases in CO2 concentrations during the deglaciation are coincident with increases in deep Pacific and Southern Ocean water oxygenation levels. We suggest that deep-ocean ventilation was a primary control on CO2 outgassing in this region, with superimposed pulses of high productivity providing a negative feedback.

  16. Correlations Between Emerita analoga and Profilicollis spp. as Influenced by Environmental Factors at Ocean Beach, San Francisco CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, E.; Le, A.

    2014-12-01

    Since 2002 the Careers in Science (CiS) intern program has monitored Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California for the population of Emerita analoga (Pacific Mole Crab) as part of a partnership program with the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS). LiMPETS is an organization that conducts citizen science with Bay Area youth such as the CiS interns. We specifically assist in the collection of Pacific Mole Crab population statistics at Ocean Beach during the summer from June through August. The purpose of collecting Pacific Mole Crabs is to monitor Profilicollis spp. (Acanthocephalan parasites) - to which Pacific Mole Crabs serve as intermediate hosts - and to learn more about our environment as Pacific Mole Crabs are indicator species. During our collections at Ocean Beach we record size, sex, and number of individuals at specific transects. We then take a random sample from the day, return to the lab, and record their sizes, sexes, and Acanthocephalan parasite load. The results of the collection and dissections are then entered into the LiMPETS online database for scientist and researchers to use. Our project will focus on correlations relating to the data collected (Pacific Mole Crab population, parasite load, abiotic and biotic factors, et cetera).

  17. Correlations Between Emerita analoga and Profilicollis spp. as Influenced by Environmetal Factors at Ocean Beach, San Francisco CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, S.; Garza, F.; Zhang, P.

    2015-12-01

    Since 2002 the Careers in Science (CiS) intern program has monitored Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California for the population of Emerita analoga (Pacific Mole Crab) as part of a partnership program with the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS). LiMPETS is an organization that conducts citizen science with Bay Area youth such as the CiS interns. We specifically assist in the collection of Pacific Mole Crab population statistics at Ocean Beach during the summer from June through August. The purpose of collecting Pacific Mole Crabs is to monitor Acanthocephalan parasites (Profilicollis spp.) - to which Pacific Mole Crabs serve as intermediate hosts - and to learn more about our environment as Pacific Mole Crabs are indicator species. During our collections at Ocean Beach we record size, sex, and number of individuals at specific transects. We then take a random sample from the day, return to the lab, and record their sizes, sexes, and Acanthocephalan parasite load. The results of the collection and dissections are then entered into the LiMPETS online database for scientist and researchers to use. Our project will focus on correlations relating to the data collected (Pacific Mole Crab population, parasite load, abiotic and biotic factors, et cetera).

  18. Correlations Between Emerita analoga and Profilicollis spp. as Influenced by Environmental Factors at Ocean Beach, San Francisco CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, J. H.; Hackett, C.; Lucana, F.; Esquivel, A.

    2016-12-01

    Since 2002 the Careers in Science (CiS) intern program has monitored Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California for the population of Emerita analoga (Pacific Mole Crab) as part of a partnership program with the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS). LiMPETS is an organization that conducts citizen science with Bay Area youth such as the CiS interns. We specifically assist in the collection of Pacific Mole Crab population statistics at Ocean Beach during the summer from June through August. The purpose of collecting Pacific Mole Crabs is to monitor Profilicollis spp. (Acanthocephalan parasites) - to which Pacific Mole Crabs serve as intermediate hosts - and to learn more about our environment, as Pacific Mole Crabs are indicator species. During our collections at Ocean Beach we record size, sex, and number of individuals at specific transects. We then take a random sample from the day, return to the lab, and record their sizes, sexes, and Acanthocephalan parasite load. The results of the collection and dissections are then entered into the LiMPETS online database for scientist and researchers to use. Our project will focus on correlations relating to the data collected (Pacific Mole Crab population, parasite load, abiotic and biotic factors, et cetera).

  19. Internal waves and modern and ancient hiatuses in pelagic caps of Pacific guyots and seamounts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, Neil; Simmons, Harper; Lear, Carrie

    2013-04-01

    Locations of recent non-deposition and ancient hiatuses in the pelagic caps of guyots and seamounts are compared with paleotemperature and physiographic information to speculate on the character of internal tidal waves in the upper Pacific Ocean through the Cenozoic. Internal tidal waves are generated where the ocean barotropic tide passes over the Hawaiian and other major ridges in the Pacific basin. Drill core and geophysical evidence for sediment accumulation, non-deposition or erosion are used to classify broadly sites as either accumulating or eroding/non-depositing in the recent geological past. When these classified sites are compared against results of a numerical model of the internal tide field (Simmons, Ocean Mod. 2008), the sites accumulating particles over the past few million years are all found to lie away from beams of the modeled internal tide, while those that have not been accumulating are in areas of high internal wave energy. Given the correspondence to modern internal wave conditions, we examine whether internal tides can explain ancient hiatuses at the drill sites. For example, Late Cenozoic pelagic caps on guyots among the Marshall Islands contain two hiatuses of broadly similar age, but the dates of the first pelagic sediments deposited following each hiatus do not correlate between guyots, suggesting that they originate not from universal factors (e.g., water chemistry) but local, probably physical factors, such as internal tides. We investigate how changing boundary conditions such as ocean temperature and basin physiography may have affected the geometry and vigour of internal tides through the Cenozoic. Changes in the geometry of ridges underlying the Solomon, Bonin and Marianas Island chains caused by plate tectonics and subsidence may be responsible for sediment hiatuses at these far-field guyot sites.

  20. Internal waves and modern and ancient hiatuses in pelagic caps of Pacific guyots and seamounts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, N. C.; Simmons, H. L.; Lear, C. H.

    2012-12-01

    Locations of recent non-deposition and ancient hiatuses in the pelagic caps of guyots and seamounts are compared with paleotemperature and physiographic information to speculate on the character of internal tidal waves in the upper Pacific Ocean through the Cenozoic. Internal tidal waves are generated where the ocean barotopic tide passes over the Hawaiian and other major ridges in the Pacific basin. Drill core and geophysical evidence for sediment accumulation, non-deposition or erosion are used to classify broadly sites as either accumulating or eroding/non-depositing in the recent geological past. When these classified sites are compared against results of a numerical model of the internal tide field (Simmons, Ocean Mod. 2008), the sites accumulating particles over the past few million years are all found to lie away from beams of the modeled internal tide, while those that have not been accumulating are in areas of high internal wave energy. Given the correspondence to modern internal wave conditions, we examine whether internal tides can explain ancient hiatuses at the drill sites. For example, Late Cenozoic pelagic caps on guyots among the Marshall Islands contain two hiatuses of broadly similar age, but the dates of the first pelagic sediments deposited following each hiatus do not correlate between guyots, suggesting that they originate not from universal factors (e.g., water chemistry) but local, probably physical factors, such as internal tides. We investigate how changing boundary conditions such as ocean temperature and basin physiography may have affected the geometry and vigour of internal tides through the Cenozoic. Changes in the geometry of ridges underlying the Solomon, Bonin and Marianas Island chains caused by plate tectonics and subsidence may be responsible for sediment hiatuses at these far-field guyot sites.

  1. Is ENSO part of an Indo-Pacific phenomenon?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wieners, Claudia; de Ruijter, Wilhelmus; Dijkstra, Henk

    2015-04-01

    The Seychelles Dome (SD) - a thermocline ridge in the West Indian Ocean - is a dynamically active region with a strong Sea Surface Temperature (SST)-atmosphere coupling and located at the origin of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. Analysis of observational data suggests that it might influence El Niño occurrence and evolution at a lead time of 1.5 years. We find a negative correlation between SD SST in boreal summer and Nino3.4 SST about 18 months later. Such a correlation might be a mere side-effect of the fact that ENSO has influence on the SD - El Niño (La Niña) is followed by a warm (cool) SD after about 3-6 months - and of the cyclicity of ENSO with a preferred period of about 4 years. However, we find the correlation to be significantly stronger than one would expect in that case, implying that the SD contains information linearly independent from ENSO. A Multi-channel Singular Spectrum analysis (MSSA) on tropical SST, zonal wind and zonal wind variability reveals three significant oscillations. All of these show ENSO-like behaviour in the Pacific Ocean, with East Pacific SST anomalies being followed by anomalies of the same sign in the SD region after 3-5 months. Wind patterns propagate from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean. These findings suggest that the Indian and Pacific Oceans act as a unified system. The slower two oscillations, with periods around 4 years, have the strongest ENSO signal in the East Pacific (like a `Cold Tongue El Niño'). Compared to them, the fastest oscillation, with a period of 2.5 years, has a stronger signal in the Central Pacific (more resembling a `Warm Pool El Niño'). Because of the short period of the fastest mode, the time elapsed between an SD anomaly and the following ENSO anomaly (of opposite sign) is only 11 months - much less than the 18 months lag at which the correlation between SD and ENSO is minimal. This suggests that while the Cold Tongue El Niño's tend to be preceded by a cool SD event at a lead time suitable for SD-ENSO influence, Warm Pool El Niño's are not. From the MSSA and a composite analysis we find evidence for two (possibly interrelated) physical mechanisms by which the SD might influence ENSO. In the first one, there is subsidence above the cool SD, leading to westerly winds in the Indian Ocean and inducing enhanced convection above Indonesia. The resulting inflow from the West Pacific (an easterly wind) favours the creation of a large Pacific Warm Water Volume that can be released into the East Pacific in boreal spring/summer following the cool SD event. In the second mechanism, the cool SD favours a strong zonal wind variability above the West Pacific on intraseasonal time scales, part of which can be attributed to SD influence on the Madden-Julian oscillation. This intraseasonal variability (westerly wind bursts...) can trigger warm Kelvin waves that might initiate El Niño.

  2. Impact of effective ocean optical properties on the Pacific subtropical cell: a CGCM study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamanaka, G.; Tsujino, H.; Ishizaki, H.; Nakano, H.; Hirabara, M.

    2012-12-01

    The choice of ocean radiant scheme is important for modeling the upper ocean. According to the ocean-only simulation (Yamanaka et al., 2012), introduction of the chlorophyll-a dependent ocean radiant scheme results in the decreased mixed layer depth (MLD), the enhanced subtropical cell (STC), and the cooling of the eastern tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST). They also found that the enhanced STC results from the velocity profile change associated with the decreased Ekman boundary layer. However, the impact is not well understood when the air-sea feedback process is at work. This study examines the impact of the effective ocean optical properties on the Pacific mean fields, especially focusing on the STC, using a coupled general circulation model (CGCM). The CGCM we employed is the Meteorological Research Institute Earth System Model (MRI-ESM1). The atmospheric model is TL159L48, and the ocean model has a horizontal resolution of 1 x 0.5 deg. with 51 levels in vertical. Experimental design basically follows the CMIP5 protocol. Two experiments (CTL and SLR runs) are performed to investigate the impact of the effective ocean optical properties. In the CTL run, a conventional ocean radiant heating scheme (Paul and Simpson, 1977) is used, whereas a new ocean radiant heating scheme is used in the SLR run, where the satellite-derived chlorophyll-a distribution is taken into consideration based on Morel and Antoine (1994) as well as the effect of the varying solar angle (Ishizaki and Yamanaka, 2010). Each experiment is integrated during the period from 1985 to 2005. It is found that introduction of the new ocean radiant scheme (SLR run) changes the long-term mean wind pattern in the Pacific: easterly winds are strengthened in the equatorial Pacific, but weakened in the off-equatorial region. In the tropical Pacific, the enhanced equatorial upwelling cools the equatorial SST and the MLD becomes shallower. This is similar to the ocean-only simulation, but is more reinforced due to the Bjerknes feedback. On the other hand, unlike the ocean-only simulation, the STC is enhanced only in the equatorial band from 5 S to 5 N. Analysis of meridional volume transport in the upper 300 m indicates that poleward Ekman transport forced by the enhanced trade winds is balanced by the interior flow in the equatorial region. Apart from the equatorial region, the decreased Ekman transport due to the decreased easterly wind weakens the increased poleward transport associated with the velocity profile change in the Ekman boundary layer.

  3. Is low frequency ocean sound increasing globally?

    PubMed

    Miksis-Olds, Jennifer L; Nichols, Stephen M

    2016-01-01

    Low frequency sound has increased in the Northeast Pacific Ocean over the past 60 yr [Ross (1993) Acoust. Bull. 18, 5-8; (2005) IEEE J. Ocean. Eng. 30, 257-261; Andrew, Howe, Mercer, and Dzieciuch (2002) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, 642-651; McDonald, Hildebrand, and Wiggins (2006) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 120, 711-717; Chapman and Price (2011) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, EL161-EL165] and in the Indian Ocean over the past decade, [Miksis-Olds, Bradley, and Niu (2013) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 3464-3475]. More recently, Andrew, Howe, and Mercer's [(2011) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, 642-651] observations in the Northeast Pacific show a level or slightly decreasing trend in low frequency noise. It remains unclear what the low frequency trends are in other regions of the world. In this work, data from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization International Monitoring System was used to examine the rate and magnitude of change in low frequency sound (5-115 Hz) over the past decade in the South Atlantic and Equatorial Pacific Oceans. The dominant source observed in the South Atlantic was seismic air gun signals, while shipping and biologic sources contributed more to the acoustic environment at the Equatorial Pacific location. Sound levels over the past 5-6 yr in the Equatorial Pacific have decreased. Decreases were also observed in the ambient sound floor in the South Atlantic Ocean. Based on these observations, it does not appear that low frequency sound levels are increasing globally.

  4. Radiocesium in the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014.

    PubMed

    Kumamoto, Yuichiro; Aoyama, Michio; Hamajima, Yasunori; Nishino, Shigeto; Murata, Akihiko; Kikuchi, Takashi

    2017-08-01

    We measured radiocesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs) in seawater from the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014. Fukushima-derived 134 Cs in surface seawater was observed in the western subarctic area and Bering Sea but not in the Arctic Ocean. Vertical profile of 134 Cs in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean implies that Fukushima-derived 134 Cs intruded into the basin from the Bering Sea through subsurface (150m depth) in 2014. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Photochemical production of ozone in the upper troposphere in association with cumulus convection over Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kita, K.; Kawakami, S.; Miyazaki, Y.; Higashi, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Nishi, N.; Koike, M.; Blake, D. R.; Machida, T.; Sano, T.; Hu, W.; Ko, M.; Ogawa, T.

    2002-02-01

    The Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment phase A (BIBLE-A) aircraft observation campaign was conducted from 24 September to 10 October 1998, during a La Niña period. During this campaign, distributions of ozone and its precursors (NO, CO, and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs)) were observed over the tropical Pacific Ocean, Indonesia, and northern Australia. Mixing ratios of ozone and its precursors were very low at altitudes between 0 and 13.5 km over the tropical Pacific Ocean. The mixing ratios of ozone precursors above 8 km over Indonesia were often significantly higher than those over the tropical Pacific Ocean, even though the prevailing easterlies carried the air from the tropical Pacific Ocean to over Indonesia within several days. For example, median NO and CO mixing ratios in the upper troposphere were 12 parts per trillion (pptv) and 72 parts per billion (ppbv) over the tropical Pacific Ocean and were 83 pptv and 85 ppbv over western Indonesia, respectively. Meteorological analyses and high ethene (C2H4) mixing ratios indicate that the increase of the ozone precursors was caused by active convection over Indonesia through upward transport of polluted air, mixing, and lightning all within the few days prior to observation. Sources of ozone precursors are discussed by comparing correlations of some NMHCs and CH3Cl concentrations with CO between the lower and upper troposphere. Biomass burning in Indonesia was nearly inactive during BIBLE-A and was not a dominant source of the ozone precursors, but urban pollution and lightning contributed importantly to their increases. The increase in ozone precursors raised net ozone production rates over western Indonesia in the upper troposphere, as shown by a photochemical model calculation. However, the ozone mixing ratio (˜20 ppbv) did not increase significantly over Indonesia because photochemical production of ozone did not have sufficient time since the augmentation of ozone precursors. Backward trajectories show that many air masses sampled over the ocean south of Indonesia and over northern Australia passed over western Indonesia 4-9 days prior to being measured. In these air masses the mixing ratios of ozone precursors, except for short-lived species, were similar to those over western Indonesia. In contrast, the ozone mixing ratio was higher by about 10 ppbv than that over Indonesia, indicating that photochemical production of ozone occurred during transport from Indonesia. The average rate of ozone increase (1.8 ppbv/d) during this transport is similar to the net ozone formation rate calculated by the photochemical model. This study shows that active convection over Indonesia carried polluted air upward from the surface and had a discernable influence on the distribution of ozone in the upper troposphere over the Indian Ocean, northern Australia, and the south subtropical Pacific Ocean, combined with NO production by lightning.

  6. Photochemical production of ozone in the upper troposphere in association with cumulus convection over Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kita, K.; Kawakami, S.; Miyazaki, Y.; Higashi, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Nishi, N.; Koike, M.; Blake, D. R.; Machida, T.; Sano, T.; Hu, W.; Ko, M.; Ogawa, T.

    2003-02-01

    The Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment phase A (BIBLE-A) aircraft observation campaign was conducted from 24 September to 10 October 1998, during a La Niña period. During this campaign, distributions of ozone and its precursors (NO, CO, and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs)) were observed over the tropical Pacific Ocean, Indonesia, and northern Australia. Mixing ratios of ozone and its precursors were very low at altitudes between 0 and 13.5 km over the tropical Pacific Ocean. The mixing ratios of ozone precursors above 8 km over Indonesia were often significantly higher than those over the tropical Pacific Ocean, even though the prevailing easterlies carried the air from the tropical Pacific Ocean to over Indonesia within several days. For example, median NO and CO mixing ratios in the upper troposphere were 12 parts per trillion (pptv) and 72 parts per billion (ppbv) over the tropical Pacific Ocean and were 83 pptv and 85 ppbv over western Indonesia, respectively. Meteorological analyses and high ethene (C2H4) mixing ratios indicate that the increase of the ozone precursors was caused by active convection over Indonesia through upward transport of polluted air, mixing, and lightning all within the few days prior to observation. Sources of ozone precursors are discussed by comparing correlations of some NMHCs and CH3Cl concentrations with CO between the lower and upper troposphere. Biomass burning in Indonesia was nearly inactive during BIBLE-A and was not a dominant source of the ozone precursors, but urban pollution and lightning contributed importantly to their increases. The increase in ozone precursors raised net ozone production rates over western Indonesia in the upper troposphere, as shown by a photochemical model calculation. However, the ozone mixing ratio (~20 ppbv) did not increase significantly over Indonesia because photochemical production of ozone did not have sufficient time since the augmentation of ozone precursors. Backward trajectories show that many air masses sampled over the ocean south of Indonesia and over northern Australia passed over western Indonesia 4-9 days prior to being measured. In these air masses the mixing ratios of ozone precursors, except for short-lived species, were similar to those over western Indonesia. In contrast, the ozone mixing ratio was higher by about 10 ppbv than that over Indonesia, indicating that photochemical production of ozone occurred during transport from Indonesia. The average rate of ozone increase (1.8 ppbv/d) during this transport is similar to the net ozone formation rate calculated by the photochemical model. This study shows that active convection over Indonesia carried polluted air upward from the surface and had a discernable influence on the distribution of ozone in the upper troposphere over the Indian Ocean, northern Australia, and the south subtropical Pacific Ocean, combined with NO production by lightning.

  7. Anomalous circulation in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean in July-December 2008

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panteleev, G.; Francis, O. P.; Yaremchuk, M.; Zhang, J.; Kulakov, M.; Onat, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Variability of the mean summer-fall ocean state in the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean (PSAO) is studied using a dynamically constrained synthesis (4Dvar) of historical in situ observations collected during 1972 to 2008. Specifically, the oceanic response to the cyclonic (1989-1996) and anticyclonic (1972-1978, 1997-2006) phases o f the Arctic Ocean Oscillation (AOO) is assessed for the purpose of quantitatively comparing the 2008 circulation pattern that followed the 2007 ice cover minimum.It is shown that the PSAO circulation during July-December of 2008 was characterized by a pronounced negative Sea Surface Height (SSH) anomaly along theEurasian shelf break, which caused a significant decline of the transport in the Atlantic Water (AW) inflow region into the PSAO and increased the sea level difference betweenthe Bering and Chukchi Seas. This anomaly could be one of the reasons for the observed amplification of the Bering Strait transport carrying fresh Pacific Waters into the PSAO. Largrangian analysis of the optimized solution suggests that the freshwater (FW) accumulation in the Beaufort Gyre has a negligible contribution from the East Siberian Sea and is likely caused by the enhanced FW export from the region north of the Canadian Archipelago/Greenland.The inverse modeling results are confirmed by validation against independent altimetry observations and in situ velocity data from NABOS moorings. It is also shown that presented results are in significantly better agreement with the data than the output of the PIOMAS model run utilized as a first guess solution for the 4dVar analysis.

  8. Gravity anomalies, flexure and mantle rheology seaward of circum-Pacific trenches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunter, J.; Watts, A. B.

    2016-10-01

    We have used ensemble averages of satellite-derived free-air gravity anomaly data, together with inverse modelling techniques, to determine the effective elastic thickness, Te, of circum-Pacific subducting oceanic lithosphere and its relationship to plate age. Synthetic modelling tests show that Te can be recovered best using gravity anomaly, rather than bathymetry, data and profiles that are at least 750 km long. Inverse modelling based on a uniform Te elastic plate suggests that Te increases with age of the subducting oceanic lithosphere and is given approximately by the depth to the 390 ± 10 °C oceanic isotherm based on a cooling plate model. Misfits between the observed and calculated gravity anomalies are significantly improved if a mechanically weak zone is included between the trench axis and the outer rise. This weak zone is coincident with observations of bend-faulting and seismicity. Inverse modelling shows that Te landward of the outer rise is generally 40-65 per cent less than the Te seaward of the outer rise. Both landward and seaward Te increases with age of the lithosphere and are given by the depth to the 342-349 °C and 671-714 °C oceanic isotherm, respectively. A dependence of Te on age is consistent with models for the cooling of oceanic lithosphere as it moves away from a mid-ocean ridge and the temperature-dependent ductile creep of oceanic lithospheric minerals such as olivine. By comparing the observed Te to the predicted Te based on laboratory-derived yield strength envelopes and an assumption of elastic-perfectly plastic deformation, we have attempted to constrain the rheology of oceanic lithosphere. Regardless of the assumed friction coefficient, the dry-olivine low-temperature plasticity flow laws of Goetze, Evans & Goetze, Raterron et al. and Mei et al. all provide quite a good fit to the observed Te at circum-Pacific subduction zones. This result contrasts with the Hawaiian Islands, where these flow laws are generally too strong to fit the observations. The discrepancy in rheology within Pacific plate may be caused by differences in the timescale of loading and therefore the amount of viscoelastic stress relaxation that has occurred. Other possibilities include thermal rejuvenation and magma-assisted flexure at the Hawaiian Islands.

  9. Analysis of Surface Albedo to Improve Upper-Ocean Heat Budget Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hogikyan, A.; Zhang, D.; Cronin, M. F.

    2016-12-01

    Over 90% of the Earth's energy imbalance is stored in the oceans, so it is important to understand the ocean-atmosphere heat transfer. The Ocean Climate Stations group (OCS) at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory maintains two moored surface buoys in the North Pacific (PAPA and KEO) as air-sea flux reference sites. The goal of the reference sites is to validate global air-sea flux products from atmospheric reanalyses and satellite products, that are critical to understand and model the variability and trend of the earth climate. As other air-sea flux reference buoys in the world ocean, PAPA and KEO only measure downward shortwave radiation (SWdown), but utilize the albedo and the directly measured SWdown to calculate the SWup. Since the open ocean albedo is small, the errors associated with this practice are thought to be comparable or smaller than the instrumentation errors in the air-sea flux measurements. In addition, it is generally accepted that ocean surface albedos can be derived with reasonable confidence from surface radiative fluxes in satellite products such as the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). This project developed a CERES-based albedo product for derivation of SWnet at PAPA and KEO, and assessed the impact of CERES-based albedo on the net surface heat fluxes relative to the currently used ISCCP-based albedo in the OCS air-sea flux data (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/ocs/data/fluxdisdel/). The high-resolution surface fluxes from CERES are more frequently updated, and consider more physical factors in the approximation, than those from ISCCP. There was a greater change between ISCCP and CERES albedo during wintertime than during summer. There was a greater change at Station PAPA in the northeastern sub-Arctic Pacific, than at Station KEO in the northwestern subtropical Pacific. The rate of temperature change of the mixed-layer is shown to increase based on the new source of albedo data, .08 and .5 °C/year at KEO and PAPA, respectively. The differences in the net surface heat flux due to different albedos used in this study suggest that more comprehensive investigations of the albedo in different products and radiative models, and their impacts on oceanic and atmospheric processes are needed.

  10. The 2015/16 El Niño Event as Recorded in Central Tropical Pacific Corals: Temperature, Hydrology, and Ocean Circulation Influences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Connor, G.; Cobb, K. M.; Sayani, H. R.; Grothe, P. R.; Atwood, A. R.; Stevenson, S.; Hitt, N. T.; Lynch-Stieglitz, J.

    2016-12-01

    The El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) of 2015/2016 was a record-breaking event in the central Pacific, driving profound changes in the properties of the ocean and atmosphere. Prolonged ocean warming of up to 3°C translated into a large-scale coral bleaching and mortality event on Christmas Island (2°N, 157°W) that very few individuals escaped unscathed. As part of a long-term, interdisciplinary monitoring effort underway since August 2014, we present results documenting the timing and magnitude of environmental changes on the Christmas Island reefs. In particular, we present the first coral geochemical time series spanning the last several years, using cores that were drilled from rare living coral colonies during a field expedition in April 2016, at the tail end of the event. These geochemical indicators are sensitive to both ocean temperature, salinity, and water mass properties and have been used to quantitatively reconstruct ENSO extremes of the recent [Nurhati et al., 2011] and distant [Cobb et al., 2013] past. By analyzing multiple cores from both open ocean and lagoonal settings, we are able to undertake a quantitative comparison of this event with past very strong El Niño events contained in the coral archive - including the 1940/41, 1972/73, and 1997/98 events. For the most recent event, we compare our coral geochemistry records with a rich suite of in situ environmental data, including physical and geochemical parameters collected as part of the NOAA rapid response campaign in the central tropical Pacific. This unique dataset not only provides physical context interpreting coral geochemical records from the central tropical Pacific, but allows us to assess why the 2015/2016 El Niño event was so devastating to coral reef ecosystems in this region.

  11. Melting barriers to faunal exchange across ocean basins.

    PubMed

    McKeon, C Seabird; Weber, Michele X; Alter, S Elizabeth; Seavy, Nathaniel E; Crandall, Eric D; Barshis, Daniel J; Fechter-Leggett, Ethan D; Oleson, Kirsten L L

    2016-02-01

    Accelerated loss of sea ice in the Arctic is opening routes connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for longer periods each year. These changes may increase the ease and frequency with which marine birds and mammals move between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. Indeed, recent observations of birds and mammals suggest these movements have intensified in recent decades. Reconnection of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins will present both challenges to marine ecosystem conservation and an unprecedented opportunity to examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of interoceanic faunal exchange in real time. To understand these changes and implement effective conservation of marine ecosystems, we need to further develop modeling efforts to predict the rate of dispersal and consequences of faunal exchange. These predictions can be tested by closely monitoring wildlife dispersal through the Arctic Ocean and using modern methods to explore the ecological and evolutionary consequences of these movements. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Structure and Dynamics of Decadal Anomalies in the Wintertime Midlatitude North Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, J.

    2017-12-01

    The structure and dynamics of decadal anomalies in the wintertime midlatitude North Pacific ocean- atmosphere system are examined in this study, using the NCEP/NCAR atmospheric reanalysis, HadISST SST and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation data for 1960-2010. The midlatitude decadal anomalies associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation are identified, being characterized by an equivalent barotropic atmospheric low (high) pressure over a cold (warm) oceanic surface. Such a unique configuration of decadal anomalies can be maintained by an unstable ocean-atmosphere interaction mechanism in the midlatitudes, which is hypothesized as follows. Associated with a warm PDO phase, an initial midlatitude surface westerly anomaly accompanied with intensified Aleutian low tends to force a negative SST anomaly by increasing upward surface heat fluxes and driving southward Ekman current anomaly. The SST cooling tends to increase the meridional SST gradient, thus enhancing the subtropical oceanic front. As an adjustment of the atmospheric boundary layer to the enhanced oceanic front, the low-level atmospheric meridional temperature gradient and thus the low-level atmospheric baroclinicity tend to be strengthened, inducing more active transient eddy activities that increase transient eddy vorticity forcing. The vorticity forcing that dominates the total atmospheric forcing tends to produce an equivalent barotropic atmospheric low pressure north of the initial westerly anomaly, intensifying the initial anomalies of the midlatitude surface westerly and Aleutian low. Therefore, it is suggested that the midlatitude ocean-atmosphere interaction can provide a positive feedback mechanism for the development of initial anomaly, in which the oceanic front and the atmospheric transient eddy are the indispensable ingredients. Such a positive ocean-atmosphere feedback mechanism is fundamentally responsible for the observed decadal anomalies in the midlatitude North Pacific ocean-atmosphere system.

  13. Basin-scale transport of hydrothermal dissolved metals across the South Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Resing, Joseph A; Sedwick, Peter N; German, Christopher R; Jenkins, William J; Moffett, James W; Sohst, Bettina M; Tagliabue, Alessandro

    2015-07-09

    Hydrothermal venting along mid-ocean ridges exerts an important control on the chemical composition of sea water by serving as a major source or sink for a number of trace elements in the ocean. Of these, iron has received considerable attention because of its role as an essential and often limiting nutrient for primary production in regions of the ocean that are of critical importance for the global carbon cycle. It has been thought that most of the dissolved iron discharged by hydrothermal vents is lost from solution close to ridge-axis sources and is thus of limited importance for ocean biogeochemistry. This long-standing view is challenged by recent studies which suggest that stabilization of hydrothermal dissolved iron may facilitate its long-range oceanic transport. Such transport has been subsequently inferred from spatially limited oceanographic observations. Here we report data from the US GEOTRACES Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect (EPZT) that demonstrate lateral transport of hydrothermal dissolved iron, manganese, and aluminium from the southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR) several thousand kilometres westward across the South Pacific Ocean. Dissolved iron exhibits nearly conservative (that is, no loss from solution during transport and mixing) behaviour in this hydrothermal plume, implying a greater longevity in the deep ocean than previously assumed. Based on our observations, we estimate a global hydrothermal dissolved iron input of three to four gigamoles per year to the ocean interior, which is more than fourfold higher than previous estimates. Complementary simulations with a global-scale ocean biogeochemical model suggest that the observed transport of hydrothermal dissolved iron requires some means of physicochemical stabilization and indicate that hydrothermally derived iron sustains a large fraction of Southern Ocean export production.

  14. Mercury-Atlas 9 'Faith 7' spacecraft splashdown in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1963-01-01

    The Mercury-Atlas 9 'Faith 7' spacecraft, with Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr. aboard, nears splashdown in the Pacific Ocean to conclude a 22 orbit mission lasting 34 hours and 20.5 minutes. The capsules parachute is fully deployed in this view.

  15. Role of ocean evaporation in California droughts and floods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Jiangfeng; Jin, Qinjian; Yang, Zong-Liang; Dirmeyer, Paul A.

    2016-06-01

    Since winter 2011, a record-breaking drought has occurred in California. Studies found that the drought is mainly caused by a persistent high-pressure system off the U.S. West Coast, which is linked to Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies. The water cycles associated with the droughts and floods are still not clearly understood. Here we show that the atmospheric circulation off the West Coast not only controls the atmospheric convergence and formation of precipitation but also largely determines surface wind speed, which further affects the evaporation over the eastern North Pacific, the major evaporative moisture source for California precipitation. Because of this mechanism, the ocean evaporation over the eastern North Pacific has been reduced during the recent drought. However, the ocean evaporation anomalies have little direct influence on California precipitation, especially during dry years, mainly because of their weak amplitudes. The California droughts cannot be readily attributed to the reduced ocean evaporation. The association between increased Pacific evaporation and floods over California is somewhat stronger.

  16. Biomass, size, and trophic status of top predators in the Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Sibert, John; Hampton, John; Kleiber, Pierre; Maunder, Mark

    2006-12-15

    Fisheries have removed at least 50 million tons of tuna and other top-level predators from the Pacific Ocean pelagic ecosystem since 1950, leading to concerns about a catastrophic reduction in population biomass and the collapse of oceanic food chains. We analyzed all available data from Pacific tuna fisheries for 1950-2004 to provide comprehensive estimates of fishery impacts on population biomass and size structure. Current biomass ranges among species from 36 to 91% of the biomass predicted in the absence of fishing, a level consistent with or higher than standard fisheries management targets. Fish larger than 175 centimeters fork length have decreased from 5% to approximately 1% of the total population. The trophic level of the catch has decreased slightly, but there is no detectable decrease in the trophic level of the population. These results indicate substantial, though not catastrophic, impacts of fisheries on these top-level predators and minor impacts on the ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean.

  17. New constraints on the sources and behavior of neodymium and hafnium in seawater from Pacific Ocean ferromanganese crusts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    van de Flierdt, T.; Frank, M.; Lee, D.-C.; Halliday, A.N.; Reynolds, B.C.; Hein, J.R.

    2004-01-01

    The behavior of dissolved Hf in the marine environment is not well understood due to the lack of direct seawater measurements of Hf isotopes and the limited number of Hf isotope time-series obtained from ferromanganese crusts. In order to place better constraints on input sources and develop further applications, a combined Nd-Hf isotope time-series study of five Pacific ferromanganese crusts was carried out. The samples cover the past 38 Myr and their locations range from sites at the margin of the ocean to remote areas, sites from previously unstudied North and South Pacific areas, and water depths corresponding to deep and bottom waters. For most of the samples a broad coupling of Nd and Hf isotopes is observed. In the Equatorial Pacific ENd and EHf both decrease with water depth. Similarly, ENd and EHf both increase from the South to the North Pacific. These data indicate that the Hf isotopic composition is, in general terms, a suitable tracer for ocean circulation, since inflow and progressive admixture of bottom water is clearly identifiable. The time-series data indicate that inputs and outputs have been balanced throughout much of the late Cenozoic. A simple box model can constrain the relative importance of potential input sources to the North Pacific. Assuming steady state, the model implies significant contributions of radiogenic Nd and Hf from young circum-Pacific arcs and a subordinate role of dust inputs from the Asian continent for the dissolved Nd and Hf budget of the North Pacific. Some changes in ocean circulation that are clearly recognizable in Nd isotopes do not appear to be reflected by Hf isotopic compositions. At two locations within the Pacific Ocean a decoupling of Nd and Hf isotopes is found, indicating limited potential for Hf isotopes as a stand-alone oceanographic tracer and providing evidence of additional local processes that govern the Hf isotopic composition of deep water masses. In the case of the Southwest Pacific there is evidence that decoupling may have been the result of changes in weathering style related to the buildup of Antarctic glaciation. Copyright ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Changes in the Thermohaline Flow due to changes in the WAIS and Astronomical Forcing during the MIS31 Superinterglacial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Justino, F. J.; Lindemann, D.; Kucharski, F.; Wilson, A.; Bromwich, D. H.; Stordal, F.

    2017-12-01

    The Marine Isotope Stage 31 (MIS31, between 1085 ka and 1055 ka) was characterised by higher extra-tropical air temperatures and a substantial recession of polar glaciers compared to today. Paleoreconstructions and model simulations have increased the understanding of the MIS31 interval, but questions remain regarding the role of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in modifying the climate associated with the variations in Earth's orbital parameters. Multi-century coupled climate simulations, with the astronomical configuration of the MIS31 and modified West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) topography, show an increase in the thermohaline flux and northward oceanic heat transport (OHT) in the Pacific Ocean. These oceanic changes are driven by anomalous atmospheric circulation and increased surface salinity in concert with a stronger meridional overturning circulation (MOC). The intensified northward OHT is responsible for up to 85% of the global OHT anomalies and contributes to the overall reduction in sea-ice in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) due to Earth's astronomical configuration. The relative contributions of the Atlantic Ocean to global OHT and MOC anomalies are minor compared to that of the Pacific. However, sea-ice changes are remarkable, highlighted by decreased (increased) cover in Ross (Weddell) Sea but widespread reductions of sea-ice across the NH. These modeling results have enormous implications for paleoreconstructions of the MIS31 climate that mostly assume overall ice free conditions in the vicinity of the Antarctic continent. Since these reconstructions may depict dominant signals in a particular time interval and locale, they cannot be assumed to geographically represent large-scale domains. Therefore, their ability to reproduce long-term environmental conditions should be considered with care. Finally, it is important to emphasize that understanding past interglacial intervals that are characterized by a depleted WAIS can shed light on the potential effects of increasing atmospheric CO2, as the stability of the WAIS will be a key climate factor in decades to come.

  19. Is heterostyly rare on oceanic islands?

    PubMed Central

    Watanabe, Kenta; Sugawara, Takashi

    2015-01-01

    Heterostyly has been considered rare or absent on oceanic islands. However, there has been no comprehensive review on this issue. Is heterostyly truly rare on oceanic islands? What makes heterostyly rare on such islands? To answer these questions, we review the reproductive studies on heterostyly on oceanic islands, with special emphasis on the heterostylous genus Psychotria in the Pacific Ocean as a model system. Overall, not many reproductive studies have been performed on heterostylous species on oceanic islands. In Hawaiian Psychotria, all 11 species are thought to have evolved dioecy from distyly. In the West Pacific, three species on the oceanic Bonin and Lanyu Islands are distylous (Psychotria homalosperma, P. boninensis and P. cephalophora), whereas three species on the continental Ryukyu Islands show various breeding systems, such as distyly (P. serpens), dioecy (P. rubra) and monoecy (P. manillensis). On some other Pacific oceanic islands, possibilities of monomorphy have been reported. For many Psychotria species, breeding systems are unknown, although recent studies indicate that heterostylous species may occur on some oceanic islands. A shift from heterostyly to other sexual systems may occur on some oceanic islands. This tendency may also contribute to the rarity of heterostyly, in addition to the difficulty in colonization/autochthonous evolution of heterostylous species on oceanic islands. Further investigation of reproductive systems of Psychotria on oceanic islands using robust phylogenetic frameworks would provide new insights into plant reproduction on oceanic islands. PMID:26199401

  20. The Role of the Indian Ocean Sector for Prediction of the Coupled Indo-Pacific System: Impact of Atmospheric Coupling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hackert, E. C.; Busalacchi, A. J.; Carton, J.; Murtugudde, R.; Arkin, P.; Evans, M. N.

    2017-01-01

    Indian Ocean (IO) dynamics impact ENSO predictability by influencing wind and precipitation anomalies in the Pacific. To test if the upstream influence of the IO improves ENSO validation statistics, a combination of forced ocean, atmosphere, and coupled models are utilized. In one experiment, the full tropical Indo-Pacific region atmosphere is forced by observed interannual SST anomalies. In the other, the IO is forced by climatological SST. Differences between these two forced atmospheric model experiments spotlight a much richer wind response pattern in the Pacific than previous studies that used idealized forcing and simple linear atmospheric models. Weak westerlies are found near the equator similar to earlier literature. However, at initialization strong easterlies between 30 deg. S to 10 deg. S and 0 deg. N to 25 deg. N and equatorial convergence of the meridional winds across the entire Pacific are unique findings from this paper. The large-scale equatorial divergence west of the dateline and northeasterly-to-northwesterly cross-equatorial flow converging on the equator east of the dateline in the Pacific are generated from interannual IO SST coupling. In addition, off-equatorial downwelling curl impacts large-scale oceanic waves (i.e., Rossby waves reflect as western boundary Kelvin waves). After 3 months, these downwelling equatorial Kelvin waves propagate across the Pacific and strengthen the NINO3 SST. Eventually Bjerknes feedbacks take hold in the eastern Pacific which allows this warm anomaly to grow. Coupled forecasts for NINO3 SST anomalies for 1993-2014 demonstrate that including interannual IO forcing significantly improves predictions for 3-9 month lead times.

  1. The role of the Indian Ocean sector for prediction of the coupled Indo-Pacific system: Impact of atmospheric coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hackert, E. C.; Busalacchi, A. J.; Carton, J.; Murtugudde, R.; Arkin, P.; Evans, M. N.

    2017-04-01

    Indian Ocean (IO) dynamics impact ENSO predictability by influencing wind and precipitation anomalies in the Pacific. To test if the upstream influence of the IO improves ENSO validation statistics, a combination of forced ocean, atmosphere, and coupled models are utilized. In one experiment, the full tropical Indo-Pacific region atmosphere is forced by observed interannual SST anomalies. In the other, the IO is forced by climatological SST. Differences between these two forced atmospheric model experiments spotlight a much richer wind response pattern in the Pacific than previous studies that used idealized forcing and simple linear atmospheric models. Weak westerlies are found near the equator similar to earlier literature. However, at initialization strong easterlies between 30°S-10°S and 0°N-25°N and equatorial convergence of the meridional winds across the entire Pacific are unique findings from this paper. The large-scale equatorial divergence west of the dateline and northeasterly-to-northwesterly cross-equatorial flow converging on the equator east of the dateline in the Pacific are generated from interannual IO SST coupling. In addition, off-equatorial downwelling curl impacts large-scale oceanic waves (i.e., Rossby waves reflect as western boundary Kelvin waves). After 3 months, these downwelling equatorial Kelvin waves propagate across the Pacific and strengthen the NINO3 SST. Eventually Bjerknes feedbacks take hold in the eastern Pacific which allows this warm anomaly to grow. Coupled forecasts for NINO3 SST anomalies for 1993-2014 demonstrate that including interannual IO forcing significantly improves predictions for 3-9 month lead times.

  2. Improvement of Earthquake Epicentral Locations Using T-Phases: Testing by Comparison With Surface Wave Relative Event Locations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-10-01

    deployment of 51 ocean -bottom seismometers (OBS) on the seafloor spanning 800 km across the East Pacific Rise provides a unique opportunity to test the...aftershock sequence of earthquakes at the northern end of the Easter microplate . In addition, for the larger earthquakes, we can compare relative... ocean -bottom seismometers OBJECTIVES The objectives of this research are To explore the synergy between hydroacoustic and seismic techniques

  3. The variability of the surface wind field in the equatorial Pacific Ocean: Criteria for satellite measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, D.

    1984-01-01

    The natural variability of the equatorial Pacific surface wind field is described from long period surface wind measurements made at three sites along the equator (95 deg W, 109 deg 30 W, 152 deg 30 W). The data were obtained from surface buoys moored in the deep ocean far from islands or land, and provide criteria to adequately sample the tropical Pacific winds from satellites.

  4. [Trophic niche partitioning of pelagic sharks in Central Eastern Pacific inferred from stable isotope analysis.

    PubMed

    Li, Yun Kai; Gao, Xiao di; Wang, Lin Yu; Fang, Lin

    2018-01-01

    As the apex predators of the open ocean ecosystems, pelagic sharks play important roles in stabilizing the marine food web through top-down control. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool to investigate the feeding ecology. The carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios can be used to trace food source and evaluate the trophic position of marine organisms. In this study, the isotope values of 130 pelagic sharks from 8 species in Central Eastern Pacific were analyzed and their trophic position and niche were calculated to compare the intra/inter-specific resource partitioning in the Central Eastern Pacific ecosystem. The results exhibited significant differences in both carbon and nitrogen isotope values among the shark species. The trophic levels ranged from 4.3 to 5.4 in the Central Eastern Pacific shark community. The trophic niche of blue sharks and shortfin mako sharks showed no overlap with the other shark species, exhibiting unique ecological roles in the open ocean food web. These data highlighted the diverse roles among pelagic sharks, supporting previous findings that this species is not trophically redundant and the trophic niche of pelagic sharks can not be simply replaced by those of other top predator species.

  5. Variability of Equatorward Transport in the Tropical Southwestern Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alberty, M. S.; Sprintall, J.; MacKinnon, J. A.; Cravatte, S. E.; Ganachaud, A. S.; Germineaud, C.

    2016-02-01

    Situated in the Pacific warm pool, the Solomon Sea is a semi-enclosed sea containing a system of low latitude Western boundary currents that serve as the primary source water for the Equatorial Undercurrent. The variability of equatorward heat and volume transport through the Solomon Sea has the capability to modulate regional and basin-scale climate processes, yet there are few and synoptic observations of these fluxes. Here we present the mean and variability of heat and volume transport out of the Solomon Sea observed during the MoorSPICE experiment. MoorSPICE is the Solomon Sea mooring-based observational component of the Southwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (SPICE), an international research project working to observe and improve our understanding of the southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and climate. Arrays of moorings were deployed in the outflow channels of the Solomon Sea for July 2012 until March 2014 to resolve the temperature and velocity fields in each strait. In particular we will discuss the phasing of the observed transport variability for each channel compared to that of the satellite-observed monsoonal wind forcing and annual cycle of the mesoscale eddy field.

  6. Day 3 on the USS Anchorage for the Recovery of Orion

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-12-03

    On the third day of preparations for recovery of Orion after its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the USNS Salvor is in the Pacific Ocean, nearby the USS Anchorage, about 600 miles off the coast of Baja, California. The Salvor will be used to recover Orion in the event that the spacecraft cannot be recovered using the well deck of the USS Anchorage. NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel are preparing for recovery of the crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes after the spacecraft's return from space and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the recovery efforts.

  7. Vessel Specific Levels

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  8. Return Vessels Special Reports

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  9. Roll Call Debris - Race

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  10. Return Vessel Specific Levels

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  11. Fleet Debris Levels

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  12. Special Report Debris - Race

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  13. S/V Family Affairs Obs

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  14. Family Affairs Obs - Return Voyage

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.

  15. Apollo 16 spacecraft touches down in the central Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The Apollo 16 spacecraft touches down in the central Pacific Ocean at the end of its mission. Splashdown occurred at 1:45:06 p.m., Thursday, April 27, 1972 at coordinates of 00:45.2 degrees south latitude and 156:11.4 degrees west longitude, a point approximately 215 miles southeast of Christmas Island. All its parachutes are collapsing in the ocean around the Command Module.

  16. Thoughts on Multi-sphere Study in the Indo-Pacific Convergent Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, F.

    2016-12-01

    Interactions of the ocean with other components of the earth system, such as atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere are the front and hotspot of the ocean and earth sciences. In the Indonesian Archipelago and adjacent western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, both the upper oceanic circulation and lower atmospheric circulation convergent and consequently enhance the fresh water and heat fluxes, affecting the East Asian and global climate. This region is considered as the world's center of marine bio-diversity and sediment discharge, as well as the collision center of the Eurasian, Indian and Pacific plates. Why and how the energy and material of multiple spheres convergent toward the region are important scientific issues on the front of earth system science and marine sciences, and need to be investigated through international cooperation.

  17. Three new species of glass sponges Pheronematidae (Porifera: Hexactinellida) from the deep-sea of the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dexiang; Wang, Chunsheng; Zhang, Yuan; Liu, Chenggang

    2016-09-29

    Three new glass sponge species of the family Pheronematidae are described in this study. Specimens were sampled in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during cruise DY125-35I expedition (July-August, 2014) conducted by the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association. All samples were collected by the Chinese manned submersible Jiaolong HOV at a depth of 1627-2897 m. The three species belonging to three genera of the same family were observed, i.e., Platylistrum subviridum sp. nov. Poliopogon canaliculatus sp. nov. and Semperella retrospinella sp. nov. An unique form of the pinular ray of pinular pentactins with reclined spines is described for S. retrospinella sp. nov. This is also the first record of Platylistrum in the Pacific Ocean.

  18. Quantifying dispersal from hydrothermal vent fields in the western Pacific Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Mitarai, Satoshi; Watanabe, Hiromi; Nakajima, Yuichi; Shchepetkin, Alexander F.; McWilliams, James C.

    2016-01-01

    Hydrothermal vent fields in the western Pacific Ocean are mostly distributed along spreading centers in submarine basins behind convergent plate boundaries. Larval dispersal resulting from deep-ocean circulations is one of the major factors influencing gene flow, diversity, and distributions of vent animals. By combining a biophysical model and deep-profiling float experiments, we quantify potential larval dispersal of vent species via ocean circulation in the western Pacific Ocean. We demonstrate that vent fields within back-arc basins could be well connected without particular directionality, whereas basin-to-basin dispersal is expected to occur infrequently, once in tens to hundreds of thousands of years, with clear dispersal barriers and directionality associated with ocean currents. The southwest Pacific vent complex, spanning more than 4,000 km, may be connected by the South Equatorial Current for species with a longer-than-average larval development time. Depending on larval dispersal depth, a strong western boundary current, the Kuroshio Current, could bridge vent fields from the Okinawa Trough to the Izu-Bonin Arc, which are 1,200 km apart. Outcomes of this study should help marine ecologists estimate gene flow among vent populations and design optimal marine conservation plans to protect one of the most unusual ecosystems on Earth. PMID:26929376

  19. Quantifying dispersal from hydrothermal vent fields in the western Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Mitarai, Satoshi; Watanabe, Hiromi; Nakajima, Yuichi; Shchepetkin, Alexander F; McWilliams, James C

    2016-03-15

    Hydrothermal vent fields in the western Pacific Ocean are mostly distributed along spreading centers in submarine basins behind convergent plate boundaries. Larval dispersal resulting from deep-ocean circulations is one of the major factors influencing gene flow, diversity, and distributions of vent animals. By combining a biophysical model and deep-profiling float experiments, we quantify potential larval dispersal of vent species via ocean circulation in the western Pacific Ocean. We demonstrate that vent fields within back-arc basins could be well connected without particular directionality, whereas basin-to-basin dispersal is expected to occur infrequently, once in tens to hundreds of thousands of years, with clear dispersal barriers and directionality associated with ocean currents. The southwest Pacific vent complex, spanning more than 4,000 km, may be connected by the South Equatorial Current for species with a longer-than-average larval development time. Depending on larval dispersal depth, a strong western boundary current, the Kuroshio Current, could bridge vent fields from the Okinawa Trough to the Izu-Bonin Arc, which are 1,200 km apart. Outcomes of this study should help marine ecologists estimate gene flow among vent populations and design optimal marine conservation plans to protect one of the most unusual ecosystems on Earth.

  20. Antarctic-type blue whale calls recorded at low latitudes in the Indian and eastern Pacific Oceans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stafford, Kathleen M.; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.; Tolstoy, Maya; Chapp, Emily; Mellinger, David K.; Moore, Sue E.

    2004-10-01

    Blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus, were once abundant around the Antarctic during the austral summer, but intensive whaling during the first half of the 20th century reduced their numbers by over 99%. Although interannual variability of blue whale occurrence on the Antarctic feeding grounds was documented by whalers, little was known about where the whales spent the winter months. Antarctic blue whales produce calls that are distinct from those produced by blue whales elsewhere in the world. To investigate potential winter migratory destinations of Antarctic blue whales, we examined acoustic data for these signals from two low-latitude locales: the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Antarctic-type blue whale calls were detected on hydrophones in both regions during the austral autumn and winter (May-September), with peak detections in July. Calls occurred over relatively brief periods in both oceans, suggesting that there may be only a few animals migrating so far north and/or producing calls. Antarctic blue whales appear to use both the Indian and eastern Pacific Oceans concurrently, indicating that there is not a single migratory destination. Acoustic data from the South Atlantic and from mid-latitudes in the Indian or Pacific Oceans are needed for a more global understanding of migratory patterns and destinations of Antarctic blue whales.

  1. Distribution of Nitrogen Compounds in Marine Aerosol and Their Deposition Over the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uematsu, M.; Narita, Y.; Sun, S. Y.

    2016-02-01

    Nutrient supply to the ocean surface layer is an important factor controlling the marine ecosystem. The major paths of supplies of nutrients have been considered as those from nutrient-rich deep waters and riverine input, which is mostly taken up near the estuary region, but the nutrients transported through the atmosphere recognize to be important for the open ocean, where the nutrients are limiting primary productivity. Because of rapid economic development surrounding the Pacific Ocean, anthropogenic NOx emissions increased by 2-3 times during the past decades. This rapid increase of NOx emission causes a large amount of N deposition mostly in the form of nitrate and ammonium over ocean surfaces, and strongly impacts their marine ecosystems. Especially, biological N2 fixation, riverine input and atmospheric deposition contribute to support "new production" and affect CO2 air-sea exchange. The concentration of nitrogen compounds in marine aerosol has been measured on the island stations and onboard of research vessels in the Pacific Ocean over a few decades. The temporal and spatial atmospheric distribution of water-soluble particulate nitrogen compounds is summarized in this study. As the transport of anthropogenic nitrogen compounds from land, high concentration is revealed over the marginal seas in the western North Pacific. Most of nitrate exists in the coarse aerosol associated with sea-salt particle while ammonium exists in the fine particle and showing a good relationship with non-sea-salt sulfate. This different particle size affects to estimate the deposition flux of nitrogen compounds to the ocean surface. Over the high primary productive areas such as the equatorial Pacific and the Southern Ocean, ammonia is released into the atmosphere and transported to other area. By wet and dry deposition, ammonium is removed to the ocean surface and modified the distribution of nitrogen compounds in the surface waters.

  2. Manifestation of remote response over the equatorial Pacific in a climate model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misra, Vasubandhu; Marx, L.

    2007-10-01

    In this paper we examine the simulations over the tropical Pacific Ocean from long-term simulations of two different versions of the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) coupled climate model that have a different global distribution of the inversion clouds. We find that subtle changes made to the numerics of an empirical parameterization of the inversion clouds can result in a significant change in the coupled climate of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In one coupled simulation of this study we enforce a simple linear spatial filtering of the diagnostic inversion clouds to ameliorate its spatial incoherency (as a result of the Gibbs effect) while in the other we conduct no such filtering. It is found from the comparison of these two simulations that changing the distribution of the shallow inversion clouds prevalent in the subsidence region of the subtropical high over the eastern oceans in this manner has a direct bearing on the surface wind stress through surface pressure modifications. The SST in the warm pool region responds to this modulation of the wind stress, thus affecting the convective activity over the warm pool region and also the large-scale Walker and Hadley circulation. The interannual variability of SST in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean is also modulated by this change to the inversion clouds. Consequently, this sensitivity has a bearing on the midlatitude height response. The same set of two experiments were conducted with the respective versions of the atmosphere general circulation model uncoupled to the ocean general circulation model but forced with observed SST to demonstrate that this sensitivity of the mean climate of the equatorial Pacific Ocean is unique to the coupled climate model where atmosphere, ocean and land interact. Therefore a strong case is made for adopting coupled ocean-land-atmosphere framework to develop climate models as against the usual practice of developing component models independent of each other.

  3. Historic and Industrial Lead within the Northwest Pacific Ocean Evidenced by Lead Isotopes in Seawater.

    PubMed

    Zurbrick, Cheryl M; Gallon, Céline; Flegal, A Russell

    2017-02-07

    We report the continued lead (Pb) contamination of the Northwest Pacific Ocean in 2002 and present the first comprehensive Pb isotope data set for that region. In the upper ocean, a Pb concentration maxima (64-113 pmol kg -1 ) extended throughout the entire North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). We determined most of the Pb in this feature was from industrial emissions by many nations in the 1980s and 1990s, with the largest contributions from leaded gasoline emissions. In contrast, the deep water (>1000 m) Pb concentrations were lower (6-37 pmol kg -1 ), and constituted a mix of background (natural) Pb and anthropogenic Pb inputs from preceding decades. Deep water below the Western Subarctic Gyre (WSAG) contained more industrial Pb than below the NPSG, which was attributed to a calculated 60-fold greater flux of particulate Pb to abyssal waters near the Asian continent. Assuming Pb isotope compositions in the North Pacific Ocean were homogeneous prior to large-scale 20th century anthropogenic inputs, this evidence suggests a relatively faster change in Pb isotope ratios of North Pacific deep water below the WSAG versus the NPSG.

  4. Horizontal mixing in the Southern Ocean from Argo float trajectories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roach, Christopher J.; Balwada, Dhruv; Speer, Kevin

    2016-08-01

    We provide the first observational estimate of the circumpolar distribution of cross-stream eddy diffusivity at 1000 m in the Southern Ocean using Argo float trajectories. We show that Argo float trajectories, from the float surfacing positions, can be used to estimate lateral eddy diffusivities in the ocean and that these estimates are comparable to those obtained from RAFOS floats, where they overlap. Using the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE) velocity fields to advect synthetic particles with imposed behavior that is "Argo-like" and "RAFOS-like" diffusivity estimates from both sets of synthetic particles agreed closely at the three dynamically very different test sites, the Kerguelen Island region, the Southeast Pacific Ocean, and the Scotia Sea, and support our approach. Observed cross-stream diffusivities at 1000 m, calculated from Argo float trajectories, ranged between 300 and 2500 m2 s-1, with peaks corresponding to topographic features associated with the Scotia Sea, the Kerguelen Plateau, the Campbell Plateau, and the Southeast Pacific Ridge. These observational estimates agree with previous regional estimates from the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES) near the Drake Passage, and other estimates from natural tracers (helium), inverse modeling studies, and current meter measurements. These estimates are also compared to the suppressed eddy diffusivity in the presence of mean flows. The comparison suggests that away from regions of strong topographic steering suppression explains both the structure and magnitude of eddy diffusivity but that eddy diffusivities in the regions of topographic steering are greater than what would be theoretically expected and the ACC experiences localized enhanced cross-stream mixing in these regions.

  5. The Panama Canal and the transoceanic dispersal of marine invertebrates: evaluation of the introduced amphipod Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Ros, Macarena; Ashton, Gail V; Lacerda, Mariana B; Carlton, James T; Vázquez-Luis, Maite; Guerra-García, José M; Ruiz, Gregory M

    2014-08-01

    Although the Panama Canal is one of the major corridors for shipping and potential dispersal of marine invaders in the tropics, little is known about the effect that the Canal has had on the distribution of marine biota. In this study, we (a) document the existence of established populations of the Western Atlantic caprellid amphipod Paracaprella pusilla, Mayer, 1890 for the first time at the Pacific entrance to the Canal, (b) review its distribution in the Pacific Ocean, and (c) evaluate possible mechanisms of introduction. The confirmed distribution of P. pusilla in the Pacific Ocean is limited to Australia, Hawaii, and Panama, despite earlier published reports from Chile and China. Laboratory experiments demonstrated intolerance of P. pusilla to freshwater, causing 100% mortality, and suggest invasion of the Pacific coast of Panama occurred through the Canal via ships' ballast water or by secondary spread via ships (ballast water or hull fouling) from another Pacific region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Index maps for Gemini earth photography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giddings, L. E.

    1975-01-01

    Index maps for the Gemini missions are presented; these are for the Gemini 3 through Gemini 12 missions. The maps are divided into four sections: the whole earth; the Western Hemisphere and eastern Pacific Ocean; Africa, India, and the Near East; and Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean.

  7. 76 FR 63904 - Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA761 Pacific... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meetings. SUMMARY: The..., November 2, 2011 at 9:30 a.m., reconvening each day through Monday, November 7, 2011. All meetings are open...

  8. 78 FR 16659 - Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC571 Pacific... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meetings. SUMMARY: The..., 2013 at 8 a.m., reconvening each day through Thursday, April 11, 2013. All meetings are open to the...

  9. 50 CFR 300.211 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, with Annexes (WCPF... Conference on Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the terms used in this... information. Commercial, with respect to commercial fishing, means fishing in which the fish harvested, either...

  10. 50 CFR 300.211 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, with Annexes (WCPF... Conference on Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the terms used in this... information. Commercial, with respect to commercial fishing, means fishing in which the fish harvested, either...

  11. Air-sea interaction in the tropical Pacific Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, L. J.; Steranka, J.; Holub, R. J.; Hansen, J.; Godshall, F. A.; Prabhakara, C.

    1972-01-01

    Charts of 3-month sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean were produced for the period 1949 to 1970. The anomalies along the United States and South American west coasts and in the eastern tropical Pacific appeared to be oscillating in phase during this period. Similarly, the satellite-derived cloudiness for each of four quadrants of the Pacific Ocean (130 deg E to 100 deg W, 30 deg N to 25 deg S) appeared to be oscillating in phase. In addition, a global tropical cloudiness oscillation from 30 deg N to 30 deg S was noted from 1965 to 1970, by using monthly satellite television nephanalyses. The SST anomalies were found to have a good degree of correlation both positive and negative with the following monthly geophysical parameters: (1) satellite-derived cloudiness, (2) strength of the North and South Pacific semipermanent anticyclones, (3) tropical Pacific island rainfall, and (4) Darwin surface pressure. Several strong direct local and crossequatorial relationships were noted. In particular, the high degree of correlation between the tropical island rainfall and the SST anomalies (r = +0.93) permitted the derivation of SST's for the tropical Pacific back to 1905. The close occurrence of cold tropical SST and North Pacific 700-mb positive height anomalies with central United States drought conditions was noted.

  12. A Self-Powered Fast-Sampling Profiling Float in support of a Mesoscale Ocean Observing System in the Western North Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valdez, T.; Chao, Y.; Davis, R. E.; Jones, J.

    2012-12-01

    This talk will describe a new self-powered profiling float that can perform fast sampling over the upper ocean for long durations in support of a mesoscale ocean observing system in the Western North Pacific. The current state-of-the-art profiling floats can provide several hundreds profiles for the upper ocean every ten days. To quantify the role of the upper ocean in modulating the development of Typhoons requires at least an order of magnitude reduction for the sampling interval. With today's profiling float and battery technology, a fast sampling of one day or even a few hours will reduce the typical lifetime of profiling floats from years to months. Interactions between the ocean and typhoons often involves mesoscale eddies and fronts, which require a dense array of floats to reveal the 3-dimensional structure. To measure the mesoscale ocean over a large area like the Western North Pacific therefore requires a new technology that enables fast sampling and long duration at the same time. Harvesting the ocean renewable energy associated with the vertical temperature differentials has the potential to power profiling floats with fast sampling over long durations. Results from the development and deployment of a prototype self-powered profiling float (known as SOLO-TREC) will be presented. With eight hours sampling in the upper 500 meters, the upper ocean temperature and salinity reveal pronounced high frequency variations. Plans to use the SOLO-TREC technology in support of a dense array of fast sampling profiling floats in the Western North Pacific will be discussed.

  13. ENSO-driven nutrient variability recorded by central equatorial Pacific corals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaVigne, M.; Nurhati, I. S.; Cobb, K. M.; McGregor, H. V.; Sinclair, D. J.; Sherrell, R. M.

    2012-12-01

    Recent evidence for shifts in global ocean primary productivity suggests that surface ocean nutrient availability is a key link between global climate and ocean carbon cycling. Time-series records from satellite, in situ buoy sensors, and bottle sampling have documented the impact of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on equatorial Pacific hydrography and broad changes in biogeochemistry since the late 1990's, however, data are sparse prior to this. Here we use a new paleoceanographic nutrient proxy, coral P/Ca, to explore the impact of ENSO on nutrient availability in the central equatorial Pacific at higher-resolution than available from in situ nutrient data. Corals from Christmas (157°W 2°N) and Fanning (159°W 4°N) Islands recorded a well-documented decrease in equatorial upwelling as a ~40% decrease in P/Ca during the 1997-98 ENSO cycle, validating the application of this proxy to Pacific Porites corals. We compare the biogeochemical shifts observed through the 1997-98 event with two pre-TOGA-TAO ENSO cycles (1982-83 and 1986-87) reconstructed from a longer Christmas Island core. All three corals revealed ~30-40% P/Ca depletions during ENSO warming as a result of decreased regional wind stress, thermocline depth, and equatorial upwelling velocity. However, at the termination of each El Niño event, surface nutrients did not return to pre-ENSO levels for ~4-12 months after, SST as a result of increased biological draw down of surface nutrients. These records demonstrate the utility of high-resolution coral nutrient archives for understanding the impact of tropical Pacific climate on the nutrient and carbon cycling of this key region.

  14. Contrasting subtropical PV intrusion frequency and their impact on tropospheric Ozone distribution over Pacific Ocean in El-Niño and La-Niña conditions.

    PubMed

    Nath, Debashis; Chen, Wen; Graf, Hans-F; Lan, Xiaoqiang; Gong, Hainan

    2017-09-20

    Upper tropospheric equatorial westerly ducts over the Pacific Ocean are the preferred location for Rossby wave breaking events during boreal winter and spring. These subtropical wave breaking events lead to the intrusion of high PV (potential vorticity) air along the extra-tropical tropopause and transport ozone rich dry stratospheric air into the tropics. The intrusion frequency has strong interannual variability due to ENSO (El-Niño/Southern Oscillation), with more events under La-Niña and less under El-Niño conditions. This may result from stronger equatorial westerly ducts and subtropical jets during La-Niña and weaker during El-Niño. It was previously suggested that the interannual variability of the tropospheric ozone distribution over the central-eastern Pacific Ocean is mainly driven by convective activity related to ENSO and that the barotropic nature of the subtropical intrusions restricts the tracers within the UT. However, our analysis shows that tropospheric ozone concentration and subtropical intrusions account ~65% of the co- variability (below 5 km) in the outer tropical (10-25°N) central Pacific Ocean, particularly during La-Niña conditions. Additionally, we find a two-fold increase and westward shift in the intrusion frequency over the Pacific Ocean, due to the climate regime shift in SST pattern during 1997/98.

  15. Secular variations of iron isotopes in ferromanganese crusts: evidences for deeply sourced iron in the Pacific Ocean?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rouxel, O. J.; Gueguen, B.

    2016-12-01

    Ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts are potential archive of the Fe isotope composition of deep seawater through time. Here, we report Fe isotope composition of two pairs of Fe-Mn crusts collected on two volcanic seamounts from the Northern Pacific Ocean (Apuupuu Seamount, Hawaii) and the Southern Pacific Ocean (near Rurutu Island, Austral archipelago of French Polynesia). This approach allows (a) a direct comparison of the Fe isotope record in Fe-Mn crusts from the same seamount in order to address local effects, and (b) a comparison of geochemical composition of crusts between North and South Pacific in order to address the effect of more global geochemical processes. The results show that, despite different growth rates, diagenetic history, textures and geochemical patterns, Fe-Mn crusts from both North and South Pacific Oceans have fairly homogenous Fe isotope compositions over the last 17 Ma, yielding average δ56Fe values of -0.22 ± 0.20‰ (1sd, n = 54). The results also show striking correlations between Fe and Pb isotope ratios, indicating that local mixing between water masses is the main factor controlling Fe isotope composition in FeMn crusts. Recently, Horner et al. (2015) reported a range of δ56Fe values from -1.12‰ to 1.54‰ along a 76 Ma-old FeMn crust from the central pacific. However, secular variations of Fe isotopes inferred from other FeMn crusts in the Central North Pacific and Western Pacific (Yang and Rouxel, unpublished) show different patterns over the last 40 Ma, with δ56Fe ranging from -0.07 to -0.61‰ (n=81). Hence, the application of Fe isotopes as paleoceanographic proxies to trace deeply sourced iron at the scale of oceanic basins should be used with caution, prompting for an integrative approach combining diverse yet complimentary geochemical proxies.

  16. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Western Region: Coastal ecosystem responses to influences from land and sea, Coastal and Ocean Science

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bodkin, James L.

    2010-01-01

    Sea otters and the nearshore ecosystems they inhabit-from highly urbanized California to relatively pristine Alaska-are the focus of a new multidisciplinary study by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and a suite of international, academic and government collaborators. The Coastal Ecosystem Responses to Influences from Land and Sea project will investigate the many interacting variables that influence the health of coastal ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific shore. These ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, with threats arising from the adjacent oceans and lands. From the ocean, challenges include acidification, sea level rise, and warming. From the land, challenges include elevated biological, geological and chemical pollutants associated with burgeoning human populations along coastlines. The implications of these challenges for biological systems are only beginning to be explored. Comparing sea otter population status indicators from around the northeastern Pacific Rim, will begin the process of defining factors of coastal ecosystem health in this broad region.

  17. A seasonal forecast scheme for the Inner Mongolia spring drought - Part-I: dynamic characteristics of the atmospheric circulation and forecast signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Tao; Si, Yaobing; Yu, Xiao; Wulan; Yang, Peng; Gao, Jing

    2018-02-01

    This study analyzed the atmospheric evolutionary characteristics of insufficient rainfall that leads to spring drought in Inner Mongolia, China. The results revealed that a weakened western Pacific subtropical high and an enlarged North Polar vortex with a western position of the East Asian trough generally result in unfavorable moisture transportation for spring precipitation in IM. It was found that an abnormal sea surface temperature in several crucial ocean areas triggers an irregular atmospheric circulation over the Eurasian continent and the Pacific region. Lower sea surface temperature (SST) during the previous autumn over tropical regions of the central-eastern Pacific and Indian oceans induce a strong Walker circulation, corresponding to a weak and southeastward-retreating subtropical high over the western Pacific during the following winter and spring. Another crucial area is the central region of the North Atlantic Ocean. Abnormally low SST of the ocean area during the preceding autumn causes the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern (the index of which is issued on the website of the Climate Prediction Center, USA) changes to a positive phase, which leads to a weak westerly over the Eurasian continent. In this case, the easterly over the North Pole becomes stronger than normal, resulting in an extended North Polar vortex during the following spring. In addition, SST differences during the previous December between the middle-eastern tropical and the northwestern regions of the Pacific Ocean reflect variations of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, causing the East Asian trough to move to a western position during the following spring.

  18. Deepwater carbonate ion concentrations in the western tropical Pacific since 250 ka: Evidence for oceanic carbon storage and global climate influence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Bingbin; Li, Tiegang; Xiong, Zhifang; Algeo, Thomas J.; Chang, Fengming

    2017-04-01

    We present new "size-normalized weight" (SNW)-Δ[CO32-] core-top calibrations for three planktonic foraminiferal species and assess their reliability as a paleo-alkalinity proxy. SNWs of Globigerina sacculifer and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei can be used to reconstruct past deep Pacific [CO32-], whereas SNWs of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata are controlled by additional environmental factors. Based on this methodological advance, we reconstruct SNW-based deepwater [CO32-] for core WP7 from the western tropical Pacific since 250 ka. Secular variation in the SNW proxy documents little change in deep Pacific [CO32-] between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene. Further back in time, deepwater [CO32-] shows long-term increases from marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e to MIS 3 and from early MIS 7 to late MIS 6, consistent with the "coral reef hypothesis" that the deep Pacific Ocean carbonate system responded to declining shelf carbonate production during these two intervals. During deglaciations, we have evidence of [CO32-] peaks coincident with Terminations 2 and 3, which suggests that a breakdown of oceanic vertical stratification drove a net transfer of CO2 from the ocean to the atmosphere, causing spikes in carbonate preservation (i.e., the "deglacial ventilation hypothesis"). During MIS 4, a transient decline in SNW-based [CO32-], along with other reported [CO32-] and/or dissolution records, implies that increased deep-ocean carbon storage resulted in a global carbonate dissolution event. These findings provide new insights into the role of the deep Pacific in the global carbon cycle during the late Quaternary.

  19. Geographical Distribution and Sources of Nutrients in Atmospheric Aerosol Over the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uematsu, M.

    2016-12-01

    The Pacific Ocean, the world's largest (occupying about 30% of the Earth's total surface area) has several distinguishing biogeochemical features. In the western Pacific, dust particles originating from arid and semi-arid regions in Asia and Australia are transported to the north and south, respectively. Biomass burning emissions from Southeast Asia are exported to the tropical Pacific, and anthropogenic substances flowing out of Asia and Eurasia spread both regionally and globally. Over high primary productive areas such as the subarctic North Pacific, the equatorial Pacific and the Southern Ocean, biogenic gasses are released to the atmosphere and transported to other areas. These processes may affect cloud and rainfall patterns, air quality, and the radiative balance of downwind regions. The deposition of atmospheric aerosols containing iron and other essential nutrients is important for biogeochemical cycles in the oceans because this source of nutrients helps sustain primary production and affects food-web structure; these effects in turn influence the chemical properties of marine atmosphere. From an atmospheric chemistry standpoint, sea-salt aerosols produced by strong winds and marine biogenic gases emitted from highly productive waters affect the physicochemical characteristics of marine aerosols. As phytoplankton populations are patchy and atmospheric processes sporadic, the interactions between atmospheric chemical constituents and marine biota vary for different regions as well as seasonally and over longer timescales. To address these and other emerging issues, and more generally to better understand the important biogeochemical processes and interactions occurring over the open oceans, more long-term recurrent research cruises with standardized atmospheric shipboard measurements will be needed in the future.

  20. Plate tectonic reconstruction of South and East Asia since 43 Ma using seismic tomographic constraints: role of the subducted ';East Asia Sea' (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, J. E.; Suppe, J.; Renqi, L.; Kanda, R. V.

    2013-12-01

    Lithosphere that subducts at convergent plate boundaries provides a potentially decipherable plate tectonic record. In this study we use global seismic tomography to map subducted slabs in the upper and lower mantle under South and East Asia to constrain plate reconstructions. The mapped slabs include the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and Banda Sea, the Molucca Sea, Celebes Sea, the Philippine Sea and Eurasia, New Guinea and other lower mantle detached slabs. The mapped slabs were restored to the earth surface and used with Gplates software to constrain a globally-consistent, fully animated plate reconstruction of South and East Asia. Three principal slab elements dominate possible plate reconstructions: [1] The mapped Pacific slabs near the Izu-Bonin and the Marianas trenches form a subvertical slab curtain or wall extending down to 1500 km in the lower mantle. The ';slab curtain' geometry and restored slabs lengths indicate that the Pacific subduction zone has remained fixed within +/- 250 km of its present position since ~43 Ma. In contrast, the Tonga Pacific slab curtain records at least 1000 km trench rollback associated with expansion of back-arc basins. [2] West of the Pacific slab curtain, a set of flat slabs exist in the lower mantle and record a major 8000km by 2500-3000km ocean that existed at ~43 Ma. This now-subducted ocean, which we call the ';East Asian Sea', existed between the Ryukyu Asian margin and the Lord Howe hotspot, present-day eastern Australia, and fills a major gap in Cenozoic plate reconstructions between Indo-Australia, the Pacific Ocean and Asia. [3] An observed ';picture puzzle' fit between the restored edges of the Philippine Sea, Molucca Sea and Indian Ocean slabs suggests that the Philippine Sea was once part of a larger Indo-Australian Ocean. Previous models of Philippine Sea plate motions are in conflict with the location of the East Asian Sea lithosphere. Using the mapped slab constraints, we propose the following 43 Ma to 0 plate tectonic reconstruction. At ~43 Ma a major plate reorganization occurred in South and East Asia marked by Indian Ocean Wharton ridge extinction, initiation of Pacific Ocean WNW motions and the rapid northward motion of the Australian plate. The Philippine Sea and Molucca Sea were clustered at the northern margin of Australia, northwest of New Guinea. During the mid-Cenozoic these plates moved NNE with Australia, accommodated by N-S transforms at the eastern margin of Sundaland. The East Asian Sea was subducted under the northward-moving Philippine Sea and Australia plates, and the expanding Melanesian and Shikoku-Parece Vela backarc basins. At ~20 to 25 Ma the Philippine Sea and Molucca Sea were fragmented from Indo-Australia and began to have a westward component of motion due to partial Pacific capture. Around 1-2 Ma the Philippine Sea was more fully captured by the Pacific and now has rapid Pacific-like northwestward motions.

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